Potato Soup

Hey Friends.

I personally never thought I'd be one to make potato soup; it just seems too heavy and too caloric (forgive how ridiculous that sounds).  However, it's the end of the month and there was ZERO DINERO left in the grocery budget.  Since I'm working on self-control (ie; not dipping into next month's grocery budget), and I like the challenge of making dinner with what I have, this potato soup just sort of fell into my lap.  I had everything it called for, and the base- red potatoes- are CHEAP! I get them for $2.89 a bag and they last for aH long time.  Before making this potato soup, I made a potato frittata for dinner one night (had eggs, had the potatoes, hence the frittata).  All that to say, red potatoes (in my opinion) are  great way to stretch a buck and keep you full when you don't have a lot of ingredients in your house (like me). Oh, and this recipe is from Cooking Light, so I REALLY didn't feel guilty.  (Remember that this blog is about sharing recipes we have tried and loved, as well as our originals!)

Here goes-

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup chopped onion (I just used a medium yellow onion)
2 /12 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
3 cups of chopped red potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cup 1%  low fat milk
enough vegetable broth to cover the potatoes (maybe 1 1/2 cups or so)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar and some parmesan)
salt, pepper
green onions (garnish)
sour cream/yogurt (garnish/stir in)

Directions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan (medium heat).  Add onion, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add a pinch of salt to your onions.  Sprinkle your onions with flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (this process cooks the raw flour taste out of the flour).  Add potatoes (at this point I stirred it all together and de-glazed the pan with a little white wine because I had some and why not cook with wine...but you don't have to).  After you've added the potatoes, add your broth and milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover the soup, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  After ten minutes, check to see if the potatoes are tender.  If so, add your cheese and cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese melts.    I added parmesan, as well, because it adds a nice salty flavor and prevented me from having to over-do the salt.  Let the soup sit for 15 minutes off of the heat.  This allows the flavors to merry.  Top with green onions and sour cream/yogurt.

Cooking Light recommends serving this soup with Ham Sandwiches.  I say serve it with a salad and get your greens :)

There you have it!  Delicious, healthy (as far as potato soups go), and quick!  And  fairly inexpensive if you already have most of these ingredients!

Buen Provecho

Mystery Fruit Salsa

There is a beautiful tree in my front yard with big, glossy, flat leaves and a slender, gray trunk. I like looking at it. Two years ago this tree produced hundreds of cute orange fruit. I spent all spring watching the birds and squirells scurry to my yard to feast on the bounty. One day there were some construction workers around working on something, and I saw one of them walk over to my tree, pick a fruit, and pop it in his mouth. He seemed to enjoy and, since then, I have been very curious about this edible fruit growing in my front yard. I conducted many google searches and concluded that these little fruits were called kumquats.

The fruit didn't appear last year, but they're back this spring. Upon closer examination and many more google searches, I decided that this is NOT a kumquat. I don't even think it's citrus. It has a soft, edible skin and a flesh similar to that of nectarine. There are some big brown seeds in the middle. People of the world, what is this??? Someone has to know... I see these trees all over Houston. Help a sister out and identify this fruit for me.

I'm kind of on this "urban foraging" kick. Not so much a kick as a..... an intrigue let's call it. I decided it was absolutely necessary for me to harvest these little beauties and not let the squirrels and birds have all the fun this year. So, what does one do with a tart mystery fruit? Why, make salsa of course! I surprised even myself with this recipe. It was absolutely lovely and I will make it over and over again. If you don't have mystery fruit that you can use, apricots would be a nice subsitute.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 mystery fruits
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
• 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 orange, chopped
• cilantro
• chili powder
• brown sugar
• hot sauce
• salt
• canola oil

Directions:

1. Saute garlic and ginger in a little bit of oil unil it starts to turn brown.

2. Add the mystery fruit and saute until it begins to soften.

3. Add the tomato. Add salt, chili powder, brown sugar, and hot sauce to taste. Cook it for a few minutes until it all starts to break down and develop some liquid.

4. Taste it to see if it's cooked enough!

5. Turn off the heat. Add the orange and cilantro and mix it all together.

We ate it with fish tacos. Urban foraging! Yay!

"Bulk Spices" or "Money in My Pocket"

Last night I made an Ethiopian chicken and lentil stew. It was good, but not blog worthy. I only share the truely exceptional recipes with y'all :)

This blog post is not about the stew. This blog post is about the stew RECIPE which called for "berbere"... and Ethiopian spice blend.

"OK..... I need to find berbere. I'm in Houston. Fourth largest city in the country. A metropolitan mesh of cultures. Surely I can find berbere here. It will probably cost me upwards of $16... but I will find it."

Whelp. Nope. Not at the PPK*. My ritzy little grocery store with it's extensive international section let me down.

"Ok. Fine." I say to myself. "If I can't buy berbere, I will MAKE berbere."

Here's how you make berbere: a couple of tablespoons of garam masala, hot paprika, salt, and fenugreek seeds.

"Oh Lord. Fenugreek seeds?"

Nope. The PPK doesn't have those, either.

I am frustrated, but not deterred. Off to Whole Foods I go, placing all my faith and hope in this over-priced hippie epicenter. If anyone has berbere or fenugreek seeds, it's got to be Whole Foods.

Upon my arrival, there is no berbere to be found.

"Really?! Uhhhhgggggg...."

However, after a close inspection of the sunset-colored spices in the bulk aisle, I came across a happy little pod of fenugreek seeds.

"Victory is mine."

I measure out the fenugreek in a bag, record the PLU number, and trip up to the express check-out counter where I proudly present my bounty to the clerk.

"$1.00" he says.

"................................... Wh-.... Ah-..... Are you kidding me? ..... For fenugreek seeds? Do you know how much mental and emotional energy I spent on finding these? Surely they are worth more than $1.00. They are obscure. And this is Whole Foods."

"$1.00" he repeats.

Hallelujah. The heavens shine down as if the Lord has returned. No longer will I spend my days explaining to Anthony why it was absolutely necessary for me to spend our life savings on spices with names I can't pronounce. No longer will huge containers of these exotic spices waste their potential by simply serving as ornamental frill on my spice shelf. No longer will I need to spend $16 on a huge jar of spices of which I only need a couple of teaspoons. Thank you, Jesus, for the bulk aisle at Whole Foods where poor girls like me can buy fenugreek seeds and be happy.


*PPK =  Pretty People Kroger. Named such because hot soccer moms, rico suave rich guys, and ballerinas frequent the premises.

Pear Cobbler with Cranberry Streusel

Hey Friends. 

I made this many months ago, and I received great reviews on it and realized that I had not yet shared it with you fine people.  So, here it is!  Yes, it is a bit "fall-y" and given we are rolling straight into spring, you may not have the desire to make this again until next fall.  However, I wanted to at least get this up on the blog so you have it for the next cold season! This recipe is from one of the many magazine pages that I have stolen over the years and is courtesy of Tyler Florence when he was doing some recipes for Ocean Spray.

Ingredients for Pear Cobbler:

• 4 Bartlett Pears
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ingredients for Cranberry Streusel:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  serves 4-5, 45 minutes to prepare and cook.

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Butter and sugar and 8x8 baking dish
• Peel the pears and cut them in half through the stem end.  Use a melon baller scooper (or a teaspoon) to scoop out the cores
• Put the pear halves in a large bowl, sprinkle the vanilla over, and toss to combine

•  Now, sprinkle over the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss to coat:

•  Line the pears in the prepared baking dish, round sides up.

•  In a bowl, mash together the butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt (with your hands or a pastry cutter) for the streusel topping

• It should look like this:

•  Toss in the cranberries

 

• Crumble the cranberry streusel mixture over the pears

•  Bake until the topping is crunchy and browned, 35-40 minutes

•  Enjoy with whipped cream or ice cream (or both!)

 YUM!

Chile Rellenos

Once upon a midnight dreary...

While I pondered weak and weary...

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotton lore...

I made a healthy and delicious version of chile rellenos. I think Edgar Allen Poe would approve.

Because I am the biggest blog slacker this world has ever seen, the most I can muster up tonight is to give you the link to this incredible recipe. Click here and be delighted by the fact that fried chiles are not off-limits to those seeking to eat well. There is no guilt in a little egg white and canola oil. I stuffed mine with chicken, cheese, and tomatoes. Get creative and stuff yours with whatever ya like. Top 'em with ancho chile salsa and whip up a little corn and black bean salad to go on the side. Yum.

Just in case you're curious as to what I've been doing lately... because I clearly have NOT been blogging.... I'll let you in:

I got a new awesome social work job with a new awesome adoption and foster care agency. Yay!

I have been bringing orange slices and organic juice boxes to my husband's soccer games.

Also, I traded in my 8-year-old Chacos for a new pair of yellow Keens. This was a sad, hard, painful, decision. My chacos survived many summers at Sky Ranch, a treck to the pueblas of rural Mexico, and a couple of visits to the mountains in Africa. It was like saying goodbye to some very old, dear friends.

But let's be real, these shoes are awesome.

Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Friends,

 Greetings from Kate's bed, where we are both currently sitting working on this poor, forgotten blog! 

I'll cut straight to the chase, because who has the time and desire to sit and read all the other fluffy stuff?  You're here for the rood, am I right?  

Ok, but real quick: YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILI.  It's probably one of the best chilis I've ever had in my life- and that pork- don't even get me started on the tenderness of that pork.  Just promise me you'll make it.  It's healthy, AND it has meat, if your husband is a meat-loving man, like mine is. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 medium chopped carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 3/4 pound boneless, center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cups veg/chicken stock
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes 
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 15 ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed (Kate and I have decided to use black beans instead)
• chopped fresh cilantro, for cooking and serving
• chopped purple onion, soaked in ice water for 10 mins (takes the bite out), for serving
• greek yogurt/sour cream, for serving
• avocado, for serving
• limes, for serving

Directions

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.
• Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and sweet potato; cook 8-10 minutes, until tender
• Season the pork with salt and pepper; add meat to the pot and cook until browned; stirring frequently, about 5 minutes
• Mix in the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, and cinnamon.  Cook 2 more minutes
• Add stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce
• Stir, then bring to a boil
• Reduce the heat to low and cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour
• Stir in the beans and cilantro (save some to top with!) and cook until heated through

I topped my chili with avocado, purple onion, greek yogurt, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime and I literally was the happiest woman on the planet.  The boys who I cooked it for would not stop raving about it- and for those two, that's a pretty big deal.  Here's a pic:

Right next to the bowl of soup/chili is Kristi's beer bread, which is FABULOUS!  

For our novice chefs, don't be intimidated by this recipe.  If you don't have all the ingredients, wait to make it at your mom's house, who probably has all the ingredients (eh hem, Robin and Mal). 

Go forth and MAKE THIS CHILI!! Before it gets too hot outside!

This recipe is not an original.  It was taken from a health magazine I found at the gym- maybe Women's Health?  Either way, NOT an original- I wish I had come up with this, though!