Chorizo Vegetable Soup

I found a tortellini soup on Epicurious (originally published in Bon Appetit in 1993) but this here is what I actually made with what was on hand, and my it was good.  I was very wary when starting the soup, but both the husband and I were pleasantly surprised.

One morning, about a week ago, my husband went to the store and made me breakfast. Isn't that sweet? There was leftover chorizo that needed to be used, and since I have never used the stuff, I went searching for a recipe.  I found one that intrigued me. Although, I had to alter it quite a bit because I did not have a lot of things it needed. The result? Great! Nothing like warm soup on a cold day.


Chorizo Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1/2 lb Chorizo or Italian Sausage, or heck- even turkey sausage
1/2 small chopped Yellow Onion
1 clove smashed and chopped Garlic
3 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup White Wine
2 cans diced Tomatoes
2 diced Potatoes (normal size, not the giant ones)
~1 cup chopped Celery
~1/2 chopped Red or Green Pepper
~1 medium Chopped Carrot
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Basil
Parmesan for topping (I think this is the best part!)

Directions

Over medium high heat, brown the chorizo or sausage in a large pot. Drain, set meat aside in a bowl. Remove all but 1 Tbs fat from the pan.
Over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in the pot with the remaining fat. Allow them to become translucent.
Add the meat back to the pot, along with the broth, wine, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, pepper, carrot, oregano, and basil.
Let simmer for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
To serve, ladle into a bowl and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with warm crusty bread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Applejack Sauce

This dish is all about the sauce. Cook the chicken pretty much any way you'd like, add this sauce to it and it will liven up any meal.

The first time I made this, it was with pork chops and with this apple stuffing tucked inside. It was so good but quite a bit of work. I made this on the first Valentines Day my husband and I spent together (boyfriend at the time); along with a homemade Tiramisu that didn't turn out so well. Since then, I have yet to make another Tiramisu, but have made this sauce pretty often. I turned this dish into a meal that doesn't have to be for a special occasion (hence chicken) but at the same time -definitely could. This comes altered from Williams-Sonoma American.

I think I have always paired this recipe with the stuffing listed in the paragraph above.



This is a picture of the brandy in flames... if you can see them (its the blue color).


Applejack Sauce

Ingredients

Grilled, baked or pan-fried chicken, or pork chops
1/3 cup Applejack (apple Brandy) - I have made this with Apricot Brandy also, probably any would do
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
3/4 cup Chicken Stock or Broth
1/4 cup Cream
Chopped Sage for garnish

Directions

In a small sauce pan on low heat, add the brandy. Once it's warm, ignite with a match or lighter... Careful!
Let it flame for about 30 seconds. If it doesn't go out on it's own you can cover the pan with a lid. Set aside.
Dissolved the cornstarch in a Tbs of water and add this, preferably, to the pan you cooked the meat in.
Add the brandy, broth, and cream. Stir well. If you use the pan you have cooked the meat in, this will de-glaze the pan getting all of the bits of flavor from the meat up and off the pan into your sauce. Yum!
Bring to a boil over medium heat for about 1 minute. You should be able to see it has thickened just a bit.
Spoon over your meat and voila! Boring to fantastic. :)

Apple Stuffing

This is a pretty basic stuffing, but with apples. The original recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma cook book American. It calls for dried apples and to be stuffed in a pork chop which is delicious. But, this is for those who only want the stuffing.

I cubed some bread I had and let it dry out in a bowl for a day, stirring it occasionally to let all parts of the bread be exposed to the air.

Apple Stuffing

Ingredients

~4 cups cubbed and dried Bread
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/3 cup Chopped Shallot, Green Onion, or Yellow Onion
1 chopped Apple
1 tsp Dried Sage or 2 tsp Chopped Fresh Sage
~3/4 cup Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and bread to the pan to saute the onions and toast the bread. Stir every few seconds. If it is sticking, add more oil by the teaspoon.
Turn off the heat and add the apples when the onions and bread are close to done, about 4 minutes.
Add the sage, salt and pepper. Drizzle the chicken broth trying to coat as much bread as possible. Coat until the bread is just wet, not soaked but damp. You may have to add more broth if it looks a little dry.
Transfer to an oven baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Stir halfway through to check the stuffing.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

I was surprised at how flavorful this dish was; but, if you look at the ingredients, it should be. This recipe is part of 3 or 4 other recipes combined. It is more ideal for ground chuck but I didn't have any of that on hand (if you haven't noticed yet, I'd rather use ingredients I already have) and it's cheaper! You can use any cut of beef you have on hand. I also decided to put the stroganoff on a baked potato since we had a giant bag I just bought. I've only had it on egg noodles before but this worked out great! I actually never eat the skin of my potato (I know, it's where most of the nutrients are) but I always taste a hint of dirt- yuck. Well, everyone, I have an announcement: I ate my potato skin! AND my husband did too! He never eats his either. Can you believe it? I actually liked it, all because of this delicious stroganoff.

Oh and my husband and I don't like mushrooms, so the picture shown has none. (I know, stroganoff is basically pure mushrooms but whatever) And, how do you make stroganoff look appetizing in bad lighting? Take my word for it, it's good.

Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Hambuger or Chuck
1 small chopped Yellow Onion
1-2 cups fresh Mushrooms-- this is a guess because I didn't use any
1 can Beef Broth (low sodium would be great)
1/3 cup White Wine
~1 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Prepared Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika

Directions

Brown, salt and pepper the beef on medium high heat, set aside. If you have a large amount of fat in the pan, you can discard it.
Over medium heat, add the chopped onion to the pan and cook until they become soft. If you do not have enough fat from the beef in the pan, you can add 1 Tbs butter to help keep it from sticking.
If you are using mushrooms, this would be the time to add them to the pan to saute until soft.
Pour the beef broth and wine into the pan. If you would like a thicker sauce, you can add 1 or 2 Tbs flour at this point and stir constantly. Let it boil until the liquid has decreased by half.
Turn the heat down to low and add the sour cream, paprika, and mustard.
If it is not as thick as you like it, you can simmer, uncovered for a few minutes to try to thicken it up.
Serve over cooked egg noodles, baked potato, or rice.

Enjoy!

Guacamole

I had two avocados that desperately needed to be used, as well as a giant bag of chips. The choice was easy to make, guacamole it is! Perfect for your upcoming Super Bowl party. Although, I would probably double the recipe if you plan to have a lot of people over.

Guacamole is so simple and so good. I hope you find this recipe very do-able. I swear every store bought guacamole is some sort of mutant green color or just does not taste right. You will be much happier making your own. Promise.

Guacamole

Ingredients

2 Ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 a Lime or about 2 Tbs (depends on how juicy it is)
1-2 Tablespoons Chopped Red Onion
~ 1 Tbs Chopped Cilantro (I like a little less than a Tbs)
1/2 Squashed and minced Clove Garlic (add more if you'd like, I am not a garlic lover)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Slice avocados and remove the pit. Scoop avocado away from the skin and into a bowl. Smash with a fork.
Add the lime juice, red onion, cilantro, and garlic.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

*The picture shown does not have a tomato in it. It is good with or without, enjoy.