New Orleans Corn Bisque with Smoked Sausage

So this soup turned out SUPER yummy...NOT however enough for the proposed 8 servings, and pretty high on the calorie count for frequent consumption. I would say it makes closer to 4 -6 servings. The hubby actually made this one and he's very good at following recipes as directed, so there aren't any changes made this time. My future changes are below. :)

New Orleans Corn Bisque with Smoked Sausage

Ingredients
Original recipe makes 8 1-cup servings

 1 (16 ounce) package Hillshire Farm® Smoked Sausage
 1 medium onion, chopped
 1/4 cup butter or margarine
 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
 4 cups milk
 2 cups cubed potatoes, cooked, drained
 Chopped parsley (optional)
 Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

1) Cut sausage into 1/2 inch cubes.
2) Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
3) Add milk. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add corn and sausage; return to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes; heat through.
5) Top each serving with parsley and cheese, if desired.

So, for me, the potatoes kind of over-powered the soup. I'm not sure if that's because they were in pretty large chunks, or whether it seemed like there were too many chunks compared to the amount of soup. In order to make enough for 8 people, I think I would add some chicken broth- maybe a cup or two. And possibly another 1/2 can of corn - but I really love corn, so that could be a contributing factor. ;) In order to make it more of a bisque, once I added everything but the sausage, I would blend it until mostly smooth, then add the sausage at the end. We did not add the cheese or parsley, and I think it was excellent without it.

Hubby and I just returned from my most FAVORITE ice cream treatery....Maggie Moo's! If you are in the Jackson, MI area, I highly recommend it. Speaking of which...it's BIRTHDAY week! So as an extra treat for you, I am going to share my project that I have been working on today. I have compiled a list of all the freebies (mostly food related) available in the Jackson/Spring Arbor area that one can get on their birthday! But I'm making it it's own post...so go check it out! :)

Paella

This is a family standby at our house, though I realized when I was making it this weekend that I don't think I had made it since moving in to our house, which was over 2 years ago! Man, time flies when you're having fun! There are tons of different versions of Paella - it is a traditional Valencian dish, which is located in Spain. It is comprised of seafood, rice, green vegetables, and spices (and apparently beans, according to Wikipedia), the main seasonings being curry, saffron, and some type of spicy sausage. I'll be honest, I've never made it with saffron, just because I don't have any on hand! This recipe is the one passed down to us from the hubby's parents, and to them by his grandma, which is kind of cool. We've adapted it from there, but in the spirit of keeping the family recipe alive, I will post it as written and share my changes below.

Paella

      Ingredients
12 small fresh clams, 12 medium size shrimp in shells, mussels, squid, octopus, scallops, or any other shell fish
8 oz chorizo or pepperoni, sliced
2 Tbs. cooking oil
Chicken pieces (8 portions)
30 oz. chicken broth (about 4 cups)
1 medium sized onion, cut into wedges
1 sweet red or green pepper, cut into strips
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups white rice, uncooked
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp saffron (if you have it)
2 tsp curry powder
5 oz. package of frozen green peas

     Directions

1. Clean and shell shrimp
2. Cook sliced chorizo, pepperoni or sausage in skillet for 10 minutes, drain fat, and set aside to cool. 
3. Heat oil in skillet and brown the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. In a sauce pan, heat chicken broth to a boil. Meanwhile, brown onion, pepper, and garlic in the oil remaining in the skillet used for the chicken. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, and set the bottom shelf to the lowest setting.
5. Add rice and seasonings to the boiling broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and then remove from heat. 
6. Pour rice into Paella or Pyrex pan (use at least a 9 x 13)
7. Arrange chicken, sausage, and shrimp/shell fish on top of the rice. Scatter peas over it all. Set pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until rice is done. NEVER STIR!
8. When done, remove and cover with a kitchen towel for ~5 minutes, then serve. 

Alright...so from the get-go, I hate peppers. Of any sort. So I don't put those in, ever. For seafood, I use 1 pound of the pre-cooked shrimp and no other shellfish - I've used any size from salad shrimp to jumbo shrimp, whatever your preference is should work. For sausage I use pepperoni cut into chunks (not sliced) and increase the amount from 8 oz to 16 oz. And for the peas, I usually use around 8-10 ounces, because I like peas. And it helps break the spiciness of the dish a little bit. I usually use chicken tenders for my chicken and cook however many will fit on the top of the 9 x 13 pan (usually 6-8). Instead of draining the pepperoni after cooking and using separate cooking oil, I brown the chicken in the skillet I used to cook the pepperoni. It gets an awesome flavor from the leftover pepperoni oil, and browns pretty well. 

As for changes in the cooking process, we have found that the rice is NEVER done in the 30 minutes allotted to it in the oven. Usually it takes 45-60 minutes if followed as directed. So to combat this, we combine everything except for the shrimp, peas, and chicken in the chicken broth and boil it for ~10 minutes. Then stir the shrimp and peas into the pot and immediately put into your Pyrex pan. Place the chicken pieces on top and cook for the specified 25-30 minutes. We have found that this keeps the peas from getting mushy and the shrimp from getting overcooked and chewy. This is a hearty dish, which just the right amount of spice to keep it interesting without being too spicy for me! 

I would love to hear if you have made paella before, or what changes you would make! 

Listening to The Piano Guys currently, and getting ready to watch Perception's first episode of season 2. Happy Sunday night to me. :) 

Cheesy Leek and Mustard Soup

Happy Dr. Who day! This month's theme is French Bistro, and since panini's and frittes were already covered, what was left for me but my favorite...soup! Searched my recipe box, and this was the closest soup I could find that seemed like it would be served in a bistro. Plus, I got to use up most of the leeks I had frozen after making Colcannon. Bonus!

Cheesy Leek and Mustard Soup

        Ingredients
Makes 4 to 6 servings
 1 1/2 pounds leeks, sliced
 1 onion, chopped
 1 potato, cubed
 1 carrot, chopped
 1 tablespoon butter
 1 tablespoon olive oil
 1 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard powder
 2 teaspoons cornstarch
 1/2 cup water
 salt and pepper to taste
 1 teaspoon white sugar
 5 cups water
 1 cube vegetable bouillon
 1 cup heavy whipping cream
 1/8 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

          Directions

1) In a large pot over medium heat, saute the leeks, onion, potato and carrot in the butter or margarine and the olive oil for 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

2) Mix the mustard powder and cornstarch with the 1/2 cup water to make a thin paste. Set aside.

3) Season the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper and sugar. Stir in the mustard-water mixture and the 5 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the bouillon cube, reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, until reduced by half.

4) Using a hand blender or upright blender, puree mixture until frothy but not completely smooth.

5) Return this to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the heavy cream, Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Heat until cheeses melt, do not boil. Serve hot.

    Ok, so much yum happening in this recipe! I used about 1 and 1/2 cup of chopped leeks - more of a guesstimate than actual measuring. I used two medium potatoes (peeled and chopped) and 3 small carrots, as I wasn't sure how big the potato and carrot was supposed to be! I think that ratio worked out just fine, though I did add an extra dash of olive oil, just in case. Sauteed all the veggies for about 15 minutes, then added the seasonings and liquid. Instead of a vegetable bullion cube, I used my chicken stock bullion mix. Simmered for the hour, and then blended. Just an FYI - blending hot liquid makes the top spit at you when you start it! It blended really well, coming out to a nice mustardy color. Added the cream and about 1/2 cup of Gruyere cheese and 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar. I love cheese, so the more the better! I don't think my simmering reduced the soup by half, so it helped thicken it up just a smidge more. Served with a hearty slice of French bread, and it's a meal fit for a king.
     This soup has a great flavor, and the leeks are not too over-powering. I could have added more mustard with no ill effects, and I did have to add some additional salt at the end. It's hard to add seasonings "to taste" when you're only half way through the recipe!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I thought I had posted this recipe, but apparently not. It's quickly become an old standby at our house, meaning I didn't think it was a new one anymore! ;) The hubby LOVES chicken noodle soup, and while I don't mind it, this soup is a similar enough to make him happy, and different enough to make me happy. Winner all around! It's a pretty versatile soup, you can change whatever you want (pretty much) and it comes out awesome.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients
Makes about 6 servings

 1 tablespoon olive oil
 1 small onion, diced
 3 stalks celery, diced
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 2 carrots, shredded
 1 pound cooked, cubed chicken breast
 4 cups chicken broth
 1 (16 ounce) package mini potato gnocchi
 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
 2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
 2 cups half-and-half cream
 salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.
Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes.
Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup. Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

To start off, I make this recipe using a Rotisserie chicken. I have never tried it with regular chicken, and while I think it would still be good, I like the added flavor of the rotisserie seasonings. Plus all the meat that comes off of a rotisserie chicken is the perfect amount for soup. Anywho, so pick off all the meat and set aside. Boil the carcass and skin for several hours to make stock. (at this point I usually add some additional chicken bullion to the broth, do this to taste). I then dice 3-4 stalks of celery, 1 onion, and 1 bunch of organic carrots (trust me, I am not on the organic train for the most part, but definitely AM for carrots!), which equals to be about 5-6 smallish carrots. Then follow the recipe as directed. I haven't put spinach in it, because for many years, I've had a phobia of cooked spinach. I recently tried it in the Zuppa Toscana soup, and it was fabulous, so I think I'll start adding spinach to the final product. It is great served with nice crusty bread, and a fresh green salad. Definitely a keeper around this household! I haven't tried freezing it yet (the leftovers are equally awesome and tend to go quickly), but that is my next task. I'll let you know how it goes! 

Irish Coddle

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you are enjoying good food and green beer, if that's your thing. :) Irish Coddle is a typical Irish dish, of which there are many variations. This just happens to be mine.

Irish Coddle

Ingredients

6-8 medium potatoes, sliced thin

1 pound bacon (leaner is better), cut into small pieces

1 package Eckrich sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

2 medium onions, diced

1 cube beef bullion

1 cup water, plus more later

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute bacon and onion together until mostly cooked. Add sausages and saute together for several minutes. Then add 1 cup of water and the beef bullion (you can use more if you like a stronger flavor), bring to a boil and simmer for ~5 minutes. In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom. Add half of the meat mixture, layer the potatoes, and repeat. Then add water enough to just cover the top layer of potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat medium low. Cover with a well-fitting lid and simmer for ~ 1 hour, occasionally pressing down the top layer so that the potatoes get cooked. Season to taste. 

I have made this recipe numerous times, and am still playing around with various cooking methods. I've tried it in the crockpot, and while I LOVE crockpotting, this recipe is best made stove top. It may take longer than an hour to cook - it just depends on how thick the potatoes are. Serve with Irish Soda Bread, and you'll have a meal fit for an Irish king. :) 

Pasta Fagioli

Moving on from bacon (as I realized the last 2 posts were about bacon), we'll throw in a recipe with no meat at all! I am a self-proclaimed carnivore. My dad was a meat cutter, so meat was a staple food source as I was growing up. Mom hid all sorts of veggies in regular food - I distinctly remember shredded carrots in lasagna, and tofu ending up in Lord knows what. I'm trying to branch out beyond meals that require meat, and this is definitely going to go into the keeper pile.

Pasta Fagioli

Original recipe makes 4 servings

 1 tablespoon olive oil
 2 stalks celery, chopped
 1 onion, chopped
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 2 teaspoons dried parsley
 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
 salt to taste
 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
 1/2 cup uncooked spinach pasta
 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
Add undrained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Followed this one as directed (mostly). I did use chicken bullion to make the broth instead of already made broth. I tend to be a bit over-enthusiastic when adding bullion, and as a result this was a bit overly salty. Made with the appropriate ratio of bullion to water, I think it would be perfect. I added crushed red pepper instead of pepper flakes, and used the Garden's Delight pasta, which is made from carrots, spinach, and tomatoes. I did forgo the actual tomatoes, increasing the water by 2 cups and the pasta by another 1/2 cup. The soup is richly flavored, and beyond being too salty (my fault), it was incredible. 

    I'm looking in to joining a CSA this summer. My special group read The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball, and I felt inspired. I want to try new veggies that I wouldn't on my own have picked up from Meijer. I want the freshness factor, and the knowledge of exactly where my food is coming from. By no means am I currently jumping on the organic bandwagon, or proclaiming from the rooftops that "this is how you should grocery shop!" I think everyone should make the choice for themselves, what works best for them and their budget. I am definitely excited though, and hoping that if it works out, it will be a growing (lol!) experience. 

Zuppa Toscana (Updated)

Update on 4/15/13: So I made this with Sage breakfast sausage, and about 2/3 package of bacon, and extra garlic. Otherwise followed as directed. Using real bacon was DEFINITELY an improvement over bacon bits. Oooh poor pre-cooking me, what was I thinking?! I cooked the bacon and the sausage at the same time, and while it worked out ok, I think I would actually follow the recipe next time and cook them separately. Since they both had to cook for 10 minutes, I figured I would save myself some time. However, the bacon has a hard time getting crispy while being that close and personal with the sausage. I did add a little bit of spinach at the end, and was pleasantly surprised by the results! It wasn't too wilty (I have this thing against cooked spinach, unless it's in spinach artichoke dip, which has more cheese then one could hope for) and provided a nice balance to the meat and broth. All in all, heartily recommended, and I'll probably add more spinach next time. :D 


Hello blogging world! So this blog shall keep track of different and fun recipes that I am trying out. More for my own benefit, so that I can keep track of how the recipe was, what I would have changed, etc.
So today's recipe is called Super-delicious Zuppa Toscana and hales from www.allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
• 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 6 potato, thinly sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 bunch fresh spinach, tough stems removed

Directions

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

So, as a non-cooked spinach lover, I skipped the spinach part. Changes that I made: I sauteed the garlic and onion in a small amount of butter for a few minutes and then added just hot sausage (no other spices) and cooked them all together. I then added the broth to that mixture and the potatoes. Once those were done, I added the cream and bacon (using bacon bits instead of regular bacon). It turned out pretty well - maybe a little on the spicy side. I think next time I may drain the sausage after cooking and potentially use a milder sausage and just add a little bit of red pepper.