Brunswick stew

This recipe is from Brunswick, Georgia. It's like a barbecue stew with pork, chicken and/or beef - whatever you've got leftover from other meals works great. So delicious.

1 tsp butter
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 cups chicken broth (or water + bouillon)
1 lg potato, diced
1 cup cooked chicken (grilled is best)
1 cup cooked pork, shredded (smoked is best)
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 small can corn, drained
1 cup peas
1 cup lima or white beans
1 cup sweet tomato-based barbecue sauce
hot sauce

Get a BIG pot.

Over medium-low heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, chicken, and pork. Increase heat until it reaches a rolling boil, stirring every few minutes.

When the potatoes are soft, add the tomatoes and the liquid. Then add the barbecue sauce, corn, peas, and beans. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. Add hot sauce to taste and serve hot.

Kari's thai soup

This spicy soup is served with a dollop of rich garlicky paprika spread and fresh mint and cilantro. I don't claim it to be authentically Thai, but definitely pulls its flavors from Thai cuisine.

Soup
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice, rinsed (I used broken rice)
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup frozen mushrooms
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Thickener
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp flour

Last minute
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
fresh mint
fresh cilantro

Topper
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground paprika

Bring broth, rice and carrots to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms, sugar and ginger.

Whisk together the yogurt, coconut milk, egg yolk, and flour in a medium bowl. Slowly add a ladle of the heated soup liquid, whisking after each small addition to incorporate. Once 1/4 of the liquid has been added. Slowly pour the yogurt mixture into the soup saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to very low.

Melt the butter on medium heat in a small skillet. Stir in the garlic and paprika. Cook for a couple minutes, until fragrant, then remove from heat.

Remove soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with a small amount of paprika spread swirled on the surface. Sprinkle with chopped mint and cilantro.

Red beans and rice

I love the Cajun recipes on Gumbo Pages. All reliably delicious and flexible. This one I had to adapt to our pantry, but still turned out great. The original recipe can be found here (also a vegetarian option). My version is below... and yes, I'm sure using dried beans would have been better, but this was still really good!

1 lg can red kidney beans, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thym
2 dashes Scotch Bonnet hot(!) sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
dash liquid smoke
Creole seasoning to taste
black pepper
(salt if needed at the end, but be careful - the Creole seasoning can be pretty salty)

The meat options are bvery flexible. I just used a little of everything I had on hand.
1 thick slice of a small ham, chopped
1 Chipolata sausage, cooked and sliced
5 thin slices of spicy paprika smoked sausage
1 thick-cut slice of bacon, cooked and shopped
1 bratwurst sausage, cooked and sliced

Sauté the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) until the onions turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. After the beans are drained, add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, then add the meats, seasonings, and just enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for two hours or until the whole thing gets nice and creamy. Stir occasionally, making sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pot.

Serve over hot white long-grain rice.

Roasted vegetable soup - oh yum!

So, so easy. And vegetablicious. My new favorite soup for autumn.

1 cup puréed roasted vegetables
1/2-3/4 cup water
dash salt or tiny sprinkle of chicken bouillon
toasted walnuts (optional)

Stir and heat slowly. Top with walnuts.

Albondigas soup

This came from Simply Recipes, my favorite recipe site.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup of tomato sauce (I used more)
3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water
2 large carrots, sliced
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup of raw white rice
1 raw egg
1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves and/or parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
Dried oregano, crumbled
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in large (5 qt) heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and broth mixture. Bring to boil and simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

Prepare meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint land parsley leaves, salt and pepper. Add raw egg. Form beef into 1-inch meatballs.

Return soup to gentle simmer. Add meatballs to soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish soup with chopped fresh cilantro.

Asian cucumber soup

2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp chicken bouillon

Dissolve the chicken bouillon in 1.5 litres of water. in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling, then add the chicken. Cook for five minutes. Add cucumbers. Cook until just soft.

That's it! Trust me - it's surprisingly good and every bit as simple as it sounds.

Mom's chicken fiesta soup

1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans, drained
3 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup grated mozzarella
hot sauce to taste

Combine in a large saucepan and heat slowly. Olé!

10 vegetable soup

A delicious, flavorful soup that goes great with buckwheat and flaxseed bread . I used sweet potoatoes instead of white potatoes to boost flavor and nutrition. The carraway seeds give it a refreshing lift that goes well with the kick from hot sauce.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, cut into thin rounds or small quarters
1 large sweet potatos, cut into small pieces
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into small pieces
2 zucchini, cut into thin rounds or small quarters
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
1 cup kernel corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 lg can whole or crushed tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chicken bouillon
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce (Scotch Bonnet)
1/4 tsp carraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook until they begin to soften, around 5 minutes. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cover vegetables with water and increase the heat to high. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, zucchini, red or yellow peppers, corn and kidney beans. Add bay leaf, thyme, carraway, hot sauce and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Anna's minestrone

1 lg can white beans, drained
3-4 strips uncooked bacon
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, diced
crushed garlic
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon
1 potato, cubed
1 zucchini, diced
1 lg can whole tomatoes
salt
pepper
Parmesan

Cook bacon in a large frying pan. Set bacon aside once crispy. Keep the drippings in the pan. Add 1 Tbsp oil and heat to medium. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic cooking until just browned, about five minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it starts browning.

Add 4-5 cups water, chicken bouillon, potatoes, zucchini and canned tomatoes. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Purée half the white beans using a stick blender. Stir the purée and whole beans into the soup. Simmer five minutes. Taste and season as needed. (More salt, papper, bouillon or tomato paste?)

Serve with Parmesan.

Butternut soup with roasted peppers

3-4 cups butternut squash, cooked and cubed
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 onion, sliced
3/4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp curry (opt)
1 tsp olive oil

Roast peppers. (See here.)

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, stirring often until soft and the edges begin to brown a bit.

Using a stick blender, purée the butternut squash, yellow peper, half of the red pepper, onions and 1 cup warm water. Pour back into the skillet. Stir in the curry and bouillon. Add more water if needed to reach desired thickness. (I like mine pretty thick!)

Cut remaining red pepper into thin strips and top each bowl with them.

Black bean chili

The delicious secret in this chili is in the larger chunks of tomato and creamy black beans

1 large can whole tomatoes, roughly mashed
2 cups black beans, soaked and cooked
1/2 cup ground beef (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp red wine vinegar
salt

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until flavors are well blended. Salt to taste.

Serve with grated Gouda or Chedddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Beef stew with root vegetables

2 pounds stew beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 large carrots, sliced
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
2 potatoes, cubed

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, garlic, bay leaf, onion, salt and pepper. Add water to cover. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots, potatoes and turnips. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer.

Goes great with Rosemary-garlic bread!

Gumbo with greens

Here's a new spin on Nana's gumbo: stir in 1/4 cup chopped spinach for a little leafy green nutritional boost.

Baked beans

This is the recipe I use in France, starting with a can of cassoulet beans.

1 large can white beans OR cassoulet (beans only)
2 strips of bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sugar
4-6 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Cook the bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Set bacon asside and sauté the onions in the bacon grease.Once soft and slightly golden, Add beans, crumbled bacon and remaining ingredients. Simmer until hot. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Mafé with spinach

I agree it sounds like something you'd eat on a dare: peanut butter, spinach and hot pepper. But it's actually really good. Really good.

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small can tomato paste
2-3 cups peanut butter*
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
2-3 tsp Scotch bonnet hot sauce (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oil

* If possible, use all-natural peanut butter without added sugar. Otherwose, you can certainly use 'regular' store-bought peanut butter. If you use crunchy, skip the additional peanuts.

First, cook the carrots. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Set aside. Do not pour off the water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent and soft, stirring frequently. Lower heat to medium. Mix in tomato paste, then stir in 2 cups peanut butter. Add seasonings and carrots with the water, and spinach. Add more water if needed to make a soup consistency. Simmer on low, uncovered, 10 minutes. Taste and adjust if needed.

If too peanut buttery, add more tomato paste - and v.v.
If not enough flavor, add more ginger and hot sauce, maybe a little salt..

Serve over hot, white rice.

Chicken and dumplings

4 chicken leg/thighs
2-3 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Dumplings

1 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Place the chicken in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boill. Add onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to low boil and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from the pot and set it aside. Bring the broth to a boil and skim off any foam. If you want to remove all the vegetables, you can - I don't.

You want to use about 4-5 cups of broth. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice, and keep over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in a bowl. Stir well to muix. Spoon out dumplings and drop into simmering broth. I use a tablespoon apiled high. The dumplings will swell and then slowly shrink as they dissolve and thicken the gravy. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin. Peel chicken from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Drop them into gravy and dumplings. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes, then serve with more pepper on top.

Spicy veggie coucous

A busy day. A craving for something flavorful. An easy solution. You can adjust the recipe according to your fridge and veggies you have on hand.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced
salt and pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
2 cups courge or winter squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 zucchini, cut into thick rounds
2-3 cups stock (or water + 2 cubes chicken or beef bouillon))
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained
1 cup raisins

Heat oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Wait two minutes, then add onions and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes or until the onions are tender. Add salt and pepper, curry, cayenne, cloves and cinnamon and stir to coat.

Add the carrots, winter squash, zucchini and stock/water almost to the top of the veggies. Turn the heat to low, cover, and adjust the heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and raisins and cook for another 10 minutes, adding liquid just to the top of veggies as needed. Taste and add salt or seasonings if needed.

Serve immediately hot couscous.

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

A recipe from my favorite babushka in Budapest.

1 lb pork stew meat, cubed
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tbsp paprika
salt
2 tsp carraway seeds
1/2 tsp pepper
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, diced
2-3 sweet peppers, diced
4 med potatoes, diced
2-3 cloves, crushed
2 tsp beef bouillon
1-2 Tbsp oil

Over high heat in a large pot, brown beef and pork in oil.

In a second pan, sauté the onions to yellow. Add onions to meat. Add paprika, garlic, salt (about 1/4 tsp), carraway seeds, pepper and bouillon. Add 1 quart of water. Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.

Add carrots, parsnips and sweet peppers. Simmer 30 minutes.

Add potatoes and simmer another 30 minutes.

Taste the liquid and add more spices, salt and pepper as needed. Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

Nana's gumbo...

I guess to be accurate this isn't really her recipe. But she's the one who inspired me to try making it. I've never had Nana's gumbo (and she's actually not my Nana) but she is a great cook and is from Louisiana. Her family raves about her gumbo, so I tried to extract a recipe from her. This is what I got:

"Make your roux. Let it cook most of the day - after a while it'll get to where it won't burn. Add your chicken. That's pretty much it."

While I'm sure some Cajun cooks would have done just fine with that, I needed a good hour on the internet researching the various school of thought on how to make the best roux, whether to even use a roux or if you should take the file powder or okra route, and all the bijillion variations to put and not put in your gumbo. Basically, gumbo consists strong stock, meat and/or shellfish, a thickener (I chose roux), and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers and onion. Gumbo is traditionally served over rice, but I like my rice mixed in, more like a stew.



This recipe below is what I came up with. Let the bowls serve as proof. Nana's gumbo is pretty darn good...even if it did take me about eight hours to make.


Making the stock the day before

Nana'a gumbo
Makes 8-10 servings

Roux (1/2 cup flour + 1/2 cup oil)
1 lg chicken, cooked and pulled off bone
2 smoked sausages, sliced
2 chopped onions
1 chopped green pepper
3 ribs celery, chopped
5 cups warm chicken stock
1 1/2 cups white rice
Creole seasoning
Bay leaf

Roux, aka Cajun napalm. Now that's the tricky part. I'll direct you to some good sites for reading up on it. Photos of my roux-making are below.

Gumbo City's roux
Gumbo du Monde - scroll down to 'For the roux'
How to make roux


Flour and oil on med-high heat after a few minutes.
10 minutes
25 minutes
45 minutes
About an hour

Now that your roux is made, the hard part is over!












While the roux is still hot, sauté the onions, bell pepper and celery until soft and fragrant. Should start smelling really good right about now. Add 1/2 cup warmed chicken stock and stir until well-mixed. Keep adding slowly by 1/2cups until the roux is the consistency of thin pudding.








Carefully pour the roux mixture into a large saucepan and stir in remaining stock. Add the chicken and sausage. Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning (start with 1 tsp) to taste and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 45 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

25-minute broccoli cheese soup

3-4 large potatoes, washed and cubed
2 cups broccoli florets, cooked until bright green
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp butter
1/4 cup light cream
2 tsp chicken bouillon
pepper
nutmeg (opt)

1 cup shredded Gouda or cheddar cheese

Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft, stirring often.

Once potatoes are cooked, drain off the water - but keep it! Add 1 tsp chicken bouillon, garlic and onions, cream and a pinch of pepper and nutmeg. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture. Add the potato water as needed to thin the soup to the consistency you like.

Taste, and add another tsp of bouillon if desired.

Stir in the cheese and ladle it up!