Homemade Soup Day, Let's Celebrate

Hearing that National Homemade Soup Day was arriving I was wondering what Winter soup I'd make to have for a tummy warming treat for me & the Mister. I have to admit I'd eat soup almost any day of the year but we've had an unseasonably warm Winter here in Texas. I had to find just the right soup recipe to make since our temperatures have been so moderate of late. I have enjoyed African Peanut Soup many times & like the spicy quality as well rich creaminess of that dish. In an urge to avoid legumes right now at our house I opted for a more veggie based soup version with a slight nod to my favorite African Peanut Soups of the past. I used homemade pumpkin puree I had from oven roasting a Fall pumpkin. The flavors from oven roasting are slightly different from the canned version so if given the opportunity to use fresh please try it! Bowls up & enjoy National Homemade Soup Day today, February 4.

Pumpkin Soup
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons grapeseed, coconut or olive oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large can of whole tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
1 (29 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree (*or process your own pumpkin & freeze ahead of time in Fall)
1- 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt & pepper
Directions:


Finely mince the onion and celery.
Either use a garlic press for the garlic or mince extremely fine.
Melt the oil in your stock pot and sauté the onion, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the stock, followed by the remaining indgredients, whisking the mixture so it remains smooth.
Simmer for about 20 minutes and serve.


I served this soup topped with toasted pumpkin seeds & a sprig of fresh rosemary. I tossed the seeds with 2 tsp oil & stirred in Wasabi Fumi Furikake seasoning & roasted for 25 min @ 350 stirring every 5 minutes. The seasoning adds a different kick to the pumpkin seeds. Glad I tried it, I will certainly be utilizing the seasoning again. *Fall pumpkins never go to waste in my house.  We roast, stuff & re-purposed our pumpkins if not for us then for our wild critters.  See the re-purposed pumpkin below.

Fill a pumpkin with bird seed for a critter treat!

Paleo Wedding Soup & a Devilish Egg Appetizer

When I'm lucky enough to have true farm fresh eggs, I find a variety of ways to fit them into meals at our home. Eggs aren't just for breakfast as anyone in my house can tell you. Eggs are a low cost cost way to add a naturally good source of vitamin D & protein. This past weekend I made both a soup as well as a quick dozen Deviled Eggs using some of my farm fresh eggs my mother brought me from Uvalde County in South Texas.   

This soup gets the name as a "married soup" since it is a marriage of meat & greens. The traditional name is actually Minestra Maritata & the origins are both Italian & Spanish, whatever the origins are the soup is a perfect Fall meal. Many recipes use bread crumbs to make the meat balls but if you have fresh meat, add the egg & chill the meatballs prior to dropping them in the soup they will be fine. I've even baked my meatballs to get them nice & brown when I have time. Many traditional recipes for this soup soup have streaks of egg-and-cheese scrambles borrowed from the Roman egg-drop soup Stracciatella. The egg adds a certain hearty quality which makes this a very nice one dish meal.

Primal Italian Wedding Soup


Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces turkey or chicken sausage
8 ounces ground turkey
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound spinach, coarsely chopped (1 pound of kale is a good substitution)
2 small turnips, diced into 1/4 in pieces
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the sausage & turkey. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.


To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and spinach, turnips and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the spinach or kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.


Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. *Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired. We didn't have this but it is traditional garnish for the soup. I am almost certain no one else puts turnips in Wedding Soup but I had some garden fresh turnips & thought they would be a nice addition to the soup.

Devilish Deviled Eggs
6 Eggs, hard boiled
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3-4 Tablespoons Jalapeno Mustard* (or any spicy version you prefer)
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced shallots or white onion
dash of sea salt according to taste


Cut boiled eggs into halves lengthwise, scoop out inside reserving whites on platter. Mash & break up all lumps in the hard boiled egg yolks, then add next 6 ingredients. Garnish tops of eggs with extra oregano leaves or sprinkle with dill or any fresh herbs you may enjoy. *I used Woeber's Jalapeno Mustard 

Yes, Soup Weather again! Hlelem a versitile Tunisian Soup is back on the menu.

At the first sign of a cold front in Texas I believe across the United State a loud cheer could be heard coming from this Southern State. Texas had record heat & drought this summer. Hottest, driest, longest since 1885 in fact Wichita Falls had 100 days over 100. As a state it certainly felt like we simmered & stewed all summer long (at times in our own skins...). Salads and lighter cooler meals have been the order of the season for months. This past week when temperatures dropped to freezing overnight it felt like it was okay to drag out the soup pots & dust off the crock pots once again. What is nauseating to think of when it is 109* is downright cheerful when the temperatures seem normal once again. I always feel better when I can make a pot of soup. Earthy, rich & soothing soups make me feel comforted & tend to remind me of soups my mother would make when I was a kid. This is a traditional Tunisian soup inspired by Martha Rose Shulman's version from her Mediterranean Harvest recipes. Some of you know this is not my first post of Hlelem,  I've actually made it before with all the beans however I'm on a eating lifestyle now which departs from some of the legumes & pastas so I've changed things up a bit. For vegetarian diets this is good with vegetable broth, for those who want to add a lean protein; I expanded this soup on day 2 with lean ground meat. Enjoy & be soothed as I was.

Hlelem soup hits the spot on a cool fall evening.

Hlelem (Tunisian Vegetable Soup)

yields 2 quarts

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup celery stalk, large outer veins trimmed, diced
1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded, diced
3 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 quart chicken broth
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup canned chickpeas, drained*check below for my new substitution without legumes
7 cups Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves shredded, lightly packed
1/2 cup angel hair pasta or fideo, dry, approx. 1/3 c.
1/2 tablespoon red curry paste or Harissa
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup radishes, grated
wedges of lime or lemon

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid with the broth, reserved bean liquid, and the tomato paste to the pot. Slowly stir getting the tomato past lumps worked out or till well blended and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add chickpeas or alternative veggies such as butternut squash*, the Swiss chard, and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta and chard stems are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the Harissa and stir until blended. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley, radish & serve with a wedge of lemon or lime.

*I added 1 cup diced butternut squash instead of the chick peas although the chick peas are more traditional in this soup.  Also I would now omit the fideo pasta to cut out the gluten. You can add whatever vegetables are local or seasonal. Rutabaga & Sweet potato are nice winter/fall substitutions.The radishes as a garnish add a nice zesty punch.

A spicy addition to Hlelem Soup this is very similar to Red Curry paste.

Harissa comes in small cans and can be found in a lot of supermarkets and Mediterranean groceries. It is a Tunisian hot sauce or paste usually made with hot chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil.  I also added lean ground meat the second day to this soup.


For my previous Hlelem recipe in the Crock pot please check here for my previous blog post.

Gumbo Shooters, powerful sip of Soup.

Did the last time you had something in a shot glass make you feel less than virtuous? 

Try serving up your favorite soup in a shot glass. No virtue promised here but no roaring headache the next day either! I hosted Bunco night here recently & served Gumbo one last time. I wanted to serve Gumbo since our cool nights are long gone here in Texas & won't return for several  months.  I had a New Orleans theme going for my friends & fellow Bunco players.  Normally I serve rice with Gumbo however with tiny servings I didn't think rice was necessary & not one person noticed the absence of said starch.  I prepared the Gumbo ahead of time & kept it warmed in a crock pot during the festivities.  I recommend the 2 oz wide mouth Duralex shot glasses.  They are reasonably priced & have enough space for a good sipping Gumbo!  Les c'est le bon temp rouler!

Duralex 2 oz shot (wide mouth) glasses hold a nice sip of gumbo 

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Shooters

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. veg. oil

1 c. flour

Make a roux from the butter, veg. oil & flour in deep dutch oven or gumbo pot. Once your roux is deep brown or copper penny color then add & saute:

1 sm. onion, diced

1 med. bell pepper, diced

2 lg. stalks celery, chopped

Once the vegs are cooked add 1 quart chicken stock or warm H2O. 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, *Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste. Add 4 lg. skinless chicken breasts. 1 pkg. (1 link) smoked beef or pork sausage. Simmer till the meat is cooked well. Remove this from, the gumbo & chop up chicken and dice up sausage. Add this back into the gumbo, keep simmering. Add 1 frozen pkg. okra. Add one small bunch of green onion tops, chopped. Once this comes to a low simmer turn it off & serve in small shot glasses.  Use  a small size ladle to make the Gumbo transfer neat & tidy. 
*Tony Chachere's is a popular season salt from Louisiana, even when living in Mexico I could find this spicy seasoning. 

Soup weather takes me to North Africa

In a very literal way I've been away for far too long.  I've taken many weeks away from blogging to take care of family business, say some tearful goodbyes. Through all of that I continued cooking those comfort foods which make those near and dear feel warm, loved and special.  Okay..... not all of those meals were for others but you get the idea!  Some of those meals were at the end of very long days when we were lucky to be eating a meal at all. We've all had those days.  I was so happy on those days to come home to a meal in my Crock Pot.  A  new favorite soup for me is Hlelem, it's a Tunisian bean & vegetable soup.  The word Hlelem actually comes from the hand rolled pasta which is found in this soup in from North Africa in Tunisia. I used Spanish Fideo which is easily found in the states the Latin section of most grocery stores. I did make a few changes to this recipe but found it to be a healthy & comforting soup. We've all had long stretches of cold days this winter & warm soup is a good go-to for me. I've dreamed of hoping a plane for a warmer destination more than once.  I might be dreaming of Africa or the South Pacific on those days but I will still put a south of the border spin on a soup like this by kicking the spices up a notch.  I have utilized this cookbook many times in the last few months.  "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker" cookbook.  by Beth Hensperger. I can recommend many of the recipes & always am looking for ways to shorten time in the kitchen on a long work day. 
Hlelem
1-15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, undrained
1-15.5 oz can butter beans, undrained
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves + 1 rib chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup fideo or crushed angel hair pasta
1 bunch green swiss chard leaves & stems, leaves shredded & stems chopped
1 to 2 tbsp Harissa
2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
lime wedges for serving.


Place garbanzos & butter beans with their liquid, celery leaves, parsley, tomato paste & broth in slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover & turn the setting to low. 


In a small skillet heat the olive oil over med heat.  Add the onion, celery & cook, stirring a few times until softened about 5 min. Add to the cooker, cover & cook on low for 4-5 hours. 


Stir in pasta, then pack in swiss chard; it will cook down. Cover & cook until the pasta 7 chard stems are tender to the bite, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer on low or 10 to 15 min. on high. Stir in Harissa & season with salt & pepper.  Serve hot with lime wedges.  I enjoy the flavor of lime over the traditional lemon for the flavor. 


Beth Hensperger has a recipe for Harissa however I found it in a can recently after a friend of mine showed me where to find this traditional North African ingredient in a local Halal meat shop.  She actually took some to my daughter for a house warming gift.  It is a very spicy version of a tomato paste. 



**While I loved this my husband did feel his was in dire need of "meat". Obviously this defeats the purpose of a "Meatless Monday" meal but to each his own.  It was actually quite tasty with some shredded roast & in my opinion would be good with lamb in it as well.

If it's Fat Tuesday we must have Gumbo & plenty of Seafood.

Whether you call it Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, the same day seems to mean one last culinary celebratory event leading up the the date Lent begins on the Christian calendar. Festival season in many cultures encompasses the period between Epiphany & Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is the celebration of & end of Mardi Gras as we know it in the South. In our family whether we are in New Orleans, Mexico or Texas it is cause for Gumbo, stews, etoufee or jambalaya. Wherever you find yourself this day let the good times roll & make it hot, hot, hot!!


















Start your Fat Tuesday off with Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico over Poached eggs. A quick 10 minute breakfast. In the words of my Cajun friends; "Talk about good, Cher, nes pa?"
Poached Eggs & Shrimp for two
2 large eggs
2 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
Lemon wedges
2 tbsp. white wine
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. garlic
salt, pepper & red pepper flakes
2 slices Roma tomato
fresh baby spinach leaves
2 whole grain English muffins, sliced & toasted

Poach the 2 eggs at the same time you are sauteing the shrimp for this dish. If you have never poached an egg, here is a quick how to Poach guide.
In small pan saute garlic in butter, add shrimp, quickly sautee shrimp till opaque. Add seasoning & white wine. Remove from heat. Place toasted English muffins the serving plate, add 3 to 4 fresh baby spinach leaves over the bottom half, ease the poached egg onto the spinach (as you can tell from the photo I enjoy my eggs soft), garnish with 1 slice of tomato, carefully set the jumbo shrimp onto the tomato & serve with lemon wedge on each plate.

“Gumbo, of all other products of the New Orleans cuisine, represents a most distinctive type of the evolution of good cookery under the hands of the famous Creole Cuisinieres of old New Orleans.”
The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book (1901)

My friend Vickie Thibodeaux said years ago as she taught me to make Gumbo..."the Roux is all important but the onion, celery & bell pepper are the holy triumvirate!" She taught me to make the roux & get it nice & dark like a cup of Cajun coffee. Roux is equal parts oil & flour which is browned & used as thickening in many South Louisiana & French style dishes. A roux makes or breaks a pot of gumbo. Anytime I have tried to rush that process I have been truly disappointed. If I do not have a full 20 minutes to make a good roux then I'd better not bother. This seafood gumbo is based on a recipe I have used for years from one of my favorite Louisiana cookbooks. A book called "Cajun Cooking" has recipes compiled from kitchens across South Louisiana & like any community or church cookbook the tidbits are endless & the flavors superb. The cover has a great photo of a sweet Cajun Grandmother peeling shrimp which puts a smile on my face each time I see it.
















Seafood Gumbo
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
4 oz. Wild Caught Crab claw meat
4 oz. Oysters, *Gulf coast oysters
2 Quarts Water
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. okra, fresh or frozen
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt, Pepper & Cayenne Pepper to taste
Parsley chopped
Cooked Rice
File, a seasoning made from ground Sassafras root used to garnish Gumbo when served.

Saute Shrimp & crab meat with 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pot, add water & set aside.
In remaining oil make the Roux: Mix oil & flour together in a large cast iron skillet, stir every few minutes, at first roux will be light brown (coffee with cream color), continue stirring for several minutes longer till the roux is a dark brown or rich brown coffee color. The roux will be very hot, then add the onion, bell pepper, celery & cook vegetables slightly. Add in the garlic & okra. Continue sauteing till slightly browned.
Add the sauteed vegetables & oysters to the seafood, along with the can of diced tomatoes, stir well. Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce & cook slowly for about 1 hour.
Finally add parsley & serve over mound of cooked rice. In our home we always serve gumbo with File. A light sprinkle at the edge of the bowl is nice & adds a certain: "Je ne sais quoi!" (a certain "something")

*Anytime I use fresh Gulf Coast Oysters in my gumbo I use the liquid the oysters have along with the water or stock for my gumbo.

Cold Weather Pressure Cooking

Pressure cooking or cooking under pressure? Could she keep the kitchen ceiling free of her Yankee Pot roast?


















My first memory of a pressure cooker harkens back to childhood when our family lived in Alaska. My Mom expanded the culinary horizons for our family cranking out jams, jellies, pickles, canned veggies. She even canned what seemed to be oceans of salmon. I seriously do not remember too much about the experience except for the hiss of the Pressure cooker steam & the caution we used when it was in operation. It was a large affair which held several quart jars & a pressure gauge on the top which led me to believe I would surely never have need for something so complicated when I was an adult.

I was well into married life when I found out that pressure cookers could save time & had many more uses beyond home canning. When my husband bought me a pressure cooker I was excited & more than a little cautious. I heard tales from my husband's Grandmother & Aunt of exploding pressure cookers & was told of kitchen disasters that made the women of the family fall silent. I seriously wondered if they were challenging me or guessing I would become too overwhelmed to use my new cooker. I wondered what if anything I could make with such a frightening kitchen instrument? I had visions of food exploding from the steam vent or an entire roast blown to bits on my kitchen ceiling. I discussed pressure cooking with my mother & soon realized I could certainly handle the challenge. After all the first commercial pressure cooker in the U.S. made a debut at the New York World's Fair in 1939, it was made by National Presto Industries. I had a Presto Pressure cooker, how difficult could it be? I eventually found the meats I prepared were more tender while the time I could spend cooking was reduced. I ultimately became a fan of cooking "under pressure". While I still use my pressure cooker for steaming the perfect artichokes or the yearly Corned Beef Roast on Saint Patricks Day, truth be told it does sit collecting dust much of the time. I felt challenged this week to make an entire meal with my pressure cooker. I craved French Onion Soup when the latest Mid Winter storm blew across the United States. I also thought I could get my husband to try a new rice pudding recipe as well (he is not a big fan of rice pudding). I found a recipe by Giada de Laurentis for Chocolate Rice Pudding. While Giada's is a stove top version & mine uses different Chocolate, it was a great starting point from which I could come up with the Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding.


















Pressure Cooked Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding
2 cups whole milk + 1/4 cup reserved for later
1 cup water
1 cup Arborio rice
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 tangerine)
1 teaspoon vanilla, Mexican La Vincedora vanilla
1/2 of 1 3.1 oz round Mexican Chocolate, either Ibarra or Abuelita brand**
1/2 - 4 oz Special Dark Hershey's Baking Bar, melted
1 egg, beaten

Melt butter in cooker and pour rice in and stir rice to cover totally with butter.
Add the sugar, 2 cups of milk, water & ground Mexican chocolate which has been finely ground. (see below) Put cover onto the pressure cooker, keep at medium heat.
Pressure cook for 8 minutes at 15 p.s.i. Don't begin timing the 8 minutes until the cooker is fully up to pressure and constantly emitting a gentle stream of steam. Please check Pressure cooker directions & or refer to Pressure Cooker Safety

In a small bowl mix 1 egg with 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 t vanilla.
Temper egg mixture by adding a bit of the hot rice mixture and stirring. Repeat several times at least. Then mix the egg mixture into the pot and cook (uncovered) until it just begins to bubble a bit.
Stir the orange zest into the mixture. Add the melted Hershey's baking chocolate and stir until well blended. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. This is delicious served warm or cover and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and up to 1 day ahead. Maybe garnished with whipped cream or fresh orange zest.

I actually use a coffee grinder to grind my Mexican chocolate into a fine powder for this Rice Pudding.

















**Break 1/2 of the hard round Mexican chocolate & break apart with a large knife, then put into food processor/grinder & blend the chocolate into a fine powder. This type of Mexican Chocolate is found in a octagonal or round cardboard box in Latin grocery stores. It is hard & comes in individual round cakes.



















Surely everyone has a favorite restaurant they order French Onion at or a much loved recipe but even this soup can be improved upon in the Pressure Cooker. This French Onion soup has Fresh Ginger & Herbes de Provence, Pressure cooking cuts work & time down to less than 30 minutes for a bowl of one of our family favorite soups.

Pressure Cooked French Onion Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced Spanish Onions
2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon fresh grated Ginger
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 cups beef stock or broth
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Sliced Baguette rounds toasted, 2 per bowl

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add herbes de provence, ginger, dry sherry, and 2 cups of stock.

Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to stabilize the pressure. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let the pressure release or drop by using the quick release method. Make certain you review Pressure Cooker Safety methods before cooking with a pressure cooker
Unlock and remove the pressure cooker cover.
Add the remaining 3 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Float 2 baguette rounds on top of soup and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
6 servings

For anyone new or newly returning to Pressure Cooking I recommend Gina Steer's "The Pressure Cooker Cookbook", very good selection of recipes & techniques.

Leisure time & a big bowl of Spicy warmth!

He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate.
~Henry David Thoreau


When asked in recent weeks "where I have gone", I could only respond that I had taken time off. The move from Mexico home & subsequent moves of "our life", people & animals had about worn me out. I felt I needed to take the Holidays off to recuperate & regroup. I spend the past few weeks & months getting back into the groove as well as slowing down to enjoy life. We had a slow holiday spent at home with our daughters & enjoyed what is most important. We cooked, relaxed & recharged our spirits. Of course that means Spicy foods at the Texas to Mexico household. If we don't take time to enjoy the everyday we may miss the small but important things around us.


My daughter & I recently enjoyed a day at Austin's Chinatown Shopping Center where we explored the exotic & impressive array of foods at the M.T. Supermarket. Our family enjoys the spicy array of foods & cuisines available at the market. In the past I loaded up a suitcase & hauled spices & teas back to Mexico from this wonderful grocery store. We have long enjoyed the Thai Coconut Soup we find at our favorite local restaurants. My daughter shared a recipe she enjoys & she even helped me locate the elusive Red Curry paste on our trip to the Asian market. This recipe can take more or less heat which is derived from the Curry Paste so use sparingly & taste frequently. I was under the assumption as I made my first pot of this soup that if a little was good more would be great! It was a wonderful but fiery & fierce bowl of soup.

Spicy Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 to 2 stalks lemon grass, outer sheath removed, bottom 3 inches trimmed and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
6 cups homemade or canned chicken stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into 1 by 1/4-inch strips
1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
4 oz. of shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
lime wedges to garnish & squeeze juice over soup.
• Salt
• 1/2 cup loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 scallions, greens only, sliced
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pot and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer (do not boil as this will cause the coconut milk to curdle) and cook until the stock is hot and the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilanto, scallions & a lime wedge.


Each Christmas eve our family dines on Tamales & either Chili or some similar kin in the Tex-Mex culinary family. This past Christmas Eve we had Chili & Tamales from Juarez Mexican Bakery. The local Round Rock restaurant & bakery known for the long lines of customers patiently waiting for dozens of savory Juarez Tamales. The owner of Juarez is from Guanajuato, Mexico & so much of the true "Sabor de Mexico" is what keeps locals coming back again & again for the food at Juarez.
My favorite Chili recipe is the Lady Bird Johnson Pedernales River Chili. I use the basic recipe & kick it up a tiny bit with a few extra chili peppers. (somehow I am certain LBJ would have approved of this bit of heat!) This recipe is one of the most widely circulated Chili recipes thanks to her husband's great love of the official "state food" of Texas. Lyndon Baines Johnson was once said: "Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of Red. There is simply nothing better." Texans are as unapologetic about our foods as our politicians, having said that; this my favorite bowl of Texas Red!




















Pedernales River Chili

4 pounds coarsely ground beef (chili-grind, ask butcher if there is none available)
1 large chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 teaspoons chili powder
2 (16-ounce) cans tomatoes
Salt to taste
2 cups hot water
In a large frying pan, brown meat with onion and garlic until meat is lightly browned; transfer ingredients to a large kettle cast-iron Dutch oven.
Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, salt,**2 Soaked, seeded & skinned Chili Anchos and hot water. Bring just to a boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Remove from heat. Skim off grease and serve.
Serves 12.
**These are the flat wrinkly Dried Chili Peppers found in the Latin section of most grocery stores. They have to be soaked in hot water 20 minutes then remove seeds, stems & scrape the pulp from the inside of the skin. The dark mahogany color adds a rich color as well as a deep rich flavor. If you are partial to heat you might add Chili Petin peppers threaded onto a toothpick so they can be removed later before serving your bowl of Red!

Our family garnishes this Texas favorite with diced onion & the occasional sprinkling of cheese....of course for the not so faint of heart there is always the liberal toss of locally grown Chili Petins also known as Chili Pequin or Bird Peppers. This native chili is one plant which seemed to thrive in my garden the Summer of 2009. **Take note fellow Texans this plant is beyond hearty if it could survive our drought & lack of rainfall.

Hatching up some Spicy Food!

What do Green Apples, Sage & Hatch Green Chiles have in common? Why...my Hatch Green Chile Stew of course!

When cooking up some Spicy foods & using Hatch Green Chiles I've been testing the limits of dishes which I can mix in these fleeting seasonal favorites. Gloria Chadwick of Foods & Flavors of San Antonio has even created a new blog to pay tribute to this quintessential pepper!





Excitement was in the air the last 2 weeks at our local Grocery stores & markets as the famed Hatch Green Chile Peppers arrived in Texas. So much was the excitement when Hornsfan called me, that I rushed to our grocery store to see if the Hatch Peppers had arrived & had started roasting yet. I'm certain the produce people at our grocery store were thrilled to be rid of the crazy woman who seemed to be stalking them for hot peppers! The New Mexico Hatch Chile folks were even giving away CDs of cooking demos & helpful chile pepper advice. After living South of the Border our Pepper consumption has jumped a heat level or two! When the peppers hit the markets here they are hard to miss as most of the grocers set up a large gas or wood roasting pit. As the Chile Peppers roast they are turned to ensure even roasting & are manned by someone standing nearby with water to keep the flames from getting out of hand. Roasted, blackened & cleaned the Chiles are the perfect addition to so many dishes. How did I know the delectable peppers added enough heat enough at our house? My husband was eating his second bowl of my Green Stew when he had to keep wiping his forehead...one of those hurts so good meals!

The history of the Hatch is a bit murky since the origin somewhere close to 1896 when New Mexico rancher Emilio Ortega carried pepper seeds back to California which became the Anaheim Pepper....those seeds may have indeed been from what was later known as the Hatch Chile. Hybridized, refined & widely touted, the Hatch Chile Pepper is only from Hatch, New Mexico & can have quite a kick when compared to the somewhat milder Anaheim cousin. It is worth noting that these Peppers are in season once each year so if you are lucky enough to find them buy enough to roast an extra pound or two & freeze them. We have eaten them mixed into countless bowls of guacamole as this is probably one our favorite Hatch appetizer to eat this time of year. For a little more information about Hatch Chile Peppers check out this New Mexico site! I'm thinking we might have to try whipping up a batch of "Hatch-a-ritas" before the season is over.















Hatch Green Chile Stew

2 1/2 lbs Pork Loin, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Med Onion, diced
2 Cups Water
8 Hatch Green Chile Peppers, roasted, seeded & chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper
3 Green Granny Smith Apples, cored, seeded & chopped
5 Fresh Sage leaves, cut into slices or thin strips
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Celery Salt
Queso Cojita, semi soft Mexican white cheese, grated

Heat oil in large wrought iron dutch oven or large heavy skillet. Brown pork, add the onion, pepper & garlic. Add 2 cups of water, green apples, Hatch Green Chile Peppers, sage & salts. Simmer stew covered for 30 min. Remove lid & simmer for 30 min more till pork is tender. Add water as needed no more than 1 cup at a time. The stew should be thick not thin & soup-like. Serve garnished with Mexican Cojita cheese either crumbled or grated.
Yields 4 servings




















This recipe is based on a recipe which was wildly popularized in San Antonio Texas back in the mid 1960's. My mother has a worn Sunday school church cookbook from that time period which this is recipe is based on. This corn bread really can be a meal alone. Enjoy!
Hatch Green Chile Corn Bread

1 Cup Stone Ground Cornmeal
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Melted Shortening or Bacon Renderings
1 Cup Cream Style Corn
1/2 lb. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Roasted, Seeded Green Chile Peppers diced**

In a bowl stir together cornmeal, soda, salt. Beat eggs slightly & add to buttermilk; stir this into the dry ingredients. Add melted shortening or bacon fat. Stir in cream style corn. Mix, add grated cheese, onion, garlic & chile peppers to the cornmeal mixture. Pour into a greased baking pan (9 X 13 inches) Bake @ 375* for 35 min. or till cornbread tests done & is golden brown.
**2 diced pickled jalapenos may be substituted.



Green Chile Dressing
1/3 c. lightly packed cilantro with stems
2 roasted, seeded Green Chilies, chopped
3Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/2c oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Mix in blender till smooth...makes 1 1/4 cup

I served this dressing over a simple Spinach Salad with sliced onion, sauteed shrimp & garnished with sliced almonds.

Sultry Texas Summer & Easy Meals with a Cherry Limeade or 2!

Bring on the ice & squeeze that lime! Regardless of what else you're drinking; Lime juice over ice can certainly help hold the heat off this Summer.


Only 2 Sisters from Texas could think of sitting outside on a patio to eat in 100+ heat in the middle of Summer.
















Returning home & family has been a Texas tonic for my Soul. The sister visit, much too brief. The Sonic drinks, hit the spot! All of it is good though, in fact is it downright well with my Soul!



















Of all the things I was certain of when we returned to Texas early this Summer; I was positive I'd experience the blazing Texas heat. Of course at the onset I doubt that anyone could have predicted how hot. We have already had 60 days of temperatures over 100*. Our garden efforts have been fizzling out one by one. The only things which have remained strong throughout this heat are the Peppers & my Herbs. I do have high hopes for some Winter Squash which are starting to show some promise for the Fall. I am hopeful cooler temperatures may be heading our direction before too long. While my sister & her kids were visiting we made several manditory stops to Sonic for Cherry Limeade drinks. If you are from the South you know of what I am talking about, nothing cools you down like a Route 66 Cherry Limeade from Sonic! I even took a photo of my sister snapping a shot of her Sonic drink to send send back home. Somethings are beyond words & only a photo will do! Driving back & forth across Central & South Texas we made many quick side trips through our beloved Sonic Drive In! We actually hit many rest stops along our trek across Texas as a result of those enormous Route 66 drinks but every ounce was worth it! While my sis was here visiting we visited Cascade Caverns (which I'd never seen), had some quality family time out in Uvalde, had more BBQ & Tex-Mex than her kids thought possible & made it an all around Texas pilgrimage for her kids making certain they never forget their Texas roots. There is no place like home or in our case, TEXAS!
With family visits & outdoor activities this Summer I have tried to maintain some easy go-to-meals which keep everyone fed & hot times in the kitchen to a minimum. I made this Southwest Soup in the Crockpot which made a filling, easy 1 dish meal.


Perky Peppers are some of the true garden survivors in the Texas heat right now.


Cherry Limeade Tutorial, Texas to Mexico version
You need, Sprite, Limes, Cherry Juice, Rose's Grenadine, *Cherries & lime to garnish & plenty of crushed ice!
~ Fill a 16 oz glass 3/4 full of crushed ice Pour 12 oz Sprite or 7-up over crushed ice. Add 1/4 cup Cherry, squeeze in juice of 1/2 lime & drop lime half into the drink.
Add the cherry juice & a dash of Rose's Grenadine, for exact color (about 1 tsp.) This does nicely with a quick shake in a cocktail shaker. Serve with straw. & garnish with Cherry or Strawberry. Makes 1~16oz drink. Pretend you are driving down a long stretch of highway & Crank that music up & let your hair down, Baby!




















Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup
1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 14.5 oz. cans Chicken Broth
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes, undrained (use original or mild)
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (4 ounce size) Roasted Green Chilies, chopped
1 tsp. Thyme leaves, fresh or dried
1 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, optional
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
**Garnish: Avocado, Tomato, Cilantro, Cheese, Baked Tortilla Strips

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, onion & peppers in oil until lightly browned. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Stir before serving. Serve on the side & garnish with *Baked Corn Tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, tomato & cilantro.

**To bake Corn Tortilla strips: Slice corn tortillas into 1/2 inch strips, place strips in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Spray them with cooking spray, sprinkle with cumin, red pepper & toss to coat strips. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until strips are crisped & lightly browned.
6 servings.

Super Soup Bowl Weekend!

I'm not standing up & screaming about a team this Super Bowl Sunday...the reasons are simple. A.)The Cowboys~aka: Americas Team, will not be playing (next season,please?? I might have to start a letter writing campaign to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones!!) B.) Don't have the patience to listen to a Super Bowl game here in Mexico with Spanish voice over. For the Cowboys yes... but that is about the limit for me. Imagine Latin Soccer game style sportscasters. I did it 2 years ago & never again. Podcast are less painful here South of the Border. C.) I just don't care this year, no halftime show(hopefully, minus a clothing malfunctioning) or quarterbacks I really care about; so there! The game will be going on regardless & I can enjoy a slow weekend here of warm soups. We are experiencing a cold snap here in Northern Mexico & warm, nourishing meals are fine fare for our rather slow introspective weekend. At my kitchen it's the Super Soup Bowl weekend. In the spirit of cross cultural dining & pleasing a crowd try out the recipes for Italian Ciabotta, Hot Chicken Salad Sandwiches or the Mexican Green Chili Posole Soup.

Broccoli & Zucchini Ciambotta
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 med. onion, diced
5 stalks celery, sliced on diagonal
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of tomatoes, undrained
3 med. zucchini, sliced
small head broccoli, cut into small florets, slicing some stems very thin
3 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
Salt & Pepper to taste
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, pepper, celery; saute until vegetables are lightly browned & tender. Add tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli florets, stem slices, vegetable stock. Bring to simmer over medium heat & add oregano, fennel seeds, salt & pepper. Reduce to medium low heat & simmer 25 to 30 minutes or till the vegetables are tender. Serve with garnish of fresh sliced basil leaves.





















Hot Chicken Salad Sandwich
2 large cans Chicken, drained & shredded with fork
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup diced onion
Mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, Salt & Pepper
Manchego or White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Mix Chicken, artichokes & parsley. Mix in an amount of mayonnaise to bind the ingredients together but not mask the flavors or make overly moist. Add Tabasco, salt & pepper to taste. Toast Bolillo halves then place a mound of Chicken Salad on the bread, top with Manchego cheese & broil till bubbly & serve immediatly.



















Green Chili Posole

2 large cans of Hominy (Juanita's) or fresh bagged from Latin market* yield approx 4 cups of hominy.
1 large yellow onion, sliced and cut up
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry oregano (Mexican oregano if you can get it)
3 Tbsp. menudo spice seasoning, Bolner's Fiesta brand is my favorite
*See above photo of my favorite San Antonio Texas spice brand.
3 canned green chiles, diced, preferably hot or medium strength
1, 2 to 3 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed & cut into cubes.
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large stock pot combine the hominy, onions, garlic, oregano, and green chile. Fill with water to cover the ingredients. Salt and pepper the heck out of it, and plan to do so again later. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil while preparing the meat.

Cut the pork up & heat a small amount of olive oil and brown the pork slowly, adding some salt and pepper to the meat.

After browning the pork, add it to the stock pot and stir the meat in.Once it boils, turn the heat back to simmer the stuff. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stir, and boil again. Do this twice, then simmer again on low heat.

Stir about every 30 minutes. Keep it on low heat, just at a simmer, keep stirring now & again. Continue to cook down, hominy will get softened. Add some water as needed to keep the stock covered. It will thicken & broth will become richer. Add salt and pepper to taste, adjust after the Posole cooks, salt might be needed again as the hominy soaks up the salt.
Serve with tortillas, I serve with diced avocado, lime, cilantro & onion. Buen Provecho!
**Total cook time on this dish is 2-3 hours. Do not rush, the hominy must not retain a crunchy texture. My husband had eaten crunchy Posole...not recommended!

Politics, Meatballs & keeping something warm on the stove!

Molly Ivins the late & sharp witted Texas writer was quoted as saying:
"Good thing we've still got politics in Texas -- finest form of free entertainment ever invented."

As I watched the news about the Obama transition to the White House & see the newscasters gearing up for the upcoming Inauguration activities, I see Ivins was not far from wrong in her statement. However entertaining Texas Politics can be; it's entertaining on a much larger scale in D.C. How can it ever not be entertainment on some level in the high speed digital age of CNN & Fox News? I shudder to think how the transition from one Presidential administration can ever be truly painless or lacking in entertainment. Food likes & dislikes alone from one Presidential administration to the next no doubt can be staggering. Take Ronald Regan's favorite Jelly Beans, Bill Clinton's love of Mango Ice Cream & Big Macs, Jacqueline Kennedy's adoration of the refined French cuisine or LBJ's chili (my own personal favorite). I imagine the White House staff will be most eager to please the two youngest Obama children. The palate of a child can be far easier to please than adults in most cases. Can't wait to hear if the girls will enjoy Mac & Cheese or PB&J while they ease into life in the nation's mansion. I seriously doubt the likes or dislikes will impact my life here in Mexico but it should be interesting in the very least...

In the spirit of Presidential politics, food & favorites here are a couple of faves we've had here South of the Border. A much warmer version of the Kennedy French Onion Soup & a slimmed down Meatball as Meatballs were supposed to be a favorite dish in the Truman White House. My Wilted Spinach recipe is my daughter's favorite & a very healthy dish at that! At one time there was a tradition of the outgoing Presidential family to leave something warm on the stove for the next first family. I do wonder if this tradition still continues?

**A shout out to my niece who will be working on the big day in D.C. with Fox News~stay warm Sweetie & capture it all!




















French Onion Soup or Onion Soup with a kick!
1 1/2 lb red onions
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. fresh Thyme & extra for garnish
2 Tbsp. chopped & crushed chili Ancho
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
Black pepper & salt if needed.
6 slices of toasted french bread or whole wheat bread
10 oz. shredded Oaxaca cheese

Heat oil in large, heavy bottomed stock pot & cook onions over med-low heat till they are beginging to brown. Stir in garlic, sugar, thyme, Ancho chili, reduce heat & continue cooking over low heat for 30 min. or till the onions are slightly golden brown.

Sprinkle in flour, stir in wine. Gradually add stock & bring to boil. Reduce & heat for 30 min. Remove from heat, ladle soup into bowls float a piece of toast in soup & top with cheese. Garnish with sprig of thyme & serve.




















Chipolte Chicken Meatballs
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup dry chipotle seasoned breadcrumbs*
Sesame seeds to roll the meatballs in (approx 1/3 cup)

Mix all of the ingredients together well incorporating all of the breadcrumbs then form the meatballs into balls the size of golf balls & roll in sesame seeds. Place on baking sheet & bake @ 375* for 20 minutes. Serve hot with yogurt sauce or as is.

*Chipotle Breadcrumbs are easy to find in Latin grocery stores but using regular breadcrumbs & adding 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper is a good substitution.


Wilted Spinach
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound well washed spinach, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
Coarse salt and black pepper
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Add oil and garlic to a large skillet. Cook over low heat, until garlic is cooked through. Remove garlic. Add spinach to pan, turning to wilt. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Posadas, quick bites & Mexico sights.

In a whirlwind of activity & colorful South of the Border holiday activity our college girl came to visit us in Mexico last week. We shopped the Mercado de Navidad, lunched with friends, attended a traditional Mexican Posada & spent some mother daughter time as well. `While in town we ate fabulous Carnitas, loads of guacamole & I made her favorite soup. The Cheese Soup I make is a Texas favorite & an adaptation of a recipe from Austin's 1886 Cafe and Bakery from the historic Driskill Hotel. It's easy, filling & warms a cold evening. The cold snap being experienced to the north has dipped down into Northern Mexico dropping temperatures.~Yes,Virginia... it does get cold in Mexico but not for long. As we head back to Texas for Christmas I've packed the coats knowing that the cold snap with hit sooner than later!







She helped make hard choices at the Mercado & saw the Christmas sights in Santiago. Katerina however, was less than thrilled with her little pink Christmas sombrero...




















Cheese Soup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup carrot, minced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 lb. grated Velveeta or mild cheddar
1 jar Old English cheese spread
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 dash cayenne or to taste
1 dash paprika or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper or to taste
several dashes Tabasco sauce, to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Over medium-high heat, sauté the onions, bell pepper, carrots and celery until translucent and tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cornstarch. Cook about 3 to 5 more minutes. Add stock and milk gradually, blending until smooth, and reduce by 1/4. Do not allow to boil at any point. Add baking soda and cheese and stir until melted and thickened, about 10 minutes. Add parsley, cayenne, and paprika. Keep soup warm over very low heat or in a double boiler if not using immediately. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8.