The Winter Kitchen
With the snow and cold this weekend, our regular kitchen facility is a little...um...chilly.
So, we adapt. Working on an old house requires you to be very adaptable. Especially if you are living in it while working on it.
New winter kitchen?
It works. :)
p.s. I threw together (very risky if you knew my cooking) some nice winter soup in this little crockpot with what we had stored in the cabinets and freezer. Here is what I used:
-One can of new potatoes (potato water and all). I cut the potatoes into chunks.
-One can of carrots
-One package of frozen shoepeg corn
-Some garlic powder
-One can chicken broth
-Some dehydrated minced onions
-Some chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
-Some red wine (we used a splash of a nice merlot)
-Some salt and pepper
-A pat of butter
After a few hours simmering away, this made a yummy, winter-y soup. Much thanks to my mom, who talked me through a little spice crisis. Here is a sample of the real conversation:
Me (anxious): Mom, it's me. I need an ingredients check.
Mom (soothing): Okay, what's up?
Me: Crockpot. Potatoes, carrots, corn, chicken broth...bland. Ack! Help.
Mom (still soothing): Well, what are you going for? What are you trying to make?
Me (wailing): I don't knowwwwww! Doesn't that sound like anything familiar???
At this point, my mom laughed until she began hyperventilating because a lot of people follow these things called "recipes", I guess. And I don't.
This says a lot about my life, my cooking and the reason why I did so poorly in tenth grade chemistry class.
Next time, I'm using Epicurious.
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Comments
Try bean soup. It's a lot easier....POPS"30"
Posted by: POPS | January 23, 2005 11:26 AM
Butternut Squash, cooked and mashed up
Chicken broth
Milk or cream or some butter
Lots of grated ginger
S & P to taste
Taste your way to the right proportions.
Here's a tidbit: Germans use the same word, "Rezept" for both Recipe and Prescription. Makes sense for chicken soup.
Posted by: Ilsabe | January 23, 2005 4:55 PM
Jeannie! I am a huge proponent of chicken in the crockpot recipes. Have a look at my website here:
http://www.emilyskinner.com/food/chicken.html
and see if any of the crockpot recipes look good to you. My favorite is the peanut chicken one with the salsa and peanut butter. It's nice with rice or glopped into tortillas.
Also, I *am* working on an email to you... it's just not happening very fast. :)
Posted by: emily | January 23, 2005 6:01 PM
I'm no chef either. At least you remembered the salt, I always forget to add it.
Posted by: irasali | January 24, 2005 10:20 AM
Hey, even that is more advanced than my cooking skills. I know how to cook two things - grileld cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese out of a box.
Posted by: Kristin | January 24, 2005 11:19 AM
I made this for my friends while I was dog- and house-sitting so they'd have a nice hot meal to come home to. They had been working on a garage for family in Maine and had been outside in the raw, cold weather all weekend. I was still there (they have cable and I don't - hooray for HGTV!) when they got home and it was pretty tasty. I substituted frozen vegetables instead of canned and added some seasoned frozen potatoes. I used black beans instead of chili beans and more salsa (I used a Southwestern blend one) than just the one cup. They didn't have any cilantro. S'pose you could sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. I don't usually stick to a recipe either; I just add stuff until it "looks right." :-)
Southwestern Chicken Chowder
1 can (15 oz.) mixed vegetables, drained
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup mild green salsa, or thick and chunky salsa
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 can (15.5 oz.) chili beans, undrained
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Combine all ingredients except cilantro in 2- to 3-quart slow cooker. Cook on low 1 to 2 hours, or until heated through. Add cilantro and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Posted by: Kristen | January 25, 2005 7:43 PM
My partner and I worshipped the crock pot during our four-month kitchen renovation. The favorite was lamb stew. Cubed lamb, rosemary, salt and pepper, carrots, celery, onion garlic, pearl barley to thicken that sucker up. Tasty, easy, takes the chill off the snow!
Posted by: Kim | January 30, 2005 11:08 AM