#7 - Potato Leek Soup

This is another dinner that came from a request by my wife. She was with me during my grocery shopping and saw some leeks. "Mmmm, potato leek soup!" said she. So into the cart went the leeks and some potatoes.

Later that week, I found myself with half a head of cabbage that needed using, and ended up roasting the potatoes with the cabbage and putting the leeks with some chicken in an Asian-style dish. So this past weekend while shopping, I once again picked up leeks and potatoes, and resolved not to let the soup get missed again.

#5: Lamb and Potato Curry

Last Sunday I decided it was time for something Indian. Going through my current favorite Indian cookbook, cookbynumbers indian, I found something that looked very tasty and a change of pace: Aloo Gosht, described as a "lamb and potato curry". I added a little too much broth and ended up with more of a stew than what was pictured in the book, but it was tasty nonetheless. I couldn't find the garam masala, so I had to do without, but I'm leaving it in my version here for future reference, as I think it would have been helpful to the final flavor.

#4: Roast Cabbage? Really? Yes, really.

As I was waiting for scripts to run so I could debug them, I started catching up on several weeks backlog of The Kitchn. A couple of weeks back, as a "Easy Winter Recipe", they posted Roast Cabbage with Bacon. As it happens, I've been trying to figure out something to do with the other half head of cabbage leftover from my pot stickers. I don't happen to have any bacon on hand, but after reading the whole article and following a few links, I decided to try just roasting it with a little olive oil and salt as part of a larger dinner.

I pondered what that dinner might be as I drove home, and realized that if I have my oven hot and a pan only half filled with cabbage, I should really make use of the other half of that pan. Roasted potatoes! And now that I have my starch covered, what for the protein? Mentally walking through my freezer, I remembered some chicken breasts that have been around for a bit and needed to be cooked before they got freezer burn.

So once I got home, I defrosted the chicken, whipped up an asian-style marinade, and put together a pretty darn tasty dinner.

Asian Style Chicken and Leeks
1 full chicken breast
2 leeks
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp powdered ginger

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Cut the roots and dark leaves off of the leeks and discard; cut the leeks into thin rings. Mix the remaining ingredients into a marinade and pour over the chicken. Set aside for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1-2 tsp of sesame oil and cook the leeks for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and marinade and cook until the chicken is done. Serve over roasted cabbage.

Roasted Cabbage
Quarter a head of cabbage and remove the core. cut the quarters into two or three sections each(1), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Roasted Potatoes
Cut 2-3 potatoes into pieces 1 to 2 inches across. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic flakes. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.


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(1) The more you cut the cabbage, the more "edge" you create, which will burn slightly, giving the cabbage a smoky flavor. If you like that flavor (as Dorothy does), cut it more; if not, cut it somewhat less.

Soup is good food!

As I was driving home in the dark, dreary, cold rain, I pondered (as I am wont to do in such times) dinner. It occurred to me that this was such a day as my dear wife would enjoy soup. Soup! Just the thing to warm the body and the spirit! But what sort of soup? Again, my thoughts turned to my dear wife, who happens to be partial to potato soup in its various forms. And lo! There are potatoes in my pantry!

I consulted the Interwebz, and was provided with a number of recipes, this one using cream, this other milk, and still another calling for a white roux. The potatoes should be red, and boiled; no, they must be baked russets!

So with a staggering variety of options, I decided to blaze my own trail. The result was quite yummy, and well received by the aforementioned dear wife.  Yay!

Potato Soup
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
water to cover
1/2 cup milk
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 strips of bacon. cooked and crumbled

Put the potatoes, onion, and garlic in a soup pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes). With the heat on low, add the milk and stir to begin breaking up the potato cubes. Add about half of the cheese a little at a time, stirring each addition until it is fully melted and incorporated. Serve in soup bowls topped with additional cheese and bacon.

YUM!