Two Speedy Soups From Canned Tomato Sauce

Tomato Coconut Curry and Tomato Sausage Soup

Now that all my girls are out on my own - it's weird, I know - but I'm still cooking for them. It's like we are in tandem universes. They are hundreds of miles away, but I still try to make dishes I think they would like as well as approve of! It makes for a lot of sharing and discussion, which is a lot of fun for me. One thing I realize is they come home late, tired and hungry after a whole day of working followed by some kind of exercise class or activity. They want something substantial, but fast and also perhaps Whole 30 compliant or at least healthy. The soups posted here are so easy and with label reading, they can be made with canned tomato sauce that doesn't have bad stuff in it! The trick to the Tomato Coconut Curry is to have already cooked chicken meat on hand and a left over sweet potato. Or, a microwave that zaps them in five minutes.  The smooth broth goes so well with the velvety cooked sweet potato and the subtle spiciness is very warming on a cold day. The Tomato Sausage Soup is an old favorite of Roy's and I've made it for years. I put it together out of desperation one night when all I had on hand was a can of tomato sauce, some sausage, and a handful of mixed salad greens. It turned out to be hearty and delicious! Aidells brand sausage is available at most grocery stores and happens to be Whole 30 allowed. I'd love to know which of these soups people enjoy more!

Tomato Coconut Curry Soup - Serves Two as Main Dish

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 medium sweet potato, cooked and cubed
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, put through a press or finely minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, including juice
1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
1/2 heaping cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Lime wedges for serving

Procedure

Peel and slice onion. Heat oil over medium low heat and saute onion until tender - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cilantro and curry powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes. coconut milk, sweet potato, chicken, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Turn the heat up to medium high to get the mixture up to a simmer, then turn down to medium low and cook for 5 more minutes.

Tomato Sausage Soup - Serves Two as Main Dish

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sliced sausage
2 cups greens - spinach and/or kale
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can beef broth
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Procedure:

Brown sausage over medium heat - about  3 to 5 minutes per side. Add tomato sauce, greens, beef broth, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, garlic powder. Bring up to a boil, then turn down to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.

Chicken Paprikash with Pepper & Onion "Noodles"

So - we are halfway through January which means for some people, they are halfway through the Whole 30. (Not for me though - I had to start over on the 10th!) Allison set up a Facebook message group called "Whole 30 Yates Clan Support Group" which even includes cousins.  From this sharing communication I feel that the anxiety of actual cooking is now being replaced by the big question of what to do with all the vegetables that everyone seems to now have around. Also, time is still huge a issue. As I've said before, if it isn't quick and easy, I'm not going to make it - but it has to taste yummy. I suspect that the secret to staying on this program for the 30 days is that food has to have a lot of flavor and be delicious. In chilly January, it also needs to be warm and satisfying. I've replaced traditional noodles in the post here with onion and colorful bell pepper ribbons. When I see bell peppers on sale, I like to buy a bunch, seed, slice and freeze them in zip lock bags - it's a time safer. This dish is packs a spicy punch that combats the chilly temperatures outside  - enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash - serves 4

1 pound chicken pieces

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the paprika, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper together. Rub into the chicken. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and brown chicken - about 7 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Bell Pepper & Onion Noodles for Chicken Paprikash

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 large onion

2 tablespoons oil

1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

parsley to garnish

Core and seed peppers. Slice peppers and onions into strips. Heat oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Saute vegetables until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Combine diced tomatoes, tomato paste and Hungarian paprika, salt, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add to pan.

Gently combine the tomato mixture and the peppers together.

Place the browned chicken on top of the vegetables, cover with foil, and simmer over medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into a chicken piece to check to make sure it is completely cooked. Ladle into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Pulled Pork on Braised Red Cabbage

Cooking at home is a healthy habit; there is total control over what ingredients are in the dish! But I've realized that for some, it really stresses them out! They come home from work tired, hungry and don't want to mess with an hour of kitchen toil. I know - I've been there!  The secret is recipes that are quick, easy, and are made with some protein that's already been cooked.  When the girls were growing up, I'd roast a chicken or a cut of beef on Sunday, then I could use the left overs in other things during the week. Today, my Instant Pot makes it even easier. This post involves placing some pulled pork on top of braised red cabbage. If time and patience are short, ditch the carrots and/or the apples in the recipe - it will still taste great - but if five more minutes could be spared, it's worth it! 

Spice Mix Rub for Pulled Pork

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together.

Directions for Cooking Pulled Pork

3 - 4 pound pork shoulder/Boston butt
Spice mix rub for pulled pork above
2 cups beef broth
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit, or get out crock pot or pressure cooker such as Instant Pot.
First pour the beef broth and apple cider vinegar vinegar into a roasting pan, crock pot, or pressure cooker.

Then rub the spice mix into the meat.

Put the meat into the cooking vehicle.

Cook until pork can be pulled about and shredded with two forks. For oven, roast for 4 to 5 hours. For crock pot, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. For pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.

Braised Red Cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium red cabbage, cored and shredded
1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and sliced
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup red vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground cloves

Place the 2 tablespoons olive oil, onions, and carrot in a pan and saute over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. Then add the cabbage, apple cubes, orange juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and ground cloves. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes over medium low heat until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Place some braised cabbage on each serving plate or on one large platter. Place pulled pork on cabbage. Place a handful of greens on top and finish off with a sprinkle of red wine vinegar, drizzle of olive oil, and a shake of sea salt.

Old Classic: Louie Salad and Its Scrumptious Dressing

When we visited San Francisco this past September, one of the places several people recommended as a "must see" was the Cliff House. It's been a part of local history since 1858 and is located on Point Lobos Avenue near the Ocean Beach neighborhood. The building has been rebuilt at least five times due to fires and renovations. It was once a destination for movie stars and the rich but is now owned by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The two restaurants inside are managed by a private contractor and the menus are old school traditional.
I ordered the Louie Salad and was blown away by how delicious the accompanying dressing was - and I usually don't even like thousand island! Of course I had to try to duplicate it and what I came up is not only good on this salad, but also as a different take on shrimp cocktail or even mixed into to chopped seafood as a sandwich filling. 

Ingredients and Directions

Yields four servings:

1 pound medium cooked shrimp or 1 pound cooked lump crab meat
 1 head of lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber, washed and cut into slices
1 bunch asparagus
2 or 3 tomatoes, cut into slices
4 eggs

Hard boil the eggs. (Here's the way I do it: place the eggs in a pan filled with enough cold water to cover them. Place the pan on the stove and turn the heat to high. Set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the pan off the heat, drain the water, and run cold water over the eggs until they are cool enough to handle.) Peel and slice in half.

Wash asparagus and cut the woody ends off. Cook by placing the asparagus spears in a skillet with enough water to barely cover them. Turn heat to high and allow to come up to a boil. Then, turn heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until spears are tender and easily pierced with a fork.

If using shrimp, rinse and remove the tails.

Place lettuce on four serving plates or one large platter. Arrange the cucumber slices, asparagus spears, tomato slices, and halved hard boiled eggs on each plate or platter. Top with the shrimp or crab meat.

Serve with the dressing below:

Yields about one cup of salad dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, put through a press or finely minced
2 tablespoons Heinz chili sauce
1 tablespoon chopped bread & butter pickles
1 teaspoon country style Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Franks hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl until well blended. Serve along side salad.

Incredibly Delicious Maple and Bacon Pancakes

Roy and I are spending our first weekend home after being gone for three and a half months meandering around the western United States. Being in that part of the country, we couldn't help feeling the cowboy influence. Lots of western genre movies have been filmed out that way and we enjoyed visiting Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills in California as well as the Old Tucson movie set in Arizona. Several John Wayne films were made in both places and local people still are in awe of the Duke. Somewhere along the way, Roy bought me The Official John Wayne Family Cookbook (published by Topix Media Lab, 2016). Turns out Wayne must have really liked pancakes - there are three recipes for them in the breakfast section. The one in this post is adapted from the Maple Pancake recipe in the cookbook. I have to confess that we ate these two times this week; they really are that good. There is just something irresistible about the salty sweetness of maple and bacon!

Ingredients and Directions:

Makes about Six Maple and Bacon Pancakes

6 slices thick-cut bacon
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons uncooked old fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup plus more to serve
2 tablespoons bacon grease

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut bacon in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Stir frequently. When done, remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Reserve the bacon grease.

Put oats in blender or food processor and grind to a powder.

Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease.

Blend well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container once or twice. Then let sit for 10 minutes. Stir all but a handful of the bacon bits into the batter; save the reserved bits to garnish each serving.

Heat the skillet over medium-low and brush some of the reserved bacon grease on the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook until the pancake has bubble holes showing in the middle and the edges look dry. Then carefully flip over and let it cook for another minute.

Put cooked pancakes on a plate and keep warm in the oven until all the batter is used.

Put some of the bacon bits on top of each serving and pass the maple syrup!

Orzo Salad

Our meandering summer RV travels took us to beautiful Montana this week. Besides the trill of seeing some of the most beautiful scenery in the world (honestly), we got to visit with our friends Jim and Carol. They are the type of people that never slow down; countless friends, activities, and family keep them extremely busy. When Carol invited us for dinner, I wanted to bring something that would make cooking the meal just a bit easier for her. But - I had another motive too. I had been craving the orzo salad I served at the brunch the day after Caroline's wedding. It was one of the things I had ordered from Market District, a grocery store chain that makes really yummy carry-out food. In my attempt to duplicate their Mediterranean Orzo Salad, I searched the internet and found one recipe that called for five pounds of uncooked orzo which would have resulted in 60 servings! Carol was only hosting six people, so I reduced the portions and substituted some ingredients. Roy really liked it - especially the next day - and gave me the nod to put it on the blog. Since it avoids a mayonnaise dressing, I think it would be great to take to a summertime pitch - in.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad - Serves Twelve 

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked orzo
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 1/4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup feta cheese, divided
1 cup cucumbers, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced and pitted
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup canned quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
Heaping 1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to package directions.

Set the spinach aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo, olives, cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup feta cheese, cucumber, garbanzo beans, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, and red onion.

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes together. Pour over the orzo mixture and gently toss.

Just before serving:

Gently toss in the fresh spinach leaves.

Then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of feta cheese over the top of the salad.

Curried Broccoli Salad

There are plenty of raw broccoli salad recipes out there, but I like this one best. It's got curry powder and a sweet/tangy thing going on that I can't resist. A lighter version can be made by substituting olive oil for the mayonnaise and increasing the apple cider vinegar. It's even further variable because it can be loaded up with other options such as dried fruit, nuts, and raisins. Once I even threw a 1/2 cup of trail mix in and everyone loved it! This winter when we were RVing it down in Florida, it was my standard pitch-in offering. And, embarrassing but true, once I had such a bad craving for it, I actually made it in the motor home while Roy was driving 70 plus mph! 

Ingredients:

3 broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized florets
1/4 cup finely diced red onion

Any or all of below:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried raisins
1/4 cup dried golden raisins

1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup pecan pieces
!/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup pepitas 

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup each of dried apple pieces 

Combine together in large bowl.

For the Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

*Lighter dressing: sub 1/2 cup olive oil & 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar for top 2 ingredients

Mix together until smooth.

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture to coat.

Place in a serving bowl and enjoy.