Baked Potato Soup

A flicker photo

This thick and creamy texture and rich taste of Tony Roma's best-selling soup can be easily cloned with some basic ingredients. This version is thickened with a little flour, some cream and, most notably, instant mashed potatoes. Give yourself an hour to bake the potatoes and around 30 minutes to prepare the soup. Garnish each serving with shredded cheese, crumbed bacon and green onions and you will have a home version of Tony Roma's best.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups medium potatoes, approx. 2 chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup medium dice white onion
• 2 tablespoons AP-flour
• 4 cups chicken broth.  I use my own homemake broth
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper  ( use caution about over peppering)
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk

       GARNISH

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 2 each green onion, chopped (green parts only)

        DIRECTIONS:

     Pre-heat oven to 400°F and bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until done. When potatoes have cooked remove them from the oven to cool.

     As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a 5 qt dutch oven, and sauté onion until light brown. Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.

     Add stock, water, and cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

     Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon. Discard skin. Chop baked potato with a large knife to make chunks that are about ½-inch in size.

     Add chopped baked potato and cream and milk to the dutch oven, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick.

     Spoon about 1½ cups of soup into a bowl and top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese, a half tablespoon of crumbed bacon and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion. Repeat for remaining servings.

      Yields 6-8 Servings

       Note:  If you find that the soup is a little thick, you can add more water or milk.  


 

Recipes are just a guide line to get you started... A source to create from... To get your mind thinking what would this be like if I added this or that...  But first you must learn the basics,  Then you can create great dishes and wonderful food.

Chicken Pot Pie

A flicker Photo

Ingredients:

•        3 each Skinless Chicken Breast halves
•        1/2 cup Thinly sliced onions
•        1 pinch of thyme
•        2 cups low sodium chicken broth, (Best to use homemade)
•        2 each carrots, chopped (1/4" cubes)  Blanched
•        1 cup Peas, blanched
•        1 large Potato chopped into (1/4" cubes) blanched
•        1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
•        1 tablespoon AP-flour
•        1 cup water
•        1 box Puff Pastry
•        2 egg yolks beaten

Directions:

     In a 5 or 6 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Add Veg oil and when hot add chicken. Cook chicken to ALL MOST DONE. Browning both sides.

     Remove chicken, add onions and sauté to translucent in color.

     Add rest of vegs. that have been blanched, carrots, peas, and potatoes. Cook until Al dente. Add stock and water and flour, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Stir every once and a while. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

     Cut up chicken into cubes or shred the chicken and add back to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream and or water and set on low burner and reduce down sauce. You'll know when it's ready. Turn off burner and let cool.

      Layout Puff Pastry and let thaw and unfold. Roll out pastry to about ½" larger than Ramekins. Egg wash one side of pastry. The side of the pastry that goes toward the inside of the dish.

      Fill Ramekins to 2/3 take puff pastry and stretch over top of bowl and press into the sides of the ramekins to form a tight seal. Egg wash the outside of the pastry with egg wash. Be sure to cut several vent holes in the pastry to allow steam to exit.

      Place in frig. to cool for 1 hour.

      Bake on sheet pan in oven pre-heated to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes of cooking rotate sheet pan to get even cooking.

      Pie will have a high dome in the middle and a brown crust similar to bread that has been egg washed.

      Serve while hot...........

Author: Jacques Pepin  Source: Complete Techniques  This recipe has been modified because I wanted to.  I liked mine better!!!

The Chili Cook-off Judge

   I was over roasting some acorn squash at 375 degree F and after the time was up.  I put on an oven mit on my left hand and reached in the oven grabbed the handle of the pan and pulled it out of the oven,  but my wrist not being as strong as they used to be,  I grabbed hold of the pan helper handle with the other hand that didn't have the oven mit on.... and put the pan on the cook top.  and without saying a word, I was able to put what was left of my index finger and thumb under some cold water.  I didn't lose too much skin, but now the pain is starting to set in. Now I had a learning experience from this, One was that my drill instructor lied to us when he said "PAIN IS YOUR FRIEND!" I never want that kind of friends again...  So I take some pretty cool pain meds.  And that made me think of Ole Frank the Chili judge........  Right now I feel pretty close to ole Frank!!!!

Notes from an inexperienced chili tester named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

"Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook~off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judges' table asking for directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges, both native Texans, that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me that I could have free beer during the tasting. So, I accepted."

Here are the scorecards from the event.

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CHILI #1: MIKE'S MANIAC MOBSTER MONSTER CHILI

JUDGE ONE: "A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick."

JUDGE TWO: "Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild."

FRANK: "Holy s___, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. It took me two beers to put out the flames in my throat. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy!"

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CHILI #2: ARTHUR'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

JUDGE ONE: "Smokey, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang."

JUDGE TWO: "Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously."

FRANK: "Keep this out of the reach of children! I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush me more beer when they saw the look on my face."

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CHILI #3: FRED'S FAMOUS BURN-DOWN-THE-BARN CHILI

JUDGE ONE: "Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans, though."

JUDGE TWO: "A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers."

FRANK: "Call the EPA! I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now -- get me more beer before I ignite. Some barmaid pounded me on the back and now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting s__t-faced from all the beer."

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CHILI #4: BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

JUDGE ONE: "Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing."

JUDGE TWO: "Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili."

FRANK: "I felt something scraping across my tongue, but I was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb b___h is starting to look HOT -- just like this nuclear waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?"

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CHILI #5: LINDA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

JUDGE ONE: "Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, add a considerable kick. Very impressive!"

JUDGE TWO: "Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement."

FRANK: "My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead, and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. I wonder if I am burning my lips off? It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming!"

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CHILI #6: VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

JUDGE ONE: "Thin, yet bold, vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers."

JUDGE TWO: "The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb!"

FRANK: "My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I s__t myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. I can't feel my lips at all anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone!"

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CHILI #7: SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

JUDGE ONE: "A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers."

JUDGE TWO: "Ho hum, it tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about judge number three, he appears to be in a bit of distress as he is now cursing uncontrollably."

FRANK: "You could put a grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I wouldn't feel a damned thing. I've completely lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it's made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili that slid unnoticed by me from my mouth where my lips used to be. My pants are full of lava-like s__t that match my damned shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck in through the four inch hole in my stomach. If they want to cremate me after I die, they'll need an act of Congress to waive the EPA rules and to compensate everyone six counties downwind. Maybe they can bury me in an atomic bomb test site in Nevada."

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Some one sent this to me sometime ago.  And having done a little bit of judging once!  I know where ole Frank is coming from...