Neighba' Flava' Part 2! Recipe: Green Soup and Ham, I Am!

Dear B-Reader,

These have been lovely days here in H-Town! Fresh, cool, fall mornings are the perfect beginnings to the month of October. This is one of my favorite times of year for cooking, as I am able to open the windows and not sweat to death while monitoring a culinary creation over a hot stove and oven!



Clara J and the masked Auntie K

With this change of weather often comes a change of health for the masses, unfortunately. I wish I could rock a face mask while being out and about on these autumn days and avoid the traffic jam of coughing on one aisle, sniveling on another, and -- whoa! -- sneezing fast approaching! But, the fashionista wannabe in me would never, ever, wear a surgical mask in public unless medically prescribed or all the rage (maybe I will move to China?). I did, once, wear one this spring when feeling sickly, myself, and caring for baby Clara...

Which brings me to my point. We all need a little TLC every now and then. The fastest way I know to impart a friendly hug without too much germ exposure is in offering someone a delicious, homemade soup. On second thought, germs are not really a prerequisite for sharing this dish; any occasion, even a change in the weather, makes me want to stir up a large kettle of soup and divvy it out to friends and family.

My go-to soup for this time of year: split pea. I love the color. I love the texture. I love the simplicity and heartiness. Try my Green Soup and Ham, I-Am...I couldn't resist...it is a variation of my mother's recipe, made heartier with some herb, ham, and carrots added to the mix...Mom used to read me a lot of Dr. Seuss.

Wishing you well,
Chalkaholic

 

Green Soup and Ham, I-Am!

Split Pea Soup with Carrots and Ham



Green Soup and Ham, I-Am!
Featuring fresh bay leaf from my garden!

From Katherine M. Chalkley (variation of Marie Walton recipe)

This soup is a hearty one, perfect for a chilly day. Yields 6 – 8 servings. Soup keeps well for several days if stored in refrigerator. Flavor improves if made one day prior to serving. If doubling, double all ingredients with the exception of the ham hock (one goes a long way, baby!).

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium white onion chopped or sliced, whatever your whim

3 carrots cut into bite-sized chunks (no need to peel, trust me)

1 package dry split peas

1 ham hock

3 whole garlic cloves peeled

1 fresh bay leaf (or 2 dried bay leaves)

2 – 3 sprigs fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, whatever you have on-hand; or 1 tsp dried herbs)

12 cups water, divided into two portions

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Several, thick slices off of a ham slab cut into bite-sized chunks (approx. ½ cup)

In the bottom of soup kettle or dutch oven, drizzle olive oil and heat until just gleaming. Add to oil onion and carrots. Cook at medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about five minutes.

Sort and rinse debris off of split peas (honestly, I always skip this step). Do not soak, do not overnight soak peas, do not quick-soak peas; they must keep their integrity for this recipe’s success!

Into onion-carrot mix, add peas, ham hock, garlic, bay leaf, and herbs. Cover with 6 cups of water.

Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer 1 hour.

Add remaining 6 cups of water, salt, pepper, and ham slab chunks to soup. Stir. Simmer additional 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Neighba' Flava' Part 1! Recipe: Turkey Tamale Pie

Dear B-Reader,

It is actually pretty often that I stare at my refrigerator-freezer-pantry and wonder where I am going to find the time and energy to plan, prepare, and finally enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Pretty positive that I am not alone in this thought. Just peruse pins on Pinterest...it's agog with freezer-friendly meals, crock pot dishes, and three-ingredient cuisine (don't get me started...future blog posting). Whenever I offer to bring dinner to a friend, it usually only takes a small nudge for the friend to accept the gesture...because we all need a help working through the "what's for dinner" question. So, in the spirit of sharing, let me go over the following short-cuts I have been practicing in meal planning:

Every two weeks, I thumb through my fave cookbooks and recipe binders in order to locate the meals that I want to make over the next two weeks. My goal is to make dinner 3/4 of the time, so I pull out 10 recipes. Critical: I do not plan on more than 10 meals, as every time that I stray too far overboard, I end up with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy and stray into take-out land.

1. So that I am able to easily recall my meal plans for the two-week period, I make a small stack of the selected recipes (cards, copies of the cookbook pages), bind them with a binder clip, and place them on my go-to bowl on the kitchen counter. Then, after I have made a particular recipe, I place it in the back of the stack and work from the front.
2. Within the 10 recipes, I try to make two soups (one per week) and two new recipes that I have not yet tackled, which leaves six recipes from my old tried-and-true stash.
3. I also like to plan on one of the 10 meals being doubled; I can either store the extra into my freezer for future kitchen black hole moments...or be neighborly and give a friend a meal.

The next task is actually the hardest: determining the ingredients. I go through the list of recipes, categorizing the ingredients into their various grocery aisles (e.g., produce, meat, baking supplies), using the All Out of List. Then I try to tally up the total number of items I will need. It is pretty amazing how many carrots a family of two can go through in 10 recipes! The final part of this task is taking inventory of my current refrigerator-freezer-pantry in order to subtract from my list the items which I already have on-hand. I also take a looksee at the herb garden to assess the fresh yields (which really make all the difference in every recipe).


Laura Bond Fresh (L) and Chalkaholic (R) in London.
Spending our time together instead of a grocery queue. :)
 

The easiest step is a British trick my once mentee, Laura Bond Fresch, has recently taught me: online grocery shop. I have found a store in Houston which delivers to my home at a time that I specify, calls ahead, and even brings the sacks of goods to my kitchen counter! The online site saves my shopping lists so that the next time I need to order, I can simply add to or subtract from my previous lists. For those of you in the H-town area, check out Rice Epicurean. Although the service has a fee, it is nominal for the time that it saves me on those uber-busy weeks. The key is to use the online shopping for ingredients and staples of the kitchen that will be consumed within the two week time period, not laundry and household supplies.

Once I have my ingredients in-stock in my kitchen, then it is time to get to work.

1. I like to divide up my meats into one-dish servings (1/2 lb), wrap in parchment paper, and place into freezer bags into the freezer for easy use in the future. Just thaw overnight in refrigerator.
2. While dividing, I place snackable items into single serving portions in one large pantry container. I just grab and go when on the run and in need of a healthier option than a Snickers.
3. I also wash fruit and leave room-temperature-friendly fruits out on the counter for another easy grab and go. The wussy refrigerator variety calls for a bit more TLC, so I rinse and then place into reusable containers. I find that when the fruit is washed and ready to go, the it actually gets consumed! Imagine that!

Last week, my neighbors helped out my family with dinner when we were pressed for time. I will be sure to get Carrie's sliders recipe and post that for you later, as they were very delicious! This week, I am returning the favor with Turkey Tamale Pie. Want to go all Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood with me? Then double this recipe!

Pie is Good, Pie with Friend is Betta',
Chalkaholic

Turkey Tamale Pie: one for me, and one to share.



 

Turkey Tamale Pie

From Katherine M. Chalkley

This dish serves four. Refrigerates nicely for several days of leftovers. If time permits, make ahead and refrigerate one-half-day in advance in order to blend the flavors well. A nice topping for the dish is shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream dollop, guacamole, or picante sauce.

For the meat filling

Vegetable oil

½ lb ground turkey

½ lb ground beef

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 (one) 4.5 ounce can green chiles, diced

½ bag fresh spinach

1 Tbsp cumin powder

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1Tbsp chili powder

6 – 12 drops (to taste) Tabasco sauce

¼ - ½ cup beef broth, unsalted

 Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp water plus 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In sauté pan, coat bottom of pan with veg oil and heat until just gleaming. Add ground turkey and beef, mashing with fork until well mixed with one another. Cook ground meats until all pink coloring is removed. Drain meat mixture of oil and excess water.

Add to meat in sauté pan the basil, tomato, chiles, and spinach. Cook for a few minutes or until spinach is wilted (do not overcook).

Add to mixture in sauté pan all of the seasonings (cumin, garlic, chili, Tabasco) and the beef broth. Cook for one minute or until fragrant. With small spoon, taste mixture. If it needs salt and pepper, combine and use sparingly.

In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch in order to form watery paste. Pour paste into mixture in sauté pan, stir and cook for one minute in order to thicken sauce. Turn off stove and set aside meat mixture to cool slightly while you make the topping.

For the cornbread topping

2 cups stone ground cornmeal (I like to use Bob’s Red Mill)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

8 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs

1 cup beef broth, unsalted

½ of can (15 ounce can) whole kernel corn, unsalted

½ cup (one stick) butter, unsalted, melted

In large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Stir until blended. Set aside.

In second large bowl, combine eggs, beef broth, corn, and melted butter. Beat well.

Add to the cornmeal mixture the egg mixture, being careful to not overbeat. Beat until just blended. Set aside for 5 minutes in order to allow all ingredients to settle (promotes baking).

In deep pie dish, add to the bottom the reserved meat mixture. Cover the meat with cornbread mixture until about ½ an inch from the rim of the pie dish. If there is extra cornbread mixture, why not make cornbread muffins? Place filled pie dish atop baking sheet in order to catch any run-off during baking.

Bake dish in preheated (425) oven for 20 minutes or until cornbread is a golden brown or is showing slight cracks in the crust. Do not overcook the cornbread, as nobody enjoys dry, crunchy cornbread. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

One-Year-Old Party and Recipe: Salads in Phyllo Shells

Dear B-Reader,

My little niece Clara is now a one-year-old! This past weekend, fifty of the family's closest friends and relatives celebrated with my sister and brother-in-law at their lovely home. It was a triumph, with Clara successfully smashing her confetti cake and coating herself in pink frosting!

In our family's typical party-fashion, the food was a joint-effort, which I highly recommend to any of you party-throwers: divide and conquer! As the person of the hour was a young child, we steered clear of any items that she would not be able to consume (e.g., nuts) and focused on some of her fave cheese and fruit cuisine. Miss Independent likes to feed herself these days, so foods were "finger" foods.

Here is a select list of the items served which would be great for any party, regardless of the age of the "child!"

• Drinks: lemonade with floating lemon wheels, iced tea, beer and wine for the adults
• Dips: fresh guacamole, ranch dressing, chile con carne (queso with ground sausage; warmed in crock pot)
• Tortilla chips for dipping
• Vegetable sticks
• Cheddar cheese cubes
• Fruit kabobs with marshmallow tips
• Chicken salad with apples and shrimp remoulade salad in phyllo shells
• Meat balls (warmed in crock pot)
• Cupcakes with buttercream frosting

A few party-prep words from this foodie:

1. Always prepare more food than you believe that your guests will eat. Set aside about 1/4 of what you have prepared into the refrigerator or a cooler set aside from the party. If you begin to run low, just bring out your secret stash. If your guests only eat what the original portion, then you are in luck...your next meal is already ready for you (especially great to have pre-made food available for you and your clean up crew after the crowd departs).
2. Take advantage of make-ahead items. For this party, that would be the cheese cubes, salads, cupcakes. For the cupcakes, make three days in advance, leave unfrosted, and place into air-tight container at room temperature. For the cupcake frosting, make up to 10 days in advance and place into air-tight container in refrigerator; the day of the party, bring frosting to room temperature and then whip in electric mixer for five minutes in order to reincorporate air. Frost cupcakes two hours in advance of party and leave at room temperature.
3. If you are pressed for time or are not yet ready to make all items from scratch, then pick and choose only a few key items to make homemade; the rest can be substituted with packaged solutions. For this party, a lemonade mix could be perked up with freshly-cut lemon wheels; meat balls are available in your grocer's frozen section and could be topped with an easy, homemade BBQ sauce (mustard, ketchup, garlic powder, dried onions, brown sugar); use a cake boxed mix for the cupcakes and simply top with Martha Stewart's fab, homemade frosting for that gourmet flare.

Now, a make-ahead half-scratch half-store bought recipe that you, B-Reader, can take to your next event!

Party on,
Chalkaholic

Chicken Salad with Apples and

Shrimp Remoulade Salad in Phyllo Shells

From Katherine M. Chalkley

Each recipe yields 60 appetizers; plan on each guest eating 2 – 3 shells. Salads may be made up to 2 days in advance of serving if stored in air-tight container and refrigerated. If preparing for a meal, then use larger phyllo shells (e.g., Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry) and fill with 1/2 cup salad.

For the Phyllo Shells

4 (four) 15-count packages of frozen, premade mini phyllo shells (found in grocer’s freezer beside pie crusts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place shells on baking sheet; it is okay to have them close together, as they will not expand. Bake for 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes minimum prior to filling. The shells may sit on counter, covered with tea towel, for several hours.

For the Chicken Salad with Apples

1 (one) 2-lb bag of frozen chicken breast tenders (boneless, skinless)

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

1 – 2 cups mayonnaise

4 Granny Smith apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken tenders on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before handling.

Shred chicken with two forks, with one fork – secure piece of chicken, with other fork – pull chicken in one direction. Set aside shredded chicken.

In large bowl, add mayonnaise.

Core apples and cut into bite-sized chunks (1/2 inch). Add apples to bowl with mayonnaise. Stir well in order to coat all apple chunks (prevents discoloring).

Add to bowl shredded chicken, about ½ a cup at a time in order to evenly fold chicken into mayonnaise mix.

Chill salad mixture for 30 minutes or more. Just prior to serving, pile 1 – 2 Tbsp of chicken salad into each phyllo shell. Serve immediately.

 

For the Shrimp Remoulade Salad

2 lbs of refrigerated, pre-cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp (found in grocer’s fresh seafood section)

½ of one onion white, diced

Olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh tarragon (leaves only, discard stems)

1 Tbsp dried fennel seeds, crushed

2 lemons, juiced

1 – 2 cups mayonnaise

1 Bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

1 tsp anchovy paste

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Chop shrimp into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

In sauté pan, heat olive oil until just gleaming. Add onion and tarragon. Sauté for five minutes or until onions are tender. Set onion mixture aside to cool for five minutes.

While onions are sautéing, add remaining ingredients into large bowl. Mix with large spatula in order to combine well.

Add to mixture the onions. Stir well.

Add to mixture the shrimp. Gently fold.

Chill salad mixture for 30 minutes or more. Just prior to serving, pile 1 – 2 Tbsp of shrimp salad into each phyllo shell. Serve immediately.

Cocktail, Anyone?

Dear B-Reader,

Being the PANK that I am, I just couldn't settle for a stuffy, old-fashioned baby shower for my sister's first baby and my first niece.

Several weeks ago, while mulling over the concept of what to do for a shower, I drove past one of my favorite shops in Houston, Tootsies. In the window display of their new, swanky location in Upper Kirby, they had a glorious, hot pink cocktail dress, and I swear it was teasing me! I knew from that moment that I simply must throw a cocktail party!

"Cocktail party, cocktail party..." I tend to repeat ideas over in my head in order to make sense of them. And then it hit me...my sister had selected a woodland themed nursery crib set, and rabbits live in the woods, and Peter Cottontail is a famous rabbit and children's character, and Cottontail sounds like Cocktail. Viola! Peter Cocktail Party would be the theme of the shower!

Like any good PANK, I turned to my girlfriends and mother for their thoughts (thank goodness for facebook), and they LOVED the idea! Even those who originally questioned the idea of cocktails for a pregnant guest of honor warmed up to the idea when I described the concept of mocktails (non-alcoholic party drinks...cooler version of a Shirley Temple). Ashley, my sister-in-law and shower co-hostess, was in full support of the theme, and we began planning our shin-dig. Rather than bore you with the details, let me show you some photos of the event.

The spread. Food and cocktail ideas courtesy of Martha Stewart, of course! She has kindly put together an easy primer on throwing a cocktail party: http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/parties/cocktail-parties/make-ahead-party-recipes Ashley and I divided up the hors d'oeuvres preparation amongst the two future grandmothers and three future aunts.

My dear friend and culinary artist Stacie (owner of Sugar Chic; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Chic-sweets/145064835517887) provided the sweets: a two-tiered cake (strawberry and chocolate) covered in a gorgeous, hand-painted, marshmallow fondant. Go to their design studio's fb page for a closer view...gorgeous!

Lovely plateware and glassware, no? From the personal collections of the hostesses, the great-grandmother, and my friends Kelli and Terri. I am really blessed with people who generously contributed the finer elements of the party planning.

What cocktail party would be complete without cocktail rings, hmm, ladies? Yes, that's right, our diamonds were Ring Pops...because in my house, candy is a girl's second best friend! (Candylicious http://www.theoriginalchocolatebar.com) Bling, bling!

With men present, we had to cater to their appetites as well. What could be more manly than mashed potatoes? What could be more lady-like than martinis? We combined them both in the moderne fashion of wedding receptions and offered Mashed Potato Martinis! Thanks to a great blogger for her lovely idea of how to coordinate such a dish (http://www.mooreminutes.com/2011/01/mashed-potato-martini-bar-mashtinis.html) and other online contributors for the idea of keeping the potatoes warmed in crock pots.

Ashley and I created the cocktails and mocktails, making certain to offer some unique items. Southern Living cookbook had a fab recipe for Apple-Mint Juleps (virgin) that I just had to make in order to put to good use my over-grown mint garden (I am southern, after all). Pictured here are some of the gentle-folk guarding the cocktail station.

How could we ever hostess the shower of the year without appropriate cocktail hostess attire (satin aprons from Pam, who knows how to put on a great party) in order to channel our inner Donna Reed?

 The proud parents-to-be! She looks gorgeous in an uber-mod one-shoulder cocktail dress...and she is approaching the end of her third trimester!

 The finishing touch, a customized bottle of "It's a Girl!" pink nail polish. Each guest was able to choose her fav shade of pink (more economical and waaay cuter than OPI's version; thanks, Lori of Lori Kelly Hair Design for the great favor idea).

And, now that my party is over, I must wait for the real party to start...PANKhood!

*Photos courtesy of David Walton, original dad and future grandfather.