Chicken Potato Corn and Bean Chowder

Start by cooking 8 ears of fresh corn. When cool, cut the kernels off, then set aside, to add to the soup later. (or use 3-4 cans of corn)

Cut up everything shown in the 6 quart pot. Return it to the pot with 2T EVOO and sauté until it's all cooked about half way.

8oz. apple-gouda chicken sausage
3 med. carrots
6 big garlic cloves
3 sm. yellow onions
1/2 big Vidalia onion
1 long sweet red bell pepper
6 med. Yukon Gold potatoes - scrubbed

Season with black pepper, Lowry's Garlic Salt, 2-3T low sodium chicken Better Than Bouillon. Add 1 quart of chicken stock, and 4 bay leaves. Eventually, you'll add one more quart of stock. Let this all simmer about 20 minutes. You can stop now, cover and refrigerate everything in the pot and resume this tomorrow (which I did since it was late) or keep going.

Stir In:

8oz. frozen skinny green beans - cut up a bit

all the corn kernels.

Simmer this for 10 minutes or so, then add the chopped parsley and cubes of previously made, and frozen, browned butter and flour roux. Bring this to a low boil so the roux will thicken the broth. Cool this slightly so the next addition doesn't curdle. Combine 1 can of a cream-based soup with enough half and half to equal 2 cups, stir in a cup of chicken stock to loosen it up, and pour this into the pot.

Bring this to a low bubble-simmer, then turn off the heat. When this has cooled again, stir in about 8oz. of a good quality cheese spread and 1/2c Sherry cooking wine.

Bring everything back to a low bubble, ladle into big bowls and serve with crusty garlic bread. . .Lin 

Green Soup

Chop and sauté these vegetables in 2T single source EVOO in a 4 quart pot:

10oz. fresh asparagus

8oz. frozen skinny green beans

10oz. turnip greens and chopped turnips

1 celery heart + greens

1 med. onion

Season with whatever you like on green vegetables. Today I used Penzeys black pepper blend and roasted garlic and herb seasoning.

Once everything is sizzling add 6 cups of chicken broth. I used chicken bone broth that I made earlier from a whole roasted chicken.

Heat slowly, bring it to a low simmer then continue at that low bubble heat point about a half hour. Blend as much or little as you like, getting it silky smooth or leave it a bit more textured and rustic.Check the seasonings and make adjustments. I added 1-2T of chicken Better Than Bouillon soup base. Top with some grated pepper jack cheese and almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. . .Lin

Quick-Easy Chicken Dinner (at the lake)

1# frozen (thawed) chicken tenderloins

1 med. onion

1/2 sm. jar pimentos 

6 baby red potatoes

12-16oz. frozen (thawed) green beans

1c half & half

1c sour cream

1-2T beef or chicken soup base

Layer the first group of ingredients in a nice big glass casserole dish.  Mix the next 3, pour over, cover and bake for 40 minutes at 350°.  A can of diced water chestnuts would have been a really good addition!

It's a grey, windy, day here on the north shore of Lake Superior between Duluth and the Canadian border.  I've never heard the lake so noisy!

I'm expecting company for dinner, so I wanted to put together something hearty and nutritious, yet quick, so I can spend some time out on the deck reading and listening to the sounds of nature.

This turned out well. Any leftovers will keep nicely in the 'fridge for several days. . .Lin

Shrimp and Beans!

Today was another busy cooking, reading and YouTube video day for me.  What did we do before YouTube instructional videos?

All of a sudden I was hungry.  Shrimp! It had to be shrimp. Not with rice, not an angel hair pasta scampi thing, shrimp tacos sounded good, but that would take too long, after so much kitchen time.

Shrimp and something green, broccoli or green beans.  Beans won.  I steamed them in just a little water.  When they were almost done, I made space in the middle of the pan, added EVOO and the shrimp.  Sizzle-sautéed just a few minutes, seasoned with Little's Baja Fish Street Taco seasoning mix. I'll use this a lot! I had an empty salt shaker that I thought I'd fill. There's enough in the packet to fill this one twice!   Chopped fresh shallots on top and. . .

Oh boy!  This went together in 10 minutes - and it's something I'll make again (and again!) Quick Food is not fast food.  It's healthy food that comes together quickly. . .Lin

A Green Bean, Egg, Ham and Cheese Breakfast

I mis-guessed my breakfast craving today.  The quinoa sounded great, but after a few bites I covered it and put it in the 'fridge.  It just wasn't a nutty-fruity-quinoa kinda day - I'll have it tomorrow.  I realized this morning I was actually craving vegetables, eggs, ham and cheese.  Yum!!!

1/2 sm. onion - chopped

3/4-1c frozen or fresh green beans

1T  butter

1/2-3/4c chopped pre-cooked ham

1 jumbo egg

some grated cheese to top at the end

Saute' the onion with the green beans and butter, covered for about 5 minutes.  Add the ham and cook another few minutes.  Crack in the egg, cooking and stirring until almost set.  Put the cheese on top, then cover and turn off the heat.  Leave it for another few minutes until the cheese melts and serve. . .Lin

Green Beans and Cod

frozen cod

chili-lime panko bread crumbs

frozen green beans

Oh, a perfect, very simple, dinner.

Thaw the cod, then coat in bread crumbs.  Fry fast, in bacon grease or butter.  Serve with steamed green beans and tarter sauce or whatever salad dressing you like.  Ranch is good.  Tonight I chose Classic Caesar dressing.  Ohhhh, this was wonderful! . . . Lin