Baked Potato Soup

I made this Wednesday night because it was such a cold and rainy day I had been dreaming of creamy soup.  It was SO delicious we had the leftovers on Thursday.  Very rarely do we eat leftovers the very next day.  This soup is that good. Add a slice of buttered crusty bread on the side and you have a hearty dinner.

Baked Potato Soup

 4-6 strips of Bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

5 Cups of Yukon Gold Potatoes cubed

14 ounces Chicken Stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle or regular chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk

2 1/2 Cups of cheddar cheese shredded

Garnish:

Fresh chives and sour cream

In the bottom of your Dutch Oven or other large pot, saute' your bacon and onion until bacon is crispy.  Remove bacon and drain off bacon grease.

Add garlic, potatoes, chicken broth and seasonings.  Stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add milk and cheese, saving about 1/2 cup for garnish. Bring back to a simmer and remove from heat.

Garnish and Enjoy!!

My new go to Bread recipe

With the temperatures falling I am back to baking bread.  So far, I've made this bread three times and it has been delicious all three times.  The crust is amazing and the crumb is moist with a tang hitting you in the back of your mouth.  It is good room temp, for sandwiches and reheated with butter and garlic.  It's never lasted more than three days, but it was still very good on day three.

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 Cup warm water (around 105degrees)

1 package of yeast

Combine the yeast and water and give it about 5 minutes to bloom.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until all flour is incorporated.  The dough will appear to have a rough texture.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel and let sit room temperature for 18-24 hours.

When the dough is ready use floured hands to gently press down the dough.  Lightly dust the top of the dough and gently work it into a large ball.  You do not need perfection here and remember to treat your dough gently.

Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

For the right crust and chew this dough does need to be baked in a Dutch Oven or similar oven safe pot with a lid.  Everything I have read says that preheating the pot along with the oven and then adding the dough creates the perfect steam yielding an amazing loaf of bread.  I do not do this ecause I have read it is very hard on your Dutch Oven if it is enameled. I preheat the oven, lightly oil the pan and then transfer the bread to the pot, cover and put the pot in as the oven preheats.  I start the timer once the oven is preheated.  

After baking remove loaf to cool on a wire rack.  

I have an enameled Crock Pot Dutch Oven and I love it.  This is the 5 quart.  The large spaced out handles make it super easy to move around even when it is hot.  

Chili Fritos

It's really beginning to look and feel like Fall here in Southern Illinois so it's time to change the menu up. One of the first things I like to make is a big pot of beef chili. Sorry purists and Texans but I love beans in my chili. I also love that it freezes so well making it a quick weeknight meal. We like chili with oyster crackers or cornbread but every now and then I love Chili Fritos. I had never heard of Chili Frito until moving here 15 years ago. As with most dishes there is some debate on where the recipe originated. New Mexicans claim it was invented in the 1960's at a Woolworth (now Five and Dime) in Santa Fe by Teresa Hernandez. Texans trace it back to 1930's San Antonio resident Daisy Doolin who was the mother of the Frito company founder C.E.Doolin. However,in the book Fritos Pies, Stories, Recipes and More written by Kaleta Doolin the daughter of C.E. Doolin, writes that in 1932 her father actually purchased the recipe for a fried corn chip product and a device used to make them for $100.00 from Gustavo Olguin who was in San Antonio and needed money to return to his family in Mexico. From Kaleta Doolin's research she believes the recipe is actually a creation of a corporate test kitchen in 1937. The recipe on the bag says to make a slit down the personal size bag of fritos and add a large laddle of Hormel Chili. This is apparently sold at most sporting events in Texas and the Midwest. In the Midwest it is often referred to as "Walking Tacos". The first time I encountered it was in the hospital cafeteria and they labeled it Chili Frito Pie. Anthony Bourdain actually did a segment of Parts Unknow at the Five and Dime that claims to have first served the dish. In true Bourdain fashion, he claimed to enjoy it even though he remarked it was like holding a 'warm crap in a bag'. When I make it I simply fill a bowl with my homemade chili and add a handful of Fritos to the top with shredded cheddar cheese and diced green onions. Have you ever had Frito Chili? Grrr...this new blogger is killing me. Anyone else struggling with it?

A really nice Saturday

Happy Saturday! It was a LONG week of work and I am so happy it is finally the weekend. The big guy and I do most of our shopping every other week in a larger town about 40 minutes west of us. We've been shopping there for years and even though their population is much larger than ours, their Covid numbers are shockingly lower there than here in our little town.

The leaves are all changing here and it was a beautiful drive.  I usually read the entire way there but today I found myself just staring out the window in awe of the amazing colors. 

We did our shopping at our two favorite stores and I spent a ridiculous amount of money on candy for the little beggars on Halloween.  If ever there was a year to go a little overboard, this is the year. We were getting ready to leave when we noticed a new restaurant. If anyone was going to build a new place to eat during uncertain times with a pandemic, this is the model to go by.  It is totally open air concept on three sides.  It's visually very cool looking.  With very attractive heaters on the ceilings and two large fireplaces I can see it will be comfortable well in to the winter. I also liked how they took your temperature before allowing you to enter and cleaned everything on a table when people left including the menus.  This is only the second time we have eaten out since March and I felt pretty comfortable. I chose the beer cheese bacon burger and it was very good.

The big guy commented as soon as we sat down how good it felt to kind of feel human again.  I have to agree. It was a really nice Saturday.

                                                            My Beer cheese, bacon burger.

October is Here

 It's October!  I do enjoy spring and summer but October - February has always been my favorite time of the year.  I think it's because of all the holidays, evenings by the firepit, snuggling up with a book and being able to bake without feeling bad about heating up the house while the A/C is on.

I started making my own corn taco shells or tortillas awhile ago because we enjoy them so much.  I bought a couple sets of the taco holders and I LOVE them.  Well today I found another use for them.  We only have hot dogs once or twice a year and today was the day.  I bought a package of Nathan's Best all beef dogs and they were so good.  The holders make it so much easier to get all of your toppings on without struggling.  Love a gadget that has more than a couple uses.

The tomatoes and peppers are still growing but it won't be long before frost ends this years growing season. I stopped by the farmers market this morning and picked up some more. He said we'll be lucky if we get two or three more weeks without a frost.   My basil grew so well this year so I have enough pesto in my freezer to get us through to next year.  Between pickling, canning and freezing I'm stocked on enough summer goodness to get us through the winter so that is something to be thankful for.  I've eaten my weight in BLT's, Jalapeno Poppers of all kinds and fried green tomatoes.  The Poblano peppers have been amazing too.  I love charring them on the grill, remove the skin and stuffing them.   

 I honestly didn't enjoy this summer as much as I usually do.  I guess with everything going on in the US politically, racially, then Covid still looming over us and whatever heathen little creature ate a lot of my garden didn't help matters. I'm hoping the next 5 months bring some much needed happiness.

Moonstruck

You take sliced bread of any kind, cut out a hole in the center, drop in an egg and fry in a buttered skillet.  Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup.  Or just eat it as is with a little salt and pepper.

I have been making this for my husband for at least 30 years.  I vaguely remember my Grandmother making it but I do not remember what she referred to it as.  I have always called it moonstruck or egg in a hole.

According to Google, there are dozens of names.  Everything from one eyed Jack to one eyed Pete to Popeye.  The recipe first appeared in Boston Cooking School Cookbook in 1890 under the name Egg in a Hole and has made it into each revision.  In 1941 the dish was called gashouse eggs in the movie Moon Over Miami.  In the 1987 film Moonstruck, it was called egg in a trashcan.

Have you ever made this?  If so, what do you call it?

Life Rolls On

 It has been so long since I've posted here. Work has had me pretty stressed out the last month.  A lot of changes.  I usually embrace change but this is more like chaos.  After a three day weekend of pretty much just relaxing,  I am feeling a little better.  I just had to remind myself what my priorities are and not get caught up in the small stuff.

The temperatures have cooled down quite a bit and the humidity is gone.  Fall is in the air and I couldn't be happier about that.

I spent some time going through some of my Grandmother's recipes.  I had to laugh when I saw this one.

The recipe is for Spaghetti Con Polpette..I read that and said what is that.  Then I noticed the line below it which says it all... "meat balls to me".  Gotta love her.  Every Christmas my Grandmother and her sister in law made a dessert that I just loved.  I remember the taste to this day.  I knew it had vanilla waffers and pineapple and whipped cream but that is all I knew.  I finally found her recipe.  It is simply called "Creamy dessert".  We will be having this for Christmas.  It's been years. 

I finally found the prep table I have been wanting.  It is so nice to have a place to mix spices or roll out dough without using the kitchen counters.  My kitchen seems to stay much more organized now.

I made cupcakes this morning since it's been awhile. This is the Hershey cocoa recipe for the cupcake with a toasted coconut cream cheese frosting.  They are SO good.

Any recipes from your Grandmother that you wish you had?

Weekly Review and Peruvian Green Sauce aka Aji Virde

It was a cooler than normal week here but the heat and humidity is making a comeback.  I worked on the garden trying to get it ready to plant a little for the fall.  I still have tomatoes, cayenne peppers, basil, rosemary and oregano growing.  Everything else has been harvested and cleaned up.  The farmers market was amazing Friday and I picked up a number of things.

Dinner this week:

Chicken, onion and pepper stir fry with mac and cheese and tomato slices with basil    

 Beef picadillo with  rice and green sauce       

 Omelette, bacon, roasted diced potato     

 Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread 

RARE, a local family owned place...our first dinner in a restaurant since March.  I had a beer cheese pretzel as an appetizer and an amazing steak and salad for my meal.  The steak was SO amazing. 

Grilled chicken, corn on the cob and stuffed poblanos                                                                                

A BIG salad

So a little on the 'green sauce'.  Well over 25 years ago I worked with a woman whose father was originally from Peru.  She gave me her recipe for Peruvian Green Sauce or Aji Verde.  I did a google search and found that there are as many recipes for this sauce as there are people in Peru.  Some add mayo, vinegar, mustard, cilantro, one I saw even added cheese.  I am sticking to the one I've always made because it is delicious.  It is very good on grilled meats, spaghetti, picadillo, chili...you name it.                  

Lydia's Peruvian Green Sauce:

1 medium yellow onion  

1 medium green bell pepper

4 cloves garlic

3 or 4 jalapeno

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil  

                                                                                           

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and combine until smooth.  Will keep for over a week in a covered glass jar in the fridge. 

I'm working on my Fall cleaning and going through every cabinet, drawer, closet and surface of this house.  I plan to be done by October 1st.  The beginning of my Holiday season.  Yes it's all on the way...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.  I love celebrating them all.  Not sure what this winter will bring between the election and Covid, but I'm hoping it will be OK because this woman could really use something to look forward to.

Oh and Blogger...you're killing me.  It took me way to long to post this because of your settings. 

An appetizer and a score at the farmers market

I love appetizers, I always have. When a party invite says "heavy hor d'oeurves" I am in.  I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate a couple of weeks ago and Molly Yeh picked Dill Pickle egg rolls. Sounds odd but let me tell you, they are SO GOOD!

I took egg roll wrappers and spread a little water all around the edges.  Placed a slice of Havarti in the center and a dill pickle spear in the center of the cheese.  Wrap as you would an egg roll and fry.  Serve with Ranch dressing with a little Sriracha added in for dipping. The picture I snapped doesn't do them justice.  I should have sliced them sideways for better presentation but I was in a hurry to try them.

I will be making these again.

Since something ate all of my Jalapeno Peppers we went to the farmers market Saturday to find a few more to freeze for the winter.  We scored.  These mammoth jalapenos (same as the variety I was growing) were 5 for a dollar.  Between what I have already frozen this year, the ones I've pickled and now these, I think we will be good until next summer.

Things That Make Me Smile

I don't know if this is new or not but I have not noticed it before.  I love the barcode on Tollhouse Chocolate Chips.

I'm working on my appetizer game tonight so I'll have a new and hopefully tasty recipe posted tomorrow.  

Breakfast for Dinner

So far, our summer weather has been typical.  Hot and humid.  But today, the high is 70 F.  It is actually a bit chilly out.  It is so refreshing, especially being August 1.

We've been having breakfast for dinner once a week for awhile now.  Last night we had bacon, green peppers and onion scrambled eggs, potatoes and biscuits.  I'm not a huge biscuit lover like the big guy is but I have to say they were very good.

Most recipes for southern biscuits call for lard instead of butter.  I prefer to use butter. These biscuits are very flakey and tender. This recipe is from The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.

1/2 Cup buttermilk

1/2 Cup sour cream

2 Cups Flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick of cold butter

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 425 F.  Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and process until blended, about 3 seconds.  Scatter the cold butter evenly over the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal and the largest butter pieces are about 1/ inch at their widest.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until combined.  Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, adding extra flour as necessary. 

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12 inch square.  Using a bench scraper, fold the right third of the dough over the center, then fold the left third over so you end up with a 12 x4 inch rectangle.  Fold the top third down over the center, then fold the bottom third up so the whole thing is reduced to a 4 inch square.  Press the square down and roll out again into a 12 inch square.  Repeat the folding process one more time.

Roll the dough again into a 12 inch square.  Cut six 4 inch rounds out of the dough.  Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Roll up the scraps and press out two more biscuits.

Brush the top of the biscuits with melted butter and bake until golden brow and well risen, about 15 minutes. Rotating the pan about half way through the baking time.

*I like to keep a container of cultured buttermilk blend in the refrigerator.  You simply mix with water.  I don't buy buttermilk because I would never use it up before it would expire.  This stuff is handy and for baking works beautifully. I buy The Saco Pantry blend.  The ingredients are: A cultured blend of sweet cream buttermilk, sweet dairy whey and lactic acid.

Cruel Summer

Like most everyone else, I have struggled with the mental highs and lows from this pandemic.  Between this virus and everything else going on in the world...saying this has been a trying time is just skimming the surface.

When spring came I felt a little better because I knew I could escape to my back yard and grow all kinds of wonderful things.  Everything has been doing very well.  Until last week.

I grew a six foot long patch of sun flower seeds.  They were looking so good.  As I stood at my kitchen sink doing dishes I looked up and saw one stalk swaying all around.  Upon further investigation it was a squirrel.  He pulled it down and was eating it. I went out and chased him away and sprinkled red pepper flakes all over the ground to keep him from coming back.

The next day when I came home from work I noticed almost all of the stalks looked damaged.  Then I watched as a squirrel climbed the fence to avoid the peppery soil and lunged to the sunflowers.  I went out to see what the damage was and it was a mess.  Sunflower seeds all over, flower heads pulled from the stocks.  The sunflower patch was totaled.

While I was out there I noticed I had about 10 tomatoes growing with one tomato that was about ready to pick and about 15 jalapenos.  

Then the next day I was doing dishes and saw a huge ground hog out there.  I figured he was just cleaning up what was left of the sunflowers.  I saw him chew up a very large leaf in about 30 seconds which I thought was pretty impressive.  I let him be because he seemed to be doing a good job of cleaning up the sunflowers for me.

Big mistake. I went out to garden the next day to get the tomato and the peppers that should have been ready and they were gone.  GONE!  All of them GONE!  I have been gardening for many years in Florida and then in Illinois.  I have never had something eat my jalapenos.  Our yard is fenced so whatever it was had to be able to fly, climb or crawl under the fence to get them.

It hasn't been a total loss.  Basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, lettuce, arugula, bell peppers and tabasco peppers have all done well.  Still, I want to know WTF ate my jalapenos?