For the carnivores among us…

Capitol Hill Bean Soup

By Southern Living Test Kitchen 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried white navy beans, sorted of debris and rinsed
• 1 (about 1-lb.) ham bone or uncured ham hock (I use a smoked hock or smoked turkey.)
• 2 1/2 qts. water
• 1 large russet potato (about 8 oz.)
• 3 cups chopped celery (about 6 stalks)
• 3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium onions)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Soak beans: Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover, and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans. Return to Dutch oven.
2. Boil ham bone and beans: Add ham bone and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour.
3. Cook potato: Rinse potato; pierce with a fork, and wrap potato in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes; peel and mash potato.
4. Add vegetables and seasoning: Stir potato, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into bean mixture; simmer over medium-low until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
5. Remove meat from bone: Remove ham bone from Dutch oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard bone and fat; dice meat, and stir into bean mixture. Top each serving with chopped parsley.

Note: If you want to avoid some of the effects of eating the musical fruit, pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans thoroughly before moving on to the next step.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

NOTE: Read through this and assemble your ingredients before you start. I know I tend to ramble, and though this is easy, it can be easy to mess up!

Chop one medium white or yellow onion. Chunkily slice 2-3 medium to large carrots and 2 or 3 celery ribs. Mince 2 or 3 garlic cloves (if you like garlic) or use a tablespoon of garlic paste. Pour enough olive oil into a Dutch oven or large pot to cover the bottom and keep the vegetables from sticking. Cook the vegetables at low heat for 5 – 10 minutes until they are wilted and soft. The carrots might not cook as quickly if sliced too thickly, so make sure they are sliced very thin. Add 1- 2 quarts of chicken bone broth. You decide how much, depending on how much soup you want. Then add cooked chicken. You can use 2 or 3 cans of canned chicken broken up into small pieces (not the best choice but OK in a pinch) or shredded rotisserie chicken meat (I get my chicken from Costco then shred it). I use a whole chicken because this is chicken noodle soup, not noodle soup with chicken. I turn the heat to medium and cook for maybe another 10 minutes, then add 2 bags of wide egg noodles or other pasta, a good pinch of salt, and a small pinch of pepper. I get a good flavor when I use twice as much salt as pepper. Remember, the chicken bone broth has salt, so taste the soup before adding seasoning. You may not need to add much salt at all. Let this simmer on low until the noodles are done. Add some parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice (just a tiny bit to brighten everything up). Dinner is ready!

If you want to make it spicier or more like chicken tortilla soup, add some or all of a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. You know how spicy you like your food. Leave out the noodles and celery and add half of a can of tomato paste, a small can of whole-kernel corn, a can of low-sodium black beans, and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Season with a tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, paprika, and double the garlic. Add your spices and vegetables early, and simmer for perhaps 20 minutes after you add the chicken. You don’t have to cook the onion and garlic in oil if you are short of time, but it will add extra flavor if you do. Then add corn tortillas that you have cut into strips, using them like you’d use noodles. I use perhaps 8 tortillas for 2 quarts of broth. You can fry them until they are crisp, then slice them into strips if you like that texture better.

Red Chili Chicken Enchiladas

• Extra virgin olive oil, corn oil, or peanut oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 14-ounce cans red chile enchilada sauce, or 3 cups of homemade enchilada sauce
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
• 2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 pound)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in with 3 tablespoons of water to form a slurry
• 1 medium red onion, chopped, soaked in a mixture of 1/2 seasoned rice vinegar and 1/2 water
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce seasoned with salt and vinegar, no oil
• Sour cream
• Sliced avocados or guacamole

Method

Prepare the enchilada sauce: (if making homemade, otherwise use canned and skip to the next step). Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Stir in the chili powder and cayenne. Let cook only for half a minute (if longer the chili will burn), and add the water and tomato paste. Whisk until smooth.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cornstarch slurry. Let come to a simmer and remove from heat. Taste for heat. If you want it spicier, add more chili powder or cayenne. Note that the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so allow for that and let it be a little bit spicier than what you want in the finished dish. Mix in 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken. Set aside.

Prepare the tortillas: Traditionally, one would dip the tortillas in some sauce and then lightly fry them in a little oil, and then roll them up. It’s a great way to infuse the tortillas with the chili sauce, but it’s really messy and many tortillas are not sturdy enough to handle this treatment without falling apart. So, instead, we soften the corn tortillas first, and then dip them in the sauce before rolling them. To soften them, and give them a little flavor from browning, I’ll show you my mother’s method for cooking the tortillas without using a lot of fat. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan to coat the pan. Place a tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Then add another tortilla on top of the first to soak up some of the excess oil. Flip them both together and add yet another tortilla. Keep adding them wherever there seems to be some excess oil. The idea is to heat the tortillas and soften them with the minimum amount of oil. As the tortillas become soft and heated, remove them to a paper towel to soak up even more excess oil. When you find you need more oil in the pan, add it.

Assemble the enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 350°F. One by one, dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce and place in a 9×13 Pyrex baking dish. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped chicken in each tortilla. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Roll up the tortilla. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. I recall often eating these chicken enchiladas with very little cheese on them. (My mom, bless her soul, has no recollection of the chicken enchiladas without the sprinkled cheese. But she’s in her 80s and sometimes doesn’t remember these things. Or she remembers later and doesn’t remember that she ever forgot them in the first place. But heck, I’m in my 50s and my memory isn’t what it used to be either.)

Bake: Place in the oven and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Use a metal spatula to serve. Serve with thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been seasoned with vinegar and salt (no oil), chopped red onions that have soaked for at least half an hour in vinegar and water, guacamole or avocado slices, and sour cream. Garnish with cilantro.

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

You can use chicken broth in place of the chicken bouillon powder. Add 1/4 cup of broth followed by 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water, plus salt to taste.

Ingredients

• 1 pound plum tomatoes (4 to 5)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• Salt, as needed
• 1 green onion, trimmed and sliced on a bias, to garnish
• 2 cups steamed jasmine rice, for serving, optional

Method

1. Prepare the tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes in half. Remove the tough stem from each half that connects to the vine. Cut each half into equal thirds (you’ll get 6 slices from each tomato).
2. Make the soft scrambled eggs: In a cold, 8 to 10-inch nonstick skillet, add the vegetable oil and beaten eggs. Turn the heat to medium. Once a thin layer of eggs is just beginning to cook on the bottom, push the eggs in one direction to create layers of scrambled eggs. Cook, gently stirring the whole time, until the scrambled eggs are mostly set but still slightly wet and shiny, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the eggs to a plate and, if needed, wipe out the pan.
3. Stir-fry the tomatoes and seasonings: Add the sesame oil to the pan followed by the tomatoes and stir-fry over medium heat until the tomatoes are softened but not mushy, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken bouillon powder, sugar, and white pepper. Toss until combined and the sugar and bouillon have dissolved about 1 minute.
4. Add eggs, stir-fry, and garnish: Add the eggs back to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes to heat through and combine. Taste, adding salt only if needed. Sprinkle with the green onions and serve with steamed rice.

Like burgers? My favs are from Whataburger (Texas, yea!), Smashburgers from In-And-Out, and Five Guys.

The Secret Ingredient to Fast Food-Style Smash Burgers (Psst—You Already Have It)

Whataburger is coming to South Carolina with 10 stores (about time)

Five Guys doesn’t have any freezers!

What were the most popular recipes of 2023?

• The Most Popular Recipes of 2023 – NYT Cooking
• The 20 Best Recipes of 2023
• 75 Southern Recipes Everyone Should Make In 2024

Braised Short Ribs

Tender cooked ribs in a delicious, rich sauce, served over creamy mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 8 whole beef short ribs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry red wine (such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir)
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate.
• Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn the heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add beef broth, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed.
• Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone.
• Remove the pan from the oven and allow rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid, before serving.
• Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of gravy from the pot.
• Store leftover short ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Slow Cooker: Follow steps 1-4 of the recipe and then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Instant Pot: Turn the IP to sauté setting. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Once hot add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Cook 2 minutes. Add beef broth, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed. Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot. Cook on Manual/High pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release for 15 minutes before removing the lid.

Chile Colorado

Ingredients

• 9 New Mexico dry chiles – washed, with stems and seeds removed
• 3 cups water
• 5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups beef stock, or as needed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften.
3. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
4. Place chiles and some of the liquid into a blender, and purée until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce.
5. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds or tough skins; set aside.
6. Cut beef into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Dredge beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
7. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
8. Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Remove seared meat, and continue browning the remaining meat. Return reserved seared meat to the pot.
9. Stir in puréed chile mixture. Add beef stock just to cover beef chunks, or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender. If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.
10. This is a traditional Mexican-style dish. If you decide to add beans, do it after the chile is finished. Serve with chopped onion, sliced green onion, shredded Cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Ingredients

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup Chinese rice wine
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons red bean curd (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (Optional)
• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins

Directions

• Gather all ingredients.
• Stir soy sauce, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine, hoisin sauce, red bean curd, and five-spice powder together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until just combined and slightly warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice each pork tenderloin lengthwise into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-thick strips. Place pork strips in a large, resealable plastic bag.
• Pour marinade into the bag with the pork. Squeeze air from the bag, seal, and turn the bag a few times until pork is well coated. Marinate in the refrigerator, 2 hours to overnight.
• When ready to cook, preheat a charcoal grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove pork from marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Set aside the remaining marinade for basting.
• Rake the hot coals into two equal piles on opposite sides of the charcoal grate. Add a small container of water to the grate. Place pork strips in the center of the grate for indirect cooking.
• Cook pork over indirect heat, turning regularly and basting as desired, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), 30 minutes or long

Lowcountry Stew Chicken

from Serious Eats

Ingredients
● 1 ½ pounds (680g) bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and/or thighs
● Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
● 3 tablespoons (45ml) neutral oil, such as vegetable or peanut, divided
● 1 medium (8-ounce; 225g) yellow onion, thinly sliced
● 1 to 2 ribs celery (1 ½ ounces; 40g), thinly sliced
● 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (½ ounce; 16g)
● 4 cups (1L) homemade or low-sodium, store-bought chicken stock (see note)
● 1 teaspoon garlic powder
● 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
● 1/4 teaspoon ground dried sage
● 1/4 teaspoon ground dried oregano
● 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
● Cooked rice, grits, or buttered pasta, for serving

Directions
1. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) oil over
medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned,
about 6 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and cook on opposite sides until browned, about 5
minutes longer. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a platter. Set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and celery, and cook, stirring to prevent scorching, until
softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil along with the flour and
cook, stirring constantly, until peanut butter or darker in color, 5-10 minutes. While stirring
vigorously, slowly add the stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then boil until
slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, ground oregano,
and smoked paprika. Add the chicken pieces and return liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to
medium-low, cover, and cook, gently stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until
chicken is cooked through and beginning to fall from the bone and the sauce is reduced to a thick
and silky texture, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. If desired, break apart chicken and remove bones. Serve over rice, grits, or pasta.3.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Making your own soup is a good way to regulate your sodium intake. Canned chicken soup is very high in sodium. One can of Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup, the kind I grew up with, has 2290.55 mg of sodium. Progresso’s traditional chicken noodle soup has approximately 1360 mg of sodium per can. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure.

Fried Rice

I do enjoy Chinese takeout, even though I know it isn’t very Chinese, more like American Chinese. Here is a recipe for fried rice. BTW, I don’t eat bacon, so I leave that off. I also cut the recipe in half, since there are only 2 of us most of the time.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1-1/2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh is better, go to Food for video)
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• 1. Combine eggs and salt. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, scramble eggs in 1 teaspoon oil, breaking eggs into small pieces. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• 2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Stir-fry rice over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add vegetables, onions and garlic; stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add chicken; stir-fry until heated through, 3-5 minutes. Combine soy sauce, broth, pepper and ginger. Add to rice; stir to coat. Add bacon and eggs; heat through.