Corn Chowder

I am somewhat obsessed with corn chowder. It has about all my favorite things in it: corn, potatoes, bell peppers and bacon. I saw a recipe that started out by making a corn infused stock on Spoon Fork Bacon.  I used the infused stock from the recipe, but not much else.  I simplified things a bit so that Miss F could help me make it.  She is an excellent corn shucker, except that it always ends up in corn silks in every nook and cranny of the kitchen.  I loved this soup.   This may be my new go to corn chowder, I am not sure I will make it again without making a corn stock.  It was so incredibly simple, but added so much sweet corn flavor to the soup.

Corn Chowder

3 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
4 slices bacon, diced
½ medium yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 red potatoes, diced
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy cream

Place ½ of the corn plus the cobs in a pot with the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the cobs from the pot and discard. Puree the corn and stock, set aside.

In a large pot, sauté the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the pan. Add the onion, garlic, poblano, bell pepper, potatoes and remaining corn to the pan. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the flour and stir, sautéing for 3 minutes more. Add the stock to the pan, stirring constantly and simmer for 5 minute to thicken. Stir in the oregano, salt and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes more , serve.

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Potato Rosti

This was way easier than I thought it would be to make. Yes, there was lots of grating and squeezing, but in the end, it was all worth it. At least I thought so. Miss F stood firm in her no potato stance, even though she has recently started eating tator tots, and this is just like one big tator tot. I had the perfect little iron skillet to accommodate the rosti, but it could be easily made in a larger skillet, just don't fill the whole thing with grated potatoes. Thanks to Fine Cooking for the recipe.

Potato Rosti

1 pound potatoes (Yukon Golds or russets are best)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable for frying; more as needed

Peel the potatoes and grate them, using the large holes of a box grater or the food processor. Put the grated potatoes in a large bowl, stir in the salt and pepper. Let the potatoes rest for five minutes. Working in small batches, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and transfer them to a second bowl.

Heat an 8 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, about 1/8 inch deep. Add the potatoes to the center of the pan by the fistful, squeezing out more liquid if possible before dropping them into the oil. Work quickly to cover the entire pan with potatoes, making about a ½ inch thick layer of potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown, about 12 to 16 minutes. Flip the rosti in the pan or onto a plate and return to the pan. Cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cut into wedges when ready to serve.

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Chipotle Chicken Chowder

I love chowder in the winter, especially with a cheddar sour cream biscuit on the side.  Clam chowder is my absolute favorite, but I knew that wouldn't go over very well with C.  When I saw this recipe from Our Best Bites, I was intrigued.  I always keep chipotles in the freezer, they add great spice and flavor.  This soup was amazing, easily the best chowder I have ever made.  Miss F loved it, C loved it and I loved it.  It doesn't get much better than that.  I always know I have a winner when both C and Miss F ask for leftovers in their lunch.

Chipotle Chicken Chowder

4 tablespoons butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
½ onion, minced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle chili, chopped
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
5 cups milk
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies to taste (2-3 teaspoons)
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the chicken, onion, garlic, and bell peppers, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili, saute a minute more. Add the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the broth and cook until the flour is smooth and the broth is starting to thicken. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the potato, corn and beans, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the milk isn’t burning. Add the salt and adobo sauce to taste. Serve topped with sharp cheddar cheese.

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Apricot Roast Chicken

I love roast chicken, especially when cooked over a bed of root vegetables. It is so easy to prep and always yields impressive results.  This recipe is amazingly easy and perfect for an autumn Sunday dinner.   I adapted this recipe from the Organic Kitchen, I even used an organic whole chicken because I got one in the meat sale bin.  It was so much smaller than the franken chickens I am used to, which meant that it actually worked for a weeknight meal because it cooked up so quickly.  The sweet orange and apricot glaze made for delicious chicken skin.

Apricot Roast Chicken

One whole chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 orange, half sliced and half juiced
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
5 red potatoes, halved
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 shallots, peeled (if small leave whole, if large cut in half)
2 stalks celery, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean the chicken, removing all giblets. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the orange juice and apricot preserves in a small bowl, brush the mixture on all sides of the chicken and stuff the juiced orange half in the cavity. Sprinkle the chicken with half of the Herbes de Provence, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Layer the potatoes, carrots, shallots and celery around the chicken, toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining Herbes de Provence, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes per pound, until the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 155 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

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Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Miss F hates potatoes, she doesn't even really enjoy French fries, crazy right? So I dished her a bowl of this soup after an evening of tubing and called it "bacon cheese soup."  She bought it!  And she ate it.  I am not sure where her potato aversion stems from, she didn't eat any of the chunks of potato (does the same thing whenever I make chicken pot pie.)  This will definitely be added into the regular rotation in Colorado, it is hugely satisfying and having it simmer in the crockpot makes it easy. Thanks to Pink Parsley for this fantastic recipe.

Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken broth
3 pounds Russet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces), plus more for serving
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
salt and pepper

Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate until serving. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, an additional minute or so. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until the mixture is starting to thicken, then transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper into the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 4 to 6 hours on low (I think it could even go a bit longer than this and be fine).

Transfer 3 cups of cooked potatoes to a medium bowl with the cream and mash until smooth using a potato masher. Return the potatoes to the slow cooker, along with the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Stir to combine and let the soup sit until heated all the way through, about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, microwave the bacon on the plate until hot and crispy, about 30 seconds. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with bacon and shredded cheese.

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Lattice Chicken Pot Pie

As I type this, C is stranded in the Denver airport.  Needless to say, this commuting back and forth between Houston and Aspen has been a bit crazy.  He just missed the last flight to Aspen because of a delayed flight from Houston.  And of course it is the last flight of the day.  As bad as that is, at least I know I sent him off with a new twist on his favorite dish that I make, Chicken Pot Pie.  This was one of the first things I ever cooked for him and after baking the nectarine raspberry pie, I was inspired to actually use a pie crust instead of puff pastry on my pot pie.  And C and Miss F both loved it, both agreed they liked the new crust.  It takes a bit more effort, but it is totally worth it.  Now I just need to get over my bag of frozen veggies crutch...

Chicken Pot Pie

For the crust:
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cut into ½” pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
½ cup butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup flour
1 pint of cream (or half and half)
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¾ lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 russet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
10 ounce package of mixed frozen vegetables of your choice

2 tablespoons cream

In a food processor, process flour and salt until combined. Add the butter and process for 10 seconds. Add the water through the feed tube in a slow stream. Process until the mixture begins to come together. Place the dough in a large Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Boil potatoes in a small saucepan for 10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, melt ½ cup butter in a Dutch oven with the garlic and shallot. After the shallot has softened, whisk in the flour a ¼ cup at a time (you may not need all of the flour). When completely mixed in, add the cream, whisking more to incorporate into the roux. Add the chicken broth. Continue whisking; add the bay leaf, the parsley, the tarragon, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and chicken, let cook for 10-15 minutes on the stovetop to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce, stirring the whole time. Add the package of frozen mixed veggies (I use the peas, carrots, corn, green beans and lima beans mixture) and stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the crust from the freezer and roll out six 1 ½ inch strips. Pour the pie filling into a deep dish 10 inch pie plate. Place the crust over top in 3x3 lattice, crimping at the edges. Brush the lattice with 2 tablespoons cream. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet to collect any overflow.  Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve.

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