Easy Peasy Split Pea Soup

Working at a startup has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  But I will say my lifestyle has changed drastically.  Mostly for the better.  And if you hate conference calls, I promise you Speek will make YOUR life better.

There has, however, been a lot of penny pinching.  I haven't cut my hair in over a year, manicures are a thing of the past, I bat more than an eyelash at a $100 bar tab, and this Valentines Day we skipped the fancy dinner and decided to stay in.  My significant other and I both work for Speek and there's a lot of work to be done!

This split pea soup is not only super easy to make, it is also budget friendly.

If you wear a snuggy while eating this, it tastes better.

Easy Peasy Split Pea Soup
Serves 6-8 easily

4 slices of low sodium bacon, chopped (you can substitute a cup of diced leftover ham)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large Russet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2" pieces
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 package of dry split peas, rinsed
1 and 1/2 (or 2 if you like a thinner soup) box of chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch of dry basil
1 dash of liquid smoke (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven.  If you are using leftover ham, sauté it up with just a little olive oil.
2. Add onions and carrots.  Sauté until soft.
3. Add garlic, stir until fragrant.
4. Add the potato, peas, stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, basil, liquid smoke.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat to a simmer and cover for about an hour or until peas are very soft.  Stir often. I like it super thick, but if you prefer it thinner, add more chicken stock (last half of the second box).
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Mama Lee's Braised Spicy Korean Chicken Stew (Dak Dori Tang)

You likely won't find this traditional Korean dish in a restaurant.  It's a homemade favorite in many Korean kitchens.  It's got a kick to it, but you can adjust the spice level by using less gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) and jalepenos.  I do not recommend omitting them...they really make the dish special.  This dish is super easy, you can't screw this up, I promise.  Be sure to check out the notes at the bottom of the post.

Ready to serve

Braised Spicy Korean Chicken Stew (Dak Dori Tang)

2 tablespoons of sesame oil
10-12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (you can also use skinless drumsticks). Trim excess fat
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-2"ish pieces
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cooking wine - mat sul (optional)
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 tablespoons, depending on how spicy you want it, gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
1 jalepeno, sliced
1 bunch green onion, sliced into 2 inch strips
Korean sticky white rice to serve on the side

1. Heat sesame oil in large Dutch oven or pot.
2. Brown chicken thighs (make sure you've trimmed the excess fat). Don't worry about getting a good sear.  It doesn't matter in this stew.
3. Add the onions and potatoes to the chicken.  Stir.
4. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, water, cooking wine, ginger, garlic, sugar, gochugaru, jalapeno, and green onion.
5. Pour mixture into pot.
6. Stir and bring to a boil.
7. Lower to a simmer and cover.
8. Keep covered until potatoes are done.
9. Simmer, uncovered for another 15-20 minutes...or until desired thickness.
10. If you see some grease pool on the surface of the stew, move the pot over so half of it is at a boil.  The grease will pool to the side thats not heated.  Carefully skim the fat off of the surface.

Serve on a plate next to a side of rice.

Before it was brought to a boil:

Right before I boiled and covered. 

Notes:
-- Most of these ingredients are readily available in your supermarket.  The two you might not find are Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and Korean cooking wine (mat sul).  I've included links to images of the two so you if you happen to be in the International food store you can bring this along to help you!  If you happen to have a lot of the gochugaru left over, keep it fresh in a ziplock in the freezer.
-- I STRONGLY suggest serving this with traditional sticky Korean white rise.  My favorite brand is Kokuho Rose.  You should be able to find a small 5lb bag at the grocery store or International store. I recommend making this in a rice cooker.  Be sure to rinse the rice well before cooking.  I wash the rice until the water is just barely foggy.
-- Do not add any salt.  Braising the chicken in the soy salt adds plenty of seasoning.  Trust me.
-- You can substitue the chicken for 3-4 chicken breast halves cut into strips.  I prefer thighs because it really is much more flavorful.

Souper Easy Sausage, Potato, Kale Soup

I posted this picture on Facebook and got a request for the recipe.  It's been a while since I've posted anything, so here it is:

Sausage, Potato, Kale Soup
Serves 6

1(ish) lb of ground sausage (or take the casings off 3 sausages)
1 diced medium onion
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 peeled and cubed Russet potatoes (or 4 diced red potatoes, whichever you prefer)
1 box of chicken stock (homemade of course is better!)
1 lb of kale
1 cup of water
1 cup of half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg

1. Break up and saute ground sausage, onion, and red pepper flakes in large pot or Dutch oven.
2. Drain and put back on the stove at medium high heat.
3. Add cubed potatoes and stock.
4. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are almost done.
5. Add kale.  It looks like a lot, don't worry...it'll cook down.
6. Add water if desired.  I like to add a little bit to add more liquid.
7. Cover and simmer until kale is tender....right about when the kale stops being bright green.  But don't overcook or they'll be come mushy.  Kale is pretty forgiving, so don't sweat it too much.
8.  Take off the heat and add cream.  Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

RECIPE: CSA Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Our CSA basket is starting to taste like fall...and I had two large acorn squash (es?) staring at me for an entire week on my kitchen counter.  Overcome by the guilt of giving away my last batch of squash, I decided to stop being lazy and cook the them.  I was inspired by a recent inquiry about the Asian kitchen an old friend had (blog post to come with an answer...Dave, I promise).  I took a standard squash soup and give it a Korean twist.  Acorn squash has a sweet potatoey taste that I thought would pair nicely with a spicy Korean condiment (I like to think of it as Korea's tomato paste), kochujang. This soup is surprisingly sweet, smoky (from our secret ingredient) and filling.  

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Serves 4

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
3 cups chicken (or veggie) stock, heated
1 onion, diced
1 sprig of thyme
salt and white pepper to taste
1 TB gochujang (Korean red bean paste)  You can find it at your local Korean food store
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
1 tsp grapseed oil

Preheat oven to 375.  Place acorn squash cut side up on a baking sheet.  Roast for 50 minutes or until the flesh is done (can be pierced easily with a fork).  Let cool and spoon flesh out of the rind.

In a preheated medium pot, sautee onions until translucent.  Add kochujang and stir frequently for 30 seconds.  Add roasted squash.  Stir in warmed stock and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Remove thyme sprig.  With a stick blender, puree soup until desired texture.  Season with salt and white pepper to taste.  Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese.

RECIPE: Red Lentil and Bulgar Wheat Soup (Vegetarian)

Lentils are cheap, quick cooking and nutritious. Same goes for you, Bulgar. I learned how to make this in a Mediterranean cooking class. I wish I still had the recipe, but we all know what kind of student I am. I prefer this soup with chicken stock, but all you veg heads should try it with the veggie stock and let me know how that goes.

Red Lentil and Bulgar Wheat Soup

Serves about 4

1 cup of rinsed red lentils
1/2 cup of bulgar wheat
32 oz veggie or chicken stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika or if you have some achiote powder just lying around, throw that in too.
salt and pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 tablespoon or so of olive oil

Building the base.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy dutch oven. I use a dutch oven because the cast iron heats up fast and even, while the enamel makes for easy clean up. And it cost an arm and a leg so I feel like I should be using it every chance I get...I'd eat cereal out of it if I could lift heavy things in the morning.

Anyway, add the chopped onions. Cook the onions until they are soft, then add the paprika. Cooking the paprika in the hot oil will allow the spice to "bloom", essentially maximizing the flavor of the spice. Be careful not to burn it. You only need to do this for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomato paste.


Making the soup.

Add stock to the pot. I like to add warmed stock. Just keep it in a little pot warming up while you build the base of the soup. Incorporate the stock with the tomato paste. Add lentils and bulgar. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are done. This shouldn't take more than 10 or so minutes. If the soup is too thick, add some water or more stock. This recipe is not exact...you can adjust the measurements to whatever consistency you prefer. I like it rich and stew like, so I don't add as much water Add salt and pepper to taste.

Finishing touches.

When the lentils are done and the consistency is to your liking, add the fresh parsley, then zest half of the lemon into the soup. The lemon is key to the soup and I do not recommend skipping this ingredient. It really brightens up the whole dish. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh mint. If you have good quality olive oil on hand, you can drizzle a little over the top, but I usually skip it.

I promise to get better at my measurements, but for now I must stress this recipe is not exact. More lentils and bulgar and less stock will make for a thicker soup. More stock, less lentils and bulgar will make it thinner. Lamb is also a great addition to this soup. I will brown the lamb while building the base and add it back in later to finish cooking while the lentils are simmering. I would imagine ground lamb would also be tasty. I will sometimes experiment with difference spices such as cumin or achiote. You can also substitute the mint garnish with basil.