5-o'clock Panic Potato Soup

(See previous post on comments on the development of this recipe.)

This recipe is intended for a pressure cooker. If you do not have one, you will need to make this "4-o'clock Panic Potato Soup" and allow at least an extra 30 to 40 minutes to make the pureed portion of the soup.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped
4 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2-3 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 russet potatoes peeled and sliced
5 russet potatoes peeled and cubed in 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cups whole milk
1 cup low-fat sour cream or whole-milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Kosher salt to taste
Shredded sharp cheese of your choice for serving
crusty bread

You will need 2 pots (ideally 1 should be a pressure cooker)as you will boil the potato cubes separately in salted water. Start with water in a large pot and throw in a few large pinches of Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add potato cubes and boil until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.

While the water is boiling for the potatoes, in your pressure cooker (or other pot), melt butter and add thyme. When sizzling and fragrant, add onion, celery, carrot, and sliced potatoes. Saute for 3 or 4 minutes to flavor the fat, making sure not to burn the onions. Add 1-1/2 cups of broth and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 or 4 minutes to make sure it is well softened. If not using a pressure cooker, cook covered until all vegetables are very soft. Puree this mixture with a stick blender, in a regular blender, or in a food processor and return to pot.

Add garlic powder and ground mustard to puree and stir well. Whisk in milk and add potatoes. If you like thick soup, add only a little chicken broth. If you like it thinner, add all the remaining (1-1/2 cups or more)chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow soup to simmer for at least 15 minutes and as long as an hour (cover if holding more than 15 minutes).

To serve, I ladle the bowl half full, add shredded cheddar cheese, and then cover and add some more cheese on top. I do not add cheese to the pot, as it tends to get grainy with reheating (plus, the child who will eat this soup does not like cheese).

Recipe To-Do List for the next time:
___Replace the 2nd half of broth with dark beer.
___Try grating good cheddar instead of bland pre-shredded cojack cheese.
___Try yukon gold potatoes to see if they are less textured than russet.

Enjoy!!

Carnitas in the Pressure Cooker!

This is adapted from a recipe in my favorite Bon Appetit issue, May 2003, all recipes from Mexico! Their recipe requires 2 to 3 hours of cooking. Mine requires less than an hour if you have a pressure cooker. This is one recipe that my kids love!

1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp finely grated orange peel
1/2 c water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 pounds bone in country-style pork ribs, cut in half

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker and bring to high pressure for 25 minutes. Take off pressure with cold water and check to see if meat is very tender and falling apart. If it is done, remove meat to bowl to cool and bring liquid in pan to a low boil. Cook liquid until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Leave the liquid in the pan and add 1/4 cup brandy and continue cooking for 5 minutes. While the liquid is cooking down, shred meat (discarding any fatty parts) and add to pot after brandy has cooked off for 5 minutes or so. Continue to cook until the meat on the bottom begins to brown in the remaining fat. (If you do not have a pressure cooker, just cook the above ingredients with enough water to cover for 2 hours or so, until meat is very tender, but you will need to cook down the liquid for a LONG time to concentrate the flavor, adding the meat back in at the end.)

For serving, pile meat in warm flour tortillas with diced avocado and fresh salsa. We also use corn tortillas if that is all we have. This is very useful for other recipes too! You can make enchiladas with it or use it as a topping on cheese enchiladas. It is also great with a tomatillo-based salsa verde. I have used leftovers on nachos or cold in a sandwich. My kids LOVE this recipe.

Salpicon (Mexican Cold Beef Salad)

Hot days call for cold food! We enjoy this one every summer and had it this past weekend. I make it ahead and take it to the lake.

Beef:
(I usually double just this part of the recipe and make half the beef for this recipe and half the beef with gravy for those who don't like anything "out of the ordinary" --read "kids.")
1 1-pound flank steak
1 onion, quartered
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (whole)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (I use "regular" oregano)

Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp white vinegar
juice of 1 medium lime
1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano (see above)
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil (I use less, I think it is too heavy with this much, say, 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

Salad:
2 large tomatoes cut into wedges (I prefer 4 to 6 roma tomatoes, seeded and sliced into strips)
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, cored and finely sliced crosswise
6 radishes finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 avocados, peeled and sliced or diced
Freshly baked corn tortilla chips (spray tortillas with cooking spray, bake 350 for 10 min, salt)
and/or griddled corn tortillas and/or griddled flour tortillas for serving

Beef: I use my pressure cooker to save a lot of cooking time: Add all beef ingredients (flank steak is whole), add about 3 or 4 cups water, bring to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Otherwise, put all ingredients in large pot, cover with water by an inch, bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium low and simmer uncovered until steak is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool in water until able to handle. Cut crosswise into 3 pieces and shred meat. Place meat in bowl and cover with cooking liquid. Refrigerate until ready to make salad, can be done a few days in advance.

Vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper (or shake in a jar). Add oil and whisk or shake to blend. Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving and shake vigorously before assembly of salad.

To serve: Combine tomatoes, red onion and cilantro with 3 tbsp of the vinaigrette. Drain all liquid from beef and toss beef with remaining dressing, then toss beef with lettuce and radishes. Divide among serving bowls and top with tomato and onion mixture. Garnish with avocado and serve with tortillas and/or tortilla chips. (Mike likes his with habanero sauce and sour cream in flour tortillas.)

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2003.