Tasty Thursday: Mushroom Brie Bisque

Last weekend in Northern Michigan we participated in the Leelanau Wine Association’s Toast of the Season event. At that event (when you have your ticket in hand) you get a generous taste of a specific wine paired with a small plate of food. We sampled chicken jalapeno soup, roasted tenderloin with basil butter, polenta with marina, thai chicken wings and lots more. One of our favorites was a delicious Mushroom Brie Bisque paired with a chardonnay. They weren’t offering up the recipe so I’ve been hunting on the Internet all week to see if I could come up with something close. I’ve taken a bit from three or four different recipes to come up with the following. I thought I’d share it with you too, if you have a chardonnay chilled and ready all the better.

Mushroom Brie Bisque

1/4 cup butter
2 shallots, minced
4-6 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced
1/4 cup flour
6 cups beef stock
2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
chopped chives

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots, and sauté until most of the water has cooked out of the mushrooms and they are soft, at least 5 minutes. Dust with flour and cook until you have a blonde roux – 3-5 minutes more.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream & cheese. Stir until melted and heated through – do not bring back to a boil. Salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle chives on each serving.

Tasty Thursday: Chicken & Coconut Curry Soup

I’m so happy we’ve officially entered soup season. The past few weeks I’ve made soup for dinner once a week and I’m guessing it will be a dinner staple until sometime this spring. Now, keep in mind that I don’t like to make the same thing for dinner very often so this soup season requires lots of different recipes. I have a new one to share with you today – we’re having it for dinner tonight and I can’t wait.

Chicken & Coconut Curry Soup

Adjusted from a recipe seen in Crock Pot Soups & Stews

6 cups chicken stock (or broth)
2 cups water
2 cans (approx 14 oz each) lite coconut milk
1 leek, sliced into quarter moons
3-4 TB curry powder
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
1 TB fresh ginger, peeled & minced
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 package (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 cup brown rice
2 limes
salt & pepper
cilantro, chopped

1. Combine ingredients through chicken in your crock pot and cook on low 10 hours or high for 6.

2. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and cut into bite-size pieces. Add back to the soup. Add spinach and rice and cook on high for 10 minutes.

3. Squeeze in the juice of the limes, season with cilantro and salt & pepper. Stir and then serve.

Note: Some curry is spicy but if you use yellow curry powder (look in your spice section) it is not spicy at all, just savory. If you want some heat add some red pepper flakes to taste or even a dash or two of hot sauce when serving.

Tasty Thursday: Creamy Corn Bisque

I gave up meat for Lent so I’ve been digging through my recipe files looking for recipes that work for me and the rest of the family who did not give up meat. As a family we eat meatless meals at least 1-2 times a week but that still leaves me with at least five meals a week to figure out. And I’d rather not cook completely different meals for myself if I can help it. Last night I made peanut chicken in the crock pot with a side of pasta and roast veggies – I ate pasta & veggies, the family ate everything. Tonight I’ll make a stir fry and scoop out my portion before I add the meat. It’s a challenge but a workable challenge.

Here’s a recipe that is vegetarian but includes an option for bacon on top. As a bonus, it’s ridiculously easy to make. It should make everyone in this house happy:

Creamy Corn Bisque

• 2 cans creamed corn
• 32 oz of vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 2 cans cream of potato soup
• 2 10 oz packages of frozen corn
• 4 cups milk
• 2 cups half & half
• 3-4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp hot shot (black & cayenne pepper) or crushed red pepper flakes
• Optional: 5-6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

1. Put everything but the bacon in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. While that is happening, cook & crumble your bacon if you’re including it. Serve with crumbled bacon on top if desired.

Food Thursday: Let’s talk about soup

The nights are cool (downright chilly even). The morning air is crisp. We all broke out sweatshirts for my son’s baseball game last night. And the kids requested soup for dinner this week.

Yep, fall is in the air. Once the nice cool weather hits we have soup for dinner just about once a week. And since I’m determined to not make the same dinner more than once a month, that’s a lot of soup recipes. Today I’m highlighting some of the many soup recipes I have posted over the years. Starting with what’s in the crock pot for dinner tonight:

• Chicken Corn Chowder
• Chicken Jalapeno Soup This one always makes me happy because I got the recipe from a winery on one of our trips up to Traverse City. A place I’m sorely missing this fall. We traded our annual trip to Northern Michigan for a trip to Orlando so I can run the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. It’s a good trade but my soul is missing my dose of Pure Michigan.
• Spinach, Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
• Potato Cheese Soup Such a family favorite that it’s even been requested as a birthday dinner.
• Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Meatball Soup This one has been in my recipe box for years.
• White Chicken Chili
• Lentil, Butternut Squash Stew
• Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup This one is fantastic with a nice crisp chardonnay.

Now break out your crock pot – it’s soup season!

Food Thursday: White Chili

I’m going back to the archives for this recipe. I was looking & looking for it the other day and couldn’t find it. Did a search on my blog and it popped right up. This also gives me a chance to remind you that I’ve got a page of greatest hits recipes – and this one is top of the list.

This white chili is delicious, super easy and super healthy. It’s going on my menu list next week – it’s been too long since we’ve had it around here.

White Bean Chili
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 15 oz can of white beans, rinsed & drained
16 oz of chicken stock or broth
1 cup of green salsa
1 9oz pkg of frozen corn
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

Put everything but the cilantro in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. If you need to simmer it a bit longer – add more broth. Stir in cilantro before serving.

Yummy Salsa
A spoonful of this on top of the chili makes the dish!

1 large tomato
2 medium green onions
1 jalapeno
1/2 tsp lime zest
2 TB lime juice (if I don’t have a fresh lime to zest, I’ve just added a splash more lime juice and it comes out fine)

Chop it up & mix it in a bowl. This tastes best if you do it a few hours early so the flavors have time to meld together.