Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

This week I was hit with the most diabolical of all wintertime cravings: one for spicy, soothing chicken tortilla soup.

It came out of nowhere, and in the words of Spoon, it hit me like a tom.

Here is where I must confess one of the great things about being an able-bodied grown-up. When the craving for chicken tortilla soup hits you, you can go out and just get yourself some chicken tortilla soup.

Better yet, you can make your own.

I did a quick recipe search and found this recipe for slow-cooker version. God bless Allrecipes.

It's extraordinarily simple, and highly delicious. If you don't want to cook your own chicken, you can pick up cooked chicken from the deli. The most you'll be responsible for, besides opening a few cans, is chopping up an onion and a few cloves of garlic.

This soup doesn't photograph all that spectacularly, as I found out moments ago, but what it lacks in photogenic pizazz it makes up for in flavor. (I'm slurping it down even now. I should know.)

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, discard bay leaf from soup. Sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Tortellini Primavera

Finally. I am back. Yes. There was a lapse. My camera walked away from me, so I had to take a hiatus from photographing food. This seemed to manifest a hiatus from preparing food, oddly enough. It's as if I'm unwilling to cook a lovely meal if I can't photograph it.

But I'm back, spatula in hand, and I would like to tell you about a beautiful little main course that you will enjoy making in your own kitchen.

Tortellini Primavera is a light, easy, summery recipe that is full of the beautiful colors and subtle flavors that make summer produce such a treat. I prepared this meal with my friends Lalah and Jean last week. We served it with some white wine and Ina Garten's scrumptious pesto pea salad, and enjoyed berries with fresh whipped cream for dessert. The whole night was really quite heavenly.

First, you will want to shell a bunch of peas. I used zipper peas from the farmer's market. Truthfully, they looked so much like beans that it was hard to tell if they qualified as peas:



But there is something really satisfying about using fresh shelled peas in a summery recipe. Even if they are just beans in disguise.



Pay no attention to your friends when they complain about how much work it is to shell a pound and a half of peas! Choose to believe that they are secretly loving it.

After the peas are shelled, put them in a beautiful ceramic bowl and take them outside to be photographed:



Be sure to get a shot of Jean's bare feet in the grass:



After you're done chopping and shelling everything, the recipe comes together very quickly. A few minutes in a saucepan for the pasta, then a few minutes in a skillet for the vegetables:



Here is the recipe. I'll definitely be making this one again.

Tortellini Primavera
4 quarts water
1 (9-ounce) package fresh three-cheese tortellini, uncooked (really, you can use any kind of cute pre-made pasta — something vegetarian is best — we went with a cheese ravioletti)
1 cup vertically sliced baby carrots
1 1/2 cups fresh shelled green peas (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup canned vegetable broth
2 cups quartered baby pattypan squash (you can use regular varieties of squash if you have the misfortune of not being able to find pattypan. Just cut the squash into smaller pieces)
1 cup vertically sliced baby zucchini
2 cups torn arugula
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add carrots; cook 2 minutes. Add peas; cook 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Add pasta mixture, broth, pattypan squash, and zucchini. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until thoroughly heated. Stir in arugula and remaining ingredients.

Yield: 6 servings. Source: Cooking Light.

Spring green risotto

Last night Lalah and I made risotto. Risotto, of course, is another one of those Scary Food Things I've always been too intimidated to try. All that stirring! And who's to say what al dente really is? I can't be responsible for judging these things!

But we made risotto, and it turned out beautifully. I pretty much demanded that we try Ina Garten's Spring Green Risotto recipe. The seatback TVs on my long flight back to Atlanta from San Francisco last month featured the Food TV channel with Ina Garten cheerfully making this risotto. People, I hope you will never be strapped into a chair and made to watch Parmesan cheese softening luciously into tender arborio rice in a glorious closeup as you're gnawing on airplane peanuts. It's torture.

I'd been thinking about this risotto for weeks, so I was ready to get to it.

This recipe is particularly enjoyable because it introduces a number of spring vegetables to the line-up. Asparagus, peas, leeks, fennel. Risotto primavera!



Revelations:

First, as expected, risotto is a demanding but extremely pleasurable dish to make. It's not a good idea if you're really hungry, because Lord knows, it takes some time. It's a very good idea if you feel like taking your time, having a cooking experience, sipping some wine while you stir, filling your kitchen with delectable fragrances.



The overall texture and vibe of this dish was just what we wanted. It was creamy and comforting and filling and rich. You'll taste many layers of flavor in this dish. They all play beautifully together. Creamy rice, earthily sweet asparagus, savory broth, the bright blanket of lemon tying everything together.




This recipe makes a lot. Invite a crowd over for this one. A crowd that's not in a hurry.

Spring Green Risotto

nocoupons1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 pound thin asparagus
10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
* Note: This is a lot of lemon zest. Lalah and I both loved the prominence of the lemon flavor in the finished dish, but if you are not nutty about lemon, you may want to start with the zest from one lemon, taste, and work up from there. *
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (ditto on the mention of zest above)
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. ( * Note: 2 teaspoons of salt felt like a lot. We added one and found it to be sufficient.)

Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

— from Food Network's Barefoot Contessa

Mustard-maple salmon with hollandaise sauce

Sauces are one of those "scary food things" that have long intimidated me.

When I saw a "cooking class" article in this month's Cooking Light about sauces, I felt newly inspired to get over my anxiety and try making a sauce from scratch.

Lalah and I decided to try preparing a simple piece of salmon and making a hollandaise sauce to accompany it.

Step 1 was going to Whole Foods and picking out a really beautiful piece of wild caught walleye salmon. Behold:



Step 2 was buying the ingredients for the hollandaise. Hollandaise is basically a warm, buttery version of mayonnaise. It's one of the French mother sauces. (Frankly, just the phrase "mother sauces" makes me want to attempt cooking all of them. Either that, or take a bath in them.) Hollandaise known for its rich, silky texture and its versatility.

Because the hollandaise was going to require a lot of attention, we selected an exceedingly simple recipe for the salmon, something that would require us only to place it in a glass pan and put it in the oven.

A couple of hours before dinner, I marinated the fish in dijon mustard, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar (recipe below). That was the most complex part of the salmon preparation.

Over at Lalah's house, we rolled up our sleeves and got into the hollandiase. The timing of this meal was tricker than most meals we've prepared. Because we wanted to have the salmon coming out of the oven at the same time that the hollandaise was ready, and also at the same time that we had fresh asparagus and broccoli emerging from steam, we had to be on our toes. We adopted the phrase "gazelle-like intensity" to explain our mindset for preparing the sauce. We did a little fist-bump and then donned our aprons.

As it turns out, preparing hollandaise sauce does indeed require gazelle-like intensity. This is not the meal for a lazy cook, or for a Sunday afternoon when you just want something nourishing and simple. This is a great dinner to prepare with a two-person cooking team interested in exploring a somewhat technical meal. The preparations basically required full attention from both of us.

Having had no previous experience clarifying butter, Lalah and I worked together to make judgment calls about separating the solids from the butterfat. That was really helpful.

It was really useful to have one person focus on the sauce while someone else watched the vegetables and salmon and managed the plating. (Sorry, I just said "plating." Someone shoot me.)

Yes, we melted and whisked and clarified and blended and by the time we were done, we had something approximating hollandaise sauce. I even pulled out my grandmother's old gravy boat so we could serve it properly. It was the first time I've ever employed that particular piece of china.



Conclusion: the salmon was excellent, and made even more excellent with the addition of the sauce. The sauce itself was a little grainy and not quite as velvety as the sauce in the beautifully art-directed photo in the magazine. It would never have made it into service at a mid-level French restaurant. But it had terrific flavor, and was a delightful addition to the meal. Two thumbs up for a challenging and spirited cooking adventure.

Mustard-Maple Salmon
3 T Dijon mustard
3 T maple syrup
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1" thick)
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add salmon. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400º.
3. Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. Place fish in 11 x 7 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400º for 12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
— adapted from Cooking Light


Hollandaise Sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2 T cold water
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/8 t salt
Additional equipment: cheesecloth

Editorial note: I'm transcribing this recipe exactly as we prepared it, and exactly as it appeared in the magazine. Some other recipes for hollandaise call for straining the melted butter through cheesecloth at the end of step 1. I think this is probably the traditional way of clarifying butter. I wish we'd had cheesecloth; it definitely would've helped us separate the butterfat from the solids. Also, some other recipes involve vinegar and peppercorns. Although this recipe worked well enough, I can see myself trying a different hollandaise recipe later.

1. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook 5 minutes or until completely melted. Carefully skim solids off the top with a spoon; discard solids. Slowly pour remaining butter out of pan, leaving remaining solids in pan; discard solids.
2. Combine egg yolks and 2 T water in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until foamy. Place pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly. Gradually add 1/4 c clarified butter, about 1 T at a time, stirring with a whisk until each addition is incorporated and mixture is thick. Reserve remaining clarified butter for another use.
3. Stir juice and salt into butter mixture, whisking until blended. Yield: About 2/3 c (serving size: about 1 tablespoon).
— from Cooking Light

A perfect fall soup recipe

In an unsuccessful but heartfelt attempt to simply force cool, autumnal weather to arrive in Atlanta, my boyfriend and I made this soup for dinner last night. It's got lots of nice fall flavors. The soup is pretty easy. The croutons are more complicated, but (I think) worth it. Now if only fall would get here...

White Bean and Rosemary Soup with Roasted Garlic Croutons

Croutons:
2 whole heads garlic
1/4 c + 2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 loaf unsliced whole wheat bread, cut into 1" cubes

Soup:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4" coins
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" slices
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) white beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice off tops of garlic heads so the cloves are just exposed. Rub each head with 1 teaspoon olive oil; wrap loosely in foil. Roast 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven (but leave oven on); let garlic cool until comfortable to touch. Squeeze cloves from the heads into a small bowl; mash with a fork and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine half the roasted garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add bread and toss until well coated. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. To make soup: In a large saucepan, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and remaining half of garlic and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Add drained beans and rosemary; cook 10 more minutes.
4. With an immersion blender or in a food processor fitted with a knife blade, puree half the soup until smooth. Stir to combine. Serve in bowls topped with croutons and drizzled with remaining olive oil.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe developed by Rori Trovato for O magazine.

cookin' in my kitchen

Tomato Soup with Toasted Cheese Croutons
(Also known as the world's most scrumptious creamy tomato soup ever)

3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 sprigs parsley
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly-ground pepper
1/2 sourdough baguette, sliced into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until tender but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, parsley and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover. Skim foam and fat from top of soup and cover. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove parsley sprigs from soup and discard. Puree soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to pot and stir in cream and remaining Tbsp. of butter. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. Meanwhile, toss cubes of bread with olive oil and Parmesan. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 400º for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Pour soup into mugs and place a few croutons on top. Makes 8 servings.

I got this recipe from Oprah's magazine a few years ago, and I think I love it enough to tattoo it on my body. Best cold-weather soup ever.