Vegetable Chowder with Jalapeno Peppers

Vegetable Chowder with Jalapeno Peppers

One of my favorite soups to make, full of flavor and gorgeous to look at as well. Recently made this for my brother Mike and his family, and my reward was the silence at the table as they were eating this soup, once in a while coming up for air, saying "Oh my god!" haha.


It's not a difficult soup to make, and I do hope you will try it and enjoy it as much as I have, and others. You can use any of your favorite vegetables that you like, this is just the basic recipe, but you should always include the Mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and build from there. If you prefer it more hearty, use more, or make cut the vegetables into a larger dice.

This is also an example of using a "Roux" at the end of cooking instead of at the beginning.

Ingredients:

5 slices of bacon, chopped
Olive Oil (or vegetable oil) as needed
1 Large onion (or two medium), diced medium
3 Celery ribs, diced medium
3 Carrots, diced medium
1 large green bell pepper, diced medium
1 large red bell pepper, diced medium
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1.5 to 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
Chicken or Vegetable bouillon if needed**
2 cups whole kernel corn (or 1 can)
3 tablespoons chopped jalapeno peppers. I prefer the jarred/pickled for the flavor)
3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced medium
Bouquet Garni (Herb Sachet) (See below)
Salt, to taste
2 cups heavy cream
Roux (See below)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Bouquet Garni (Herb Sachet)

Make a banquet garni (herb sachet) with the following herbs (put in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with string, photo is an example):

2 bay leaves
6 parsley stems
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
6 fresh thyme sprigs
8 to 10 whole peppercorns


Basic Roux

1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)
6 to 8 tbsp flour

Melt butter over medium heat in pan, add flour and whisk until smooth. You want a "blond" roux, so do not let it get dark, will only take a minute or so. Remove from heat and set aside until you are ready for it.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

In large pot, saute the chopped bacon until all fat is rendered and is crispy. Use a slotted spoon and transfer bacon onto paper towel leaving the bacon fat in the pan.

Depending on how much fat was rendered from the bacon, you may need to add some olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onions, celery, carrots, red and green bell peppers to pot, and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 2 to3 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 more seconds. Remove all vegetables from pot and set aside. Turn heat to medium high.

Add white wine to pan and deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon to get up any bits that remain in the pan. Let wine simmer for about 1.5 to 2 minutes to reduce slightly.

Turn heat back down to medium and return vegetables to pot, and add chicken or vegetable stock. I always start with 1 quart, and add more as/if needed, keeping in mind you still have more liquid to add later. I tend to end up using about 1.5 quarts of stock when all said and done.

**If your stock is store bought or weak in flavor, supplement with chicken or vegetable bouillon. I only use a brand called "Better than Bouillon", it is a base rather than a bouillon, used in most restaurants. It can be found in most grocery stores now. Not recommended to be used solely, just as a supplement.

Add corn. If using canned corn, also add the juice from the can for added flavor. If using frozen, I like to have it thawed out before adding, but it's OK if you didn't do that, just keep in mind it will add more liquid to the pot. You can also cut it right off the cob. I find I prefer the canned corn with the liquid from the can. You can also use creamed corn, but it will change the texture of the soup. I tend to use creamed corn only if its a corn-based soup/chowder.

Add potatoes, jalapeno peppers, and herb sachet. Bring entire pot to a simmer, cover, turn heat to medium low or low and allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender (insert fork w/ little resistance without falling apart).

While simmering the soup, prepare the roux in a small pot or skillet, set aside.

Taste soup, add salt to taste. I like to wait until this point to add salt, specially if using bouillon or base supplement as they tend to contain a lot of sodium.

Add heavy cream. Allow soup to return to low simmer, then whisk in the roux and allow soup to simmer and thicken, about 5 more minutes.

Taste soup again, adjust salt/seasonings if needed.

Add chopped fresh parsley right before serving, top each bowl with a few bits of the bacon pieces if desired.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup

There is no set recipoe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season. It can be vegetarian, contain meat, or contain a meat-based broth (such a chicken stock).

Minestrone is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine, and is just about as common as pasta on Italian tables

YIELD 6 Servings

2 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lg. diced onion
2 c. diced potatoes
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. sliced zucchini
1 c. green beans
2 c. shredded cabbage
4 c. beef or chicken stock
2 c. peeled tomatoes (diced) Fresh is best, but sometimes not available, so use canned if needed, just drain can well before adding.
1 can cannellini or northern beans
1/2 lb. sm. shell pasta
Chopped parsley & basil (Fresh!) about 3 tablespoons each
Fresh ground pepper
Grated or shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil in saute pan, add onion and saute until soft, add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds until fragrant.
2. Add potatoes, celery, carrots and stir a few minutes.
3. Add stock and 2 cups of water, bring to boil then add peeled tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add zucchini, green beans and cabbage, bring to boil.
4. Add parsley, basil and beans, let simmer until vegetables are almost ready. Bring to boil, add pepper and salt to taste.
5. Add dried shell pasta. Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
6. Sprinkle grated cheese on each serving.

Beef Bourguignon (modified)

For those of us who have seen the movie "Julie and Julia", we saw the wonderful French dish called "Beef Bourguignon" made in the movie, and have wanted to try it.

If you looked up Beef Bourguignon, you would see it is a daunting recipe, labeled as "difficult", for advanced cooks. So most people will not attempt to make it.

What is Beef Bourguignon? Bascially, its a beef stew, but yet SO MUCH MORE! The richness of the flavors are far and above any of the basic beef stews you may of had in the past.

Well, I have taken the daunting recipe, and modified it to make it MUCH more simple, keeping all the cooking on the stove top, and omitting the pearl onions, which are the biggest pain in the rear to peel and prep. Instead of using "lardons", I substituted regular sliced bacon.

So try out this modified recipe of mine, and enjoy the rich flavors with out undertaking a major task.

Beef Bourguignon (modified)

6 ounces Bacon
3 pounds Stew meat, Cut in 1" cubes
2 medium Onions, Diced
1 each Carrot, Sliced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Flour
3 cups red wine, full bodied, liked Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy
3 cups Beef stock, Use more or less as needed
1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme (if using dry thyme, reduce to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 Each Bay leaf, crumbled
1 stick butter (1/4 pound or 8 tablespoons)
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 Each Spring onions, Sliced, including most of green stem
3/4 cup Beef stock
1 pound Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

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1. Heat dutch oven over medium high heat. Medium dice the bacon and add to dutch oven and redner the fat, letting the bacon crisp, but NOT burn. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.

2. Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat the bacon fat in same pot until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Remove beef from the pot and set aside.

3. In the same fat, saute the diced onions and carrot, until just turning brown. Pour out the excess fat.

4. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

5. Sprinkle on the flour and toss to coat the beef lightly. Let cook over medium high heat until the beef developes a nice brown light crust.

6. Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

7. Add the tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and bacon. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Slow simmer for about an hour, checking meat for tenderness. If meat is still tough, let slow simmer longer.

8. While beef is simmering, melt the 1 stick of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and let the butter and garlic simmer for about 2 minutes, then add spring onions and the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms until mushrooms are nicely browned. Add the 3/4 cup beef stock and let simmer until the mushrooms have absorbed the liquid, or reduced. Set aside.

9. Keep checking the beef, adding more stock if needed to keep the meat covered. This dish is meant to be very thick, not liquidy.

10. When beef is ready, add the mushrooms.

This is great served over home made egg noodles (see this recipe in my blog as well).

Potato Soup is another one of those comfort foods that most of us think fondly about. One great thing about Potato Soup, is that it is an easy dish to make, and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry already. There are many variations to Potato Soup, a lot use Leeks as an ingredient in lieu of onions, which is just fine, if you don't mind having to clean them! And who has Leeks just sitting around in their house? I love onions, so I just use onions, it's a heck of a lot easier. But hey, if you really love Leeks, then simply substitute equal amount of Leeks for Onions in this recipe.

Potato Soup

Ingredients

(Serves about 4)

• 1 quart chicken stock (have more on hand in case soup is too thick for your tastes)
  
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 pounds baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and diced
  
• 1/2 pound yellow onions. peeled and chopped
  
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 baked potato (yes, in addition to the other potatoes)
  
• 12 ounces Cheddar, shredded
• 4 tablespoons scallions, for garnish
• 4 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a heavy 1 1/2-gallon pot, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. Add thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Just throw the thyme leaves in whole, stems and all, you can fish them, and the bay leaf, out later. Some of the thyme leaves will come off stems, and that's just fine to leave in the soup.

In a food processor (or blender), puree raw potatoes, garlic, and onions, using some of the chicken stock to help puree. Add to stock.

Simmer slowly for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, covered. Don't have the heat up too high or it will burn, and be sure to check it and stir it every so often. You don't want a rapid boil, just a nice, slow simmer.

In the meantime, bake off two large baking potatoes (I just do it in the microwave for about 5 to 7 minutes). You don't want these potatoes to be over cooked, you want them au dente, otherwise they will just disintegrate in the soup. Leave them sit until ready to use it. When ready to use, remove peeling (it just scrapes off) and dice into uniform pieces.

Add whipping cream and diced baked potatoes, and gently stir. (If soup becomes too thick, thin with some chicken stock). You may think "I will just use regular milk instead of the cream", but if you do, it will curdle, so use the cream.

To serve, ladle 8 ounces of hot soup into an oven proof serving bowl. Top with 2 to 3 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese. Place under the broiler for 4 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Place on plate. Top with 1 tablespoon diced scallions, and 1-tablespoon bacon, and serve.

Pumpkin Soup

Just in time for the Holiday Season, here is a delightful and very tasty Pumpkin Soup Recipe.

Pumpkin Soup

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SERVINGS
4

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree ***
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the curry powder and the pumpkin puree, then whisk in the broth until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to develop, stirring occasionally.

2. While the soup is simmering, make the curried pecans. In a small bowl, combine the pecan pieces with the remaining maple syrup and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining curry powder, tossing to coat. Place the pecans in a small baking dish and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Otherwise, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir back into the pot. Return the soup to the stovetop, turning the heat to low. Whisk in the coconut milk, taste to adjust seasonings. Heat until hot, do not boil. Serve the soup garnished with the pecans.

*** If using fresh pumpkin, use about 1 pound, steamed and puree'd. You want about two cups of puree.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

If you've only had soup from a can, then you have no idea just how wonderful, comforting, and delicious a homemade soup really is. It is a taste explosion in your mouth! Make this soup one time, and you can never go back to canned soup again!


Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup --------------------------------------

Yield: About 2 quarts

Ingredients:
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1 whole chicken
*(you can use 5 chicken thighs or 3 chicken breasts (or mix) in lieu of whole bird)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
5 slices bacon
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 to 3 quarts chicken stock
1/2 pound linguine, broke into 2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt to taste

Sachet:
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry)
6 parsley stems
2 sprigs oregano (or 1 teaspoon dry)
8 peppercorns
(To make Sachet, place ingredients in cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine. The purpose of the sachet is to add all the flavor of the herbs, without having them floating around in the soup).

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1. Rinse chicken, place in pot. Cover chicken with COLD water, add the kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer chicken until done, about an hour for whole bird, 45 minutes for parts. When chicken is done, remove from pot and place on plate or platter to cool. If you need the stock water, strain through a mesh strainer into bowl (see number 2), otherwise you can discard it. Separate chicken from bone, discard skin and bones.

2. If you do not have any chicken stock made, reserve the stock that you just cooked the chicken in. It will not be a strong stock, and you may need to add chicken bouillon to it. If you do it this way, reduce the kosher salt to 1 teaspoon. You will need about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts.

3. While chicken is cooking, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in skillet until crisp. Using slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet onto paper towel, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet. You will not need the bacon again, so you can save it for use in a salad if you like.

4. In same skillet, add diced onions, celery, carrots, and bell pepper. Saute in bacon fat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and saute for about 30 more seconds until fragrant. Transfer to pot.

5. Add chicken stock, chicken, and sachet, simmer for 20 minutes. Add linguine and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until pasta is done.

6. Remove sachet, discard. Add fresh parsley. Salt (if needed) to taste.

Fish Stock

Use lean fish bones for this recipe, such as bass, scrod, cod, or flounder.

This is the quickest of the stocks to make. You can usually get the bones from your butcher.

Fish Stock
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YIELD: 1 Quart

Ingredients:
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2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
salt
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 pounds fish bones, washed, include tails and heads
celery leaves
8 sprigs parsley
1 teaspoon dried chervil
1 each bay leaf
3 each cloves
6 each peppercorns

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Heat butter in a large skillet, add the onion, carrot, and chopped celery, and saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the wine, water, and all other ingredients, bring liquid to the boil, reduce heat immediately, and simmer gently for no more than 30 minutes. Skim off scum and strain through a double thickness of cheese cloth.

Beef Stock

This will make a wonderful, rich beef stock, full of flavor that you can never get from a can.

This stock can be used the same day it is made, it is only recommended to let it chill overnight in order for the fat to float to the top and harden, making it easy to remove.

You can also substitute a veal knuckle in place of the pig's foot.


Beef Stock
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YIELD: 2 Quarts

Ingredients:
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4 pounds beef bones, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 each carrots, sliced
3 medium onions, sliced
1 each pig's feet
2 each leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 each garlic cloves, chopped
2 each celery ribs, chopped
1 each turnip, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 sprigs parsley
1 each bay leaf
4 each cloves
8 each peppercorns
4 quarts cold water
1 tablespoon salt

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1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place the beef bones and half the carrots and onions in a roasting pan, sprinkle with the flour, and brown in the oven for 30 minutes.

3. Transfer bones and vegetables to a 8 to 10 quart stockpot. Drain fat from roasting pan, deglaze pan with a little water, and pour juices into the stockpot. Add the pig's foot, the remaining carrots and onions, and all other ingrediants except the salt to the stockpot. If necessary, add more water to cover by 3 inches and bring mixture to the boil. reuce heat to simmer, skim off scum, cover partly, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the salt and simmer for 3 hours longer, adding more water if necessary.

4. Strain broth into a large bowl, cool, chill thoroughly (preferably over-night), and remove fat from the top.

Chicken Stock

This is the basic recipe for Chicken Stock. There are a lot of store bought broths and stocks you can get to make things faster and easier, but the taste difference is too great for me to settle. I make a large amount of Chicken Stock at a time, and freeze what I do not use. Do your taste buds a favor, not to mention your wallet, and make your own stock.


Good chicken stock, which is indispensable to all forms of fine cookery, requires a flavorful old fowl that is simmered for at least 3 hours with the right vegetables and seasonings. Since so many dishes call for a strong stock, I simmer mine till the liquid is reduced by half and simply dilute it when a recipe calls for a lighter base. If you have room to freeze plenty of this stock, double or triple the recipe.


Chicken Stock
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YIELD: 2 Quarts

Ingredients:
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5 pounds chickens, whole, neck and giblets included
4 quarts cold water
2 medium onions, cut in half
2 each celery ribs, broken in half
2 each carrots, cut in half
2 each leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 teaspoons salt

Herb Bouquet (see note)
1 each garlic clove
4 each cloves
8 each peppercorns
1 each bay leaf
6 each parsley sprigs

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1. Place chicken(s), neck, and giblets in an 8 to 10 quart stockpot or large kettle and add the water. Bring liquid to the boil, reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes, and skim off any scum.

2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, salt, and herb bouquet, and continue simmering stock for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep contents barely covered.

3. Strain stock through cheesecloth into large bowl, let cool, chill (preferable overnight), and remove all fat from the top.


NOTE: A Herb Bouquet, or Bouquet Garni, is made by placing the herbs into a piece of cheesecloth, and tied with twine to prevent the herbs from spilling into the stock.