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Simply Bean Soup

March 16, 2011 By Julie 25 Comments

When I was a child I hated beans. No wait, let me rephrase that. Not just hated, despised. On nights when beans were served, my mom would make my brother and me sit at the table until we finished every last bean on our plates and sometimes we’d sit there for hours. We didn’t have a dog to help in our demise and the cat was as turned off by the whole ordeal as we were so she was no assistance in the bean disposal department. My brother eventually developed this ingenious idea to declare an “emergency bathroom break” immediately after taking a huge bite of said round nuggets and would magically come back with a cleansed palate. I still owe my brother one for his shrewd method of bean extraction.

I’m not sure what happened between childhood and today, but at some point in time, unbeknownst to me, my palate adapted, ate a bean, and declared it good. Now I suddenly find myself cooking with beans on a weekly basis and dare I say, enjoying it. Fortunately two of my three kiddos enjoy the beans with me. One, Nicholas, does not. Life experience has taught me that forcing a bean ~~despiser~~ hater to eat beans does absolutely nothing for expanding the palate and only causes said child to have a sore bum from spending too much time seated at the table with no dog for assistance. So, for now, I allow Nicholas to bypass the beans in the hopes that one day, he too will declare beans good.

And so, this soup is in honor of beans. Plain and simple. There aren’t many bells and whistles in the recipe. Just what it takes to highlight my gratitude for a sometimes under acknowledged, non-meat, healthy as all get out, protein source that with time and appreciation, I have truly come to enjoy.

Grab your bowl and let’s cook up some Simply Bean Soup.

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Navajo Fry Bread

February 28, 2011 By Julie 32 Comments

The time comes when all birds must leave the nest and fly on their own. When I graduated college and started looking for a job, I decided that the farther I could soar from my hometown the better. Sound familiar? Be it a need for actual physical distance or merely emotional distance, I’m willing to bet that at one point in our lives we could all relate to that new found feeling of independence pulling us as far away as possible from where it all began. As for myself, I wanted nothing more than to show all those around me that I had what it took to make it on my own.

That ever growing need for independence eventually landed me in Phoenix, AZ. It was far from my childhood stomping grounds, completely different in every possible way from Wisconsin, and I had a cushion in the fact that my grandparents were living there in case I ever needed a familiar hand.
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Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup

February 21, 2011 By Julie 61 Comments

Having grown up in Wisconsin, there were certain foods that I came to enjoy as a part of everyday life. Bratwurst cooked on the grill. Friday night fish fries. Beer (Need I say more). And then there is the food that Wisconsin has always been known for, cheese. California may try to claim it from us, but make no mistake, we are considered the cheeseheads for one big reason. Wisconsin knows cheese. Sorry California. I love your beautiful weather and your beaches (lord knows Wisconsin is lacking in the sand and salt water department and our winter weather leaves something to be desired), but I just can’t give you the crown for cheese over my beloved hometown state; and yes I’m most definitely biased.

So in the spirit of true cheesehead pride, I have created this recipe as a salute to the state where I grew up. You can find a steaming bowl of beer cheese soup in just about any mom and pop restaurant in Wisconsin. And I’m willing to throw money down that pretty much every bowl you find will be good enough to scrape the dish clean. There’s just something magical about combining cheese and beer together that makes the world right again. Serve up a brat or some fish fry on the side and you’ll be ready to move your roots to the north. Guaranteed.

In other news, the big day is finally here! My blogoversary is officially on Thursday, but we’ll be celebrating on Friday with a giveaway or two and a look back at the past year of Mommie Cooks (and what a year it’s been!) Hopefully the new site design will be launched by then as well. It’s as good as ready. I’m just waiting for the green light from my designer. So keep an eye out cuz Mommy’s updating to a whole new look and this one plans to stick around for awhile.

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Indian Butter Chicken

February 16, 2011 By Julie 35 Comments

I was first introduced to Indian butter chicken about six years ago after finishing up a marathon road journey to my dear friend Camilla’s, who was living in Kansas City at the time.

Call me crazy, but I love to drive long distances and am known to throw caution to the wind and just hop in the car at any given moment and go. On this occasion I had been chatting with Camilla over the phone and we decided a get together was long overdue so the following week I popped Nicholas in the toyota, then about 16 months old, and made the eight hour trek from Dallas to Missouri. The drive was probably about one hour longer than a 16 month old had patience for, but we arrived in one piece, none the less for wear, and ready for a hearty dinner.

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Smoked Salmon Dip

April 30, 2010 By Julie 18 Comments

Yep, that’s right, I’m doing an appetizer tonight. Hey, it’s easy and yummy, and a perfect recipe to post after a long day spent on an 8 hour round trip bus ride and zoo trip with 6 different classrooms worth of kindergartners. I’m tired, I’m sore, and I’m mentally spent. Yea, we had a blast.

No really, we did! Nicholas said his favorite part was getting to see the tiger roar. Here is a picture of Nick and his buddy Cole posing on top of a dinosaur. Forgive the picture quality; it was taken from my cell phone. I really wanted to take my good camera, but I figured me wandering off to shoot pictures of the animals and scenery while the kids roamed aimlessly in circles saying “are you done taking pictures yet?” might not go over so well.

Ok, so the salmon dip. This stuff, if you like salmon, if REALLY addicting. I could literally take a box of crackers and a bowl of dip, go hide in a corner, and not come back out until I licked the bowl – CLEAN. It’s so yummy, I’ve been known to hide the crackers in the back of the cupboard just so I don’t have to share. And the best part is, it’s super easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

1 15.75 Oz. Can Salmon
1 8 Oz. Package Cream Cheese, Softened
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/4 Cup Onion, diced
1 tsp Dill (Dried or Fresh Works)
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste

To put this dip together, pull out your food processor and throw in your salmon and cream cheese. Turn it on and mix it until it’s smooth. Now add in your onion, lemon, liquid smoke, garlic, and dill. Process again until smooth. Now all that’s left to do is take a taste and add your salt and pepper according to your liking. And voila. I told you it was simple.

What’s that? You didn’t hear what I said? You’re too busy eating? What do you mean I can’t have a cracker and some of your dip? I see my job here is done. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Smoked Salmon Dip

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 15.75 Oz. Can Salmon
1 8 Oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/4 Cup Onion, Diced
1 tsp Dill (Fresh or Dried Works)
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Pull out your food processor and throw in your salmon and cream cheese. Turn it on and mix it until it's smooth.

Add in your onion, lemon, liquid smoke, garlic, and dill. Process again until smooth.

Salt and pepper according to your liking.

French Quarter Nachos

March 19, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.

In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.

Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!

French Quarter Nachos

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.

Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.

While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.

Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.

Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.

Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.

Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.