Roasted Poblano and Cheddar Soup

Roasted Poblano and Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chiles
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. Place the poblano chiles on a small rimmed baking sheet. Broil for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chiles occasionally, until charred on all sides. Remove from the oven and transfer to a resealable or paper bag. Let rest for about 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the chiles, remove the seeds, and dice.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro and cook for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes soften. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour is absorbed into the mixture. Stir in the chicken stock, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and oregano and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thick and creamy.

3. Add the roasted poblano chiles and cheese to the soup and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

This soup is pretty thick but really amazing.  Leftovers are great as well.  Just reheat and stir.  Could be thinned with some additional chicken stock, but I just had it thick and yummy.  It is definitely one of my new favorites!

Adapted from My Daily Morsel.  Another fine recipe blog!

Mom's Sweet and Sour Pork

I really do not know the origin behind this recipe other than it is one of a few things that my mother made when I was growing up that I really liked. She seems to think the recipe came with her wok.  I only ever remember her making this one thing in that wok!  I haven't had this version in years but stumbled across the recipe today and decided to make it.  I am going to post it as written, however when I made it I was making it for quite a few of us so I actually used 2.5 pounds of pork.  I doubled the sauce recipe and just kind of guessed on the other ingredients.  It was just as good as I remember.

Sweet and Sour Pork

1/2 pound of pork cut into cubes (I used pork loin)

Marinate pork for at least 1/2 an hour in:

1/2 Tablespoon Sherry
1/2 Tablespoon Water
1/2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce (I used tamari to give it some extra flavor)
2 Teaspoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Cornstarch

Deep fry pork cubes in oil (I used canola) until golden brown. Remove pork cubes.  Drain except for about a teaspoon of oil.  Add to pan over high heat:

1 Red Bell Pepper Diced (recipe called for green)
1 Onion Diced (I also added some green onions just because I had them)

Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes.  Remove vegetables. 

Meanwhile whisk together:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons catsup
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 Teaspoons corn starch

Add mix to pan and heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.  Add vegetables and pork back into and heat through.  Add:

1/2 cup pineapple chunks
6 maraschino cherries

Stir until all is covered in sauce.
Serve with rice.   

Mexican Corn Soup

This soup is an adaptation from an Ingrid Hoffman recipe and a recipe I found on Pinterest from the Cooking in Stilettos Blog.   Unusual, spicy, but very good!  I love unusual cheese and queso fresco really does the trick here.  Helps to cool down the poblanos.  I had to laugh at my little guy while making it.  Cody is 7 and apparently not used to being around people who cook often.  He asked me what I was making and I replied "Mexican Corn Soup".   He looked at me a little strangly and said "How do you make a Mexican?"   That, my man, will have to be a question answered when you are much, much older!   He didn't eat any of the dead Mexican soup.  Too spicy for his taste, but he was certainly entertaining during the process!  Kids!  Gotta love them!

Mexican Corn Soup

2 medium poblano peppers (use less if you don't want it as spicy)
4 ears of fresh corn
5 roma tomatoes, cored and chopped roughly
4 cups of chicken stock, divided
1/2 tsp. of dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp. of smoked paprika
1 pound of thick bacon, chopped
1 small onion or 1/2 of a medium onion
4 cloves garlic
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half (optional)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled (or, alternatively – a MILD feta cheese)
Sour Cream & Tortilla chips for garnish

Directions

1.Roast the poblano peppers over either an open flame on a gas range or under a broiler.
2.Once the peppers are roasted, place in a plastic or brown paper bag and steam for 10 minutes.
3.Remove the charred skin from the peppers, deseed the poblanos, chop the peppers finely and set aside.
4.Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels from the cobs. (I used my bundt pan to catch the kernels and it worked nicely!)
5.Reserve half of the corn kernels for later and use and place the remaining corn kernels in a blender (DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR!)
6.To the blender, add tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken stock, smoked paprika and oregano. Puree until smooth and set aside.
7.Over medium heat, cook the bacon in a large saucepan until brown & crisp.
8.Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
9.Add the onion to the bacon fat in the saucepan and cook until the onion turns translucent.
10.Add the chopped poblano pepper and garlic and stir for another minute.
11.To the onion, pepper and garlic mixture, add the corn puree to the saucepan with an additional 2 cups of chicken stock.
12.Bring to a low boil and add the reserved corn kernels.
13.Simmer over medium-low heat until the soup has thickened (about 20 minutes or so).
14.Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper.
15.To finish, mix in the heavy cream and half of the cilantro and heat through.
16.To serve, garnish with the remaining cilantro, bacon, the queso fresco and  crumbled tortilla chips.

Creamy Southwestern Taco Soup

This has become a staple in our house.   I have seen it on pinterest and other sites and then Morgan's 4th grade teacher posted it on her Facebook page.  Once we started making it, we haven't stopped.  It's cold here today so I already know what I am making for dinner.  This is quick and easy and you can adjust the heat to your preferences. 

Creamy Southwestern Taco Soup
Makes 8 cups 

• 1 pound regular ground beef (we use ground venison - could also be done with ground chicken or turkey)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans tomatoes and green chilies (rotel) (~2 cups) (We use mild for the kid's sake!)
• 2 cans chicken broth (~3.5 cups) (I use chicken or beef, whatever I have on hand)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) cut into chunks

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic in a soup pot. Add cumin and chili powder and cook a couple minutes before adding tomatoes and green chilies. Bring to a lively simmer before adding in broth and cream. Bring to a rolling boil and add cream cheese and stir occasionally until the cream cheese melts. Serve with fresh cilantro and avocado if desired. (We usually skip this and just dig in.)  You could also serve with a dollop of sour cream.    

Spicy White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

My love of food blogs and my love of soup is no surprise to anyone who knows me even slightly.  I obsess over new recipes and read food blogs as a form of entertainment.  And food magazines and cooking shows...  it never ends.  Hopefully the people I cook for benefit some from my obsession.  One of my favorite blogs is The Comfort of Cooking.  You can subscribe to her blog and get emails any time she updates it.  And she's on Facebook too!  Lately my obsession is with dip. The Orkin Man loves dip and we have recently been eating dips instead of traditional meals.  I recently posted our latest favorite Double Bacon Cheeseburger Dip.  You really, really need to try it if you have not.  So recently I saw a post for Spicy White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip on... you guessed it, The Comfort of Cooking!  It was quick and easy and so good.  And even better the second day.  Morgan helped out and had fun putting in all the spices.  And she loves using the food processor.  She said if her plans to be a marine biologist change that she might consider becoming a chef.  Either one would be fine with Mom!  I just pray she makes good grades and gets good scholarships!  

Spicy White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup chopped roasted red peppers, pat dry
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
Place the beans, red peppers, cream cheese, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve as is or refrigerate until later.

Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Are there any other words that could make your mouth water more than Cheese Stuffed Bacon?   I think not.  This ended up being a really great recipe.  I pieced it together from some things found off Pinterest.  Of course!   It's really good.  Family loved it.  It is easy.  What else could you ask for??

Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pound bacon
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
garlic pepper
salt

Lay the chicken breasts out on wax paper and flatten out with a heavy skillet or mallet.  Lay strips of bacon down and place the chicken breast on top of the bacon.   Season chicken breasts with garlic pepper and salt. 

Cut cream cheese into 12 equal squares.  Place three squares on each chicken breast and top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar.  Roll chicken up and wrap with 3 pieces of bacon.  Two width wise and one length wise.  Secure with toothpicks and place seam side down in baking dish. 

Bake at 400 for 45 minutes turning over half way through baking time.  Then turn on the broiler and crisp up bacon on both sides.  Watch closely.  Will only need a few minutes.

You could really stuff these with anything.  Any kind of cheese, spinach, nuts...  Use your imagination.  The cheese was nice and gooey and rich.  We served it with mashed cauliflower.  Even the 12 year old ate it!

Jagerschnitzel

I am not a German food lover particularly.  I don't care much for kraut or any kind of sausage.  But I do like some schnitzel.   And Jagerschnitzel is right up my ally.  I could just eat the sauce alone and be happy.  But since the people I feed seem to think that meat needs to be a part of every meal, I go ahead and give them some schnitzel to go with the Jager (or Hunter) sauce.  This uses a lot of pans and dishes and isn't very quick.  But it's worth it.  It is good stuff!

Jagerschnitzel (Hunter Sauce)

1 1/2 pounds of pork loin, cut into 6 ounce portions (true schnitzel is usually veal... but I am poor!)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons mustard (I use dijon, but plain yellow works just as well)
1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 pound bacon, diced
1 diced onion (yellow or red)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup red wine
Olive oil, for frying
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 250 (to keep meat warm as you cook it). 

Pound pork slices between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper to 1/4 inch thickness.  In shallow bowls (I use pie plates) mix together 3/4 cup flour with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.  In another shallow bowl combine mik, egg and mustard.  In a third bowl combine cracker and panko crumbs.  Dredge pork slices in flour, then in egg wash adn finaly in crumbs. 

In medium saute pan over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove from pan to drain on paper towels.  In same pan with bacon fat cook onions for about three minutes or until starting to soften.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms start to soften and release their liquid.  Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook to make a roux until light brown.  Add wine and cook for about 3 minutes, reducing by 1/3 then add stock.  Continue cooking to reduce by 1/3 again.  Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Heat 1/4 ince oil in thick pan or cast iron skillet.  Cook pork evenly on both sides.  About 5 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second.  Remove to a platter when done adn keep warm in the oven.  You will need to cook pork in batches until all done. 

Add butter to mushroom sauce, stirring until melted. 

To serve, cover pork with sauce and sprinkle with chopped bacon.

I serve with German style fried potatoes.  Basically I just cut potatoes into small squares and fry along with some onions.  Season with salt and pepper. 

(Recipe from Guy Fieri from the Food Network)