Wendy Hue's Space

On January 20, I received recipes from my first partner in the "Souper" Bowl Sunday recipe swap. Rather than sending the required two, Cynthia sent me four! So, without further ado, here they are:

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 (1 1/4 ounce) pkgs of taco seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed well
1 (15 ounce) can corn
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 cup water
shredded taco cheese, as topping
tortilla chips, for dipping

Brown beef and onions in frying pan.
Add all ingredients into a crock pot & simmer on high for 4 hrs or simmer on stove top for 1 hr.
When ready to serve top with cheese and dip with tortilla chips.

Beef and Barley Soup

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups (appox 4) diced carrots
2 cups (approx 2 large) diced onions
2 cups (approx 6) diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked barley
8 cups beef broth
2 (14 to 16 oz) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

In a large pot, cook ground beef on medium-high heat until browned, breaking up with a fork as it cooks. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
Add oil to pan; add carrots, onion, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Return beef and all remaining ingredients (except parsley and vinegar) to pot. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in parsley and taste. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed, or a splash of balsamic vinegar if soup needs a little more zip.

Santa Fe Chowder

2 Tbsp minced fresh green chili peppers
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced carrot (approx 1)
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
2 cups diced potatoes
3 cups water
1 cup diced red bell pepper or green bell pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup corn
1 cup diced zucchini or yellow squash
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk

In a large pot, add the chiles, onion, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, and oil. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are clear. Add in the carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and water. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, and zucchini, stir to combine. Cover and cook on medium-high for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Transfer 3 cups of the vegetables from the soup into the contatiner of a blender. Add the cream cheese, cheddar, and milk. Process until smooth. Add puree back to the soup; stir to combine and reheat if necessary.

Squash Chowder

Notes:
1. Use any hard skinned squash for this chowder. Butternut works great.
2. Add milk after boiling.

3 cups squash, diced finely
2 strips bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup cabbage, finely shredded
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 cup milk
1 large tomato, finely diced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Cook the squash and the bacon in the oil in a heavy pan for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the squash is beginning to soften. Add the herbs and the stock, season lightly, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the cabbage and cream of coconut and continue cooking for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the thyme and bay leaves, then add the milk and the chopped tomato. Return the chowder to a boil and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste, then add vinegar and parsley just before serving.

On January 19, I placed in the mailbox at the post office my envelopes for the "Souper" Bowl Sunday recipe swap, the Recipe Card Swap, and the Red & White for February ATC Swap. For the "Souper" Bowl Sunday recipe swap, I sent my recipe for Clam Chowder to both partners, and then our family recipe for chili to one, and a recipe for Baked Potato Soup to the other. The Recipe Card Swap was just recipe cards, and for the ATC swap, I used the ATCs that I had been working on that I mentioned in this post. I feel like I'm keeping pretty organized with all of these swaps, and I hope to continue to be so.

New England Clam Chowder

2 1/2 cups water
three 6.5-ounce cans minced clams (plus liquid)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
dash ground thyme
2 white or red potatoes, peeled and diced (not russet or yellow potatoes)
1 cup heavy cream

1. Combine water and liquid drained from all 3 cans of clams in a large saucepan. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, bay leaf and thyme. Turn to medium heat.
2. When water begins to bubble, add the potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir often to keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the clams to the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the cream and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Watch the pan carefully to be sure the chowder doesn't bubble over. Turn down the heat if the soup begins to erupt.

Makes 5 servings.

Chili Con Carne

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 can (#2 1/2) red kidney beans
1 qt whole canned tomatoes
1/4 t chili powder
1/8 t cayenne or red pepper
1 t salt

Brown the meat and onions (diced) together in a skillet. Strain the tomatoes through a sieve, discarding pulp. Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer one hour. (Use fat from beef and juice from kidney beans.)

Baked Potato Soup

4 large baking potatoes
4 slices bacon
6 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 green onion, sliced
5 oz (1 1/4 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-oz) container sour cream

1. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on microwave-safe paper towel or roasting rack in microwave. Microwave on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through cooking. Cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove from Dutch oven; drain on paper towels. Crumble; set aside.
3. In same Dutch oven, combine milk and flour; blend well. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until bubbly and thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
4. Cut cooked potatoes in half. Scoop out cooked potato from skins; place in medium bowl. Discard skins. Mash potatoes well.
5. Add potatoes, bacon, 2 tablespoons of the onions, 1 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper to milk mixture. Cook and stir until sheese is melted. Add sour cream; cook and stir until soup is thoroughly heated.
6. To serve, spoon soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle each with remaining onions and cheese.

This past week, I joined yet another swap, the "Little Tokens of Love" Swap. I did not receive the e-mail assigning me a partner, but she did e-mail me, and she is Cindy, and she's from Maryland, too! I'm very excited about what I might do with this!

This is one of the recipes that I received in the Recipe Scavenger Hunt.

Glazed Salmon on Greens & Orange Salad

4 (5 oz) salmon fillets
1/3 cup Asian ginger salad dressing
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
8 cups salad greens
4 clementines, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup chopped, unsalted, toasted almonds

1. Place salmon skin side down on foil lined baking sheet. Brush salmon with 2 tbsp of the dressing. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Put remaining dressing and the orange juice in a large bowl; add onions and toss to coat. Heat broiler.
3. Broil salmon 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked just through.
4. Add salad greens and clementines to bowl with onions; toss to mix and coat. Arrange salad on serving plates. Lift salmon off foil, leaving the skin behind. Place salmon on salad and sprinkle with almonds.

This is one of the recipes that I received in the Recipe Scavenger Hunt.

Jewish Apple Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced - Granny Smith are great!
ground cinnamon for sprinkling on apples

Preheat oven to 350 degreed F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beated eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.

1. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour the remaining batter over the top and layer the remaining sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 70 to 90 minutes.