Gumbo at home!

I needed to use up some leftover chicken thighs recently and thought that I'd try some gumbo.  Since I don't have access to killer seafood here in Chicago, I made do with canned clams and crab meat.  It was still delicious!  Here's the photo:

I've moved beyond using recipes that much, but here's a basic outline for what I did:

1) stir together an equal mix of olive oil and flour to create a classic roux; let it brown for a few minutes

2) stir in and saute chopped green pepper and onion

3) I added in leftover chicken thighs and continued sauteing, adding a bit more oil as needed

4) stir in a couple of cups of water and a chicken bouillon cube (or broth if you have it)

5) after some cooking time (20-30 minutes), remove the chicken thighs so you can cool them and hand shred the chicken for adding afterwards

6) add some frozen chopped okra pieces assuming you cannot get good fresh okra (I couldn't), also add a 16 oz. can or two of chopped tomatoes (depending on the quantity you desire)

7) add back the shredded chicken, a can or two of canned chopped clams and crabmeat

8) chop some cooked Andouille sausage and add to the mix.  Season the pot with cayenne, salt, and thyme to taste

9) let it simmer a half hour longer or more

I served it over some cooked white rice.  Next time, I will actually skip the chicken altogether and focus on the seafood, sausage, and vegetables.  The sausage added the most flavor and I'd like to try some shrimp and oysters next time.  In Chicago you do the best you can with the ingredients available but the chicken was kind of lame!  The okra, however frozen, turned out to be the highlight of the dish!

Cocido Rapido!

Cocido is one of Spain's most famous dishes, and you can look up endless versions of it online.  I made a fairly quick version for lunch recently and it worked out really well:

 

Many Spanish dishes, and certainly cocido, are heavily influenced by Spain's long Moorish and Jewish cooking traditions--that accounts for the use of chickpeas, red peppers, rice, chicken, etc. 

My version was made just for me and included the following that I had available:

1/3 red onion, diced (I liked the red this time, but normally this would use yellow or white)

1 medium carrot, diced (use red pepper if you have it!  or both carrots and red pepper)

I sauteed the above in olive oil for 5 minutes or so, then added 1.5 cups of water and just a handful of long grain Mexican rice.  I used half a Mexican-style Maggi bouillon cube to add the broth flavor.  Yes, I'm mixing the various building blocks I keep around for my daily cooking and crossing New World with Old World concepts!  

When the rice was mostly cooked, I shook some Cholula hot sauce into the pan (again, more Mexican flavors invading a Spanish classic!) and roughly a half can of chickpeas.  At the end, I diced up a tiny bit of summer sausage (Usinger's, a Wisconsin classic) and finished it up a few minutes later.

In classic Spanish cocidos, leftover chicken or rabbit is often involved, along with some pork content and perhaps some seafood depending on the region in which the Spanish cook resides.  I should have used garlic cloves here, so don't forget that classic Spanish building block.  Spanish stews like this usually use chopped chorizo, which in Spain is pre-cooked and resembles the Polish kielbasa I can find commonly in the Chicago area (Note: Mexican "chorizo" is actually the uncooked, super spicy stuff that has nothing to do with Spanish chorizo, but nonetheless is an incredible flavor enhancer if you can stomach the grease--perhaps I need to make a cocido with Mexican chorizo!).  

They key point about this experiment is to learn to use a simple broth, some diced veggies, and leftover meat to create a healthy, flavorful stew that you can adjust in many ways!

Leftover Crusty Bread

If you're like me, you buy French bread at a store and use it for various things.  Even basic grocery stores can provide decent French or Italian bread, so no need to make it yourself, though I recommend trying it sometime. 

Inevitably you'll end up with dried out bread that is too crusty for sandwiches, garlic bread, or making pizza bread.  However, no need to throw it out. 

Two great uses of such bread:

1) cut it into cubes and toss with a large salad that has a lot of moisture, i.e. chopped tomatoes and homemade vinaigrette.  It will give your salad enough heft to serve as a whole meal.  One time I tossed a small tin of Italian tonno (tuna), bread cubes, mayo, chopped tomato, chopped red onion, balsamic vinegar, dijon, and olive oil together to make a great lunch.

2) chop or tear your crusty bread into cubes and use it as a thickener for any kind of soup; I especially like to add it to a rustic Italian style soup of cannellini beans, broth, leftover chicken or pork, onion, and garlic.  Any soup or stew is a great use of dried out French bread. 

Clam and Spam Chowder

For awhile I've been curious about the actual cooking potential with the much-lambasted processed pork substance known as Spam.  I've heard that serious cooks have used it creatively, and there's plenty of web recipes out there you can look up.

In light of the big Midwest blizzard about to hit, I bought a tin and have been sampling ways to use it.  I fried up a slice of it and ate it like a little slider burger--not bad!

In this experiment, I substituted it for bacon in a clam chowder dish I whipped up using classic techniques that I've done many times.  Here's what I did:

1) Diced half a potato and a quarter of a white onion, and sauteed them in a bit of olive oil.
2) Added about a 1/4 stick of real butter, and stirred it in along with a TBSP or so of flour (like a roux for thickening and enriching)
3) Stirred in a cup and a half or so of 2% milk, and a chicken bouillon cube (a little water may be needed)

4) I chopped a little of the Spam and mixed it in the chowder
5) I added a 6.5 oz. can of minced clams along with maybe half of the liquid

I let it simmer on low heat for awhile, tasting it to get a sense of how soft the potato chunks were getting.  You can also judge thickness by how the liquid rolls off your spoon as the picture above shows (still too watery).  I simmered it about 15-20 minutes longer and added a shake of Chulula pepper sauce for a kick.

When it thickened and concentrated the flavors, I served it up and enjoyed.  I added a bit of salt earlier in the process, but the Spam and bouillon provided plenty of salt kick, so I wouldn't bother next time.

If I discover some new things to do with Spam, I'll post again!  I will likely be Spammed-out, however, after the one little tin......

What to do with leftover rotisserie chicken!

Sometimes I pick up a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery to make quick tacos for the kids.  I usually have plenty of chicken leftover, especially the dark meat that they don't favor, so I will make chicken noodle soup or some similar concoction.

In this photo, I've sauteed onion and carrots in olive oil before adding a cup or two of chicken broth:

After the veggies have softened up a bit I add all of the chicken, even if much of it is still on the bone.  It's a good idea to let the juices seep into the soup--a little fat isn't going to be a big deal and it adds a lot of flavor.

When the chicken has heated up slowly on low heat, I remove the pieces and let them cool, then shred the remaining meat from the bones from hand and add it back to the soup.  I will either add egg noodles to finalize the soup, or some orzo.  In this photo, I simply have added some sweet corn from a can along with just a small amount of orzo.

All I'm really doing here is short-cutting the production of chicken stock using a classic mirepoix (saute of onion, carrot, and celery) and utilizing the leftover chicken immediately to form a hearty, tasty soup!  It's very easy to adjust to your own tastes--I might suggest a version with cilantro, chopped raw onion, and lime at the end for a Mexican theme.  The main point is to use up the delicious roasted chicken!

Ham and Bean Soup

The other day I found a can of great northern beans and figured out a simple way to prepare it for a hearty lunch.

I heated the beans in a bit of olive oil, added enough chicken broth until I had a decent consistency of liquid, and then diced some deli ham and tossed it in.

Finding some fresh spinach in the fridge, and craving a little nutrient kick, I shredded some of it and stirred it in. 

I seasoned the dish with some red pepper flakes, and added just a bit of salt. 

When it was heated through I sprinkled on some grated parmesan and enjoyed it!

Quick New Chili Recipe

Today I was making a batch of Cincinnati style chili, and wanted to test a smaller new chili dish alongside of it since I'd be sharing some of the ingredients.  I meant to make this a vegetarian chili, but after realizing I had some Spanish-style spicy chorizo sausage around, I ended up creating this version instead.  Note: Spanish chorizo is more like kielbasa and not to be confused with the highly fatty and very spicy Mexican style chorizo which comes uncooked in a tube.

1) saute 1/2 cups sweet onion in a medium saucepan in olive oil.

2) add 1/2 diced Spanish chorizo sausage, continue the saute

3) pour in 1 1/2 cup water, add half a beef bouillon cube

4) stir 1 TBSP chili powder, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 TBSP red wine vinegar, a small piece of unsweetened chocolate (1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp cumin, and a dash of salt.

5) add 1/2 or 3/4 a 16 oz. can of white northern beans (cannellini)

6) if needed for extra liquid, add another 1/2 cup water or beer

7) bring to a boil, then turn down and add 1/2 cup elbow macaroni

8) cook about 20-25 minutes on low heat and serve with chedder or co-jack cheese!  Sour cream is another option, and if I had some fresh cilantro I would have garnished with that.

Enjoyed best with a cold bottle of lager!

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

This is a family favorite, adapted from a recipe in Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, by Ina Garten.

1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 stick real unsalted butter
2 TBSP flour
2 large pieces, bone-in chicken breast
2/3 bag frozen peas & carrots
1 bouillon cube
salt & pepper to taste
1 container ready-to-make biscuits

Cut chicken breasts in a few places, include through the bone, to promote juice flow during cooking. Cover with water and add bouillon cube. Simmer for 30 minutes until nearly cooked; remove chicken pieces to a plate to cool but reserve broth.

When chicken is nearly finished, begin to saute onion in butter for 4-5 minutes until translucent, then add flour and stir vigorously until well blended.

Add 2-3 cups of the broth or substitute store-bought chicken stock or broth (or make using bouillon cubes). Amount of liquid will vary, but aim for a consistency thicker than soup.

When chicken is cool, pull it apart, shred it, and add to stew and continue simmering for 10 minutes or so. Add frozen peas & carrots and simmer another 10-15 minutes before serving in bowls with biscuits on the side.

Cincinnati-style Chili

Cincinnati Chili (95% based on a recipe from International Chili Society Official Chili Cookbook by Martina & William Neely)

1 quart beef broth
2 pounds ground chuck
1/4 cup onion flakes
4 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/16 tsp ground red pepper
15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 TBSP apple cider or white vinegar
1/2 ounce (1/2 square) unsweeted chocolate

Boil beef broth in a 4-quart saucepan. Slowly add beef to broth until meat separates into small pieces. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add onion, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, salt, allspice, cloves, red pepper, tomato sauce, vinegar, and chocolate and mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate overnight. Skim off fat before heating and serving. Serves 6.

Notes: I use Casey's beef here, and I usually skip the onion flakes in favor of a 1/2 cup of chopped real onion. I often cut short the overall cooking time and serve it right away, but it does gain flavor by sitting overnight and it reheats really well. Serve it on top of capellini, angel hair, or thin spaghetti.

Leftover Turkey Soup

Optional preparation for Basic Turkey Stock: if possible, save all the bones from a carved turkey, leaving some meat on them, and simmer them in a pot with a cup or two of water to create a rich turkey stock. Simmer with aromatics (carrots, celery, onion) if you have the energy left on Thanksgiving evening to do so!

1/2 stick real unsalted butter
3 large carrots, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced

1 lb. leftover turkey meat, pulled apart into bize-size pieces
2-3 cups turkey stock (above) or equal amount of chicken broth
2-3 cups water plus 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)

1 lb. box orzo or egg noodles

spices to taste: I use a little oregano, garlic salt, cumin, etc. depending on the richness of the stock or broth used.

Saute diced vegetables until slightly soft, about 15 minutes. Add stock or broth, water (optionally the bouillon cubes), and turkey. Bring to boil, then simmer 30 minutes. Add orzo or noodles, then simmer for 1.5 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally. The amount of water and broth will depend on your preference--taste along the way to judge.