Quiche & Soup

April is one of our wackiest months of the year, weather wise. We are all over the place. One minute it is warm and sunny, the next it is snowing. Today, is just the 3rd day of April, and already, we are getting all kinds of weather. We are supposed to have more snow again tonight. Not a lot, but it is still supposed to snow.

I cook according to what our weather is like. If it is warm, I will prepare something lighter to eat. If it is cold, I want something that will stick to our ribs a bit more. We are still getting more snow, and snow means I want something heartier for dinner. So I made a quiche with ham and vegetables. It was warm and straight from the oven. I served it with some hearty corn and chicken chowder. Both of these delicious options are great for colder weather.

I make quiches Another Quiche and soups all the time, and every time I make them they are a little different. It really kind of depends on what I have on hand at the time I am making them. My favorite soups are creamy soups with lots of stuff in them. Besides, in both cases, I am often using up my leftovers too. In fact, I used my leftover Moroccan chicken Moroccan Chicken for my soup. Back in my restaurant days, a lot of our soups were made from our leftovers from the day before.

Corn & Chicken Chowder

There are many different variations of chowders, and everyone has their own way of making them, but usually chowders are made with potatoes and bacon, and the rest is up to your imagination. I made a big pot of corn & chicken chowder.

I made my chicken broth first, and while that was cooking, I cut up all my other ingredients.

1 1/2-2 pounds cooked chicken, cubed

6-7 slices of bacon, diced and cooked

2 large potatoes, diced

2 large celery ribs, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1-2 jalapenos, diced fine

2-2 1/2 cup corn

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP dried oregano

6-8 cups chicken broth or stock

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1-1 1/2 cups flour

Get a large soup pot very hot and add some olive oil, butter and the bacon. Cook the bacon to your liking, then add the celery, onions, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn and garlic. You can add the flour now if you like, to make it like a roux, or you can add it later. Just make sure the flour is completely mixed in and cooked before serving the soup. I added my flour to my vegetables to make it like a roux.

Cook until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken, stock and seasonings and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cream. Cook for an additional 30-40 minutes, stirring often.

When it’s ready, serve it up nice and hot. Enjoy. To me, nothing says comfort food better than a nice hot soup filled with all kinds of vegetables and meats, and most importantly, lots of LOVE.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.