Rachael’s Mostly-Lazy Tomato Bisque

A friend of mine tried to record her own recipe for tomato bisque while she was making a batch recently. This is what she came up with. Give it a try and leave a note for her in the comments. I’ll be sure any comments get to her.

Rachael’s Mostly-Lazy Tomato Bisque
Serves 4 as side dish/appetizer, 2 as a meal

Ingredients:
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can vegetable broth or seafood broth(lobster/shrimp)
Garlic cloves, peeled (as many as you want. I used an entire head)
Butter (2-8 tbsp…go with your preference)
2 tbsp dried basil (or a handful of chopped fresh)
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp paprika (I used smoked-highly recommend)
1 tsp salt (again, used wood-smoked cause it’s amazing!)
1 tsp pepper
1/2 c heavy cream

Optional: 
Truffle dust (yes, seriously. I love this stuff and have an addiction. Don’t judge me.)
Splash of olive oil

Directions:
Add first 4 ingredients to pot. Simmer on medium, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted.

Slowly stir in the herbs and seasoning (or just dump ’em in if you’re a rebel). If you’re using truffle dust or olive oil, add them now. Simmer until garlic is soft, at least 30 minutes.

Add the heavy cream to a separate bowl and slowly pour a couple of ladles of the bisque into it, stirring to prevent curdling. Pour this back into the pot and stir until well combined.

If you want a smoother bisque run it through a blender, but I prefer to leave a little bit of texture to the soup and only pureed a portion of it. If you do only puree a portion, make sure you get all of the garlic cloves into the blender.

Serve hot with your favorite tomato soup/bisque toppings. Shredded cheese, sour cream,  shrimp, bacon are all tried and true additions.

 

 

Please leave Rachael a comment if you try out her recipe. It looks delicious to me!

Enjoy!

— Ann Cathey

What’s Hiding in Your Freezer?

Have you peeked into your freezer or deep freeze, lately? If you are like me, no matter how organized you try to keep it, things will hide away from you. You mgiht be surprised at the wonderful potential that’s hiding in there, too.

Burger patties are good for more than just burgers. Whether they are beef, turkey or veggie, they can always be cooked up and made into wraps for a quick meal. Simply cook the patties in your preferred method, slice them up, and wrap them in tortillas with wil lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo and shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese. With the side of beans and rice, you have a quick and hearty meal.

With the colder weather imminent, soups and stews are always a good meal plan. A variety of meats and veggies that are likely hanging out in your freezer can be utilised towhip up lovely dishes such as chicken noodle soup and beef stew.

Chili if also a great way to warm up your family and meats may be mixed in this dish traditionally made fromt he poorest cuts of beef. Diced or ground venison, lamb, fowl, pork, and beef are all great starts for a big pot of chili. Have onion and chili powder? You’ve got the start to an awesome one pot dinner.

Frozen tortellini, tortelloni, ravioli, and other pasts provide a basis for numerous dishes including traditional pastas with sauce, pasta bakes (layered like lasagne but with different pasts varieties), and even soups. Chicken broth and three cheese tortellini with a bit of garlic and spinach turns into a lovely soup that’s a fun twist on chicken noodle.

Frozen meatballs on hand? Stuff them into bell peppers with a bit of pasta sauce (tomato based or Alfredo), top with cheese and bake. Serve with a small side of pasta and a green salad for a convenient meal.

For a quick side to many of these menu choices, try this:

Romaine Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 bag Romaine lettuce
1 apple
3 oz Swiss cheese
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 tbsp fresh chives, rough chopped
Your favorite vinaigrette, for serving

Wash and core the apple. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Dice cheese into 1/4 inch cubes.

Toss the lettuce into a large salad bowl. Add apples, cheese, walnuts and dressing. Toss to distribute dressing.

Sprinkle chives on top and serve.

 

Enjoy!

–Ann Cathey

Food Porn – Episode 8

Writing about food can work up a great appetite, but looking at food can make your stomach complain that you are not paying it proper attention.

Being a photographer as well as I writer, I am often confronted with photos that I have taken that don’t quite make the grade as stock photography, but are too good to be wasted. They get lonely when they are simply  archived.

Rather than let these photos sit, allow me to share these tasty items with everyone. Enjoy!

Hearty Homemade Stew – looks like dog food, tastes amazing over fresh cornbread.

Apple Bacon Honey appetizer.

Hot Layered Dip – this was a recipe form ALDI featured earlier on this blog.

Savory Mince Meat – scratch made mince meat from a Viking period recipe.

Cured Salmon with Dill

Half-pound Burgers

Burgers and home-made sausage links on the grill.

Slow Cooker Recipes from Crock-Pot #3

I like to use slow cooker liners. Whenever I buy a box of them, there is invariably a little handout inside that includes a few recipes. They are great for folks starting out with slow cookers!

Here’s another soup dish to help keep you warm this holiday season!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cook time on High: 3 hours
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 oz green chilis, canned, drained and chopped (hot or mild, your preference)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
30 oz diced tomatoes, canned, including fluid
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1 lime
salt & pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4″ strips
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 avocado, diced, tossed with lime juice to prevent browning

Directions:
1. Place chicken in stoneware.
2. In separate bowl, combine chilis, garlic, onion, tomato, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.
3. Cook three hours.
4. When chicken is tender, use the tines of 2 forks to shred the meat.
5. Adjust seasoning to taste and add remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth if needed.
6. Just before serving, add cilantro and tortilla strips.
7. Top individual servings with shredded cheese, avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Notes:
Be careful not to overcook the chicken as it will get tough.

Personally, I prefer to mix the ingredients listed in #2 directly in the stoneware and add the chicken gently to the mixture. This prevents having yet another dish to wash – I use lots of them when cooking!

— Ann Cathey

Slow Cooker Recipes from Crock-Pot #2

I like to use slow cooker liners. Whenever I buy a box of them, there is invariably a little handout inside that includes a few recipes. They are great for folks starting out with slow cookers!

Here’s one to help keep you warm this winter!

Beef Stew
Cook time on Low: 4-6 hours
Cook time on High: 2-3 hours
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 lbs beef chuck, cubed
olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh parsley, minced
6 tsp garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
2 cups red or white wine
1 cup beef broth

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the cubed meat in the flour.
2. Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, and place over a medium-high heat.
3. Heat oil and sear beef on all sides.
4. Add seared beef and all other ingredients to stoneware.
5. Cover and cook on selected temperature as directed above. Stir occasionally.

Notes:
This recipe also works well with venison or buffalo. Add carrots, wild onion, crimini mushrooms and a little extra garlic to achieve the wilder flavors that make such a wonderful blend with these meats.

It is also tasty with pork, though pork is a much fattier meat. Pork prefers a higher volume of veggies, especially turnips and potatoes.

Additional veggies are always a delight in stews. Add carrots and celery early on so they will have time to soften a bit. Add potatoes or turnips about 1/2 way on Low or 3/4 of the way on High through the cook time.

This is a dish best served with fresh biscuits, over cornbread, or over rice if you have no problems with all the carbs. Serve with a glass of the same wine used in the dish for a lovely accompaniment.

— Ann Cathey

Budget Cooking – Ramen Noodles

Everyone out there is likely familiar with the ramen-style noodles that have swept through the United States in the last many years. They are available in most groceries under many names such as Maruchan Ramen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruchan] and Top Ramen [https://www.nissinfoods.com/products/TopRamen]. From a start with a fascination with Asian food all the way to being consumed in masses by college students and latch-key kids, these noodles have become a household staple for young and old, wealthy and poor alike.

They can be cooked on the stove top or in the microwave, as a noodle soup or simply as noodles. The directions tell you to measure your water, add the noodles, cook until done and add the flavor pack.

Before you turn up your nose at that twenty cent pack of noodles as common or crass, are you aware what else can be done with them? With some simple and handy additions, you might bring a world wide range of cuisine to your table.

In each of these suggested dishes, cook your noodles as directed leaving out the flavor pack, drain and turn out into a bowl.

Thai Noodles
Add half of the flavor package, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a pat of butter, and red chili flakes to taste. Stir until the butters have melted. You have a simple satay noodle. It can always be expanded with other spices, vegetables, and meats into a more glorious dish.

Noodles Con Carnes
Dice some leftover beef to stir into your noodles. Add some Ro-tel and all or part of the flavor package. Stir it up and allow the bowl to sit for a few minutes so that the flavors can mingle. Add hot sauce if desired.

Chicken Curry Noodles
Curry powder is the key ingredient here. Whether you prefer yellow (my favorite), red or green curry, add some to your noodles with a pat of butter and stir. Add some diced, cooked potatoes and carrots and leftover chicken to make a hearty and tasty meal.

Spicy Noodles
Grab your favorite hot sauce (Sriracha, Raspberry Chipotle, Hatch chili sauce, whatever you like) and add as much or as little as you like to the noodles. Stir in a pat of butter and all or part of the flavor package if desired.

Cajun Noodles or Dirty Noodles
Cajun spices are a unique flavor treat. Add some Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to taste with a pat of butter and stir. Adding leftover meats or sausage, diced, to the dish will give it some heft. You can turn it into “dirty noodles” by adding cooked chicken or beef liver, diced or mashed as you prefer.

Italian Noodles
For a carbonara style dish, add diced ham, green peas, and a pat of butter to your unflavored noodles. A bit of garlic (granulated or roasted) and basil (dry or fresh) will add the right touch to that essential Italian dash. This can be made up as a soup if you prefer.

Egg Drop Noodle Soup
Prepare the package of noodles as directed for a soup. While the the bowl of noodles and broth is still steaming hot, crack and add one chicken egg. Stir break up the egg and you will have a lovely egg drop style soup. The egg can also be left whole to poach, rather like a nabiaki udon.The water for these two variations must be nearly boiling to ensure that the egg is properly cooked. A goose or duck egg will add additional flavor, but might be harder to come by. check your local farmers market for availability.

Each of these suggestions may be used with multiple packages of noodles to create side dishes and even quick meals for two or more people.

In many cases you will have a partial or whole flavor pack left over. Save these and use them as flavorings in other dishes, soups and stocks. The sodium content is a trifle high, so be careful you don’t over salt when using them. The beef and pork flavor packs are excellent additions to beans, and chili dishes.

I have used ramen-style noodles in some pretty odd concoctions, too. Cooked noodles, cute to pieces about a half inch long, were folded into a cookie dough. The cookies are known as “Cat Poop Cookies” and the noodles made it look like the “cat” had a bad case of “worms”. They tasted great, but most guests at that party could not get over the visual of a “litter box” filled with “poops”. Hey, they dared me.

Please drop us a line and let us know if you tried and enjoyed any of these suggestions, or if you have some ideas of your won to share.

–Ann Cathey

You start with liver…

Sounds kinda gross, right? While a lot of people think of liver and shudder, it is a concentrated source of many healthy minerals, predominantly iron. Chicken liver in particular has a gentler flavor than beef or calf liver, and may be used as a background ingredient for many dishes to increase rich flavors.

I have been asked by several folks for my chicken & dumplings recipe. As it seems to go hand in hand with a dirty rice recipe, I thought I might share both. These two recipes enjoy a boost from chicken liver, though it’s rarely even guessed at in the first dish. Sorry I don’t have any photos for the process or the dishes, but the family ate them all up!

 

Chicken & Dumplings

This is what I call a “throw down” recipe: there’s a long way and a fast way to do it. Let’s start with the long way. Notes have been added to indicate the short cuts if you prefer them.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken liver (other giblets are okay if they are included in the package)
1 whole chicken (substitute just thighs or breasts if you prefer)
1 large can cream of whatever soup. (mushroom, chicken or potato is preferred)
4 cans of cheap biscuits (pay attention here – CHEAP biscuits)
Salt & pepper to taste
Water

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken livers and 2 quarts of water to boil. Let it roll for about 15 minutes and remove from heat. Drain and reserve fluid for the dirty rice.

2. Without rinsing the pot, add whole chicken and enough water to cover it. If the neck and.or any giblets are included, add them with the chicken. Bring this to a boil and allow to cook until chicken is cooked through. Drain and return fluid to the pot.

3. De-bone the chicken, removing all undesirable bits such as skin, cartilage and bone. Skin may be cut up and returned to the pot if desired. Shred or dice the chicken as desired and toss it back into the pot.

4. Using a fork, mash up and de-vein half of the chicken liver. Reserve the rest for the dirty rice. Any odd giblets (I got a two hearts and a kidney in the last batch) may be reserved for the dirty rice or used as a treat for your dog. Add the mashed liver to the pot and stir.

5. Bring the pot back to a low boil. Begin opening the biscuits and slicing them into 6 pieces. This makes a good size dumpling. The dumplings will begin to dissolve if boiled too long, so be sure to move quickly and use them all. Drop the cut biscuits one piece at a time (to keep them from clumping) into the pot. Stir often to keep the dumplings circulating and the chicken from sticking. When all the dumplings are in the pot, turn the heat off.

6. Open the can of cream of soup and dump it into a bowl. Ladle about a cup of fluid from the pot into the can, stir, then pour into the bowl. Whip the hot fluid into the soup. This helps to prepare the soup to go into the pot and ensure that it will not clump up, but disburse smoothly. Pour the soup into the pot and stir.

7. Allow the contents of the pot to rest for a few minutes and heat through before serving. We like it with non-sweet cornbread underneath and a dash or two of hot sauce on top.

8. Serve. Feeds six easily.

Variations on this recipe include using boneless, skinless meat rather than going through the de-boning process, You may also add vegetables, but it will change the basic makeup of the dish and make it just another chicken soup. You may choose to use some other form of fowl, such as turkey, or beef as the meat. both are delicious and follow the same basic procedure.

 

Dirty Rice

This is my take on an old Cajun classic. The use of vegetables such as onion and celery will alter the flavor, but you are more than welcome to use them if you like.

This dish takes a little layering, especially of the spices. Be sure to taste test it often to make sure that it’s not too salty, nor yet too hot for your preferences.

Ingredients
12 oz sausage (any kind will do)
Chicken livers reserved from the other recipe above, about 1/4#
Other giblets (if desired)
Tony Chachere’s Original Cajun Seasoning or other spices as desired
2 cups white rice (dry)
Water reserved from boiling chicken liver
1 15oz can of black beans
Olive oil

1. Cook the rice in the water reserved from boiling the chicken livers, adding whatever amount necessary for the rice. If you need to, add additional water. Reserve.

2. Mash and de-vein the chicken livers and set aside. Dice the sausage and set aside. If you plan to include any of the pre-cooked giblets, dice them and set them aside.

3. In a large skillet, spray or spread a bit of olive oil. Drop in your sausage and giblets with a few dashes of Tony Cha’s seasoning. Cover and allow to cook for a few minutes. Uncover and stir, making sure any browning that occurs is well tossed. Anything that sticks will essentially be deglazed as you continue making the dish.

4. When the sausage is cooked to your liking, add the can of black beans, fluid and all. Generously sprinkle on some of the Tony Cha’s spice blend. Stir until all ingredients are hot. Add mashed chicken liver and stir.

5. Begin folding in the rice. It should completely mix with the meat and bean mixture. Some rice clumping may occur. If needed, stir in a quarter cup of water to maintain moisture and prevent drying or scorching.Add a little more of the spice blend while folding to ensure that there is enough spice for your tastes and that is is evenly distributed.

6. Serve. You may have been beating the heathens off with a wooden spoon at this point, but now it;s time to share the goodness! If they burn their fingers or tongues, well, you tried to teach them better. Feeds four huge appetites, or 6-8 more normal ones.

These two recipes are cold weather favorites at our house. I hope you like them enough to let them find a place in your kitchen as well. As always, feedback is appreciated.

Bon appetite!

— Ann Cathey

Stock vs. Broth?

Stock, broth and bullion are very closely related in the culinary world. They are often confused with one another, one term being inappropriately used for another by many people. They all may be made from vegetables, beef, chicken, other meats, and combinations of these materials. Hopefully some of the material below will help with removing any confusion.

Traditionally stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water. This is an excellent use for tops, peels, stems and ends that will be strained out of the stock before it is used. Meat stocks are common and include the bones and attached bits, and require a longer simmering time than vegetables alone. The gelatin released by long-simmering bones gives stock a heavier or fuller mouth feel than broth.

Broth is the term for the liquid strained off a stock. It is also defined as a basic soup where the solid pieces of flavoring meat or fish, along with some vegetables, are left as part of the dish. It is often made more substantial by adding starches such as rice, barley, or potatoes, thereby becoming a soup by definition.

Bullion is dehydrated stock available in cube or granulated form. It normally has a great deal of salt in it both for flavor and as a preservative.

Personally I like to keep commercial bullion in the spice cabinet and commercial broth in the big cabinet. One never knows when it will come in handy. When I have the material available, I make my own stock.When we cook or buy a roast chicken and have stripped the carcass, I will boil the bones, then simmer with vegetable bits like carrot tips and potato peels. The resulting strained broth is then put to good use immediately as a soup base or the beginnings of a pot of chicken and dumplings. I do the same with pork, beef, or venison bones, either using the strained broth for something immediately or freezing it. Home made stock or broth is much lower in salt than the commercially available products. It is also not always relegate to a single meat products. It is not unusual in my kitchen for a stock to contain bones form a couple of different animals, and the broth works out really well.

Home made stock, once strained into broth, can be used as a replacement for water in lots of recipies from simple rice to biscuits to whatever your imagination desires. The broth adds distinctive flavors to whatever it is used in. White rice cooked with a broth instantly becomes a poor man’s pilaf to be eaten alone with a bit of butter or as a side to any dish that calls for rice.

This is something to keep in mind this holiday season when you are slaving away in the kitchen. Don’t waste all that flavor when you could be simmering it into stock!

–Ann Cathey