Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Poblano Chicken Corn Chowder

Mmmm, soup :-) That phrase makes me think of Joey of Friends when he is trying out with Ben, Ross's son, for a tomato soup ad. Oh how I miss the days of sitting around my college apartment, watching Friends with my wonderful roommates....

Anyways, back to cooking. This soup/chowder is perfect for a chilly day when all you want is some hearty soup. Or, a gross Houston day when you are trying your best to convince the weather that it is time to become cold. Oh Winter, where are you??

Poblano Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/8 cup minced garlic
  • 2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base
  • 3 quarts chicken broth
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
  • 5 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and corn, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.

When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

Picture to come at a later time :-)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Pretzel Bites

Mark is obsessed with pretzels. Whether they are the really hard kind in a 1 lb bag from the grocery store or the soft, buttery awesomeness found only at Auntie Anne's, he loves them all. This being said, I tried to make some pretzel rolls about a year ago and they were ehh. Nothing that was so good that I have made the since then. This being said, we were invited to a small Halloween gathering and I thought it was a great opportunity to try making pretzels again. I thought it would be cute to make little bite size ones, so that is what I did.
They came out REALLY good. I bought some queso to dip them in and it was just ridiculously tasty. I currently can't find the recipe but I will update when I can!