Soup, it's what's for dinner

Originally uploaded by mooncrazy

February, even though the weather is warm, is soup month for me. I can't get past the fact I'm making it wearing shorts but soup is a good "winter" meal for us.

A little spring cleaning was needed in my freezer after the holidays and January visit from relatives. I found some cubes of ham and a bone. There was also a package of chicken bones (I throw hardly anything away) left over when I boned a chicken last week. I roasted the bones with some chopped onions, carrots, and celery and then simmered the ham and chicken bones with the veggies in a large pot, about 4 quarts of water. Add some salt and pepper but remember, this is not the final product. The broth was drained through a sieve and discard everything else, it has served it's purpose. Chill in the fridge over night makes it easier to get rid of the fat. I then got busy making two soups.

Split Pea with Ham

1 lb of dried split peas, rinsed and sorted

2 quarts of broth

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, grated

3 stalks of celery, chopped

about 1 1/2 cups of chopped ham

salt and pepper to taste (careful with the sauce as the broth is sure to have seasoning)

Bring all to a simmer and cook uncovered until the peas are no longer peas, about 2 hours. If it gets too thick add some canned chicken broth or a bit of water. Adjust the seasonings and serve. We like cornbread to accompany it be it can be a first course if you wish. This soup freezes quite well and since it's just me and my honey, I freeze up separate containers for a future lunch.

The next soup is Artichoke Potato Puree and that post will be along any day now.

clam chowda

i'm not emeril's biggest fan, he's a bit overdramatic for me. case in point, he calls this dish "clam chowder of love." that being said, this soup is so good i have to make up a word, it is fantabulous. probably the best chowder i've ever had. the leeks and the bacon totally make this dish, giving it layers of flavor. it's definitely not low fat, but it tastes sooo good. you could probably make it with half and half or even milk, but why?

here are the ingredients...

• 1/2 pound bacon, medium dice
• 1 cup chopped leeks (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots, peeled
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 pound white potatoes, peeled and medium diced
• 4 cups clam juice (i used 5)
  
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 pounds littleneck clams, shucked, chopped (i used 3 cans of chopped clams and drained the juice to make up the clam juice - could've used 4 cans)
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

and the steps...

In a heavy stock pot, over medium-high heat, render the bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes.



Stir in the leeks, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the vegetables start to wilt.



Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes.



Stir in the clam juice. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the mixture until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes.



Add the cream and bring up to simmer. Add the clams and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed.



Enjoy!

Mushroom Barley Stew

Lucullian Delights and Joanna's Food has paired up with another wonderful blogger Accidental Scientist to handle this months Heart of the Matter The deadline for submitting is February 23rd. Even if you don't enter, we all know we should be eating healthier so go take a look and see what you might enjoy preparing for your family or even just yourself. The turn out entries are abundant and the recipes are phenomenally good.

This is really a soup recipe that I turned into a stew by making the vegetables chunky and adding leftover roast beef I had chopped.

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
2 cups mushrooms (can be cremini, Portobello, or even button)
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley (toast the barley for a nuttier flavor)
4 3/4 cups beef broth low sodium
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

a splash of Sherry adds another good flavor

Adding the beef is optional and is not in the nutritional guide.

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and mushrooms; sauté approx. 7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in barley, and sauté 2 minutes. The sauteing of the barley gives the stew a nice nutty flavor. Add stock, celery, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add thyme, and cook 5 minute

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Guide...CALORIES 217(19% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 13.9g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 624mg; FIBER 6.8g; IRON 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.1g

And the tradition continues

Go check out this very same blog I did exactly a year ago. I just love this soup and I will continue to make this every Christmas eve cause it is so good. Sorta like the tradition of the broccoli casserole we do for Thanks giving. http://pbetouffee.blogspot.com/2006/12/christmas-eve-lite.html Wish you all a very Merry and a very Happy!!!

Soups on!

The weather has dipped into the 60s which is a sure sign of fall in Southern California. Another sign, we're getting the dreaded Santa Ana Winds. Now before the winds do hit, they usually send the temps skyrocketing, I felt in the need for some tummy-warming soup.

The cafeteria at the Getty Center is very good, for institutional food, and they really excel in the soup category. After trying one last week I came home to create a new one. I just never thought of combining the beans with potato but the taste and flavors work well together.

Garbanzo bean and potato soup with kale

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup diced potato--I used red skinned
about 1 lb of browned sausage--I used chorizo
1/2 cup diced onion, sauteed
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed--I like Crimini
1/2 cup chopped and seeded tomato
about a cup of fresh kale, chopped into bit sized pieces
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
salt and pepper

This was simmered for about an hour. The kale is 'scratchy' if you under cook it.

This soup is pretty much a meal in a bowl, which I like on busy nights, and I'm lucky enough to have a husband who thinks the same. He's quite easy to please. Just add some garlic bread and he's been served dinner. Oh, and make sure there's dessert after.

A Sunday afternoon soup

After picking up some andouille sausage ***at the market the other day, and have no idea why I did that, but I did. I thought "weeeeeell I'll think about something I want to do with it, it'll come to me."

Well it did in the way of a TV show on foodtv.com. Didn't see it from the beginning but the chef made my adapted version of Split Pea Soup with Andouille Sausage. And boy did that get my attention.

Ingredients

1 lb green split peas
10 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb andouille sausage
1 cup diced mild onion
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 cup small diced carrot (I had shredded carrots on hand)
1 cup diced celery
1 small can chopped green chiles (optional)
1 whole bay leaf
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

You could put all of this in a crock pot and cook for 5 - 6 hours.
However I did not do that.

My Method

saute onions, celery, carrots till soft, add the garlic, but do not allow to burn. Chop the sausage and add to the mixture, saute sausage till slightly brown. Add the stock and split peas. Cook on med/low heat for 3 - 4 hours. The kitchen will be enveloped in this wonderful aroma. I added the chopped green chiles and smoked paprika near the end and chopped cilantro before serving.

I see this revisited one nite this week. So wonderfully rich, full of flavors and serve with some tasty sourdough rolls and my adult beverage of choice happened to be a Corona. Please let me know if you prepare this. Feedback folks, we need feedback.

***thanks to Ellie for pointing out that not everyone knows what andouille sausage is, I included a link.

minestrone?

i got some kale in the crop share this week and i was thinking of making momma moon's white beans, ham and kale for dinner this weekend. i started looking up recipes and kinda got sidetracked. here's what i ended up with:



i guess it's a minestrone, as there are tomatoes in it. here's what ended up going in the pot:

32 oz chicken broth and about half again as much water
1 lb sweet italian sausage (the trader joe's house brand is rad)
2 cans cannelini beans
1 onion, chopped
a few carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
salt
can crushed tomatoes with juice
small can of tomato sauce
a few handfuls of torn up kale

i browned the sausage links first, then put them aside to cool and slice up. i added a little olive oil to the sausage fat in the pot and then cooked the onions, celery, carrots, thyme and salt for about 6 - 8 minutes, until onion got soft and was just starting to take on a little color. then i deglazed the bottom of the pan with some of the chicken broth and added the rest of the liquid. then i added two cans of beans (drained), the tomatoes/sauce and the sliced sausage and let it simmer about 15 minutes. i added the kale and simmered about 15 more. served with some grated parmesan on top and sourdough bread to dip. proclaimed "delicious" by my long-suffering husband.

to try next time: deglaze the pan with some pinot grigio. add more broth. add some macaroni.

Tortilla Soup revisited for a Super Day!

Alanna over at A Veggie Venture
has come up with a terrific idea to free us all of that February frigid feeling. For Super Bowl Sunday I was asked to do an instant replay of the tortilla soup. I heartily agreed cause this is easy and tasty.

My love for Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes is well known, I had some leftover chicken breast that I diced up and some of that mean green sauce that Sister moon posted. I chopped up a small onion, added the chicken once the onion was sauted, poured the mean green sauce over the chicken and added a half a container box of low sodium chicken broth.Let that simmer for a bit and added my can of fire roasted tomatoes, added the remainder of the chicken broth and let simmer for about half hour. A can of white hominy, rinsed it well and added that to the pot. Now remember the mean green sauce already has a lot of seasoning so extra is not need. Taste as you go.Once the hominy is heated thru it tends to thinken the soup, so I added another box of chicken broth. Finished it off with tortilla strips lots of em as husband says, slices of avacado, a squeeze or three of a lime and some fresh cilantro.I had made corn muffins earlier and added a can of chopped green chiles to the batter.Find the similar recipe here at the Muir Glen site. Try it if you like spice, adjust it if you don't.

What better way to celebrate the vistory of the Colts!!!

Christmas Eve lite

Not the best photo I have ever taken ;~(

Soup is a good thing to have for a Christmas Eve, meal because you know darn well you are gonna eat a ton the next day.

So for Christmas Eve I made for the two of us the family Potato Soup recipe that has been around for quite sometime now.

As usual I put a twist to the Creamy Potato soup. I made the basic recipe that sister moon found ages ago.

BUT I kept a few of the bite size pieces of potatoes out, sauteed them in a bit of butter and a dash or three of smoky paprika, then added them at the last minute.
Tasty if I say so myself. And served with fresh sourdough rolls and a glass of wine you are good to go for that Christmas meal that you know you will over indulge.

This recipe my sister printed up in a small cookbook that was amongst many of her other favorites that she compiled and sent out for Christmas gifts. I think it was about 15 +/- years ago because of a particular reference.

Potato Soup

1/4 C butter

1 C celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 C parsley (I forgot the parsley)

3 - 4 white potatoes chopped (about 4 cups)

1 qt milk (I used half milk and the other half was half & half)

1 qt low sodium chicken broth

3 Tbls cornstarch

salt & pepper to taste

In a kettle melt butter, add onion & celery cook till limp. Add all but about a cup of the potatoes, parsley and broth. Cook until tender. Stir in milk and cook til soup is hot, DO NOT BOIL. ***This is where I get out my mini boat motor AKA hand held blender to blend the soup to a smooth consistency. Once smooth blend cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry and stir into soup, continue to heat until soup thickens. If you find it a bit thick to your liking add a bit more broth. Add the parsley at the last minute. This is where I steamed a few of the potatoes and sauteed them in a bit of butter and a few sprinkles of smoky paprika. Love the flavor it adds.

***not a necessary part of the method but something that I do.