Taco Soup

Ah October; it's a month filled with cuddles, pumpkins, spooky stuff and hot chocolate! Oh and soup, which makes my tummy feel cuddly.

Tonight for dinner I decided to make a recipe that mixes two of my most well-liked things: tacos and soup. The best part about this recipe? You just throw everything into a large stock pot and call it a day.

Taco Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can yellow corn kernels, drained
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
1 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing seasoning
16 oz chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook until you can smell it.

Add in turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Pour in all the cans, tomatoes, seasoning and broth and stir. Bring to a boil.

Drop the heat down to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

I ate one bowl of this soup (granted it was a big bowl) and I'm absolutely stuffed! This soup has all the great flavors of tacos combined with the warming inside-tummy comfort of soup! This soup paired perfectly with my Sierra Nevada Vienna and some Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Not a bad way to start off a week, huh readers? Enjoy and I hope this, the last week of September 2016 treats you well.

Chile Relleno Casserole

Do you know what I love? Convenience and comfort. This weekend Nate and I went camping so that means today I'm sleepy and not wanting to go too far from the couch so I'm not very interested in cooking this evening. This is where my Crock-Pot comes in! It's convenient and therefore I can remain comfortable. 

Last Thanksgiving I bought myself a cookbook that is filled with recipes for just this occasion! Fix-It And Forget-It Vegetarian Cookbook "565 Delicious Slow-Cooker, Stove-Top, Oven and Salad Recipes, plus 50 Suggested Menus" by Phyllis Pellman Good. This book is filled with recipes that were submitted from people from all around, some seem better than others but thankfully there are several different variations on each recipe. 

I used this recipe as a guide but I think it would be good if it were followed to the letter as well. 

Have you readers ever eaten chile relleno? In New Mexican cuisine (which, of course you all know is my favorite comfort food), a chile relleno is a Hatch green chile pepper stuffed with cheese, battered and then deep fried. It is rich, comforting, slightly spicy and oh-so cheesy! This casserole has all those qualities as well! 

Chile Relleno Casserole 

Cooking spray 

6 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 C Monterey Jack cheese 

1 block plain cream cheese, cut into cubes 

20 buttery crackers, crushed 

1/2 C chopped and roasted green chile

1 Tsp onion powder  

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 Tbsp butter

In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 the cheese, eggs, 1/2 the crackers, chile and spices. 

Pour into a greased 3 Quart Crock-Pot set to high. 

Cook on high for an hour and 15 minutes. If not completely set, cook for another 15 minutes. 

In a separate bowl, melt butter and combine with remaining cracker crumbs. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and cracker crumb topping. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

Now, this recipe originally called for cottage cheese, but I personally think that cottage cheese is disgusting and much prefer cream cheese but it's all personal preference. It also calls for 4 oz canned green chile, but fresh roasted is definitely superior. However, if you cannot obtain fresh roasted, use canned. Wow, I feel like I sound like Ina Garten, "if you don't have Madagascar vanilla beans hand picked by the Lemurs from the hit family film, Madagascar, store-bought's fine".

I also added the crunchy cracker topping. The recipe calls for all the crackers to be baked into the casserole but who doesn't love a great crunchy cracker topping? 

One of the variations says you can also bake the casserole in the oven if you don't have a Crock Pot. Pour contents into a 9X13 baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until set. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I get my recipes from a variety of sources: cookbooks, family recipes, friends, magazines and the occasional Pinterest. I am critical of all of them but none more so than Pinterest. Have you heard of "Pinterest fails"? Pinterest can be a great inspirational resource, but due to the fact it's a free and open forum, people post things without testing and verifying them. 

Thankfully, this recipe wasn't one of those, although I used it more as inspiration than as a rule. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, cooked and drained

1/2 C butter 

1/2 C flour 

6 C milk

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 C chopped green onion 

1 C shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for serving

1/2 Tsp salt 

1/2 Tsp garlic powder 

1 vegetable bouillon cube 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 C sour cream 

Fry bacon, drain off fat and set aside. 

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add in flour once butter is completely melted and whisk until foaming subsides. 

Add in milk and green onions. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Drop heat down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add in cheese and seasonings, stir, re-cover and simmer another 20 minutes. 

Add in sour cream and bacon, stir and simmer 5 more minutes. 

I'm happy to say this soup was a success! Tasted exactly like a loaded baked potato, there were no mishaps (well aside from my soup boiling over once) and it was warm and cozy just as any good soup ought to be. 

Enjoy readers! I'm quite pleased to say this was not a "Pinterest fail"! 

Sherried Tomato Soup

Well, it's an interesting Monday so far: 

1) Tropical Storm Julia is creating a deluge of rain and colder temperatures, which are graciously welcomed; 

2) I am fighting off a sinus infection/cold that are leaving me feeling like I have been punched in the nose; and, 

3) There is a gasoline shortage affecting North Carolina. 

Yeah, I definitely have "a case of the Mondays". 

After getting off work I went searching for gasoline and, thankfully, found some at the gas station nearest our apartment (yay!), went on a run and then came home to make Sherried Tomato Soup. 

Thank you, Ree Drummond for concocting what is probably the best (and most simple to make) tomato soup I've ever eaten in my life and thank you Mama Hart for buying me The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl so I knew this recipe existed. 

Sherried Tomato Soup

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 Tbsp butter 

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes 

1 46 oz can or bottle of tomato juice 

3-6 Tbsp sugar 

1-2 Tbsp chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 C sherry (optional) 

1 1/2 C heavy cream 

1/4 C chopped flat leaf parsley 

1/4 C chopped basil 

In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion until translucent. 

Dump in the diced tomatoes, or in my case, crushed tomatoes (they were cheaper and in a bigger can). Since I realized the diced tomatoes were supposed to be a textual component, I took two fresh tomatoes from the fridge and diced them. 

Add the tomato juice. 

The sugar is added to balance out the acidity. I only used 3 Tbsp of sugar because I'm not a huge fan of sweet tomato soup; but the amount is definitely up to personal preference. 

Add the chicken base or bouillon cubes. I used 3 vegetable bouillon cubes because that's what I had in my pantry. 

Now add lots of freshly ground black pepper, stir and then heat until almost boiling. Then kill the heat. 

Add in the sherry, stir to combine and return the heat to medium. 

Now add in the heavy cream and watch the soup turn a luscious and velvety red. 

Chop the fresh herbs and stir. At this point, stand over the pot and inhale deeply: this soup smells like an absolute delight! Tomato-y, rich, the slight and delightful sherry scent and fresh! 

The second best part about this soup, the first being the flavor, is that it took about 30 minutes from start to finish to make! 

I paired this magnificent soup with grilled cheese with green chile (told you I'm trying to eat away my homesickness). 

Please try this soup! It's fantastic! 

Green Chile Soufflé

Since moving from New Mexico, I've found in most homesick during the fall. So many wonderful and unique events occur between September and November: the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, The Grecian Festival, and The New Mexico State Fair. However, one of my favorite things about fall in New Mexico is the smell of roasting green chile. The intoxicating and unmistakable smell fills the air of every grocery store and super market and every New Mexican knows that smell means fall is here. 

I am extremely fortunate to have a grocer here in Raleigh that sells fresh Hatch green chiles and I have roasted, peeled and chopped roughly 6 pounds of it since the beginning of September; safe to say I'm set for awhile. The smell of them roasting under the broiler is as close as I'll get to the Real smell for awhile so it'll have to do. 

To use some of my chile, I decided to consult the New Mexican cookbook my dear friend Crystal and her husband, Cel bought me as a going-away gift: The Best From New Mexico Kitchens published by New Mexico Magazine.  This cookbook contains a diverse collection of recipes sent into the magazine including restaurant standards, timeless classics, and new favorites. 

Green Chile Soufflé 

5 egg whites

1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese 

4 egg yolks 

3 Tbsp butter 

3-5 Tbsp flour 

1 C hot milk

1/2 Tsp salt, plus a pinch, divided 

1/4 Tsp dry mustard 

Pinch cayenne 

1/4 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

1/2 C green chile 

Separate egg whites and yolks. Place whites in a 4 Quart bowl and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Butter 1 1/2 quart soufflé dish (or in my case,  a 1 3/4 quart Corningware casserole dish) generously. Sprinkle the sides and bottom evenly with Parmesan cheese. 

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until boiling. 

Heat milk in microwave. 

Remove the roux from heat and whisk in milk and beat until combined. 

Add in 1/2 Tsp salt, mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire. Return to heat and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly until the mixture is thickened. 

Remove from heat and add in egg yolks one at a time, completely combining before the next addition. 

Pour mixture into a large bowl. 

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Add one large spoonful to the egg yolk mixture and combine.

Add all but 2 Tbsp of the cheddar cheese and all the green chile to the egg yolk mixture and combine. 

Fold remaining egg whites into the yolk mixture using a rubber spatula. 

Pour into soufflé dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar cheese. 

To help the "crown" form on the soufflé, run a silver knife in a circle about 1 inch from the rest of the dish. 

Reduce the heat to 375. Place in the center of your oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the side of your dish comes out clean. 

Well, Edna Turner of Santa Fe, (the creator of this recipe) I don't know who you are or how you created this recipe but I love you! The soufflé was spectacular! Eggy, cheesy, spicy, fulfilled my chile craving, and definitely helped in my recent homesickness. I would absolutely make this recipe again and another big thank you to Crystal and Cel for this fantastic cookbook! 

Pumpkin Spice Morning

Well readers, if you've read my blog at all you know how much I adore pumpkin everything: pumpkin candles and wax melts, pumpkin soap and shampoo, pumpkin cookies, oh, and of course, Pumpkin Spice Lattes more commonly referred to as PSL (shoutout to Starbucks for hooking it up every year). 

This morning I made pumpkin waffles and my own pumpkin spice creamer. While it is easier to buy pumpkin spice creamer from the store, the store bought creamers are packed full of artificial preservatives, flavors, colors and God knows what else. 

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

2 C pre-made waffle mix 

1 C canned pumpkin purée 

2 eggs 

1 C milk 

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice 

Cooking spray 

In a big bowl, whisk together ingredients until batter is combined. I prefer my waffle batter to be slightly thick, but you can always add more milk if you don't want your batter as thick. 

Spray your preheated waffle iron with cooking spray and pour about 1/3 C batter into each well of the waffle iron. Cook about 5 minutes. 

These waffles are soft and taste perfectly like pumpkin! Ah, the best fix for any pumpkin spice obsessor, such as myself. 

Pumpkin Spice Creamer 

2 C skim milk 

3 Tbsp pumpkin purée 

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 Tsp vanilla extract 

2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice 

Whisk together ingredients and pour into a sauce pan over medium heat. 

Heat the creamer until it is steaming NOT boiling. 

Pour into a mason jar and refrigerate. 

Enjoy your delicious creamer! 

This was the perfect pumpkin spice morning! Waffles, creamer and the first episode of American Horror Story season 6. Have a happy Sunday, readers! 

Roasted Brains aka Cauliflower

Nate and I love the Halloween season! We love it so much that we begin celebrating in mid-September. This year we decided that every week we will make a spooky-themed meal and watch a scary movie that we alternate picking. 

Tonight the spooky meal is Roasted "Brains" aka Cauliflower. Cauliflower looks similar to brains, hence the name and we will be watching Silent Hill, my pick. 

Roasted "Brains"

1 whole cauliflower, cleaned and leaves removed

1/4 C butter, softened 

1 clove garlic, pressed 

1 Tbsp dill

1 tsp lemon zest 

1/2 tsp ground cumin 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/2 C Parmesan cheese (optional), for serving

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix together butter, garlic, dill, lemon zest, cumin, salt and pepper until it resembles a paste and slather generously over the top and sides of the cauliflower. My paste wasn't quite enough to cover my cauliflower so I actually had to use another Tbsp butter and a little more of the rest of the seasonings. Pour whatever's left in your mixing bowl over the cauliflower. 

Place cauliflower upright in a casserole dish and roast in the oven for an hour and 25 minutes. 

Spoon any liquid over the top of the cauliflower, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve. 

These roasted brains are sure to please any zombie or zombie enthusiast! Since Thursday night, Nate and I have been binge-watching The Walking Dead; the newest season is now on Netflix, in case y'all didn't know. And if y'all haven't watched it before, you really should. It's a fantastic show and truly addicting. Anyway, enjoy the brains and tune in tomorrow for Green Chile and Cheese Soufflé! 

Artichoke and Cheese Quiche

Have you ever had a day where you were just constantly in a state of "can't wait"? I can't wait to eat lunch, I can't wait to go running, I can't wait to take a shower, I can't wait for this agonizing sunburn to go away, etc. Yesterday that was me. So to get out some of my excess "can't wait" energy, I cracked open my What's Cooking Vegetarian  cookbook and found the perfect recipe: Artichoke and Cheese Quiche. 

If you've read any of my blog before, you know I love a good quiche. I love the flaky crust contrasted with delicious eggy filling. Plus quiche is so versitle, you can eat it for literally any meal! Breakfast? Sure. Brunch? Of course! Lunch? Uh huh. Dinner? Duh. Midnight snacks? Definitely! 

Artichoke and Cheese Quiche

1 1/4 C flour, sifted 

Punch of salt 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 1 Tbsp portions 

3 Tbsp cold water 

1 red onion, sliced

1 can canned artichoke hearts, drained

1 C grated cheddar cheese 

1/2 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 

2 eggs, beaten 

1 Tbsp Rosemary 

Preheat oven to 400. 

Begin by preparing the pastry. Soft flour into a bowl and mix in salt. Cut in butter 2 Tbsp at a time and combine until cough resembles coarse crumbs. Add in water until dough can form a ball. 

On a floured surface, roll out dough until it can be stretched over an 8 inch tart pan, or in my case an 8 inch springform pan. Prick with fork. 

Now onto the filling! In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté red onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes. Add in artichokes and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. 

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, cheese and rosemary. Stir in onion and artichoke mixture. 

Pour filling into the pastry and bake for 25 minutes or until quiche is completely set. 

This quiche was absolutely phenomenal! The pastry was perfectly flaky and the taste of garlic throughout was almost magical. I just may be adding crushed garlic to all of my pastry doughs from now on. The filling was slightly briny from the artichoke hearts, the Gorgonzola paired perfectly with the other flavors without being overpowering and the filling was perfectly set. I would definitely recommend trying this quiche out for a busy night meal. 

Cashew Paella

In the spirit of not letting my job get in the way of my life, this past weekend a good friend of mine (SHOUTOUT TO RANDI) and I went to the beach. The sand, the waves, the fish oh, and getting really ridiculously sunburned. My back looks as red as a fire truck and I have horrific pain. To get my mind off the white hot, searing, awful pain, I decided to make cashew paella. Now, I've never had actual paella, but this vegetarian alternative from What's Cooking Vegetatian by Jenny Stacey is pretty much amazing, actually Nate has eaten three helpings. 

Cashew Paella 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

2 Tbsp butter 

1 red onion, diced 

1 C risotto rice 

1 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp ground cumin  

1/2 tsp chili powder 

3 garlic cloves, crushed 

1 orange pepper, diced 

1 yellow pepper, diced 

1 green chile, seeded and sliced

2 3/4 oz baby corn, sliced lengthwise 

2 Tbsp pitted black olives 

1 large tomato, seeded and diced 

2 C vegetable stock 

3/4 C unsalted cashews 

1/4 C frozen peas 

2 Tbsp chopped parsley 

Pinch cayenne pepper 

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and melt the butter. Sauté onions until translucent. 

Stir in the rice, tumeric, cumin, chili powder, bell peppers, baby corn, olives, and tomato. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Pour in stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Add the cashews and peas to the skillet and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on cayenne and parsley. 

 

My stomach is full of paella, my eyes are watching Jane the Virgin and now I'm off to soak my poor lobster-colored, peely-skinned and chapped lipped body in an oatmeal bath with some white wine and a good book. Nothing like being forced to relax in a tub of oats. 

Kentucky Hot Browns

In celebration of Labor Day, I spent the day cleaning my apartment, doing laundry and peeling an awful lot of Hatch green chile. Thankfully, a local North Carolina grocer carries them and I was inspired to buy pretty much their entire stock. 

With the rest of my time, I wanted to make Nate a nice meal while he was at work, so I turned to Kentucky Hot Browns from my Southern Living Feel Good Food cookbook. According to my cookbook, the Kentucky Hot Brown was developed in the 1920s at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Kentucky Hot Browns 

4 thick white bread slices (or brioche buns) 

3/4 lb thick sliced roasted turkey 

Mornay Sauce (recipe below) 

1 C shredded Parmesan cheese 

3 plum tomatoes, sliced 

8 bacon slices, cooked 

Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Place bread slices on baking sheet, and broil 1-2 minutes on each side until toasted. 

Arrange bread slices in 4 lightly greased broiler-safe individual baking dishes (or if you don't have them, just on a baking sheet). Too bread with turkey. Pour hot Mornay Sauce over turkey. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Broil 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned; remove from oven. Top sandwiches with tomatoes and bacon. 

Mornay Sauce 

1/2 C butter 

1/3 C flour 

3 1/2 C milk 

1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese 

1/4 tsp salt 

2/4 tsp pepper 

Melt butter in 3Q saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. 

Mornay Sauce is a rich, velvety, cheesy luscious sauce that I would honestly eat on absolutely anything. 

After a VERY filling dinner, Nate and I settled in for an evening of movie watching and Lego Harry Potter video game playing. Man, I love my husband. 

Chile, Not Chilly

Hi readers, so lately I've been letting a lot of things get in the way of my goals and priorities and had to really take a step back and reevaluate things. I've been so caught up in my job and stress resulting from that that I've been forgetting what's important to me. 

So Saturday I did something purely for me: cracked open a bunch of cookbooks and picked recipes. 

One recipe I picked was from a cookbook my Sissy bought me: Grandpa's Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Cookbook by Judi Barrett. This adorable book is filled with fun recipes that I'm sure any child (or adult-sized child) would love cooking and eating. 

Chili, Not Chilly

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, chopped 

1 clove garlic, chopped fine 

1 red pepper, chopped 

3 Tbsp chopped roasted green chile (optional) 

2-3 Tbsp chili powder 

1 lb ground turkey 

28 oz can diced tomatoes 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 15 oz cans cannellini or black beans (I used great northern beans because they were on sale) 

Dollop of sour cream, for serving 

Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

In a large pot, add olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and red pepper and 1 Tbsp of the chili powder. Cook over medium heat until the veggies are soft, about 7-9 minutes.

Add the turkey and break it up finely. Add the rest of the chili powder and sauté until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes with the liquid, salt and pepper, and the beans. 

Bring to a boil, then summer for 40-45 minutes, partially covered. 

Serve with corn bread and enjoy! 

Thanks to Hurricane Hermine, we here in Raleigh had rain and 73 degree temperatures. It was utterly fantastic and felt like fall! We invited over some friends for beers, chili, corn bread and horror movies and it made me feel back to my old self. I realized I need to do more things for me and let work take a back seat to everything else.