Cream of Potato Soup

I threw together this soup this weekend with some odds and ends we had on hand, and it turned out great! I decided to post it here so I don't forget what I did. :)

Cream of Potato Soup

1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1/2" pieces (well, apparently I use bacon in absolutely everything)
2 Tbsp butter (feel free to omit to reduce fat - but why would you do that?)
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 - 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 15 oz. can, if that's what you have on hand)
~2 cups milk
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (scallions would work too if you don't have a chive plant outside your kitchen door)
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown bacon in a large pot. Remove bacon from pot, and pour off all but ~3 Tbsp bacon grease. Add butter, onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Stir in potatoes, yams, chicken stock, and milk, and simmer until potatoes & yams are tender. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup, or alternatively, use a regular blender. If using a regular blender, puree 1/2 the soup (be careful and cover with a dishtowel!) and return it to the pot. Stir in half and half and cook until heated through (don't boil). Stir in chives, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

This was delicious served with a salad and freshly made garlic bread, and I loved the added color and sweetness of the yams.

More Invisible Food!

We're all headed to Fillmore tomorrow morning to visit Wah-Wah and Papa (grandma & grandpa for those of you who don't speak Ella), and I had to make dinner with a few odds & ends. There's definitely a trend of cheesy pasta dishes these days, mostly because "noo-noos" are some of Ella's favorite foods so I know they're generally a safe bet. This recipe uses a basic bechamel sauce, which is really easy to adapt to your particular taste. I'm sure you could substitute whatever veggies you have on hand (carrots, cut into small cubes, cauliflower, etc.), and the quantities below are just suggestions - I'm sure I had less than a cup of asparagus. The chicken is optional (I added it to give Ella a bit of protein), but this is a great way to use up leftover chicken - shredded would work just as well as grilled & cubed. I pounded the chicken breast until it was relatively thin so it would cook quickly and not hold up the meal. Although I didn't have any on hand, a bit of chopped parsley would be nice stirred in right at the end. Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Spring Vegetables & Grilled Chicken

1 chicken breast, grilled & cut into cubes
1 lb package dried pasta, whatever shape you have on hand
1-2 cups broccoli florets
1-2 cups asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
1 10 oz package frozen peas
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (or minced, whatever works best for you)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream (this is totally optional)
3-4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 tsp lemon zest*
1/2 cup shredded parmesan or grana padano
salt & pepper, to taste

Bring large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set timer for 2 minutes less than pasta cook time and add pasta to water. Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and stir in flour. Cook butter/flour mixture for about one minute, stirring, to get rid of starchy flavor. Stir in milk, working flour clumps out as you stir. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sauce thickens considerably. Stir in cream cheese until it melts, then add cream and lemon zest and remove from heat.

When pasta is about 2 minutes from done, add broccoli & asparagus to pot. Cook for about a minute and a half, then stir in frozen peas. Test pasta for doneness, and reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta & veggies and return to pot. Stir in bechamel sauce, adding enough reserved pasta water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Stir in shredded parmesan or grana padano and salt/pepper to taste. Bon appetit!

*Lemon zest isn't critical, but it does add a nice brightness. I always zest any lemon I'm using for juice and keep the zest in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then I have it on hand when I need it and don't have to buy a lemon just for a tsp of zest.

Invisible Food!

Sean and I have a running joke about "invisible food". This pertains to my ability to conjure a meal out of seemingly nothing, with an empty fridge and a grocery list a mile long. I thought it would be fun to post these "invisible meals" here as they occur. I'd love to hear of your own invisible food!

Today's invisible food is a variation on a favorite comfort food, macaroni & cheese. Sean has renamed Sunday "Baconday", and has written it into the bylaws of our marriage that Sunday MUST involve bacon. Because I didn't make my usual big Baconday breakfast this morning, I made up for it at lunch. Tonight we'll have leftover pasta with a big salad & steamed veggies.

Pasta shells with cheese & bacon

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped into 1" pieces (smaller if you prefer)
1 lb. pasta shells (or any pasta you have on hand)
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
~1 Cup shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack & Cheddar to make it toddler-friendly, but anything you have on hand will work)

Saute bacon until crispy, reserve 2 Tbsp bacon fat and drain off the rest of the fat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted to water to a boil, cook pasta according to directions. Drain water from pasta, return cooked pasta to pot. Add bacon fat, butter, and cream cheese, stir until cream cheese begins to melt. Stir in 1/4 cup milk and shredded cheese. Stir over low heat until all of the cheese melts, adding more milk as necessary until sauce is at desired consistency. Stir in bacon and salt/pepper to taste.

Voila! Not gourmet, but edible. Sidenote: this would be even better with snipped chives. You could also begin with a basic bechamel sauce if you don't have much cheese on hand. Stir bechamel and whatever cheese you happen to have into pasta after draining and proceed.