Creamy Street Corn & Smoked Sausage Chowder

Whelp, it has been a hot minute or two since I last posted aye!?! This gal totally needed a lil mental vacay. Thy wretched polar vortex really had me in a bit of a cold funk to put it mildly @!&*. I just wanted to curl up under like 3 blankets, with mittens & earmuffs on and hibernate until April lol! DEAD SERIOUS though, I was getting a tad edgy. Thank goodness, however, the sun has shown its' glorious face and the snow has stopped falling (at least for now) because I had one rad case of winter blues/blahs brewing up!! It's still only like 20 degrees out in the OLE MW... but after weeks of subzero temps, 20 degrees feels fantabulous like a tropical heatwave almost. This beautiful sunny day has got me ready to bust out my sandals, do a little happy jig, and was a MUCH NEEDED REMINDER THAT THIS TOO SHALL PASS! Before too long we'll be Sprung! HECK to the YES. Speaking of warm happy stuff.... this cozy, comforting, creamy Mexican Street Corn Chowder is like a fuzzy poncho for your cold soul! For real though. This easy, zesty chowder has all the yummy flavors of Mexican Street Corn on the cob plus smoked sausage, chili beans and so much more. HELLO GORGEOUS! YUP, this chowder thawed my icy cold heart and made me do a double take ;) Lucky for you folks... I'm a sharing/caring person :D but don't yawl come crying to me when this soup rocks your world; you've been warned :)

The cooking culprits aka ingredients:

• 2 cans creamed corn
• 1 pack smoked sausage 
• 1 can chili beans or red kidney beans (the ones I used were canned in hot sauce, but if not drain them)
• 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers seeds and all finely diced (or if you don't do heat too well, 1 red bell or canned green chilies would do too)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups reduced fat milk
• 1/2 cup Mayo (low fat)
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 can water (+2/3 cup for sausage)
• 2 TBSP Butter
• 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder (salt and pepper to taste)
• Opt~ 1 TBSP jarred pepper juice, lime /lemon juice, or white vinegar (just to cut some of the sweet)  

First, slice each smoked sausage in half lengthwise twice and slice the halves horizontally into little spoon sized chunks (1/2 inch thick or so). Place the sausage chunks in a large pot w/ 2/3 cup water and them sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 tsp of above the mentioned spices. Cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or so until all the water is absorbed.

While that cooks, dice up your peppers and onion. Once all the water is evaporated, toss in the diced pepper, onions, and 2 TBS butter. Cook it for about 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the sausage is nicely seared.

Helpful tip when cooking with hot peppers~ Always taste test the heat of the pepper prior to tossing it into ANYTHING. Take a seed and touch it to the very tip of your tongue briefly and you'll know what kinda heat your really dealing w/ b4 it is too late lol! I had originally planned to use 2 whole peppers, but only did 1.5 once I realized the fierceness of the pepper, good thing I did cut back because my fella would have been crying hehehe!

Once the sausage and peppers are looking and smelling delish, dump in all the canned goods, 1 (15 oz) can of water, 2 cups milk, and the remaining dry spices. (I filled each creamed corn can about half way w/ water and sloshed it around a bit to get all those can corn clingers out lol)

 Reduce heat to medium low, cover pot with lid, and cook for about 45 minutes or longer stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The longer the better, but if you're in a crunch for time a half hour aught do just fine ;)

Next, reduce the heat to low/simmer & stir in the sour cream, mayo, and pepper/lime juice (opt, but recommended) and cook for 15-20 more minutes. (Add additional seasonings to your taste palette preferences)

 

Finally.... Turn that hot little number off, let it cool, and top it with some shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro and or whatever spunky toppings you'd prefer! Prepare to depart to feisty flavor town; for real folks, this corn chowder is like a happy, hearty fiesta in your mouth, the kind that makes your taste buds want to tango!  Cha cha cha bomb :)   

Hope you enjoy, Big Hugs, and Thanks for popping in!

Pulled BBQ Chicken and Baked Bean Chili

 Nothing shouts warm, happy, anti-polar vortex thoughts quite like BBQ Chicken. It's messy, carefree, soul food with a laid back summer living beachy kinda vibe. Am I right or am I right?! If summer had a flavor it'd have to be BBQ. Grill food, Juicy Melons, Pasta Salads, Icy drinks (sometimes spiked and w/ a lil' umbrella), and OF COURSE BBQ. But... when fall and winter come rolling around, we seem to forget all about our dearest pal BBQ until next summer, and embrace these so dubbed "winter/fall flavors." Why not keep summer alive in our icy hearts and BELLY, by combining the flavors of fall and summer into a warm and hardy, happy dish? BBQ, Chicken, Baked Beans and Corn sounds like summer goodness, right?! Only it's - 100 degrees out and freeze your face cold. But that's no reason to go all ANTI-BBQ CHICKEN! Whoever outlawed winter BBQ chicken and baked beans? Seriously tho, shame on them?!!! That's just ludicrous and this lil' foodie rebel is not gonna stand for it! NOPE ;) That's flavor discrimination and I'm not down with all that silly jazz. So today, I bring you a much needed splash of summer heat in a bowl, YUP, BBQ Chicken, Corn and Baked Bean Chili. These flavors taste just as good during freeze your face weather as they do during the I'm melting heat! So0... Let's do this dang thang my fellow foodie rebels :)

 Whatcha' Need:

• 1.5-2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ Sauce w/ Brown Sugar (I'm a Sweet Baby Ray's Gal, but use what ever you want or what's on sale, switch it up)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 lg can Baked Beans (28 oz) not Drained (I used maple/brown sugar flavored with bacon) 
• 1 can Black Beans (drained)
• 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (w/ peppers) not drained
• 1 jalapeno seeds and all or 1/4 cup diced jar pepper slices (OPT)
• 2 TBS Brown Sugar
• 1 TBS Vinegar (white or apple cider)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 28oz can of water ^ (+ 4 cups) 
• 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp each lemon pepper and red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp garlic minced or dry and 2 tsp Salt  ~ Season to your tastes always~

Start off by placing the chicken breasts and 1/2 the various spices in a large pot. Cover the chicken with about 3-4 cups water and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Over low/medium heat, bring the chicken to a boil, checking it and flipping it occasionally. 

 Boil for about 30-40 minutes with lid on (checking regularly/flipping the breasts a few times throughout) or cook until chicken is no longer pink and it becomes fork tender.

Turn off the heat and remove the chicken breasts from the pot and place them in a large mixing bowl, but DO NOT throw out the juices. It should be reduced down by about half by the time the bird is done and it is about equal to 2 cups broth without all the filler and unnecessary spent $.

This is now your broth/chili base. (For soups, chili and stews you really want to build layers of flavor from the bottom up, and low slow is always preferred, not that you couldn't rush the dish along if needed, but if you have the time, take it and you'll taste it)

Allow the chicken to rest or cool a few minutes in the large mixing bowl. Then, begin shredding the chicken with two forks by pulling the meat from opposite directions or allow it to cool enough to shred with your fingers. (Share any less appealing pieces with your pets who are probably eyeballing you right now lol!)

Once the chicken is shredded, place it back into the pot with the juices and spices aka you just made a homemade broth (THRIFTY AWESOME SAUCE).

Next, pour in all the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.  

All the canned buddies ^

All the other veggies, additional spices, BBQ sauce, Brown Sugar , Ketchup, Vinegar and 28 oz of water

Heat on low/medium heat for about 1.5 hours (or longer) to really let the flavors develop. Stir occasionally throughout and reduce heat slightly if need be. (Also taste a bit of the juice and see if the seasonings need adjusting to your personal taste preferences. If so add a dash more of what you think might be lacking or needs balancing.)

Turn that winter-friendly BBQ beauty off and allow it to chill a few moments before topping it with a little shredded cheddar, sour cream, or garnish of choice. Buckle up and prepare to be transported to summer time where BBQ is all the rage and your belly button isn't cold anymore :) I hope you enjoy this fun twisted combo on 2 classic seasonal dishes!

P.S. Shout out to my lovely, kind Mama <3 for hooking it up with the fresh Chicken, Much love and Thanks for sharing your meat with me lady ;)

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll and Pepper Soup

Two of my all-time favorite dishes EVER are cabbage rolls and stuffed bell peppers. Both have a yummy seasoned rice and ground beef mixture loaded into a lovely vegetable vessel. However, they are both a tad bit time consuming, and if you have picky eaters around (ahem' anti-veggie Males &or Children lol) it might not seem worth all that effort. I could deep fry, bread, and stuff a pepper full of steak, cheese, bacon, potatoes, peanut butter, chocolate, and all sorts of glorious unhealthy goodness, but my future hubby would just eat the filling and waste the entire pepper! THUS resulting in a mega waste of my time, effort, and money stuffing something he's not even going to eat or that might just go to waste (ain't nobody got time for that lol). However, I could cleverly and easily combine both of these glorious, rather similar concoctions into a simple soup that he will eat and LOVE because all the veggies are bite sized (mwuahaha, bless his overgrown man-child heart lol).

 I have so0oo been craving cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers something fierce lately!!! SO instead of giving up on my foodie dreams/cravings because of his utter disgust of stuffed veggies (or healthier foods in general lol), I ever so sneakily combined all these yummy elements into one delicious, harmonious, hearty soup! Relationships are all about compromise right ;) Even better yet... this soup almost looks like Christmas in a bowl with all the bright red tomatoes, hearty white rice, and pops of green peppers! It's a real dinner winner peeps, no joke. I got my cabbage roll and stuffed pepper fix and he got his meat and rice filling without having to scrap it out of a green vessel (he also got tons of subtle, healthy, and "tolerable" veggies too, hehehe).

Whatcha' need:

• 1.25 cups of white rice uncooked
• 2 medium sized Green Bell Peppers (chopped)
• 1/2 bag prepackaged raw veggie coleslaw mix, which is just carrots and cabbage already finely sliced (it was on sale at my grocery for .99 cents and was Way easier to sneak into the already loaded veggie soup :) I don't even think he knows it's in there yet, he will when he reads this tho LOL) or use one small head of cabbage thinly sliced 
• 2 regular sized cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) undrained (with green chilies, opt)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 TBSP sugar (helps reduce acidity aka heartburn associated with tomato heavy soups and sauces, a  little neat trick I learned when I cooked for the elderly at a nursing home where heartburn is WAY common)
• 1.5 lbs ground beef 
• 6 cans water ^

Additional seasoning to personal taste: 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 2 tsp Italian blend seasoning

 In a large stockpot combine ground beef, chopped onion, chopped green peppers, and half of all the suggested seasonings above. Cook on medium\low heat until meat is brown and veggies are tender and translucent. Drain off excess grease.

Next, add to the meat mixture: tomatoes, sauce, ketchup, sugar, water, remaining desired spices, and shredded cabbage in the same large stockpot. Cook on medium/low until slightly boiling or bubbling (not a raging boil). Stir regularly.

 Once the mixture has come to a slight boil, add in the uncooked rice, reduce heat, and cover. Stir every few minutes. It should take about 15-20 minutes for the rice to fluff up and absorb some of the juices. (Test a piece of the rice to see if done, and see if seasoning is to your liking and adjust if need be) Once the rice is fully cooked and soft, turn that gorgeous soup off.
  

Now grab a bowl and go enjoy all those same scrumptious flavors of stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls made hassle free into one glorious, delish dish! Cheers to us for being crafty, thrifty, witty, and willing to compromise (hehehe) ;)

How to make Homemade Chicken Broth (Soupa' Savings)

 I have always loved how the Indians or Ol' School folks always utilized every part of the animal i.e. they didn't waste a thing. The animal wasn't just killed for their meat, their fur used for garments, blankets, and warmth; their bones used for weapons, jewelry, and a wide array of other purposes I'm sure like making STOCK OR BROTH.

Let's brace ourselves because winter is coming. There is no avoiding it here in the Midwest, the winter doesn't play around round' here lol! One of the few things I do really enjoy about the winter is a good soup. Which generally involves some sort of broth or cream of something or other! How great would it be to not have spend extra bucks on broth or know what ingredients are all in your soup??! It'd be grrreat, I know right! Truly it doesn't get much simpler than making your own broth, which is talking my language EASY,CHEAP, and MINIMAL EFFORT are my bag so to say :) Moving on to the recipe I used which produced at least 2 quarts worth of freezable broth and that's probably quite the underestimate, IT WAS A BUNCH lol!Granted I had a large bird somewhere around 6lbs so yeah....

 Most recipes I scrolled through called for carrots and celery which were for added flavor and disposed of afterwards. I don't like to waste and didn't have those items in my fridge so I winged it and it turned out like broth lol. I used two sliced lemons, pepper black and red, a large onion, a few sprigs of fresh dried tarragon, garlic powder, a dash of Italian seasoning, and little salt. You could really use what ever kind of seasonings you prefer, that was just my combo and what I had handy.

 Place your bird in a large stock pot with flavoring ingredients to your taste preference, traditionally this is w/ carrots, celery, and onion,salt and pepper, but I'm not a traditional orthodox gal lol! I like to try different things and I love lemon pepper chicken so I thought why not make a lemony peppery chicken broth and my lemons were on the verge of badness so I figured I better use them puppies for something stat lol! Simply pour enough water over the chicken to completely cover it and a little extra just to be safe the bird has a nice full bath and bring it a boil. Once it comes to a nice boil, lower the temp to simmer or lowish and cook for another hour and a half to 2hrs on low. When the leg feels like it is about to fall off or tear away from the bird with minimal resistance, it is done or to be safe you can pull out the thermometer and go the legit route lol! Let the chicken rest a while after it is done before pulling it out and shredding the meat from the bones to let the juices redistribute and because it is hot as heck and you will likely burn yourself, don't do what I did being overly eager about the broth or situation LOL! Once cooled strain out the large chunks of onion or whatever you choose to add and WHALA, you have broth. You could take this further and make stock by re-adding the bones to the liquid and really get some intense flavor. I didn't do this yet, because it was my first time making broth and my fiance got home and we were starving, but next time I'll give it a whirl and compare flavors then. As for now, hope you enjoyed my simple, vague broth making blog and cut costs and improve flavor for your next bowl of soup. Cheers and think outside the box or can! :)