Spaghetti Carbonara with Leeks and Pancetta

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti $
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup chopped pancetta (about 2 ounces)
• 2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Combine cheese, pepper, salt, egg, and egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set pancetta aside. Add leek to drippings in pan, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Add pasta, cheese mixture, and pancetta to pan; reduce heat, and cook 1 minute, tossing well to coat. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

Jeanne Kelley, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2007

amish breakfast casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound sliced bacon, diced 1 medium sweet onion, chopped 6 eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups frozen shredded hash brown

potatoes, thawed 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese 1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

1.	In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
2.	Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

Hash Brown Egg Bake

1 (32 ounce) package frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt 8 eggs 2 cups milk 1 dash paprika

Directions:

1.

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a bowl, beat eggs and milk until smooth; pour over hash brown mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes until golden. Top with the remaining cheese.

Fish Baked with Leeks

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A lovely choice for a memorable summer meal, this delightfully simple dish showcases the flavor and texture of gently steamed fish.

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds leeks, trimmed, washed and chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, or chicken or fish stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• About 1 1/2 pounds cod, salmon or other fish fillet, about 1 inch thick

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter leeks over the bottom of an ovenproof casserole. Mix with wine or stock, salt, pepper and mustard. Top with fish, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover casserole.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife meets little or no resistance when inserted into thickest part of fish. Uncover, and serve the fish with leeks and pan juices spooned over.

Fish with Creamy Leeks

1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup water, divided
4 (6-ounce) pieces thick white-fish fillets such as pollock or Pacific cod, skinned
1 tablespoon chopped dill

Whisk together sour cream and flour.

Wash leeks, then put in a large heavy skillet with butter, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with parchment, then with a lid, and simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in sour-cream mixture and remaining 1/3 cup water.

Season fish with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then add to leeks and cook, covered with parchment and lid, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with dill.

Baked Fish With Leeks & Almonds

Ingredients

• 2 6 ounces white fish fillets, such as tilapia, flounder or halibut
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon slivered almonds
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Lemon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Rub fillets with olive oil and season with lemon pepper to taste.

3. Cover each fillet with circles of thinly sliced leek. Sprinkle with almonds.

4. Seal in heavy-duty foil; bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

5. Serve with lemon wedges.

Zucchini Tots

Zucchini Tots, a photo by raylynntexas on Flickr.

  The original name for these was Zucchini Bites, which was okay. But when these were baking, they smelled just like tater tots. I changed up the recipe a little (by using seasoned bread crumbs,parm. cheese, & I drained the zucchini) so I decided to change the name too and called them "Zucchini Tots instead.And "tots" does mean small and these are small (baked in a mini muffin pan) so the name fits.

Zucchini Bites

Recipe adapted: The Naptime Chef

yields: 12 mini muffins

1 cups zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs - I used Italian style
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

http://curiouscountrycook.blogspot.com/2012/03/zucchini-tots.html

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Makes about 16 cookies

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

On medium speed, cream together the butter, almond butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.madebymichellec.com/?p=3677

balsamic vinagrette

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

Balsamic Chicken with Spring Vegetables CrockPot Recipe

The Ingredients.

--4-6 boneless skinless frozen chicken thighs

--1 whole head of garlic

--2 zucchinis

--2 yellow squash

--1 orange bell pepper

--1 yellow bell pepper

--1 red onion

--1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

--2 t Worcestershire sauce

--salt and pepper

The Directions.

salt and pepper your chicken pieces. Mine were still frozen, so a lot of it fell off, so I had to just dump it on top.

put the chicken into the crock.

Wash and cut all your vegetables and put into a mixing bowl. Peel the head of garlic, but keep the cloves intact.

toss the vegetables with balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

pour the vegetables on top of the meat.

cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I cooked this for 8, and then clicked it over to warm for another hour.

We ate this on top of quinoa.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 2 tablespoons butter 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream

of chicken soup 1 onion, finely diced 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:

1.	Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2.	Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups water 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas vegetable oil

Directions:

1.	Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.	Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. Garnish with grated Cheddar, avocadoes, and a splash of fresh lime juice."

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (without pudding)
• 1 box (3.75-ounce) chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup Kahlua
• 1 (6-ounce) package chocolate chips
• 
  
• Kahlua Glaze:
• 
  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Kahlua

Instructions

1. Put everything in the bowl except for the chocolate chips.
2. Mix for a few minutes until it is well combined.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. I had a few half empty chocolate chip packages laying around, so I used a mixture of milk and semi-sweet chips.
4. Put the batter in a greased Bundt pan.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
7. Start the glaze.
8. Whisk together the powdered sugar and Kahlua until smooth.
9. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake.

Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

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Ingredients

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
2 cups baby carrots
1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1 (18 ounce) jar apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Line the bottom of a slow cooker with carrots and onions.

Season pork tenderloin liberally with salt and pepper and place over carrots and onion slices.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together stock, preserves, mustard and thyme leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour glaze mixture over tenderloin. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until tender.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Chicken in Garlic White Wine Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 5 -6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pint cream ( heavy or light)
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon parsley

Directions

1. Lightly brown both sides of chicken in olive oil.
2. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and butter and saute about 4-5 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
3. Add wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
4. Lower heat and add cream, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley.
5. Too high of heat will cause the cream to curdle.
6. Simmer on low 20-25 minutes until done.

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-in-garlic-white-wine-cream-sauce-83828

- add pancetta, leeks diced tomatoes,

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Mesclun salad mix or favorite greens, for accompaniment
• Assortment of salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced red onion, chopped celery, diced cucumbers, walnuts
• Blue cheese, for garnish

Directions

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/simple-balsamic-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html

Asparagus Quiche

Rated: Submitted By: Michele O'Sullivan Photo By: BUNNYSCOOTLES Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 12

"Breakfast quiche with fresh asparagus, bacon and Swiss cheese."

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 10 slices bacon 2 (8 inch) unbaked pie shells 1 egg white, lightly beaten

4 eggs 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg salt and pepper to taste 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place asparagus in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool.
2.	Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3.	Brush pie shells with beaten egg white. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and chopped asparagus into pie shells.
4.	In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle Swiss cheese over bacon and asparagus. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese.
5.	Bake uncovered in preheated oven un

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3/4 cup diced carrots
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pound ground beef or ground veal
• 1/2 pound pork sausage, removed from the casings, or ground pork
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return the water to a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/spaghetti-bolognese-recipe/index.html

Macaroni, Hamburger And Tomato Casserole- slow cooker

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (1 pound size) tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

DIRECTIONS:

Brown meat, onions and garlic in skillet and drain.

Combine tomatoes, tomato juice, and 1-1/2 C water in crock pot. Add drained meat, onions garlic salt and stir in seasonings. Mix well and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Stir in uncooked macaroni and continue cooking 2-3 hours, until macaroni is tender.

puffed pancakes

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

dash of salt

dash of cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.

while the oven is preheating, melt the butter in a pie pan or 9 inch square pan.

pour the batter into the hot melted buttered pan.

bake 10-12 minutes (or until the pancake is firm and has puffed around the edges).

the pancake will shrink down a bit after coming out of the oven (that's ok.) serve right away with lemon juice, powdered sugar, maple syrup, or fruit.

http://taza-and-husband.blogspot.com/

west african vegetable stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cups sliced onions 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch half slices 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Chicken Broth 1/2 cup water 1 (15 ounce) can chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 4 cups coarsely chopped spinach

Directions:

1.	Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender.
2.	Add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes. Add raisins, cinnamon, red pepper, broth and water. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes.
3.	Add chickpeas and spinach. Heat through. Serve over cooked rice or couscous, if desired.

brazilian black bean stew

1 tablespoon canola oil 1/4 pound chorizo sausage, chopped 1/3 pound cooked ham, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 large red bell pepper, diced 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with

juice 1 small hot green chile pepper, diced 1 1/2 cups water 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo and ham 2 to 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
2.	Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt.

Miel’s Broccoli Salad

Combine:

• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into bit-sized pieces
• 1 c. raisins
• 1/4 c. diced red onions
• 10 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1 c. sunflower seeds

Mix the dressing:

• 2 T. sugar
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise or plain yogurt
• 1 T. vinegar

Combine the salad dressing and the salad fixings.

If you want this to be a vegetarian dish, just leave out the bacon. Miel actually brought a bacon-less version of this salad to MOPS and we all scarfed it down. It still worked without the meat. This salad goes together really quickly and it's even faster without the bacon.

http://www.mysisterskitchenonline.com/2011/03/21/miels-broccoli-salad/

Potato Soup with Capers by B.J. Hanson

1 pound baby potatoes

1 pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes

2 yellow onions

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root

4 tomatoes

2 ears corn

4 tablespoons oil

4 pounds chicken pieces

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

6 cups Basic Chicken Broth (see recipe on page 3)

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons capers

• Place the baby potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 to 18 minutes, until tender.

• Meanwhile, peel the other potatoes and submerge them in a bowl filled with cold water. Finely chop the onions, garlic, and ginger root. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Shuck (or defrost) the corn. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels of the cobs, and discard the cobs.

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the chicken pieces, in a single layer, and brown for 7 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pieces and set aside, reserving 1–2 tablespoons of the fat.

• In a soup pot, combine the reserved fat, the onions, garlic, cumin seeds, and ginger, stirring for 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth. While it is coming to a boil, slice the big potatoes as thin as possible (as thin as potato chips if you can). Add them to the pan, along with the tomatoes and the chicken pieces. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, frequently skimming off any fat that rises to the top.

• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Take out the chicken pieces and set aside. Using a blender or food processor, purée the soup. Return the mixture to the soup pot and heat thoroughly on medium.

• Remove the skin and bones from the chicken pieces, cubing the meat and discarding the rest. Add the meat and the corn kernels to the pot. Cut the cooked baby potatoes into halves and add them to the soup pot.

• Remove from heat. Chop the cilantro and add it to the pot, along with the capers. Drizzle in the cream, stirring constantly. Return the pot to the heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer; cook for 5 minutes, making sure not to let it boil.

If corn isn't in season, you can use 10 ounces of frozen corn kernels to replace the 2 ears called for.