Turkey Posole

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that all those brined turkeys turned out juicy and flavorful. Our holiday was lovely. There were ten of us for dinner, and we really ate! After the big day, we enjoyed quite a few turkey sandwiches, but I only had enough leftovers for one replay of the entire meal. I used up my last Thanksgiving leftover yesterday, turning the remaining turkey broth and bits of dark meat into a delicious soup. Posole is a traditional Mexican soup, originally made with the head of a pig, but now generally made with pork. Posole always contains hominy. It's available in the canned vegetable section. Hominy is corn soaked in lye. The kernels become larger and have a richer, denser texture...very nice in a soup. So, to my pot of about four cups of turkey broth, I added chopped turkey, a can of diced tomatoes, one can of white hominy, a can of black beans, some chicken stock, and two packets of Goya Sazon seasoning, which is a mix of Latin spices including annato seed, which adds a nice color to soups. I chopped onion and red and yellow bell pepper and sauteed them in oil until softened and just beginning to brown, and added those to my soup pot. After simmering for a half hour, I tasted it and added a bit more salt and pepper. To serve, I crushed up some corn tortilla chips for the top. It was delicious....the best soup I have made in a long time. Glad we have enough for one more meal! :)

Two Recent Soups

Last week I made a minestrone, which is a great clean out the fridge and freezer soup. Any veggie can go in. I started it with onion, celery and carrot sweating in olive oil. I added a thick slice of ham I had frozen for just this purpose, dicing it into cubes. A few inches of chicken stock, and I brought it to a boil to form the flavor base. Eventually zucchini, potato, corn, green beans, canned tomatoes and white beans joined the pot. More stock, some chopped garlic, finely chopped rosemary, and some grated parmesan finished the soup. We ate it for two dinners. On Monday of this week I got a text that they needed a vegetarian soup for a luncheon at the girls school. Again, I looked to the veggies I already had on hand since I had just gone grocery and didn't want to make a special trip. Onion, celery, and carrot in oil. A few small red-skinned potatoes diced. Two crowns of broccoli, and three cloves of garlic, chopped. I added water to cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes or so. No chicken stock this time. Salt and pepper. I found a jar of roasted red peppers, so I chopped several slices for some color and sweetness. I used my immersion blender to puree the mixture, and I decided to add some shredded cheddar for body. Usually I would add a tablespoon or two of chicken base at this point, if I feel the soup needs some flavor. Instead, I added a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce to round out the finished product. I hope the vegetarian teachers and staff enjoy it!

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

So here is my latest soup creation, and it's a good one! Chop two onions and sweat them in oil along with some chopped pickled jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper. After the onion is soft, add a large bag of frozen corn to the pot, along with chicken stock to just cover. Bring to a boil. Scrub a handful of red-skinned potatoes, quarter them, and add to the pot. I also added a half can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies that were left in the refrigerator from Sunday's huevos rancheros. Add more stock to cover and bring to a simmer. Taste to check seasoning. I pulled the meat from a rotisserie chicken....the 'mojo' version from Publix is one of my staples for soups, salads, enchiladas, etc. The girls ate most of the breast meat, but I chopped everything else and added it to the pot. Add more stock to cover, if needed. Turn the heat up to bring the soup to a boil. Add two heaping tablespoons of flour to a half-cup measuring cup, add water to fill, and whisk together with a fork to combine and to remove any lumps (do it over the sink!). When the soup is at a full boil, add the flour/water mixture (or slurry, if you want to get technical) and stir well to combine. This will thicken the broth....now the soup will have a more chowder-y mouth feel. Lower the heat back to simmer and stir as it thickens. This next step is completely optional, but since I was cleaning out the fridge while I was cooking last evening, I added the two half packages of shredded Cheddar from the deli drawer. Oh, and I crumbled three pieces of crisp cooked bacon left from the weekend. John would tell you the last two additions made the chowder so good, but it would be plenty tasty without them. To serve, I crushed up some tortilla chips to add some crunch. A friend (hey, Jasmine!) asked if she could do this in the crock pot. Yes, but with just a few changes. I would start with raw chicken breasts, cut into chunks and seasoned. Add the frozen corn, potatoes, Rotel tomatoes with juice, and onion, plus chicken stock to cover by a few inches. Cook on low. You may need to add more stock when you get home, and you may need to turn it up to high and add a slurry to thicken. Stir in cheese and bacon, if using, and top servings with the crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy. :)