Black Bean Soup

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We don’t go out to eat that often, but when we do, we usually go to the local Mexican joint down the road. Our favorite place closed last year. The friendliest family ran it. They were always so great with Andrew, the food was always good – we just loved them. They moved on to another part of the country to start a new venture, and left me with no Mexican eats locally (outside of my home, of course) for about 6 months. In desperation one day, I browsed Mexican restaurants in our vicinity on Yelp. To my surprise, one turned up in a town nearby – a nice 30 minute drive on the back roads. I must admit I was leery, as Crisfield is known primarily for it’s seafood (blue crabs, oysters, etc). I wondered how good could this place be? I’d never heard of it. But, like I said, I was desperate. So, one night, we ventured up.

We were blown away with the dinner we got at that little hole in the wall place. The proprietor/chef hails from South America, so there are lots of great Latin options – as well as traditional Tex Mex fair. While a new place has opened up closer by, we still try to make the trip to Mi Pueblito whenever we can. My favorite thing on the menu is the black bean soup. So simple, yet so flavorful and filling. Nice and smoky from the ham hock, and rich silkiness that only black beans can lend.I always devour the whole bowl, then have very little room for dinner. I made a batch last weekend at home in an effort to recreate their version, and it is right on point. As with other soups, it was even better the second day for lunch. The pico de gallo on top is optional, but highly recommended. It adds a great pop of color and flavor!

Black Bean Soup

1 pound dried black beans, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight, drained
1 pound smoked ham hock or shank (1 large bone)
2 bay leaves
8 cups water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
juice of 1 lime
Sour cream
pico de gallo (for garnish)

Heat olive oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, and saute until starting to brown on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and ham hock to the pot, followed by 8 cups water, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook at least 3 hours, until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves and ham hock from the pot. Add cumin and chili powder, and stir to combine. Cook for another hour on low.

Remove 4 cups of the soup (about half of it) to a blender. Purée until smooth and return to the pot of soup. Or, if you have an immersion blender, feel free to use that to achieve the desired consistency. I wanted mine nice and smooth. Add lime juice, stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Top with a dollop of sour cream and pico de gallo.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

Chicken and Dumplings

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Here, on the Eastern Shore, chicken & dumplings might as well be a food group. My mom made chicken or turkey and dumplings as I was growing up, but she made drop dumplings. Tender, biscuit-like little pillows. Fluffy dumplings. While they were delicious, they were never my favorite. My first “slick” dumpling was at the local Chincoteague Fire Department Pony Penning dinner. The Ladies Auxiliary sells tickets for a chicken & dumpling dinner, served immediately following the saltwater cowboy’s return to the carnival grounds with the wild horses that have made the swim. It’s really more like lunch, considering it’s served at around noon – but, here on the shore lunch is “dinner”, and dinner is “supper”.

After my first bite at the fair grounds, I was sold on rolled dumplings. Thick, chewy pieces of eggless pasta – swimming in a rich chicken broth, with lots of tender pieces of chicken. Comfort food at it’s finest! Once I married a man from the island, I knew I had to get my chicken & dumps recipe straight. Like I said before, for a Chincoteaguer, it’s almost a food group. For a couple of years I used dumplings I found in the freezer section, which is well and good. But, I knew I’d really take pride in making them from scratch. Flour, milk, and salt is all you need to make them happen. I usually do a double batch of the dumplings, as I’ve found this recipe doesn’t produce as many as I like. Homemade chicken stock is always your best bet, but a low-sodium store-bought stock is okay in a pinch. I’ll usually just pull the meat off a roasted chicken and refrigerate, make the stock from the carcass, and use the reserved chicken to combine with the dumplings.  A favorite dish in our home, it doesn’t get more comforting than this!

Chicken & Slick Dumplings

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1 cup for rolling
11 ounces milk
1½ teaspoons baking powder
4 quarts chicken stock or broth
Meat from 1 roasted or rotisserie chicken
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Place flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir just until the dough beings to come together. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

Place broth in a large dutch oven  over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil.

Lay down 2 large pieces of parchment or freezer paper and tape them to the counter (I have quartz countertops, and usually skip this step. Also, a pastry mat would be great too). Generously sprinkle the surface with flour, about 1/2 cup. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half of the dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, generously sprinkling more flour onto the dough so that it is well coated. Slice the dough into 1-inch-wide strips and then into 1-inch squares. Set the dumplings aside on a sheet pan. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

When all of the dumplings are cut, gently drop them into the boiling broth, a handful at a time. Once all of the dumplings have been added, cook for 35 minutes at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. After the sauce has thickened well, add the chicken and pepper and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or just until the meat is heated through.

Source: adapted from Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run

Mushroom Brie Bisque

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Did you know that September is National Mushroom Month? I didn’t. It seems as if every day of every month is a different National Food  Holiday.  I figured with the slight chill of Fall in the air… what is a better way to welcome it than a delicious soup?

There is this fabulous little carryout place here called Sea Star Cafe. The owners are there, everyday, churning out wonderful sandwiches and homemade soups. They are very small, but take a ton of pride in what they offer. Most items are cold sandwiches. There’s usually one “special” that is a hot sandwich, their Cuban is to die for! And, there is usually 2 or 3 soups that rotate on a daily basis. One of my favorite soups is mushroom-brie bisque. I’m not a huge fan of mushroom (love the flavor, hate the texture), so I stayed away from it for years. One day my girlfriend had gotten it with her lunch, and I stole a bite. I was hooked!

I was also pregnant at the time, so as luck would have it, I developed a craving for this soup. Sea Star closes for a few months in the off-season, and I had to come up with a version I could make at home. I’ve played around with a couple of batches since last fall and think I’ve finally got it!

This soup is rich, silky, and delicious. It’s also a breeze to make. I made it for a lunch date with a girlfriend. Even with an infant and a toddler to look after, I didn’t break a sweat getting everything ready. So easy! I  think the wedge of brie, as opposed to the small wheel, is better for this application. It seemed to melt down better. Next time around I might try a Camembert cheese, switch things up a bit! I hope everyone is as ready for Fall as I am. Enjoy!

Mushroom Brie Bisque

2 shallots, minced
6 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water to mix with cornstarch

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, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream, as well as the chunks of brie cheese.

Simmer the soup, whisking until the cheese melts down. Make a “slurry” with the cornstarch and water, and whisk into the soup to thicken. Bring to a soft rolling boil and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Maryland Crab Soup

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It’s springtime here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and that means that crabs are starting to come back into season. Crab soup traditionally comes in two varieties; Cream of crab – a, well, cream based soup. And, Maryland crab – a tomato based soup. My husband is a fan of the Cream, where I am a Maryland kind of gal.

This recipe is for the tomato based soup, and it’s wonderful. A little heat from the old bay, lots of flavor from the crab meat, and tons of veggies! My 3 year old loves it. I always find that soup is a good way to get anything I want to into him!

On another note, we have a new addition to the family. I’m such a horribly slack blogger, you would think I would have posted something earlier…but time is just running away with me these days! So, without further adieu, this is William or “Will” for short. He was born December 19th, and was a hefty 10 lbs at birth. He’s now going on 5 months, and is close to weighing 20 lbs. He is a beast! While Andrew is a carbon-copy of Jon, I think I’ve finally got one that resembles me now. He’s such a sweet and happy baby boy, we are truly blessed!

Okay, back to the soup. It makes a relatively large batch. But, leftovers freeze well. I like to make my own seafood stock with various shells that I leftover from seafood. Crab, shrimp, lobster – all cook down to make a beautiful stock. If you don’t have any of those things available though, try substituting bottled clam juice. I think it would be just as good!

Maryland Crab Soup

2 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup sliced carrots
large handful of green beans, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 cups beef broth
2 cups seafood stock
1 pound crab meat, picked clean for shells
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrot and saute for a couple minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large dutch oven, bring beef broth, seafood stock, and water to a boil. Add the sauteed vegetables, as well as the corn, lima beans, tomatoes, potato, and green beans. Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

Add the crab meat and stir gently to combine. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, and more Old Bay if you like before serving.