Potato and carrot cream soup

You would wonder... who doesn't love a good creamy soup? right? it feels like they were made to make people feel better and even loved... But hubby does not like them! so most times I am craving soups because I don't usually cook them... last week was different! regardless of his dislike towards them, I made a potato and carrot cream soup.. And hubby (who hates all creamy soups) loved it!

So ... I am going to share with you how I made it:

Serves about: 4 cups or 2 big bowls

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 big white onion - chopped - (or 1 smaller)
• 3 carrots - chopped in small cubes
• 2 potatoes - chopped in small cubes -
• 3 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cube of chicken bouillion (knorr suiza) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a big stainless steel pot (or a dutch oven) melt the butter (medium heat) and add the onion, carrots and potatoes (season with black pepper and salt) cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently, add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds (no more). Then add the chicken stock, making sure you scrape the bottom of the pot (to remove all the goodness that might stick to it). Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover and let it simmer for about 6 minutes (stirring occasionally, making sure it doesn't dry up or stick to the pot). Add the heavy cream, stir one more time and check the potatoes for doneness. Once the vegetables are completely cooked scoop it all (or pour it all) into the blender (you can do this in two batches) and blend until smooth. Return it all to the pot where it was cooked and chicken stock or heavy cream as needed (to adjust thickness) and season with more salt and pepper to your liking, stir and let it simmer for 2 more minutes; remove from the heat, add the chopped cilantro and stir so it blends with the soup. Serve immediately and decorate with fresh cilantro leaves in the center.

Buen Provecho!

Paloma.

Chipotle Mayonnaise!

Good morning everybody! I hope you all had a great weekend and are all fired up to start this new week at work, at home, at school or wherever you are! :) ... We did have a pretty good weekend here, we hit the pool (it was the hottest weekend EVER here according to the records) so I guess we are enjoying our extended summer! Anyway... so, not only we enjoyed the pool but hubby grilled some hamburgers, and as I was in the kitchen I kept wondering what I could do to make those hamburgers even better... so, I checked my pantry and fridge... and it just hit me... OF COURSE... Chipotle Mayonnaise! it is very simple to make and it adds so much flavor, "fire" and oh! it turns any "simple hamburger" into a "gourmet-like" one!

so here is what you need:

- Mayonnaise (as much as you would use, I used 1/2 cup of mayo)
- Canned Chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) -to taste- I used 1/2 of one chipotle pepper and some of the adobo sauce.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.

Just put the ingredients in the blender and blend it until smooth... Taste and adjust if necessary (add more chipotle for more flavor/heat or more mayo if it was too hot for you)

You can use this "Chipotle Mayonnaise" as a wonderful dressing not just for hamburgers but also for fish fries, fried shrimp or ... be creative and think what you would like to have it with!

I hope you like it as much as we do!

Paloma.

Fire in my food - Chicken and mushrooms in a Chipotle cream sauce

Hello everyone, as most of you know (if you read this blog) I now lack the basic fire every Mexican needs on our stoves... but... I still have the fire in my heart and in my food! So... yes, I wasn't happy when we had to lose our gas stove and start using an electric one but had to wipe my tears and move on! right??

I have been happy that with my new gained attitude I've also gained confidence with my cooking with "electricity" ... so I have been busy in my kitchen and here it is one of my latest meals I thought I should share with you ... I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken and mushrooms in a Chipotle Cream Sauce: (2 or 3 servings, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the size of your appetite)

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast (no bones, no skin) sliced vertically in thin (about 1/2 inch) strips
• 4 oz. fresh white (or baby portobello) mushrooms (sliced)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• about 3 oz philadelphia cream cheese
• 2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) you can use more or less depending on how you handle the heat, taste a little bit first, start with one, taste it and adjust. I use about 1 1/2 so it's enjoyable and still has a kick!
• 2 tbsp. butter (unsalted)
• Milk (as needed, not help the sauce get the right consistency and thin it if needed)
• Salt and black pepper to taste.
• 1/2 chicken bouillion cube
• 1/2 clove of garlic

(Here is my can of chipotle peppers)

Directions:

- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper (use less salt than you usually would because the chicken bouillion adds salt too and you don't want it to be salty... so taste as you cook)
- Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, once the butter is melted and warm enough cook the chicken strips there, don't stir, just place the stripes on the skillet, cook them 5 minutes on one side (making sure they cook at least 1/2 way through)  - cook uncovered-
- Turn the chicken strips on the other side and add the mushrooms slices, cook for 3 more minutes -your chicken should have a beautiful not too light not too dark golden color on both sides - make sure the mushrooms cook as evenly as possible.
- While the chicken cooks (or you can make the sauce previously to not be in any hurries) you can make the sauce, put the heavy cream, creem cheese, chipotle pepper, some milk (about 1/4 cup), garlic and chicken bouillion in the blender, blend until it looks like a creamy sauce.
- Pour it over the chicken once the chicken has cooked making sure it covers everything, mix it and let it stir for about 5 minutes in low heat to make sure it all gets the flavor, if the sauce is too thick you can adjust with a little more milk, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary (a little more salt or black pepper as you prefer)

I serve it next to a white rice with vegetables and butter and a fresh lettuce/tomato salad.

Buen provecho!

Paloma.

How to keep "avocado" good for a longer time

I've heard many people say they don't usually buy avocados because they go bad real quick... and it's true! Avocados are AWESOME but their "good life time" is really short... besides, you can't eat them green (they are horrible, fibrous and bland), you can't eat them too ripe because they are even worse! (mushy, smelly, dark... awful!) so, when you have a good avocado in your hands, do you have to eat it all right away? no... These are some tips to have good avocados for a longer time.

- If you are buying avocados for "the week or two weeks" buy them a little green, hard in the outside, black in color with some "greenish" on the peel and keep those that you are planning on using sooner (like in the next two days) outside the refrigerator so they can ripe faster.

- Those that you are going to be using during those next 7, 10 days or so just put in the fridge, just the way they are and as you are going to use them just either take them out of the fridge if they are not ready yet and leave them outside for the day or use the ones that are ready. (To know when an avocado is ready click here

- If you cut an avocado and only used half of it or even 1/4 of it DON'T WORRY you can still use the rest later, there is a way to keep it from getting dark and mushy what you need to do is to wrap the "leftover" avocado (don't remove the peel) with a dry paper towel (as tight as possible) and then wrap it with saran wrap and/or put it in a ziploc bag (after wrapping it with the paper towel) and try to get the air out of the bag as much as possible. Put the bag in the refrigerator and you can use it the next day or the next one.

Leaving the "seed" in the avocado is really optional, there is nothing "magical" about the seed, avocados get dark in color when their "flesh" gets in contact with oxygen, so yes, the seed helps to keep it "nice" but just for a little bit and just in the areas in direct contact with it. You could even use "a rock" instead of the seed and it would "work the same way" (Note! I am not suggesting using rocks! It's just to explain how it works -or doesn't-).

If there was any "dark" color in the "leftover avocado" that you wrapped and put in the refrigerator for later, you can just gently (and easily) scrape it off with a knife, it truly is just "oxidized avocado" on the very top (from having contact with air) but the rest is all GOOD!

Don't be afraid of "buying avocados" they are an AWESOME fruit! and they go well with mostly everything! You can even just slice them and add some salt and enjoy their goodness! Good fats, tons of potassium and calcium! They are just great!

Paloma.

No more fire in my kitchen - tears-

I am so happy to announce that we will be moving closer to my "Mexico Lindo y Querido" (my beautiful and beloved Mexico), Right now I am in Wisconsin and it is hard to find good restaurants that offer Authentic Mexican food and find those wonderful flavors and aromas that I miss so much!.

By the way... Hold your thought there.. I just want to take an opportunity and mention that even when it's hard to find places like that (at least in Milwaukee) I am happy to say that today is the very 5th anniversary of the ONLY PLACE I've found here in Milwaukee that offers the unique combination of flavor, aroma, authenticity and fine dining that Mexico is characterized by (not hard shell tacos or anything like that) ... Antigua Latin Restaurant <--- I hope you'll visit and "LIKE" them. And I will be having dinner there tonight! "Happy birthday Antigua!"

So... anyway... going back to my subject, I was saying that I am moving, and even when I'll be closer to my country and I am sure I'll be able to find more real ingredients and also good places to find authentic Mexican dishes and I am mostly thankful I'll be closer to my family there, etc... etc... MY VERY KITCHEN will be lacking that "fire" that I soooo much need to cook! Yes... we are moving to an apartment, and gas stoves are not an option! ... devastating! how can anybody cook with electricity! I mean...don't get me wrong... I understand HOW... I just can't get the "why?" ... and I am not talking about safety, etc...  I am talking about flavor, convenience and OPTIONS that cooking with FIRE gives you... so... anyway... I guess I'll have to get used to it! I'll let you know how I do...

 Paloma.