Les’s Hungarian Mushroom Soup
December 8, 2007 at 1:06 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Soups & Stews | 1 CommentMy friends Les and Andrea are both wonderful cooks and an invitation to dinner at their gulf-front home is a guaranteed gourmet treat. Les has spent a lot of time in Budapest recently and he brought this soup recipe back which he served to us the other night as a first course. I was amazed. This has such a deep, rich flavor you’d swear you were eating something slow simmered in beef but no – it’s just mushrooms. This could be a full winter meal with just some crusty artisan bread on the side and a salad.
Many thanks to Les for sharing this terrific soup which I know I’ll be making quite often.
4 T unsalted butter
2 C chopped onions
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 t dried dill weed
1 T paprika
1 T soy sauce
2 C chicken broth
1 C milk
3 T all-purpose flour
1 t salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/2 C sour cream
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more miutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finally, stir in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.
Turkey Stock
November 23, 2007 at 6:46 pm | In Cooking, Food, Poultry, Recipes, Soups & Stews | Leave a CommentHomemade stock is so much better than canned and wonderful to have on hand to throw together a quick bowl of soup. Your frugal side will enjoy using every last little bit of the bird. I keep a plastic bag in my freezer where I collect onion, celery and carrot trimmings (cleaned) to add to the stock pot next time I have a carcass on hand.
16 C water
1 turkey carcass, bones, skin
leftover prepared stuffing
1 large onion, in chunks
2 stalks celery, in chunks
2 carrots, in chunks
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
4 T salt, to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 garlic clove, sliced
- Break the carcass into pieces in a large stock pot. Add water, dressing, vegetables and peppercorns. Heat to boiling, skim off any foam on the surface, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 4 hours. Stir from time to time to make sure there aren’t any ‘hot spots’ scorching on the bottom.
- Add salt to taste as you go along, not all at once. After four hours, remove large chunks to a bowl and discard.
- Carefully drain stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl.
- Ladle into freezer containers, cover and set in the fridge overnight.
- On the following day, skim off the fat that has congealed on top. Cover the containers, label and date and freeze until needed.
Panhandle Clam Chowder from The Owl Cafe
November 23, 2007 at 1:43 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Seafood, Soups & Stews, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
My friend Pat and I enjoyed a girls afternoon out of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping in Apalach yesterday and we had lunch at my favorite restaurant over there, The Owl Cafe. I’ve never ordered anything that wasn’t perfectly done, and the clam chowder they served was no exception. I tracked down the recipe, picked up a sack of fresh clams at Seafood-2-Go and made a batch this morning. Every bit as good as the original.
If you can find clams still in the shell by all means use them as they really add so much to the flavor of the broth, and since they pop wide open while simmering it’s no trouble at all separating the clam meat.
3 1/2 C water
5 dozen cherrystone clams, scrubbed and rinsed
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 to 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 carrots coarsely chopped
1/2 C coarsely chopped onion
2 small celery ribs, coarsely chopped
2 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 1/2 C heavy cream or half and half
1 1/2 C milk
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t dried thyme
- Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add half of the clams, cover and cook just until they open, 5 to 8 minutes; remove the clams to a platter as they open. Return the water to a boil and repeat with the remaining clams. Strain the clam broth through 4 layers of dampened cheesecloth to remove any sand or grit (or a strainer lined with a coffee filter; slow, but it works in a pinch if you’re out of cheesecloth); reserve 4 cups of the broth. Remove the clams from the shells and coarsely chop them.
- In a skillet, melt the butter until foamy. Add the flour and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until the roux is lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wipe out the soup pot. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly brown and crisp, about 6 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the potatoes, raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot along with the reserved clam broth, the cream, milk, pepper and thyme. Simmer over low heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the roux and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the clams and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Laddle the clam chowder into soup bowls and serve piping hot.
Serve 8
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 22, 2007 at 4:08 am | In Appetizers, Blogroll, Breads, Chefs, Cooking, Desserts, Drinks, Food, Food TV, Meats, Pasta, Rice & Beans, Pickles & Preserves, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Seafood, Soups & Stews, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Oyster & Artichoke Soup
November 14, 2007 at 6:42 am | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Seafood, Soups & Stews | Leave a CommentThis soup is reason enough to head for New Orleans. I can never get enough of it or gumbo when I’m there.
1/2 C butter
2 bunches scallions, sliced thin
3 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 9-oz. pkgs. frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and quartered
OR 2 14-oz. cans artichoke hearts, washed, drained and quartered
3 T flour
1 1/2 qts. chicken stock or broth (4 cans Swanson workd fine)
cayenne to taste
1 t salt
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t dried thyme
1 qt. oysters, drained and chopped (liquor reserved)
1/3 C dry sherry
1 C half and half
1 C milk
- In a heavy 4 or 5 quart pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery and garlic and saute until soft taking care not to let them brown. Add the artichokes. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour and stir to coat the vegetables well, but do not let it brown.
- Gradually add the stock, stirring occasionally. Add the cayenne, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 hour.
- Add the oysters, oyster liquor, and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes. Do NOT allow the soup to boil.
- Stir in the cream and milk. Cool and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Before serving, reheat the soup slowly over low heat.
Serves 8
Oyster Stew Supreme
November 3, 2007 at 3:47 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Recipes, Seafood, Soups & Stews | Leave a CommentThe Apalachicola Seafood Festival is the largest and longest-running seafood festival in Florida, and it’s always the first weekend of November. So in honor of the awesome Apalachicola oyster, here’s my favorite way to cook some up when I’ve had my fill of raw ones. I wanted an over-the-top comfort food oyster stew and this is what I came up with. Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you – it actually goes together quite quickly.
2 slices bacon, diced
1/2 C butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T Wondra flour
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 healthy pinch of cayenne
1/2 t dried thyme
1 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1/4 C dry sherry
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
16 oz. shucked oysters with their liquor
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C parsley, finely chopped
- Saute diced bacon in a non-stick soup pot over low heat until rendered. Add butter and heat until melted.
- Add onions, celery and garlic and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasinally, until translucent, taking care not to let them brown.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, pinch of cayenne, thyme and Wondra flour or other fine white flour, whisking steadily to make a light roux. Cook, whisking steadily, for several minutes.
- Slowly whisk in clam juice, whisking until smooth, then sherry, again whisking until smooth.
- Whisk in cream, whisking until smooth, then whisk in evaporated milk, whisking until smooth. Raise heat slightly, stir while bringing just to where it starts to boil, then quickly lower the heat and whisk until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in oysters with their liquor, several dashes of Worcestershire sauce and the chopped parsley.
- Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until oysters curl at the edges indicating they are heated through.
Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Ham
October 31, 2007 at 12:18 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Soups & Stews, Vegetables | Leave a CommentWhat could be more traditional on Halloween than pumpkin? Ghoulishly good . . .
In a large stock pot over medium heat, sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender
(about 10 minutes):
3 T butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
Stir in and bring to a simmer:
1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 C dry white wine
1 T dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 C cream OR half & half
4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh-ground black pepper
Reduce heat and continue cooking, partially covered for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth with a stick blender or transfer in small batches to a regular blender, let cool for a few minutes (for safety’s sake!) then carefully puree til smooth. Then add:
1 1/2 cups diced HoneyBaked Ham
Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and ladle into bowls.
Columbia Restaurant Spanish Bean Soup
October 25, 2007 at 1:08 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Pasta, Rice & Beans, Recipes, Soups & Stews | 1 CommentI’m on a soup kick this week, and this is another one of my faves. I grew up in Tampa which has always had a large Cuban population, and I love Cuban food. This is a classic soup at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa which has been serving up Cuban fare in the same location since 1905.
1/2 lb. dried garbanzos
1 ham bone
1 beef bone
2 qts. water
1 T salt
1/4 lb. salt pork cut into thin strips
1 onion finely chopped
1 chorizo sliced into thin rounds
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
pinch of saffron
1/2 t paprika
- Wash garbanzoes. Soak overnight with 1 T of salt in enough water to cover beans. Drain the salted water from the beans. Place the beans in a 4-qt. soup kettle. Add 2 qts. water and the ham and beef bones. Cook for 45 minutes over low heat, skimming foam from the top.
- Fry salt pork slowly in a skillet. Add chopped onion and saute lightly. Add to beans along with potatoes, paprika, and saffron. Add salt to taste. When potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and add chorizo. Serve hot in deep soup bowls.
Curry Cream of Cauliflower Soup
October 24, 2007 at 12:57 pm | In Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Soups & Stews, Vegetables | Leave a CommentAt the first sign of cool weather, my meal-planning thoughts turn to warm and hearty soups. I made this up a couple of years ago when I was craving curry and this hit the spot. This is comfort food in a hurry, rich and satisfying.
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C chopped onions
2 T butter
2 T all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 C cream
2 C cauliflower, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 t curry powder
hot sauce to taste (a few drops of Tabasco Habanero sauce is wonderful)
- In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth, onion, cauliflower, curry powder, salt and pepper to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Remove from heat.
- Carefully ladle half of mixture into blender or food processor and puree until smooth, or use blender stick in saucepan (far simpler). Repeat with remaining soup. Pour into large bowl.
- Melt the butter in the soup pan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the cream all at once. Cook until smooth and bubbly, whisking continuously.
- Stir in the cauliflower soup mix and cook until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce, if desired.
Steak and Pinto Chili
October 22, 2007 at 12:13 pm | In Cooking, Food, Meats, Pasta, Rice & Beans, Recipes, Soups & Stews | Leave a CommentI took the traditional homemade chili recipe of 1 lb. hamburg, 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of tomatoes and kicked it up a notch or two, replacing the hamburg and kidneys with sirloin steak and pintos and plain tomatoes with Rotel. It’s the new default week-night chili.
1 1/2 lbs. round steak, cut in 1/2″ dice
3 T EVOO
1 28 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, undrained
1 onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 C chili powder (I use McCormick’s Ancho Chili Powder)
1 T cumin powder
2 T dry sherry
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
Garnish:
sour cream
sliced scallions
shredded cheddar cheese
- In large saucepan heat olive oil over medium high heat then add steak, stirring to lightly brown all over. Add onion and garlic, stirring to prevent garlic from browning. Heat until onion is translucent. Stir in chili powder and cumin.
- Add drained tomatoes and pintos, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until heated through and flavors develop. Sitr in sherry and cliantro.
- Serve over hot rice, and garnish as desired with sour cream, cheddar cheese and sliced scallions.
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