Colombian Chicken, Potato and Corn Soup

I visited Colombia years ago and had such a wonderful time and I loved the food!  My favorite thing was Ajiaco - a rustic Colombian Chicken, Potato and Corn Soup. I had it many times and it was always delicious!  I did ask my hosts how to make it and I got a recipe but I was stymied by my inability to get Guascas - the herb that flavors the soup or Criollas Potatoes, which makes the broth thick and creamy. So, I put off making it all this time. Recently, I was cleaning out a stored box and I found the recipe. Of course like many recipes from home cooks, it doesnt give precise measurements. 

So, my first task was to find Guascas and I found it at a local Latin Market. If you can't find Guascas, use an extra Bay Leaf. Then I needed to find a substitute for Criollos Potatoes as I wasn't interested in canned ones, but I had a brainstorm that I could create a creamy broth with a Russet Potato and then cut up other Potatoes like Yukon Gold and Red Bliss for the Potato Chunks. I also wanted to make the soup a little easier to eat. So, I used Corn Kernels instead of slices of Corn on the Cob. And, I wanted to make it faster so I used Chicken Broth and bite sized pieces of Chicken Breast cooked only for the last 15 minutes.  I served it the traditional way with Capers, cut up pieces of Avocado and Sour Cream for those who wanted it. I remember that it was served with a kind of Salsa that contained Aji Chilis that I didn't make, but it might be really good to add in a little hot sauce too. it was so delicious and it immediately transported me back to Bogota. I love this soup!

Colombian Chicken, Potato and Corn Soup

5 cups Chicken Broth

1 medium Onion, minced

3 Garlic Cloves

1 medium Russet Potato

2 Tablespoons Gauscas

1 Bay Leaf

1 - 2 teaspoons Salt

3/4 pound of Chicken Breast or Tenders cut into bite sized pieces

1 pound of mixed Baby Potatoes - Red Bliss, Yukon Gold and Purple peeled and cut into quarters

1 1/2 cups frozen Corn Kernels

For Serving: Capers, Avocado pieces and Sour Cream

Place Chicken Broth in a pot and add the Onions, Garlic, Russet Potatoes, Bay Leaf and Guascas. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and oook for 20 minutes. Remove the Bay Leaf and use a Potato Masher to mash the Potato. Taste and add Salt if desired. Then add in the Chicken, the remaining Potatoes and the Corn and bring back to a boil. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Serve with Capers, cut up Avocado and Sour Cream, if desired.

Five Element Analysis

As a soup, this automatically belongs somewhat to the Water Element, but the Potatoes and Corn make this a very Earthy Soup. The Chicken Broth and Chicken bring in the Wood Element and the Capers and add even more. The Gauscas, Bay Leaf and Sour Cream contribute the Wood Element and the Avocado (Haas) contributes the Water Element .Only the Fire Element is missing, so sprinkle on some hot sauce or serve this with a green, leafy Salad to create a balanced meal.  

Cincinnati Chili

Here's a recipe I've been meaning to post for a while. I have a friend from Cincinnati who told me so much about Cincinnati Chili that of course I had to try making it. I got the ingredients from his Mom when she was visiting one time and finally made it at home. For those of you who don't know, Cincinnati Chili is served one of 4 or 5 ways: One way is just the Chili with Meat; another way is with Spaghetti Noodles; another way is with Raw Onions and/or Cheese and the last way is with Kidney Beans. I'm not sure if that's the correct order of ways, but these are the right ingredients for authentic Cincinnati Chili. I like it best with Gluten Free Spaghetti and topped with sweet chopped Onions, my son and daughter-in-law definitely also wanted lots of Cheese. The Chili itself is unusual because it is spiced with Cumin and a bit of Cinnamon, Allspice and Cloves, which gives it an almost Middle Eastern flavor and because of the Chocolate added, it also reminded me a bit of Mexican Mole. It's really a delicious Chili!  

Cincinnati Chili

1 pound Ground Beef

1 Onion, minced

2 Garlic Cloves

1 14 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 cup Beef Broth

3 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Allspice

Pinch of ground Cloves

Optional:  1 15 oz can of Kidney Bans drained

Optional:  1/2 ounce Baking Chocolate

Optional  a pinch of Red Pepper flakes

Brown the Ground Beef in a frying pan with the Onion and Garlic, breaking up the meat as much as possible. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add in the Spices and Chocolate (if using) then the Tomato Sauce and Beef Broth and Kidney Beans (if using).  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.  

Serve with cooked Spaghetti Noodles and/or Cheddar Cheese and/or raw, chopped Onions

Five Element Analysis

Ground Beef and Beef Broth belong to the Earth Element. The Spices and the Garlic and Onions contribute the Metal Element and the Cheese adds even more if you use it, The Kidney Beans bring in the Water Element (otherwise it is not strongly present except in the liquid nature of this Chili). The Fire Element is represented by the Tomato Sauce and the Red Pepper Flake sand Chocolate if you add them. The Wood Element is present if you use Spaghetti made with Wheat flour and serving it all the ways is a balanced meal. But, the Wood Element is absent if you use Gluten Free Spaghetti like I did, so be sure to add a green vegetable for balance. 

Lentils with Leeks, Celery and Bacon

I returned from England last week and have been so jet lagged that I haven't been cooking anything new. But, I did make something at my Airbnb the week before that was so good, I want to share it with you and I want remember it to make again too. I had limited ingredients and sometimes that's a blessing. I knew I wanted to make a Lentil dish as I wanted leftovers for lunch the next day and I thought I had a jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes in the fridge, half full. But it wasn't there and all I could find that might work were Butter, Celery, Leeks and Bacon. The Bacon of course was English Bacon, which is a lot more meaty and a lot less fatty. Here in America it's called Back Bacon (and a bit like Canadian Bacon only thinly sliced).  I cooked the Lentils in Water with Chicken Bouillon cubes added (as I couldn't find canned Chicken Broth) until tender. This flavors the Lentils so no extra salt is needed. Meanwhile, I sautéed the Leeks and Celery in Butter with the Bacon. When the Lentils were done, I drained them and added everything together. It was so good and even better the next day!

Lentils with Leeks, Celery and Bacon

2 cups of Green Lentils

4 cups of Chicken Broth (or 4 cups Water with 2 Gluten Free Bouillon Cubes)

1 large or 2 small Leeks, green part cut off, sliced in half and then sliced thin

2 stalks of Celery, trimmed and sliced thin

6 pieces of English Bacon (or 1 cup of Canadian Bacon or Ham) cut into small pieces

3 Tablespoons Butter

fresh ground Pepper to taste

Put the Lentils and the Chicken Broth in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes and check to see if they are tender. If not, cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes and check again. Lentils should take no longer than 40 minutes until they get tender. When tender, drain off the broth and put into a mixing bowl. 

In a frying pan, melt the Butter and add in the Bacon, Celery and Leeks. Cook until the Leeks and Celery are softened. Then add to the Lentils and toss to mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with Black Pepper and serve warm or cool. 

Five Element Analysis

Lentils as Pulses belong to the Earth Element. The Leeks and Butter bring in the Metal Element. The Celery and Chicken Broth contribute the Wood Element and the Bacon makes sure the Water Element is present too. The Fire Element is only found in the tiniest bit of Black Pepper so it would be good to serve a green salad with Tomatoes to bring that element in too for a more balanced meal. 

Garlic Confit - Roasted Garlic Cooked in Olive Oil

I'm leaving home to teach for two weeks and I've been trying to use up things that that are perishable and won't be used by my son while I'm gone. Recently, I went a splurge and bought a lot of Garlic. Chances are it will stay good while I'm gone, but some of them looked like they might sprout, so I made Garlic Confit. That's just a really fancy name for Roasting Garlic in Olive Oil. You simply cover Garlic Cloves with Olive Oil to cover and then roast it low and slow. I did cut the largest Garlic Cloves in half to remove the Green piece of new Garlic that was growing, as that makes the Garlic bitter.

Once the Garlic is roasted in the Olive Oil until soft and browned, it can be used in any number of ways and the remaining Olive Oil is full of Garlic flavor and wonderful for stir-frying. It's also so simple to make Garlic Confit, I don't know why I don't do it more often!  Personally, I love to mash Roasted Garlic up and add it with the Oil to Salad Dressings and I also use both the Garlic and Garlic Oil in pasta dishes. My son loves it on a toasted Baguette, with some of the Olive Oil and a sprinkling of Maldon Sea Salt - it's  so delicious. So, I know he'll eat it cup while I'm away!

Garlic Confit - Roasted Garlic Cooked in Olive Oil

1 large head of Garlic - about 10 cloves, peeled

Olive Oil to cover

Heat the oven to 250 degrees

Place Garlic Cloves in a heat proof baking dish and just cover with Olive Oil. Cook for 1 hour or until the Garlic Cloves are golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and put into a jar and keep in the refrigerator.

Five Element Analysis

Garlic belongs to the Metal Element and Olive Oil to the Wood Element so be sure to add the Garlic and the Oil to a meal where you also incorporate the other Three Elements of Water, Fire and Earth. That's why I use both the Garlic and the Garlic Oil in a big salad.  

Blueberry Chia Pudding

I'm always looking for different things to have for breakfast so I decided to make a Blueberry Chia Pudding. Chia Seeds are very good for you, particularly for your digestion and they are loaded with nutrients with  very few calories. I used Almond Milk to keep it Lactose Free and I cooked frozen blueberries with a little Sugar to make a sauce to stir in. It was so good that I am sharing it with you!  You could easily make this a dessert instead of a breakfast dish.

Blueberry Chia Pudding

1 cup Almond Milk

1/3 cup Chia Seeds

3/4 cup Blueberries

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Hot Water

In a mixing bowl, mix together the Almond Milk and Chia Seeds. Put aside. 

Put Sugar and Hot Water in the bottom of a small pot and stir to dissolve slightly. Add the Blueberries and turn the heat to medium.  Cook until some of the Blueberries start to burst and make a sauce - you can push down on some of the Blueberries with you spatula to help this process along. Cook for about 3 minutes.  Add to the Chia mixture and stir in thoroughly.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes up to overnight.  

Five Element Analysis

Blueberries are a Water Fruit and Chia Seeds belong to the Water Element as well. So this is a great dish to support your Kidneys. Almond Milk is a Metal Beverage with some of the Earth Element from the Almonds as well and the Sugar adds just a bit more Earth. The Fire Element is missing, which can easily be added with Coffee or Tea and the Wood Element also needs representation so I served my pudding with Chicken Breakfast Sausages to make a balanced breakfast!

Stir-Fried Shanghai Year Cake

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the 9th anniversary of 5 Element Food and I actually can't believe I've been writing this blog for so long! 

Of course, last night I had a Chinese New Year's Eve family dinner and served lots of lucky foods. One of the dishes we made was Stir-Fried Shanghai Year Cake. It's called Year Cake in my family because we serve it at Chinese New Year. This dish incorporates Pork, Green Onions, Bok Choy and Sliced Rice Cakes, often called Rice Ovalettes. This little Rice Cakes are considered very lucky and help you achieve lofty heights in the new year. Many Chinese people I know eat a sweet version of Rice Cake, but my family always made them savory the Shanghai way.  

The Rice Cakes can be found at most Asian supermarkets and they are sometimes frozen. I've even found them dried in Europe. To stir fry them, you will need to soak them in hot water for at least 20 minutes before adding to the stir fry. And, like all stir fry dishes, you cook the dish in stages with everything cut up and marinated and ready to be cooked. If you like chewy foods, this dish is for you. It's delicious and lucky too!

Stir-fried Shanghai Year Cake

12 ounces sliced Rice Cakes (1/2 bag)

1/2 pound lean Pork or Chicken, sliced thin

1 Tablespoon Tamari

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine

1 bunch Bok Choy, trimmed, cut in half and cut into bite size pieces

3 Green Onions, trimmed and cut into small pieces, white and green parts separated

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Oyster Sauce

1 Tablespoon Tamari

1 teaspoon Sugar

a pinch of White Pepper

2 Tablespoons Chicken Broth or Water

Soak the Rice Cakes in hot water for at least 20 minutes. Drain when ready to use.

Place the Pork in a small bowl and add the Tamari and Rice Wine, Mix thoroughly and let marinate for 15 minutes.

In another small bowl, mix together the Oyster Sauce, Tamari, Sugar, White Pepper and Chicken Broth.

Heat a wok or large frying pan and then add in 2 Tablespoons of OIl. Add the white part of the Green Onion and cook, stirring until you can smell the fragrance. Then add in the Bok Choy and cook until softened.  Remove and put into a serving bowl.

Then add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Oil and add the Pork, separating it so it cooks in one layer. Turn and cook the other side. Then scoop off the sides and add the Year Cake. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the Bok Choy back in with the Green Onion tops add add the sauce. Stir until everything is coated. Serve while hot.

Five Element Analysis

Rice Cakes primarily belong to the Metal Element, but because they are sticky and chewy, they also contain some of the Earth Element too. The Metal Element is further enhanced by the Green Onions. The Pork brings in the Water Element as does the Oyster Sauce and Tamari. The Bok Choy adds the Wood Element as does the Chicken Broth. So only the Fire Element is missing and the Earth Element is only slightly represented so be sure to add a Fire and Earth food to your meal.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Thai Flavors

I was craving a bowl of creamy Tomato Soup but I didn't want to use any dairy. So I decided to create a Tomato Soup using Coconut Milk and adding some Thai flavors  I might add that I keep Lemongrass in the freezer, so if you don't have any, you can use a bit Lime or Lemon Zest. I pureed it with a stick blender and served it with a squeeze of Lime. It was so good that I couldn't stop eating it!  

Creamy Tomato Soup with Thai Flavors

2 14.5 oz cans of diced Tomatoes

1 can of full fat Coconut Milk, 13.66 oz

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Shallot, minced

2 teaspoons minced Lemongrass or 1/2 teaspoon Lime or Lemon Zest

1 teaspoon Salt 

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 Lime, cut into quarters

Put the Oil into a medium saucepan and heat. Add the Shallots and cook until they soften.  Then add the Tomatoes, Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, Salt and Sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Then use a stick blender or a blender  to puree the soup. Serve with a squeeze of Lime.

Five Element Analysis

Soup is always part of the Water Element so that Element is covered. The Tomatoes bring in the Fire Element. The Coconut Milk represents both the the Metal Element and the Earth Element since it is naturally sweet. The Lime and Lemongrass, which is Woody herb, contribute the Wood Element. This soup is more balanced than I expected!