Chicken Corn Chowder

I made this soup at least once a year, and its my boyfriend's favorite. You can adjust the amount of cream vs milk you use to make a creamier soup.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 3 cups of milk product - use all milk for a lighter soup but avoid skim milk if you can. Replace all or some of the milk with cream if you want a heavier soup. I usually do 2 cups of milk, and 1 cup of cream. 
• 2 strips of bacon, cut into pieces
• 2 cups of corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 large chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 chopped medium onion
• 1 cup of cubed potatoes (I use red skins, use whatever you have on hand)
• 1 pound of cooked chopped chicken
• 1-2 diced jalapeños - depending on how spicy you want your soup
• 1 anaheim chili, seeded and quartered
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until done, remove the bacon and all but one tablespoon of the fat.
2. Over medium heat cook the bell pepper, celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and jalapeños in the bacon fat and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
3. While your vegetables are cooking, roast your corn and cumin under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until the born is slightly charred.
4. Add milk, chicken stock, corn, bay leaf, anaheim chili, and bacon.
5. Turn up the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for at least an hour, and then add your chicken.
6. When you're ready to serve your soup, remove the anaheim chili and the bay leaf.

Vietnamese Style Pork Burgers

My boyfriend and I are in love with Vietnamese food, the spices, charred pork, and traditional pickles go perfectly together. I decided to attempt a burger that had those flavors for a Sunday night dinner. This is a ground pork burger, spiced with traditional Vietnamese flavors, topped with mint or Thai basil, cilantro, pickled radishes and carrots, and a spicy sriracha mayonnaise.

Ingredients - The Burger 

- 1 pound of ground pork

- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce

- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

- 1/4 cup of lime juice

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 - 2 teaspoons sriracha (or similar chili garlic sauce)

- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

- 1 egg 

- 1/4 - 3/4 cup of bread crumbs (I used panko, but any will do)

• Combine all of the above ingredients, except for the egg and bread crumbs. Mix until just combined, be careful not to over-mix. Let this sit for at least an hour to allow the flavors to come together.
• After an hour, add the egg and bread crumbs to your pork mix, form your meat mixture into 4 patties. 
• Heat your grill, grill pan, or frying pan to high heat (I used a grill pan, it was 25* out when I had this idea).
• Once your cooking surface is heated, start your burgers. Don't be afraid of charring the outside of your burgers, the sugar in the meat will cause the outside to char slightly.
• Char each side for about 3 minutes each, then turn the heat down, and cover for an additional 10 minutes, until the patties are cooked through. 
• Allow meat to rest for about two minutes before placing on a toasted bun of your choice, and finishing with the additional toppings listed below.

Ingredients - Vietnamese Pickles 

- 1 cup radishes, sliced

- 1 cup carrots, shredded

- 2 tablespoons salt

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 c, rice vinegar 

• Combine carrots, radishes, and salt together in a bowl. - Make sure the salt is well mixed with the carrots and radishes. 
• Let this sit for at least 20 minutes -  the salt is removing the water from the carrots and radishes.
• After 20 minutes, drain, wash, and rinse your veggies. 
• Add sugar and vinegar and let this marinate together for at least 2 hours
• After 2 hours, drain, rinse, and dry your pickles, and top your burger to your liking. 
• *If after marinating your veggies, you taste them, and think they are too sour, top them with a little extra sugar (an extra teaspoon should do it) to fix the problem.

Ingredients - Additional Burger Toppings

- 1/2 cup mint leaves, or Thai basil

- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, mixed with 1 tablespoon of sriracha