Mindful Plate

Posted by Lisa

Soups are so warming and nourishing in the winter and they are also versatile.  In a pot, throw in what you have in the fridge or pantry along with some stock and seasonings and you have a soup.  Or you can be less casual and use a recipe, either written or just the same soup you’ve made before with great results.  My Spicy Green Chile and Pinto Bean Soup is just that.  A soup made up one time and now I more or less remember the ingredients and the results are approximately the same each time I make it.  I start by soaking pinto beans the night before I plan to make it.  If I’m cooking beans I generally soak and cook more than I will need for the meal at hand.  Cooked beans are great for freezing or using for lunches the days following a meal including beans.  For this recipe I used about one pound of dry beans, so I soaked  and cooked about two pounds.  I have to give much thanks to my Aunt Kathy for this meal.  She and my uncle brought up about 15 pounds of frozen green chiles last year from New Mexico for us, so we have the real thing!  Not local, I know, but a treat nonetheless, and they were already heading up here for a wedding!

Spicy Green Chile and Pinto Bean Soup

• Oil for cooking, I use what I have handy, usually olive oil, coconut oil, chicken fat or beef tallow
• One large onion, chopped or diced
• Four cloves  garlic, minced
• One teaspoon cumin
• One teaspoon dried oregano, (preferably from your own garden)
• Sea salt to taste, usually 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons
• 2-3 cups of canned diced tomatoes, (a home canned pint  or a 15oz can if you are purchasing from a store; also check your fridge to see if you haven any partial jars of tomatoes in there and throw those in too)
• Chiles to taste, this will vary for your palate and what chiles you have on hand; I used about 3/4 c. of frozen green chiles
• One pound of dried beans, previously soaked and cooked
• 3 – 5 cups of water or vegetable, chicken or beef stock

Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.  Add several tablespoons of your chosen oil or fat and heat the oil.  Add the onions and cook for several minutes until they start to soften and brown, stir frequently to prevent burning.  Add garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for another minute or two until it starts to smell fragrant.  Be especially watchful and stir often, burned garlic and spices don’t add anything appealing to a dish.  When it is fragrant, add salt, tomatoes and chiles.  If you are adding frozen chiles, let the chiles melt and incorporate into the soup; if you are adding fresh let the chiles cook and soften a bit.  Then, add beans and water or stock.  Simmer until heated through and flavors meld a bit.  This is usually only about 10 minutes for me, because I’m always late with getting dinner on, but for you people who are better in the time management department, I would say up to 30 or 45 minutes.  Just don’t let the beans get too soft, unless you like them that way.

I serve this with some grated raw cheddar and sour cream on the table so everyone can garnish as they like.

Spicy Green Chile and Pinto Bean Soup & Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes

This soup is pretty good with potatoes, like peasant food.

I frequently make my potatoes in a cast iron skillet, because it caramelizes the potatoes on the outside and give them a little crisp, but makes them lovely and tender inside.  I added green chiles this time because it went so nicely with the soup.

Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes

• One or two tablespoons butter
• One or two tablespoons olive oil
• One onion, chopped into larger pieces, 1/2″+
• 1-2 pounds of potatoes cut into pieces smaller than the onions (I use closer to two pounds for our family of five)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Sea salt to taste, about 1 teaspoon
• Optional additions:  green chiles, garlic, fresh herbs

Heat your cast iron skillet for several minutes on medium-high heat.  When it is nice and hot add butter and olive oil.  (For some reason using both keeps the potatoes from sticking, but still crisps and browns them nicely.)  When the oil and butter are melted and hot, add onions.  Cook onions for several minutes.  Add potatoes, pepper and salt to taste (and any optional additions) and stir to combine, then let it cook and only stir/turn every three or four minutes so the potatoes can brown.  *Let me take a moment to say that I always use a metal spatula/turner when I’m cooking potatoes in a cast iron skillet.  The edge of the turner gets under the potatoes when turning and leaves the crust that forms on the potato attached to the potato rather than attached to the skillet.  I’ve had inferior results from using a spoon or wooden spatula/stirrer thingy.*   After potatoes are nicely browned and starting to get tender, turn heat to low and put a lid on the skillet.  Cook another 10 or 15 minutes until potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth tender.  Only turn often enough to prevent burning during the time the lid is on; don’t get too enthusiastic or you’ll start to mash the potatoes.

These are also nice served with grated raw cheddar, sour cream and some salsa.