Curried Corn Chowder

After Mom's experience with the massive ice storm of 2010, including 10 days without electricity, we over-prepared for this week's snow storm.  Before the storm hit, Mom cooked pots of beans and chicken and dumplings, both things we could reheat in the fireplace if the need arose.  Fortunately we did not lose electricity at any point this week and have passed the time being snowed in reheating both of those lovely dishes in the microwave and eating in the warm comfort of our home.  Five days in, I'm tired of both beans and chicken and dumplings, so I decided to be adventurous and make a new curried corn chowder for lunch today.  It turned out well.  It's spicy and filling, making it perfect for this cold day.

Split Pea Soup

It's time for this week's "substitute soup" - the soup I prepare every Sunday in anticipation of having to grab lunch as I run out the door on my way to school, where I work as a substitute teacher.  Of all the soup recipes I've shared so far - the spinach parmesan, the butternut squash, the roasted pepper - this is my favorite.

Spicy Spinach Parmesan Soup

 

Here's another delicious soup recipe.  The inspiration for this recipe came from the Pioneer Woman's website, but I've altered it for taste and to be more health conscious.  It's delicious.

Butternut Squash Soup

To everyone's horror (mine included), I've been substitute teaching this year.  Just like when I was a kid, I rarely eat in the lunchroom, so I have to be prepared to pack a lunch any day of the week.  One of my favorite things to take in my lunch is soup, so I've been experimenting with all different kinds.  This butternut squash soup was especially tasty.

Pinto Beans

There is nothing simpler than a pot of pinto beans.  Though I love beans and cornbread now, I spent my childhood hating it.  Unfortunately for me it was Mom and Dad's favorite, so this was a dinner that we had at least twice a month.  I have, however, spent my adulthood making up for all the pots of beans that I missed.  I crave pinto beans, cook them often, and request that Mom cook them even more frequently.

White Chicken Chili

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can't.  It came to me via my Aunt Janie, who found it on the side of a can of Great Northern beans.  It's still share-worthy, though.

White chicken chili is great because it's cheap, easy, tasty, and pretty healthy.  Mom doesn't care for it because of the cumin, but she was kind enough to help me make it yesterday, showing me how to add flour to the onion mixture to make a proper rue. 

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is a dish that brings back wonderful memories for me.  My grandpa, Pap-Paw, owned a cafe here in Rush Springs and chicken and dumplings was one of his specialties.  Unfortunately, Pap-Paw didn't really have recipes, so we've had to come up with our own.  It's very, very close to what he served.  This is also a rare recipe where Mom and I each have our own version.  The variations are slight, but I'll point them out where they exist.

Feijoada

The Barefoot Contessa  has done two shows on roasted fruits and vegetables today.  On one of her shows, she said roasting is a great trick for the wintertime when vegetables have less flavor, because it concentrates the flavor.  I've been on a roasted vegetable kick lately, so it's all I can do not to go to the grocery store, buy a bunch of veggies, and spend the day roasting away.

Anyway, Mom is feeling much better today.  She's buzzing around like a very annoying little bee, putting away all the Christmas decorations.  I told her if she'd chill for a bit, I'd gladly help her.  Her response was, "I can do it.  And, if I'd a felt like it yesterday, it'd already've been done, ya'll."  Buzz, buzz.

Although she's feeling better today, yesterday was probably the worst of Mom's cold, so I was on my own to concoct dinner with a house full of food.  Brother Jason and I ate at a Brazilian restaurant in OKC last week and I had an amazing dish called feijoada, which is Brazil's national dish.  It's a black bean stew with pork and beef served with rice and collard greens.  Since I didn't have access to all the ingredients included in a typical recipe, I came up with my own using the ham leftover from Christmas dinner.

Roasted Pepper Soup

  

I've been battling a cold this week.  Usually, sickness of any kind in our household results in a large pot of my grandmother's potato soup.  Unfortunately, Mom also has a cold, so I was on my own for dinner tonight.  Neither Mom nor I have been to the grocery store in several days, so I had to make do with what was in the house, resulting in a surprisingly good and very simple roasted pepper soup.  It even got Mom's approval, which rarely happens when I cook.