Warm Up This Winter

(Photograph by katie wilcox)
In the Kitchen

January 4, 2023

Gertrude Treadaway

Mom’s Vegetable Soup

  • 3 pounds chuck beef, cut into largebite-sized cubes
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Steak seasoning
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 3 heaping tablespoons Tones beef seasoning
  • 11 cups water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, crushed
  • 24 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
  • 12 ounces crinkle-cut carrots
  • 1 cup frozen lima beans
  • 3 cups frozen corn
  • 3 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 14.5-ounce can tomato sauce

Sprinkle beef with steak seasoning. Heat oil on high heat in a large pot. Add meat and brown, turning it as it cooks.

Add onion and celery. Cook until slightly softened. Add beef seasoning and 2 cups of water. Cook for about 45 minutes, until beef is tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and cook about 45 minutes.

Remove bay leaves. Add pepper and salt to taste.

You may use fresh vegetables instead of frozen; fresh or dried herbs; and beef broth instead of water.

 

Southern Hoe Cakes

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups enriched self-rising white cornmeal mix
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Add vegetable shortening to a cast-iron skillet on high heat until shimmering. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter into small pancakes. Fry until golden brown on each side.

 

Potato Soup

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with salt, pepper and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes. Cover. Cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Mix in half-and-half until smooth. Use an immersion blender to thicken.

 

White Chicken Chili

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • Two 15-ounce cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chicken. Cook until it is lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and spices. Turn chicken a few times to coat evenly. Add corn, beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or the back of a spoon to break up some of the beans to help thicken the chili. Stir in the cream.

 

Corn and Poblano Chowder

  • 2 cans sweet corn
  • 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1½ to 2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable stock concentrate or bouillon
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the poblano and scallion whites. Save the greens for topping. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Add flour; cook until lightly browned.

Slowly stir in milk, water, potatoes, stock concentrate and Old Bay Seasoning. Bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Mash potatoes with potato masher until desired consistency. Stir in the cream cheese and corn until chowder is thick and creamy. Season before serving.

 

Deer Chili

  • 2 pounds ground venison
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon
    Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 28-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 15-ounce cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 15-ounce cans light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 6 tablespoons chili powder
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Green onions, chopped
  • Cilantro
  • Saltines

In a large Dutch oven, brown venison; drain grease.

Add onion, jalapeño and garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar. Cook another minute. Add water, tomatoes and beans. Stir. Add chili powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Stir well; bring to a boil.

Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion, cilantro and saltines.