Soup 201: Five Fall First-courses

 Last week I had to drop something off at Jenn's apartment which is in a little town about a half hour west from where I teach.  It was such a gorgeous day that we decided to drive to a little farmer's market we had passed before, but never took the time to stop at.  The little old couple that worked there were so cute; they told us about the produce they had just received and what farms it had all come from.  I couldn't resist buying a box load of their wares - some I decorated my house with and the rest got made into yummy fall soup!  All five of these soups are super easy.  They call for very few ingredients because sometimes a simple soup made out of a vegetable  is just delicious without a whole lot of extras. The tomato/pepper soup was inspired by a recipe passed onto me by Aunt Gayla.  It called for white bread, ground almonds, and arrow root. Since it sounded like too much work, I pared it down to the directions below.  I found the pumpkin soup in a Libby's advertisement.  Yes, it involves the canned vegetable, but its a whole lot easier than stewing a big old pumpkin on the stove! The broccoli soup came from an old friend who used to live in the hills of Brown County.  When I gave up potatoes for a low carb diet, I hit upon replacing them in everything with cauliflower - including the soup below, and the black bean soup was something I threw together one day that was always a favorite with Caroline.

Red Tomato/Yellow Pepper Soup                                       
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic, put through press
2 large yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 large red tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon of ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
salt
pepper
Take two separate pans and put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in each one. Saute 1/2 of the diced onion in each pan until soft. Add one clove of the pressed garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the yellow pepper to one pan and the tomato to the other one. Put 2 cups of chicken broth into each pan. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 a teaspoon of pepper to each pan. To the tomatoes add the thyme and the basil. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down. Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Then, puree each mixture separately with a blender or food processor. Put each mixture into a pitcher. Serve soup in bowls by slowly pouring the tomatoe mixture from one side and the pepper mixture from the other. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Curried Pumpkin Soup 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, put through press
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (16 oz. can)
1/2 cup skim milk
Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add curry powder, coriander, pepper flakes, salt, and garlic and saute one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin and skim milk and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Pour into bowls and garnish with sour cream and sliced green onion.

Broccoli Soup 
1 head of broccoli
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups of skim milk
Cut the broccoli flowerets into bite sized pieces. Place the broccoli and olive oil in a large pan, cover, and keep on medium heat (stirring occassionally) until the broccoli is soft, but not mushy. Then sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the broccol and gently mix it until the flour is not dry. Over medium heat while stirring, alternate adding the cheese and the milk until both are mixed in. (Don't let mixture boil or it will curdle)

"Loaded" Cauliflower Soup 
1 head of cauliflower
1 15oz. can of chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
2 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
sliced green onion
Core and cut the cauliflower into pieces. Place cauliflower in a pan along with water and cook it until it is very soft. Drain the water and using a blender or food processor, puree it. Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into bowls and serve with the cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles, and sliced green onion on top.

Black Bean Soup 
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, put through a press
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans of beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
pepper jack cheese, monterey jack cheese, sour cream for garnish
Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the garnishes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with the garnishes. (This soup can also be pureed)

Soup 101

Almost Like St. Elmo's Bean Soup

     

     The last time Roy and I ate at St. Elmo's the weather was chilly. So, when the waiter asked us if we wanted soup, it seemed like a good idea. I asked him what kind it was. He said it was sort of like Campbell's Bean with Bacon.  Later, he confided that up until 1996, the soup they served actually was Campbell's Bean with Bacon!  Only in recent years has it been "homemade" - actually made by some guy that supplies soup to restaurants.  Making soup isn't hard at all, especially if canned beans are used and the steps below are followed. This post includes my copy cat version of St. Elmo's soup and some easy recipes to get anyone started.

If you can open a can of broth, you can make yummy soup!

The Formula for Easy Soup:

Step 1: First Saute the vegetables in two tablespoons of olive oil.

Step 2: Add canned broth (chicken, beef, vegetable) or tomato sauce.

Step 3: Add precooked meat and/or rinsed & drained canned beans.

Step 4: Add vegetables and/or precooked pasta

Step 5: Add spices

 Almost Like St. Elmo’s Navy Bean Soup

2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans of chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans of Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
One 8 oz. package of diced ham
2 generous tablespoons of tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of thyme
1/8 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes

Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in the olive oil on medium low heat until the tender.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and let simmer about 10 minutes.

Not necessary but nice to do: Take two cups of the soup (beans and all) out of the pot and puree it in a food processor or blender, and then return it to the pot.

Minestrone

 2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Two 15 oz. cans of broth (vegetable, chicken, beef)

1 cup of cooked chicken or beef (optional)

                                  1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes                                 

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

1/4 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans (white Kidney)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in the olive oil on medium low heat until the tender.  Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
* Click HERE for a pesto sauce recipe - great to stir in just before serving. 

Tex Mex Chicken Soup

2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked and diced chicken
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can corn, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For serving: mall bunch of fresh cilantro and ripe avocado

Saute the carrots, celery, and onion   in the olive oil over medium low heat until they are tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and chopped avocado.

Click HERE to read an article I wrote about making Red Bean & Ham Soup.

Jewels in a Jar -So Easy Refrigerator "Pickles"

Add some of the "pickles"
to lettuce, splash on some
"pickle juice", drizzle some
olive oil over it - yummy salad!

                                                                                                                  
 Several months ago, I picked up a cookbook, Simple Fresh Southern by Matt and Ted Lee, at a Borders going out of business sale.  They had a whole chapter on "fresh" pickles and sang their praises about how fabulous they are to put out as an appetizer or to serve as a side dish. They had some pretty interesting combos such as grapes with rosemary and cucumbers with lemon.  A few weeks later, I took the girls up to little town about an hour north of us where an old school friend of Jenn's, Brittany, was in beauty school.  She needed to get some "practicum" hours on real human heads and the price was right, so away we went.  While I was waiting, I thumbed through a bunch of magazines.  In one, decorators sounded off on how they entertain.  Fruit and vegetable pickles were mentioned as a way to adorn tables like "jewels in jar".  I decided to give it a try.  I had always wanted to make giardiniera, Italian style pickled vegetables, but all the recipes I ever looked at involved boiling the ingredients first and sealing them in jars. Too much work!  I decided to try to make it Lee brother style, and the results were great!  It lasts in the refrigerator forever (even after three weeks, the vegetables were crisp and crunchy) and it is so much cheaper to make it rather than buy it at the store in a jar.  I have used it as part of a tapas spread, in an antipasto platter, in New Orleans muffuletta sandwiches, and it really kicks it up as part of an Italian salad.  But what is really great is how quick and easy it is to make!  The recipe follows the pictures below.

                           

                                Steps to make quick and easy refrigerator "pickles"

1. Slice or cut up your choice of vegetables into bite size pieces

2.  Heat up vinegar and spices

3.  Place the cut up vegetables in a jar, or leave them in the bowl.

4. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables

     My Favorite Vegetable Pickles

1/4 head of cauliflower
1 small white onion
2 large carrots
1 large red pepper
1 large cucumber
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small bit of "heat" - a small seeded jalapeno, dried hot red, or red flakes of pepper
Cut the cauliflower in bite size pieces. Peel carrots, slice in half lengthwise, then half lengthwise again, and cut each piece into thirds. Core and seed the red pepper and cut it into large square like pieces. Cut the cucumber lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. Scoop out the seeds and cut each piece into thirds. Peel the onion and cut it into eighths.
Place the vegetables in a bowl and gently mix them up. Either leave them in the bowl or put the vegetable mixture into glass jars.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat to a boil.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables a bit at a time, let them cool a few minutes, and them store them in the refrigerator.

Great in an antipasta salad!

                                                                              

A Craft and a Cheese Ball

Beaded Appetizer Knives

 With Plates to Match

 Beads, craft wire, butter knives, and plates from the discount store

Start by shaping wire in concentric circles

Wrap the wire a few times around the knive

Add the beads, wrapping as you go

Curry Cheese Ball with Mango Chutney


Not much left!

1 eight ounce package of cream cheese              
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 small jar of mango chutney (The spicy kind is nice!)
Mix all ingredients except chutney well. Form into a ball. Place on serving platter. Pour chutney over the ball. Serve with crackers.

Meatballs and Moving - Three Recipes




Albondiagas con Salsa de Tomate

A couple of weeks ago I had a wild span of about four days that involved meatballs and moving.  Roy was  on a trip that he had planned months before, and both Jenn and Alli were scheduled to move out on the very days he was gone. Allison was headed back to college. Jenn, just graduated from college, landed her first job which required that she live in her work territory.  With an apartment to move into but nothing to put in it, Jenn got the idea of filling up the place with stuff from Ikea.  It sounded like a pretty good adventure, so Friday, as soon as I got home from school, Alli, Jenn, and I drove two and a half hours to the nearest Ikea store.  Before we even got to the store, we could see it from the highway.  It was massive!  Hanging on the building was a huge banner announcing a price reduction of delicious looking meatballs!  We parked the car and walked through the entrance at 7:22 pm.  We could now smell the meatballs and see crowds of people eating the meatballs! I could just imagine the conversation that the people there must of had earlier - "Honey, it's Friday night.  Let's go out to Ikea and eat meatballs for dinner."  Unfortunately, the store closed at 9:00, so there was no time for us eat the meatballs!  We were starving (bad planning) but perservered and wound up in the check out line at 8:50.  Two of the items Jenn purchased had to be brought out of the warehouse, so Alli waited on those while Jenn and I loaded up the car with the self serve boxes.  We had taken all the seats out of the mini van except the three we needed, and Jenn and I were feeling pretty smug about how efficiently we had packed the car as we walked back to where Alli was with the other two pieces.  Our hearts just went to our throat as we saw how big they were!  The three of us took them back to the car and struggled to fit them in.  No one said anything out loud, but it was evident that we weren't going to fit them in.  My mind raced as I thought about our options.  The store was now closed. Aunt Claire actually lives in the city where the Ikea is - but she was at the lake at that time.  Of course Roy was miles away.  Just then an angel walked up to help us.  He was a maintenance man and said he was sure he could find a way to make it all fit.  We unloaded everything out of the van and started over again.  He put the boxes in like pieces of a puzzle - sometimes putting them through the front seat and sometimes pushing them across over the middle.  We were just soaked with sweat from anxiety and the heat when it was all finally packed but we were all so thankful for that kind man's help. We got home at 12:15 a.m., got up at 7:00 a.m., moved and put together the furniture with Jenn all day until evening.  The next day was spent getting all of Alli's stuff together and packed.  When I asked Alli what she wanted for her last meal home, she answered without hestitating, "Meatballs!"

 

Below are three different recipes for meatballs that we love.  At the bottom is the website you can go to for the recipe for Ikea meatballs.  I've never had them, but I'm told they are very yummy!



Taking a Meatball Break with Leftovers



 

Three Steps for All Meatball Recipes




1.  Put together the meatball mix




2.  Shape into  balls and grill 5 min. a side or bake 350 degrees for 20 min.




 3.  While meatballs are cooking prepare the sauce

 



#1  Allison's favorite:  Mediterranean Style

(Inspiration from The Family Chef by Jewels & Jill Elmore)

Meatball Mix

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 egg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste (Use the other 2 tablesp. in can for sauce)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (Use the other 2 tablesp. in lemon for sauce)

Combine the ingredients, shape into balls, bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or grill 5 min. a side.

Sauce

Two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon chopped mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Combine the ingredients and simmer while the meat balls are cooking.

# 2 Albondigas con Salsa de tomate - Spanish Style Meatballs

( Adapted from Greatest Ever Spanish &Tapas Recipes by Pepita Aris)

Meatball Mix

1 pound ground beef or turkey

bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

 

Combine the ingredients, shape into balls, bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or grill 5 min. a side.

Sauce

3 or 4 large tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine (or 2 teapoons red wine vinegar added last 5 min. of cooking)

Scant 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary of 1 teaspoon dried

pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine the ingredients and simmer while the meat balls are cooking.

#3 Italian Style Meatballs - With Caroline's Favorite Sauce

Meatball Mix

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Combine the ingredients, shape into balls, bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or grill 5 min. a side.

Sauce

Saute:

2 tablepoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 1/2 sliced peppers of any color or combo: green, red, organge, yellow

 

Add and saute for 30 seconds:

2 cloves of garlic put through press

 

Add and continue to simmer while meatballs are cooking:

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

1/2 teapoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Click for Ikea meatball recipe

Whole Wheat Crêpes

     Earlier this summer, Allison and I, her friends Yaniv and Grace, and my friend Marina ventured to the Carmel Arts District.  Besides gawking at outrageous artwork with outrageous prices, we popped into a cute little French restaurant called La Mie Emilie for an afternoon "snack".  We ordered croques (jazzed up grilled cheese) and crêpes.  Marina's choice was a Galette Végétarienne - a buckwheat crepe with sautéed tomatoes and onions, Gruyère cheese and an over-easy egg.  While we were munching away, Allison glanced at Marina's dish and asked her what it was.  Marina has a fabulous, wonderful accent and she told her it was a crepe.  However, it came out sounding like "crap".  Then she added, "And it's brown." The look on Allison's face was priceless!  I couldn't help it - I laughed until tears were streaming down my face!  And so did everyone else when I explained to Allison that Marina was eating a crepe and it was brown because it was made of buckwheat flour. 



Marina's Crepe!



Allison's Chcolate Coconut Crepe

 Back at home, my interest in attempting crepes was piqued!  I looked them up in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  She explained that in the average French household, crepes  weren't thought of as something special, but a common way to make use of left overs.  However, her recipes calls for making the batter and letting it sit in the refrigerator for two hours!  Who has time or is organized enough for that! (Not me!)  So, I turned to the May/June edititon of Cook's Illustrated.  In the article "Foolproof Crepes" the author assured me that it wasn't necessary to let the batter sit for an extended period of time before using. Good news for me - crepes can be whipped up anytime!

     Other useful tips given were: preheat the pan for 10 minutes, pour in just enough batter to coat the pan, and flip it by first nudging it underneath with a rubber spatula.



Ready to Flip



Savory Fillings



Last Sunday afternoon, Allison and I had a great time making these and experimenting with different fillings. Our favorites were: tomatoe, thin sliced ham and Gruyere cheese; Nutella with strawberries; and a squirt of lemon with a sprinkling of Splenda. However, the possibilities for different filling combinations are endless. I tried a couple different pans, and found the best one was an inexpensive eight inch "Wolfgang Puck Cafe Collection" omelet pan from Sam's Club.  I sprayed it liberally with cooking spray and then wiped the inside with a cloth each time before pouring in the batter.  To make the crepes healthier, I used whole wheat flour and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.  If you want to use regular white flour, increase the flour in the following recipe to 1 1/2 cups.



Nutella and Strawberries



Whole Wheat Crepe Batter                                              



Lemon and Sprinkle of Splenda



1 cup cold water

1 cup cold milk (I used skim)

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

Whirl the liquids, eggs and salt in the blender. Then add the flour and butter and blend again.



Grace and Yaniv at La Mie Emilie



Jose's Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons - A Special Treat!

Jose, the brother of one of Allison's friends, is an aspiring baker.  As the only boy in a family with five children, he  learned that making delicious treats keeps him in his sisters' good graces.  One of his specialties is coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate.  He picked up the recipe from watching the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.  They really are divine - toasted crunchy coconut on the outside and sweet chewy yumminess in the middle.  The chocolate takes it over the top and I think we were all in heaven when we sampled them!  We spent a delightful afternoon visiting, making beaded jewelry, and chatting while Jose taught us how to make these chocolate dipped coconut macaroon cookies.

While the oven was preheating at 325 degrees,  Jose mixed together 14 ounces coconut, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  He set this aside and asked for another mixing bowl.

  

Then Jose took the whites of two large eggs and added a pinch of salt to them.  With an electric mixer, he beat the egg white mixture until it was stiff, glossy, and clung to the beaters.

Jose then folded the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

                                                                   

We covered a cookie sheet with foil and misted it with cooking spray.  Jose prefers to use parchment paper, but I didn't have any on hand.  Next, Jose used a couple of large soup spoons to mold and drop the macaroons onto the cookie sheet.  The macaroons were placed in the oven and the timer was set for 25 minutes.

Towards the end of the baking time, Jose put 8 ounces of chocolate chips in a bowl.  He microwaved them for about 20 seconds.  The shape of the chips looked intact, but when he stirred them, it was evident that they had started to melt.  He continued to stir them until they became a smooth liquid.  Jose said sometimes it's necessary to microwave the chips a second time before they start to melt, but to be cautious about it!

When the macaroons were done baking, Jose removed them from the cookie sheet and dipped one side of each one in the melted chocolate.

All agreed; they were heavenly!
Thank you Jose!