Leek and Sweet Corn Chowder.
Ingredients:
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 strips bacon, medium diced
1 large yellow onion, peeled and medium diced
2 leeks, washed and small diced
1 red bell pepper, medium diced
1 bulb fennel, halved, cored and small diced
6 small baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
2 cups corn kernels
2 springs fresh thyme, stems removed and chopped
2 cups creamed corn (canned)
3 cups chicken stock (Mama J's home-made)
1 cup cream · Kosher salt to taste as you go
Cracked black pepper Procedure:
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven to medium heat. Cook the bacon until rendered and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, leeks, red bell pepper, diced fennel and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
Then, add baby Yukon gold potatoes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom. Cook for 5-minutes stirring. Add the fresh corn. Cook for 1-minute. Add the thyme, creamed corn, chicken stock and cream. Bring to simmer and reduce heat to
medium/medium low.
2. Simmer the soup for 1 hour 15 minutes. Be sure to scrape bottom.
3. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Remember to season and taste as you go.
This chowder is even more delicious the next day.
Mama J's Tips: 1. Use a microplane to scrape the bottom of burnt biscuits
2. Store onions and potatoes in separate containers. Because, they release gases that cause them to spoil faster. This is also true for bananas.
3. Banana bunches release gases. If you have bunches near each other they will brown fast. Wrap the tips in plastic wrap. This stops the release of gas.
4. For the best biscuits on the planet add buttermilk powder to your biscuit recipe.
5. For the best chicken stock on the planet make it from scratch. Home-made chicken stock is quick and easy. Chicken, thyme, mirepoix ( onions, carrots, celery), bay leaf, and salt. Put ingredients into a large Dutch oven. Cover with water, bring to boil then simmer for two hours. Strain and throw away all solids.
Segment 2 - Tomato Compote with Mini Mozzarella
Ingredients:
4 cups Roma tomatoes, cored, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, small diced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 French baguette, sliced into 1/4 rounds (12 slices total)
8 ounces Ciliegine mini Mozzarella
Basil leaves to garnish, thinly sliced.
Grated Parmesan to garnish Procedure:
1. Bring tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar and salt to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Simmer for 25 to 30-minutes until the compote thickens and reduces.
2. Remove from heat and let cool. Then, transfer to refrigerator.
3. Drizzle the baguette slices with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. Toast the slices in a large cast iron skillet for 1 to 2-minutes on each side until golden brown. Top the toasted baguette slices with a spoonful of tomato compote.
Then, 2 each mini Mozzarella, a grating of Parmesan cheese and a leaf of basil.
Note: The reduction is complete when you start to see large bubbles. The compote will continue to thicken.
Mama J's Tips:
1. Use left over pickle juice to brine chicken. The pickle juice will tenderize, moisten and flavor the chicken.
2. Re-purpose mozzarella. Marinate mozzarella in extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped fresh thyme. And, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Use this to top the baguettes. And, fold into pasta at the end of cooking so the heats melts the cheese. Add to cold salads and meat plates.
3. Turn bread on its side and use a serrated knife to slice it. This makes clean and even slices.
4. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of water on dried out bread baguettes. This will revive them.
5. Spray cooking spray into measuring cup to keep sticky foods from sticking.
Segment 3 - White Bean and Roasted Garlic Hummus with Marinated Artichokes and Feta Cheese
Ingredients:
4 cups canned white northern beans, drained (Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup roasted garlic (recipe below)
1/4 cup tahini (Trader Joe's)
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (more as needed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
1/4 cup marinated artichokes (Jar, Trader Joe's)
1/8 cup feta cheese crumbled
Serve with Chapati Indian Bread
Procedure:
1. Puree the white beans, roasted garlic, tahini, fresh lemon juice and cumin seeds. And, the extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt in a food processor for 2-minutes until smooth.
2. Chill before serving.
3. Garnish the hummus with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Then, top with the marinated artichokes and feta cheese. Roasted Garlic - Simmer 2 cups of peeled garlic cloves and 3 cups of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan for 1 hour. Garlic will be tender. Separate the garlic from the oil and cool in the refrigerator. You can save the garlic and the oil for up to 3 days in the refrigerator for other dishes.
Mama J's Tips:
1. It's BEAN really nice knowing you Garbanzos, see you later. Please use Trader Joe's Great Northern White Beans.
2. Toast and grind spices in a spice grinder. This makes the spice more aromatic and full of big flavor.
3. Re-purpose! Use Mama J's hummus as a replacement for mayonnaise in chicken salad. Use the chicken from the broth, the hummus, lemon, parsley and the left over artichokes. Then, add green onions and fold all the ingredients.
4. Send small snap lid containers filled with hummus for children's lunches.
5. Use a larger pan then necessary when cooking. This allows food to cook and brown. Too many items in the pan makes them steam.
6. Use raw white rice to clean your spice grinder. You're welcome!
7. How you prepare garlic makes a big flavor difference. Sliced, minced and roasted. Sliced is milder. Minced is powerful flavor. Roasted is sweet.
8. Tahini Matters! Please darlins' use Trader Joe's Organic Tahini. The product is a clean label. Pure organic sesame seeds.
9. Crazy for garlic? Substitute your simmered garlic oil for the extra virgin olive oil.
10. Make life simple! Buy peeled garlic.
"Happy Food To Eat" Mama J ~ Lifestyle and Hacks
