Hot and Sour Soup

I learned to love hot and sour soup in a little restaurant in southeast Missouri. Probably not the mecca of Asian cooking, but this place was where I was introduced to somewhat authentic Chinese cuisine.  And it's been the gold standard for me ever since.  I can't say this soup was good as what I remember from all those years ago, but it definitely cured my craving, using ingredients I could find in any grocery store.

This took me back to getting that first whiff of Mr. Kim's soup and knowing pretty soon my eyes would be watering and my nose would be running.  That's a sign of a good soup right there.  I found this recipe at a blog called Cookin' With Cyndi and changed it up quite a bit to suit what I had on hand.  If you need your sinuses cleaned out, whip some up and start sniffing!

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bellas)

3/4 cup cabbage, thinly sliced

32 oz. chicken or vegetable broth

2 1/4 cup water, divided

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 cup rice vinegar

sriracha sauce or chili oil to taste 

1 tbsp soy sauce

fresh ground black pepper

2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 tsp sesame oil

Combine broth and 2 cups of water, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  Add mushrooms and cabbage and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add vinegar, soy sauce, white and black pepper, and sriracha.  Simmer about 5 more minutes.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup water with cornstarch and stir into broth mixture.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer 3 more minutes.  Slowly pour in eggs in a steady stream while stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in onions and sesame oil.  

*this is my version, you can click the link above to get the original at Cyndi's website

Served with an unphotogenic brown fried rice, it was a pretty nice meal.  To me anyway, not sure the family was as into it as I was.

So, is anyone out there doing the Google+ thing?  I'm there but it's kinda lonely.  

Goulash

We spent some time in northern Arizona in a cabin this past week, and I wanted to make a dish that was delicious and warming.  When I ran across this Goulash recipe from Smitten Kitchen I knew I wanted to try it.

I loved this recipe, and the chunks of meat got all tender from the long simmer time.  If I had been at home with all my spices and seasonings, I probably would have added a dash of hot sauce of some sort.  Otherwise it was perfect just the way it was.

Make and enjoy!

Makes about 16 cups, serving 12

5 slices bacon, chopped

3 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 medium onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons paprika (preferably Hungarian sweet)

1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

1/4 cup tomato paste

5 cups beef broth1 to 5 cups water or beer (use the former to make a stew, the latter to make a soup)

1 teaspoon salt 

2 red bell peppers, chopped fine

In an 8-quart heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. In fat remaining in kettle brown chuck in small batches over high heat, transferring it as browned with slotted spoon to bowl.

Reduce heat to moderate and add oil. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden. Stir in paprika, caraway seeds, and flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar and tomato paste and cook, whisking, 1 minute. (Mixture will be very thick.) Stir in broth, water, salt, bell peppers, bacon, and chuck and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer soup, covered, stirring occasionally, 60 to 75 minutes.

Season soup with salt and pepper. Soup may be made 3 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Reheat soup, thinning with water if desired.

*this is a giant recipe...I halved it and it fed 6 just fine

*I used half beer and half water, so it turned out a little more "soupy"

Before we took off for the mountains I was looking for a quick and easy dinner to make and decided on this CPK copycat for Thai Chicken Pizza.

Honestly I can't find the exact recipe I used (helpful, I know), but there are dozens out there.  I bought a premade whole wheat crust from Trader Joe's to save time.  It was good at first, but I'm not 100% sure I like Thai food, and the peanut butter flavor got a bit overwhelming. 

Also before we left, I had the opportunity to try these wonderful little sandwich croissants made by Thomas.  

I'd like to say I did something clever with them like made a breakfast sandwich or fill them with a beautiful chicken salad, but no.  They were tasty and we just shoved them in our mouths.  Maybe next time I'll be more patient and do something fun with them. I would definitely buy them if I saw them at the store. 

Rhubarb Crisp

So I've been lurking around at a blog called Krista's Kitchen lately and have a couple of new dishes to show for it.  Firstly is this rhubarb crisp that we had for dessert tonight.  

I have to say, I don't really think I've ever tried rhubarb before in my life. If I have I sure don't remember it.  Did you know the leaves are poisonous?  I guess that's why they sell only the stalks.  Anyway, it's a pretty tart fruit (or is it a veggie?) so this recipe has a ton of sugar in it.  

I loved the combination of the tart and the sweet, along with the oatmeal and brown sugar flavors in the topping.  Give it a go if you get a chance!

Here's Krista's recipe:

Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups sliced rhubarb

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 cup water 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb. 

In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb.

Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes. 

Also tonight from Krista's blog we had her Cheesy Chicken Toritilla Soup.

I had been in the mood for regular torilla soup, and saw this cheesy variety, and said "sign me up!".  

It's pretty tasty, to me it's more dip-like than soup-like.  Either way, a bowl full of melty cheese is always a good thing.  

Here's the recipe for the soup:

Ingredients

•1 envelope Taco Seasoning

•1-½ pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Diced

•½ cups Chopped Onion

•2 T Butter

•⅓ cups Flour

•2-½ cups broth, chicken or vegetable

•8-12 oz. 2% Milk Velveeta, cubed

•8 oz. Shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican 4 cheese blend shredded cheese

•1 jar salsa (any Variety)

•1 cup half and half or milk

•Fritos, green onion, and sour cream (for garnish)

Preparation Instructions

In a skillet, add seasoning and diced chicken. Cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Drain, and set aside. 

In large saucepan (or pot), saute onion in butter for 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended, then gradually stir in the broth. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for two minutes longer, or until thickened slightly. Add Velveeta, shredded cheese and salsa. Cook on medium-low until cheese is melted.

Stir in half and half. Add the chicken back in. Stir. Heat through but do not boil. Remove from heat and enjoy. 

On a side note, my totally awesome hubby surprised me today with a brand spanky new laptop!  My old one was slower than a turtle in a coma, and was a little "quirky", putting it mildly.  This one looks at me and says "c'mon slowpoke, whatcha waitin' for?"  Okay, so it's a little mouthy, but I love it!  Thanks for the early birthday present!


Anyway, since I'm on a different machine, it may take me a while to get all my old bookmarks found again.  But be patient, I'll find you!


*I shared this as a part of Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen*

The Winner and a Lost Recipe

Thanks to everyone for playing along for the CSN  giveaway.  

As chosen by the random number generator the winner is...

That would be Faith J.  I'll contact you soon, so I can get your gift code to you.  Congrats!

I spent the better part of this afternoon deleting millions of pictures (all of the same cupcake) off my computer, and came across this gumbo I made last fall from "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea".  

The author calls it "I got work to do gumbo", cause there's not a lot of standing around fussing with it.  Once you get it all in the pot, you're pretty much home free.  As I recall, I liked it, but most of the family didn't really go for it.  Probably the okra.  But if you're one of those people still stuck in freezing temps, this would be a great soup to warm the bones with.  

2 pounds okra, sliced into ¼ in rounds

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5oz) can peeled whole tomatoes

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

3 cups diced cooked chicken

6 oz. tasso or smoked ham, diced (I think I used ham)

1 quart chicken stock

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 cups cooked white rice

Preheat the oven to 250.  Combine the okra, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste in a large roasting pan. Cover with foil and bake for one hour or until tender.

Remove the foil and add the chicken, tasso, and broth.  Return to the oven uncovered and bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until desired thickness.  Season with Salt & Pepper .

Ladle the gumbo into bowls and spoon a little rice into the center of each bowl.

Be on the lookout for another giveaway early next week, that will mostly be of interest to people in the eastern part of the country.  

Comfort Food X's Two

You know those weeks where you don't really know which end is up?  This was one of those.  But a couple of yummy comfort foods helped me through it.  

Firstly was this White Bean and Sausage Soup I found at The Girl Who Ate Everything.  Although in the interest of full disclosure I need to confess I just used plain old ground beef, seasoned up quite a bit.  I'm sure the sausage would be lovely, but I already had the ground beef, so there ya go.

This soup is so easy and fuss-free, it's perfect for a busy day.  Especially with a warm piece of crusty bread.  Here's the recipe:

4 (15 oz) cans of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 (32 oz) cans or boxes of chicken broth
2 (28 oz) cans Italian style diced tomatoes
2 lbs mild Italian sausage
2 oz fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in frying pan until cooked through. In large pot, add sausage and then add all other ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 

Secondly I made this beautiful Rice Pudding found at Lick The Bowl Good.  I've been thinking about it ever since I interviewed Monica for my last edition of Seven Sporadic Questions.

I feel sure there's not much out there that would be more comforting or soothing than this awesome rice pudding, except maybe xanax. But you don't need a prescription for the pudding.  Here's Monica's recipe...

1/2 cup arborio rice
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split*
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1/2 pint raspberries (optional)

In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients, except the almond extract and raspberries. Bring it to a gentle boil and then turn it down to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Taste the rice to check for oneness. The rice should be very soft and plump.

Take the pudding off the heat and stir in the extract. Pour into dessert bowls and stir in some fresh raspberries. Serve hot, warm, room temp or cold.
 

*Monica says she used vanilla extract after taking the pudding off the heat rather than a vanilla bean. That's what I did as well and it was just perfect. 

Meatball Soup and Stuffed Shells

It's a two-for-one kind of day today.  

I was wondering the other day if anyone has ever been served with divorce papers for making soup too often.  But when it comes to a bowl full of warm steamy yumminess, I just can't help myself.

 

This recipe called for pasta rings, and I wished I'd had some. They would have been really cute in there.  But the plain old macaroni tasted just great.  

Here's the recipe that I found at An Edible Mosaic:

 

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/2 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

1 egg white

3/4 c bread crumbs

1/2 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish if desired

4 TB minced fresh parsley, divided

8 oz pasta (I used O-shaped pasta)

2 TB olive oil

4 medium-large carrots, peeled and diced

3 large stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

5 c water

1 (28 oz) can diced tomato (with juices)

6 oz tomato paste (I forgot this)

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried Italian herb spice mix

2 beef bouillon cubes

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, egg, egg white, breadcrumbs, 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, 2 TB parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together, being careful not to overmix. Form the meat mixture into small balls, about 1/2 TB each (I get about 60 balls), and set aside.

Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.

In a 5-quart pot with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium heat; add the carrots, celery, and onion and sauté until starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the water, diced tomato, tomato paste, bay leaves, dried Italian herbs, bouillon cubes, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring up to a boil; turn down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes (covered), stirring occasionally.

Add the meatballs, bring the soup back up to a simmer, then simmer for 10 minutes (with the lid slightly ajar). Turn off the heat and stir in the noodles and the remaining 2 TB parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese if desired.
 

I also recently made stuffed shells from the recipe I found at The Pioneer Woman.  (just click that link if you want the recipe)

I liked these, but I think I was the only one who really did, judging by how many days I took them to work for lunch.   

Beef Bourguignon

I finally went and did it, made some beef bourguignon.  

But before I go any further I need to ask, nay...implore you to read to the last part of this post.  I've got a very important thing to share with you.

For some reason, which escapes me now, I decided to go with Ina Garten's recipe.  I think it was a tad easier to follow, although very similar to Julia Child's.  And because I had read repeatedly about how much better it is left over, after I finished it, I put the lid on and saved it for the next day.  Such restraint I have!

This was the fun part....

I don't think I've ever deliberately set a kitchen fire before, then emptied an entire bottle of red wine into whatever I was cooking.  Good times!

Here is the finished product, before it's day long camp out in my fridge.  

Just fyi...I made this in my new Ikea dutch oven my family bought me I bought for myself for Mother's day.  Just in case you're in the market for a dutch oven, I'll just say that I fully recommend it.  It did a fabulous job conducting heat, and was way easier to clean up than I thought it would be.  Also the inside of the lid has little points all over it that I have since learned are basting spikes.

And my review of the stew?  Just amazing.  What else can I say?  I can't think of a single thing I would change about this recipe, (except that I served mine on buttered noodles instead of bread)

 so here it is for you...

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Okay, now the really important thing...

If you've never in your life listened to one thing I've said, for the love of all that is holy, please listen now.  

If you've never made the infamous no knead bread, go forth and do so now.  If you have to hire a baby sitter, call in sick, or rent a sled dog team, just get it done!  

Seriously, this is some good stuff.  And just about the easiest thing you'll ever do.

Need more convincing?  

That should do it, so here's the recipe:

Crusty Bread Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

6/20/10 Update:  I tried making this bread again today and it was a total flop! I have no idea what I did wrong, maybe too much water.  Try, try again!