Spanish Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 large green pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cans of garbanzo beans (do not drain liquid)
5 to 6 medium russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 quarts of vegetable broth (you can use water if you don't have broth on hand)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 ham bone (and any leftover ham you might have)
2 chorizo sausages (optional)

Preparation

1) Sauté the green pepper and onion in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant. Add saffron and paprika and mix well.

2) Add potatoes to pan and coat with the saffron so they are yellow. Add the beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano and ham bone. Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste (be sure to taste before adding more salt, especially if you used broth). Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 3-4 hours.

3)  If you opt to include the chorizo, slice it and place in soup about 45 minutes prior to serving.

4) This recipe is just fantastic with buttery, garlicky Cuban bread. If you're in a hurry you can buy it pre-made at the grocery store, however, I prefer to buy a plain loaf of bakery bread, slather it with butter, olive oil and garlic and bake until crusty...dip in soup!! Yum!

Parley

This recipe takes me back to my childhood when our family would visit my very southern great-grandmother, who we fondly knew as Memo.  My sister and I LOVED when she made this dish for Sunday dinner and would sit happily in her sunny kitchen on Indian Rocks Beach dipping toasty bread into the broth until it was gone, then spooning up the remaining potatoes and garbanzo beans.  When I made this again last night I found not much had changed...I still sopped up every last bit of rich, golden broth with my slice of crusty Cuban bread, savoring each bite, before eating the potatoes and beans (and when I looked over I noticed David was eating it the same way)! 

I have never had this soup with chorizo, but a lot of the recipes I looked at included it so I did also.  However, it is rich and delicious without it so if you don't have it on hand or would like to curb the calories leave it out.  One of the great things about this soup is it provides an excellent use for the ham bone and leftover ham if you've gone to the trouble of making one (just be sure you don't throw in any honey glazed pieces or you'll end up with a sweet soup which isn't bad, but not quite right either...which is something I learned the hard way the last time I made Spanish Bean Soup)!  Additionally, if you don't have saffron on hand you can substitute a pack of Vigo Seasoning with Saffron for much the same effect.

African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and fine chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups low sodium veggie broth
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (black-eyed peas can be substituted)
1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, pepper, and chili - cook, stirring until softened, approximately five minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, one minute.  Add the broth, chickpeas (or black-eyed peas), tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally approximately ten minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook until heated through, about five minutes.  Serve warm.

Parley

I will admit it has been a while since I last posted a recipe and I am sure I could drum up all manner of excuses, instead I will simply say this was an excellent soup and it looked quite easy to make.  Yes, I said looked because in this case I was merely an observer in the process and not allowed to assist due to the assumption, perhaps well founded, that I was in no shape to cook.  So I hovered around the kitchen peeking and sampling and generally being in the way because it is practically impossible for me to not be in the kitchen when cooking is going on!  The reason for my being banned from culinary activity involved my rather pathetic state after successfully crashing my motorcycle for the first time at the track the day before, but that is a story for another day.  Back to more important things...such as African Curried Coconut Soup.  It is delicious, filling, and savory and can be a meal all in itself.  Throw in a simple salad or fruit and some Naan bread and you now have a feast!  I am really hoping to the be recipient of this soup again in the near future...sans motorcycle crash!

Sauteed chicken w/ creamy chive sauce

4 Chicken Breast (thin cut ones)
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. Flour
3 Tbsp oil
4 Scallions
1/2 c. white wine
1 can chicken broth
1/3 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 c. fresh chives chopped


Season chicken with 1 tsp salt and dredge in 1/4 c. flour. Cook Chicken
- Heat oil, add scallions, and cook 2 mins. Sprinkle w/ flour and add wine & broth. Return Chicken to sauce and cook 10 mins. add remaining ingredients cook another 15 mins..

This is my friends recipe that I can't take credit for..... I do alter it slightly by grilling my chicken then adding it to sauce. The sauce is really good not only on chicken, but also on top of mashed potatoes!