Dad's Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 medium onions, chopped (I used one MASSIVE sweet onion)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (I used crushed garlic from a jar)
1 tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped (this made the house smell SO good when sauteed in with the butter)
1 lb favorite link sausage, thinly sliced (I used Farmer John smoked sausage)
4 lb peeled and diced russet potatoes (I used about 5 lbs, and chopped them really small so they would cook fast)
24 oz. Deluxe American Cheese (I used the whole block of 32 oz Velveeta Cheese since I used more potatoes)
16-32 oz Milk (This is such a huge gap! I used 16 oz)
Salt and Pepper to taste

*The recipe calls for water, but I used a box of Chicken Broth instead.


Directions
In a 6-8 quart pan, melt butter on medium-low heat with onions until translucent.
Add garlic and Rosemary and saute for 2 minutes.
Add sausage and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Add potatoes and cover with chicken broth (The chicken broth covered most of the potatoes, I just needed about 1 cup of water to top it off).
Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil.
After potatoes become very tender, reduce heat to low and add cheese a little at a time until all melted.
Add milk*, salt and pepper, and cover for 15 minutes.

     *This step is tricky... I burnt the soup a little at this point when I added the milk. I'm not positive that it was the milk, but I have a pretty good feeling that it was indeed the milk. I've heated milk up on the stove for hot chocolate before, and had the same filmy, burnt smell come from that as well. And it wasn't until this point that the soup began to smell kinda burnt. I would maybe turn the heat down a little sooner so that it begins to cool off a bit so that when you add the milk it doesn't burn. Course, I also used a crappy pot that pretty much burns all things you put into it, so that didn't help, I'm sure.

     I found this recipe at Food Network, and it looked so good... I love potato cheese soup.... the thought of adding sausage only made me giggle with joy! I LOVE sausage, it's my favorite food group! So this was perfect for me! It was really good! Everyone else that tried it at Game Night at church said it was really good too. I had some from the top so I couldn't taste any of the burnt part. Next time I'll be more careful. It really thickened up by the time we made it to church too, so it was really thick and creamy! I coulda dealt with more cheese too, cause I'm just a crazy cheese lover!

     There isn't a picture for this one... I didn't whip out my camera at Game Night, sorry! I was too interested in eating all the good food I was stuffing my face with. Speaking of, I ate this one concoction that I wasn't sure what it was... there were scalloped potatoes, macaroni, and lasagna in it so it seemed. When I asked the chef, he said that yes, in fact, that's exactly what it was. He had some leftover lasagna, made some scalloped potatoes, and macaroni, and mixed it all together and baked it... It was one of the tastiest things ever! Who knew!

     Anywho, enjoy this sausage-y, cheesy, potato-y soup! It's yummy!

Dumpling Soup

     I found this recipe in my Food Network magazine and made it on a whim a few months ago, not expecting much, and crazily enough, it has become G's new favorite meal! He asks for it ALL the time! Once, sometimes, twice a month! I've made a few additions to the soup based on our own tastes; nothing drastic, just adding more yumminess, who can argue with that!

     What's great about this dish is it's pretty healthy for you, and we've found that it's actually quite filling! Also, it's super easy to make and takes practically no time! If you like dumpling or wonton soup, then I think you'll really dig this soup!

Ingredients
-4 C low-sodium chicken broth (We like more broth, so I usually up this to 5 or 6 cups, you'll probably agree)
-1/4 lb thick-sliced ham, diced (I get the Farmer John brand from the meat section in the market)
-2 tbsp dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 1-in piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (I just add 1 or 2 tsp of grated ginger from a jar)
-4 3-in strips orange zest (Again, I just zest 1/2 an orange)
-Kosher salt and ground pepper
-2 scallions (green onions), sliced, white and green parts separated
-1 C sliced button mushrooms
-2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (I've diced my own carrots, and used frozen, which worked out great as well)
-2-3 Napa Cabbage leaves, thinly sliced (I really like the cabbage, so I usually use a few more leaves. Also, notice this isn't your normal cabbage, which I've also used and it tasted great as well, but it's Napa Cabbage which is also green, but is more delicate than normal cabbage)
-24 frozen chicken or vegetable dumplings or pot stickers (I use the brand Ling Ling, which comes in a yellow bag in the frozen section. They're actually chicken and vegetable dumplings, and they have proven to have the best taste, really hearty)
-Soy sauce for drizzling (optional, but really tasty)

*I add some fresh or frozen shrimp to the dish as well just because!
*I also make some white rice to serve with the soup (I used boil-in-a-bag rice and stuck it right in the soup while it was simmering, and took it out when I added the dumplings, it was perfect)

Directions
     Combine 2 cups of water with the chicken broth, ham, sherry, sugar, ginger, orange zest, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in a large pot.
     Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the scallion whites, mushrooms, and carrots. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, until the carrots are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
     Add the cabbage, dumplings, and scallion greens (*This is where I add the shrimp). Cover and cook until the dumplings are soft and heated through 4-5 minutes. {The dumplings really don't take any longer than this, so if you're planning on letting the soup simmer any longer b/c you're not going to eat for a while, wait to add the dumplings. I've made the mistake of letting them cook for too long and they were falling apart}
     Divide the dumplings and soup among bowls. Drizzle with soy sauce, if desired.
     *I put a 1/4-1/3 cup rice in the bottom of each bowl and scoop the soup on top. It's spectacular!


Prep time: 15 minutes (If you get frozen carrots, it will take no prep time, I start the soup simmering, and do the rest as I go, so even better!)
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 4-5
Cal 256; Fat 9; Chol 56; Sod, way too much; Carb 24; Fib 3; Pro 18

Debbie's Chili Verde

     Chili Verde can be such an intense project! I remember when I made it a few years ago, and I went ALL OUT, I tried to find the most authentic recipe I could! I bought the tomatillos and roasted, peeled, and sliced every single one of those sticky monsters. I dredged the meat, seared it, and cooked it all good! It took forever to do, which normally I don't really care about, except for the fact that for some reason I decided to it would be no problem at all to start this great endeavor late at night. I don't know what I was thinking... clearly, it was a sign that I was still in college, cause it's only been a few years, and I already have a hard time staying up past 10pm.

     Now, I have some good friends that make some great Chili Verde, course they always used to prepare it at home and then bring it over, so I never actually got to see them prepare it. It took a LOT of begging and pleading to get the list of spices that they use in their Chili Verde in order to make mine... but finally Mike caved!

     Well, now I have the pleasure of enjoying lunch with my boss some days, and that sometimes includes eating the scrumptious food his wife makes. A few weeks ago, Grant had an appointment Thursday night, and I had a lot of work to get done, so I decided to stay at work late. At 7 my boss and his wife were ready to eat and forced to me eat with them... which wasn't really that hard to do, anyone who offers me food is not going to be denied! And what a feast she made, salad, chicken fajitas with all the toppings, AND chili verde! It was all so good, I asked for the recipe, and I could NOT believe my ears as I heard that this chili verde only had 4 ingredients! I made it last weekend to see if I could achieve the tastiness she had. Of course I spruced things up a bit by adding some extra ingredients, but with only 4 ingredients, it was still outstanding for an easy chili verde! So, without further ado, I will share this recipe with you!

Ingredients
-4 thick lean Pork Tenderloins (the ones I used were very thin, and didn't make enough)
-1 28oz can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (the yellow can)
-1 tbsp crushed Garlic
-1 tsp Cumin

*1/2 c. Chicken Broth (optional, I was afraid I wouldn't have enough sauce, but I had A LOT, so this step is unnecessary)
*1 tsp powdered Coriander (which is Chinese parsley, or Cilantro, it has a different taste from the seed, with a citrus note. This is currently my favorite seasoning to use!)
*Salt and pepper (Alert: do NOT make the mistake I did by adding salt. While I only added 1 tsp, it was WAY too much. Pork is already salty, I don't know what I was thinking)
*Dash of Paprika and Cayenne

While Debbie used tortillas, I prefer my Chili Verde with white rice. I made extra when I made the Island Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry, so I just heated that up.

The best part about this recipe: Crock Pot!

My Crock Pot is a scorcher... even on low. So while Debbie had her pork tenderloin cooking all day on low, I cooked mine for 4 hours on low instead.

Directions
     Pour the enchilada sauce, garlic, and desired seasonings in the Crock Pot. I probably wouldn't use the Chicken Broth again, simply b/c I had enough sauce and didn't to add extra liquid, but if you want. Mix the sauce together and add the tenderloins. Set your Crock for low for 8 hours, depending upon the heat of your pot.
     The pork was very tender, so use a large serving spoon to transfer the chops  from the Crock to a large bowl and shred the pork. (I retardedly used tongs and just smooshed the pork up before I could get it to the bowl). I used a serving fork to just smoosh the pork and it shredded perfectly. Add the desired amount of sauce to the bowl and mix together. Pour over rice, done!

So easy! So good! And for a dish with barely any ingredients and barely any time invested, it still manages to taste like Chili Verde.



Verdict: 4/5

Grant said it was too salty... which I agree. Do NOT add salt to this dish. I barely added any, and it was too late. Let people add salt on their own. Grant and I both like salt a lot, and it was overwhelming. The vegetables I cooked with this dish were super good. I forgot to start them when I was ready to serve the dish, so I quickly sliced the zucchini very thinly, and added them to a hot skillet with a tbsp of olive oil. I added an 8oz container of sliced mushrooms. I added a dash of Lemon Pepper, Garlic Powder, and salt and put the lid on to help them cook fast. I don't like my veggies to be mushy, so they were done cooking in about 10 minutes and dinner was served!

Island Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry

     This recipe is super easy and takes barely any time. The reason this recipe took barely any time was because I used bottled sauce and I had a bag of stir-fry veggies in the freezer that I had been wanting to try out, so I didn't have to do any prep work of chopping up vegetables. But, sometimes, that's okay.

Ingredients
-1 large chicken breast
-2-3 tbsp Soy Sauce
-1 tbsp Sriracha Chile sauce
-Cooking oil
-1 tbsp crushed garlic
-1 tsp crushed ginger
-1 diced scallion/green onion (optional)
-Salt
-2 cups frozen stir-fry veggies (or fresh) The bag I got from Costco included green beans, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, shitakii mushrooms, onions, peppers, baby corns, and water chestnuts.
-1/2 cup Island Teriyaki sauce (there are many brands, I used Kona Coast)
-Rice

Directions
Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
Place chicken in a bowl and mix with Soy Sauce and Sriracha Chile sauce.
Marinate the chicken for 15-30 minutes.

Get the rice started now so it will be done when you finish the chicken.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add a few tbsp oil.
Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions to skillet and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with salt.
Let chicken cook for 3-5 minutes without touching.
Flip chicken and cook for another few minutes.
Place the chicken on a plate and set aside.
Add more oil if there isn't any left in the skillet, and add the desired amount of vegetables.
Cover (this will allow the veggies to steam and cook quicker).
Allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Add the Island Teriyaki Sauce and Chicken back to skillet.
Cook for a few more minutes so flavors can blend.
Serve over a bed of white rice.


Verdict:
Meg 3.5 Grant 4.5

     I thought this dish was okay, but the Island Teriyaki sauce was just not all I was hoping it to be. Grant said it was really good! When I make it again, I will probably add cornstarch to the sauce in a separate bowl before I add it to the vegetables to thicken the sauce. The chicken was really good. The little bit of Sriracha chili sauce added the perfect kick. Plus, I cooked it. I liked the vegetables; however, frozen green beans never turn out that well; gotta go fresh. Next time, I'll probably take out the green beans.

Chili to Calm the Spirit

     Grant asked for some chili this week, so I found a new recipe to try out: Dragon's Breath Chili from the Food Network. I was initially intrigued by the recipe because it calls for three different types of meat.


Dragon's Breath Chili


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons bacon grease, or canola oil
• 2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind (I used 1 lb, b/c I didn't have room)
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 12 ounces lager beer
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juice
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, with juice
• Saltine crackers, for garnish
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar

Directions
     There is probably a better way to do this, but to prepare the peppers, I put them on my small grill pan since I don't have a grill, and I grilled them for approximately 10 minutes (turn them over and allow each side to begin to blister). I didn't have a paper bag to put the peppers into so I just put them into a bowl and covered it to allow them to steam so the skin would separate. After 5 minutes or so, I peeled the skin off and chopped them up. I left the seeds in because we like it hot, and it wasn't really hot at all.


     In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease (I just used canola oil). Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.
     Garnish with green onions and shredded Cheddar. (I also added sour cream!)


     I did things a little different b/c I wasn't sure if I was able to fit everything into my pot. I browned everything up and put it in my crock pot to let it heat through. I accidentally added a little too much of the booze, so I added it back into my pot to cook off some of the boozy flavor.

     I also didn't add 1 can of kidney beans, 1 cup of tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup chicken broth, simply b/c I didn't have the space in my pot.

Verdict: 4/5

     I thought this was super good. I wish I had had a big enough pot to put the rest of the beans, tomato sauce, and broth in. But, even without it, it was still really tasty. Once the boozy flavor cooked off, it was much better. I really liked the 3 different meats in it, it made for a very layered, rich texture and flavor. It wasn't as spicy as I had hoped, even though I added the seeds of both jalapenos. Next time, I might need to add an extra. For intense flavor, I always add more seasoning than it calls for. Again, I'm a big proponent of seasoning the meat and letting it cook for a while before I add the liquids; so instead of just 1 minute, I cook it closer to 5 minutes to really crisp up the ground meat and let the flavors absorb! And then, I added more seasoning once I added the liquids.
The recipe called for serving the chili over french fries, which sounded outstanding, (another idea was macaroni) but I thought that might be a little much taking into account my previous post. My plan was to split a baked potato and serve the chili over that, but I forgot to get one at the store. Instead, we ate the chili alone, but the flavor stood out on it's own and did great.