October 9, 2011: Cream of Squash Soup Recipe

Earlier this month I shared with you a picture of how I used my unusual squashes as an autumn table decoration. Well…I just couldn’t allow all those good gourds to go to waste. I selected the acorn squash and whipped up this tasty soup one night for dinner. Because the texture is not indicative of squash, even my picky husband ate it without complaint.

Cream of Squash Soup

1 acorn squash (or other type of firm fleshed squash such as butternut)

1 cup cauliflower florets

3 sprigs fresh dill weed

3 – 4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. cayenne

½ cup heavy cream

Cut the squash in half; scoop out seeds. Cut into large chunks. Add squash, cauliflower and dill to a sauce pot. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently for about 20 minutes, until squash and cauliflower are soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, remove peel from squash. Add squash and cauliflower in the broth to a blender or food processor; puree.

Meanwhile, in the same pot melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, just until garlic is softened. Add the pureed squash mixture, nutmeg and cayenne. Heat through. Add cream and cook over low just until heated all the way through. Garnish with sprigs of dill, cracked black pepper and swirls of cream.

Tip: To make a design with the cream, gently dribble cream in circles across the top of the soup in a bowl. Use the tip of a knife or a toothpick to run through the cream, making a design.

For a bit of crunch, top soup with freshly made croutons.

March 5, 2011: Chicken, Broccoli, and Black Bean Soup Recipe

Several years ago I visited a friend in San Diego with a group of women for a little weekend getaway. We were there to watch our friend, Connie, perform in a play, go shopping, eat great food, and have fun. It was a beautiful late February weekend and we spent Saturday in and around La Jolla.

At lunchtime, Connie suggested we sit on the ocean view terrace at George’s at the Cove restaurant and enjoy the sun and breeze. And so we did, drinking glasses of wine and dining on one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Smoked Chicken, Broccoli and Black Bean Soup. We were dutifully impressed by this rich, flavorful soup and our waiter presented us each with a printed copy of the recipe (I visited their website and found that the restaurant is still in business and still providing this soup recipe to patrons).

I’ve held on to that recipe for years, never making it because I was daunted by the long list of ingredients.

I finally decided to roll up my sleeves and give this recipe a try recently and found it was not really as hard as I thought it would be to reproduce the wonderful flavors in this soup. It’s the perfect entrée for a blustery March night, served with hot, buttered biscuits or cheese wafers – and a great way to use an entire (small) head of broccoli. Here is the recipe at was written; my tips for substitutions are included afterward.

George’s at the Cove Smoked Chicken, Broccoli and Black Bean Soup

½ c. unsalted butter
½ c. diced carrots
½ c. diced onions
½ c. diced celery
1 c. broccoli stems, peeled and diced
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried sweet basil
¼ c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken stock, hot
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
½ t. Tabasco sauce
1 c. diced smoked chicken
1 c. cooked black beans
1 c. broccoli florets
2 c. heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 T. cornstarch mixed with a small amount of warm water (optional)

In ¼ cup of the butter, sauté carrots, onion, celery, and broccoli stems for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano and basil; sauté 5 minutes more. Add wine and deglaze pan. Add hot chicken stock and reduce by one-third (Note: this takes a good hour or so). Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, smoked chicken, beans and broccoli florets; simmer 5 minutes. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes more and season to taste. Thicken with cornstarch if desired. Drop in remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted. Serve immediately.

Smoked Chicken:
On a covered charcoal grill or smoker, slightly smoke boneless chicken pieces, cooking to medium rare (about 30 minutes). Do not allow the grill to become too hot. Use wood chips to add flavor.

Tips and Changes: For one thing, my barbecue grill is still covered to protect it from snow so I wasn’t able to smoke my chicken. What I did was use an indoor, plug-in grill and plop two boneless, skinless thighs on it. They turned out really nice, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside – but didn’t have the signature smoky flavor this soup is supposed to have.


For the pan, I would suggest a heavy dutch oven. I used a regular stainless saucepan but it wasn’t good for deglazing.


Although the recipe calls for unsalted butter, there’s no reason you can’t use regular butter; just taste before seasoning so the soup isn’t too salty.


I’m not a big fan of thyme, so I used one teaspoon of thyme and doubled the amount of basil.


I omitted the white wine, because I didn’t have an open bottle. I just used the chicken stock.


I added the broccoli florets midway through the reduction process (keeping the broth at a low boil) so they would be softer, as my husband prefers. Black beans, drained and rinsed from a can, work perfectly fine if you don’t want to cook the dried beans ahead of time.


I did use cornstarch to thicken the soup. Even though it reduced, the broth was awfully thin. If you have the time, I would suggest reducing it further than a third – to at least by half.

February 26, 2011: Southwestern Cornbread Recipe

There are few things that go better with a hot bowl of soup, stew, or chili than fresh bread. However, if you don’t have the time to make a loaf of sourdough or French bread from scratch, cornbread is a good alternative.

After trying many different recipes and being disappointed at the dry texture, my friend Kathy once again came to my rescue by providing me with the following recipe. This cornbread is melt-in-your-mouth good and doesn’t need any butter because it’s already rich enough as is. If you’re counting calories, this cornbread would definitely be on your verboten list but otherwise, try it with a steaming hot cup of chili or bean soup for a scrumptious cold weather dinner.

Note: Do you see the area on the top of my cornbread where it sank? That's because I forgot to adjust the leavening for my altitude, which is about 6,400 feet above sea level. I should have reduced the amount of baking powder.

Southwestern Green Chili Cornbread

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening (butter-flavored Crisco is best)
¾ cup sugar (reduce this about 1/4 cup if you don't like somewhat sweet bread)
4 eggs
½ cup green chilies, diced (optional)
1 ½ cup creamed corn (you can use one can and add a bit more flour to account for the extra moisture)
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blend the butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next one. Add the remainder of ingredients and mix well (a stand mixer will save your arm muscles). Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan (the recipe calls for a 9” square pan but I’ve found that’s too small; try a larger, 13 x 9" casserole dish or two medium-sized cast iron skillets). Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until firm in the center.

In the picture above, I've served the chili in a big bowl surrounded by thin cuts of the cornbread, then topped it with thin slices of cheese, sliced avocado, chopped green chiles, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of minced green onions. Mmm!


Tip: This cornbread is also an excellent accompaniment to barbecued ribs.

February 1, 2011: Cold Weather Italian Dinner – Calzones and Minestrone

When it’s chilly outside, what’s better than hot soup and sandwiches? Most of us consider tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches comfort food, but this combination of Italian favorites takes that old standby and kicks it up a notch.

Since it’s only my husband and I eating, this recipe is enough for two people, although it makes six calzones (freeze the leftovers for a healthier, homemade “Hot Pocket” – great for a quick lunch).

Pizza Calzones

Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 ¼ t. yeast
1 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 ½ cups flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
Garlic salt (optional)

In the warmed bowl of an stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the olive oil, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Process on speed 2 for about 2 minutes; gradually add the remaining half cup of flour. Continue processing on speed 2 until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Turn dough out into greased bowl; cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Note: If making by hand, mix ingredients as directed in a large bowl. When mixed, turn out onto floured surface and knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic.

Punch down dough and separate into 6 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface.

Pizza Filling:
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pillow package pepperoni
5 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
10 – 12 large black olives, sliced
1 8-ounce package shredded Italian cheese blend

In small saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add diced garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms are soft, add the diced tomatoes and cook on low until most of the liquid is reduced. Toss in the sliced black olives.

Assemble Calzones:

For each circle of dough, place 8 – 10 pepperoni slices on lower half, spoon one-sixth of the sauce with vegetables over the pepperoni, then top with one-sixth of the cheese. Fold the top of the dough circle over the bottom and press edges together with the tines of a fork (use your fingers to seal the edge if necessary). Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with garlic salt (if using). Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake in oven heated to 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Minestrone Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ white onion, medium dice
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can vegetable broth
1 smallish carrot, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small can green beans (or about 1 cup frozen green beans)
1 – 2 t. Italian seasoning blend
½ - 1 cup water
1 dry cup salad macaroni (or macaroni variety of your choice)

Heat the olive oil in medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onion. Cook for a couple minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, through Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about half an hour. Add the water if the soup is too thick and return to boil. Add the uncooked macaroni and boil over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, until the macaroni is al dente.

Tip: Start the two dishes at the same time. Get your saucepan and pot out, heat and add the olive oil to each, then toss one clove garlic and the mushrooms in the saucepan and one clove garlic plus the diced onion in the pot. Divide the can of stewed tomatoes between them when ready. The calzone sauce will be done first, but you can keep it warm while you prepare the dough.