Corn Chowder

First off I LOVE cookbooks.  My husband laughs at me because I bring them to bed at night and read them.  I get giddy when Bon Appetit arrives in my mailbox. I could spend hours reading food blogs online.
All that to say that this recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes by Jeanne Kelley.  You can check out her website here.  Great pics, good recipes and teaching techniques. This cookbook inspires me to cook and this chowder is awesome!

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile
4 slices of thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano (or 1.5 teaspoons of dried)
3.5 cups white or yellow corn kernels (about 4 ears) or 16 oz frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 pound of new potatoes, diced
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Char the chile over a gas flame, on a grill or under a broiler until it is blackened and charred on all sides. Transfer the chile to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to steam while cooling. Peel, seed, stem and dice the chile. (Can be prepared up to 2 datys ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Cook the bacon until almost crisp, pour off most of the fat, reserving about 1 tablespoon.  Add the onion to the remaining bacon fat.  Cover and cook until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and oregano, and then the corn.
In your soup pot add the broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a simmer.  Add the corn mixture, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the poblano chile and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon about 1/2 of the soup into a blender, puree then mix back into soup until desired texture is reached.  Add bacon. Enjoy!

*This soup freezes great!  And don't forget to add some delicious crunchy french bread for dipping.

Recipe obtained from "Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes" by Jeanne Kelley pg.62

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Today is soup weather here in Colorado, but this soup is so good I was impatient and made it earlier in the week. This soup is one of our Fall/Winter staples (and we have LONG Fall/Winters up here, so we end up eating this soup a lot). We love this soup with a good hearty bread and a spinach salad. At first I debated the sour cream (greek yogurt can be used as well) swirls, but the sour cream adds a nice touch. I usually roast my squash in the morning and then make the soup in the afternoon during Baby's nap time. This gives it a good amount of time for the flavors to simmer before dinner.
Below is my first photo on this blog, but I have to admit, it is not mine. One of these days we will get a camera worthy of taking food pics, but in the mean time thank you MaryandSara Blog for the pic and the recipe.

      Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 2 ½ – pound butternut squash (3 cups, cooked)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons calvados or brandy
• 3 ½ cups homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock, or two 14-ounce cans chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• Fresh grated nutmeg, or pinch of ground nutmeg
• A dash of Cayenne pepper (optional to taste)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Brush the squash flesh with olive oil, and place face-down on a roasting pan. Check the squash after 34 to 45 minutes, though it could take over an hour. When the squash is very soft and yields to the touch, remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil and butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful that the onion does not color at all. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the Calvados and cook until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.

Once the squash has cooled, remove the seeds, and scoop out the squash flesh, discarding the skin. Place in a small bowl. You will need 3 cups of butternut squash for this recipe. Reserve an extra for later use.

Combine half of the cooked squash, half of the onion, half of the chicken stock, and half of the evaporated milk in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour back into a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Repeat, blending the second half of the squash, onion, chicken broth, and evaporated milk. Once blended, pour into the pot with the first batch.  Season with kosher salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (Adjust consistency, if necessary, with more chicken stock or water.)

Place the sour cream in a small bowl and stir using a spoon, until silky smooth. Thin slightly by stirring in 2 teaspoons of warm water. Divide the soup among the number of bowls to be served. With a small spoon, drop 5 small, pea-size dots, in a circle, on top of the soup. Take a sharp knife, and run the knife straight through the dot, creating a heart shape. Serve immediately.

www.maryandsara.com/blog/our-books/the-bride-groom-first-and-forever-cookbook/

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Pass cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese separately.

* Check out reviews of this recipe at www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-Soup-with-Cumin-and-Jalapeno-109772 for more ideas and variations.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 can of CHICKEN BROTH

1 can of MEXICAN STEWED TOMATOES

Approx. 1 cup of cooked CHICKEN

Half of a sauteed ONION (optional)

1 can of drained BLACK BEANS (optional)

1/2 cup of CORN (optional)

Some chopped CILANTRO (optional)

HOT SAUCE to taste

TORTILLA CHIPS

shredded CHEESE

chopped AVOCADO

Throw everything but chips, cheese and avocado into a soup pot and simmer.  Add chips, cheese and avocado to individual bowls.  I sometimes add more broth to stretch it a little.

Mary