Southwestern Potato, Crab And Corn Chowder... The Perfect Cold Weather Comfort Food

This year West Texas has been experiencing the coldest weather in more than 20 years, for the longest period of time. Therefore, all I seem to want to do is make soups, stews, and chowders; then curl up by the fire with a good read or a new movie. I'm afraid Mr. Snoots is growing tired of this, being the West Texas born and raised guy that he is. Unfortunately, he's just going to have to bear with me until the weather turns warm once again. Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, this is just the way I roll. I happen to know that you need something to eat that will stick to your ribs when the temperatures plunge into the teens, with even colder wind chill factors.

Now, during the summer I usually wait for an excellent deal on corn-on-the-cob, like when they are 10 ears for $2.00. Then, I get them home and roast all of them over a fire with hickory smoke, scrape the kernels of corn from the cob, divide it evenly among freezer bags, label the bags, and toss them in the freezer. The reason I do this is so I can have it available for meals such as this, without all the fuss of having to do the corn first. And really, who wants to grill outdoors when it's below freezing? Not I.

So, all I have to do is make the potato soup, which I always seem to make way too much of. We usually have the Potato Soup the first couple of nights, then I totally change it up by adding the corn and the crab, plus a bit of Gruyere cheese and Parmesan cheese. It totally changes the taste and texture of the soup, by becoming a chowder. It's so filling that I usually find it necessary to eat several cups of it, in intervals. I do hope you enjoy it as much as we do.


Potato, Corn And Crab Chowder:


Ingredients:


4 cups of chicken broth

3 cups of potatoes, diced

1-1/2 cups of onions, diced

1 cup of celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 cup of baby carrots, diced

5 to 10 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 cups of milk (or Half & Half if you're young)

5 Tablespoons of butter

1-1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper, freshly ground

1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 - 7 ounce can of diced green chiles

1 package of crab chunks (For Heaven's sake please don't use the fake crab.)

1 package of previously frozen roasted corn


Directions:

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, and potatoes. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth and the bay leaf, making sure that the broth covers the vegetables by about an inch to an inch and a half. Place the lid on the pan and allow the veggies to simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Now you can add the carrots, salt, and pepper. Add more broth if necessary and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

4. When the vegetables are thoroughly cooked, remove the pan from the fire and use a potato masher to crush at least half of the veggies.

5. Return the pan to the fire and bring almost to the point of boiling. Add the milk (or Half & Half).

6. Now you can add the corn, the chopped green chiles, and the crab. Simmer over medium-low heat for an additional 30 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the soup from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

7. Before the last 15 minutes of simmering, add the chopped fresh parsley. Serve, when time is up, with fresh French or sourdough bread.

You can thank me later...

Steak Rockefeller And Corn On The Cob With African Bird Pepper Salt

Since the ears of corn were on special at the local market, I went for it with great vigor. They were offering the corn for 10 ears for $3.00, which is quite the bargain around these parts. Knowing we couldn't eat it all at once, I cooked the rest of the corn, cut it off the cob, and stored in freezer bags so that I can use them later on in corn chowder.


I chose the two youngest ears of corn for us to have with our dinner, which in my opinion, are the sweetest and most tender. Honestly, sometimes I can even eat it raw. Yes, it's that good. It's especially good when slathered in butter and sprinkled with a premix of salt and African Bird Pepper, which really gives the corn a major kick.


As usual, I fired up the charcoal grill and when the coals were just right, I threw those bad boys on the grill. I cooked each filet approximately 4-5 minutes on each side for a perfect medium rare.


While the steaks were cooking, I made the Spinach Rockefeller which was ready at the time the steaks were ready. The recipe follows:

Spinach Rockefeller Snooty's Way:

Ingredients:

1 large bag of baby spinach, pre-washed

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of green onion, finely diced

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 pinch of dried thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Toss the first four ingredients into a saute pan over medium low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the thyme and salt and pepper, to taste.

3. When topping the steak with the spinach mixture, sprinkle a little more Parmesan over the top and serve.

This is a really quick, easy, yet elegant dinner. Enjoy!

Bloody Mary Steaks And Fresh Corn-On-The-Cob With Tomato-Horseradish Butter

Mmmmmrrrrrroooowwwww! This is one of my favorite meals, especially when fresh corn is being sold for pennies (Okay, maybe quarters...). The steaks are so tender after marinating in the Bloody Mary mix that it will blow your mind. And, the sun-dried tomato & horseradish butter compliments both steaks and corn, perfectly.

In the summer months, we like to have friends over to play yard golf, which we made up about 15 years ago at our former lake house. Being outside while we play enables me to watch the steaks as they cook on the grill and enjoy the company of good friends. However, it's no guarantee that I'm going to play well, but who cares? It's always played in fun and this meal always pleases the whole crowd.

As I recall, I got this recipe from a Food & Wine magazine, about 3 or 4 years ago. You will rave over this wonderful recipe. We've served it numerous times to friends, for dinner parties. Add some Chinese Coleslaw and garlic bread, and you've got a complete meal. When it's only the two of us, we just have the steak and corn, using the leftover butter on salmon fillets or other cuts of steaks, within the week. You might want to give this a whirl.





BLOODY MARY STEAKS AND FRESH CORN ON THE COB W/ TOMATO-HORSERADISH BUTTER:


1 Large bottle of Bloody Mary Mix

1/2 cup Pepper Vodka (or you can just go ahead and add a whole cup. I do!)

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs. freshly grated (or prepared) horseradish

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

6 Filet Mignon's or rib-eye steaks (butcher-cut)

Olive Oil

Salt


Tomato-Horseradish Butter (softened):

1. In a large baggie, combine the Bloody Mary mix, vodka, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and pepper. Add the steaks & turn to coat. Allow meat to marinate at least 3 hours. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling.

2. Cook corn to desired doneness by favorite method, drain and place on plates.

3. Fire up the grill. Just before putting the steaks on, lightly brush the grate with olive oil. Drain the steaks then brush with olive oil. Season the steaks generously with salt & pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, about 15 minutes for medium rare.

4. Place a fat slice of Tomato-Horseradish Butter on each steak and each ear of corn, and serve.

TOMATO-HORSERADISH BUTTER:

1 Stick of unsalted butter, softened

2 sun-dried tomato packed in oil, drained & minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp. of freshly grated or prepared horseradish

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

Directions:


Combine all of the ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. Scrape the butter onto a 12-inch square of wax paper and roll it into a cylinder, twisting the ends tightly to seal. Refrigerate the flavored butter just until firm, about 30 minutes.

 

Make Ahead

The butter can be refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time. Allow butter to briefly soften before using.