Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens (9 page)

2
Carefully pour in the diced tomato, salsa verde, and finely chopped chipotle peppers, and stir to mix well. Stir constantly to keep it from scorching, and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Add the adobo sauce and all but ¼ cup of the vegetable stock.

3
Stir the cornstarch into the ¼ cup of cold vegetable stock, making a slurry. Pour the slurry into the rest of the soup and allow it to come to a simmer. Stir occasionally as it simmers and thickens for about 20 minutes.

4
Stir in the shredded chicken and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Eat warm with fresh corn bread served family style.

Avant-Garde Avocado

Yields 1½ quarts (5 servings)

Some people erroneously assume avocados are bad for you and high in fat. Not true. The avocado only contains 4 grams of saturated fat per serving and provides lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein to help prevent heart disease, eye disease, and some cancers. Not too crappy!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, smashed

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

4 ripe avocados, cubed

¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice

4 cups vegetable stock

2 roasted red peppers, sliced (see page 30)

1
In your 12-quart stockpot heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the onion and garlic clove. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat to low, sweating the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, but make sure the liquid that has collected in the lid falls back into the pot.

2
Leave the burner on low heat, and add the cubed avocado and lime juice. Stir until the avocado begins to break down and is completely covered by the lime juice. Add the vegetable stock, stirring constantly, until the avocado has begun to incorporate into the stock.

3
Use your blender to puree the soup in batches and pour it into another pot. Do not strain the soup. Place the pot of bisque over low heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4
Serve the avocado bisque warm and with a tablespoon of roasted red peppers sprinkled along the edge of the soup, or just use your leftover Pico de Gallo Salsa (p. 215).

Have-Some-Broccoli-with-
That-Cheese-Soup

Yields 1 gallon (12 servings)

I chose the cheeses in this recipe for their defining characteristics: cheddar for its sharpness, fontina for its nuttiness and strong aroma, Brie for both its buttery and pungent flavor, and Parmigiano for its sharp, nutty, and salty personality.

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 cup small dice yellow onion

½ cup small dice carrots

½ cup small dice celery

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups whole milk

2 pounds broccoli florets, fresh

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pound fontina cheese, shredded

½ pound Brie cheese, rind cut off

Tabasco sauce, to taste

½ pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1
In a 12-quart stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and stir to coat with the butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover, and allow the vegetables to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, and make sure the liquid that has collected in the lid goes back into the pot.

2
While stirring constantly, add the flour to create a roux. Slowly add the chicken stock while whisking vigorously, or you will have a lumpy soup. Once all of the stock is in, you can whisk in the milk and bring the soup up to a simmer.

3
Once simmering, add the broccoli and the cheddar, and stir until the cheddar has completely melted. Next, add the fontina and Brie, and stir until they have melted.

4
Taste the soup at this point and season it to taste with Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Serve warm with a sprinkle of Parmigiano over each bowl.

Smokin' Leftover Turkey Soup

Yields 1 gallon (12 servings)

Thanksgiving leftovers never tasted so good (and that's saying a lot!). If you have leftover stuffing in addition to the turkey, toast it into croutons instead of the sourdough. The family is going to think you're a genius.

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup roughly chopped green onion

½ cup small diced carrots

½ cup small dice celery

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups whole milk

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup cubed sourdough bread

1 pound smoked Gouda, shredded

1 pound smoked cheddar, shredded

½ pound Brie, rind cut off

4 cups shredded roasted turkey, white and dark meat

¼ cup chopped chives

1
Preheat oven to 400°. In a 12-quart stockpot, heat the ½ cup of butter over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the onion, carrot, and celery and stir to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables gently for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

2
While stirring constantly, add the flour to create a roux. Cook the roux for 5 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock while whisking vigorously, or you will have a lumpy soup. Once all of the stock is in, you can whisk in the milk and bring the soup up to a simmer.

3
Stir together the minced garlic and 3 tablespoons melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Toss the cubes of bread with garlic butter and put them on a baking sheet to toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

4
Once the soup is simmering, add the Gouda, cheddar, and Brie, and stir until the cheese has completely melted, then incorporate the shredded turkey.

5
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm with a few croutons in the center of each bowl and garnish with chopped chives.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Soup

Yields 2½ quarts (8 servings)

This is my whimsical version of a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced tomato. It also contains my favorite elements of Welsh rarebit: a great English appetizer comprised of melted cheese sauce poured over toasted bread usually paired with crabmeat and apples. If you're feeling cheeky, garnish this with diced apple instead of tomato.

¼ cup unsalted butter

½ cup medium dice yellow onion

½ cup diced cremini mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dry mustard

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups beer (preferably a lager)

½ cup heavy cream

2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Cayenne pepper, to taste

2 Roma tomatoes, small dice

1
In your 12-quart stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, and dry mustard. Stir to coat the vegetables with the butter and bloom (that's chef-talk for hydrate) the mustard. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and allow the vegetables to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, and make sure the liquid that has collected in the lid goes back into the pot.

2
While stirring constantly, add the flour to create a roux. Slowly incorporate the chicken stock while whisking vigorously, or you will have a lumpy soup. Once all of the stock is in, you can whisk in the beer and heavy cream, and bring the soup up to a simmer. Add the cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce to the simmering soup, and stir until all the cheese is melted.

3
Taste the soup at this point and season to taste with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Serve this soup warm with diced tomato sprinkled on top of each bowl.

Miso Feelin' Better

Yields 2 quarts (6 servings)

A staple in Japanese cooking, miso contains a healthy dose of isoflavones, a family of proteins known to prevent heart disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis. To gain the most benefit from the healing properties of this recipe, do not bring the soup above a simmer once the miso is added or you will kill all the protective enzymes and deplete the flavor the miso provides. This soup garnishes itself.

6 cups vegetable stock

cup uncooked spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces

2 chicken breast fillets, large dice

½ cup roughly chopped green onions

½ cup fresh shitake mushrooms, no stems

½ cup chopped Napa cabbage

4 tablespoons white miso paste

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1
In your 12-quart stockpot, heat the vegetable stock over high heat. Once the stock has begun to simmer, turn the heat down to medium-high and add the spaghetti. Allow the noodles to cook for 10 minutes and add the chicken.

2
When the chicken has cooked through, which should only take about 5 minutes, add the onions, mushrooms, and cabbage. Turn the heat down to medium and add the miso one tablespoon at a time, until all the paste dissolves, being careful to keep the soup below a boil.

3
Taste the soup at this point to see if it needs any salt or pepper. Miso pastes vary in salty flavor, so always taste before adding any salt. Serve warm and right away.

Not-So-Basic Black Bean Soup

Yields 1 gallon (12 servings)

You can make this in a jiffy by using a 30-ounce can of black beans, and beginning with step two. Super CLK friendly!

2 cups dried black beans

½ cup small-diced smoked bacon

1 yellow onion, small dice

2 celery stalks, small dice

1 green bell pepper, small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

8 cups vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

½ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

¼ cup dry sherry