Category: Soups

BLAZEN BOLD TURKEY SOUP: Very Prairie Weird

Blazen and Bold. Why, turkey soup is often boring. Something to leave alone altogether. Perhaps. But this version changes direction. Or at least that’s the way it otta be.

And a bowl will have you bursting into flames! In fact, it’s often the best way to ride out a chilly night on the prairie. Because it’s the perfect cure. Universally present with vital vigor. Instead of boring, it’s the code of causation…

 

BLAZEN HOT STUFF IS MY MIDDLE NAME!
WOW!
bLazen SOUP LIST

Turkey: 1-2 lbs. ground
Red Onion:1 medium chopped
Garlic: 3 cloves minced
Barley: ¼ cup
HABANERO Infused Tomatoes
Chicken or Turkey Broth: 1 box
V-8: 1 can or 12 oz.
Celery: ¼ cup chopped

Preparation

*A day before marinate fresh tomatoes with some fresh HABANERO peppers to infuse a delicious flavor.

Then in large pot/Dutch oven brown ground turkey over medium heat until no pink remains, about 4 minutes. Then add the onion and garlic until translucent about 4 minutes.

Next add the hot marinated tomatoes, broth, and celery. Then simmer on medium for 10 minutes or until celery is tender.
In the mean-time cook barley according to package. Then add to pot.

Next add V-8.

Finally bring back to slow boil for 5 minutes stirring often. Then simmer uncovered 30 minutes stirring occasionally. You should have a nice thick texture. But you can thin if desired.

BLAZEN TURKEY NOTES

Blazen soups are brazen. Because they are the example. And you use things that you otherwise shouldn’t. HABANERO! And preparing them is not weird brain surgery. So, don’t go there. But we are going to give some hot notes to get you through this recipe. NOT HARD! And this soup will give you heat smarts and sweat upon the brow!

In fact, this soup might be slighted by most cooks in America. Perhaps because cooks and gourmets simply dismiss it as hard to digest. Or simply old school cooking observed, yet not defined. But our prairie natives ate and cooked just about everything in order to survive. Sometimes even a HABANERO or two?

But today we’re going extreme: turkey scraps and hot peppers. So, get brazen. Because prairie weird is what this soup is about.

Weird remedy, perhaps. Very hot tomatoes, certainly. In fact, some mixtures make things worse. But in this case one only has to leave things to a more natural course. And a bit of moral influence when entertaining guests.

This bLazen combination will never leave you off-duty again…

WORLD EXCLUSIVES.

I NEVER MET A BLAZEN SOUP I DIDN’T LIKE.

 

LAMB STEW: Don’t pull the plug just yet!

LAMB STEW. It wouldn’t be SOUP & SEX with-out this dish. Yet, most will consider this stew an epic journey in taste, discovery, and time. But its surly worth the extra time. In fact, this meal will have eaters begging for more. Which is the whole point.

LAMB STEW LIST
MY NAME IS, MY NAME IS Lamb Stew
LAMB STEW

Butter: 9 T
Lamb: 2 lbs. cut into cubes
Cooking Sherry: ¼ cup
Chicken Broth: 1 box
Flour: 5 T
Paprika; 2 tsp
Cilantro: 3 T fresh minced
Plum Tomatoes: 2 cups diced
Yellow Onion: 1 ½ cups slivers
Shallots: 1 large minced
Garlic: 2 cloves minced
Parsley: ¼ cup
Tarragon: 1 T
Mushrooms: 1 package
Sour Cream: ½ cup

LAMB STEW PREP

Remove meat from bones and fat from meat. In a Dutch oven brown the bones and fat with 1 T butter and 1/8 cup sherry on medium-low for 10 minutes. Remove fat and bones and add 2 T butter and lamb meat and remove from heat.

In a small bowl stir together 2 T flour, paprika, 2 T cilantro, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Then sprinkle over lamb and return to a low heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, onion, shallot, garlic, parsley, and tarragon. Bring back to a boil, cover, and simmer 1.5 hours until lamb is tender and fragrant.

Meanwhile brown 2 T of butter. Then quickly sauté mushrooms until golden brown. Set aside.

When done remove 1 cup of liquid from stew and add sour cream until smooth. Add to pot along with mushrooms and rest of cilantro and continue to simmer for 10 minutes longer.

Remove from heat and let stew rest uncovered for 1 hour. Reheat slowly when ready to serve. Ladle into bowls and serve with a tomato focaccia.

*This special stew deserves a full-textured red wine.

LAMB NOTES

Oh, Lamb stew or soup. It’s certainly a holiday great. Indeed, it’s great any-time you take time to make it. And a hearty meat soup like this is well suited as a one-dish meal. And of course, this is one of those.

In fact, in Middle Eastern cooking most meat soups are prepared with mutton or lamb. But we won’t go into detail about how all parts of the animal wind up in the culinary process. Because with lots of seasonings their soups are flavorful and delicious. But there’s no lamb inner’s here. Just a select piece at the local market will do just fine!

Indeed, creative cooks around the world put their faith in hearty meat soups for warmth and nourishment. But also, continue to be wise enough to make them pleasing to the taste buds.

So, will we. Now, enjoy all your efforts—holiday or not.

MEAT ME IN BACK
DON’T PULL THE PLUG JUST YET

SWISS CHARD SOUP: HOT IS GOOD!

Swiss Chard Soup. Add it to your treasury of happy tastes. Because its flavor is liken to a beacons light laden in garden riches. Which is why you should do a toil in your soil this spring. Because it will certainly dominate any active life-style with goodness.

Swiss  List

Swiss Chard: 1 small bunch washed; separate leaves from ribs.
Olive Oil: 2 T
Garlic: 3 cloves minced
Onion: 1 medium chopped
Chick-Peas: 1 can drained
Tomatoes: 5 Campari quartered
Chicken Broth/ Stock: 1 box
Salt & Pepper: to taste

The Swiss is in the Chard...
Swiss Chard Soup!

Preparation
4 Servings
In a pot/Dutch oven heat oil on medium. Add onion Sauté 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Then add tomatoes and increase heat stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile wash and dry Swiss chard and cut off ¾ of the stems. Separate the remaining stem from leaves. Cut stems into small pieces and leaves into ribbons by rolling them and cutting lengthwise.

Add the chard, chick-peas and broth to pot. Bring to a slow boil uncovered and turn to simmer 30- 45 minutes.

Ladle into bowls. Salt and pepper to taste if needed.

*Enrich the presentation of this soup by serving it over a piece of toasted bread or—not.

Swiss Chard Notes

Swiss chard is back in the bowls as a vegetable bursting with power. Has it ever been out? Certainly, this green has made a come-back in recent years. Mostly because of its wealth of vitamins and minerals. Which happens to prevent all kinds of—DISEASES!

SO, EAT YOUR GREENS! Especially Swiss Chard!

Or a least a close relative like the beet. But unlike the beet, chard is grown for its tender leaves. And the leaves can be either steamed or eaten raw. It can also be picked throughout its growing season. Unlike some produce.

Swiss Chard the plant with the decorative edible appeal!

And oh yes, it’s got appeal. Because some leaves produce NEON Stems. And those little neon’s also looks great in pots or along boarders. In fact, it harvests till the first hard frost. Keeping this veggie plentiful, yet friendly. And that’s the whole idea behind Swiss chard’s charms!

So, if your mommy and granny were often big fanatics about GREENS. Then probably you should be too! Because they both thought super foods as “super” long before we did.

Perhaps we should just think of them as, “the mother-load” with the power of love.

MIX MORE SWISS INTO EVERY MINUTE.
NEVER WONDER WHAT’S FOR SUPPER.

PEA SOUP: Simply Unashamed People!

Pea soup with red lentils. What a powerful combination. And this soup is simply unashamed and unapologetic to say the least…

But frankly, if you choose to throw peas against the wall, incidentally, they will bounce back with a vengeance… 

PEA SOUP...ONE OF MANY GOOD CHOICES
PEA SOUP…AND THE LIST GOES ON

PEA SOUP LIST

Bacon: 2 -3 pieces diced
Vidalia/Sweet Onion: 1 coarsely chopped
Water: 2.5 cups
Red Lentil: ¼ cup
Dried Split Peas: 1 cup
Chicken Broth: 1 cup

Pea Prep

Rinse both peas and lentils. In a pot/ Dutch oven cook bacon on medium with 1 T water. Cook and continue to add water to form a broth. 10 minutes. Add onion. Continue to cook until a glaze. Add peas, lentils, and water. Simmer lightly covered until tender. 25 minutes.

Allow to rest until cool. To serve heat slowly with broth. Salt and pepper to taste.
*Optional add diced or sliced ham. Serve with a crusty bread or small salad

PEA SOUP NOTES

Peas, peas please—in a class by themselves. Yep, they are—BEAUTIFUL. And a good source of manganese, which by the way may help in relieving some allergy symptoms. But a pea as well as bean all have a rich supply of this nutrient. In fact, peas seem to go together as an excellent source of veggie protein, thiamine, and niacin too. Not to mention one cup of them has more protein than a large egg—with no cholesterol—WOW.

But a pea also aids in proper liver function. While promoting a healthy heart. And controlling blood pressure.

So, when you’re eating peas, you’re pleasing the best of things. Your health!
And by the way, a pea is the earliest known vegetable grown by man. So, if containers are your gardening thing. Then string yourself a couple of rows alongside your tomatoes. With little to no weeding involved.

And as for frozen ones. Why they’re an excellent alternative to fresh. Also, dried too. Because they’ll keep in the pantry for months. While also being equally nutritious. Or trying buying in bulk when fresh. Shell ’em. Then blanch ’em. And finally, freeze ’em for the cold months.

Because it’s hard being seductive when your stomach is—STUFFED!

SOME OF MY BEST-FRIENDS, ARE PEAS!

THANK A PEA!
NO PRINCESS REQUIRED