I actually threw this recipe away. It was okay, but not worthy of posting. Well I guess I am talking about it, but that's all it gets. A few years ago I had a friend rave about "White Bean Chili" with chicken. It didn't sound good to me, but I've thought about it all these years. I finally looked up some recipes, and it all sounded okay. I checked out different kinds of beans--the recipes all called for canellini beans, but I wasn't able to find any dry canellini beans, only in a can--and that also said white kidney beans. Then we looked them up and the consensus was that Great Northern beans or navy beans were often mistaken for canellini beans. Well heck, if other people can't tell them apart, why should I be able to?
So I purchased 3 cans of canellini beans and soaked a bag of Great Northern beans I had in my pantry. They did look pretty much the same. When I think of chili, I think of the chili I make every year at Halloween with small red beans and dark red kidney beans. I soak them all night and cook them all day. Well, white beans don't want to be cooked all day. They kind of started falling apart, but I used them anyway, thinking they would be the "glue" and help thicken it up.
We cooked chicken, put in all the spices, added green chilis, and there was just something missing. It was okay. Not great. I even gave some away and the feelings were mutual. I tried to think of what was missing and made a few suggestions, one was bacon. We decided that I was trying to make white beans and ham. And if it was beans and ham that I wanted, just make white beans and ham. Put in a few carrots, some celery and that wonderful ham hock. Or just ham. (But not ham in the purple foil wrapper.)
So, we ate some, gave some away, and tossed the rest. I just couldn't even bring myself to eat any more the next day. If you have a wonderful white chili recipe, you can tell me, but I may not try it. Just sayin'.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Taco Soup
This soup was wonderful! I made a taco soup that someone told me about years ago and wasn't that impressed, so haven't ever made it again. But at Christmas I was given a mix for cornbread and the recipe for taco soup, so I decided, since I'm on a quest for the perfect soup, that I'd try again. I loved it! I didn't exactly follow the recipe, and I'm not totally sure on all measurements, which is not a surprise if you know me at all and cooking methods. But here goes:
1 pound browned hamburger
2-3 cans kidney beans, undrained
1 can beef broth (can add more if you need more liquid)
1-2 cans tomatoes (I think I used sliced, which were great because you got nice little chunks of sweet tomatoes)
couple handfuls of frozen corn (the recipe said canned with its juice, but I think sometimes canned corn kind of overwhelms the flavor)
1 packet taco seasoning mix (or two if you're using the larger amounts of beans, broth, etc.)
1 jar salsa
I think the salsa really added to this. Now what I used was my own salsa that I canned. When I made this salsa I decided not to mash it up--I didn't want anything runny, just really thick. So I coarsely chopped everything and it didn't turn out very tomatoey. So as far as salsa on chips, we haven't eaten much of it, but in a recipe, it's absolutely perfect. I use it in tortilla soup, this soup and on a round steak (like swiss steak but one day I didn't have all the ingredients and realized it was all in the salsa, so I just added that--it was great).
1 pound browned hamburger
2-3 cans kidney beans, undrained
1 can beef broth (can add more if you need more liquid)
1-2 cans tomatoes (I think I used sliced, which were great because you got nice little chunks of sweet tomatoes)
couple handfuls of frozen corn (the recipe said canned with its juice, but I think sometimes canned corn kind of overwhelms the flavor)
1 packet taco seasoning mix (or two if you're using the larger amounts of beans, broth, etc.)
1 jar salsa
I think the salsa really added to this. Now what I used was my own salsa that I canned. When I made this salsa I decided not to mash it up--I didn't want anything runny, just really thick. So I coarsely chopped everything and it didn't turn out very tomatoey. So as far as salsa on chips, we haven't eaten much of it, but in a recipe, it's absolutely perfect. I use it in tortilla soup, this soup and on a round steak (like swiss steak but one day I didn't have all the ingredients and realized it was all in the salsa, so I just added that--it was great).
Monday, January 10, 2011
Tortilla Soup
This has been a favorite of mine for awhile--just good. This recipe came from DeNai Decker, also at a Cub Scout function. You'd think that's the only thing I do.
Same old big soup pot:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut up and cook thoroughly
4 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 jar salsa (I use my own homemade)
I serve this with sour cream, especially if the salsa is a little on the hot side. Then I make quesadillas on the griddle.
Butter one side of a flour tortilla, lay buttered side on griddle. Add cheese to on half, fold over. Turn until browned! I cut them into three triangles and serve with the soup. We're dippers at our house, so that's how we eat this soup.
I've seen lots of recipes where they say to add tomatoes, celery, etc. but my salsa has chunks of tomatoes, so I don't add any. I really think the celery and onions or anything else would get lost in the salsa, so I don't add it.
I've also seen to add avocado, which I've tried, but didn't think it really added anything. In fact, it got lost, too. So, keep it simple!
Same old big soup pot:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut up and cook thoroughly
4 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 jar salsa (I use my own homemade)
I serve this with sour cream, especially if the salsa is a little on the hot side. Then I make quesadillas on the griddle.
Butter one side of a flour tortilla, lay buttered side on griddle. Add cheese to on half, fold over. Turn until browned! I cut them into three triangles and serve with the soup. We're dippers at our house, so that's how we eat this soup.
I've seen lots of recipes where they say to add tomatoes, celery, etc. but my salsa has chunks of tomatoes, so I don't add any. I really think the celery and onions or anything else would get lost in the salsa, so I don't add it.
I've also seen to add avocado, which I've tried, but didn't think it really added anything. In fact, it got lost, too. So, keep it simple!
Tortellini Soup
I've decided to make soup at least once a week this winter. Okay, I haven't so far, but it's a new year and that's what I'm thinking. Last week I made Heather Cook's soup. I don't know exactly what to call it, other than really good. Half of my family (the picky ones) said, oh, that soup again, and the other half said Oh! That soup again! It's good.
In dutch oven or large pan:
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and chunked up
2 cans beef broth
2 cans tomatoes--if you are buying them, get the kind stewed with garlic and basil
crushed garlic (if you use plain tomatoes)
cut up zucchini, yellow and/or green--I like both
basil--the recipe says fresh, but that's really expensive--I just used a Tbsp of dried
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
frozen green beans
tortellini--I have used the dried cheese or frozen with meat--doesn't really matter
Okay Heather said she doesn't usually add the beans because they don't add a ton of flavor, but I like them for texture and color.
This soup is so full of flavor that you just savor each bite and wonder what you'll get in the next one. I love it! Heather brought this for the Cub Scout Cake Auction and Soup dinner, and I thought it was wonderful, and I only got a tiny bite. Now I plan to make it a lot--too bad for my pickies.
In dutch oven or large pan:
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and chunked up
2 cans beef broth
2 cans tomatoes--if you are buying them, get the kind stewed with garlic and basil
crushed garlic (if you use plain tomatoes)
cut up zucchini, yellow and/or green--I like both
basil--the recipe says fresh, but that's really expensive--I just used a Tbsp of dried
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
frozen green beans
tortellini--I have used the dried cheese or frozen with meat--doesn't really matter
Okay Heather said she doesn't usually add the beans because they don't add a ton of flavor, but I like them for texture and color.
This soup is so full of flavor that you just savor each bite and wonder what you'll get in the next one. I love it! Heather brought this for the Cub Scout Cake Auction and Soup dinner, and I thought it was wonderful, and I only got a tiny bite. Now I plan to make it a lot--too bad for my pickies.
Grandpa Orval's Buttermilk Pancakes
This morning Jake wanted pancakes and I remembered a recipe from a long time ago--when we lived in Sugarhouse. This comes from a booklet I typed up when I was the Homemaking Counselor (that shows how long ago since it's no longer Homemaking) for Christmas. Orval Wilson, a sweet, wonderful man, is credited for this recipe.
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
Remember if you don't have buttermilk, that's okay. Add a little vinegar to your milk and let it sour. You can tell it's ready when it's kind of lumpy. Some recipes need more milk because they are too thick for me, and some need more flour because they're too thin, but this recipe is just right. The batter almost seems a little thin, but give it a chance--the pancakes puff up nicely, and they're perfect. Not too thick, not too thin.
Yesterday on a cooking show, they talked about pancakes. They added all kinds of things to make the perfect pancake, but most of that stuff I don't remember and didn't have in my pantry. I have all this stuff, and these are really good.
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
Remember if you don't have buttermilk, that's okay. Add a little vinegar to your milk and let it sour. You can tell it's ready when it's kind of lumpy. Some recipes need more milk because they are too thick for me, and some need more flour because they're too thin, but this recipe is just right. The batter almost seems a little thin, but give it a chance--the pancakes puff up nicely, and they're perfect. Not too thick, not too thin.
Yesterday on a cooking show, they talked about pancakes. They added all kinds of things to make the perfect pancake, but most of that stuff I don't remember and didn't have in my pantry. I have all this stuff, and these are really good.
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