Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chowder

Feb 20, 2013 by Lindsey

This chowder makes me feel like the best cook ever.

 

It is tasty.

It is cheesy.

It is spicy.

It has hominy in it. Hominy is such a great food word.

It is cheesy.

It will make you want to share my blog with everyone. Hopefully.

Got the point? All in all, I have been tooting my own horn ever since I made this amazing chowder. I wish I could say it was my dazzling cooking skills, but really, this is just a great recipe that anyone can enjoy. I put some adobe and bell peppers, cream, broth, 3 different kinds of corn, spices, potatoes, cheddar, then topped it all with some avocado. Words cannot describe how amazing this turns out. Thick, sweet, spicy, and good to the last spoonful.  I am excited for you to try it!

Here is how you make my Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chowder (a.k.a. Lindsey Soup around here)

Time: 45 minutes (including prep)

Serves: 4-6 bowls

Ingredients

• 4 table­spoons unsalted butter
• 1 tea­spoon cumin
• 1/2 tea­spoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a dash of pepper, to taste
• 2 chipo­tle chili’s–diced with 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce (I would say this is a “medium” heat level for those who are not used to the distinct kick of adobo sauce – adjust with more or less sauce to taste)
• 3 celery stalks, sliced into half-moons
• 1 green bell pepper–diced
• 4 large cloves garlic–minced
• 4 table­spoons flour
• 2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
• 3 or 4 cups chicken stock/broth
• 1/2 tea­spoon kosher salt
• 2 large rus­set potatoes–diced medium
• 2 cups sharp cheddar
• 1 (16oz.) can hominy 
• 1 small can cream style corn
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet white corn kernels
• 1 avocado–diced (for garnish)

Instructions

1. In large, heavy pan, heat but­ter over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin, oregano, and paprika. Stir for one minute until butter is melted.
3. Add chipo­tle chilis. Let sweat until they turn a bright color. 
4. Add celery and pep­per. Sauté until they begin to soften.
5. Add gar­lic. Sauté 1 minute while stirring.
6. Add flour and stir to make roux.
7. When it clumps together, slowly stir in liquids. You will need to keep stirring every 3-5 minutes to prevent the cream from developing a film on top.
8. Add diced pota­toes and let sim­mer until pota­toes are tender. (20 minutes)
9. In the last 10 minutes, add grated cheeses in small hand­fuls, stir­ring until melted. I turned the heat down low for this.
10. Add drained hominy, frozen corn, and cream style corn.
11. Serve with avocado garnish.

Little else needs to be said in favor of my chipotle cheddar corn chowder. I have never had soup this delicious in all my life. Spicy, sweet, savory, and oh-so-satisfying. You don’t even need a side dish. The avocado garnish balances perfectly with the spicy chipotle peppers and cheesy broth. Go make yourself a bowl!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

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Meatball Sliders

Jun 25, 2012 by Lindsey

Hi, readers! Well, this is awkward. I feel like the boy who didn’t call you back after things were going so well on your dates. Can you forgive me for not posting a blog post in nearly a month? I promise, its me… not you. I’d like to try things again now. You are very special to me… let’s have dinner sometime.

Really, this last month has been pretty crazy. Work took over my weekends,  then summer vacations, and now.. I have two broken ribs to remind me that I really do need to slow down and take care of myself. So, in the spirit of “resting” and trying to heal my little broken bones, I have been laying around watching terrible movies and thinking of what to cook for you tonight. I came to two conclusions during my sofa meditations:  (1) It turns out that “Big Miracle” starring Drew Barrymore and three humpback whales is quite the tear jerker, and (2) meatball sliders need to be in your life, like,  right now.

These sliders were well worth the trouble I went through to prepare them. The recipe is quite simple, but going to the grocery store with two broken ribs is not a piece of cake. I would do anything for these sliders, though. They are that good!

Enough about me, though. Let’s talk about you. I think you are going to love these meatball sliders that are easy enough for a weeknight meal, but cute enough for a casual weekend get together. You can eat two or six, depending on your appetite. I promise that after trying these buttery, cheesy, tomatoey, meatbally little sliders, you will want more than just one! Here’s how you do it, dear readers. I hope you enjoy!

Meatball Sliders

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a dash of pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar of marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package of butter hawaiian rolls
• 6 slices of provolone cheese, cut into quarters
• serve with pasta or a fresh side salad

Instructions

Begin preheating your oven to broil.

First, prepare the meatballs by mixing the ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl with a fork. Using your hands, roll them into tiny meatballs about the size of one tablespoon each. You will have between 12-18 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet and brown the meatballs over medium heat.

While those are browning, I took a minute to slice my provolone cheese into quarters. This was fun to do. You will enjoy this step if you, too, are amused by strange things.

Ok. The meatballs should be brown, so pour in the whole jar of marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover for 20 minutes and go do something fun.

It turns out that my idea of “fun” was preparing a little side salad. When I came back, these meatballs smelled amazing and were perfectly cooked.

Start assembling the sliders. Place one-quarter of provolone cheese on the bottom half of the roll then the meatball, then another provolone piece, then top it off with the other half of the roll. You might need to squish them down so the meatballs don’t roll off onto your counter. That is a mess, trust me. Finally, put your finished sliders under the broiler for no more than 1 minute. Just long enough to melt the cheese and warm the bread.

I served these sliders with a simple side salad dressed with some EVOO, honey, and balsamic vinegarette. Jason and I were happy campers at the end of this meal. And, guess what? Tomorrow night’s dinner of spaghetti and meatballs is already halfway ready!

 

Enjoy, everyone! See you next week!

Lindsey

 

 

 

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Texas Macaroni & Cheese

May 20, 2012 by Lindsey

Macaroni and cheese is a dish that you should learn to make. No, not the kind that calls for powdered cheese and a microwave.  I am talking about real macaroni and cheese made with real ingredients, like noodles, butter, milk, and fresh-grated cheddar cheese. Very few dishes taste better than this natural combination. This week, I took my favorite mac & cheese recipe and “Texified” it by adding some seasoned ground turkey, bell pepper, and jalapeno.

Put this recipe in your “priority” box so you can enjoy a taste of comfort at your kitchen table tonight! My favorite part of this recipe is the evaporated milk – it is a small item that packs a big punch of creaminess and richness to the final pasta. You will never look at another mac and cheese recipe again after trying this.

INGREDIENTS

1 box elbow macaroni or spiral pasta (shown)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1 lb ground turkey sausage

6 oz evaporated milk

2 eggs

4 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

1 package “taco” seasoning (or a mixture of some cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, paprika, and onion powder)

1 cup fresh-grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by cooking the pasta (not shown). While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the remainder of the ingredients. I recommend chopping your veggies and grating the cheese now.

Next, brown the turkey in a skillet along with a bit of olive oil and the packet of taco seasoning. Halfway through, add the peppers into the pot and soften them while the turkey finishes.

When the pasta is finished, drain the water using a collander and return the pasta to the pot. Return to burner at low heat. Stir in butter over hot pasta.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour over pasta and stir for approximatley one minute to fully incorporate.

Next, add the shredded cheese and stir.

Lastly, add the skillet contents (turkey and peppers) to the mac and cheese to welcome the recipe home to Texas. You can omit these ingredients if you cannot resist the simple, rich macaroni and cheese on its own. To me, nothing says ”Texas cuisine” like cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and cream.

Yum! What do you think? Are you ready to start cooking yet? This recipe makes fantastic leftovers that can be enjoyed at any time throughout the week. I like that I can diversify a “normal” macaroni and cheese recipe by adding a few Tex-Mex ingredients. That kind of creativity will keep your dining companions always on their toes. Enjoy, everyone! Have a happy week!

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Law School Graduation = Done!

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Hearty Lasagna Soup

Jan 23, 2012 by Lindsey

This weekend was a blur. I am in class 7 days a week, so my Mondays feel like Saturdays, albeit with better TV. A lot of great things went on, though. I made this amazing soup on Sunday night, had dinner with friends on Friday, and I got a new dishwasher!

To many of you, this is understandably not a big deal. However, once you live for two months without a functioning dishwasher, you would understand why I did a happy dance when it was installed. I’m pretty certain that women like me were using dishwashers before they could legally vote, so I am glad to be caught up now. What did I cook to celebrate this week?

My version of Lasagna Soup.

My shiny new dishwasher was put to use quickly, as I had been waiting for it to be installed to cook this wonderful soup. I loosely based my version of lasgana soup from this one, substituting a few things like whole turkey sausage, beef stock, and cavatelli pasta. It was a hit in my house! This is more of a “stew” than a soup because the pasta absorbs so much of the liquid in the broth. You’ll find that serving up bowls of hot sausage, pasta, and cheese with fresh italian rolls just feels right on a wintery Sunday night. It tastes like a sweet, tomato-y, cheesy version of your favorite lasagna. We were happy campers at the end of this dish.

You really must know how I did this.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 links of italian turkey sausage, halved and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 medium can of diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
• 1 box small pasta, like cavatelli (fusilli would also be great)
• Cheese Topping: 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Using a large soup pot, brown the sausage in olive oil.

After 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and sautee over medium-high heat.

When the onions are translucent and fragrant, add the tomato paste and stir for about four minutes, until it begins to turn a “burnt,” dark red color.

When the tomato sauce has begun to change colors, add the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

At this point, it smelled so good that I was nudging hungry puppies and fiancees aside to keep them out of my blog photographs. They were all interested in what was going on! As soon as the soup begins to boil, add the whole box of cavatelli pasta. These little shells look so inviting!

Turn the heat down to a simmer and allow the pasta to cook  in the soup for approximately 8 minutes. Turn the heat off when the pasta is al dente (slightly firm), and the noodles will continue to cook fully while soup comes to room temperature.

While the pasta was cooking, I put 8 Whole-Foods brand frozen french rolls in the oven to serve with the soup. I was not excited about these rolls at first, but my goodness! They were delicious! Hot, fluffy, and hearty enough to hold up next to this robust lasagna soup. I’ll be buying these again.

Before serving the soup, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesean, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Top each bowl of soup with a generous tablespoon or two of the cheese mixture. As you eat, the cheese will permeate every nook and cranny of the noodles and sausage. A sprinkle of low-fat shredded mozzarella never hurt anyone, either. This is what puts the “lasagna” in lasagna soup.

Yum. This soup is surpringly sweet, tomato-y, cheesy and extremely hearty. The rolls were a perfect accompaniment to our dinner. I loved mixing the cheese in and watching it melt into the nooks of the tiny cavatelli noodles.

You’re going to love this. It’s one of the best soup recipes I’ve ever made.

I hope this brightens your week! Back to the books for this girl!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

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Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce (aka “Mac-a-Lindsey”)

Oct 31, 2011 by Lindsey

Do you like pasta? If yes, please keep reading.

Do you like cheese? If yes, please keep reading.

(If your answer is no, who are you??)

Do you like making elegant dishes that are easier than they sound? If yes, keep reading.

Because I have the recipe for you!!

I am in a neighborhood “Gourmet Club” that regularly meets for theme dinners. Our most recent theme was Giada de Laurentis and I prepared her most amazing recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce. I hate to toot my own horn, but I think it was the best dish of the night! I have made this pasta again and again and cannot stop thinking about it. I consider it a “grown-up” version of Macaroni and Cheese, which is why Jason lovingly calls it “Mac-A-Lindsey.” I’ve made a few alterations to Giada’s original recipe to call it my own and encourage you to stop what you’re doing and try this recipe! “Bechamel sauce” is a fancy name for butter, flour, and milk whisked together to form a thick, creamy sauce. Add some fontina cheese, prosciutto, and truffle oil, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a side dish.

Here’s how I make it.

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 quart whole milk
• Pinch fresh nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 4 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
• 1 pound dry rigatoni
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil (if you have it!)

Instructions

Start by preheating the oven to 425. In a large pot, boil your rigatoni until it is al dente.

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the 1/2 cup of flour until it is thick and coats the bottom of the pan.

Pour the milk in, slowly, and whisk to prevent sticking or burning. Continue to whisk until the sauce is simmering and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It took me about ten minutes at medium-high heat. This is when you have “Bechamel Sauce.”

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the fontina, prosciutto, truffle oil, salt, and pepper.

The pasta should be done by now. Drain in a collander and stir into the sauce while it is still steaming hot.

Pour the pasta into a small casserole dish and bake for approximately 25 minutes at 425 degrees. I let my pasta cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

I served my “Mac-A-Lindsey” with a side of pan-fried italian turkey sausage for protein. But really, I only ate the pasta for dinner. It is really an amazing recipe - soft, cheesy, and full of decadent flavors. I love how the large rigatoni noodles have the sauce both inside of the shells and outside. What a great texture!

Oh, Giada, she doesn’t look like she’s ever eaten this in her skinny life…

But, you should! This is a great side dish or main course for any occasion.  It only uses a few ingredients so you can feel good about including it in your weekly grocery budget. Recipes like this are truly hard to find. It  uses “grown up” ingredients to create a classic dish we are all familiar with – cheesy pasta. Anyone, from picky eaters to real “foodies,” can enjoy this meal.

Hope you enjoy it! HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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