Warm Soups 4 Cold Rainy or Snowy Days

From Denny: It's been raining all day and cold, cold, cold - and we have it good in south Louisiana! My relatives in the Northeast have just received another late winter's gift of a new blanket of deep snow. I've been chilly all day.

The pilot light on the hot water heater went out late last night so we woke up to cold water. Not to fear; McGiver was here. I just so happened to remember those electric teapots from my time in Europe, so picked one up here. Not a bad fix in an unexpected emergency. During the hurricane season when we lost power for days, our neighbors figured out we had coffee and started knocking on the door in the morning. Yep, we have a low tech mechanical French Press. I try to always have a back up plan.

While I was exploring the CBS site most of the afternoon today I found these good - no awesome! - soup recipes. I'm a huge fan of really good quality substantial soups and stews so these caught my eye. Katie Lee is also a friendly person who just chats you right up through the camera, bringing these recipes up off the page and practically into your mouth to taste! :) What is great about her too is that she is always thinking of ways to update traditional recipes with an interesting flavorful twist. Now she's speaking my name!



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Roasted Tomato Soup

From Katie Lee: Tomato soup is a classic, but it's difficult to get good tomatoes in the winter to make this soup homemade. We are going to roast our tomatoes first to bring out all of their natural sweetness and make them more flavorful, which will give us that luxurious, "right off the vine" tomato taste in soup. We put it in a pot and add chicken broth to it and season and then you puree it with the immersion blender.

We will puree this soup by using the immersion blender (a hand blender). You eyeball it and it should take about 5 minutes.

Cook Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeded, and cored
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into eight equal slices
2 garlic cloves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

From Katie Lee: I used to always buy canned tomato soup, figuring that making homemade took too much time and effort. Then, my mom passed on this recipe to me. Not only is making homemade tomato soup easy, but it tastes worlds better than its processed counterpart. Roasting the tomatoes makes them even sweeter. If you like your tomato soup creamy, add the heavy cream, or if you are a purist just leave it out.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and thyme on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for two hours.

Let tomatoes cool to touch. Remove peels, tear into bite-size pieces, and transfer to a stockpot with roasted onion, garlic, and thyme. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream. Simmer for 10 more minutes and serve.





Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

From Katie Lee: While on a girls’ trip on my friend Wendi’s boat, I had an Asian-style chicken noodle soup. I came home and tried to copy it, but I couldn't quite get the flavors right. After a few attempts, I finally mastered it and came up with this recipe. I like it spicy, so I serve extra chili sauce on the side.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cups chicken broth
3 stalks lemongrass, the bottom 3 inches only, each stalk cut into three 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, pounded and thinly sliced
2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 3- to 4-ounce pack rice noodles, prepared to package instructions
Cilantro, mint, scallions, bean sprouts, for garnish

Directions:

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemongrass, chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, add chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, and red pepper and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide rice noodles among bowls and ladle chicken soup into each bowl. Garnish with cilantro, mint, scallions, and bean sprouts and serve with additional chili sauce, if desired.





Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup

From Katie Lee: High in antioxidants and vitamin A, this tasty and healthy soup is a standby at my house. Roast the carrots first to make them really sweet, then puree with ginger and stock. This soup freezes really well, so you can make a big batch and enjoy leftovers another night.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut in large dice
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
2 bay leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Directions:

Roasting carrots brings out all of their sweetness. For this soup, I added some ginger for a spicy contrast and the bay leaves and worcestshire sauce makes a rich backdrop of flavor. By using plain yogurt instead of heavy cream, it still has a creamy texture without all of the fat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the carrots with the one tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and sauté onions, ginger, and bay leaves until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and bring to a low boil. Add carrots, reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend in batches until creamy. Add yogurt and blend to combine. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.





Wild Mushroom Soup

From Katie Lee: If you love creamy soups, this will be your favorite. Choose your favorite assortment of wild mushrooms to customize to your own taste. Super easy and incredibly rich in flavor. I also like serving this soup as an hors d'oeuvre at parties by spooning it into an espresso cup and topping it with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12 - 14

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
3 cups finely diced mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
Crème fraîche and minced flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and any moisture has evaporated.

Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Serve in espresso cups garnished with crème fraîche and parsley.





Grilled Chipotle Three-Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 7-ounce jar chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I like La Costena brand.)
1/4 cup olive oil
12 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
12 slices of Swiss cheese
12 slices of cheddar cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
12 slices of sourdough bread (thickly sliced if possible)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

Directions:

From Katie Lee: When I was in college, I worked in a great little restaurant called Kona Bistro. Employees ate for free and after a long shift, I always had this sandwich. Be careful, the chipotle puree is spicy!

Place the chipotle peppers and the sauce in a food processor or a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Place the chipotle puree in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat a large, heavy fry pan, grill pan, or griddle to medium heat.

Place the bread slices on a work surface and spread each slice with 1 tablespoon chipotle puree. Layer half the bread slices with two slices of each cheese and a few slices of the tomatoes and onions. Top with the remaining slices of bread, chipotle side down. Spread the top and bottom of each sandwich with the butter.

Grill each sandwich for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is golden brown. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.


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Pumpkin Risotto, Crispy Bread Soffritto, and Pumpkin Chile Recipes

Photo by Nesster @ flickr

From Denny: There are only so many pumpkin pies and pumpkins breads a cook can make before they are wondering if there is any greater creativity that can be done with a pumpkin. Pumpkins are such a great food resource of vitamins and minerals. Look no further as these Southern chefs have been busy creating new and tasty recipes for the revered pumpkin, raising it to the table status of vegetable royalty! :)

They were featured in Country Roads Magazine - a Louisiana regional arts, culture and cuisine magazine (no photos for their recipes).

Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Bread “Soffritto”

From: Chef Alon Shaya of Domenica Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. butter, unsalted
1 cup yellow onion, diced a quarter inch thick
3 cups pumpkin, skinned and seeded, diced quarter inch thick
12 1/2 cups vegetable stock
4 cups risotto (rice), Vialone Nanno or Arborio
2 cups Castelmagno cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano is a fine substitute), grated
8 tbsp. bread Soffritto (recipe below)
Salt to taste

Place rice in a large saucepot and turn the heat on medium. Continuously stir the rice until it is very hot, but not turning brown. This will release the natural oils in the rice and give the dish much more flavor. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a different saucepot, place half of the butter, onions and half of the pumpkin and cook until onions are tender. Add vegetable stock and bring to simmer. Simmer until pumpkin is tender and purée mixture with a hand blender. Add the other half of the diced pumpkin and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until it is tender.

Place the pot with the rice back on a high heat and add half of the pumpkin infused stock. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding one ladle of stock at a time while stirring until each addition has been absorbed and all of the stock is gone. This will take 18-20 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the rice is completely cooked stir in the cheese. Keep stirring over the heat until the rice is tender with a slight al dente bite to it. Add the butter and serve with the crispy Bread Soffritto on top (recipe below).

Bread Soffritto

Ingredients:

2 cups ciabatta bread, no crust, diced an eighth of an inch thick
¼ cup shallots, sliced thin
2 oz. dried cherries, rehydrated in warm water
2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a sauté pan, place oil, rosemary and onions on medium heat and cook until onions just begin to turn golden. Add diced bread and cook until bread is crispy. Toss mixture with salt and cherries. Remove rosemary sprig and set aside for the garnish.



Roasted Pumpkin Chile

From: Chef Regina Charboneau of Twin Oaks, Natchez, Mississippi

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 tbls. olive oil
1 medium diced onion
1 medium diced sweet red pepper
2 fresh jalapenos
1 lb.yams
1 lb. pumpkin or squash
4 small new red potatoes
8 garlic cloves
2 zucchini
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 10 oz. cans Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with diced jalapenos)
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbls. ground chile powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

To roast pumpkin (or squash):

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut yams in half and cut pumpkin into eighths. Leave new potatoes, jalapenos and garlic cloves whole. Place on large baking sheet. Salt and pepper the tops and drizzle just a touch of olive oil on top of the pumpkin. Place in hot oven. Roast for 30 minutes then remove the Jalapenos and garlic cloves. Let cool and cut jalapeno into strips removing the seeds. Cut garlic into quarters. Continue to roast but every ten minutes, using a fork, check for doneness of vegetables. They should be firm but the fork should go through without excessive effort. Let vegetables cool. Peel the yams and pumpkin and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Leave the skin on the Potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

To complete chile:

In 4 quart pot add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Dice zucchini into 3/4 inch cubes and set aside. Add diced onion and peppers to hot oil and sauté for two minutes to brown. Add diced zucchini and sauté for one minute. Add roasted vegetables, garlic and jalapenos. Add cooked pinto Beans, Rotel tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Stir in chile powder and stir well. Taste and adjust salt, begin with 1/2 teaspoon. Simmer chile for 30 minutes.

Serve Chile in shallow soup bowls, topped with sour cream. Top sour cream with Spicy Corn.

Ingredients for Spicy Corn Topping:

Makes: 3 cups

2 ears yellow corn
1 16 oz. jar Mrs. Renfrows Spicy Green Salsa or any brand you like of spicy salsa verde
Sour Cream is optional

Directions:

Shuck yellow corn and remove kernels with a sharp knife. Get a cast iron skillet or sauté pan very hot. Place corn kernels into skillet and brown. Use a metal spatula to move the corn around to roast the kernels. Mix roasted corn kernels with green salsa. Serve on top of Roasted Pumpkin Chile.

*** Thanks for visiting and have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Recipe: Mole Sauce, My Style: Mole Sanchez

Mole Sauce, My Style: Mole Sanchez

From: Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez of the Food Network show Nuevos Chilies

Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min
Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 pound guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and deviened

1 pound pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, and deviened

1 pound ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and deviened

2 Spanish onions, quartered

4 tomatoes, quartered

10 tomatillos, peeled

8 large garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup black raisins

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup prunes

4 cups red wine

2 tablespoons Mexican oregano

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

5 cloves

2 large cinnamon sticks

1 gallon chicken stock

2 sweet plantains

Vegetable oil

1 piece Mexican chocolate

5 corn tortillas

Serving suggestion: beef, lamb, or chicken

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Begin by placing all the dry chiles on sheet tray and toasting them in hot oven for 2 minutes until they start to let off an aroma, remove quickly and submerge them in bowl with hot water. Set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

Place the onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, and garlic on sheet tray and allow until roast and allow to char in a salamander or broiler and the vegetables have roasted for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the prunes, apricots, and raisins with the red wine and allow to cook for 10 minutes or until the fruit has absorbed all the wine and set aside.

In hot pan, toast all the spices, turning quickly as not to burn them. As soon as you see them smoking, remove, grind in a spice grinder, and set aside.

To start assembling the mole combine the chiles, roasted vegetables, red wine-soaked dry fruit and the spices in large heavy bottom pot. And add the chicken stock and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile peel the plantains and slice into 1-inch thick slices. In a saute pan with 3 inches of oil, fry the plantains until golden and add to the pot as well as chocolate and tortillas cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree the sauce until smooth. Serve with chicken, beef, or lamb.

Recipe: Chicken and Pistachio Mocha Mole Sauce

From Denny: Chicken Mole sounds divine, especially this exotic recipe I found over at Chocoholic.com! This is a faster convenience version of the traditional complex slow-cooked mole. Wonderful for spring and summer entertaining.

From: Robert Phillips

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

CHICKEN

4 5-to-6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon coffee liquor (Kahlua), separated

SAUCE

1 Tablespoon coffee liquor (Kalhua)

1 cup pistachios, plus extra for garnish

1 poblano chile

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

1 Tablespoon finely-chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper

3 cups stock

2 Tablespoon cream

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts. Marinate the chicken in 1 cup of coffee liquor for several hours or overnight.

Shell the pistachios, roast them lightly in a skillet, and then coarsely chop them.

Carefully roast, peel, and chop the poblano.
Preheat a grill or broiler.

In a saucepan combine all of the sauce ingredients ingredients, except the cream and cornstarch, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Cool slightly. Then carefully pour the sauce into a blender or food processor and puree. Strain through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Mix cream and cornstarch together first, then whisk into the sauce. Heat until slightly thickened.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and wipe off excess marinade. Grill or broil the chicken, turning once, until well-browned, about 8 minutes in all. To serve, top each chicken breast with enough sauce to cover and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and cilantro leaves.