Black Bean and Smoked Sausage Soup with Peppers

This is another good soup for

lunch on frosty winter days.

* * *

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 lb. of smoked sausage (either beef or pork)

2 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped white onion

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 to 1 red (or green) bell pepper, finely chopped

3 Hatch peppers, grilled, peeled, seeded, and

chopped into small pieces

1 cup beef stock

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano

Sour cream

Italian parsley

Procedure:

1. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces and fry in skillet

over medium heat until it browns a bit; remove from

skillet and set aside.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet with sausage

drippings for 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.

3. Place beans, sausage, onions, garlic, bell pepper,

Hatch peppers, beef stock, water, salt, and oregano

in covered 3 qt. pan and heat to boiling; remove lid

and lower temperature, simmering until soup thickens

to desired consistency.

4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling

of freshly-chopped Italian parsley.

NOTES:

1. The Hatch peppers I used were rather spicy, so I

didn't need to add any other seasoning but salt. You

could use other types of peppers (serranos, for instance)

or season with cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce.

Or you can make a milder version without hot seasoning,

substituting regular pepper, thyme, oregano, or other

spices to taste.

2. I imagine one could use turkey sausage instead of

pork or beef; it's better, I think, to have a smoked variety

as that enhances the flavor of the soup.

3. Chicken or vegetable stock can be used instead of

the beef stock if desired, or one can replace it altogether

with water, although I think the stock helps give the soup

a richer flavor.

4. Afterthought: It's just occurred to me that one could

easily substitute one can or whole kernel corn for one

of the cans of black beans for an even more Southwestern

kind of soup.

Corn and Bacon Chowder

(Whoops! I accidently let a whole year slip by without updating

here; I hope to do better starting now with a recipe that I came

up with by combining a couple of different ones and adding a

twist or two of my own. Enjoy.)

Ingredients:

8 - 12 bacon strips

1 cup chopped white onion

2 medium potatoes

1/2 - 1 minced red bell pepper (Optional)

2 14.5 oz. cans whole kernel yellow corn

2 cups of whole milk (+ about 1/2 cup for mashing potatoes)

1 cup heavy cream

6 - 8 ozs. shredded cheddar cheese

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Peel and microwave the potatoes; mash, mixing with

enough milk to make them smooth. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon in frying pan over medium heat; remove

when crisp, drain on paper towels, then crumble. Pour off

about half of bacon fat.

3. While bacon is frying, add corn, milk and heavy cream

to a large saucepan.

4. Sauté onion and red pepper in remaining bacon fat until

tender. Transfer to saucepan.

5. Heat saucepan contents to simmering, stirring in bacon

and cheese; add salt. Stir in enough mashed potatoes to

begin to thicken the mixture. Let pan simmer without boiling

for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chowder

thickens the desired amount.

6. Remove from heat and serve.

NOTES:

1. Instead of whole milk and heavy cream, 2% milk and

half-and-half can be substituted.

2. The amount of mashed potatoes will vary; just use

what seems best to you for the thickness you'd like.

3. Pepper can also be used, although personally I

don't use it in this recipe. Also, if you want a somewhat

spicier chowder, you can easily add some hot paprika,

cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes; I'll most likely

use one of those the next time I make this chowder.

4. This chowder keeps well in the refrigerator.