The verdict? Nope, not Mom’s, but really good and absolutely perfect for a night when it’s 20 degrees outside. My brother said it was actually pretty close to Mom’s – I just don’t remember any carrots or celery in hers. But I really, REALLY enjoyed it! :)

Recipes after the jump:

Ham & Bean Soup

1 pound dried Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight or via the Quick Soak Method and drained. (Some say drain after soaking, others don’t, I don’t think it matters *that* much.)
1-2 ham hocks (depends on size, I used 2)
~ 3/4 c. chopped carrots (~1 medium carrot)
~ 3/4 c. chopped celery (~1.5 stalks)
~ 3/4 c. chopped sweet onion (I went with a somewhat large chop, and chose sweet over white since the white onions this season have been incredibly strong, and I didn’t want it to overpower the rest of the soup.)
~1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
2-4 c. water
2-4 c. chicken stock
1 ham steak, diced or shredded (optional, but that way you get more ham in the soup!)
ground black pepper

Sweat the onions, garlic and celery over medium low heat with about half the ham steak pieces. (The ham adds a little more fat for the aromatics to happily bathe in. Or, “it seemed like a good idea at the time!”)

Once the onions are soft, add the ham hocks, the rest of the ham steak, 2 cups of water and 2 cups of stock. (That was how much was needed to cover everything in liquid.) Bring to a boil. (Takes 10-15 minutes.)

Add the beans, carrots and a few shakes of black pepper, and if needed, a little more water if the beans aren’t covered by liquid. Give it all a good stir and bring to a boil again.

Reduce heat to low and cover. Check about every 30 minutes and add more liquid (half water/stock) if needed.

Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. When the skin on the beans splits when you blow on them, they are supposedly done. However, the skins were splitting about an hour into it, and the beans didn’t taste “done” to me.

An hour and a half in, I took out the ham hocks and let it simmer on low for another 30 minutes uncovered. Up until this point, the soup hadn’t been very thick at all, and I was ready to add some cornstarch, but it decided to cooperate and thicken up nicely. (Probably because at this point the beans are technically overcooked, but who cares, they’re nice and soft and tasty!)

Assuming 8 one-cup servings: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 280 Calories; 3g Fat (10.2% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 1282mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable.

Cornbread Madeleines

I totally cheated on these and I don’t care who knows it. (Perhaps the bottoms sticking to the pan is karma getting back at me, LOL.) Good old Jiffy Corn Muffin mix, prepared as directed with a squirt of honey added for good measure. Baked at 400 degrees for approximately 8 minutes. Next time I need to get out the Baker’s Joy…

The original is over at Allrecipes.com, and below is my version. It’s more of a thick soup consistency to me, and great in the winter. Though I normally eat it “naked”, I’m betting it’s one of those soups that would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top. There is a nice heat to it, but not to the extent that you won’t be able to taste anything else for the rest of the evening. The jalepeno cornbread I snagged at the market worked well with it, but I think plain cornbread would be perfect for the next time.

Also, if chopping onions and garlic while standing next to open containers of crushed red pepper and cumin doesn’t clear your sinuses – you need to see a doctor.

It really hit the spot, and will be making a repeat appearance tomorrow evening. (It’s just as good, if not a touch better the next day!) A small container has been stashed in the freezer for future colds. ;)

Full recipe and another pic after the jump.

1.5-2 T butter or oil for browning
1.5# chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-1.5 c. chicken broth (divided, need 1 c. minimum)
1 4oz can chopped green chiles*
1-3 15oz cans Great Northern Beans (depends on how much you like beans – I start w/1 can and add if needed)
1-2 small white potatoes, diced (optional – if you don’t like potatoes, then go with more beans)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 t ground cumin
1.5 t dried oregano
1 t cilantro
1/2 t crushed red pepper

Brown chicken in melted butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook over medium low heat until onions are translucent/tender. Transfer to colander and let drain.

Add 1 c. of the chicken broth & the chiles to the pot, bring to a boil.

Stir in the spices, 1 of the cans of beans (with the liquid), the potatoes and the chicken/onion/garlic. Bring to a boil again and let boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 30 minutes.

Check it at about the 15 minute point, if too thick, add some of the remaining chicken stock, if too thin, add some of the remaining beans. If after 30 minutes it’s too thick/thin, you can still add the beans or broth then and just let it go another 15 minutes or so. Thick/thin is totally your call – just get to the consistency you like. If you think it’s too spicy, add more of the beans.

Tonight when it hit the 15 minute point, I decided it needed more liquid, but also wanted it a touch thicker – but it had plenty of beans in it already. So, I defrosted some frozen stock I had in a small saucepan, added more spicing to it, and whisked in some cornstarch and added all that to the main pot. Result: more liquid and just the right thickness.

Any leftover chicken broth can be frozen and used later.

*Whole green chiles are fine, just make sure you realize you’re getting whole ones so you’re not doing a mad dash slice & dice when you open the can and realize they’re not already chopped. :)

Bubbling goodness: