Potato Soup my Way

I already have one great potato soup recipe on here, but tonight I felt like trying a more brothy, less creamy potato soup. This came out pretty chunky and tasty - just the way I wanted it.

3 russet potatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into approx 24 pieces each
1 leek, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices thick cut bacon
3 tbsp sherry
1 tsp thyme
2 14.5 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. tobasco sauce
salt & pepper
shredded sharp cheddar

In a dutch oven, cook bacon. Remove bacon and set aside. Also remove about half the bacon fat - you want enough left to saute the onion, celery and leek, but not enough to make the soup greasy.

Saute the onion, celery, leek, and garlic in the remaining bacon fat for about 4 minutes until they just begin to soften. Add the sherry and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid is gone. Add the thyme, stir well.

Add stock, tobasco, and potatoes to the pot. If necessary, add a little water to fully cover the potatoes. In a dutch oven, this should be about 1/2 a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer till potatoes are soft - about 20 minutes.

With a potato masher, break up the potatoes till they are your desired consistency. I broke mine up pretty good so it almost looks like a creamy soup. Add salt & pepper to taste. Chop the previously cooked bacon and add to the soup, cook for a few minutes till the bacon is warm again.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar.

Lemony Egg Salad

With a hint of lemon...

Salad:
7 hardboiled eggs
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 red bell pepper, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. mayo
1/4 cup lemon dijon mustard
1/2 cap vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 shakes dill weed

Cook, cool and dice eggs.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir well, adjust salt & pepper to taste.

Combine egg, celery, onion, bell pepper and dressing.

Laap

Otherwise known as the Thai version of cilantro-lime rice...way better than that crap they make at Chipotle. That's right, I said it. Ew, Chipotle. And this is a meal in itself. And it takes like, 10 minutes to make. Epic win.

1 lb. ground chicken
2 cup white rice, uncooked
Juice of 8 limes
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Red onion, chopped in 1/2" slivers, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

*Real Laap uses fish sauce, but I have to bastardize it since I'm not supposed to eat fish stuff. Use fish sauce if you can.

Cook and drain chicken. Cook rice.

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste it - if it's too tart for you, add a little more soy sauce, but keep in mind that the rice will cut down the tartness a bit.

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl and enjoy.

Kung Pao Chicken

Because everyone needs a little PAO every now and then...

Adapted from SeaSaltWithFood

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp. peanut oil
4 scallions, cut into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15 dried chilies, roughly chopped*
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup peanuts

Rice, to serve

Marinade
1 tbsp. mirin
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 egg white
2 tsp. corn starch

Sauce
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or chinese black vinegar if you can find it)
Scant 1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. szechuan seasoning

*I chop these to bring more heat consistently throughout the dish, but if you don't want it hot leave them whole and eat around them. I just can't handle a whole mouthful of pow! anymore.

Mix marinade ingredients and marinate chicken for an hour. Chop and prep the rest of the ingredients while you wait. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

When chicken is done marinating, heat peanut oil in a wok on high heat. Add garlic and chilies, cook until chilies begin to darken (probably less than a minute) - stirring constantly so as not to burn anything.

Add chicken to wok, marinade and all - just dump it all in there, and cook until mostly done, about 6 minutes. Stir frequently!

Add bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes more until the bell pepper just starts to soften.

Add green onions and peanuts, stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add sauce, bring to a boil and let cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.

Serve over rice. I doubled the sauce in this recipe to make sure there is plenty to go over rice.

Taco Seasoning

Just like the packets, but better.

1 tbsp. Mexican-style chili powder
1/4 tsp. each garlic power, onion powder, red pepper flakes and dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each smoked paprika and kosher salt
1 tsp. each black pepper and cayenne pepper*
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

* Omit cayenne for mild spice

Mix all ingredients together. If storing, use an airtight container.

If making tacos, this is good for 1 lb. ground beef. Brown and drain meat, add 1/2 cup water, add seasonings and stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till liquid is gone and meat is nicely coated in seasonings. This could also be used on chicken.

Grama's Taco Salad

Ok, so this is an absolutely not authentic, entirely Americanized "taco" salad. But, it's also really good.

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup taco sauce
dash chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic salt

Salad:
1 lb. ground beef, browned
4 oz grated cheddar or pepper jack
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or one cup dry beans, prepared)
1 small head iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
1 large tomato, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 fully ripe avocado, diced
Diced or sliced olives, to taste
corn chips to taste (Fritos)

Toss all salad ingredients, except chips, in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl, then toss with salad. Add chips just before serving to preserve crunch.

Korean Flank Steak

1 piece flank steak, tenderized twice
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. sherry
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Flour to coat
2 eggs
2 green onions

Have butcher put flank steak through tenderizer twice. Marinate in mixture of sugar, sherry, soy sauce and garlic for 30 minutes. Beat eggs well. Add sliced green onions. Dip steak in flour to coat, then in egg and green onion. Brown in large fry pan in hot oil. Bake on rack over flat pan, 20 minutes at 325 degrees.