Soup, Stew and Chili

1 pound asparagus, cooked
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
3 cans chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add flour and stir. Cook on medium heat about 1 minute.

Add chicken broth and cream. Whisk until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until mixture begins to boil.

Add 1 cup of this mixture to asparagus and process in a blender or food processor until pureed.

Pour this puree back into the pan with the rest, add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 6 servings

Give this one a try - it’s as healthy as it is delicious. Very easy to make, also.

Joi

1 12 oz. package meatballs
1 large carton chicken broth
1½ cup orzo pasta
1 cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ tsp. onion powder
Dash salt
Dash pepper

In a large saucepan bring broth to a boil. Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Serve with french bread…delicious!

Joi

2 pounds ground beef, browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 can yellow corn, undrained
1 can kidney beans
1 can chili beans
2 cans stewed tomatoes (preferably with green chilies)
1 can tomato sauce
2 pkgs. taco seasoning
*small can of green chilies if they aren’t mixed in with your tomatoes

Combine all ingredients and simmer.

Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips or corn chips.

Experiment with different beans. Garbanzo, I’d imagine, would be a good option.

3 cups canned chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 slices bacon, cubed
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cubed
chopped chives (optional but recommended!)

In large saucepan, bring broth, water, rice and onions to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over moderate heat. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly.

Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in milk. Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until thickened. Stir into broth.

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain. Add bacon and turkey to broth. Cook 2 - 3 minutes or until bubbling. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with chives.

Recipe Yields: 6 servings

Joi

Colonial Pumpkin Soup

1/8 cup finely minced soup
2 Tablespoons Butter (no substitutions)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 soup can water
1/2 cup canned Pumpkin
Dash Pumpkin Pie Spice
Dash White Pepper

Saute Onion in butter until tender.

Add soup, water, pumpkin and spices.

Heat, stirring often.

Makes about 3 servings. (Can be doubled)

Click HERE for a printable recipe.

Joi
Get Cooking Main

Cooler weather means alot of things to alot of people, but around here it means CHILI at least once a week.

USA Today recently ran a column about 10 great places to get great Chili. Included are cook-offs as well as a few restaurants. Skyline, which made the list, seems to have one of those chilis that people either LOVE or HATE.

That’s the great thing about chili, it can be made so many different ways - it’s one of those foods that often takes on the personality and the culture of those who make it.

ICS World’s Championship Cook-off
Omaha

“Ladies and gentlemen, start your stoves: Starting today, chili cooks from all over the USA take part in this extravaganza that spans three days, awards $40,000 in prize money and offers serious bragging rights to the cook whose chili floors the judges,” Dalby says. “Competition is open to those who have qualified by winning a sanctioned cook-off during the preceding year.” 877-777-4427; http://www.chilicookoff.com

Hard Times Café
Alexandria, Va.

“This 1930s-style ‘chili parlor’ has locations throughout Virginia, Maryland, Indiana and North Carolina and serves up great food from good people at cheap prices,” Dalby says. “Co-founders Fred and Jim Parker are no strangers to the competitive-chili circuit, offering zesty variations of their secret recipes on the cafe’s website.” 703-837-0050; http://www.hardtimes.com

Skyline Chili
Cincinnati

“This chain produces Cincinnati-style chili inspired by Greek recipes — about as far from Texas chili as you can get — but nonetheless with an incredibly devoted following of happy diners,” Dalby says. “At home on coney dogs or over spaghetti, this chili is never more delicious than when it’s under a thick topping of cheddar cheese.” 513-241-4848; http://www.skylinechili.com

Chili John’s
Green Bay, Wis.

“Started in 1913 by a Lithuanian immigrant, Chili John’s signature dish has some similarity to the Cincinnati chili paradigm (i.e., noodles are de rigueur), but the addition of spicy oil makes this chili unique,” Dalby says. “There is also an outpost in Burbank, Calif., started by the son of the original Chili John.” 920-494-4624; http://www.chilijohns.com

Cin Chili & Company
Houston

“This small business of chili spices and chili gift kits was started by Cindy Reed Wilkins, herself a championship chili cook. Cin Chili’s chili mix just won top honors at a recent competition,” Dalby says. “If you want to be the coolest chili kid on the block, you can hire Cindy to come cook her championship chili for your next party.” 832-372-7049; http://www.cinchili.com

Tournament of Roses Chili Cookoff
Pasadena, Calif.

“This large chili showdown, also sanctioned by the International Chili Society, is held Dec. 31 as part of the Tournament of Roses’ Fanfest Expo Village,” Dalby says. It’s located in the stadium’s south parking lots. 626-449-4100; http://www.tournamentof roses.com/events/fanfest.asp#chili

Texas Chili Parlor
Austin

“The motto here is ‘E Pluribus Chili’ — which really says it all,” Dalby says. “There’s actually a release that the parlor (in theory) makes you sign when you order a bowl of the adult-rated XXX Lone Star chili.” For a milder bowl, try the black bean and sausage chili. 512-472-2828; http://www.cactushill.com/TCP/home.htm

Florida State Chili Cook-off
Clearwater

“Held on Nov. 5 this year, the ‘Chiliblast’ features music, food and kids’ activities,” Dalby says, “plus a whole lotta good chili.” 727-781-6330; http://www.floridachili.com

Garduños of Mexico Restaurant and Cantina
Las Cruces, N.M.

“Located in New Mexico, ‘the heart of chile country’ and home of the famed green chile, Garduños serves up a tasty bowl of chili verde,” says Dalby. “The annual Labor Day weekend Hatch Chile Festival is held nearby.” 505-521-7222; http://www.gardunosrestaurants.com

World Class Chili Parlor
Seattle

“Located in Pike Place Market, this great Left Coast Texas-style chili boasts heat levels adjustable to your palate’s desire,” says Dalby. “When you order a bowl, make sure you also get a side of jalapeño cornbread.” 206-623-3678; http://www.worldclasschili.com

Don’t tell anyone I said so, if you do - I’ll deny it, but one of my favorite places to get chili is Wendy’s. Not terribly high brow of me, I guess, but my brows don’t ride very high! Me and my 99 cent chili are happy with one another, though.

Have an awesome weekend,
Joi

It’s that glorious time of year again! Time to whip out the soup pans, soup bowls, and soda crackers. Most people put on weight during the cooler months, but it’s a cycle that can be broken by eating the right sorts of cool weather foods - like soup. It fills you up on a fraction of the calories, and if it has a tomato base, you’re doing your heart a world of good!

Fresh Tomato Soup

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups canned tomatoes, or fresh (skinned and seeded)
Pinch sugar
1 3/4 cups beef broth
Dash salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano (crumbled)

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add next three ingredients and saute’ for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add flour; stir the mixture for 2 minutes.

Slowly add the tomatoes and their liquid, breaking up tomatoes slightly as you stir. Add sugar and bring to a boil.

Slowly add broth and bring to a second boil. Add salt, pepper and oregano.

Serves 6.

Make someone smile today,
Joi
The above soup is AWESOME when served alongside these “Halftime Pigs”!

I made this White Chili last night for the first time - and it certainly won’t be the last time!

Crock Pot White Chili

Boneless, skinless chicken
Onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel white corn
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 large can chopped green chilies
1 tsp ground cumin - more if desired

Draim and rinse the beans and drain the corn.

In a large skillet, saute the chicken and onion in oil until the onion is tender. Add the garlic last, as it browns easily.

Combine all of the other ingredients in a medium - large crock pot. Add the chicken mixture.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Add more cumin, onion or garlic to suit your taste. You really don’t need to salt or pepper this dish, but feel perfectly free to do so!

I served mine with a loaf of jalapeno-cheese bread and halloween-themed cupcakes and hot chocolate for dessert. Perfect.

Joi
Check Buttermilk Press for more recipes and tips.

This is unbelievably goooood!

Nacho Cheese Soup

*Tortilla strips
Finely shredded cheddar

Combine the soup, milk and chopped jalapeno in a medium pan. Heat thoroughly.

Serve in colorful bowls and top off with a mound of tortilla strips and a small sprinkling of cheddar.

*Many supermarkets sell the tortilla strips in a bag, they can just be a nightmare to find. I’ve seen them in the gourmet cheese/deli dept, in the bread aisle, with the chips, and in the Mexican food aisle. I’ve literally chased them all over the supermarket! If you give chase and still come up empty carted, make your own. Buy a package of soft tortilla shells. Using a pizza cutter, cut some of the tortillas into strips. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, lay your strips on top. Bake in a 300 degree oven until crispy and golden. NOT BROWN! This is also the way one would go about making their own HEALTHY tortilla chips. I prefer to deep fry mine, but either way, homemade tortilla chips are a snap.

If you do make your own tortilla chips, try this little trick that I LOVE - immediately after frying, toss lightly with salt AND some red pepper flakes. BUENO! If you go the healthy route (I’m proud of you, I just won’t accompany you this time.) , prior to baking - spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and throw on the salt and red pepper flakes. Again, don’t overbake, they’re tempermental and burn fast.

Back to the soup!
This soup is heavenly when served with the Cheddar Purses recipe in the next post!

Joi
Buttermilk Press
Out of Bounds