Bacon & Veggie Chowder

Once again I am cleaning out the fridge and trying to make something delicious with not much. After look at all sorts of chowder recipes on the web I felt pretty confident I could wing my own. For a first attempt at chowder it was pretty delicious!

Ingredients
Serves4-6

2 cans low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced green chilies
1 red potato, skin on, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 green onion stalks, chopped
frozen corn, 1 handful
black beans, cooked, 1 handful
1/4 cup flour
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
black pepper, to taste (I used tons)
cumin, to taste
paprika. to taste
onion powder, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
sea salt, a pinch

Bring chicken stock and 1 cup water to boil. Add all veggies and spices to pot and simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. While the veggies are simmering you can cook your bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and cook chopped garlic in the bacon drippings. Add browned garlic and crumbled bacon to the soup. Lower heat and continue to cook covered.

In a separate bowl add 1 cup of skim milk and add 1/4 cup flour. Whisk until there are no lumps, or you can use an immersion blender which is much faster. Add mixture to soup and stir well. Now you can add your shredded cheese. Stir well and let cook for another 10 minutes to ensure everything is blended well.

Serve with tortilla strips and chopped cilantro.

Potato, Kale, and Sausage Soup

I am starting to think I should call my blog "Sausage and Kale" instead of "Rhubarb and Mint" seeing as these two ingredients make their way into my cooking on a pretty regular basis. Kale is pretty much boss in terms of awesome ingredients, especially as fall is starting to creep its way into Seattle. This is my first attempt at a Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup...Per usual I am just winging it, no recipe to follow per se, just throwing my favorite things into a pot.

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
1 lg shallot, diced
2 tbs mashed garlic
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, ground
14oz chicken broth
2 lg red potatoes, halved and sliced thin (skins on)
1 half bunch of kale, finely sliced
4 cups water
garlic powder, to taste
onion powder, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot and add shallots and garlic. Stir until onions soften and start to brown. Once the onions are cooked add the sausage and brown on medium heat. After the sausage is thoroughly cooked you can add your chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil and add your potatoes, kale and spices. Let boil for about ten minutes and then turn onto low heat and let simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes.

So much kale....

Steaming Hot and Delicious

Perfect start to the Fall season!

Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread. I also put a little dollop of sour cream in one bowl, and it was divine.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is a common Italian soup made with fresh seasonal vegetable along with the addition of beans and pasta. This soup can be made a variety of ways to suit each persons tastes. It is simple yet hearty. My version is always vegetarian and varies with the seasons.

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

32oz box of your favorite stock/ broth. I prefer to use a vegetarian "No Chicken, Chicken Stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Handful of frozen corn
Handful of frozen peas
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1 cup cooked Ditalini pasta, or whatever you prefer
1/2 small white onion diced
2-3 kale leafs, chopped thin


Spices to taste:
paprika
parsley
black pepper
garlic paste
onion powder
thyme
sea salt
1 generous squirt of ketchup (trust me on this one)

Combine all ingredients with the exception of the pasta and heat until it comes to a boil. Once it boils turn down to a simmer for about 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add pasta before serving so they do not become overly starchy in the soup. 

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.