Chicken and White Bean Tostito Soup

 

It's been a while ! It's not like we haven't been eating good food, but many times we're eating just what you find in the recipe archives (see Labels in the sidebar), as who doesn't tend to head for old favorites time after time ? 

This past week, I got a yen for a 'Tex Mex soup' - that Tostito cracker soup that you sometimes find on the menu at your local burrito or taco shop. I've been sicker than a dog and not feeling like doing a restaurant visit, so I patched a recipe together using on-line recipes as a basis to start from. 

Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla Pie

 

What started off as a nimble way using up small bunches of ingredients in the fridge turned into a real revelation.  Meet Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla Pie ! Slide these out of their pie pans and right onto the plate. They hold their shape beautifully ! Side them with baked sweet potatoes.  Have small bowls of sour cream and spicy hot salsa for dolloping on bites of the pie and you have a really delicious meal !

Jazzed Beans and Rice

I loved the light on those red kidney beans when I dumped them in with the jasmine rice. What can I say? Added spices and diced vegetables to the mix and we had us a big old bowl of spicy red beans and rice the other evening. Our neighbors made shrimp tacos, margaritas, and a hot cheesy salsa dip to start things out. And then? We whiled the evening away on their deck sipping drinks and Coronas and knoshing the best Tex-Mex meal ! There is NOTHING like having good neighbors ... just sayin'.

Canning Season !!!

Yesterday was a cool, breezy, 'preview of autumn' day! The tomatoes were mounded on the kitchen island and the makings for salsa were waiting in the fridge ... all I needed to do was get into 'slice and dice' mode.

Re-Fried Bean Stuffed Poblanos with Queso

Need an easy dish to share at a summertime patio party? These peppers were a cinch to make and travelled nicely to the pool party we hung at over the weekend. The colors are great in this dish. I didn't photograph the finished dish, as we all know what a cheesy topping looks like, but at this point in the prep, I had to snap a photo because the peppers were so pretty and perfect. 

One More Bowl of Soup, Please!

Here's a soup for a cold raw day ... one that went really well with a plate of cheesy nachos and a cold beer. Everyone here in Fitzwilliam is crabbing about another snow storm that is threatening southwestern New Hampshire. There's a severe case of cabin fever going around the grey cottage ... wishing for a thaw and hoping that we get a long warm snap so that the drifts melt and the stone walls reappear! We are ready to see some forsythia and crocus blooms! Until then, though, the first paperwhite blossoms have poked their faces out to say, "Hello!".

Come on Springtime!

King Ranch Casserole - The Dinner That Keeps On Giving

Disclaimer: This is one HUGE recipe! So ... let me start right out by saying I will make half the recipe the next time I make it for SB and I! The next thing I will say is that it is hard for me to photograph casseroles, as they tend to be a good old mish-mash of wonderful ingredients. This classic of southern style cooking is no exception.

Cook's Illustrated - Black Bean Chili

I swear I make so many soups and stews that I should start another blog that's devoted to just those types of recipes! I make so many soups and stews that I'm running out of different bowls to use when I photograph a serving for a post! The women in the area consignmnent stores know me now and aim me in the direction of new stock when I walk through their doors! No kidding! One gal calls me 'the dish and platter girl' ...I suppose it could be worse...

These are the latest little finds ... they hold just about a cup and half . Perfect portion for a nice hot lunch ... don't you think? If the truth be told, they're probably salad bowls or dessert bowls, but I will use them for my soups and stews! They look pretty with my ancient Corningware plates. Yes, they were a good buy. To boot, I found some silverplate spoons and the sweetest little pickle fork ... yup, I'll be dressing up the photos a little bit from the usual dishes and spoons!

September 11, 2011 --- And Jenna

Who is not blue today, thinking about the events of a decade ago. I know I was in a funk most of the morning. I rattled around the house, waiting for Silent Bob and Rich to come home. They are due late this evening, so I've made a beef stew. I will worry all day whether they'll have problems coming over the border, what with all the speculation on an intended terrorist attack on the anniversay of 9/11. This morning's church service was heavy on the 9/11 mourning, the TV is all about Ground Zero memorial services, the Internet has been heavy on the images of that day and peoples' memories. I find the whole thing so very sad ... I have my own memories of that day. They're seared firmly - like a brand. I suppose it's good to remember and honor the loss of so many and the valor of those who rushed to aid in the chaos of that day, but oh! it brings up such hurt. So, my one nod to the day began this morning with a prayer and listening to John Adams' beautiful music - 'On the Transmigration of Souls'. That is enough, I think.

What I've needed was a 'pick-me-up' and it arrived mid-afternoon with a ring of the back door bell and barking dogs. Jenna, my dear young neighbor, came for a visit with a bag of her cherry tomatoes. She was so proud to tell me that she grew them herself in her little garden! Just looking at her sweet grin was impetus enough to invite her in and suggest that we 'do something with them right a way'! So Jenna helped me prepare them for roasting ...

Chipotle Chicken and Butter Bean Soup

Sometimes the lines and squares of life are altered. Mother Nature takes over and tells us, in her own subtle way, that we are insignificant. We are wise if we turn away from the highway's center line and become mindful of the line of the sun's shadow in the forest, the twirl of the birdfeeder in the breeze, the maze of branches clicking against the sky. We can moan about this season ... or we can marvel at its beauty and power. Sometimes it's a good thing to realize there are powers well beyond our petty claim.

Because everyone needs a soup that will warm the cockles of  the heart after braving a cold blustery day or dark rainy night - because there are never enough chicken soup recipes - because I had a bag of frozen chicken meat in my freezer and various cans of stuff in my pantry - because Silent Bob was on the roof shoveling a whole lotta snow off the dormers - because it was comin' on lunchtime - just because.

Christmas Sweets Day #4 - Chocolate-Dipped Biscochitos

We're almost there! Only one more day until Christmas! This is the last day I have for baking treats for gift plates and these cookies will round those plates out beautifully. Every Christmas, I look around for one new cookie recipe to add to my trove of holiday recipes. This year, I scoped out this recipe from Mangiabella , a gorgeous foodblog that was recommended by Chef Dennis of  More Than a Mount Full  on one of his Guest Friday posts...

Clay Pot Venison Chili ...

It is SO cold here today! I have been getting the hint from Silent Bob, my partner in crime, to make a warm something for supper. You see, it's wood cutting season here in the Northeast. Once the snow is on the ground, it's a lot easier to bring the wood out of the woods, if you've a small woodlot to manage. So, Silent Bob has been cutting and stacking wood, but now it's time to load it on a sled and haul it out of the woods and up to the woodpile. This will be next winter's wood ... an investment in more snug winters at the grey cottage. He definitely deserves a big pot of  'warm something', as he puts it!

 After cruising the blogs and touching base with Foodbuzz, I am seeing so many chili posts that I caved to offering another version. We make chili with venison in the winter. After hunting season, the freezer is stocked with tenderloins, steaks, ground sausages, and an occasional roast. Today, I'm using loose sweet venison sausage to make a big pot of chili. I have this nice flameware pot that will keep it warm after I've simmered it a bit. A big bowl of steaming jasmine rice and bottles of beer to cool the palate ... and a Christmas movie. We plan to hang out on the couch with the warm blankets and the Christmas tree lights for dinner and a movie! Tonight it's 'The Polar Express' which seems strangely á propos!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Pepitas

Good basic vegetable dishes  ... we need to be eating more of them. As the colder seasons begin creeping closer,  I'm dusting off the recipes for soups and stews, and chilis, and roasted meats, and oven-prepared vegetables. This squash dish went so well with the chicken mole I made last week.  You might choose to have it with a simple roasted chicken or a crusty pork roast, or a simple spinach salad. There's always room for another basic veg recipe... enjoy.

Let me say that this recipe would work with any hard winter squash ... butternut, hubbard, patty pan, acorn, et. al. Let me also say that this recipe came to me originally as 'Roasted Sweet Potatoes'. I have added the toasted pepitas to bring a Mexican flavor to the dish ... and it works nicely. You might like toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds, or pecans.

So simple and so good for you ... this squash has nothing added in the way of sugar. The roasting process brings out the natural sugars in the squash and the herbs and nuts complement them in a really good way. This is a good recipe for a night when you have a couple other higher maintenance dishes going, because you can prep everything way ahead and just toss the squash on the roasting pan and into the oven  and forget it for the set roasting time. Toss with the toasted seeds just before serving the rest of the meal and that's it.

Mole Sauce ...

I have been wanting to make a mole sauce since I saw the movie Chocolat and watched the mole feast that Vianne prepares for Armande's diabetic 'swan song'.  The romance of that feast and the joy that everyone attending had, when sharing the turkey mole that Vianne prepared, was such a wonderful piece of moviemaking. I can only think of a couple other movies in which gathering at the table is as visually gorgeous and cinematically perfect ... Like Water For Chocolate and Babette's Feast being the two in my mind's eye. But, I digress.

Last Gasp of Summer ... A Tex-Mex Party! Arriba! Arriba!

Every year, Silent Bob and his brothers and sisters host a get-together camp out, just before the first Fall rains and frost warnings. One last summer party,  it's always 'themed' and we all (well, not ALL!) pull out the stops,  come in the goofiest costumes and bring plenty of libations to last well into the night. There's always a big campfire and plenty of jokes, family stories, and general blab to keep everyone gathered until the smoke gets to the eyes or the libations cause total drowsiness. Everyone plans and makes the yummiest foods, so you can be assured that no one goes to their sleeping bags hungry. This year it's all about Tex- Mex food, costuming, and drinks. No doubt there will be sombreros and tequila aplenty this afternoon when we all pull in to Mary and Bill's country place to pitch the tents, make the fire circle and lay out food buffet.

Tomato Salsa - Spicy Hot!

The bumper crop of tomatoes is upon us here in New Hampshire ... and we're not complaining! We have had BLT sandwiches, grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches, Tomato Caprese salads, tacos with pico de gallo, sliced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and sugar ... you are getting it, right? Still, there are a few tomato recipes that I am still excited about preparing!

Experimental Empanadas ...

Nowhere can I find an empanada dough that  I can get excited about! So... I'm taking the bull by the horns and playing with flours and tanginess. Vinegar? I don't think so ... lemon juice for me. Shortening? No, no, no! Olive oil. I shall combine the best from all the recipes I've researched and go for it!  Oh... and I may get messy. Get ready!

Chiles Rellenos - Tex-Mex at Its Best

Here in the boondocks of New Hampshire, I have yet to find a restaurant that can serve a chiles rellenos dish that tastes and feels like the real thing. I have friends who spent their college years in Colorado, other friends who lived for years in Arizona, still others who spent their early married life in southern California. They all agree that a plate of good chiles rellenos is a wonderful thing, but as Deni says, "You just can't get a good chili east of the Mississippi." ... well, I'm trying here. If you're a chiles rellenos fan, I'd appreciate you trying this particular recipe and getting back to me, because I am on a quest to get it right!

I had my first 'real chiles' when I visited a friend in Phoenix. The soft roasted pepper was a revelation ... I had never roasted peppers before and thought they were only used from a jar or can to supplement taste and add color in a dish that had another 'star'. The crisp coating of flour and fried treatment was so wonderful! Add a cheesy filling and I became a fan for life. Of course, getting the authentic Mexican cheese back in New England would be a challenge, but there had to be a way to duplicate that wonderfully crispy, cheesy, soft flavorful pepper experience.

Abuela's Hominy and Roasted Peppers

Ahh... the lowly stew. You take a bit of this, a bit of that, you throw it in a pot and add some herbs and spices. You cover it up and wait for a while. Wait a while longer... and when you take that cover off, an aroma rises up and out and into the air. It's like a magical balm envelopes you and anyone in the immediate vicinity! Think of the farmer's wife stirring that pot and giving her face a quick aromatic steam sauna, think of a hunter leaning over the fire's stewpot warming his hands, think of some poor work-a-day Joe returning to his apartment and tipping the top of the crockpot to inhale the essense of his mother's kitchen, think of an old abuela putting her love and tradition into her family's dinner ... I could go on, but I think you get it.