digmom's Pork & Black Bean Chili

digmom casually mentioned making this in the Hizzy & a number of us pounced on her, demanding a recipe. Rather than counterattack, she kindly shared.

• 1 large boneless pork chop, if fresh slice into thin strips; if frozen, slice into small chunks
• chili powder
• olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
• 3 bell peppers (1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow) chopped into large pieces
• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 2 cans minced tomatoes
• salt

Slice pork chop into thin strips (or chunks, if frozen) and sprinkle it with chili powder. Cook it in a pan with some olive oil over medium heat until almost cooked. Put pork and juice into a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté one yellow onion, chopped, and two jalapeños, minced. Sprinkle with chili powder. When starting to get soft, add the chopped bell peppers and sauté until peppers turn bright colors. Add two cans of black beans, two cans of diced tomatoes, then add the meat & reserved juices. Add chili powder and salt to taste. Cook at a low boil until it gets to a consistancy you like, or you get too hungry to wait.

adharas' Butternut Squash Soup

I'm frankly jealous of adharas' local paper.

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds) (you will need 4 cups diced)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ cups diced onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set halved or quartered squash on a cookie sheet. In bowl, combine seasonings and brown sugar. Sprinkle mixture over squash. Bake in preheated oven until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove pulp from peel and discard peel. Cut or scoop into measuring cup to measure 4 cups.

Meanwhile, in large pot, heat oil. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until tender.

Add flour to vegetable mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked squash. Add stock and simmer over low heat, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer mixture to blender or food processor (in batches if needed), and puree until smooth.

Soup also can be pureed with an immersion blender. Add cream, if using, and mix well. Makes about 10 main-dish servings.

adharas' Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Soup

Another gem from adharas' local newspaper.

• 2 pounds pie pumpkin, halved and strings and seeds discarded
• 2 pounds butternut squash, halved and strings and seeds discarded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 medium bulb fennel, chopped
• 12 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In shallow baking pan, arrange pieces of pumpkin and squash, cut sides up. Bake 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop out pulp. You should have 6 to 8 cups. Transfer to food processor or blender, in batches if necessary, and puree. Set aside.

In large heavy kettle, heat butter over medium heat until foam subsides. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add broth, reserved squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, garlic and black pepper and simmer, covered, 40 minutes

Stir in maple syrup and cream and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cool soup slightly and puree in small batches until smooth. Transfer to large soup pot and reheat if necessary. Makes about 10 to 12 main-dish servings.

adharas' Tunisian Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils

adharas found this in her local newspaper & it sounds wonderful.

• 1 cup uncooked chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 1 to 2, 15-ounce cans chickpeas)
• Water
• 1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups chopped tomatoes, peeling and seeding optional
• Black pepper and cayenne to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
• Yogurt (optional)
• Minced fresh parsley (optional)
• A few currants (optional)

Place the soaked, uncooked chickpeas in large pot and cover with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook 1 hour. (If you're using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them, and set them aside.)

Add lentils and cinnamon stick, partially cover again, and cook another 30 minutes, or until chickpeas and lentils are perfectly tender, but not mushy. (If you're using canned chickpeas, just cook the lentils with the cinnamon stick in 7 cups water until tender, about 30 minutes.) Remove and discard cinnamon stick, and drain legumes, saving water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, ground cumin and bay leaves, and sauté over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are very soft.

Add 6 cups of the reserved cooking water from lentils (supplement with fresh water if there's not enough) and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook another 15 minutes or so. (The timing does not need to be exact.) Fish out and discard the bay leaves.

Stir in chickpeas and lentils, and cook about 5 minutes longer (but not too much longer, because you don't want legumes to become mushy). Season to taste with black pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.

Serve hot, topped with some yogurt and a sprinkling of parsley, if desired, and pass a small bowl of currants. Makes 6 servings (maybe a little more).

adharas' Asparagus Soup

adharas reported in the Hizzy that she made this soup & pronounced it delicious. Enjoy!

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cup sliced shallots (about 6 large)
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Strain into same pan, pressing on solids to release liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Stir crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with dollop of lemon crème fraîche and serve.

ersatz reality's (Normal?) Pound Stew

In other news, since my wife is out of town, decided to make simple stew for dinner. Being extraordinarily lazy today...and since Wegman's even has choppped onions, my normal pound stew was even easier than normal.

Two pounds beef, cubed, two large onions, diced, one can plum tomatoes, one large can tomato sauce, one pound radishes, one pound redskin potatoes, one pound baby carrots, one pound corn (frozen), one pound green beans (also frozen), one carton beef stock, spices to taste. In a big Dutch oven, brown the beef, toss in onions. After onions are glistening, put in stock, reduce heat to medium. After a couple of minutes, add plum tomatos and tomato sauce. Make sure to smash the tomatoes. Add spices (I used garlic, pepper, cayenne, salt, and shallots). When liquid is hot again. add radishes, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer as long as you like. After the starchy things are cooked, add corn and green beans.

Serve when hot. A baguette on the side if you like.

ChickenGrrl's Tortilla Soup

We have a fan. I'm so tickled! ::waves merrily at ChickenGrrl:: You're undoubtedly insane to like us lunatics, but we definitely like you right back.

I was so tickled & charmed by her email, I'm pasting it in here so everyone can be so charmed:

Hola, whomever is doing the recipes at the moment. Somehow I have a feeling our dear sylph has other things on her mind...

Is it weird that I am a Hizzy Fan, but not a Hizzizen? I would love to be one as I'm very jealous of y'all - you may well be the most fun, literate group of people on TWoP - but couldn't possibly keep up with the Hizzy forum. Sigh.

I got this lovely recipe for Shortcut Tortilla Soup from the Dallas Morning News recently, and tried it tonight. I would love to share it with the Hizzy Chefs if you think anyone would like it? It was really easy, as the name suggests, but of course I had to make amendments. For example, if it is to make 5-6 servings as it says, I think you would want more avocado - one was perfect for Mr. Chicken and me, but I think that would be skimpy for 5 or 6, and you can never have too much avocado! I used mild salsa so I could control the amount of fire - I added a bit of Tiger Sauce for that. I also added a dash of worcestershire sauce, some garlic, onion, and chili powder, as well as a smidge of cayenne pepper. Oh, yeah, and I used faux chicken strips instead of actual chicken, being one of those freaky vegetarians. And the recipe calls for Gebhardt's enchilada sauce, which I couldn't find, so I used Old El Paso; I imagine any brand of non-green-chile enchilada sauce would be fine. It was excellent!

Also, if you don't know from Tex-Mex food or tortilla soup, you might not know for the tortilla strips to cut several corn tortillas in half then in strips and crisp them on the stove or in the oven. Some people prefer to put the tortilla strips in the bowl first, then ladle the soup over them; some like to add them on top so they stay crispier. Then garnish with the shredded cheese (I bought a pre-shredded mixture of jack and cheddar) and avocado, plus a dollop of sour cream if you like. Yum!

I'm pasting the recipe (including "preamble") below, with a link to the original article for propriety's sake. But if you don't feel it worthy of posting, I won't be offended. I just so enjoy reading all y'all's (that's the plural for "y'all," you know!) recipes (even if I never make any of them!) that I wanted to contribute something.

From the Dallas Morning News.

• 1 package Knorr tomato with basil soup mix
• 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cups prepared salsa or picante sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) can Gebhardt's Enchilada Sauce
• 1 ½ to 2 cups diced, cooked chicken (frozen cooked chicken or breast meat from a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack or Longhorn cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups tortilla strips

In a medium saucepan, combine the soup mix with chicken broth, water, salsa and enchilada sauce. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the diced chicken, and, if using a rotisserie chicken, add the accumulated juices from the chicken.

Place avocado, cheese and tortilla strips in bowls so people can garnish their own soup. Serve the soup in warm, shallow soup bowls. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 382 (46% fat) Fat 20 g (5 g sat) Chol 58 mg Sodium 1,440 mg Fiber 5 g Carb 30 g Protein 21 g

MartianIceQueen's Utterly Vague Ham and Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika Recipe

Okay, this is also in the running for best recipe title ever. Thanks, Martian, for indulging my whiny gluttony. It sounds delicious!

So, I had gotten ham the previous week, and had all this leftover ham. In my family, you get a ham with the bone in, and you simmer it in water for a while to heat it up and get some of the saltiness out (no baking, no cloves, no honey glaze or whatever). Then you have leftovers until you cannot stand ham anymore. Yesterday there was a huge rainstorm, so it seemed like a good soup day. I was working from home, and I decided to try and put something together with what I had on hand, since there was no chance of me leaving the house and driving with the crazy people who seem to hit the freeways in Los Angeles on days like that.

I chopped the large, good hunks of meat off the bone, but wasn't too meticulous about it – there was still meat left on it. I put that in my biggest soup pot and put enough water in to just about cover the bone. I don't really know how much that was, but it was a lot – emptied my Brita pitcher. I added a bag of lentils (the generic kind you get from the grocery store) and two bay leaves, and left it at just under a simmer for about 3 hours.

Then I added one and a half chopped onions (what I had – one red and half a white) and 6 or so large carrots, chopped. Also a bunch of fresh thyme, spices from Penzeys (minced garlic, toasted onion, smoked Spanish paprika, Ancho chili powder, celery seed), salt and pepper. Half an hour later I added more smoked paprika and a few more pinches of celery seed as well as regular Hungarian sweet paprika (also from Penzeys) and some roasted garlic chips from Trader Joe's. I then diced the leftover ham (approximately 1-inch chunks), and then removed the ham bone and added the ham. I fished out the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves, and then added more of both types of paprika. Basically I just kept tasting and adding more spices until I liked it. All spices were added by the "pour some amount into your hand and then toss it in" method of measurement, so I don't actually know how much I used.

This made like a gazillion servings. I hope it freezes well.

adharas' Sambar with powder

This is an alternate (and easier) version of adharas' original Absolutely Divine Sambar. I'm sure it will still be wonderfully divine.

• ¼ c Tamarind ( fruit, not instant paste)
• 1 medium red onions, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into pieces

• ¾ t black mustard seeds
• ½ t fenugreek seeds
• ¼ t asafetida
• ¼ t turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• ¾-1 ½ t Sambar powder, the more you add, the spicier it is.

• 30 curry leaves, torn in half
• 1 ½ cups toor dhal, uncooked, rinsed and soaked for a few hours.

Bring the toor dhal to boil in a pot, with water to cover it, and cook until absolutely mushy. Add water as necessary, to make sure that the dhal does not absorb all water and go dry. It should be the consistency of a Campbell’s soup when done. Nice and thick.

Soak tamarind in 2 cups hot water, overnight. Squeeze the pulp out, and strain the liquid into a bowl. Add another ½ c water to the strained solids, and repeat smushing and straining. Discard the solids. Set tamarind liquid aside for 5 minutes, then decant to another bowl. Leave any grainy solids (remnants of fruit pod) at the bottom behind and discard. Discarded amount should be less than 1/3 cup.

Heat 1 t vegetable oil, in 4 quart pot. Add mustard seeds, let them pop, add fenugreek seeds, stir for 30 secs. Add curry leaves, stir 30 secs. Add cut veggies, and rest of spices. Cover and let come to boil, lower heat slightly, leave the lid tilted slightly to release steam, and simmer, for a good 45 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the cooked dhal. Bring to a boil, and turn off heat.

Adjust salt as needed, and if the sambar is too heavy in consistency, add some boiling water to lighten it. It should be a soupy consistency. If too spicy, you can add more dhal into the sambar.

Serve with plain white cooked rice, and curry.

adharas' Absolutely Divine Sambar

This is beyond delicious. This is happiness in a bowl. This is food nirvana. This is good enough that it makes putting up with Ed worthwhile.

• ¼ c Tamarind ( fruit, not instant paste)
• 2 medium red onions, sliced, and kept separate
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into pieces

Spices:

• ¾ t fenugreek seeds
• 3 ½ T coriander seeds
• 1 ½ T yellow split peas, dry
• 12 pepper corns
• 4 dried red chilis, more if you like it hot, less if not
• ¼ c unsweetened coconut, either dried, or fresh. Not canned.
• ¾ t black mustard seeds
• ¼ t asafetida
• ¼ t turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 30 curry leaves, torn in half
• 1 ½ cups toor dhal, uncooked, rinsed and soaked for a few hours.

Bring the toor dhal to boil in a pot, with water to cover it, and cook until absolutely mushy. Add water as necessary, to make sure that the dhal does not absorb all water and go dry. It should be the consistency of a campbell’s soup when done. Nice and thick.

Soak tamarind in 2 cups hot water, overnight. Squeeze the pulp out, and strain the liquid into a bowl. (This little hint has been added exclusively for Eilan’s benefit).Add another ½ c water to the strained solids, and repeat smushing and straining. Discard the solids. Set tamarind liquid aside for 5 minutes, then decant to another bowl. Leave any grainy solids (remnants of fruit pod) at the bottom behind and discard. Discarded amount should be less than 1/3 cup.

Heat 1 t vegetable oil, in 4 quart pot. Add 1 sliced red onion to the oil. Saute until limp and starts turning brown. Remove from pot into a cup. Heat 1 t oil. Add the red chilis, fry 15-30 secs, add to onion. Heat another 1 t oil. Add fenugreek seeds, wait 15 secs, or until reddish brown, add coriander seeds and yellow split peas. Saute until spices turn color, light brown. Add peppercorns and coconut. Take off heat, stir a few secs so the coconut is fragrant, and add to onions. Let cool. Put in blender, with ½ c water, blend until quite finely ground.

Heat 1 T oil over medium heat, add mustard seeds. Cover pot. As soon as the popping subsides, add remaining red onion, green pepper, carrot, and sauté for 2 minutes or so. Add asafetida, turmeric, salt and tamarind liquid. Add curry leaves. Cover and let come to boil, lower heat slightly, leave the lid tilted slightly to release steam, and simmer, for a good 45 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the cooked dhal. Bring to a boil, and turn off heat.

Adjust salt as needed, and if the sambar is too heavy in consistency, add some boiling water to lighten it. It should be a soupy consistency. If too spicy, you can add more dhal into the sambar.

Serve with plain white cooked rice, and curry.

digmom3's Shrimp Bisque

Not only did this recipe unexpectedly pop up in my inbox like an early Christmas present, but this is one of my all-time favorite soups. Happy day!

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 stalk celery, chopped fine
• 1 red pepper, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP butter
• 3 cups tomato basil sauce (1 regular jar of spaghetti sauce)
• 1 13 oz. can chicken broth
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1 cup fat free ½ & ½
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Shrimp (I used one bag frozen, cooked shell-off)

Sauté first four ingredients in the butter. Add the tomato basil sauce, chicken broth, and hot sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp. Whisk in ½ & ½ and cream. Heat through and serve.

MisaGoddess' Chicken & Corn Soup (Slowcooker Recipe)

MisaGoddess writes: "For all you sick Hizzyites (who also have a lot of time on your hands)." Is it just me, or do you think that parenthetical comment was a dig against me? Hhhmpf. No one appreciates my artistic vision!

• 3 or 4 pieces of chicken or 2 breasts (the chicken breasts yield a *lot* of shredded meat)
• 1 pkg of frozen sweet corn (16 oz)
• *1 medium sweet onion
• *1 medium red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon Paprika
• ½ teaspoon Thyme
• Dash of Rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Puree the onion and bell pepper in a food processor or chopper. Place in the bottom of of the slow cooker and add chicken pieces, corn and the pureed vegetables. Add also tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and spices. Pour the broth over all.

Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours. Near the end of the cooking time, take out the chicken and shred with a fork. You can even use meat with the bone and skin on - everything will peel right off the bone by the time it is done. This should serve 4-6 people.

BeachBum's Kale & Bean Soup

BeachBum writes: I didn't follow the above proportions exactly, but I think this is a very forgiving recipe! Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread to soak up all the yummy broth!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups raw kale, chopped (be sure to remove the spiny sections; there won't be many, but those that remain will be tough)
• 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, split
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans or navy beans, undrained,split
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 box small shells
• shredded parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat olive oil.

Add garlic and onion; saute until soft and the onion is transparent.

Wash the kale, leaving small droplets of water. Saute, stirring, until wilted and a lovely emerald green, about 15 min.

Add 3 cups of the broth, reserving 1 cup, 1.5 cups of the beans, reserving 1.5 cups, all of the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, mix the reserved beans and broth until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken it nicely. Add pasta.

Simmer 15 more minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with shredded parmesan.

tseliot's Chicken Vegetable Soup

For all those Hizzyites under the weather.

Start a few days ahead by making a good strong chicken stock (a chicken, carrots, onions, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic cloves, kosher salt). Strain, chill, skim off fat.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. (or more) diced carrots
• 1 c. (or more) diced onions
• 1 c. (or more) diced celery
• 1 c. (or more) chopped cabbage
• 1 c. (or more) fresh tomatoes, [peeled], seeded and
• chopped
• 4 TB butter
• 1 TB sugar
• S&P to taste
• 8 cups above stock

Saute vegetables in butter. Stir frequently, cooking for 15 min. Add stock and seasonings and simmer for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Britomart's Moroccan Lentil Stew

I know we have a bunch of lentil stew recipes, but here's another. Because I love stew. And I love lentils. And this one does have a different flavor. And it's easy! And yummy! Oh, and I threw this together tonight, so my memory is fresh & the amounts extremely accurate (for me).

The distinctive ingredient is Moroccan Lamb Sausage that I found at Whole Foods tonight. I was talking with the guy who actually makes the sausages there (they had their homemade chorizo, which is divine & sadly rare for my Whole Foods, so I was asking him about it), and he says that if you call ahead a couple days, they'll take requests & make up sausage for you. And you don't have to commit to buying a ton - they'll just make up a normal batch for sale & you can buy however much you want.

One of the things that impresses me so much about Whole Foods is how accommodating and friendly and well run they are. All reports seem to confirm that they're a fantastic company all around. But, yeah, I'm supposed to be writing a recipe, eh?

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 Moroccan lamb sausages
• 1 1/2 C red lentils
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 8 oz water
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (plain)
• 2 tsps cumin
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• 2 tsps nutmeg
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP butter (real butter, skip if you have margarine)
  

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat, and sautee garlic for a couple minutes. Add onions & continue cooking until soft and golden.

Heat a skillet to medium-high and cook sausages. Since they're lamb sausages, it's important to cook them completely & separately, so the excess fat ends up in the skillet, not the stew. Remove cooked sausages to cutting board & cut into thin slices. If there's any excess fat, pat them with a paper towel.

Add broth, water & lentils to your garlic & onions. Increase heat to medium high & bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Add sausage, tomato and spices. Cook on low heat for another 10 minutes or so, adding butter a few minutes before serving.

tseliot's The UnDisgusting Split Pea Soup Recipe (for bibliosylph)

In honor of our Hizzy mini-con last night, I have finally chosen a recipe to post, which is unrelated to any of the recipes I said I might post.

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1/2 lb. smoked ham, chopped*
• 4 medium leeks
• 1 c. ea. celery, sliced mushrooms, & sliced carrot [I also use onion]
• 6 cloves garlic
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 4 qts. beef or chicken broth*
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 c. split peas
• 3/4 - 1 c. barley (less if you like it thinner, more if y.l.i. thick)

*poss. sub. for these two ingredients: a day ahead, simmer a meaty ham bone in 4 qts. water for about 2 hrs. Remove bone and chill stock overnight. The next day, remove layer of fat from stock and remove all meat from the bone and return meat to stock before continuing with recipe.

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. [Add ham and saute' until brown, c. 3 m.]
2. Stir in leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms [and onion if using] and saute' until tender, c. 7 m. Add garlic and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 m.
3. Add broth [with ham in it if you followed sub. plan] and bay leaves.

Bring mixture to a boil. Add split peas/barley and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley and peas are tender (but not dissolving, bibliosylph!), about 45 minutes or so. Remove bay leaves (duh) and serve.

BeachBum's Pirate Stew

I just made this and it was pretty good! It's also EASY...

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 sm yellow onion, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas, cooked
• 1/2 habanero or similar pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup basmati rice, brown or white

Put all ingredients except rice in large soup pot. Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer. Cook for 25 minutes.

Add rice and 2 cups additional water. Cook another 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

blue lucia's basic lentil & sausage stew

A basic lentil & sausage stew. As written, it is very mild, stick-to-your-ribs type comfort food. Very adaptable and flexible dish, throw in whatever veggies and spices suit your fancy. I never make it the same twice!

16 oz green lentils, rinsed well
2 lbs kielbasa, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
14-oz can beef broth
3 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Throw everything in the crockpot, cook for 8 hours. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve with sourdough rolls. Leftovers freeze well.

Suggested additions/alterations: portobello mushrooms, apples, yams, red potatoes, water chestnuts, jicama, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatos, onion, baby spinach, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, dill, mint, lemon zest.... you get the picture.

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Blood Oranges (for MartianIceQueen)

Epicurious recommends serving this over couscous. Popular recipe, though there was a bit of a flame war! Some of the reviewers got very annoyed with each other - tres amusing. Anyway, suggestions/comments include: you can use regular or mandarin oranges if you can't find blood oranges; kick up the spices - increase amounts listed here, and add fresh garlic & cumin as well; substitute cilantro for the parsley.

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 1/2 pounds o-bone (round-bone) lamb shoulder chops, well trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 pounds lamb stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/3 cups water
  

• 2 large blood oranges
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon honey

Mix salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice in medium bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat with spice mixture. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Return all lamb to pot. Add onion, garlic and ginger to pot and sauté 5 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate peel from blood oranges and reserve. Cut all remaining peel and white pith from oranges and discard. Coarsely chop oranges. Add oranges and grated peel to lamb. Cover and simmer until lamb is very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in parsley and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

Vietnamese Chicken & Pineapple Soup (for MartianIceQueen)

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida (not a Hizzy member, but an Epicurious one!), writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America."

This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

• 1 pineapple (preferably labeled "extra sweet"; about 3 1/2 lb)
• About 2 qt water
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (3/4 lb total)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 (1-inch) fresh red Thai chiles*, minced, including seeds
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (2 oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh lemon verbena
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Accompaniment: rice

Cut peel from pineapple in a thin layer and discard, then trim outer layer of pineapple, cutting just deep enough to remove eyes but allowing pineapple to remain intact, and transfer trimmings to a blender. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core, then coarsely chop core and transfer to blender. Purée with 2 cups water until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure, pressing hard on solids (discard solids), then add enough water to measure 8 cups pineapple broth.

Cut remaining pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces and put in a bowl.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound chicken 1/4 inch thick with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Cut chicken across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips and transfer to a bowl, then chill, covered.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chiles and 2 tablespoons garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup fish sauce and boil until sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. (Fish sauce will be extremely pungent when first added but will have a mild flavor in soup.) Add pineapple broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pineapple pieces, mushrooms, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. While soup simmers, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté remaining tablespoon garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce and simmer until sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to garlic mixture, then sauté, stirring, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Stir chicken into soup along with herbs and salt and simmer 1 minute.