Three Chile Beef Chili

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Peg

©PEGhardee

Would you, could you, in the rain? (thanks Dr. Seuss!) I answered a resounding YES on this third day of wet gloom. Propelled me right in to the kitchen to try a new chili recipe, yes it did. Turns out it’s a wonderful, aromatic Mexican chili. Additionally it sent me back to my local Supermercado. Extra Fun! Showed them my recipe … they walked me all over the friendly place … gathered the proper chiles (or substitutes!) … and sent me happily on my way. Whirl it people!

2 ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexico Chiles
3 dried chipotle chiles
1 Tbs coriander seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1 t yellow mustard seeds
1 t dried thyme
2 Tbs minced garlic
3 14.5oz cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained
2 Tbs canola oil
4 lbs ground beef
1 sweet onion, diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup stout beer
1 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

Place chiles in heatproof bowl.
Cover with boiling water.
Let stand 15 minutes, until softened.
Stem and seed.
Transfer to blender.
Add coriander, cumin and mustard seeds, thyme, garlic, and 1/3 of tomato.
Puree.
In soup pot, sauté onion and beef until beef is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add chile puree, stock, beer, coffee, cilantro, and remaining tomatoes.
Bring to boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.
Add beans and cook on low 45 minutes.

If desired, serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, guacamole, and grated cheese..

Serves an army … realistically 16.
*Author’s Note: I make this much because I like to freeze several individual containers for future use and/or to take some to a friend in need.

Pumpkin Chipotle Soup Shooters

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Peg

It is pumpkin season and the patches are already out there folks! And you know what that means…yep…Flashy Trashy Costumes, Gobble Gobble, and Christmas Decor will deck the stores before we can say BOO! Well any way, here’s a great little pumpkin soup recipe. Only I use the canned stuff! AND I had to find the chipotle sauce at my local Supermercado. They’re the kindest folks in there. What fun. Who knew!

1 15oz can pure pumpkin
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chipotle hot sauce
1 Tbs bourbon

Place all ingredients in sauce pan.
Bring to a simmer.
Simmer 3 minutes, whisking constantly.

Pour into shot glasses or demitasse and serve warm.
Serves 12.

Leek and Potato Soup

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Peg

©PEGhardee

Well darnit. the don has contracted his annual upper respiratory virus. And as my grandmother Eva used to say…There is nothing more soothing than a bowl of warm soup when you’re down and out. So I whipped up this yummy delight this afternoon to calm his aches and my ~~pains~~ nerves. I’m not a great nurse. Patience is not my virtue. TD likes to say that I have plenty of patience; as I’ve never used any! PtotheS…This is one of my go to appetizers for a fall/winter dinner party…hence the pic shows it served in a demitasse! Heck, I served it straight up in a mug today!

3 Tbs butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 leeks, sliced
4 small white potatoes, skinned and cubed
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbs snipped chives, as garnish

Melt butter in small soup pot over medium heat.
Add onion, leeks, and potatoes.
Sauté gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened, but not browned.
Pour in stock.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to food processor.
Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve in bowl, mug or demitasse.
Garnish with chives.

*May add 6 oz shredded Cheddar or Parmesan cheese.
To do so: After processing, return soup to pot; add cheese and stir until cheese is melted.

Serves 6 in soup bowls or mugs and 20 in demitasse or shot glasses.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Peg

Schiyzendoozle. I offer a low fat version to the typically waist band stretching, belly over-filling version of broccoli cheese soup. Granted, it’s not quite as thick; but hey it slides down the throat with total deliciousness and ease, at a mere 200 calories per serving rather than 450! I’d say that’s totally worth it. 15 minutes prep and cook. What could be better? Give that a whirl over your taste-buds! PtotheS…It rained all day here in G’Vegas, and that screamed soup to me!

2 cups unsalted, low fat chicken broth
3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3/8 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fat free Half and Half
6 oz shredded Chedder/Pepper Jack blend cheese, divided

In soup pot, combine broth, broccoli, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour soup into blender.
Puree until smooth, approximately 30 seconds.
Return to soup pot.
Add Half and Half and 3/4 of cheese.
Stir well.
Divide among 4 bowls.
Top with remaining shredded cheese.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp in Gazpacho

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Peg

Served in my Grandmother Corbitt’s antique Rose Medallion China, Kinda nice to have this!

1 Recipe Gazpacho, prepared and set aside

20 medium shrimp, cleaned
1Tbs olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t blank pepper
1/8 t salt

Combine all above ingredients in large mixing bowl.
Heat large skillet over medium high heat.
Add shrimp mixture.
Cook 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until shrimp is pink.

Pour Gazpacho in to bowls.
Add 5 shrimp to each bowl.
Garnish with a lemon slice.
Serves 6.

Gazpacho!

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Peg

Lunch in a Wine Glass, Mighty Fine!

Everyone makes gazpacho, but this is a promise of excellence. Trust me. Brenton spent more than just a little time in Spain during her EHS and WFU days. Her Seville semester “parents” were hilarious and more than a tad entertaining. Brenton brought back plenty of acquired tastes, including this Spanish Gazpacho of Aurora’s and especially the fritatta, remember! This is the plain Gazpacho version, and then I’m going to add lemon garlic shrimp to the bowl. I’m giving you that recipe as well. You’re Welcome!!

As an Appetizer in Demitasse; Perfect for the sSmmer Months

As an Appetizer in Demitasse; Perfect for the Summer Months. (Oopsie! Looking back, guess I could’ve cleaned the demitasse a bit better prior to photographing!)

2 large tomatoes, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 sweet onion, finely diced
1 8 inch cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cups V8 juice
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
1/2 t black pepper
*1 avocado, diced, optional

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.
Place half of the mixture in a blender just a few seconds to cut up the vegetables a bit. I like mine chunky so I only blend half.
Refrigerate until very cold.
Garnish with additional cilantro.

*If serving as entrée rather than appetizer, after pouring soup into bowl, you may add 1 to 2 Tbs avocado to center of each bowl.

Serves 12 as demitasse appetizer or 4 as entrée soup.
PS…I drink mine in a wine glass for lunch!

Aurora and Alphonso Hosting the Hardee Fam for Tea

Summer Vegetable Soup (bonus…low cal!)

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Peg

I was in Pinehurst for a glorious wedding this past weekend, where I (along with most of my compatriots) managed to eat and drink my way through the entire experience! So…I came home and immediately got myself back on MyFitnessPal.com and made this amazingly filling and almost zippo cal soup. Gotta trim the fat before it becomes a permanent part of my midsection! From Kelley’s delicious and beautiful wedding cake to slimming soup, in less than 24 hours!

1 Tbs olive oil
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 14.5 oz can organic Fire Roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 small can of Rotel with lime and cilantro
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 t oregano
1 t ground cumin
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
Zest of 2 lemons
3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 t fresh ground black pepper

In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion, and sauté 4 minutes, until translucent.
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes, Rotel, vegetable broth, oregano, and cumin.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Add carrot and yellow pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes.
Add zucchini and simmer 3 minutes, until tender.
Stir in lemon zest, cilantro, and pepper.
Simmer on low 10 minutes.
Ladle into individual bowls or mugs.

Serves 8.

60 calories per cup.

Chicken and Black Bean Gumbo

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Peg

My friend Cherri recently had a double knee replacement. So I cooked and froze several meals to ease her husband’s dinner prep! She loved this Gumbo, so I post this in Cherri’s honor. PS…she is healing magnificently…strong woman!

Breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium red pepper, diced
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t chili powder
1/2 Tbs ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
1 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed, and drained
16 oz can diced Italian tomatoes, not drained
3/4 cup beer

Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat.
Add red peppers, onion, and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add chili powder, cumin, and coriander, and cook 1 minute.
Stir in beans, tomatoes, and beer.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low,
Add cut up chicken.
Cook another 10 minutes, until chicken is heated throughout.

Serves 6.

Brunswick Stew

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Peg

You will need:

2 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans
1 1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
14 oz can diced tomatoes
10 oz can Rotel
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Breast meat of 1 roasted chicken, chopped
1 cup pulled pork or chopped barbeque

Bring chicken broth to a boil.
Add lima beans and corn.
Cover and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes and Rotel (both undrained), and Worcestershire.
Stir and cook 5 minutes.
Add chopped chicken and pork.
Stir well to combine all.
Cook covered on medium low for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Serves 8.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Peg

It was cold and WET in Eastern North Carolina yesterday, so I decided to make one of my favorite warm soups. Yum!

2 bunches thin asparagus
2 leeks, white and light green parts only
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
3 1/2 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen garden peas
2 Tbs grated Parmesan
1/4 cup Half and Half
Juice of half of a lemon

Trim tough ends off asparagus.
Cut tips off asparagus (reserving them), and chop remaining spears into 1/2 inch pieces.
Rinse leeks thoroughly, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Slice leeks thinly.
In a small skillet, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium high heat.
Add the asparagus tips and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
Remove tips, pat dry, and set aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter.
Add asparagus pieces, leek slices, salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally 4 to 6 minutes.
Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in peas.
Working in 2 batches, process the soup in a blender until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return soup to the pot.
Stir in Parmesan, Half and Half, and lemon juice.
Garnish with asparagus tips.

Serves 6 in soup bowls or 20 in demitasse or shot glasses.

PegHardee.com Insight into Southern Cuisine and Hospitality

Southern Cuisine, Gracious entertaining, Floral arrangements, Travel experiences, Fun Times

Category Archives: Soups