Soups Around the World!

Last week I had a cooking Event at one of our stores, my sponsor was College Inn Broth.

Plus I wanted to add some seasoning from a local company that is exclusive in our stores, Colonel De’s Seasonings.

So here are the soups that I did and the recipes, I hope you will enjoy and make them 🙂

Irish Garlic Potato Soup

Irish Garlic Potato Soup

• Servings: 6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
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2.25 lb. Klondike Goldust Potatoes, sliced
.75 lb. sweet onion, sliced
3 – 14.5 oz. cans College Inn Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. butter4 tsp. Colonel De’s Garlic Goodness
1 cup half and half
½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste

In stockpot add butter and onions, cook over med-high heat for about 5 minutes.
Add sliced potatoes, onions and chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add Garlic Goodness and cook until potatoes are tender.
Remove from heat, with an immersion blender blend until smooth or leave a little chunky.  If using a blender, blend in batches, just make sure the center of the blend lid is removed, place a towel over top of the lid.
Once blended add back to pot, add salt and add half and half, warm on low and serve.
Optional – Add onions straws and chives for a garnish.

Paired with Guiness Draught Beer

Mexican Pozole Soup

Mexican Pozole

• Servings: 6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

2 – 15.5 oz. cans hominy
3-4 – 14.5 oz. cans College Inn Beef Broth
3-4 cups shredded pork
3 tsp. Colonel De’s Chipotle Seasoning

Add to a large stock pot broth, hominy, pork and seasonings, bring to a boil and serve with garnishes below:

Shredded cabbage
Radish slices
Chopped onion
Chopped hot peppers
Avocado slices
Lime wedges
Tortilla chips
Chopped Cilantro

Paired with Negra Modelo Beer

 

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon & Chicken Soup)

Avgolemono

• Servings: 6
• Time: 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

64 oz. College Inn Chicken Broth
Shredded chicken breast from whole chicken
2 tsp. Colonel De’s Greek Seasonings
1 cup instant rice
4 eggs
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
¼ – ½ cup lemon juice, per your taste
salt to taste

In a large stock pot over med-high heat bring broth to a boil, covered, then add rice, chicken and seasonings, cover and reduce to low until rice is cooked.
In a medium bowl add water and cornstarch and whisk, then add eggs and beat until completely blended, whisk in lemon juice.  Take 4 cups of the hot soup and slowly add to the egg mixture while whisking constantly so that the mixture will not break.  Stir mixture into the rest of the soup.  Season to taste and serve immediately, garnish each bowl with a lemon slice and a few baby spinach leaves.

Paired with Leffe Beer

 

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Soup, this picture was taken before broth was added)

 

Pho Bo

• Servings: 6
• Time: 3hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

8-10 cups College Inn Beef broth
1 Colonel De’s Pho soup pouch
1 pkg. rice noodles
sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced, kept raw

Green onions, tops thinly slice
fresh cilantro leaves

Add broth and pho pouch to a medium pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 3 hours.

Cook rice noodles as directed and drain.  Place portion of noodles in a large individual soup bowls, sprinkle of green onions and cilantro leaves.

Top that with a few thin slices of raw sirloin, set bowls aside.

Make each garnish plate with below

Bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves, hot sliced peppers, some sriracha and hoisin sauce.

Before serving bring broth up to almost a boil, ladle broth in to your bowls.  And add garnishes to your bowl as you wish. 

Paired with Kirin Ichiban Beer

Hope you Enjoy!!!  Cheers – Chef Amy!!

Ragù alla bolognese…My way!!!

Oh how I love thee!!! 🙂

Ragù alla bolognese is a complex sauce which involves a variety of cooking techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. As such, it lends itself well to interpretation and adaptation by professional chefs and home cooks alike.

And I’m sure most of you have a recipe that has been pasted down the family tree 🙂

Common sources of differences include which meats to use (beef, pork or veal) and their relative quantities, the possible inclusion of either cured meats or offal, which fats are used in the sauté phases (rendered pork fat, butter, olive or vegetable oil).

I used ground chicken 🙂

What form of tomato is employed (fresh, canned or paste).

I use paste, I like using this the best.

The makeup of the cooking liquids (wine, milk, tomato juices, or broth) and their specific sequence of addition.

One day I hope that I could travel to Bolgana, Italy 🙂

But until then this is Ragù alla bolognese…My Way!!!

Ingredients –

I freeze my bacon so it would be easier to slice and dice

diced bacon

Cut celery into thin strips                    then dice

                      

Diced onion                                                           add bacon, celery and onions to skillet

                                          

Then add carrots

stirring not to burn

add ground meat

breaking up meat with wooden spoon

add red wine

chicken broth

add tomato paste

stirring in tomato paste

then stir in 2 tsp. beef base paste

turn to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours

warm up half n half/ milk                             stir in

                           

continue to cook for another 45 – 55 minutes, stirring occasionally

                                           

its now ready for pasta

LOVE Gia Russa products you must try them………….boil water

                                                   

add pasta                                             remove a cup of pasta water, set aside, in case  you need to thin out sauce

                                               

Grate your Parmesan cheese

remove your pasta                                                          toss with sauce

                                        

turn out on to platter

top with cheese and serve

Delicious!!!!!!!!!  

Recipe

3 (3 oz.) strips bacon or pancetta, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled, grated
1 med-large onion, finely chopped
1.25 lbs ground meat (i used ground chicken breast)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
2 1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. beef base paste
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup half n half or milk

First off have everything ready to go, chop everything, measure out everything its just easier or at least this is what I like to do.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add oil and bacon/pancetta, celery and onions, cook for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring not to burn.
Add grated carrots continue to cook for 5 more minutes, add ground meat, cooking and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly so not to burn, turn heat down just a little if needed.

Add red wine cooking for 2 minutes and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add broth and then tomato paste, stirring to combine, then add beef base reduced heat to low and gently simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.  Stirring occasionally. 

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan; gradually add to sauce.

Cover sauce with lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until milk is absorbed, about 45 – 55 minutes, season with salt to taste. Stirring occasionally.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil, once boiling add a good handful of salt, stir and then add pasta, when pasta is just al dente, remove 1 cup of pasta water and set aside, I like doing this just in case I want to thin out the sauce. (i did not use any pasta water with this recipe, but you should always get in the habit of taking out pasta water just in case)

Drain pasta and add pasta to the sauce, tossing to completely coat the pasta, turn pasta out onto a serving plate or large bowl and top with fresh Parmesan cheese and then serve it right on up!! 

Enjoy this one and tell me about your recipe or maybe you have one that has been pasted down the family tree, I’d love to try any that you may have in your recipe box!!!