Community Cookbook: Comfort food for colder weather

Fall has arrived, and the temperatures are rapidly dropping. It’s time to dust off the large cooking pots, plug in the slow cooker, and heat the oven for some hefty, hearty, bone-warming dishes. When it comes to main-dish soups, stews, beans, and casseroles in wintertime, I lean toward the big-batch recipes. It’s a lazy guy’s “cook once and eat for several days” philosophy.

These recipes are taken directly from my cold weather, big batch wish list. Just last week, I made Pork Posole Soup and enjoyed it for the better part of the week. Five quarts is a lot of eating. When the pot was finally empty, I wished I had more.

As we approach the holiday season, Personal Ham Pot Pies is a culinary ace up the sleeve for using up leftover ham. While the recipe produces four generous individual pies, it wouldn’t be cheating to combine them into a single large pot pie to serve family style.

Cabbage soup, a popular type of all-vegetable soup, is often included in weight management diets due to its low-fat and low-calorie properties, as well as its overall healthfulness. Dietary considerations aside, Cabbage Patch Soup is just plain good eating. Cooked ground beef, sausage, or seafood can elevate the soup to a more substantial one-pot meal.

You’ve already met Pork Posole Soup. This Mexican-inspired dish is loaded with chunks of tender pork and colorful, earthy-tasting hominy. If the soup’s pork could sing, the lyrics might go something like this: “…Hominy and me make pretty good company…” (my apologies to Elton John and Bernie Taupin).

Personal Ham Pot Pies

Ham works well in pot pie. This version uses allspice and cinnamon – spices known to go very well with ham. A standard roux provides the foundation for the sauce.

1½ cup ½-inch cubed russet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled (1½-2 medium)

1½ teaspoon cooking oil

1½ teaspoon butter or margarine

1 cup chopped onion

3½ cups milk

1½ cup water

1 cup flour

4 teaspoons ham or chicken bouillon powder

2½-3 teaspoons granulated sugar

1½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces (1½ cup) frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained

1½ cup ham, cut into ⅝-inch cubes

Prepared pie dough for 4 (16-ounce) bowls

Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water until just tender (add the potatoes while the water is still cold); drain. Heat the oil and butter or margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover with a lid, and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally. Add the next 10 ingredients (through black pepper) to a large saucepan. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbles just start to break on the surface, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and lightly boil for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Combine all of the ingredients, except the pie dough, in a large bowl. Spoon an equal amount of filling into each bowl up to a half-inch from the rim. Roll the pie dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out four circles slightly larger than the bowls. Place a disk of dough on top of each bowl, overlaying the rims. If preferred, roll the excess dough under the rims and flute with a fork. Brush each crust with egg wash, melted butter, or margarine. Cut two or three slits in each crust to allow steam to escape. Place the bowls on a shallow baking pan with space between each. Bake on the middle-low rack of an oven preheated to 350 degrees, until the crusts are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Notes: Shortcut crusts include puff pastry and phyllo dough.

Yields: Four main-dish servings

Cabbage Patch Soup

Most people may have little use for the 10 quarts that my original Cabbage Patch Soup recipe makes. Here’s a reduced version that will produce 3 quarts – a more manageable quantity. The same great flavor and nutrition are still there. I’ve been told that this soup burns more calories to eat than it contains, so this may be a good choice to help with weight management.

1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

4 cups broth or water

2½ cups coarsely chopped cabbage

1¼ cup coarsely chopped onion

½ cup coarsely chopped celery

½ cup chopped bell pepper, or other peppers or chilies

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground mustard

¼-½ teaspoon curry powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

1 (14½-ounce) can crushed or petite diced tomatoes

Additional broth or water, if needed

¾ teaspoon dried parsley

Put all of the ingredients, except the tomatoes and parsley, in a medium stockpot. Cover with a lid and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about an hour, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat, as needed, to maintain a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes. Add additional broth or water, if needed, to just cover the vegetables. Cover the pot and return to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. They’ll continue to cook some after removal from the heat, so allow for that. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and add seasonings, if needed.

Yields: About 3 quarts

Pork Posole Soup

Here’s a soupy version of the popular south-of-the-border dish, pork pozole, sometimes spelled posole. Usually made with pork, beef or poultry can be substituted when no one is looking. When the chili powder, cumin, coriander, and lime juice are in the right proportion to each other, this dish sings!

4 cups boneless pork shoulder-butt roast or country-style ribs, cut into ¾-inch cubes

4-6 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

8 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 cups coarsely chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 (30-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder

1½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons lime juice

While cutting the pork, discard as much of the fat as possible. Dry the cubes with paper towels (this will reduce spattering and improve browning) and spread them on a pan to raise to room temperature. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet (a 10- or 11-inch sauté pan is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer to a medium stockpot with a slotted spoon. Replenish the pan with oil, if needed; repeat with the remaining pork. Transfer the pork and juices to the pot. Add the water, salt, and black pepper. Heat to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes. While the pork simmers, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over high-medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell and jalapeño pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. When finished simmering, stir in all ingredients except the cilantro and lime juice. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, cover, and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Discard the fat from the surface (there may be a lot of it). Stir well, taste, and add seasonings, if needed.

Notes: The amount of oil needed will vary with the fat content of the pork. Like most canned beans, canned hominy is undercooked in my opinion. For softer hominy, parboil it in broth or water to nearly the desired doneness, then drain and add to the soup according to recipe directions.

Yields: About 5 quarts

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com.