Spanish Onion Soup

If you are seeking an unusual but soul-satisfying soup, look no further! Creamy, cheesy, silky, and rich with a bit of heat, this version features Latin flavors instead of the traditional French approach to onion soup.

I adapted this Spanish Onion Soup to serve as a first course at a Fall dinner party followed by Cider Glazed Pork and Chipotle Apples, Arroz Con Jocoqui, and Kaluha Chocolate Flan. The party was a success, and the soup, memorable. Whether you are staging a fancy dinner party or just having soup for dinner, give the Spanish recipe a try.

Spanish Onion Soup

An amazingly delicious version of an onion soup. It is a great first course for a Latin dinner. The blue cheese is unique and delightful with the other flavors.

Serves 20

5 pounds Spanish onion thinly sliced (about 8 large)

1 cup butter melted

⅓ cup garlic chopped

1 cup sherry

1½ cup flour

1 gallon chicken stock

1 quart heavy cream

4 cup cheddar cheese grated

8 ounce blue cheese, plus additional for garnish

4 poblano peppers, diced

4 to 6 tablespoon bottled chipotle pepper sauce

salt to taste

1½ cup pepitas roasted garnish optional

1. Saute’ onions in butter till tender. Add garlic and sherry, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.

2. Add Chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Stir in cream, cheddar cheese and blue cheese. Remove ½ the mixture at this point and set it aside for later use.

4. Add poblano peppers to ½ mixture still in the pot, bring to a simmer, (do not boil) cook 5 minutes. Working in batches, blend the poblano pepper mixture, careful to leave the blender lid slightly open to vent. Add puree to the reserved onion, cheese and cream mixture.

5. Stir in chipotle sauce and salt to taste. Return to pot to stove and heat through, do not boil.

6. Serve with a few crumbles of blue cheese on top and roasted pepitas for garnish.

Mexican Red Rice

My mom's friend,Vera, made the best Spanish Rice I've ever had. When I asked her about the recipe she said, “it’s not Spanish, it’s Mexican, and the technique is as important than the ingredients.” Vera used a shorter grained rice and fried the ingredients before adding boiling hot tomato broth. The result was a fluffier rice more red in color than Spanish rice.

The technique is similar to making a pilaf, the browning of the rice allows each grain to absorb flavor. Cilantro is not chopped and added, it acts as a bouquet garni and is removed after cooking. This is also true for half of the onion, while some is chopped to cook with the rice, the other half gets removed with the cilantro.

For many years I called this dish “Vera’s Red Rice” as a tribute to the cook, but gradually the “Vera’s” got changed to “Mexican” to describe it better on our catering menu. If you choose to leave out bacon, butter can be used. The peas are a classic garnish to this excellent traditional side dish.

Mexican Red Rice

Serves 24

8 cups water

3 cubes Knorr Tomate seasoning

4 ounces tomato sauce

1 onion

6 ounces bacon diced

¼ cup oil

½ cup carrot diced

5 cups rice

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 cloves garlic minced

1 bunches cilantro

1½ cups petite peas

1. Bring 8 cups of water to boil and add Knorr Tomate cubes and stir to dissolve, add tomato sauce and set aside.

2. Dice ½ of the onion, leaving ½ whole.

3. In a large heavy bottom stock pot over medium heat fry bacon until brown. Add oil, diced onion, carrot and stir for one minute.

4. Add rice, black pepper, garlic and stir for one minute more.

5. Pour boiling hot tomato broth over rice and top with ½ bunch of cilantro and ½ whole onion and bring back to boil.  Stir boiling rice about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, set timer for 25 minutes. Do not disturb while rice cooks.

7. Stir in frozen petite peas before serving.

COOKS NOTE

• Knorr Tomate is a tomato chicken flavored bullion available in Latin markets or may be stocked in the Latin section of the grocer store. This ingredient will give the rice authentic Mexican flavor.

Recipe for Black Beans with Chorizo

Pinto beans, served whole or refried, along with rice are a given on most fiesta menus. If you want something a little more unique, try Black Beans with Chorizo. You can make the recipe below with just Mexican chorizo sausage, black beans, onions, garlic and chili powder for a great South American side. When cumin and cloves are added, the flavor becomes more of a Caribbean dish. Yep, one recipe…two menu options!

Soaking and cooking the beans can be a long process, substituting canned black beans is a short cut if needed. Chorizo can be made from pork, beef or soy, all work fine in this recipe. I usually serve Black beans with chorizo as a side, but it is hearty enough to be served as a main course, along with rice, tortillas, or cornbread.

Black Beans and Chorizo

The exotic flavors of spice and rich sausage make these beans the perfect choice for a Caribbean theme party. You can add corn kernels or diced red pepper for more color.

Serves 20

2 pounds black beans

20 cups water

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

12 ounces chorizo

2 teaspoons chili powder

4 cloves garlic minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon cloves ground

1. Sort and rinse beans in water. Place black beans in sauce pan with 8 cups of water and soak for 12 to 24 hours.

2. Add 12 cups more of water, one half of the medium onion. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook partly covered 1½ hours until tender.

3. Remove the onion and discard. Stir in salt and set beans aside.

4. In large deep skillet heat 3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat and crumble the chorizo into the skillet. Cook while stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

5. Chop and add remaining half onion and stir one more minute. Reduce heat to low, add chili, garlic, cumin and cloves.

6. Stir in cooked beans, adjust salt to taste and simmer while stirring occasionally at least 10 to 20 minutes.

Garden Vegetable Rice Recipe

In my catering kitchen, we often made pilafs with homemade stock enhanced with bouillon and perfectly good vegetable ends and pieces. We could vary the ingredients to favor a theme, such as adding sliced almonds and snow peas for tropical menus or thyme, artichokes, and olives for a Mediterranean meal. For lunch catering, we would go a little larger on the veggie size to avoid having to serve both a starch and vegetable side dish. Along with a salad and dinner roll, it also offered a non-meat option for guests.

Garden Rice Pilaf

This hearty pilaf is the perfect side when you need to combine vegetable and side into one buffet dish. It works with any entree and styles of cuisine.

Serves 20

¼ cup oil

2 cups mushroom sliced

1 cup green onions chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups carrot diced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped

3 pounds rice

3 tablespoons chicken base

10 cups water hot

1 tablespoon parsley chopped

1. In large heavy bottom stock pot heat oil, saute’ vegetables and thyme. Add in rice and saute’ about 1 more minute.

2. Dissolve chicken base in 10 cups of hot water add to rice and vegetables. Bring to low boil.

3. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes covered before opening.Then fluff with fork. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for serving.

COOKS NOTE: If you do not have chicken base substitute chicken broth in place of the water. Add salt to taste.

CATERING NOTE: Oven method: put sauteed vegetables and rice after step 1 into a half deep hotel pan. Pour in chicken base and water. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in a 350°F oven until liquid is absorbed (about 25 to 30 minutes). Stir before serving.

What sets a rice pilaf apart from just cooked rice is the technique of first sauteing the ingredients before adding a broth or seasoned liquid. A rice pilaf is usually made with vegetables, herbs, and spices, while cooked rice is simply boiled in water.

Besides vegetables, there are numerous ingredients that can be added to a pilaf, such as nuts, meats, and small pastas such as orzo and vermicelli. After sauteing the rice and chosen aromatics in oil, butter, or fat, hot broth is poured into the pan and simmered until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Try out your own combinations to create a seasoned dish with defined rice grains and unique personality.

How to Make Classic Baked Beans

This is a recipe for baked beans “from scratch” that produces a wholesome side perfect at bbq events and picnics. These beans will have a slightly smokey flavor that are thick, rich, savory and sweet. it’s not just the ingredients that create this classic dish, but the technique of slow open cooking that delivers a caramelized flavor and appealing mahogany color.

Classic Baked Beans

Baked Beans with Bacon & Caramelized Onion

Traditional beans are a must-have for casual parties. This from scratch recipe flavored with smokey bacon and sweet caramelized onions are everyones favorite.

Serves 20

2½ pounds small white or navy beans

½ pound bacon

2 cups sweet onions chopped

4 cups tomato sauce

1 cup molasses

1 cup brown sugar + 1 tablespoon

½ cup mustard

3 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1. Soak beans over night in water two times depth of the beans. Drain.

2. Cover beans with more water to 1 inch over their surface, bring to a boil. Drop to a simmer and cook beans slowly until tender, adding water as necessary to maintain the 1 inch depth.

3. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces and fry until crisp. Remove bacon from grease, reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease (you can use the same pan for step 6).

4. Pour beans into baking pan. Add cooked bacon, ½ cup onion and remainder of ingredients.

5. Cook uncovered at 300°F approximately 3 hours.

6. While beans are cooking, cook remainder of onions in reserved bacon grease with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. When they are cooked, brown and syrupy, stir them into the finished beans.

Cooks Notes… Use small white beans, also called Navy Beans. Wash and pick through beans before soaking because sometimes they can have small rocks that get packed with them when they are processed. Slow and low is the way to cook baked beans, that way all the flavor mellows and consistency becomes thick and tender. You may stir a once in a while during cooking to distribute the caramelized ingredients, but do it gently so beans don’t get mushy. This is a great make ahead dish as bake beans flavor likes time to marry.

Catering Notes… To make larger portions, a 200 hotel pan will hold 2 to 3 times the recipe. I usually cover beans for one hour to get hated through when cooking a larger quantity. For larger quantities, plan additional cooking time, one more hour or so. You don’t want the consistency too thin, give yourself time for the beans to reach thickness. Good news, beans can be made ahead and can be frozen to use another day.

Baked Beans for catering

How to Make Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Classic Macaroni & Cheese is comforting food at it’s finest. For the cook it is the “chicken soup” of casseroles offering a easy way to use scraps of cheese or by adding other proteins and produce. You can also change it up by using other shapes of pasta and by adding unique cheese varieties. For the diner it is love in a bowl, a one dish wonder! Below is my “go to” recipe from my book Cook like a Caterer.

Macaroni & Cheese Bake

Creamy and cheesy comfort food. I use mini shell pasta instead of the classic elbow macaroni pasta but you may use either.

Serves 15

1½ pounds mini shell pasta

¼ cup margarine

¼ cup flour

5 cups whole milk

3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup parmesan cheese grated

TOPPING

¼ cup parmesan cheese grated ½ cup panko bread crumbs

3 tablespoon butter melted 1 teaspoon parsley flaked

1. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, rinse and set aside.

2. Melt margarine in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook at least two minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Slowly add milk, whisking into flour and margarine mixture.

4. Whisk in salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, dry mustard, garlic and onion powder. Bring to a simmer but do not boil.

5. Add 3 cups grated cheese (a cup at a time, stirring until incorporated). Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and fold in cooked shell pasta.

6. Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl.

7. Spray casserole dish with pan spray and spread macaroni and cheese into dish. Top with additional cup of shredded cheese, pour cup of cream over top and sprinkle topping over dish.

8. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Helpful hints for great Mac & Cheese…Start with a pot roomy enough to cook the pasta of your choice. Shorter length tube pastas are traditional like elbow, mini shell, rigitoni or penne. Farfalle, orecchiette, fusilli and cavatappi are fun shapes that hold sauce as well. Bring water to boil and salt water with a generous amount of salt, I didn’t note that in the recipe, but it makes all the difference! Cooking pasta until just tender is important or it will overcook and be mushy in the final dish. Bring milk to room temperature and add it slowly to the flour/butter, whisking makes for a smooth sauce.

Catering Note…To adapt this recipe for larger groups you will need to “bump up” the sauce to account for more surface area. A 200 hotel pan will hold 3 recipes of the pasta but make 4 times the sauce and heavy cream for top. If making ahead, keep sauce separate from pasta until ready to bake as it will dry out. Larger pans should be baked covered for 30-40 minutes then uncovered another 10-15 to crisp and color top.

A Big Batch of Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is just around the corner and soup season is nearly here. My favorite soup for a crowd is Curry Butternut Squash. Why, yes! The recipe serves 32, a "party sized recipe" from my book Cook like a Caterer. It makes a huge pot perfect for entertaining and to fill up the freezer for the cool months ahead. Cutting the recipe in half makes a generous amount, but don't shy away from making it... soup is for sharing!

Creamy, smooth Curry Butternut Squash Soup served in hollowed mini pumpkin

Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Many first time tasters are surprised that the curry in this recipe is not overwhelming and the color is as delicious as the soup. Curry butternut squash soup is especially nice for a Fall party and is charming served from a mini hallowed pumpkin.

Serves 32

8 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups onions chopped

6 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 quarts butternut squash cubed

3½ quarts chicken broth

3 cups heavy cream

1. Heat oil in large pot, add onions. Cover and cook over medium heat until soft, stirring often (about 5 minutes).

2. Add curry powder, ground ginger and ½ teaspoon of cayenne, stir 30 seconds. Add squash and broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until squash is very tender (about 30 minutes).

3. Puree soup in batches, in blender, until smooth.

4. Return to same pot. Stir in cream and add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

COOKS NOTE

• Vent blender when pureeing soup to keep steam from building up.

• The soup can be made in advance up to where the cream is added and will freeze well.

• You can decrease the curry for a milder flavor or substitute pumpkin pie spice if you like.

• Serving in hallowed out mini pumpkins is great for a plated single serving... a larger pumpkin is great on a buffet.

How to Make Macaroni Salad for a crowd

With picnic season here, it's time to entertain friends and family at your up coming events. One of my favorite prepared salads is classic macaroni salad with cheese!

When making any pasta dish, it's important to bring plenty of water to boil in a big pot and salt the water once it comes to a boil. Stir in pasta and cook on high stirring often. If you don't have a big enough pot, cook pasta in batches to avoid uneven cooking due to crowding. Overcooked pasta makes for a mushy salad so cook to the lowest time recommended on the label. Drain quickly and rinse with cool water.

Starchy salads can get dry when making ahead. I like to hold back some dressing after mixing it together to stir in before serving. Once macaroni salad is ready storing it in gallon size Zip-lock bags to save room in the fridge or pack easy in ice chests when headed to an outdoor event.

Cheddar Macaroni Salad

Creamy and rich macaroni salad is great served along sandwiches or with a cookout. Try a different pasta like mini shells, Tubini, Rotoni and diced cheddar instead of grated for your own look.

Serves 25

2 pounds elbow macaroni

¼ cup mustard

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups sour cream

1 cup buttermilk dressing

¾ cup sweet pickle relish

1 tablespoon thyme fresh chopped

2 cups celery chopped

1 pound cheddar cheese grated

salt and pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add a teaspoon of salt. Cook macaroni until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do this in batches if your pot is too small to offer ample room for pasta to cook. Strain in a colander and rinse in cold water. Drain thoroughly.

2. In very large mixing bowl whisk together mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk dressing. Stir in relish and thyme.

3. Fold in macaroni, celery and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place into serving bowl and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

BUTTER MILK DRESSING

You will only need half of this recipe for the above salad.

½ cup mayonnaise                

½ cup sour cream                

2 tablespoons cider vinegar            

1 cup buttermilk                

2 cloves garlic minced

2 scallion or green onion chopped

2 tablespoons parsley chopped

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1. Whisk mayonnaise and sour cream together until combined.

2. Add vinegar, buttermilk and garlic, whisk until smooth.

3. Stir in onion, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper.

4. Chill before serving.