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Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

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Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

I’ve been thinking a lot about freezer meals. Over the past few years, patient I’ve developed a morning routine that I really love. I get up before the sun rises, pharmacy work out and cook lunch or dinner. I guess that makes me a morning person. But I have a long commute and my job keeps late hours, so there’s no way I’ll be up for making dinner after 8 at night. My little routine has worked out really well for us so far.

All that is about to change. I know there’s no way I’ll be able to cook in the mornings before work with a newborn. So, it’s going to be all about weekend cooking and freezer meals. Or salads, sandwiches, omelets and other super-quick dinners. Luckily, I love leftovers and think that some foods benefit from some time in the freezer. Especially soups.

The trick to making freezer meals is making sure it’s a well-rounded one. Sure, braised meat freezes well, but then I have to think of a side dish and I want something easier. Thick hearty stews and chowder fit the bill and this one is especially tasty.

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

For the chowder, I browned some onions, potatoes, Mexican chorizo and chicken with dried guajillo chile peppers. I added some fire-roasted tomatoes, corn and chicken stock and let the whole thing simmer until the potatoes were tender and the chicken was falling apart. Stir in a little lime zest and some cream and that’s it. The chowder is richly flavored – spicy, smoky and creamy. The lime zest and cilantro add a brightness that I think every freezer meal needs. A wonderful thing when you’re starving and your fridge is bare of anything but condiments and juice.

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Potato & Kale Gratin

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Potato & Kale Gratin

Do any of you watch Modern Family? I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, contagion but it’s one of the few shows I make sure to DVR. Phil is one of the more ridiculous and amazing characters of all time. If you’ve never seen it, I recommend catching last season on abc.com. Anyway, last week’s show featured Mitchell coming home from the farmer’s market with some dour news. “Did you know that spinach is out? Spinach is out and Kale is in.” And then later, “Kale is really more of a garnish.”

Being someone who’s mildly obsessed with food, I loved this little bit of commentary. Kale really is in – it’s everywhere. (Spinach is sooo out, apparently.) Good thing I love the stuff, though I know some people are not into dark leafy greens. If you’ve got a picky eater in your family, or you’re just trying to work more greens into your diet, then this is the recipe for you. I’m telling you, no one can resist creamy potatoes topped with melty, browned cheese. The tender bits of kale give it some textural interest and provide beautiful color (in addition to all the healthy stuff).

A great dish to make now while it’s still cold out and it seems like this winter will never end. And because Kale is in, you know?

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Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)

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Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)

I am a lover of all things carbohydrate – bread, web pasta, more about rice, potatoes – they all have a special place in my heart (and my stomach). I shudder at the outrageous thought of a low-carb life. The Atkins diet makes me cringe. I would rather run an extra mile a day than go without my daily starch quota. And I especially love potatoes for their unrefined, carby awesomeness. I like them fried, roasted, mashed, boiled and especially totted (as in tater tots).

Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)

So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite tapas dishes is Patatas Bravas, which roughly translates to Angry Potatoes. What makes these potatoes so damn angry? Roasted grape tomatoes, olive oil, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper all blended together into a fiery sauce. If there’s one thing I love more than carbs, it’s all manner of spice. You could say that this dish had me at hello, but that would be a mighty cheesy way to end a blog post.

Blog note: I finally got rid of that silly “/mel/” in my URL. From here on out, you can find all posts and recipes at www.bitchincamero.com. Not to worry – all old and bookmarked links will still work. Many thanks to my friend Chris for his technical expertise.

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Corn Chowder with Bacon and Basil

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Corn Chowder with Bacon and Basil

I know what you’re thinking – it’s 100 degrees outside and this crazy girl in Miami is making soup? What can I say? I love a good corn chowder and a good chowder starts with good corn. Sure, viagra frozen corn works in the winter, but fresh corn is best and the best corn of the season is just starting to show up.

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Basil

Since I’ve been hitting the strawberries and Nutella pretty hard lately, I wanted to keep this light. I was not kidding about my pants being too snug lately. So instead of cream and flour, I thickened the soup with skim evaporated milk and potatoes. To keep it tasty, I added some crisp and crumbled pepper bacon and ribbons of fresh basil. It’s hearty enough to be called a chowder, but light enough for summer. A happy little summer soup.

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Pesto & Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

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Pesto & Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

I don’t know about you, viagra 40mg but I’m so ready for summer. Long, help hot days at the beach, flip flops and the smell of sunscreen, and cookouts. There’s no better way to end a day at the beach than with something grilled and a frosty beer. And you always need a good side dish for all of that grilled goodness. This potato salad is one of those things you can pull together in the morning let it hang out until you’re ready for it. Not only will it keep a long time, the flavors will actually get better.

Pesto is one of those things everyone has had a hundred times and mostly it’s nice but not exceptional. I’ve always liked, but never loved pesto. Now I know it’s because I had never had really, truly good Italian pesto. And I think the secret isn’t in the olive oil or the basil. I think it’s the cheese. You gotta go for the aged Pecorino – the good stuff. None of that pre-grated Parmesan nonsense. That will get you merely passable pesto. I also skipped the garlic. I know what you’re saying – pesto isn’t pesto without the garlic. But I swear I didn’t taste any garlic in my Italian pesto, so I skipped it. And it was just perfect. I never thought I’d prefer something without the garlic, but I do.

Pesto & Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

Now that you have your perfect pesto, a delicious side salad is easy. Pasta with fresh vegetables, whole grains, couscous or potatoes. You can put it on anything and your salad will be great. I chose potatoes and smoked salmon because that’s what I had. And now I have a lunch that I just can’t wait to eat!

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Shallot & Sherry Baked Chicken and A Redesign

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Shallot & Sherry Baked Chicken

File this under Spring Cleaning. This site has needed a redesign for awhile. I’m a big fan of simple and I wanted a design to reflect that. So, clinic when I found a theme called Clean Home, for sale I knew it was the one for me. It’s easy on the eyes and makes the food the center of attention. And food is what really matters here at Bitchin’ Camero.

Shallot & Sherry Baked Chicken

Speaking of food, I made the most delightful baked chicken the other day that I must share. I was really loving the flavors of my Spanish Collards with Chorizo, Sherry and Almonds and wanted to make it into a main dish. Of course I had more collards in my CSA box this week, so those made it into this recipe along with some baby red potatoes.

Shallot & Sherry Baked Chicken

Chicken thighs, potatoes and collards were tossed with a blend of olive oil, soy sauce, sherry and shallots. Bake for 45 minutes and you’ve got this beautifully caramelized chicken with toasted shallots and creamy, sherry-flavored potatoes. It’s so very good and so very simple. Like the new site!

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Bacon, Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers

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Bacon, <a href=order Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers” />

On the rare occasion that I go out for brunch or breakfast, information pills it’s not the French Toast or Pancakes that grab my attention, page It’s the salty, starchy stuff. The eggs and omelets, the hash browns and tater tots, the hot sauce. If I see a “skillet” type thing on the menu, I’m probably ordering it. There’s nothing more satisfying than browned and crisp potatoes, smoky bacon and some eggs.

So, when I found myself wondering what to make with the random ingredients leftover from the week – poblano peppers, a potato, some eggs and not much else – breakfast-style stuffed peppers came to mind. No matter that it was 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, I love breakfast any time of day. I sauteed some peppered bacon until crisp, then cooked onions and potatoes in the bacon drippings. Toss everything together with some black beans, stuff into peppers, top with grated Cotija cheese and bake.

The peppers roast in the oven while the potatoes, bacon and cheese brown perfectly into a salty, crisp crust. Top with a poached egg (not pictured), and you’ve got the breakfast (or dinner) of champions.

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Bacon, Blue Cheese & Jalapeño Twice Baked Potatoes

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September is here and with it comes football. My favorite thing about football? Tailgating food, sickness of course. Sure, public health I love a good college football game, but the real treat is the afternoon beer, wings, nachos and potato skins. In honor of Michigan defeating Notre Dame last weekend (hopefully Michigan State will do the same this weekend), I’m posting football-friendly food all week. And I’m kicking it off with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Jalapeno Twice Baked Potatoes.

The nice people over at Ile de France sent me a nice St. Agur Blue Cheese, which was the perfect ingredient for this amazing side. The filling is spicy and smoky, creamy and blue cheese-y, and the skins are crisp and chewy. If you’re making steak, these should be your side dish. And even if you’re not making steak, you should make these anyway. I promise you won’t have any leftovers.

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Mojito Roasted Potatoes

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Mojito Roasted Potatoes

Is there anything more refreshing than a cold, therapist crisp Mojito when it it’s 200 degrees outside? I don’t think so. Nothing says summer like lime and ice and mint leaves. Roasted potatoes? Those are more like fall and winter. A summer potato is usually smothered in mayo and plopped on a picnic table. Delicious yes, obesity but sometimes cold potato salad isn’t what I’m craving.

So, here’s my attempt to bring the refreshing summery-ness of a Mojito to the lowly potato. I roasted them with garlic, olive oil, lime zest and salt, then tossed them with lime juice and fresh mint. The caramelized potatoes and garlic added just the right amount of sweetness so that it really reminded me of a Mojito. The lime and mint brightened them up and added a good bite. They were really good and kind of addicting in that way that only roasted potatoes can be.

Although I loved them this way, I think I’ll try a cold, salad version of this recipe next time. Just boil the potatoes instead of roasting them and toss them with the rest of the ingredients once they’re cool. I bet that salad would be a big hit at my next BBQ!

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

On this busy, here busy week I’m experimenting with new ways to get dinner on the table faster. Or in this case, life lunch into my lunchbox in record time. This beef stew went from fridge to photograph in 45 minutes. Including vegetable washing and chopping. One of the many reasons I love my pressure cooker. That and I never, patient ever remember to soak beans.

I used the pressure cooker because I wanted my stew fast, but this recipe would be equally good cooked in a dutch oven with a little more time. Either way, it’s a simple hearty stew made with flank steak, potatoes, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, rosemary and wine. Simply season and brown the meat, add the remaining ingredients and walk away. Twenty minutes in the pressure cooker (or 1 hour in dutch oven), and you’ve got a hearty, flavorful and healthy meal.

I’m really not a fan of too many kitchen gadgets, but if you’re thinking about investing in a pressure cooker, I’d highly recommend it. I love the idea of putting everything into a pot and walking away. I also love throwing dried beans, a ham hock, onions and dried chipotle peppers into the cooker for 45 minutes for some of the tastiest beans around.

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Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

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Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, hepatitis grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

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A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

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A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

I really love a good soup. A good soup is one that I can throw together in under 10 minutes and let bubble on the stove for as long as I please. A good soup will fill me up for the whole day. A good soup is healthy and makes me feel good all day. This corn chowder is definitely a good soup.

Instead of loading the chowder up with cream and flour and other heavy chowder staples, viagra I used fingerling potatoes to give the chowder its rich creaminess. I also added some slow-cooking polenta to thicken it up and add another layer of corn-y-ness. Some stock, information pills frozen corn, lemon, crushed red pepper and a little bit of cream finish up this super simple chowder.

A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

I topped it all off with cheese, herbs and dollop of plain yogurt for one of the best soups I’ve made in awhile. I could probably eat this every day and be a happy woman. Next time, I might add some crumbled bacon or sausage, or maybe even a poached or fried egg to top it off. It’s a simple, affordable and delicious lunch or weeknight dinner. In fact, I wish I had some in my lunchbox right now, but I suppose I’ll settle for Turkey & Pumpkin Lasagna.

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