Happy New Year and Hello 2012!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! We spent Christmas in Louisiana with my family



Loved every minute of it!


We flew back to Washington in time to see in the New Year - quietly! I seem to have caught a cold back home in the *warm* south so didn't really feel like going all out for a big New Years day meal. But I still had to get in the required New Years day staples - black eyed peas and greens for luck and money! So I decided to just dump it all in a pot and see what happened. The result was pretty tasty and worthy of a repeat so I thought I would write it out and share.



New Years Day Black Eyed Pea "Gumbo"

2 Tablespoons bacon grease (or vegetable oil)
2 heaping Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large onion, diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch greens (I used Kale, but any would do)
2 cans black eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles (Rotel)
Smoked Sausage or smoky ham or smoky bacon (smoke is the theme - for flavor). Whatever you have on hand. I used 3 links of good smoked Louisiana sausage that I have in my freezer courtesy of my parents.
3 cups chicken broth
Spices/seasoning to taste - I used Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning & garlic salt.
2/3 cup uncooked rice

Heat grease or oil in a skillet until hot. Add flour and stir continuously (heat medium-high) until you have a roux that is light reddish brown - you could go darker, but I didn't want to have a strong roux taste. Add onions, bell peppers, celery & garlic and cook down until vegetables are tender. Add greens, peas, tomatoes, sausage, broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Cook until rice is tender (about 30 minutes). Serve with cornbread.


Wishing you a very prosperous, healthy and happy 2012! Thanks for taking the time this past year to check out my blog and what I have going on. Your comments have been much appreciated!

Joining in for Mosaic Monday this week over at Little Red House

Burrito in a Bowl

With most of the country frozen, I figure soup weather is still going strong. In the Pacific Northwest we have had a break from the freezing temps but not from our famous rain, so soups have been sounding good to us here too. Here's one I made last week that was super satisfying and I swear it really does taste just like a burrito!

Beef and Bean Burrito Soup

Inspired by Quick Black Bean Soup in Holly Clegg's Gulf Coast Favorites - a gift from my sister!

½-1 pound ground beef (If you use the lesser amount increase black beans)

1 small onion, chopped (for when I’m lazy I buy the frozen chopped onions and bell peppers and use those)

1 bell pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced (I buy the minced in the jar and just about a tablespoon)

1 can refried black beans

1-2 cans black beans (use more beans if you use less beef)

15 oz can diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth or water with enough chicken bouillon for 4 cups

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Season to taste ( I used about ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic salt and ½ tsp creole seasoning – put salt and pepper would be okay too!)

Brown the ground meat & drain & rinse. Add to drained meat - onions, garlic and bell peppers and sauté til begins to get soft. Then add all other ingredients and cook for about 20 mins. Sprinkle each bowl with shredded cheese and cut up pieces of flour tortillas & green onions if you’re feeling fancy.

It won't be long before soup weather will be behind us. I'm looking forward to nursery shopping for some cool annuals like these spoon shaped african daisies I found last year.

Flashback and Look Forward!

I'm a little late with this post in a variety of different ways. I normally post my Flashback on Thursday night, but here it is Friday night...so its a true Flashback on Friday! My topic is also a little late...I'd meant to show my New Years Day meal a bit closer to the New Year! Oh well..we are only half way through with January :-) But you know, being late with a Flashback Friday post is really kind of staying with the theme. Wait long enough to post something and it becomes a flashback! And you get a lot of mileage out of a meal that way too. Take for instance these Blackeyed Peas we had to ring in the new year.


For those of you that aren't aware, Blackeyed Peas are supposed to bring you luck for the coming year and when accompanied by greens..which they were, you are supposed to have plenty of money as well. Lets hope that one rings true. But even if its not, it was a yummy way to start 2011. I did something a little different this time with my black eyed peas. I didn't have any ham or smoked meat other than bacon, so used that and it was awesome. Great smoky flavor!

Black Eyed Peas

1 pound dry black eyed peas
1/2 pound bacon, chopped in small pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbls minced garlic
1 small can green chiles
Garlic Salt, Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, onion powder to taste
Water

Put peas on a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, turn off fire and let soak for an hour. Drain peas in colander. In same pot cook bacon until just getting crisp. Remove bacon and drain all but a tablespoon of bacon fat. Cook onions, peppers and garlic in fat until begins to soften. Add beans, bacon and chiles back into pot and add water to cover by an inch or two. Season to taste and simmer for a couple of hours keeping an eye on water level. I like my beans to be thick..not watery so I cook mine for a long time and let the water absorb. Check seasoning before serving and adjust to taste. Serve over rice. Also VERY good eaten with crumbled fritos...but thats just me.

Next stop for this meal....I used the left over rice from our meal to make rice pudding. Love it :-) I was running low on raisins, so used dried cherries instead. Good substitute!


Last stop for the New Years blackeyed peas...Soup! I took what was left of the peas - after a couple of days of leftovers and turned it into another full meal, part of which went into the freezer to live yet another day...so maybe I should say this was the second to last stop!


Blackeyed Pea and Greens Soup

2 1/2 cups cooked or canned blackeyed peas (I would imagine 2 cans would do it)
1 bunch of greens (I used Kale), trimmed and torn into bite size pieces
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
Seasoning to taste

Combine all and heat for about 30 minutes. If your beans were in a lot of liquid you may want to puree some of the soup to make more creamy. Mine was already creamy so I didn't need to. I really didn't have to add anything else since it was already well seasoned and had onions, bell peppers and garlic in the beans but if you start with canned you may want to add these.

How about a July bloom to roundout the flashback?



If you have a Flashback of any kind to share add your link here


I'm joining in with Foodie Friday this week over at Designs by Gollum. Check out the other posts HERE

And over at Tidy Mom's for I'm Lovin' it Fridays. Click on the icon below to go there.

Mosaic Monday ~First Snow and Soup to Satisfy

The cold weather that we are experiencing here in Western Washington has me craving warm soups. Saturday we had some French Onion Soup that hit the spot!



French Onion Soup

6 small onions, sliced
4 shallots sliced
4 Tablespoons of butter
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
8 cups broth (either beef or chicken - I used a combination of both)
1/4 cup white wine
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
Toasted french bread slices
Swiss cheese slices
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika to sprinkle

Saute butter and onions over a medium heat until begin to brown (about 15 minutes) Add garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add broth, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves & salt & pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes. When ready to serve, ladle soup into large bowls or crocks. Float 2-3 slices of bread on top of each bowl of soup. Top with a slice of swiss cheese, a generous sprinkle of mozzarella and a small sprinkle of Parmesan. Sprinkle with paprika. Place bowls on a pan then broil for a couple of minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.


Check out some pretty cool mosaics over at Mosaic Monday hosted by Little Red House.

Mosaic Monday ~Blue Skies and Pumpkin Soup

Not much new photo material this week, but there were some beautiful skies (plenty of rain too!) I'm joining in on Mosaic Monday this week. Check out the other entries HERE.




Between my little Halloween squash man and my bi-weekly veggie box, I was kind of pumpkin squashed to the max at my house. I didn't want them to go to waste so I made a pot of soup that I will freeze and save for weekday lunches. This one had a little spicy Thai twist that I really liked.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

From www.mom-mom.com

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small pumpkin, skinned and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 1/4 cups water
1 2/3 cups canned coconut cream (I used light and cut back the water to 1 2/3 cups
1 tablespoon hot sweet Thai chili sauce
1 tablespoon lemon grass, finely chopped* (I used lemon rind)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
freshly ground pepper & salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a large pot, heat oil and gently cook onion with brown sugar and
garlic over low heat until softened (8-10 minutes).
Add chopped pumpkin, water, coconut cream, chili, lemongrass or rind
and fish sauce.
Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.
Simmer for about 25 minutes until tender.
Remove and puree until smooth.
Just before serving, adjust seasoning to taste.
Mix in chopped cilantro.

*The same amount of grated lemon peel can be substituted.

Flashback and Foodie Friday ~Chicken Tortilla Soup and a Fall Farmer's Market Day

Earlier this week I was in a soup mood. That's what happens when the days and nights get cooler. Back home in Louisiana we call it gumbo weather :-) I made a tried and true one that I love called Chicken Tortilla Soup - so this is my flashback to many other cool fall nights! Mostly opening cans, but it still is homemade in my opinion! No fancy picture...just the bag I put in the freezer for an even quicker meal on another night.


Chicken Tortilla Soup
From Meals on the Move, Rush Hour Recipes by Holly Clegg -she has some of the best "lighter" recipe books around.

1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic (I use more like a tablespoon)
4 cups chicken broth
1 24 oz can tomatoes, diced
1 12 oz can tomato puree (I use tomato sauce and some of the roasted tomatoes I did this weekend)
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 16 oz bag frozen corn (I used 1 drained and 1 undrained cans of corn)

Condiments:
Tortilla chips, crushed (Holly suggests you bake your own for lightness)
Shredded cheese - I used a preshredded mexiblend
Sliced green onions
Avocado sliced
Sour cream

Saute onions and garlic in a little olive oil or a pot coated in non stick spray until tender. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato puree, chicken, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cook until chicken done (15-20 mins). Add corn and continue cooking 5 more minutes (or do like me and just put it in with the other stuff). I serve mine with crushed tortilla chips, a nice helping of shredded cheese and if I'm on my game sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions. Makes 6 really nice servings..8 if you stretch it.



Today (at least for a while) was one of those beautiful fall blue days with very interesting cloud formations. I found myself stopped in traffic several times on my way to work this morning and I was so mesmerized by the clouds I snapped a few shots.


In spite of the blue skies there was also a misty fog hanging low


I would have liked to lay down on the ground and watch the clouds go by instead of driving into work!


Part of Downtown Tacoma on the ramp coming off the freeway - don't worry...we were at a dead stop.


It was really a perfect lunch hour to walk down to the Thursday Broadway Farmer's Market. This is the Hotel Murano which is kitty corner from my office building. They have some gorgeous glass artwork on display.


I love the detail on this building on the way down to the market


The fall market has fewer booths and fewer people...but more leaves!


Flowers were mostly dahlias..which is okay by me. I love them.


There's some neat architecture to look at down at the Market too....like this crumbling facade


Fresh produce ran mostly to root veggies and apples..with a few other fruit thrown in. I picked up a couple of Honey Crisp because they are my favorite. Before I moved out here apples were Red, Green and Yellow :-) Now I know names!


My favorite crepe stand was not set up today, so I opted for my second favorite..the Peruvian booth. I normally get the Tamal, but opted instead for the anticuchos...kind of like chicken shish kabobs. They were very Yummmmy.



I ate in this little plaza and enjoyed the gorgeous skies...which by the way were gone within an hour of taking this shot.


Luckily I brought dessert back to the office to console myself. Mango Lemonade from the Peruvian stand and the most awesome almond filled croissant from a little pastry stand called The Last Bite.


Hope everyone has a great weekend. Kitchen Bouquet is going on hiatus for a week while we travel to Louisiana. See you when we get back!

If you have a flashback of any kind that you'd like to add put your link below!


I'm joining in over at Foodie Friday this week. Check out the other posts HERE.

Flashback and Foodie Friday ~Spring Forward

As fall seems to be quickly moving into winter here..maybe it's time to flash forward to Spring! I might have shown the Skagit Valley tulip fields before, but they are worth revisiting over and over again!


The day I was there in Spring of 2008 it was a gray day


But the fields of color


Were sunshine enough for me!



With a mountain backdrop


I walked past row and row


Of the little soldiers standing up to rain and the chill


Regal and elegant


As far as the eye could see


It was certainly


An awe inspiring sight!


Tulips


Tulips


And more tulips!


I hope this dose of spring will get you through a few chilly days this fall and winter :-) Feel free to bookmark and come tiptoeing through the tulips with me when the snow is blowing outside.

So coming back to reality...anybody need a big bowl of chili?


My Chili

1 lb of ground meat
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 tsp or to taste Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
2 cans kidney beans or black beans
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
A few dashes of hot sauce - I like the Chipotle Tabasco
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
1 small can tomato sauce
1 sm can green chiles
2 small cans sliced mushrooms or fresh if you have them
2 cups water - you may need to add more depending on how thick or thin you like it

Brown ground meat with onions, peppers and garlic. I like to throw a little Tony's seasoning on the meat while it cooks and then add more to the chili later if needed. Drain ground meat, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you have the time. Adjust seasoning to taste.

If you have a flashback you'd like to share please post your link below.


I'm participating in Foodie Friday this week. Go check out all of the other great posts at Designs by Gollum



Don't forget about the great chocolate dipping event my friend Marsha is having in December..check out my sidebar for details!