Creamy Spinach Asparagus Soup--Gadgets Are Included #2

This month's featured gadget is the immersion or stick blender. Immersion blenders gained popularity in home kitchens in the United Sates during the 1980s, and have remained popular ever since. These types of blenders are designed to puree or blend in any container, rather than in a special container designed for use with a blender base. While I do not use this device every day, I find it is a lot easier at times than pulling out the full sized blender.

One of my favorite uses for this gadget is pureeing hot soups. When hot liquids are added to a standard blender and pureed, they expand quickly and can create a huge mess, not to mention throw boiling hot liquid all over the person standing next to the blender. Spending the dinner hour at the emergency room is not my idea of a good time. Immersion blenders can quickly turn a pot of ingredients into a smooth soup with the hassle of transferring everything to a blender in small batches. Just be careful to keep the head of the blender submerged to prevent throwing scalding hot soup bits all over the kitchen (it only took once for me to learn that lesson).

My Creamy Spinach Asparagus Soup is a great starter for any spring meal. The flavor of the asparagus really comes through, and the spinach helps give the soup a vibrant green color. Even better, this soup only takes about thirty minutes to come together. Quick, healthy, and vegan (if you leave out the cream). Oh, and tasty.


Creamy Spinach Asparagus Soup

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs fresh asparagus, woody stems removed
5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook 4 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.





Add asparagus and vegetable broth to pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.






Remove lid and add spinach. Replace lid and let simmer five minutes more, or until spinach is wilted.







Turn off heat. Using immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with croutons, if desired.

Now it's your turn. Link up any recipe you want that requires a immersion blender to make. Don't forget to stop back the first Monday of next month when the featured gadget will be the ramekin.

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Pumpkin Chili

Week 17 of the NFL season is over, along with 2012, and with it comes my last batch of chili. This chili uses another unusual ingredient, canned pumpkin. In this case, the pumpkin helps to thicken the chili without taking over the dish, while adding a boost of vitamin A. As a matter of fact, if I had not known there was pumpkin in this recipe, I would not have been able to pick it out.

Reindeer Chili

With today being Christmas Eve, reindeer chili just seemed like the right kind of chili to make. OK, maybe not reindeer, but definitely made with deer meat. This chili is a great recipe for hunters looking for a way to use ground venison. As far as the rest of the ground venison goes, make summer sausage and send me some.

Carne Adovada

With only 3 weeks left in the NFL season, I decided to revisit the cuisine of old Mexico. This red pork stew is a simple but classic dish that highlights the taste of the chile. This recipe uses a full cup of chile powder, both to flavor the dish and as a thickener for the stew. Make sure you select a mild variety for this dish. If not, you will definitely regret it later.

Five Alarm Chili

With only four weeks left in the football season, my Colts look like they have a very good shot at making the playoffs. It's amazing what a difference a year can make. Just like the playoffs, this week's chili is one I have been looking forward to for a while. Why? This one is spicy. Not just a little spicy, but kick you in the pants spicy.

Chipotle Chicken Chili

As we enter the last month of the NFL season, I plan on sharing five unique recipes that are among my favorites. This will be the last chicken chili recipe I share, so I wanted to save the best for last.

Leftover Turkey Chili

Three days after Thanksgiving and I still had a bag of turkey left. Most of the white meat had been used up for sandwiches, but there was still plenty of turkey to make something. What better way than to make up a batch of chili to use up the last of the leftovers.

Seven Pepper Chili

Week 11 of the NFL season definitely did not go as well as I hoped. A loss to the New England Patriots did not help the Colts, but they are still sitting in a spot that would put them in the playoffs. At least I had a good bowl of spicy chili to distract me from the pain of a 59-24 loss.

Sweet and Spicy Chili

Although this weekend was a  three day weekend for me, I still had a ridiculous number of tasks to accomplish. As a result, I needed a very quick recipe to turn to. This recipe goes together very quickly and only needs a few minutes of simmering time to be ready to eat.

Steak and Beer Chili

Week 9 brings me to the halfway point of this series of 17 different chili recipes. With my team sitting at 5-3, I am definitely enjoying this season more than last year. With the arrival of November, there is a chill in the air that just calls for hearty bowls of chili while watching the game at home or tailgating at the stadium.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Chili

Week 8 of this series brings me back to chicken. Although beef is the traditional meat used in making chili, there are several excellent varieties of chicken chili that can be made. In this dish, the chicken is slow simmered in the chili liquid, then removed and shredded while the sweet potatoes finish cooking in the chili.

Chocolate Chili

Week 7 of the football season brings us to a chili with that uses a couple ingredients that most people would consider a little unusual:  chocolate and coffee. Most people would never think of adding chocolate and coffee to chili. I know I thought it was crazy at first, and when I told my family about it, they were more than skeptical. Then I remembered mole sauce. Mole is a classic Mexican sauce, and this chili borrows its inspiration from that sauce.

Pork Chili Verde

Week 6 of the NFL is nearly in the books, and although I did not get to see my team play (which was probably a good thing, they lost 35-9), I still had time to make this slow simmered dish. This chili is very simple to make, but does take time if you want to do it right. When given enough time to simmer, the pork comes out fall apart tender. Combine that with the flavors of roasted peppers, tomatillos, and garlic, and you have a delicious bowl of chili verde, no beans or pasta needed.

Hawaiian Chili

I knew going into this weekend I was going to need a quick chili recipe. I had a lot on my plate and not a lot of time to get everything done, so I went with a chili I could put together in about 30-40 minutes. The end result came out pretty amazing, and my wife said it is the best chili I have made so far for this series (click here to see the other chili recipes).

Cincinnati Chili

Week 4 of my chili series takes me back to the Midwest. My wife and I both grew up in the Indianapolis area, and this type of chili can be found at numerous restaurants around town. This is not surprising, especially considering it originated just two hours down the road in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

To me, autumn does not officially start until certain things are available at the grocery store. This past weekend I saw one of those items, the first pumpkins of the season. They had several varieties available for purchase. There were small decorative gourds, large ones for carving jack-o-lanterns, and sweet pie pumpkins. As soon as I saw these, I knew I wanted to make a pumpkin soup.

White Chicken Chili

Week 2 of the NFL season means the second of seventeen chili recipes. This week's recipe is loaded with chunks of chicken and cannellini beans. It is a hearty, meaty chili that looks nothing like traditional red chili. It is, however, a nice change of pace from the ordinary. I use two Anaheim chilies and two jalapenos in this recipe, but I treat them both the same way. I roast them, remove the skin and seeds, and chop them. Combined with cumin and oregano, the chilies give the dish the majority of its flavor. 

The secret to this chili is the chilies. Or more specifically, roasting the chilies. There are multiple ways to roast chilies, so use whatever method works for you.  The first method is using an open flame. If you have a gas stove, you can roast the peppers by turning the burner on to medium and placing the peppers right on the burner. This method is pretty quick, but you have to turn them often and be careful not to burn the peppers. A second method involves placing the peppers in a heated iron skillet and dry roasting them. The third method is to spread the peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler. Regardless of method, the key is to char the peppers all over and then place them in a paper bag. Placing the peppers in a paper bag for about 15 minutes allows the steam to loosen the skins of the peppers. Once removed from the bag, the peppers can be seeded and skinned by pulling off the top and rinsing the skin and seeds away.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed watching the Colts get their first win of the season!

White Chicken Chili

2 Anaheim chilies
2 jalapenos
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 large white onion, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
4 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) white cream corn
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Avocado, cheese, and sour cream for garnish, if desired

Roast the peppers according to one of the methods listed above. Remove seeds and skins. Chop roasted peppers roughly and set aside.

In large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion and cook until onions are softened and chicken is no longer pink, stirring often. Add chilies, cumin, oregano, and red pepper. Stir and cook one minute, or until spices become fragrant.

Add 3-1/2 cups chicken broth to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.  Remove lid, raise heat to medium and add corn and beans. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup broth and stir into chili.  Continue cooking until chili is thickened and beans are heated through, about 30 minutes.  Garnish and serve.

Next week:  Smoky Sausage and Bean Chili

Vegetarian Chili

The first weekend after Labor Day means one thing....the start of the NFL season. I am a huge football fan. My favorite team is the Colts, and I like watching them as much as I like to cook.  To me, one of the foods that is synonymous with football is chili.  Whether watching the game at home or tailgating at the stadium, nothing tastes as good as a piping hot bowl of homemade chili.

This season, I plan to take my love of football and chili to the extreme. I will make a different batch of chili every Sunday and share them all with you. That's right. Seventeen weeks of football, seventeen batches of chili. From now through December 31, every Monday I will share a different recipe for homemade chili. There will be all different types of chili. Some with beans, some without. Some spicy enough to make you think twice about a second bite, others milder.  Some with pasta, some without.  Some with ingredients you normally would not think of for chili.  Some pork, some chicken, some beef, and even some with no meat whatsoever. Seventeen different chilies. Seventeen weeks. This is going to be a good season. I can feel it.

The first chili of the season is a vegetarian chili. Much of the produce I use in this chili is from the Omaha Farmer's Market. Portabella mushrooms, zucchini, and corn combine with beans, tomatoes, and traditional chili seasonings to make a thick and zesty chili that will please even the most carnivorous of football fans. Additionally, this is a good way to get some vegetables in at a time normally reserved for hot wings, pizza, and beer.


Vegetarian Chili

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 1/2 lbs baby portabella mushrooms, chopped
3 ears corn, husked and removed from cob
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In Dutch oven or large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, jalapenos, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add zucchini, mushrooms, and corn. Continue cooking until mushrooms begin to soften and give off a little liquid, about 6-7 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Stir and cook until spices become fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, and additional cilantro, if desired.

Next week:  White Chicken Chili

Beef Bourguignon

Every year on the first cold day of the year, my tradition is to make Beef Bourguignon.  Today was that day here in Nebraska (temperature was 30 when I crawled out of bed), and everyone was waiting all day for this.

Three Bean Taco Soup

Three bean taco soup has been a family favorite for a few years.  We found this recipe online and decided to give it a try.  Normally, I will make a recipe the way it is listed and then change it up the next time to suit our tastes, but this was just right the first time.  Even my picky kids like it just the way it is.

Three bean taco soup is cooking at its easiest.  Simply brown a pound of ground beef or turkey, open a few cans and dump them in the pot, add two seasoning packets, and heat thoroughly.  That's it.  No measuring of ingredients, no multiple pans, no fuss.  Not only is it easy to make, but it reheats well the next day.  Also, it freezes well to save for later (the recipe makes a lot, you will probably want to freeze at least some).  Finally, it is pretty healthy for you.  Not only is it low in calories and high in fiber, it is very filling so you eat less and stay full longer.


Three Bean Taco Soup
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, undrained
2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, undrained
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 package powdered ranch dip mix

In large pot or Dutch oven, brown ground beef or turkey until no pink remains.  Drain grease.

Add all other ingredients to pan.

NOTE:  When I made this tonight, I did not have any canned corn.  Instead, I filled one of the empty bean cans up with frozen corn.  Just as easy.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Serve with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, crackers, over a baked potato, the list is endless.  Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.