JBug's Kitchen Antics

It's Not Manhattan

There was a time I much preferred Boston over Manhattan, at least in the chowder department because you all know how much I love cream in almost anything but that all changed with last night's chowder.

Feeling a little creative but having promised my alter ego a pot of clam chowder for dinner, I admit I emptied out the veggie bin a bit with this one but only after I got the meat out of the way. Bacon, rendered of its fat was joined in the Dutch oven by a single link of hot Italian sausage and that my friends is where the fun began.

Sauteed chopped onion, celery, green pepper, carrots, a tiny itsy bitsy serrano pepper and a little time made up the basics of this pot of stoup. Seasoned with a few red pepper flakes, some dried Italian herbs and a little basil, diced potatoes joined the party along with white wine, clam juice, skinned fresh tomatoes, a can of Rotel and some tomato sauce, although the sauce could be optional. I just wanted a little more body in the soup.

After the potatoes were cooked, I added 2 cups of chopped clams, turned off the heat, slapped on the cover and let the pot sit for 5 minutes. The result - a spicy, rich, subtly clam flavored chowder with all the nuances of Manhattan and a lot more attitude. Just wish I knew what to call it!

It’s Not Manhattan Clam Chowder (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

4 slices bacon, cut into half inch pieces

1 link hot Italian sausage, casing removed

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 small Serrano pepper, minced

1/2 cup diced carrots

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried basil

Coarse ground black pepper

2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I used Russet)

3 fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

8 ounce bottle clam juice

1 cup white wine

8 ounce can tomato sauce (optional)

2 cups chopped clams (I used frozen Gaper clams)

Kosher salt if necessary

Parsley for garnish

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is just beginning to brown. Crumble in Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink. Remove bacon and sausage from pot using a slotted spoon. Set aside. Increase heat to medium high; add onion, celery, green pepper, Serrano, diced carrots and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, until vegetables have softened – about 10 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, basil and season liberally with coarse ground black pepper. Cook for additional minute, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, Rotel, clam juice, and white wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are cooked but still slightly firm. Stir in tomato sauce. Bring pot back to a high simmer and add clams. Remove pot from heat, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Grilled Steak with Chimichurri 

Two year's ago - Frozen Buttertart Cheesecake Bars

Maui Chile Verde - well kinda' verde

Much like the Maui taco's we told you about some time ago, this isn't what you think. We had a ton of the pork carne adovada filling and grilled pineapple leftover from a recent family event and put the leftovers in the freezer for another time. 

While we could have gone ahead and repeated what we had the last time ...you're lookin' at it, I decided to use some imagination and make a batch of green chile verde instead. The only problem is it turned out a little more red than green because of all the spice mixture already mixed into the pork. It may look a little strange but it sure doesn't taste that way.

A base of sauteed onions, anaheim and green peppers, and garlic along with cumin, coriander and Mexican oregano make up the spicy basis of this bowl of yum. Add chicken stock, salsa verde and a single bottle of Mexican beer as well as some simmering time and this was the result. 

We loved the spicy pork flavor and the sweetness of the pineapple which really cut the heat down, in fact just enough that a garnish of pickled jalapenos and some sour cream was the perfect thing. 

So next time you're having a bunch of people over, serve some Maui taco's and make sure you make extra. Then you can revamp the dregs into a delicious pot of chile becauuse believe me, there's no way this lives up to what we normally thing of as the leftovers. It's so delicious you'll want leftover leftovers. 

Maui Chile (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large Anaheim pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 cup salsa verde (I used Herdez)

1 – 14 ounce can low sodium chicken stock

1 – 12 ounce bottle Mexican beer (I used Modelo)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 pounds prepared maui taco filling – see recipe below

Garnish with sour cream, pickled jalapenos

Heat oil in a large dutch oven until shimmering. Add onion, bell and Anaheim peppers and cook until onion softens. Add garlic and cook another minute, then stir in flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then add oregano, cumin and coriander. Stir in salsa verde, chicken stock and beer. Drop in bay leaf. Cook stirring until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and add maui taco filling. Simmer slowly for 45 minutes. Cover pot if you find the mixture is getting too thick and/or add more chicken stock.  Serve garnished with sour cream and pickled jalapenos. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Maui Tacos

Meat – Carne Adovada

30 dried chile de arbol, stems removed

2 dried New Mexico chile’s stems removed

1 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

10 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 cup red chile powder (mild)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 pounds pork loin, cut into half inch cubes

In a spot pot, boil water. Add chiles, cover and let soften for 20 minutes. After they’ve softened, drain chiles reserving liquid. Place chiles into a blender along with canola oil and 2 tablespoons of reserved liquid and blend until completely pureed. Pour over cubed pork; add garlic powder, garlic, cumin, red chile powder and salt. Mix well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Maui Tacos:

Add to above meat mixture:

1/2 cup chopped Maui sweet onion

1 – 14 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

On a large flat top grill or cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium high heat.  Add meat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.  If using large skillet – cook meat in batches so pan is not crowded. Cook until meat is browned and onion and pineapple have caramelized.

Serve with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with Pineapple Salsa, fresh chopped cilantro, queso fresco cheese, guacamole and sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime.  

 

The Ultimate Chili - Second Time Around

I know I've shared this one with you before but I figured a reminder may be in order. Did you know you can make a great pot of red from almost any kind of leftover meat, using the same basic recipe? 

While in our house the argument's on about whether chili should including anything but beef, I happen to believe turkey or chicken or pork work just as well; however, when I married the Big Guy I promised to obey (ya, what was with that?), so beef chili it was last night.

We had a pound of leftover steak hiding in the freezer, so I chunked it up and threw it into the pot along with the usual onions and garlic. As you'll see from the recipe below, this particular version of chili makes good use of pieces of smoky bacon too and attains a whole new level of glory with the addition of beer and barbecue sauce. Different you bet and absolutely delicious I might add. 

We had our bowls of heart warming comfort along with a piece of the glorious corn casserole that we had last week too - see I'll freeze darn near anything I think I can recycle and believe you me, that casserole freezes like a dream.

Incidentally, should you decide to use turkey or chicken instead of beef in your chili, be sure to exchange the beef stock or consomme' with chicken stock so you keep the flavors in the same family. If you decide to use pork, it marries well with either so just use what you have on hand.  

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock

1 pound leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Panko Crusted Oysters with Citrus Aioli

Two year's ago - Buttermilk Battered Calamari

Tex Mex Tostada Soup

Who says you can't cook without a stove? Last night's pot of soup was made in a crockpot minus the clay liner, took all of 15 minutes to throw together and included everything but the kitchen sink. It might have had that too, if we had one that is.

Made from darn near all canned goods, what you really need for this one is a good can opener, a large onion, a few small mini peppers or one big one, and a pound of ground beef or pork.

Spicy, hot and comfort food perfect for 2 very tired souls, it's really all about the toppings although we were limited in that respect. Meant to be topped with corn chips, shredded cheddar, shredded lettuce, avocado and sour cream, our refrigerator is a might bare at the moment so we scored only a few of the choices. Regardless, it's a great solution for a relaxed dinner, particularly with a Corona or ten.

If you're wondering how things are progressing, our new kitchen cabinets are installed and gorgeous, although I won't be posting a picture until everything's completed. The guys from American Kitchen Cabinets did an outstanding job and a tremendous amount of customization to make 'em exactly the way we wanted them. Roger and his co-hort are very professional, exceedingly patient and very particular which is exactly what you want when you're making a big purchase such as this one. 

Big Guy did some electrical work yesterday and installed power to the island. There's some touch ups needed before the stove goes back into place and we've some rather involved drywall repairs to do in the meantime. The stone fabricators will be here early in the week, or by Wednesday at the latest to do a template for the granite and by April 18 we should have counter tops and a kitchen sink so until then we'll be doing dishes in the bathtub. Hey, we're shower people anyway so that's no big deal. 

Meanwhile, JBug's Kitchen is back in business so dust off your grills, break out the sunglasses and margaritas for a week of grillin' and chillin' ...well maybe not the chillin' or then again maybe so, depending on your location that is.

Tex Mex Tostada Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 min peppers sliced or 1 large pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or pork

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 – 16 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 16 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small jar picante sauce (2 cups)

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup beef or chicken stock (or water)

Garnishes: corn chips, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, sour cream

Heat oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering. When hot add onion and peppers and sauté stirring occasionally until onion is softened. Add garlic and crumble in ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add onion powder, taco seasoning and cumin and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, then add chili beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, tomato sauce and stock or water. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish.  Makes 6 servings.

Incidentally today's the third anniversary of JBug's Kitchen Antics! Can you believe we're still going strong? We've shared 1,095 meals with you all, some more successful than others I might add but at least they've all been relatively edible.

I definitely need to thank my darling Big Guy for always being so supportive, never mind such a willing guinea pig. He certainly keeps me grounded. He reminds me often when I'm sweating ALL the small stuff (...and I do mean ALL of it) that it'll all be OK, and when it is he only raises an eyebrow, gives me the look and never says "I told you so". Lucky aren't I?

Of course, I can't pass up this opportunity to say thank you to all my regular visitors and to the many great friends I've made during the past 3 years. You mean the world to me and I feel totally blessed, so I'm raising a glass in celebration and appreciation to all of you! Hey, when you're renovating the most important room in the house, any excuse to raise a glass is a good one, right? Thanks all and CHEERS!

Clam Chowder with a Blush

If you're a regular visitor here, you'll know we're kind of into clams, mostly because of the month we spend on the Oregon coast every year. Being a classic hunter/gatherer, the Big Guy digs enough clams during that period to keep us clammed up year round.

He cleans them, packs them all on dry ice and we transport a cooler full back to Tucson so we can make chowders such as this one. A JBug's original, I developed this one our first year on the coast and it's been a favorite ever since.

Loaded with bacon, potatoes and clams, the blushing color comes from tomato sauce and the spicy heat from a half cup of salsa although I'll admit I've revised the recipe's method since its development. I've discovered it's best to add the tomato sauce and salsa at the very end to prevent the chowder from curdling, but other than that it remains as is did the first time it was made in our little rental's kitchen in Yachats.

If you're on the fence about your favorite chowder and can't decide whether you prefer Manhattan style or New England, give this one a try because it's a cross between the two along with a little southwestern kick.  

Yachats Blush Clam Chowder Inspired by Pacific Northwest Cooking Secrets by Kathleen DeVanna Fish

4 slices bacon, diced

2 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk or half & half

1-8 ounce bottom clam juice

4 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/3 cup white wine

1 cup tomato sauce

½ cup salsa (use either hot or medium)

2-1/2 cups chopped clams

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in large Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, leaving drippings. Add butter and decrease heat to medium low. Add flour to drippings and stir together well to make a roux. Cook roux, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Do not allow roux to brown beyond a golden color. Add chopped onion and garlic to roux and cook until onions are soft – 3 or 4 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Add clam juice, milk, basil, chili flakes and Old Bay seasoning. Stir well to combine. Bring almost to a boil, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are done (approx. 20 minutes). Stir pot often to prevent sticking. Taste to adjust seasoning as necessary.

Add clams and white wine. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce and salsa and reserved bacon. Serve with oyster crackers. 

A year ago -  Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies

Two year's ago - Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp

Creamy Winter Vegetable Chowder

I could have picked something more suitable to an 85 degree day than this pot of glorious soup, but I'm not sure a salad would have been quite as delicious. 

The chowder's a real keeper, loaded with vitamins from a host of winter veggies including parsnips, carrots, fennel, butternut squash and subtle herb flavors and a really creamy consistency from the bechamel sauce. I found I needed to do some tasting and adjusting by adding more herbs, lots of salt, pepper and nutmeg but it was pure pleasure having to try it all out a spoonful at a time to get the flavors just right. 

We have Rachael Ray to thank for this one and thank her we should. I changed a few ingredients - used sherry instead of wine, and dried herbs instead of fresh even though I have a ton of rosemary and thyme growing outside - hey I'm scared of bees and there's a lot of them buzzing around right now because absolutely everything is in blossom. 

Also I topped the bowls off with some freshly grated Madrigal, a French/Swiss cheese with a glorious nutty taste and incredible "meltability" and we enjoyed slices of rustic crusty bread, warm from the oven rather than Rachael's recommended parmesan cheese croutons. Changing recipes is a right of passage for all cooks, or at least it should be, so I don't feel guilty about adding my touch. Next time I whip up a pot, I might even add some bacon or sausage to the mix to appease my resident carnivore. 

Creamy Winter Vegetable Chowder (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Rachael Ray)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery finely diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed, cut in half and thinly sliced

3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small fennel bulb, washed, and finely chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon each thyme, marjoram, rosemary (or more as needed)

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 cups chicken stock

Heat oil in bottom of a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook until onion starts to soften and slightly brown. Add leeks and cook a minute more, stirring constantly. Add parsnips, potatoes, fennel, and squash. Season well with salt and pepper. Add bay leaves and herbs cover pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and add sherry. Cook, scraping any browned bits off the bottom until sherry is almost entirely reduced, then add chicken stock. Return cover to the pot, lower heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes until veggies are soft.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups whole milk

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Melt butter in a medium pot and when melted add flour. Cook whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until roux is slightly golden in color. Whisk in milk and cook until mixture thickens and barely comes to a boil, whisking constantly. Add salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg. Stir béchamel sauce into chowder and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fresh parsley

Grated Madrigal or Swiss cheese

Serve soup garnished with chopped parsley and grated cheese.   Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

A year ago - Cottage (Shepherd's) Pie 

Two year's ago - Chicken Marbella

Saucy Butternut Squash Soup

Saucy as in apple sauce, this isn't just an ordinary butternut squash soup. Adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com, it's loaded with all manner of vegetables and takes a mere 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Now have I got your attention?

Sauteed carrot, celery and onion joined by lots of diced squash and cooked in low sodium chicken stock, it's simmering away on the stove in record time. As you likely know by now, it's unlike me to follow a recipe one hundred percent, so rather than using 4 to 6 cups of broth like the recipe asked for, I used the 3 cups I happened to have on hand.

After the vegetables were cooked and pureed with my trusty immersion blender, I added a cup of cream to thin the soup as well as a full cup of applesauce from a jar. Garnished with crumbles of blue cheese, the bowl of comfort went very well with the crisp Cuban style sandwiches adorning our plates, never mind the sweet potato chips courtesy of our friend Trader Joe.

By the way, don't forget to taste the soup before you serve it and salt it really well! It needs extra to bring out the subtle flavors. 

Saucy Butternut Squash Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced carrot

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 small butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and diced (about 5 cups)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup sugarless apple sauce

1 cup cream, half and half or whole milk

Blue cheese as garnish

Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot. When shimmering add carrot, celery and onion and sauté until onions are soft. Add squash and thyme along with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove from heat and carefully puree using an immersion blender or food processor. Return mixture to pot and stir in apple sauce and cream. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Heat slowly until very hot, but do not allow to boil. Serve topped with crumbled blue cheese.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Two year's ago - Lemon Chicken with Herbed Potato Salad

Poblano-Jalapeno Chili

Sorry I'm late again this morning everyone. I'm suffering through what I think is my semi-annual war with allergies so I'm not feeling quite as chipper as normal. It's a good thing The Big Guy's around to take care of us and take care of us he did yesterday with this fabulous pot of chili.

From March's Cooking Light magazine, it is part of a series on great things to make using marinara sauce as a shortcut and believe you me if I hadn't seen the recipe myself, I'd never have known there's marinara in it.

The Big Guy made a few changes to the recipe and added roasted green chiles we had hiding in our freezer instead of fresh jalapenos along with a can of beef consomme rather than using the chicken stock that was called for. Oh, he also topped the bowl of yummy spicy goodness off with some pickled jalapenos, something we always seem to have on hand.

Hit the link HERE for the recipe and put this one on your list as soon as you can. It is absolutely loaded with manly flavors including a ton of garlic, spicy chili and beer too, no less. 

A year ago - Crispy Snapper and Oven Fries

Beef Cooked in Beer (Carbonnade a la Flamande)

Another one of those "bin dere done dat's" last night's dinner is the perfect welcome home for my great white hunter. If there's one thing I know for sure, I'm bound to please him when there's beef on the menu and this just isn't your ordinary old everyday kinda' beef either.

Browned well in the drippings rendered from a quarter pound of bacon, this Belgian/Flemish method of braising is one of the first things I impressed him with before we were married - second of course to my winning personality and incredible wit. Loaded with golden browned onions, spiced with thyme, bay leaves and Dijon mustard the beef and bacon go back into the pot along with 2 bottles of amber beer, some consomme and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

Braised in a 325 oven for 2.5 hours, it all comes out looking somewhat like this.  Notice I said somewhat. It can also come out looking like this - why the difference?

Well I know it's not rocket science but the key is the bigger the pot, the quicker it cooks because the heat is distributed over a larger area which means the liquid is reduced and the meat cooks faster. Last night's braise was accomplished in my favorite 7 quart oval Dutch oven in 2 hours 20 minutes while the second picture came from a smaller 4 quart pot that took 3 hours and provided a lot more gravy. Same amount of meat, same heat, same everything except for the pot. If I had to choose between the two I'm not sure which one's better because they're both delicious but for the Big Guy, he'd pick last night's version hand's down likely because the gravy didn't get in the way of all the meat. LOL

By the way, be sure to give yourself plenty of prep time to get this baby in the oven. It takes about an hour by the time the bacon's crisp, the meat's well browned in batches without crowding the pan, and the onions are a nice golden color before the liquid's introduced and the pot hits the oven, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Carbonnade a la Flamande  (Beef cooked in beer) (adapted from Craig Claiborne)

3 lb boneless chuck, some fat removed & cut into 2" cubes

¼ lb lean bacon, diced

Vegetable oil if necessary

3 large onions, sliced (about 1-1/2 lbs)

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Flour for dredging meat

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bottles  beer (I use amber…don’t use beer that is too dark as it will be too bitter)

1 can beef consommé (or broth)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve bacon fat. Flour, salt & pepper meat cubes and brown in batches in Dutch oven in reserved bacon fat. If the bacon was very lean, add oil if necessary. Do not crowd pan. Remove meat cubes from pan as they are done and set aside in a bowl along with bacon.

Preheat oven to 325. Add butter to Dutch oven then add onions & cook until lightly browned, scraping up “fond” from bottom of pan as onions sweat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sugar and cook for 1 minute. Return browned beef and bacon to pot along with beer, consomme, red wine vinegar and mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cover closely and place in oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender. Remove lid from pot during last half hour of cooking to reduce liquid as required.  Skim fat from casserole. Taste for seasoning. Serves 6

A year ago - Pear and Apple Crumble Pie  Two year's ago - Stromboli Roll 

  

Easy Cheesy Chowder

In case you want to know, soup doesn't have to have fish in it to be called a chowder. An epiphany you say? Another point is that you can use almost any kind of meat in one, or none at all but chowder's are usually always hearty rich soups, normally containing some kind of dairy product and loaded with chunky vegetables and tons of flavor.

All of the above certainly applies to last night's effort because this "ain't" no pansy soup people. I admit I kinda' dug to the bottom of the freezer and came out with 1 lonely chicken breast and a package of chicken sweet Italian sausage to make it but you could use hot Italian sausage - pork or chicken, or chicken thighs or even lean ground beef and it will still be fabulous. 

By the way, if you're thinking the recipe's a tad ambiguous, then so be it. All I'm saying is that during the construction you'll have some choices to make but for sure it'll result in a bunch of smiles around the table and you'll likely need to come up with an answer for the question "ya' got any more o' that stuff?"

I rest my case.

Easy Cheesy Chowder (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Taste of the Territory Cookbook)

1 large chicken breast plus 1-1/2 pounds bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage; OR 2 pounds lean ground beef; OR 2 pounds diced skinless boneless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 jalapeno minced (leave seeds and membranes intact if you want a spicier soup)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or 2 if you want a very thick chowder)

2 teaspoons mixed Italian dried herbs

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3 cups water or chicken stock or combination of the two

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (optional)

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, with or without the peel cut into half inch cubes

2 cans cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup

10 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, and carrots and jalapeno and sauté until onions are softened. Move vegetables over to one side of pot. Add meat to the pot, season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until no longer pink – about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over all and stir to incorporate well. Add Italian dried herbs, chili powder, cayenne and garlic powder and cook, stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes. Add water or stock and diced tomatoes and stir well. Add potatoes, bring pot to a high simmer, reduce heat cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. After potatoes are cooked, stir in cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup and cheese. Cook stirring constantly over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve with crusty bread or crackers. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

A year ago - BBQ Beef Stuffed Potato  

Two year's ago -  Santa Fe Pork Stew

 

 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala

Boy it's hard to go wrong with pancetta and marsala wine! You've likely noticed we've used the combination a fair bit in the last little while but when you make your own pancetta it's so darn delicious you'll take any excuse to use it. The other point is a good bottle of marsala can go a long way - we have a hard time hanging on to red wine around here as it tends to disappear rather quickly but we don't have the same drinkability issue with marsala ... at least, not yet. 

I was inspired by a couple of sources, namely Food Network Magazine and Food and Wine in the creation of last night's low and slow braise. It's a perfect cooking method for cold weather comfort food or cooking something that will get better as it holds when you're not sure what time dinner's going to be, as was my case last night.

Loaded with the usual onion, garlic and pancetta after the meat was well browned, I added some tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and then deglazed the pan with marsala before adding more along with a can of beef consomme. After the first two hours, I added some little frozen pearl onions to the pot and let it all brew for another hour in a 300 oven. It came out richly colored and full of flavor. 

The only point of contention is that the boneless "short ribs" I bought weren't really short ribs but what we think was rump, cut to look like short ribs. Rather than a tender end result, the meat was more firm to the bite with a shorter grain than a well braised short rib would have been. I guess I can't blame the butcher even though it was marked boneless short ribs because I'm the idiot that bought the meat. I thought it looked a little funny and should have gone with my instincts. Needless to say, I'll be more careful on Saturday when we're back at the Sprouts meat counter. 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Food Network Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 short ribs

Flour for dredging, salt and pepper

4 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups quartered mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry Marsala wine, divided

1 10 ounce can beef consommé

1/2 cup water

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

 

Cooked Noodles

Sour cream for garnish

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil is shimmering hot. Trim short ribs of excess fat then season well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook on all sides until a deep rich brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pancetta to pot and cook until crisp. Remove to plate with short ribs. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from bottom of Dutch oven and return pot to heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until onion is softened. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook briefly; add half a cup of Marsala wine, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  

Cook until Marsala is almost completely reduced – 2 or 3 minutes, then add remaining Marsala, consommé, water and return meats to the pot. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in a preheated 300 oven for 2 hours. Check liquid level and add more water as needed. Add frozen pearl onions, then cover pot and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until meat is very tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency you like.  Serve on noodles and garnish with sour cream. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Salmon Chowder   Two year's ago -  Chicken with Orange Mustard Sauce

 

"Souper" Sunday - Italian Minestrone

I stole the idea of making soup for Sunday dinner from Pam at Sidewalk Shoes and it's been a great addition to our kitchen antics. There's not much that smells better than a pot of soup on the stove all afternoon and this one's no exception. Inspired by recipes in Celebrated Seasons, a Minneapolis Junior League cookbook as well as Sable and Rosenfeld's Elegant Entertaining, both from the late 80's, nothing about this pot of glorious flavor is out of date.

With only a smidge of meat in the whole thing in the form of smoked pork hocks and a single link of hot Italian sausage, for once in our carnivore driven lives the focus is on the vegetables - carrots, onions, leeks and cabbage in this instance, along with tomatoes and red kidney beans. You could certainly substitute spinach or kale for the cabbage and ham or bacon for the pork hocks if you wish. Also, I chose a toothy radiatore pasta to finish as the short, thick little fusilli like shapes hold up well in the pot but any short pasta would do, even elbow macaroni.

We passed the pepper mill along with some grated parmesan and enjoyed our bowl of comfort along with some hot crunchy garlic bread and the rest of the bottle of the red wine that went into the pot. It was all good and we've lots of leftovers to take care of lunches for the week.

Italian Minestrone Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Celebrated Seasons and Sable & Rosenfeld cookbooks)

I brewed this pot of glorious bliss over the course of the afternoon; however, you can certainly speed up the preparation time if you wish.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 leek, white and pale green part only, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs

Coarse ground black pepper

1 quart low sodium beef stock

1 can beef consommé

1 cup water

1 pound smoked pork hocks

1 link hot Italian sausage, casing removed

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1-1/2 cups dry red wine

2 medium carrots, diced

1/2 medium cabbage, chopped into half inch pieces

1 cup radiator pasta

Coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When shimmering add onions, celery, and leeks and sauté, stirring often until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, basil, Italian herbs and coarse ground black pepper and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Add beef stock, consommé and water to pot and heat to high simmer.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove pork hocks from bones and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add to skillet and cook until meat starts to brown. Add Italian sausage to pan and sauté until sausage is browned. Drain meat in a colander to remove excess fat and add to soup pot.

Lower heat to a slow simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour. Add diced tomatoes red wine, carrots and cabbage and cook covered for additional 40 minutes, or until cabbage has softened. Add pasta, cover pot and simmer until pasta is cooked – about 15 minutes. Garnish with coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Makes 10 servings.

A year ago - Bow Legged Chuck     

 

New Mexico Style Pot Roast with Cornbread Griddle Cakes

Sunday's are kind of slow around here so what better to have for dinner than something that's best cooked low and slow like this New Mexico Style Pot Roast. 

It's a breeze to put together because after a quick sear to brown the meat, the rest of the work is done by the oven. Braised in a mixture of red enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock, it's a beautiful thing finished with sweet potatoes and hominy.

Hominy is something I'd never had before we moved to the sunny south and it really is an acquired taste/texture thing. It is simply dried corn that's been soaked in a mild lye solution which kills the kernal and makes the corn puff up. You can find it in the canned vegetable section of your local grocery store. Just remember to drain and rinse it well before adding it to the pot. It has a musty flavor with a very chewy texture so if you're not inclined to give it a try, just leave it out or substitute regular corn.

I figured the roast would be lovely with cornbread but wanted to change it up a bit so we cooked these griddlecakes instead. Adapted from a recent post by Ezra Poundcake, they looked too darn good to pass up. They're really just like a hunk a cornbread only much lighter and the bonus is the crispy crust on the outside - both sides!

Just be careful not to overcook them or you'll have hockey pucks on your plate instead of light moist little yummies. By the way, the original recipe calls for self rising cornmeal but darned if I could find the stuff, so I made my own - how's that grab ya?

New Mexico Style Pot Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted epicurious.com)

1 – 3 pound boneless chuck roast, tied

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic

1 – 20 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 -12 ounce light beer

1 cup low sodium beef stock

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 – 28 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, extra hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Meanwhile season roast with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Brown meat very well on both sides in hot pan. When browned remove pot from heat and add onions, garlic, enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock. Stir well to combine ingredients. Cover pot and bake in preheated oven for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove pot from the oven and add sweet potato and drained and rinsed hominy. Cover pot and return to the oven. Cook for half an hour, remove lid and cook additional 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to thicken. Serve garnished with pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream and pass the extra hot sauce. Serves 6.

Cornbread Griddle Cakes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living via Ezra Poundcake)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour less 1 tablespoon

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

Butter

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cayenne in a large bowl to combine well. In a small bowl beat together vegetable oil, egg and milk. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. (It will be lumpy).

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Spoon a quarter cup of batter onto griddle and cook until tops are bubbled and edges look dry – (just like you’re cooking pancakes). Flip over and cook other side. Serve warm.

A year ago -  Parmesan Cream Potatoes  Two year's ago - Oven Fried Chicken

Quick Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup with Cranberry Sour Cream Biscuits

Yesterday was a marathon day in the kitchen. Our kumquats and Meyer lemons are ready and need to be dealt with so I've been busy harvesting, planning and putting them to bed. It's funny but I was thinking the other day as I washed 5 pounds of bright gem like kumquats is that we women pay lots of money for fancy perfumes but there's nothing can compare with the smell of fresh picked fruit, no matter what kind.

Course the opposite is true when said fruit's being turned into marmalade and boils over on the stove. Now that wasn't something I'd particularly planned for. What a bleepin' mess!

Anyway, dinner last night needed to hold well since the Big Guy has a late Wednesday class and isn't home till sevenish and something that didn't require a lot of fuss and bother since I'd spent the day doing just that. A pot of turkey soup seemed to be the perfect choice.

This particular effort has a golden rue as a flavor base and includes the usual trinity of vegetables along with potatoes and noodles. There's two things that make it stand out - the addition of cream at the very end to smooth out the broth and flavoring agents such as garlic, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning. It's got body, soul and a lot of attitude and it's far from the usual milquetoast noodle soup.

As you can see I whipped up some biscuits to go with our soup, although you might think they look more like scones. Who says you have to cut biscuits into rounds? I simply whipped up the usual dough, but this time I added some dried cranberries and moistened the dry ingredients with a combination of yogurt and sour cream - just because I had the dregs of 2 containers in the refrigerator and wanted to get rid of them.

The resulting biscuits are exceedingly light, moist and flavorful, although likely more suited to afternoon tea than a super soup supper upper.

Oh, what you see on the plate is a little ramekin of Kicky Kumquat Marmalade, loaded with 9 (yup that's right NINE) chopped up Habanero peppers and a nice amount of Triple Sec. It's rather wonderful if I do say so myself. It has attitude but the sugar content of the marmalade really cuts the heat of the peppers so it doesn't burn your mouth. It just creates a mellow glow - ok a rather hesitant flame but not a roaring fire. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (may need more depending on stock)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

6 cups strained turkey stock

4 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups diced turkey

3 to 4 ounces wide egg noodles

1 cup evaporated milk for half and half

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Medium Dry Sherry (optional)

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering hot, add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are softened – about 10 minutes. Move the vegetables over to one side of the pot and add butter to bottom of the pot. When butter has melted stir in flour. Cook stirring until roux becomes golden brown – 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables into roux and add oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and black pepper. Cook stirring constantly for another minute before adding turkey stock. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and diced turkey, cover pot and cook for additional 15 minutes. Add noodles to pot, cover pot and cook additional 10 minutes or until noodles are softened. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add evaporated milk and chopped parsley just before serving. Drizzle each serving with a little sherry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cranberries and Cream Biscuits (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

Note – I used self-rising flour; however if you wish to use regular all purpose, increase baking powder to 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) and add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

Additional sour cream and granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in dried cranberries. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream and egg yolk, beating to combine well. Pour into well in center of dry ingredients and using a fork, incorporate liquid mixing just until barely combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead lightly a few times to distribute wet ingredients into dry. Pat dough out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.

Transfer to baking sheet and brush top with a little sour cream. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut circle into 8 wedges, moving wedges apart approximately a half inch to allow for rising. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into biscuit comes out clean.

A year ago - Really Good Stew

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

Light as air they are - absolutely light as air. I'm speaking about the dumplings people and thanks to Elise from Simply Recipes, I finally know the secret. Having made plenty that would easily have replaced those 5 pound weights in my exercise repertoire, these were float in the air fabulous.

Other than using a fork to mix the wet into the dry ingredients, the real secret is using cake flour instead of all-purpose. Oh that and not peeking in the pot until they've simmered in the stew for a full 15 minutes - but I already knew about that one.

As for the stew - well I had a little under a pound of skinless boneless chicken breasts to use along with a veggie drawer full of odds and sods, so I thought why not make a soup. Sure it would have been nice to have a whole chicken to use, but sometimes you've just got to go with what you've got. Of course I could have added some leftover turkey to the mix but I'm saving that freezer stash for another day.

The soup morphed into a stew and we're so glad it did. Chock full of pearl onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip I even threw in some turkey gravy I had hiding just to add a little more flavor, along with garlic, rosemary, a touch of dried thyme and some poultry seasoning. I admit it all tasted rather wonderful for a dish that was ready in a grand total of 45 minutes.

Sometimes it's easier to make dinner than it is to make reservations. Oh alright, that's a bit of a stretch- so shoot me but wait until after lunchtime OK. We still have a couple of bowls left!

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings Inspired by and adapted from simplyrecipes.com

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

All-purpose flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

 1 medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups diced carrots (1/2 inch dice)

3 stalks celery, cut in half inch pieces

3 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 ounces pearl onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

4 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup medium dry sherry

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup turkey gravy (or add additional cup of stock)

Dumplings:

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, season well with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Brown in Dutch oven until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove browned chicken from pot to a plate and set aside. Decrease heat to medium and add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and pearl onions. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until vegetables start to caramelize. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning along flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables with mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add to pot and when sherry has reduced, add chicken stock and turkey gravy. Heat to boiling stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add parsley and toss together. Using a fork, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add butter and milk. Incorporate dry ingredients into the wet and mix carefully just until combined (barely). Using a small scoop, transfer dumplings to slowly simmering stew allowing space in between dumplings because they’ll expand. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT PEEK. Serve stew in bowls with dumplings on top. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

A year ago - Clam Chowder   Two years ago - Lamb Ragu

 

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib Roast

For some reason we're programmed to make chili from fresh beef - ground, cubed or otherwise but there's a whole plethora of possibilities out there with leftover roast beef, brisket or pot roast. Beef aside, just think  what can be done with leftover turkey, chicken or pork roast too. 

Last night I rescued a pound's worth of cubed cut up Christmas prime rib from the freezer and morphed it into an absolutely fine and I do mean fine pot of red. It all started with 4 slices of smoky bacon, chunked up and cooked slowly so it released some fat (and flavor). Then I added a couple of huge yellow onions, all diced up along with a slew of minced garlic and let it saute until soft. Joined by a collection of spices followed by a can of lager beer, diced tomatoes, a touch of tomato paste, a cup of beef stock and the best kept secret which is a secret no more -  barbecue sauce. After the beef joined the party I let the pot simmer for 30 minutes before I added two cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Another 15 minutes of brewing time and a star was born!

It's addictive! The flavor is absolutely amazing - smoky bacon, tender beef, the sweet spicy taste of barbecue sauce and of course the bite of chile. It really is sublime.

Speaking of stars - the Big Guy was seeing 'em up close and personal last night. I'm not sure if the beans were doing a dance or whether he was climbing a mountain or some such thing in his sleep, but about the time the old REM's were at their peak darned if he didn't fall right outa' bed with a mighty crash. Of course after I made sure he was alright and he got himself re-situated and fell back to sleep the whole event tickled my funny bone big time and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Wonder what he's gonna' do after he has another bowl of chili.

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock or beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ham and Cheese Quiche

Notes To Myself about Christmas

So here we are, the day after the day that warrants all the hype ... the day that makes sane people crazy and crazy people certifiable. The day of "good cheer", gifts that some people don't want and others can't afford to give anyway and the day that this foodie spent hours and hours preparing for, only to have it gone in a couple of 20 minute intervals. Gone, except for the fridge full of leftovers that is and the tell tale signs of disaster.

In case you're wondering, I hate the day after Christmas so it's a really good thing the guys left the house at 5:30 this morning to go bird hunting, although it's beyond me what kind of birds they expect to see when it's pitch dark outside until at least 7 bells. But good for them. By the time they roll up the garage door at 6:00 tonight, the Christmas mess will be cleaned up, all signs of the fire I had in the oven yesterday will be removed,the loads of laundry will be done and the floors washed. Does it sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself?

Well, since this is a food blog after all and not my journal, I'd best get on with telling you about at least a few of the things we ate yesterday and the grade they earned for all the effort. Course on the other hand if I'd waited until tomorrow when my sense of humor has been restored, I may not have been as harsh a critic.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins - a delicious combination, I might add. Lovely melted dark chocolate chips and sweet/sour dried cherries hiding in a moist cakey buttermilk battered vanilla kissed muffin. MAKE AGAIN - you betcha. These guys get an A plus. Download Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins

Bacon, Beer and Cheddar Soup - while we normally have a large breakfast on Christmas day then wing it through lunch and wait for the main event in the evening, with the Big Guy's huntin' partner arriving around noon, we thought lunch would be more appropriate.
This soup is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine and admittedly it is a manly kind of nosh. Loaded with some of our special homemade bacon, spiced with jalapeno and pilsner along with sharp cheddar and smoked gruyere, it's a heavy stick to your ribs kind of soup, that along with a loaf of sourdough bread kept the guys out of the kitchen for most of the afternoon. Personally, I didn't like it much but the Big Guy had 3 bowls and John had 2 which kind of tells you something. MAKE AGAIN: Not necessarily. I give it a C minus.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Of course we had to have dessert at lunch, after all it's Christmas. We've made this one before and really, it is just an excuse to enjoy a moist, heavy, date filled, taste sensation of a sweet pudding slathered in a rich warm toffee sauce. I love the things - in fact there's one left hiding in the freezer for nuking at about 11:00 am. I'm gonna' call it lunch today! Sticky Toffee Pudding excels in the sweet department and definitely earns a superior in my books. MAKE AGAIN - ya man! Grade - A plus, plus. Download Sticky Toffee Pudding .

Because the soup filled the gap, I was unable to entice anyone to eat one bit of any of the appetizers we'd whipped up to pick at during the afternoon, so they've lived for me to tell you about them another day.

Our dinner menu included the following:

Riviera Pear Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese, Toasted Pecans and Shallot Vinaigrette - The pears and cheese are courtesy of John and his Oregon home and honestly, there's nothing can compare with either. Juicy, perfectly ripe, incredibly sweet pears and a blue cheese that is creamy, sharp but easy on the palate - all on a bed of mache lettuce in a tangy shallot vinaigrette. I could easily call this salad dinner. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A plus plus. Download Pear-and-gorgonzola-salad-with-shallot-vinaigrette

Mustard Seed Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Balsamic Onions, and a Creamy Horseradish Sauce - this one's courtesy of Epicurious.com, normally a source I find to be quite reliable, especially if you study the comments about what people really think. They all passed this one with flying colors but I beg to differ. While the crust on the roast is lovely and flavorful, it's really hard to mess up a great prime rib roast. On the other hand, I give the onions a definite failing grade as a perfect waste of time. I mean whatever did roasted onions and shallots do to you that you'd treat them with such disrespect? Definitely disappointing, in my opinion they did absolutely NOTHING for the jus either. The real keeper is the horseradish sauce made with heavy cream, creme fraiche, horseradish and dijon mustard. It gets an A, while the roast gets a B but the onions are a definite, unequivocal F. MAKE AGAIN - uh NO.

Elsie's Make Ahead Potato Casserole - a perfect make ahead failure proof method of making mashed potatoes, and courtesy of the Best of Bridge series cookbooks, this casserole has been around for at least 30 years. Potatoes cooked and mashed with sour cream, cream cheese and butter, it goes with just about anything. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts - our favorite green veg, we have and enjoy them often. It's not fair to name something as perfect, especially brussels sprouts, so we'll leave this one out of the grading scheme. Suffice to say if you're a regular visitor, you'll have noticed they're frequently shown on our plates.

Yorkshire Pudding - ah, the bane of my existence. As much as I love these things, they made a real mess of the oven and more importantly it's gonna' take me days to wash the smoke and soot off the ceilings in the house and get the smell outa' the curtains. Here's the link for the perfect method of making these beauties, but for heaven's sake be forewarned. While they rise to great heights every time, too much grease in the muffin pan can mean a smoky fire in the bottom of your oven so plan accordingly. I NEVER learn to put the muffin pan on a rack with a sheet pan below to catch the drips! Give the recipe an A plus, plus but give the cook an F for this one. MAKE AGAIN - yes, likely just so I can spend days cleaning up the mess.

Chocolate Caramel Tart - if I can say there was a perfect thing about yesterday's dinner, it would have to be this tart. A chocolate shortbread crust makes a crisp and tender base for a layer of rich, buttery caramel that is covered by a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache. The key to this one other than making it all in advance, is to bring the tart to room temperature before serving for two reasons; you have to be able to cut the darn thing without having to use a hammer and chisel and you really want the caramel to string off your fork and land half way down your chin, just so you can dip into it later. It is really delicious. Don't forget the sea salt - we did when we took the picture, but it really adds a lot to the flavor of the tart. We have Saveur to thank for the recipe and Alexandra Guarnaschelli from Food Network for my inspiration to make it in the first place.  MAKE AGAIN - Without question. It gets an A plus, plus. 

So that's it people. I've provided the links for the recipes if you're so inclined and certainly if you've any questions or comments, don't be afraid to leave a note. Otherwise I'm off to wallow in my misery and no, this would not be a good day to pop in uninvited for drop of Christmas cheer. It's unlikely you'll find any cheer here, although there is something worth celebrating today. This is the 1,000 post on JBug's Kitchen Antics! Is that amazing or what?

 

Roasted Tomato Soup

What on earth could be better than a bowl of tomato soup when you're feeling cold and tired, or puny as is my case. This pot of red glory showcases gorgeous red Roma tomatoes that were halved then coated with oil, salt and pepper and placed on wire racks over a sheet pan.

They roasted in a hot oven for an hour before hitting a stock pot full of sauteed shallots, chicken stock and cayenne pepper. A recipe from the Neely's of Food Network fame, I added my touch by increasing the cayenne pepper a smidge and doubled the tomato paste too. I also took the liberty of throwing some dried herbs into the mix since my only surviving live ones at the moment are 2 kinds of thyme, rosemary, parsley and tarragon.  Come to think of it, the tarragon would have worked quite well too.

After the pot simmered for 15 minutes the Big Guy took over and used the boat motor to blend the soup into the lovely smooth elixir you see here, then he added a cup of cream to the pot, took it all of the heat and let it percolate a bit while he whipped up some Ham and Swiss Panini sandwiches to go with the soup.

It's so darn good it had us both moaning with delight. Who needs Campbell's when you've got the makings in your own kitchen. I mean really!

Roasted Tomato Soup (adapted from The Neelys at foodnetwork.com)

3 pounds fresh roma (plum) tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons butter

4 large shallots, finely minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I used 3/4 and it was quite spicy)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place halved tomatoes into a large bowl and toss with salt, pepper and enough olive oil to coat well. Remove tomatoes to a sheet pan topped with wire racks, placing tomatoes cut side up. Sprinkle with sugar. Roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are brown and very tender – about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat butter in large stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until transparent. Add tomato paste, chicken stock, cayenne, basil and Italian seasoning and mix well to combine. Add roasted tomatoes, bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Return soup to a boil then remove from heat, stir in heavy cream. Cover pot and let sit to allow residual heat to warm soup without curdling cream. Serves 6.

A year ago - Lemon Creme Brulee

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

The fact that I'm in the habit of showing you all what we've had a year ago on the bottom of each day's post is as much a reminder for me as it may be news for you, and thanks be to both because last night's dinner was a long overdue repeat of a dish that's perfect for this time of year. Truth be known, it's perfect almost anytime.

Fabulously meaty country style pork ribs browned to a rich mahogany cooked on a bed of pinto beans, onions and green pepper bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce - why, it might sound like a dish that takes hours to prepare but believe me, in the wink of an eye it's in the oven making its presence known with an incredibly tantalizing aroma. By the way, it's just the thing to make for a crowd because it'll double or triple perfectly and you'll really want to add more beans to the mix because they're just so darn wonderful.

I know I won't get tired of eating it over the next couple of days because woe is me the Big Guy left at 4:30 this morning on his way to Fargo, North Dakota for 5 days on a business trip. Now just imagine the trouble I had yesterday packing for a guy with a wardrobe filled with summer weight suits made for our sunny normally warm Tucson climate. I mean our current lows are equivalent to their current highs and toe rubbers and parkas are so not required here. He's gonna' freeze his derriere .... can I say that on-line?

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

4 pounds pork country style ribs, trimmed of fat

Salt, pepper & flour

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – 16 ounce cans pinto beans, drained (can be increased to 4 cans without adjusting recipe)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 ounce jar red jalapeno jelly

1 18 ounce bottle hickory flavored barbecue sauce (I used Kraft)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. In a small saucepan, heat together jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce until jelly has dissolved.  Remove from heat, add garlic and hot sauce. Set aside.Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust ribs with salt, pepper & flour and in batches, brown well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Continue browning meat in batches.  When meat is all browned, remove pot from heat. Add half of the chopped onion, and green pepper to the bottom of the pot. Cover vegetables with drained pinto beans, then spread one half of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture on top. Place browned ribs on top, add the rest of the chopped onion and green pepper. Top with the remainder of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture.  Cover pot and place in 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Mulligatawny Soup and Buttermilk Biscuits

There's not much better on a cold Friday night than a bowl of stick to your ribs soup, except maybe when it's on the same plate as warm from the oven biscuits as well.

I picked up a 5 pounder of self rising flour last week even though it's easy enough to make it yourself by adding half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon and a half of baking powder to every cup of regular all purpose flour. I was just being lazy. Anyway, now I've got to use the stuff so buttermilk biscuits seemed like just the ticket and they're so blinkin' easy to make, I had no excuse.

Cuddled up all warm and cozy next to a bowl of spiced up chicken and rice soup, it seemed like just the thing to welcome my Big Guy home after a long day in the salt mines. Now, we've had this soup before a couple of times so I won't go into it much except to point you in the direction of a previous post but just so you know, it's not a pansy kind of soup at all. Loaded with curry, sweetened with an apple and finished with a touch of coconut milk, it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Zip (adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

This warm and wonderful soup is also known as Mulligatawny and is a perfect après ski or rainy day bowl of warm comfort. It freezes very well and like most soups, the flavors improve with time.

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1-1/2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, skinned, boned and cut into half inch pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarter inch dice

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 cup coconut milk (lite unsweetened)

Melt butter in large stock pot. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until onion is soft. Move vegetables over to one side of pot and add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add flour, curry and Garam Masala. Cook stirring for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil stirring constantly then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice, apple, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes, covered – stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add lemon rind. Remove pot from heat and add coconut milk. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6. 

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Betty Crocker aka Gold Medal Flour)

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup less 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together flour and baking soda. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients using a fork and stir just to incorporate ingredients together. Move to a floured board and knead lightly until mixture holds together. Roll out to a half inch thickness and cut with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Arrange biscuits with sides touching onto prepared pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes  9 biscuits. Serve slathered in unsalted butter!

A year ago - Spaghetti and Meatballs

A Bowl of Red and the "Best" Cornbread

A bowl of red is what the natives call a classic Texas chili - no beans, no tomatoes - just pure unadulterated beef with red chile. Heaven knows this is the time of year we Tucsonites see trucks loaded with strings of dried chile ristras and wreaths lining the roads so that was my inspiration for last night's dinner. That along with the fact that a pot of chile once made can hold without harm on the stove until it's time for dinner; important around here this time of year because it's the last week of scheduled classes before end of semester exams start, so I never know for sure what time the Big Guy's going to darken the door.

Last night's Texas Chili was one of those throw it in the pot and pray creations. I'll pass what was in it along to you, but since I already had a quart of red chile sauce in the freezer, the recipe may be a bit of a pain for you to duplicate - at least it will until I can make another bunch of sauce and tell you exactly how I did it. You could though check out the version from epicurious if you're interested in making it sooner rather than later.

This particular bowl of chili definitely will satisfy the carnivore in your family and it's subtle heat is really warm and comforting too. Of course I say "subtle" heat rather tongue in cheek because it's subtle to us but likely a real butt burner for some of you!

Now - about the cornbread - I always hesitate to call anything the "best" because my idea of best may be entirely different from your idea; however, if you're looking for a cornbread studded with pancetta pieces, and moistened with corn kernels and chopped roasted green chiles, then this would be it. Crispy crusted on the outside and incredibly moist and flavorful inside with buttermilk and grated cheese thrown in for good measure, it's enough to give anyone who loves the stuff shivers of ecstasy.

JBug’s Version of Texas Chili

Note - the Red Chile Sauce is not the kind you'd find made by Heinz in a bottle in your market's condiment aisle. It is made from assorted roasted dried chiles that are reconstituted and cooked in stock and/or water. Everyone seems to have their favorite recipe and I'll share mine with you next time I make a pot of it. 

2 pounds beef eye of round or chuck roast cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder (I used dried chipotle)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 quart prepared homemade red chile sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt if needed

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat to shimmering. Season beef cubes well with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in batches in hot oil and remove to a bowl. Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté stirring often until onion is softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne if using and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return meat to the pot and add red chile. Bring meat to a high simmer, then lower heat, cover and cook stirring often until meat is very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in honey and white vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as required. Serve with sour cream and cornbread.  Makes 4 large servings.   

Cornbread with Pancetta and Green Chiles (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar)

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 cup canned or frozen corn, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400. Brown pancetta in 8 inch cast iron pan. Add butter, and when butter has melted set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Fold in grated cheese. In a smaller bowl beat egg and buttermilk together. Add green chilies and corn. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork only until just combined. Pour over hot pancetta and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Download Cornbread with Pancetta

A year ago - Pork Medallions with Apples and Cranberry Chutney

Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

The first thing I ever cooked for the Big Guy way back when was my infamous mushroom soup. Loaded with mushrooms and laced with brandy, I figured it would surely get his attention. After all, isn't the sure way to a man's heart through his stomach? 

Little did I know at the time I'd be making the same mushroom soup for him many times since that fateful day - obviously it piqued his interest enough that he married me. I just wish I'd thought about adding bacon and potatoes to the brew a lot sooner. Now that really is a pity!

The Big Guy just finished making another batch of maple smoked bacon and gave me a bag of little iddy bits and pieces. It's absolutely about the best bacon we've ever made (we tweaked the recipe and I'll tell you about it later). I just had to add some of its crisp flavorful goodness to the pot before I sauteed the onions and mushrooms.

Of course after a quick look at the refrigerator I also zeroed in on the big container of leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving dinner and couldn't leave 'em out either. Their addition makes for a heartier bowl of bacon mushroom flavor but of course the crowning glory is a drizzle of Meukow cognac on top. What can I say except excess is better than the opposite - ya know what I mean?

Realizing we needed another touch of homey decadence on a lovely relaxing Sunday evening, I threw a piece on raclette on a cast iron pan and shoved it in the oven to melt while the ciabatta rolls were warming up. Traditionalists are likely to fall off their chairs when they see the way I served this little wedge of gooey crispy wonder so if you really want to get the down and dirty on "real" raclette go to David Lebovitz here and he'll tell you all about it in his usual witty and wonderful way; however, for our purposes the nutty gooey melted cheese spread on crisp rolls hot from the oven was about as good as it gets - next to the soup of course.

Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup (an original from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Sable & Rosenfeld)

4 ounces side bacon, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup half and half

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brandy or Cognac

Heat large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon is slightly crisp. Remove from pot and set aside, leaving drippings in pot. Add butter and when melted, add onions. Cook until onions are softened. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until mushrooms are soft – about 5 more minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk in mashed potatoes and return bacon to the pot. Add half and half. Whisk together milk and flour until smooth and add to the pot, stirring constantly. Bring pot to a simmer and cook stirring often until soup is thickened. Do not boil.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of brandy or cognac. Makes 6 servings. Download Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

A year ago - Turkey and Mushroom Bread Pudding

Triple Apple, Swiss and Squash Soup

Apples, apples, apples! What could be better? But in a soup, you ask? Well, YES! I came across this recipe from Food Network Magazine that I was going to make last week but the Big Guy moaned loud and clear that he wasn't impressed with a meatless soup. Just when I think I have him used to the idea he balks. Men!

Anyway, I pouted a bit then put my thinking cap on and came up with a brilliant idea. Our local Sprouts Market makes some really awesome chicken and apple sausages spiced with cinnamon and cloves. They are absolutely the bomb and I love to use them any chance I get.

I simply removed them from their casings and browned them well, then transferred the crumbles onto a plate and went on with the recipe. Onions, apples, white potato and chunks of butternut squash were sauteed in butter then cooked in apple cider, and chicken broth. Once the vegetables were tender the Big Guy asked for the honor of whizzing the pot of yum smooth with the immersion blender. Boys and their toys - really, I was just waiting for the blender to come out of the pot and I'd be cleaning soup off the ceiling; however, thankfully after a non eventful blending job I added some Apple Jack Brandy to the mix for a little punch.

Finished with milk and Swiss cheese instead of the cheddar called for in the recipe, the cooked sausage was returned to the pot then we served it up and drizzled each bowl with a touch more Apple Jack just because we love the stuff and any excuse for booze is a good enough excuse.

Our collective opinion - this soup "rocks". If you haven't decided on a starter yet for your Thanksgiving dinner, this would be perfect. If you have and you're wondering what to put on the menu for Friday night along with some of those leftover turkey sandwiches, this would be the soup to soothe your soul following a day in the trenches shopping with all the crazies on Black Friday. Believe you me, I'll be looking for an excuse to whip up another pot soon.

By the way, if you're unable to find a chicken and apple sausage in your local supermarket, you could substitute a regular sage or maple flavored pork sausage (like Jimmy Dean's) and add a pinch of cinnamon and ground cloves or allspice to the soup. It'll be just fine!

Triple Apple Squash Soup with Swiss Cheese (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound chicken/apple sausage

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 large white potato, peeled and diced

1-1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup apple cider

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup milk

2 cups grated Swiss cheese

1/2 cup Apple Jack Brandy

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat until shimmering. Remove casings from sausage and crumble into pot. Cook until no longer pink, crumbling into pieces. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add butter to pot and when melted add onion, apples, potato and butternut squash. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add sage, flour and apple cider. Cook stirring for 2 minutes, then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, and then cover pot and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove pot from heat and using an immersion blender or counter top blender, carefully puree mixture until smooth. Return soup to medium heat and stir in reserved cooked sausage, milk and cheese. When soup is hot and cheese is melted (do not boil), stir in Apple Jack Brandy just before serving.  Serves 6. Download Triple Apple Squash Soup with Swiss Cheese

Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup

Dear Rachael:

Just a note to thank you for yet another wonderful meal. Your imagination is without boundaries and this particular soup or "stoup" as you call it may be your best one yet. Loaded with hot Italian sausage and veggies like onions, mushrooms, carrots and potato, the lentils are the perfect addition to this healthy bowl of bliss. Of course our new favorite, kale, added at the very end provides just the right amount of crunch and its bright green color and slightly bitter flavor really stand out. We loved the addition of smoked paprika too - in fact, we enjoyed the soup very much and know it's going to taste every bit as good, if not better, for lunch today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - with your talent, warmth and charm you deserve every single bit of the success that's come your way.

I'm sending my readers directly to your web site for the recipe for your Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup because, I changed nothing. It was perfect just as written. Also, I've got your "Big Orange Book" on my wish list, and if the Big Guy wants to add your newest "Book of 10" to the list, he's guaranteed to make a bunch of points. After all, it never hurts to accumulate points for the next time he screws up.

Best regards!

A year ago  -  Rockin' Moroccan Stew

Old Fashioned Swiss Steak

Is something considered old fashioned if it was popular in the fifties and sixties? I'm saying it is since things are considered antiques if they're over 50 years old so I guess that makes me one too. Darn!

As you can see, we're on a roll here as far as comfort food goes because honestly, when the weather cools off there's nothing better than something you remember from your childhood.

This particular recipe for Swiss Steak includes the usual onions and green pepper, but it also has garlic and mushrooms too. I don't know where you grew up but in my Mother's kitchen fresh garlic and mushrooms weren't something one could find easily. I mean I'd read about them in magazines, and we'd see the odd canned mushrooms in the cupboard but we ate pretty plainly and the spice cupboard was a tad empty except for salt, pepper, cinnamon and poultry seasoning. Maybe that's why I'm partial to things with a little more oomph.

Speaking of oomph, the gravy in this dish is incredible likely due in part to the canned tomatoes, beef consomme and mushroom soup and as you can see from the picture, the sauce makes the meat almost secondary. It is amazing and you'll want to cook extra mashed potatoes or make biscuits to go with it just so you have an excuse to eat more. 

If you're looking for some stick to your ribs down home comfort, give this one a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Old Fashioned Swiss Steak (inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

2 lb. round or top sirloin steak, cut into serving portions

½ cup flour to dredge meat

2 tablespoons vegetable oil and more as required

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red or green pepper, sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 14oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can mushroom soup

1 can beef consommé

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Salt & pepper both sides of steak portions. Dredge in flour, coating well and place between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound thin (about a quarter inch). Sauté in batches in a small amount of oil over high heat in hot pan until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil as required. Sauté onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic until vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushroom soup, beef consommé, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine, and then return meat to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and bake in a 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary. Add parsley just before serving. Serves 6 to 8. Download Old Fashioned Swiss Steak

A year ago - Roasted Tomato Soup with Pesto

 

 

 

New England Style Clam Chowder and a Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upsidedown Cake

Sorry I'm  late this morning! It's raining here ...finally, a beautiful steady downpour on a very cool autumn Tucson day. It is without question a perfect Monday and to take advantage of it, I just had to go run with the dogs in the back yard and catch raindrops. Needless to say we were all soaked to the skin and cold so it took us a little longer to dry off and warm up than anticipated but boy did we have fun!

Not only that, I had to make a quick run to the Veterinarian for some medication for Finnigan. You see not only did he come to us with a smashing personality and a cute face but he also arrived with coccidia, a parasite that is incurable and rears its ugly head from time to time especially when he gets over excited. We took the boys to the dog park yesterday and he had a blast trying to "make love" to a rather large golden retriever. Talk about huge aspirations - I mean there's only about a 60 pound difference in their weights. To appease his little neutered ego he tried the same trick on the cat later in the afternoon. It wasn't pretty!

Last night's Sunday Soup Supper was my version of a New England Clam Chowder and actually the first recipe I ever posted way back in April 2009. I've certainly made it many times since and haven't changed it a bit which is a miracle around here.We've created quite the selection of chowder's on this site, but this one remains one of our favorites, likely due to the fact that it is loaded with some of our homemade maple smoked bacon and includes clams the Big Guy harvested from Waldport Bay in Oregon.

The recipe may be a little different than the one you make, and likely different from one a tried and true born and bred New Englander would make but isn't that what cookin's all about. Different doesn't make it wrong - just different and this version involves making a buttery golden flour roux to enhance the flavors and thicken the chowder because we prefer it that way.

To top off our comforting Sunday dinner and celebrate a perfect autumn day in Tucson, I whipped up a tasty caramelized pear gingerbread upside down cake. Created from perfectly ripe but firm Bosc pears, peeled, sliced and placed atop a buttery sugary caramel in my favorite cast iron pan and topped with an old fashioned spicy sour milk gingerbread it smelled glorious as it was baking and tasted even better with a touch of Bourbon flavored whipped cream.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret - because we're into extra flavor around here, I added cinnamon, cloves and allspice to the gingerbread and dusted the top of the pears with some coarse ground black pepper as well. Pepper goes very well with gingerbread and the added flavor is very subtle but incredibly delicious.

By the way, if you're in need of a little edumacatin' on the different types of pears and what's best for baking, head on over to Epicurious' Visual Guide to Pears.

Clam Chowder – New England Style (a JBug’s Kitchen original inspired by the New Basics Cookbook)

2 cups steamed, prepared clam meat coarsely chopped *

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small dice

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups chopped onion (1/4” dice)

3/4 cup flour

4 cups red potatoes, peeled & cut into ½” dice

2 Tablespoons old bay seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 bottles clam juice, or reserved juice from cooked clams

2 cups whole milk (or more depending on how thick you like your chowder)

2 cups heavy cream (didn’t say it was diet chowder)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

 (20 cockles, or 2-1/2 dozen cherry stone clams, scrubbed & steamed in 2 cups of water. Reserve juice & strain. Discard any clams that do not open. Clean & chop meat.)  Cook bacon over low heat, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned. Remove from pan.Add butter to fat remaining in pan. Add flour. Cook & stir until roux becomes a light yellow color – approximately 10 minutes. Add chopped onion. Cook until onion is transparent (approx. 10 minutes). Add seasonings & cook for 2 minutes before adding potatoes and clam juice. Cook stirring often until potatoes are al dente’ (approx. 12-15 minutes). Mixture will be very thick!  Add milk and cream. Cook until potatoes are completely cooked through & soup is smooth & thick. Do not let boil.  Add clams & heat for 5 more minutes.  Check for seasonings.Garnish with parsley, & serve with oyster crackers.  Makes 10 to 12 portions. Download Clam Chowder - New England Style

Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upside Down Cake  (inspired by Purity Cookbook)

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 firm but ripe pears, peeled cored and sliced

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk

Using a 9 inch cast iron pan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until sugar melts and turns golden in color – 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Carefully place pear slices on top of caramelized sugar/butter mixture. Sprinkle with coarse ground black pepper and set aside. Preheat oven to 325.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices until well combined. Using a medium bowl and electric mixer, cream shortening and brown sugar until light. Add egg and molasses, mixing until well combined and light in texture. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. Pour on top of pears in prepared pan and spread to level. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and rest for a few minutes, then carefully flip upside down onto a plate. Remove cast iron pan. Serve gingerbread with sweetened whipped cream. Download Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upside Down Cake

A year ago -  Lemon Chicken Wings

Porc au Vin

There's a dish called Coq au Vin so why can't you have Porc au Vin? That was my thinking anyway and sometimes the result of a little kitchen witchery has a really positive outcome, if you know what I mean.

I started the flavoring of last night's stew with some of our homemade pancetta although bacon would work fine too, then browned chunks of pork butt and followed up with mushrooms, shallots, carrots and garlic. Some dried herbs and 2 cups each of Syrah and chicken stock and  2 hours in the oven later our entree was taken care of. Boy, did it smell good!

We had our stew with sweet potatoes mashed with a little butter and black pepper and lovely autumny pears that I drizzled with honey (maple syrup works too) and butter and roasted in the oven during the last hour the pork was braising. If you've never had pears with sweet potatoes before, you may want to give it a try. You'll be amazed, I promise!

Porc au Vin  (inspired by Bon Appetit Magazine)

4 ounces pancetta (small dice)

2-1/2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces large mushrooms, cut into quarters

8 large shallots, peeled and cut in half

1 cup carrots peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon herbs de province

2 bay leaves

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups dry red wine (I used Syrah)

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons flour mixed with 1/4 cup water

Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. In a large Dutch oven over medium low heat, cook pancetta until fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp. Remove from pan leaving drippings. Season pork cubes with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Brown pork cubes in batches, being sure to brown on all sides. Remove from pot and repeat until meat is all browned. Add vegetable oil to pot and when shimmering hot, add mushrooms, shallots, carrots and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly for 3 or 4 minutes or until shallots start to soften. Add garlic, thyme, herbs to province and bay leaves. Cook, stirring for another minute. Add red wine, chicken stock and return pork and pancetta to pot. Bring to boil, cover pot and place in oven for 1-1/2 hours or until pork is very tender. Remove pot from oven, and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Thicken gravy with flour/water slurry and return to oven for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.    Download Porc au Vin

A year ago - Red & Green Shrimp Enchiladas

Beef and Barley Soup

I recently had an epiphany thanks to my friend Pam over at Sidewalk Shoes. You see, our habit was to have a fairly substantial Sunday night dinner, a throwback to the old days when I was growing up and Sunday night dinners often meant something special. The trouble is Sunday afternoons around here involve a lot of R & R and that means I get lazy and cooking's the last thing on my mind. Enter "Soup Sundays". (Thanks for the idea Pam. It's brilliant!)

Last night's pot of comfort needed to be just that. The Big Guy's sick with a cold and I'm still hacking and snorting my way through October's allergy season so what's better for that than a hearty bowl of hot vegetable laden soup.

This one made great use of the last of the leftover Tri-tip, along with lots of carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, potatoes and barley. Naturally because I was using pre-cooked meat, I didn't bother with browning it so I "beefed" up the flavor by adding canned consomme and lots of beef stock. Garnished with packaged French fried onions along with Ritz crackers, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Beef and Barley Soup (a JBug’s original)

Note: if you’re using raw rather than pre-cooked beef, round or chuck steak works very well. Cut into half inch cubes and brown very well in oil. Remove from pan and set aside, then continue with recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

2 10 ounce cans beef consommé (undiluted)

4 cups low sodium beef stock

1/2 cup barley

1 pound leftover Tri tip or roast beef cut into half inch cubes (see note above)

1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into half inch cubes

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into half inch cubes

Salt as required

French fried onions for garnish

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add garlic, black pepper and flour and cook, stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add Marsala wine and cook, stirring to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pot (1 minute). Add consommé, beef stock, beef and barley. Bring pot to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce to a slow simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potato and carrots and cook for additional 20 minutes or until they’re just tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt as required. Serve soup garnished with fried onions.

Before I let you go - can you believe how many meals we got out of that fabulous little 2 pound Tri-tip roast? Not only was it good for us, it was good for the budget too. We'll be doing that again for sure!

 

A year ago - Maple Soy Glazed Salmon

Salm 'n' Clam Chowder and Shaker Lemon Pie

We work on real time here so what you see is what we actually had for dinner last night. That leaves little if any room for error so when I scope out a recipe to make, I have to trust my instincts and experience that it will be a good one. Unfortunately, every once in a while the old instinct fails, at least that's what my opinion is of last night's chowder. The other member of our little family thought it was quite good, but I found it rather fishy if you know what I mean.

It's got good bones though - no pun intended. Bacon, chopped onions, celery and garlic make up some of the flavor base along with sweet potatoes which I thought would go very well with the clams and salmon in a broth made creamy with the addition of creamed corn along with the usual half and half. Sounds alright doesn't it?

If you enjoy a strong fishy flavor in your chowder, then this would be the one for you but personally I think there's several other great chowders on this blog that you may want to give a go before you make this one.

Fortunately dessert made up for any foibles of the main course. First introduced to this exceptional pie by Tom at Tall Clover Farm, we've made it several times in the past because our Meyer Lemon has been prolific to say the least. I had put aside some of the pie base in the freezer (lemon slices macerated in sugar) and this is the last of it. Boo hoo, because last winter's exceptional cold snap really took our citrus crop out of the picture for this year and we'll be lucky if we get a dozen total out of our 4 trees (lemon, grapefruit, tangerine and lime).

As you can see, this version of lemon pie is a double crusted wonder filled with the tart marmalade like flavor of whole meyer lemons with just enough sugar to take the edge off. It has serious lemon flavor so if you're a fan, then this is the one for you. It is without question, one of our favorites. 

Salm ‘n’ Clam Chowder (Adapted from Food Network Canada)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potato

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 – 14 ounce can creamed corn

1-1/2 cups chopped uncooked clams plus juice or 2 cans baby clams, undrained

8 ounces boneless skinless salmon fillet, cut into chunks (I used Coho)

1-1/2 cups half and half

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil and bacon. When bacon starts to crisp, add onions, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and thyme and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and Old Bay seasoning, bring to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until potato is cooked. Stir in creamed corn. Whisk together half and half with flour until smooth. Add to soup along with salmon and clams. Cook, stirring often until fish is done and soup thickens – about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Makes 8 servings. Download Salm 'n' Clam Chowder

Shaker Lemon Pie (Adapted from Saveur)

Note – start the preparation of this pie 24 hours in advance because the lemons have to macerate in sugar for at least that long.

Pastry:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 ounces cold butter cut into pieces

4 ounces cold vegetable shortening cut into pieces

6 tablespoons ice cold water or more as needed

Place flour, sugar and salt into a medium sized bowl and whisk together to combine. Using a pastry blender cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a fork, mix in water a tablespoon at a time, tossing liquid into flour mixture just until mixture holds together. Remove dough to a board and knead slightly just until it holds together. Divide in two and flatten to discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

Filling:

2 large lemons (I used Meyer lemons)

1-1/2 cups sugar (if using another type of lemon increase sugar to 2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream & Sugar for garnish

Wash lemons well using soap, rinse and dry. Grate lemon zest into a bowl, and then slice whole lemons very thin. Remove seeds and discard. Add lemon slices and any accumulated juice to sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.

To make pie preheat oven to 425. Roll one disc of pastry out and place in bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Place in freezer to chill briefly while you make the pie filling. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and flour. Add eggs and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Stir in macerated lemon/sugar mixture. Fill pie. Roll second disc of pastry out and top filled pie. Fold edges under and crimp. Decorate top as desired, then brush with heavy cream and dust with sugar. Bake pie for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers. Download Shaker Lemon Pie

A year ago - Bacon and Tomato Risotto

Pork, Pumpkin and White Bean Chili

'Tiz the season of the great pumpkin and with cooling temperatures, what better way to celebrate than with a warming bowl of hot chili. This particular version is not only healthy, but it's also rather differently delicious although I have to admit to being a trifle sceptical as I was throwing it together.

It all starts with pork loin cut into cubes and browned in a hot pan followed by onion, garlic and jalapeno. Topped off with a jar of salsa verde, followed by pumpkin cubes and white beans, it brewed a bit before I gave it a taste test for flavor. Unfortunately I found it rather lacking. Salt, pepper, cumin and chile powder helped in that regard along with a dab of Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce, without which it's rather bland in the spice department.

Then again from what I hear, some of you like it that way which is my cue to remind you of this, as stated by Canadian Chef Michael Smith...

"A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!”

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

Pumpkin, Pork and White Bean Chili (inspired by Food Network Magazine) 

1 pound pork loin, cut into half inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

16 ounce jar Salsa Verde (I used Herdez)

1 cup water

4 cups cubed pumpkin (or butternut squash)

1 – 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

Chopped cilantro and lime juice as garnish (optional)

Hot sauce (optional)

Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan and brown pork cubes. Remove to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Add onion to sauté pan and cook until softened. Add garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt, season with coarse ground black pepper and stir in salsa verde and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add pumpkin. Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan, cover and cook until pumpkin is tender – about 15 to 20 minutes. Add white beans and cook and additional 10 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro and lime juice. Pass additional hot sauce as required. Serves 4 to 6. Download Pumpkin Pork and White Bean Chili

A year ago - Beef and Cabbage Soup

Two Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup

Does this look good or what?  Believe me, it is!

This hearty bowl of veggie filled goodness helped soothe a savage beast last night, although I'm not sure it wasn't until he downed a gi-normous martini that he really finally relaxed.

The Big Guy came home from Phoenix last night except that what should have been a quick rather boring drive turned into a marathon. There was a huge dust storm that went through early yesterday afternoon resulting in absolute mayhem on the Interstate. With it closed for cleanup, there were tons of other people in the same boat taking the same alternate route and my normally very patient man was at the end of his rope by the time he rolled in. Course I was smart enough not to remind him that we were very lucky his wasn't one of the 30 or more vehicles in the smash up to begin with. Sometimes ya' just have to bite your tongue, though it's darn near impossible in my case.

I don't know about you, but I'm just starting to discover how wonderful kale is. Also known as "borecole" a member of the cabbage family, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet loaded with antioxidant vitamins A, C and K. It's one of the few vegetables that's better for you cooked instead of raw as the high fiber content "binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease".

Don't worry though. I didn't forsake health in place of flavor last night, as this pot of wonder starts with sauteed bacon, followed by onion, sweet Italian sausage and sweet potato as well as Idaho tubers. Enriched with chicken stock, I added the kale at the very end so it kept its color and finished the soup with a splash of cream. Garnished with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, it was a perfect late dinner for my tired and frustrated King.

For the Truth About Kale hit the link here for a great article courtesy of Web MD.

Two Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup (inspired by Southern Living)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 slices bacon, diced

2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

Coarse ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 yam or sweet potato, cubed

1 large russet potato, cubed

10 ounces washed and chopped kale

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup half and half

1/3 cup Wondra instant blending flour (optional)

Sea salt if necessary

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes as garnish

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add bacon and cook until fairly crisp. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook together, stirring often until onion is softened. Add sweet Italian sausage and cook, crumbling until sausage is no longer pink. Season with coarse ground black pepper. Add red chili flakes and wine. Cook until wine has almost completely reduced, stirring up any crisp bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Add kale, handfuls at a time stirring as you go until it is all in the pot. Mix flour together with heavy cream and half and half and add to soup. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring until soup is slightly thickened and kale is no longer crisp. Taste for seasoning and add salt as required. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Makes 6 servings.  Download Two Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup

A year ago - Quick and Easy Oven Braised Pulled Beef