Spicy Pumpkin Soup

3 c chicken broth
1 c cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1-1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 T fish sauce
1 T Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
4 oz narrow rice noodles
juice from 1/2 lime
cilantro leaves

Note: Whenever I bake a chicken, I make stock from the giblets, the picked over carcass, and any leftover pan drippings. I cover the detritus with cold water, add a bay leaf, a couple of allspice pods, two or three cloves, and a chopped onion. I bring it to a boil, and simmer it for an hour or more, then refrigerate it.

Combine the broth, chicken, pumpkin, fish sauce, and chili sauce in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, and add the rice noodles. Simmer for four minutes or until the noodles are tender. Stir in the lime juice. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Braised Pork Neck Chili

4 T oil, divided
1 large sweet onion
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2-1/2 lb meaty pork neck bones
1/2 t kosher salt
1 c red wine or tomato juice
2 medium cans diced tomatoes (no-salt)
1 small can yellow corn
1/2 t black peppercorns, crushed
1 dried ancho chili, ground
1 dried guajillo chili, ground
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1-1/2 t sugar (to taste)
2 T vinegar (to taste)
1 can black beans
1 can small white beans

Heat 2 T oil at medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add the onions, peppers, celery, and carrots, and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Add the remaining 2 T oil to the dutch oven, and raise the heat to medium high. Place the meat in the dutch oven, meaty side down, and brown for 3 - 5 minutes. Salt the meat. Turn the meat, and brown for another 3 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate, and lower the heat to medium. (If necessary, cook the meat in two batches.)

Immediately deglaze the dutch oven. Add the meat and sauteed vegetables to the dutch oven. Stir in the crushed peppercorns, ground chilies, basil, and oregano. Add the sugar and vinegar to taste.

Cover the dutch oven and place in a 250°F oven for 2 hours. Take the chili out of the oven and remove as many bones as possible from the stewed meat. Add the two cans of beans, cover the dutch oven, and continue baking for another 2 hours or more.

Before serving, remove remaining bones, connective tissue, and gristle from the meat. Serve the chili over rice, or with cornbread.

Aunt Virgie's Chicken and Noodles

Beat together:
4 eggs
8 T whipping cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t baking powder
1 c flour

Put 2-1/2 c flour in a large mixer bowl. Add the beaten mixture, and mix well with a dough hook. Turn out on a floured counter and put the mixing bowl over the dough. Let it rest for 10 - 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, bring 3 qt of chicken broth to a boil in a large soup pot. Roll out fairly thin and cut into strips with a pizza cutter or a knife.

Heat the broth to a rolling boil, and add the noodles to the broth. After the noodles have cooked for 20 minutes or so, reduce to a simmer and cook for a couple of hours. While the broth is cooking, you can add carrots, celery, and chopped chicken.

After the noodles have cooked, you can either serve the soup, or you can refrigerate it. The soup is best if you let the noodles sit in the refrigerator for at least a day. To reheat, add additional chicken broth, and reheat slowly in a slow cooker, or over very low heat on the stove.

Speckknödel

This recipe is adapted from a web site of Alto-Adige recipes. Chefs are H. Gasteiger, G. Wieser, H. Bachmann.

200 g (7 oz) white bread (about 6 slices) (See note, below)
80 g (3 oz) Speck alto Adige PGI, cubed,and trimmed of fat
15 g (2 T) flour
15 g (1 T) unsalted butter
40 g (1/4 c) onion, peeled and minced
2 eggs
100 ml (1/3 c + 1T +1 t) milk
5 g (1 T) chopped parsley
2 - 4 g (1/4 - 1/2 t) kosher salt
Grind of black pepper

Note: You can use white bread or bread rolls for this. Weigh the bread, then let it sit out for 12 hours or so, until it is dried out.

Cube the bread into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes. Add the speck and flour. In a skillet, melt the butter, and add the onions. Cook over low heat until the onions are translucent, but not brown. Add the onions to the bread mixture. Mix together lightly with your hands.

Mix together the eggs and milk. Pour over the bread. Sprinkle the parsley, salt, and pepper over the bread. Using your hands, knead the mixture, just until it holds together. Do not over knead. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, in a large, stock pot with a lid, pour 3" (7.5 cm) of water in the bottom of the pot. Add 15 g (2 t) of salt to the water, cover the pot, and bring the water to a simmer.

Using a 2T (25 g) scoop, shape the dumplings into balls, and put on a large dinner plate. Wetting your hands will make it easier to handle the dough. The recipe makes approximately 16 dumplings. When you have shaped all of the dumplings, drop each dumpling into the simmering water. Cover the pot, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a skimmer or a slotted spoon.

Serve the dumplings hot in a broth, or as an accompaniment to meat. This serves 6 - 8 people as an appetizer, and 4 people as a side.

Chicken Soup

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced (1/8")
2 med turnips, diced
2 med carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large potato, cubed (1/4")
2 c chicken stock
1 c water
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 small can corn
1 15 oz can black bean, drained and rinsed
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T fish sauce
3 whole cloves
1/2 t pepper corns
6 whole allspice
2 bay leaves
2 pequin peppers or 1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 c chopped cooked chicken

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot (with a cover). Spread the onions over oil, and let sit undisturbed (uncovered) for two or three minutes. Stir the onions, and continue frying for another four to six minutes, stirring the ovens thoroughly every couple of minutes.

When the onions have browned, add the turnips, carrots, celery, and potato. If the mixture is dry, add 1/4 - 1/2 c water or chicken stock. Cover the soup pot, and continue cooking for five minutes or so. Add the chicken stock, water, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and garlic. Add 2 T fish sauce. Adjust to taste, adding up to an additional tablespoon of fish sauce.

In a spice mill grind together the cloves, pepper corns, allspice, bay leaves, and pequins. Add to the soup with the cooked chicken. Cover and simmer the soup for a half hour.

Thai Chicken Soup

2 c chicken broth (salt-free or regular)
2 t sugar
3 - 4 slices ginger root, peeled and matchsticked
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
1 - 2 Thai chilis, cut into strips
1/4 t Thai chili pepper or cayenne pepper
1/2 c straw (or white) mushrooms, sliced
1 T fish sauce (optional, see note below)
1 c chicken (uncooked or cooked)
3 T fresh coriander leaves
juice from 1 lime

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the sugar, ginger, and kaffir leaves. Simmer for two minutes. Add the chilis, Thai chili pepper, mushrooms, fish sauce, and chicken. Simmer for three to four minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink, and completely cooked. Remove from the heat and add the coriander leaves and the lime juice. Serve immediately.

Note: if you do not use the fish sauce, you may want to add salt, especially if you are using unsalted broth.

Chard Panade☺

This recipe is a nod to Molly Wizenburg's Chard Panade. Just reading her blog made me want to try a savory dish like this.

Serves 4

For the Panade:
5 c chicken or vegetable stock (see recipe, below)
6 T olive oil
1 large sweet onion
1 bunch chard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c shredded cheese (Swiss, sharp cheddar, gruyere)
1/2 loaf (8 - 10 oz) rustic bread, cut into 1" cubes

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a quick boil, and reduce it by about one-third.

While the stock is boiling, heat 2 T olive oil in a large iron skillet over medium high heat. Peel and thinly slice the onion (1/8"). Spread the sliced onions in the skillet and let sit for about three minutes. Stir the onions occasionally to caramelize. Take care not to burn them. Remove the cooked onions to a plate, and remove the skillet from the heat.

Stem and wash the chard. Coarsely chop it. Add another 2T olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium high heat. Spread the chard in the skillet, and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir the chard to coat with the hot oil. Add the minced garlic and stir for ten or fifteen seconds. Add a couple of tablespoons of stock, then cover with a lid, and continue cooking for about two minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Butter a 9" covered casserole dish. Spread about one-quarter of the caramelized onions in the bottom of the dish. Layer one-third of the bread cubes. Cover with one-third of the chard and one-third of the cheese. Continue layering the onions, bread, chard, and cheese, finishing with the cheese. Pour the reduced stock over the casserole. Swirl the remaining olive oil over the top of the casserole. Cover the dish, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the cover, and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

For the Vegetable Stock:
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 parsnip, peeled and grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c red wine
5 c water
1 T fish sauce (optional)
salt to taste
3 whole allspice
3 whole cloves
1/2 t whole black pepper

Instructions for the Vegetable Stock:

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, and fry the onion until it is dark brown and caramelized. Do not let the onion burn.

Add the carrot, parsnip and celery, and continue sauteeing the vegetables, until they begin to brown. Scrape the vegetables into a saucepan, and deglaze the skillet with the red wine. Add the deglazed liquid to the saucepan.

Add the water to the vegetables, and heat over medium high heat until the stock is boiling. Add the fish sauce, and taste for salt (it may not need any). Grind the allspice, cloves, and black pepper, and add to the stock. Keep at a simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Refrigerate.

Spinach Colcannon

Inspired by a recipe from Spiral Path Farm in Pennsylvania.

Ron and I have half a share in a CSA farm in Pennsylvania. The following recipe is adapted from their recipe.

1 lb (or more) sausage
2 medium vidalia onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches spinach, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 t salt
6 medium potatoes, 1/2" dice, skins on
4 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1 pint half and half
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated

In a large skillet (with a cover), brown the sausage over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft and are beginning to carmelize. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. Add all the spinach to the sausage, cover the skillet, and turn off the heat. Let the spinach wilt a few minutes, then sprinkle the mixture with 1 t salt. Cover the skillet and set aside.

Heat the oven to 450ºF. Place the diced potatoes in a large plastic food bag. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil. Seal the bag and completely coat the potato pieces with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a large, rimmed cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle the potatoes with salt, pepper, and herbs. Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven, and turn them with a metal spatula. Return to the oven and continue roast for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, and scrape them into a large bowl. Mash them and add the half and half, salt, pepper (to taste), and oregano to make mashed potatoes.

Heat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan. Adjust the seasoning of the sausage and spinach mixture, and layer it in the bottom of the baking pan. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the spinach. Sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Paprika

1 large cooked chicken
4 T paprika
3 T cooking oil
2 onions sliced
2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 c chicken broth
salt and pepper
2 c sour cream
2 T cornstarch

Remove the chicken meat from the skin, bones, and carcass. (Save the skin and bones to make stock.) Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.

In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the paprika and fry for a minute. Add the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Fry for five minutes or so until the vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.

Add the chicken and chicken broth. Cover the pot, and simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with some of the cooking liquid. Slowly stir into the pot, and cook until the liquid is thickened. Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly stir in the sour cream. Serve over noodles or rice.

Lentils

The original recipe appeared in the Washington Post Food section on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, David Hagedorn, chef. I changed a couple of the ingredients. This is a very tasty side.

1 c "French" lentils
3 c vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 dried thyme
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, small dice

Rinse the lentils. In a small saucepan, combine the lentils, broth, and spices. Bring to a boil, and add the carrot and potato. Cover and simmer on a lower heat for 30 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are soft.

I made this the day before I served them. They really taste better the second day. I just cooled them down for an hour or so, then refrigerated them overnight. I warmed them up the next day before serving.

Shrimp and Chicken Chowder

Serves two, but you can always double the recipe.

Note:This recipe has lots of ingredients, but it goes together very easily, so don't be intimidated! You can make the stock ahead of time OR you can use 2 c unsalted chicken or vegetable stock. If you don't have fish sauce, you can get it at an Asian market. (Golden Boy brand is excellent.) You can substitute salt to taste (1/2 teaspoon to start) plus 2 T water, but the fish sauce really adds a wonderful flavor. Substitute a hot chili powder for the Thai roasted pepper, if you don't want to make your own (the recipe for Thai Roasted Pepper follows this recipe).

The stock

2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped (quarter-inch dice)
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 med carrots, peeled and grated
4 c water
4 whole allspice
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron). Add the onions, and cook them until they soften and begin to brown. Add the celery. Stir occasionally, and continue frying until the celery begins to lose its bright green color. Stir in the carrots and fry until the carrots are very limp and begin to brown. Toward the end of the cooking, you will need to keep stirring the vegetables with a metal spatula, because the oil will be absorbed, and the vegetables will stick to the skillet.

When the vegetables have finished cooking, transfer them to a 2-1/2 qt stockpot. Pour some of the water into the skillet to deglaze it, and add to the stockpot with the rest of the water. Add the spices, and bring the stock to a boil, then turn the heat down such that the stock continues to boil, and continue to boil, uncovered, until it is reduced to half its volume (about a half hour to 45 minutes).

Remove the stock from the stove, and strain it into a container. Set it aside (or refrigerate) until you are ready to make the soup. Discard the solids in the strainer.

The meat

10 raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/4 lb raw chicken breast strips, sliced in half-inch pieces
2 T fish sauce
2 T rice vinegar (or lime or lemon juice)
2 cloves minced garlic
black pepper to taste
1/4 t Thai roasted pepper (or chili powder)

Read the Note, above, about substitutions for the fish sauce and Thai roasted pepper.

In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to finish the soup.

The rest of the soup

1 small can corn, undrained (8.75 oz)
1 med potato, peeled and grated
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
bean sprouts (optional)

In a soup pot, heat the stock and canned corn to boiling. Add the grated potato, and continue to simmer uncovered for three to four minutes. Add the shrimp and chicken mixture and simmer until the meat is cooked, about three minutes. Remove from the stove.

Put a couple of tablespoons of bean sprouts in the bottom of each soup bowl. Stir the cream into the soup, then ladle the soup over the bean sprouts and serve immediately.

Thai Roasted Peppers

The name is a misnomer, because the chilies aren't roasted, they are fried!

Note: Prepare the peppers in a well-ventilated kitchen. The fumes of the frying peppers can irritate your eyes. When you are grinding the peppers, be careful about touching your fingers to your face or rubbing your eyes. The ground pepper can irritate your skin. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers.

2 - 4 oz whole dried Asian chili peppers
2 T peanut oil

Line a metal strainer with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat until the oil has a sheen, but isn't smoking. Add the peppers, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, until the peppers are shiny and have turned darker, but before they burn and turn black.

Immediately remove the peppers to the strainer. Let the peppers drain and cool. Dab them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

When the peppers are completely cool, grind them in a food processor or spice mill until they are finely ground. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Use the condiment very sparingly....

Roasted Pepper Soup

Broth
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 leek top, washed and chopped
1/2 t dried marjoram
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 t whole black pepper
3 whole allspice
1 whole clove
1/2 t salt
1 qt water

Pepper mixture
4 medium to large green or red peppers
1 dried chipotle pepper
1 shallot, sliced
1 leek root, trimmed, clean, sliced lengthwise, and coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 - 8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 T sugar
2 T cider or white vinegar
2 T tomato paste

Broth

1. In a soup pot, saute the onion on medium heat in 1 T olive oil until the onion is quite brown.
2. Add the celery, carrot, and leek top. Cook until the vegetables are soft, stirring the mixture often.
3. Add the spices and the water, and simmer over low heat for a half hour or more.
4. Strain the broth, and discard the solids. Set aside

Pepper Mixture

1. While the broth is simmering, wash the green pepper and lay on a broiling rack. Roast the peppers under the broiler, turning them as the skin chars. When the you have finished roasting them, put them in a paper bag and close it tightly, then set aside.
2. In a small dish, cover the chipotle pepper with boiling water, and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat, and saute the shallot, leek root, and celery just until the vegetables are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the potato and garlic.
4. While the vegetables continue to cook, in a small saucepan, cover the tomatillos with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and add to the vegetables.
5. While the tomatillos are cooking, remove the skin and seeds from the green peppers. Coarsely chop them and add to the sauteed vegetables.
6. Reserve the liquid from the chipotle pepper, finely chop the pepper, and add it to the vegetables.
7. Simmer for the vegetables for another three or four minutes until the peppers are well heated.
8. Add the pepper mixture to the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, and reserved liquid from the chipotle pepper.
9. turn the heat to low, and simmer the mixture for thirty minutes, or until the peppers are very soft.
10. In four or five batches, puree the soup in a food processor. Return the soup to a soup pot, and heat to serving temperature.

Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. This soup is very thick. It can also be served as a cooked salsa with tortilla chips.

7-Can Chili

3 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T chili powder
2 t cumin seed
1 t dried oregano
1 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1/4 c raisins
1-15 oz can white beans
1-15 oz can black beans
1-15 oz can kidney beans
1-15 oz can red beans
1-8 oz can corn
2-14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 pt chicken stock
1 lb ground turkey

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, carrots and peppers, and cook over medium heat until the onions are browned and soft (stir often). Add the garlic and cook an additional one or two minutes.

Add the spices (except the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon stick) to the vegetables, mix well, and cook over low heat for another couple minutes. Put the cloves and allspice in a tea ball, and add to the pot.

Add the cinnamon stick, raisins, beans, corn, tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir well. Raise the heat to medium, and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.

In the skillet, heat 1 T olive oil, and brown the turkey. Season with salt, if desired. Add the turkey to the chili, and continue to simmer the soup over very low heat for at least a couple of hours. Stir every so often.

This chili tastes better the next day, but you probably won't be able to resist the temptation to eat it immediately.

Chicken with Kale Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3 small red potatoes, diced
1/2 c lentils
3 c water
1/4 c steel cut oats (optional)
1 small can corn
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t pepper
1 t ground sage
1/2 thyme
1/2 t ground rosemary
salt to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 red wine
1/2 lb kale, torn in small pieces
1/4 c raisins
2 T cider vinegar
olive oil

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until the onions are translucent. In a soup pot, heat the stock. Add the onions and celery, carrots, and potatoes, and bring to a boil, then turn to simmer.

In a separate sauce pan, bring the lentils and water to a boil, then turn to low and cook for 30 minutes. Add the lentils and liquid to the vegetables. Add the oats, corn, tomatoes, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. Add the seasonings and adjust to taste.

In the skillet, heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken, and fry until brown on both sides. Add 1/2 c red wine, cover and simmer over medium-low for 10 minutes. Shred the chicken, and add to the soup.

Deglaze the skillet, and add the pan liquid to the soup. Add the kale, raisins, and vinegar. Simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender.

Beef Dumpling Stew

2 lbs beef chuck, 1-1/2 in. cubes
2 T fat
4 c boiling water
1 t lemon juice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 med. onion sliced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
Dash allspice
1 tsp sugar
6 carrots quartered
1 lb (18 to 24) small onions

Thoroughly brown meat on all sides in hot fat; add water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, bay leaves & seasonings. Simmer 2 hrs., stir occasionally to keep from sticking. Add carrots, onions. Continue cooking 20 to 30 min. Drop dumplings by tsp atop stew. Cover tightly; cook 12 min. Remove dumplings, meat & veg; thicken liquid for gravy. Makes 6-8 servings.