Chipotle Chicken and Wild Rice Stoup

chipotle chicken and wild rice stoup (a soup as thick as stew)

Like most folks, we’re struggling a bit financially right now. But we also want to eat well, with some comforting winter food to tide us over the dark months. Stoups – thick, hearty one-dish meals that fall somewhere between a stew and soup – are among my favorite winter concoctions. They’re delicious, comforting, and fill the house with wonderful aromas while they cook. They also play well with improvisation. This time, I improvised a smokey, somewhat spicy, chipotle chicken and wild rice soup.

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Ground Beef Ragu

Ragu Calzone
A ragu is an Italian sauce or stew, made with tomatoes, ground meat, vegetables, and wine, and cooked for a very long time.  Blognese sauce is a variation on a ragu that most of us are familiar with – though, in that case, a specific regional variation that is a bit heavier on tomato than most.

Ragus are frequently used with pasta, especially spaghetti.  But they can go on just about anything.  Or, in the case of this week’s Pie of the Week, in anything, or at least a calzone.  They are rich, hearty, and full of flavor!
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