Sunday's Soup/Summer Roasted Corn Chowder

What says summer more than roasted corn on the grill?!! Well, there are a lot of things, but I really do enjoy roasting fresh corn on the grill. Add some roasted corn to soup, and I am all in :)

Now, I also enjoy a bit of spice. I especially enjoy poblano peppers as they have a bit of spice without actually being hot.

To begin, I take 2 poblano peppers, and 6 ears of corn. Roast the peppers until the outside skin is charred. Place in a plastic bag and allow to steam for about 15 minutes. Remove the charred skin as well as the stem and seeds. Set aside.

Roast the corn until it is toasty brown, being careful not to let it burn. 

Once the corn has browned, allow it to cool, and then cut the kernels from the husk. Divide the corn in half. Place half in a food processor along with the poblano peppers. Puree the mixture. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute 1 medium red onion with 2 stalks of chopped celery until tender. 

Add 2 medium chopped white potatoes, reserved corn, and 2 cups of vegetable broth to the onion/celery mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Add pureed corn/pepper mixture, and 2 cups of buttermilk. Heat until hot, but not boiling. Add more buttermilk to obtain the consistency of soup that you would like.  
  

Ladle into bowls. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh snipped chives. Serve with some freshly made cornbread, and you will have a feast!

Roasted Corn Chowder
serves 6
downloadable recipe

ingredients
6 ears of fresh corn on the cob
2 poblano peppers
1 medium red onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 medium white potatoes chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
fresh grated Parmesan and snipped chives for serving

Roast poblano peppers and corn on the grill. Roast peppers until skin is charred. Place charred peppers in a plastic bag and allow to stem for approximately 15 minutes. Remove charred skin, stems, and seeds. set aside.

Roast corn until browned on all sides. Allow to cool, and then cut corn from husks. Place half of the corn, along with the peppers in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat butter and olive oil i  a large soup pot. Add red onions and celery. Saute until tender. Add potatoes, unprocessed corn, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add pureed corn mixture and buttermilk. Heat until warmed through. Do not allow the soup to boil. Add more buttermilk if soup is a little too thick.

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh chives.  

If by chance you are having a cookout, plan to cook a little extra corn and the peppers. They will last a couple of days in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the soup.
Enjoy!
Rhonda

Sunday's Salad/Goddess of Greens Salad, and a Refreshing Drink

Having a 'coke' was a treat when I was growing up, not something we drank on a daily basis. My fondest memories of drinking a soft drink were after our weekly afternoon of swimming. We were treated to the soft drink of our choice, and a bag of chips. I feel like a stone-age leftover saying this, but when I was growing up, chips did not come in the humongous bags that they do now. What we ate would be considered a very small bag by today's standards. But, after an afternoon of swimming, a soft drink and a bag of chips was such a treat. 

Truth be told, I still enjoy a soft drink from time to time. Yes, I know all about the bad things in a soft drink. I feel this way, everything in moderation. But, my go to drink in the summer time is a refreshing drink made with hibiscus tea. The natural red color of the blossoms is so inviting. 

I really like Mighty Leaf teas, and order the teas I drink directly from the company. You can find their site HERE. Sign up for emails as they have some wonderful specials, like putting their teas on sale for half off.

I brew the tea in a pitcher, usually 6 tea bags. I allow the tea to brew for at least 30 minutes. Once brewed, remove the teabags and allow the tea to cool. Once cooled, I add 1 orange sliced, 1 lemon sliced, and about 2" of fresh peeled and sliced ginger. Store in the refrigerator overnight to allow the juice to infuse the tea. If you would like to sweeten the tea, add stevia to taste. 
Serve in a pretty glass. Garnish with a slice of orange,and enjoy. If you would like some bubbles, add club soda, or sparkling water. For parties, mix the tea with some Prosecco for a refreshing cocktail. 

I can go through an entire pitcher during the course of the day, and to be honest, the thought of a soft drink never crosses my mind. So if you would like to try and cut down on your soft drink consumption, give my Hibiscus Tea recipe a try. I think you'll love it!    

I have been planning to share this salad with you for the last few weeks. If I say so myself, it is OMG good!

We'll begin with the salad dressing;

Begin by roasting 2 poblano peppers. It can be done in the oven with the broiler, or outside on a grill. Roast until blackened. Once roasted, place the peppers in a plastic bag for 15 minutes to steam. Remove and pull off the blackened skin, and seeds.    

Place the skinned peppers in a blender along with 1/2 an avocado, 1 clove of garlic, 1 egg yolk, Dijon mustard, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and olive oil.  Blend to form a green cloud of deliciousness. 
    

Chop or tear up 4 cups of kale and place in a salad bowl. Top the kale with 4 sliced radishes, 1/2 cup of cooked red quinoa, and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds. This can be done ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for a few hours until ready to serve.

 

 Pour 1/3 of the salad dressing over the salad, and mix well. Top the salad with 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese, and mix into the salad.
  

Serve the salad with extra dressing on the side. Believe me, it's so good, you'll want to add a little more. A friend of mine said that she could eat the dressing like soup!
  

Since kale holds up in the refrigerator, the leftovers are wonderful the following day for lunch. 

Goddess of Greens Salad
printable recipe

dressing;
2 Poblano peppers
1 egg yolk
1/2 avocado
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil

Roast poblano peppers in the broiler or on the grill until skin is blackened, about 10 minutes. Place in plastic bag and allow to steam for 15 minutes. Remove from bag, remove blackened skin and seeds. Place in blender along with egg yolk, garlic, mustard, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Blend. While blender is running, slowly pour in the olive oil. If a thinner consistency is desired, add more buttermilk. 

Salad;
4 cups kale chopped or torn
4  red radishes sliced
1/2 cup cooked red quinoa
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place kale, radishes, red quinoa, and pumpkin seeds in a large salad bowl. Pour 1/3rd of the dressing over the salad, and toss well to mix. Top with the feta cheese, toss once again, and serve. 

The leftover dressing will last refrigerated for at least 3 days. It's good as a dip for carrot and celery sticks, too! 

Enjoy!

Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Fiesta Fun Hominy, Tomatillo and Poblano Soup

There's little I love more than to go to the grocery store and allow what's there to inspire me. I also LOVE hominy. I grew up eating hominy with eggs and as a side dish. However it's given to me, I love it!

On a recent trip to the store, the tomatillos seemed to just jump right out at me. The poblano peppers also looked great, so I decided to try my hand at a little something different. 

Below you see the poblano peppers, fresh cilantro, and tomatillos.

If you've never used tomatillos before, they look like little green tomatoes in a paper thin husk.

I began by roasting the tomatillos and the poblano peppers on the grill. If you decide to give the soup a try, don't skip this part as the roasting gives the soup such a wonderful flavor. Just be sure that the grill is nice and hot before putting the vegetables on the grill.

Roast the tomatillos until they are brown and have softened. Place in a blender and blend well.

The poblano peppers should be roasted until they are really quite black on the outside.

Pull off the blackened skin and pull the seeds out of the peppers. Poblano peppers are not hot, so this is not a hot, spicy soup.

Chop the peppers and put aside.

Add oil to a large soup pot and add the chopped onions. Saute until tender. Add garlic and saute another minute to allow the garlic to release its flavor, but not burn.

Add the blended tomatillos, chopped peppers, and hominy, to the pot along with 4 to 6 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Add 1 cup of finely chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of coriander, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and salt and black pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, just giving the spices time to flavor the soup.

The final soup is absolutely delicious, low in calories, and yet the flavor is so robust that you'll feel you've sinned! I have loved every bite!!!

Fiesta Fun Hominy, Tomatillo, and Poblano Soup
printable recipe

ingredients;

12 tomatillos, husks removed
2 poblano peppers
1 bunch of fresh cilantro finely chopped
2 25 oz. cans hominy, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon corinader
 2 teaspoons cumin
salt and black pepper to taste

Place tomatillos and poblano peppers on a hot grill and roast until tomatillos are brown and have softened. Poblano peppers should be blackened.

Place tomatillos in a blender and blend until smooth. Remove blackened skin from peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Chop peppers and sit aside.

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute another minute to release flavor. Add tomatillos,  poblano peppers, hominy and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Begin with 4 cups of broth and add more as the hominy begins to thicken the soup. Add  cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

If you would like, top the soup with crumbled chihauhau cheese and chopped green onions. Serve with tortilla chips or a hot pan of corn bread.  

Enjoy! 
Rhonda

Sunday's Soup/Roasted Poblano and Tomatillo Pozole

Earlier this week, I fell down the stairs. Just one of those crazy things, not watching what I was doing, slipped and down I went. I didn't break any bones, but I managed to bang myself up pretty good. As I was falling, I grabbed hold of the railing, broke my fall, but did enough damage to my shoulder that I've had a very difficult time lifting my arm. Although I'm still hurting, I'm doing better, so I'm happy :)
As you all know, I LOVE a good bowl of soup. It just seems to nourish my soul, especially when I'm not feeling my best. I also love Mexican food and anything with a little spice. My husband brought home a roasted poblano pepper soup that he purchased at the grocery store. It was good, but I thought, "I think I can do better." After a little search, I found THIS recipe from Rachel Ray. She calls her soup Poblano Posole. The reviews were rather interesting. a few thought it was far too spicy, and some played with it a bit. I played with it a bit!
Below is a list of ingredients with my changes in red.

2 large or 3 medium poblano peppers, I used 3 peppers


2 ears corn or 1 cup frozen organic corn kernels, I eliminated the corn.

Natural cooking spray, did not use

6 to 8 medium tomatillos, peeled and halved, I used 6 large tomatillos

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, I used 2 teaspoons

4 cloves garlic

4 cups vegetable stock, I used only 2 cups

1 lime, juiced, did not add during cooking but served on the side

Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

One 28- to 32-ounce can hominy, drained

Two 14.5 oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes

Other than the changes that you see in red, I followed the recipe exactly. I loved roasting everything in the oven!
The tomatillos look like baked green apples. When I pureed the tomatillos, I also added the juice that had been expressed while roasting.

The onions and garlic were so aromatic. 

Once everything is pureed, the soup is a beautiful green. 

Then I added the tomatoes and the soup took on a bit of a brown color. 

The finished product. I did not serve the pozole with sliced radishes, just chopped green onions and avocado. If you like, a little shredded chihuahua cheese would make a lovely addition.   
I did not find the recipe to be overly spicy, by any means. In fact, I added little chopped fresh jalpeno to my bowl just to spice it up a bit. 
If you give it a try, I hope it warms your soul as much as it did mine :) You can find the recipe HERE with a nice printable version.
Enjoy! 
Rhonda