Pozole

I'm all about soups that are friendly to a variety of tastes. Sometimes it can be difficult to cook for a family where each has food dislikes or preferences and make everyone happy.  Pozole reminds me of how some people make tacos: lots of topping ingredients set out and everyone chooses what to put on their own dish. It doesn't come out super spicy like you might think as long as you don't allow many of the chili's seeds to get in. In fact, most of the kick comes later. My husband added some chipotle tabasco sauce to kick it up a bit while eating. Either way, it is very warming and satisfying for a cold windy night, like tonight.

Most recipes I looked at were for very large groups so I scaled this down for just 4-5 people and made some last minute invitations to dinner at my house. My sister was lucky enough to be available that night. She called it a "fancy version" of the type of pozole she was used to eating with many Latin-American friends of hers in California, because of all the choices of toppings and the amount of meat I used. Everyone loved it. Yum.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. red guajillo chilies (they come dried in a clear plastic package)
water
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tsp oregano
1 lb. pork (shoulder, shank, roast or chops...as long as it is well marbled), cut into small chunks
14 oz. can of hominy
1 TBSP or more lime juice
1 tsp. salt

Toppings:
shredded cabbage
radishes (thinly sliced)
avocado
green onions
cilantro
mushrooms
spinach
tomatoes
mexican crema
tortilla chips or tostada shells

Directions:
1. Start 1.5 cups of water to boil in a small pot. Get larger pot with 6 cups of water heating as well.
2. Cut off the stem and any hard parts of the chilies, shake out the seeds. Roast the chilies in a dry skillet a few minutes until they soften. Add to the small pot of boiling water, cover with lid, turn off heat and let sit for 15 min.
3. Pat pork dry with paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Brown all sides of the pork in a skillet, then add 2 minced cloves of garlic for the last 2 minutes. Add to large pot of boiling water.
4. Take chilies, their soaking water and 2 whole garlic cloves into a food processor and puree.
5. Pour the chili mixture into the large pot, using a mesh strainer, to only let the liquid through.  
6. Add hominy to the large pot and boil for 1.5-2 hrs until pork is very tender. Add 1 tsp salt and lime juice (you could also serve with lime wedges for everyone to add their own lime). Either way you do lime is fine but don't omit. It is important to the taste!
7. Prep garnishes and set out for everyone to pick what add-ins they want.

Autumn Flavor Chili

Do you have Halloween food traditions? It seems a lot of people have either soup, chili, donuts or apple cider. I remember my family having soup or chili very often on Halloween night since it was a busy night for a crazy household of nine plus all the trick-or-treaters at the door. People could come in and grab a bowl before they went to get dressed up, went to a party, etc.
   It wasn't too busy of a night for me this year. My husband was at class so I was home alone and I got only about 20 trick-or-treaters.  I made chili anyway as a remembrance of my childhood days. I added an adult spin and autumn flair with the extra spices and flavors.  They gives the chili a fun, rich tasting base. Thanks to my friends at www.OurBestBites.com for the great idea. I really wish I had gotten an orange sweet potato (yam) instead of the white one to get that great halloween color incorporated, but oh well.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small jalepeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 (14 oz) cans black beans
2 cups broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 package ground chicken
6 large cremini or shitaake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Heat onion, jalepeno, garlic and bell pepper in pot with 1/2 TBSP of oil for several minutes until soft. Add in sweet potato, beans, broth, tomatoes and pumpkin. Cook chicken and mushrooms in the other 1/2 TBSP oil. Add in oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and chili powder to the meat and mix together in a skillet until browned and cooked through, then add to chili pot. Add cinnamon and cocoa powder. Simmer for about 45 minutes until sweet potatoes are nice and soft. Serve with cilantro and avocado garnish.

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

For years, I have made a spicy pumpkin soup that gets its kick from a load of red pepper flakes.  This year I wanted to try a slightly different flavor profile and create something that would be more tolerable for all of my pregnant friends at a baby shower I brought the soup to. Thanks to simplyrecipes.com for the idea (I did have to adjust a few of the ingredient ratios they used for it to work like I intended).  I had a little leftover, which worked great for an appetizer at a dinner party I hosted the next day.

This soup also ended up being a lot lower fat and healthier than my other go-to pumpkin soup since I didn't need to use coconut milk as the liquid base and source of flavor, just as a garnish.

Chipotle peppers give a bit more depth, smokiness, and southwestern bite than just straight "heat", unless you get a chunk of pepper in your first bite like my husband, then it may seem too hot. I'll have to use a real blender instead of a hand-blender next time. (He still ate the rest...which is impressive considering he has never been a big fan of pumpkin). If you really like heat, give it the whole pepper-I'm just warning you that they are potent.

I made it for a crowd so the listed amounts are adjusted from what I used to create a smaller batch.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2  of 1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), chopped
24 oz. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt (if needed depending on how salty your broth is)
1 TBSP lime juice
chopped cilantro
roasted pumpkin seeds
coconut milk

Saute the onion for a few minutes in olive oil, then add garlic, pepper and cumin and cook a minute until very fragrant. Add pumpkin, broth, oregano, salt and simmer for 20 minutes on med heat, stirring often. Add lime juice and then puree soup together (my immersion/hand-blender left a few little chunks...so I would recommend a real blender).  Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency. Garnish soup with a drizzle of coconut milk, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. I had a flask of additional coconut milk available for anyone that wanted to tame down the heat a bit.

If you are feeling in the mood for a "theme" meal, you could serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin OR a pumpkin shaped bread bowl!

Rustic Cabbage Stew

I made this up one day when I felt like doing theme nights for our dinners...different types of cuisine for each night: Mexican, Italian, Japanese, American, Thai, Russian. This was for Russian night. Most Russian cabbage type soups/stews usually involve a tomato base and pickled cabbage (we'll get to that recipe later) but I took a little different route this night and liked the outcome. My brother-in-law (who lived in Russia for a while) got our leftovers last time and ate it all before my sister even got to taste it, so I believe it was a hit.

We had it with Russian rye bread (you can get some good rye at the European Market at 4700 S. and 900 E. if you live in Salt Lake area).

I didn't write the recipe down that night but recreated it today and got pretty close to my original creation. Ben said it was just as good.

I like my stews like this to have a good spicy feel (it helps accentuate the hot, comforting essence of soup) but you may wish to leave out the extra red pepper flakes and let the sausage be all the spice you use.

Ingredients:
1/4 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 oz. hot spicy chicken or turkey or pork sausage (I just bought one link at fresh meat counter)
1 14 oz. can white beans
1/2 head of fresh cabbage, sliced
4 cup chicken broth
1-2 cup water
1/2 tsp coriander
few turns of cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute onion and sausage in pot until a little brown, add garlic for a minute then add everything else. Let stew (or boil) for a good 15-20 min. until cabbage is relatively soft. You may grate a little parmesan cheese on top if you are feeling sassy.

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Pumpkin season has started. I usually start by doing my annual pumpkin waffle party. This year I start the pumpkin festivities by making this soup. I created it a couple yrs ago as kind of a knock-off of Zupa's seasonal pumpkin soup.

Ingredients:
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger (or 1/2 TBSP ground ginger)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 oz. canned pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 potato (chopped into small cubes)
1 large roma tomato (or 2 little ones) chopped into small cubes1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper
shredded coconut

In a soup pot, saute the garlic and onion with the ginger, and nutmeg in the oil until fragrant and translucent (do not brown), then add the pumpkin, broth, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring to a boil. Add in the potatoes and tomato and cook until the potatoes are soft (I like to precook the potatoes in the microwave to cut down on prep time). Add the salt and pepper. Toast shredded coconut lightly and top soup when serving.

White Chili

I'm pretty sure the drop in the temperature lately and the gorgeous colored leaves all over the mountains mean that soup season is here!  I couldn't resist making a hearty chili today.

You'll be surprised how the chili flavors still shine through for a great full, satisfying dish. You won't even miss the red meat or tomato sauce of typical chili.  I started with a recipe posted by my friends at ourbestbites but had to adjust it more to my liking in several ways. I loved the outcome. 

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 smaller potato, diced
1 14 oz. can white northern beans (could use any other white bean)
2 cans chicken broth (28 oz.)
1/2 can green chilies
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
lime juice
chopped cilantro
sour cream
salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil in soup pot for a few minutes. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and toss into the pot. Add potato, beans (juice and all from can), green chilies, spices and jalapeno. Boil for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Top with little more salt and pepper, a sprinkle of lime juice, chopped cilantro and a generous dollop of sour cream.

If you need to go dairy-free, add a spoon of potato starch instead of the sour cream to help make a whiter broth with a bit of substance.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

What is the quintessential comfort/healing food when you are sick? Chicken Noodle Soup, of course. Now, I will admit that I will even resort to Campbell's canned version when I have no energy for anything besides microwaving a pre-prepared food, but it really isn't close to my mom's homemade chicken noodle. I get some of that, a grilled cheese sandwich and glass of milk and I feel magically improved. Even nurses at the hospital believe in the healing properties of chicken broth-they always get me a warm cup of Herb-ox broth to sip on when I get a cold about twice a year, like clockwork, and come to work looking miserable. This soup is more "brothy" than others for that very reason, the best part of the soup is the broth!

Ingredients:
2 tsp oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 baby carrots, chopped
2 small chicken thighs (extra fat removed) or 1/2 chicken breast
1 cup dry egg noodles
6 cup chicken broth
Salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika

Put oil, garlic, onions, celery and carrot in the soup pot and saute for a couple minutes. Add in broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, chop chicken into small bite-size pieces and season generously with all 4 seasonings. Drop into the soup (raw) along with the noodles and boil for 10 minutes until all the ingredients are soft and cooked through. Enjoy. Makes about 4 servings

Did I get pretty close, mom?