Spicy Split Pea Coconut Curry Soup

Ever have one of these days?

Lately I've been having more and more of them. Maybe I have cabin fever. Maybe I've been spending much too much time on Pinterest and am slowly losing brain cells. Maybe this is normal for someone  who is slowly descending into madness.

 

For the record, I haven't arrived at that last destination yet, the bone in the pot is a ham bone. Just in case you were wondering. It is not the leg of a Hobbit.

Promise.

One of our favorite frugal meals is split pea soup. I'm not talking about the yuck in a can either. That stuff can be compared to baby food; lacking flavor and texture, which makes it a little pointless to consume. Because dried peas are pretty bland by themselves, it's important to add flavor. The original recipe calls for light cream to be added at the end, but since we had no cream to add, I improvised.

 Then I improvised some more.

After I found a bigger pot.☺

~The Players~

5 cups chicken stock

5 cups water

1 lb. dried split peas

1 *meaty ham bone

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb. curry powder

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 can coconut milk

In a large soup pot, (and by large I mean large enough for the bone), combine the stock, water and split peas. Add the ham bone and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Remove the ham bone from the peas. When cool enough to handle, remove any meat from the bone and add back to the soup. Add vegetable mixture to the peas and stir well. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Using a blender or food processor, puree half the soup, 2 cups at a time until smooth. Add back to the pot. (I use an immersion blender and eyeball it.)

Pour coconut milk in to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add to the soup and stir to mix.

Season with salt & pepper. Add more red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

*Make it vegetarian by leaving out the Hobbit ham bone.

Creamy Turkey & Rice Soup

Now that it's officially turkey month, I've been on the lookout for some new recipes that will use up any Thanksgiving leftovers we might have. Of course, that's assuming there will be leftovers, but just in case, I need to be prepared.

Leftover turkey without a way to use it is the equivalent of Ben without Jerry, chips without dip, movies without popcorn, books without pages...wait, forget about that last one, Amazon already did that. But you get it, right?

Recently I attended a Pampered Chef party where Turkey & Wild Rice soup was one of the featured foods. As a turkey farmer (ha!) and food connoisseur, I feel I am qualified to give an opinion on this very special soup.

IT WAS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!

~describing any quality that is so indescribable that you have no real word to say it with~

I should be a food critic because I know what I like. And I can spell big words like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I also know what I don't like, so this recipe that I'm sharing is my version of the Pampered Chef soup. Even though the original was good enough to bring out my inner Julie Andrews (or is it my inner Dick Van Dyke?), I needed to change a few ingredients to make it more whole foods friendly. And because I have 2 huge cabinets full of spices, I added a few of those too.

Because that's how I roll.☺ (Mmmm...rolls.)

~Creamy Turkey & Rice Soup~

adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe

~The Players~

2 large carrots, shredded

8 oz. package of fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 cup soft wheat pastry flour

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups whole milk (or half & half)

4 cups cooked blend of wild & whole grain brown rices (I used Lundberg Wild Blend)

2 cups diced cooked turkey (I used more!)

1 t. dried tarragon

1/2 t. dried thyme

fresh ground pepper, to taste

sea salt, to taste (This will depend on the broth/stock used. Taste first!)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Melt butter in bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot. Add carrots, mushrooms, celery, and onion; cook 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in flour. Gradually add stock, and milk, whisking until blended. Add tarragon and thyme. Bring to a soft boil. Stir in cooked rice and turkey. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.

While soup simmers, toast slivered almonds in an oven or a cast iron pan on the stove. Just toast until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely because they will burn quickly! (Or so I've heard...) Stir almonds into soup just before serving.

Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

*Unless you're allergic to nuts, the almonds make this soup extra special. You'll have to trust me on this one!☺

Roasted Potato Clam Chowder

One of my all-time favorite soups is clam chowder. While talking to a friend the other day, I realized that there are still some people who think that great chowder is defined by the size of the can it comes from, the rolls that are served with it, and the attire that must be worn in order to be served.

Some people just don't get it.

Clearly, clam chowder is best when it's made from scratch. Even better when fresh clams are used.

And downright superb when it can be eaten while barefoot.

Der.

One of the highlights of spring and fall around here is clam-digging season. Thousands of people flock to the ocean in hip waders and rain gear (it's the Pacific Northwest people!), clam guns in hand, ready to hunt down the ever elusive mollusks. If you've never been clam digging, let me just tell you, it's a hoot. People aimlessly stomping around, sometimes carrying lanterns (depending on the time of low tide), staring at the ground, only to stop suddenly and start their frantic digging. Before you can dig however, you must first locate that tell-tale indentation in the wet sand that gives away the clams presence; up to a foot below you. It's a true testament of a great clam digger if they can retrieve the clam from the hole before the next wave rolls in and delivers them a salty sea bath!

Personally, I can't wait!

This recipe requires the use of leftover mashed potatoes. They thicken the soup nicely without the need for flour or cornstarch. (I mash my potatoes with cream cheese.) One of the tricks I use is to put leftover mashed potatoes in 1-cup freezer bags and freeze until ready to use. If there's any left over!

~Roasted Potato Chowder~

A Jabez Farm Original

~The Players~

8-9 cups unpeeled red potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces

olive oil for the roasting pan

4 cups chicken broth

1 lb. really good bacon

1 large onion, diced or chopped (personal preference)

8 oz. jar clam juice

3-6.5 oz cans of minced or chopped clams, undrained

OR

1-1/2 cups fresh clams, chopped or minced, PLUS another jar of clam juice

1 cube (8 Tb.) salted butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup half & half

1-1/2 t. dried parsley

1/2 t. dried tarragon

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil. Place half of the potatoes on pan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want them to have browned some.

In a large soup pot, place the remaining potatoes; add chicken broth to cover. If more is needed, just add enough water to finish covering. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Cook until very soft; 20-25 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut bacon (I use kitchen shears) and cook until done. The bacon doesn't need to be crispy, just cooked.

Bacon waiting to be cooked.

When the bacon is done, remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towels. Using the bacon grease in the pan, cook onion until translucent; 5-7 minutes.

When the stovetop potatoes are soft, remove from heat. Use a hand masher to carefully mash the potatoes while still in the pot.

Mash lightly to keep from getting burned.

To the mashed potatoes, add clam juice, bacon, and onions. Add parsley and tarragon and stir well. Return to low heat. Mix the heavy cream and half-and-half together. Temper the cream by adding a couple of tablespoons of soup; pour cream into pot, stirring well. Add the mashed potatoes and use a whisk to break apart and mix in with the soup.

Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and add those to the soup. Just leave them alone to melt on their own.

Once the butter is melted, add the roasted potatoes. The soup should be hot enough to eat at this point, if not, continue to heat but do NOT allow to boil.

Season with fresh ground pepper.

Shoes are optional.☺

Enjoy!

*I didn't add any extra salt, but if using unsalted chicken broth and unsalted butter, you'll probably need to add it.

Cheesey Broccoli Soup

There was a time in my life, not so very long ago, where the canned soup aisle was my favorite grocery store destination. I knew all the rules about only shopping in the outer aisles where the meats, produce, and dairy were, but those were secondary to the soup aisle.

When we started reading labels, I quickly realized that the canned soup aisle was not my friend. In fact, if we would've kept up with our "relationship", that aisle would've eventually killed me.

The Campbell's people knew that too, that's why they, along with most of the other soup maker's, started offering "healthier" alternatives. For my family, that still wasn't good enough. A person should never get a headache or expect their fingers to swell after consuming a bowl of comforting chicken noodle soup.

But that's exactly what happens. Loaded with sodium, msg, and other words that would send spell-check into melt-down mode, this is not the dreams that soups are made of.

Recently, I decided to clean out our pantry area that holds our store-bought, canned foods. I ended up throwing away 31 cans of soup.

Because they were expired.

Considering canned soups have a shelf life of 100 years or so (give or take a year), that's a clue as to just how long it's been since we've cracked open a can.

With broccoli coming into season, now is a great time to use this versatile veggie. Higher in vitamin C than any citrus fruit, broccoli is considered one of the top 10 powerhouse fruits & vegetables. Broccoli has also been proven to fight and prevent cancer, is high in fiber, and is low carb. Don't worry too much about whether or not your broccoli is organic, broccoli is one of the "Clean 15", which makes it a very inexpensive whole food.

A quick trip to Costco and a stormy day are to blame for this soup.

Never in my life have I ever been so thankful for the rain.

~Cheesey Broccoli Soup~

~The Players~

6 cups broccoli heads

8 cups vegetable broth

1/2 large, sweet onion, chopped

1 orange or red pepper, diced

2 medium, thin-skinned potatoes, diced

2 Tb. unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour (Use rice flour to make it gluten-free!)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups whole milk

pinch of cayenne

salt & pepper, to taste

4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Steam broccoli; set aside. In a large pot, saute onion and sweet pepper until soft. Add broth and bring to boil. Add potato pieces and cook with lid on until potatoes are soft.

Temper the heavy cream and add to the soup. Stir in milk. Add broccoli and flour.

Using a food processor, puree soup in batches until all is creamy. Put soup back into pot and reheat, but do NOT boil. Stir in cayenne pepper; season with salt & pepper to taste.

Remove from heat. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serves 12~just enough for lunch tomorrow!

Enjoy!

This post is linked to The GCC Recipe Swap.

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

When the weatherman forecasted snow for us last week, I knew it was time to pull out the chowder recipes.

Since my oldest son was just diagnosed with serious shellfish allergies, I knew that seafood chowder was out.

Or my son needed to be.

Good thing I really like my boy.

I'm not sure if this recipe was a make up as you go, or if I originally followed somebody else's version. I just know that I've made this so many times that it's all from memory now.

Lucky for me, I have the memory of an elephant. The thighs too, but that's for a different post.

I don't hold it against the chowder.

Not only is this soup very filling, it is also very frugal. Nothing fancy, no weird specialty ingredients and very little prep-time.

I love winter.

Potato Corn Chowder

~The Players~

3 slices nitrite-free bacon, cut up

5 cups thin-skinned potatoes, unpeeled and diced

3 carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 bay leaf, broken in half

1 quart chicken stock (I use homemade, but a good store-bought works too)

2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 t. dried tarragon

1/4 t. paprika

4 cups organic frozen corn

1 cup half & half (I use 1/2 cup whole raw milk & 1/2 cup raw cream)

4 Tb. unsalted butter

In a large cast iron pan, fry the bacon. Using the bacon grease, add onions and celery; cook until tender.

When cooked, dump into a large soup pot. Add the potatoes, carrots and bay leaf. Pour chicken stock over the potatoes; add enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover with lid and simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Using a food processor, puree small batches until all has been creamed. Be careful, it's very hot!

Return to pot. Pour half & half into a large glass bowl. Whisk in a couple of spoonfuls of the hot soup to temper the cream. Add the cream to the pot and mix well. Add the corn and butter; stir. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and tarragon. Let simmer until corn is heated through.

Don't forget to taste before serving. Depending on the saltiness of the stock (or lack of), you may need to adjust the salt.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to Fight Back Fridays at the Food Renegade.

Homemade Beef Broth

Making nourishing bone broth is easier than one might think. I can't tell you the number of blogs that I've read that teach this valuable skill, but somehow, it always seems harder than it is.

Not the fault of the bloggers.

I am more of a hand's on kind of learner, so reading about making broth is never as easy as it is to just do it. I've been taking the Surf & Turf classes, taught by Ann Marie at the Cheeseslave for the last several weeks. She had a video showing me how to make broth.

I had an aha moment.

I will still use the occasional organic, store-bought beef broth for vacations and emergencies, but for everyday cooking, homemade wins.

Every time.

Homemade Beef Broth

2-3 lbs. miscellaneous, grass-fed beef (shanks, neck, oxtails, marrow bones, leftover roast bones, etc.)

filtered water

peppercorns (10-12)

1 onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 carrots, quartered

2 stalks celery, quartered

2 Tb. apple cider vinegar

crockpot

Place beef, onion, garlic, peppercorns, carrots, celery and vinegar in the crockpot. Add enough water to fill the crockpot, staying about an inch below top of pot.

Put lid on and let sit for 1/2 hour.

Plug in and turn heat to high, bringing to a boil.

Turn down heat to simmer.

Let simmer for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.

Now it's time to strain. This can be done in several different ways. A fine mesh colander will work, but if you like your broth really clean, line the colander with cheesecloth. Or, just cut a nice square of cheesecloth and attach it to the top of a jar with a rubber-band.

Straining the broth



Using a ladle or glass measuring cup, carefully scoop out the broth and pour through your strainer. Repeat until all of the broth has been strained.

Your cheesecloth will look like this...

Yuck.



Not very appetizing, I know.

Cover with a tight fitting lid or saran wrap with a rubber band and place in the fridge. Even if your refrigerator is the cleanest in town, the broth will pick up any lingering odors and change the flavor.

Broth is finicky that way.

Leave it in the fridge overnight. When ready, skim the fat from top and give to your dogs or cat. They love it. Some people run it through more cheesecloth, but I don't think that's necessary.

The broth, if done correctly, will have thickened. Sometimes mine comes out very gelatinous. Sometimes it doesn't. Here, the broth is somewhere in-between.


Broth freezes very well. I like to freeze some of it in ice cube trays. 1 cube is the equivalent of 1 ounce broth. So, if a recipe calls for 4 ounces, use 4 cubes. After they are solid, I pop them out and store in a freezer bag.

You may notice that I didn't add salt to the recipe. Some do. I would rather add it to whatever recipe I'm using, when I need it. But that's entirely up to you. Just give this a try before buying a can of beef flavored broth.

Flavored means MSG.

Just in case you were wonderin'.

Crockpot Hamburger Minestrone Soup

Disclaimer: This is not a crockpot.

Funny story. Monday was grocery shopping day. I hurried to get home so that I could get the soup in the crockpot. It was lunchtime. I chopped, diced, measured and sauteed while my children enjoyed their meal.

Then I plugged in the crockpot.

At some point, somebody, but we don't know who, unplugged the crockpot, thus leaving the soup in it's cocoon of coldness.

For 5 hours.

So, while this is a soup meant for the crockpot, it is a very good idea to make sure that the pot is plugged in, just in case "somebody" does you the favor of performing a safety check in the kitchen without your knowledge.

Just sayin'...

(No, I am not bitter.)

The good news is that in the off-chance that the crockpot isn't allowed to do its job, a large soup pot works just as well. (And it gives "somebody" another dish to wash. I don't know why that makes me smile!)

Minestrone Soup

2 lbs. ground beef

8 cups beef broth

1 onion, chopped

1 t. dried thyme

3 Tb. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

1 quart stewed tomatoes, broken up

2 cups chopped green cabbage

1 (15 oz.) can beans, white or kidney, drained

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2 cups brown rice pasta

Parmesan cheese, grated

In a slow cooker, combine beef, broth, onion, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, tomatoes and cabbage. Cover and cook on low 9-10 hours. Turn crockpot to high and add beans, zucchini and pasta. Cover and cook 30-45 minutes or until pasta is tender. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

If you are short on time, precook hamburger before adding to crockpot, which is what I tried to do.

Thankfully, that saved our soup!

Enjoy!

Cheesy Asparagus Soup

My Mister & I have been busy planning our garden. There are a few foods that we have never tried growing ourselves. One is asparagus.

I'm pretty sure that it's because we're an impatient lot.

Asparagus cannot be harvested the year it's planted. Even the second year, it can't be heavily harvested. The third year is the jackpot year that will reward the patient gardener.

This will be year 1 for us. Because of that, we have to buy our asparagus at the farmer's market and a couple of different local farms.

May God bless our simple act of faith.

And grant us patience!

In the meantime, we will be building our asparagus recipe collection. This soup was fabulous! I found the original recipe in my "Simply in Season" cookbook, but of course, couldn't leave well enough alone and had to "tweak" it a little. I hope you enjoy it!

Cheesy Asparagus Soup

2 lbs. fresh asparagus

4 cups vegetable broth

2 medium thin-skinned potatoes, diced (can use new potatoes)

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cups half & half (or 2 cups cream and 2 cups whole milk)

4 Tb. flour

salt & pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

plain yogurt

Cut off asparagus tips and blanch until just tender. (Drop in boiling water for 3 minutes, then remove and drop in ice water.) Set the tips aside. You can substitute the asparagus water for the broth if you wish. I used the water and added an organic vegetable bouillon. Chop the asparagus spears, and add to the soup pot along with the broth, potatoes, onion and celery. Cook until asparagus is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree until smooth. Return to pot.

Add half & half (temper it first!), flour and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly.

Just before serving, add cheese, stirring into soup until well blended.

Ladle soup into bowls and place a dollop of yogurt on top. Using a butter knife, lightly cut the knife through the yogurt a couple of times. Add a few asparagus tips to the top.

Serves 8.

African Peanut Stew

Okay, I'm in trouble.

The sunshine appeared today with the promise of several more days of encore performances.

And I have nothing but soup/stews on the menu.

Weaker women might pull out the grill and ignore the menu.

But not me. No siree.

With soups like this one, the grill is just going to have to wait.

We're having soup.

Even if we have to wear shorts to enjoy it!

African Peanut Stew

(Another hit by Bob's Redmill!)

1 Tb. unsalted butter

1 Tb. EVOO

1 medium yellow or sweet onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped (I used orange & red)

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 t. packed brown sugar

1 t. fresh ginger, grated

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 pound yams, such as garnet or jewel, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (I used home-canned)

2-1/2 cups vegetable stock, divided

1/2 t. sea salt

2 cups cooked cannellini beans, or other white beans

2 Tb. natural peanut butter

1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Heat the EVOO/butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and garlic, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne and cook, stirring for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the diced yams and stir to coat.

Stir in the tomatoes, 2-1/4 cups of the stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the beans and cook another 10 minutes.

Combine the peanut butter and remaining stock in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add to the stew.

For a thicker consistency, puree 1 cup of the stew in a blender or food processor and stir back into the pot. (I did not do this.)

Season to taste with additional salt. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and serve.

*A couple of notes...I doubled this recipe and it served all 8 of us, PLUS 2 extra helpings, PLUS left enough leftovers for the Mister's lunch.

Another thing...I HATE YAMS!!!!! Hate really isn't a strong enough word for how I feel about yams, but it's all I've got. Here's the thing. I LOVED this soup! Including the yams!

I think I'm maturing.

No one is more surprised than me.

Mulligatawny Stew w/ Chicken & Millet

Rain, wind, and soup.

I'm a glass is half-full kind of gal.

One who loves soup. Especially good soup.

It makes the wind and rain so much more enjoyable.

Mulligatawny Stew (Bob's Redmill Cookbook)

1 Tb. unsalted butter

1 Tb. EVOO

2 Tb. curry powder

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, diced

1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored but not peeled, diced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

6 cups vegetable stock

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime

1 (14-0z.) can diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Sea salt to taste

1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk

2-1/2 cups cooked millet

1 t. sugar

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

Heat the butter/oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cayenne and stir for 1 minute. Add the onion, then 6 Tb. hot water and the garlic, carrots, cauliflower, apple, and sweet potato. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the stock, lime juice, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans; season to taste with salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk, cooked millet, and sugar. Add the chicken, if using. Taste and season with additional salt and sugar if needed.





Optionally, you can puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, food processor, or upright blender.

Serves 8-10

*This soup was a hit with the entire family! There is going to be some fighting for the lunchtime leftovers.

That is always a good thing.

Slow-cooker Cheeseburger Soup

While thumbing through my crock-pot cookbooks, I came across a soup that called for a dill pickle, mustard and ketchup topping.

I kept thumbing.

For some reason though, this cookbook continually opens up to this page, no matter where I'm at.

It's a sign.

This soup, minus the bizarre toppings, was the tastiest soup we've had the pleasure to "slurp" in a long time. The entire family loved it so much, that it is on the menu again for next week!

As my children say, "It was AMAZ-A-ZING!!!

Slow-cooker Cheeseburger Soup

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 lbs. very lean ground beef

1 cup diced sweet onion

3/4 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. dried basil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups whole milk

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or use your own homemade)

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: ketchup, mustard, chopped dill pickles

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add beef; cook until meat begins to brown. Break up the beef as small as you can as it's cooking. Stir in onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and basil; cook 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring to coat meat; cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to boil; cook 2 minutes. Transfer soup to a slow-cooker. Stir in broth and potatoes. Cover soup; cook on low-heat until potatoes are tender, about 4 hours. Add cheddar just before serving, stirring until the cheese melts. Season soup with salt and pepper and garnish as desired.

*A couple of notes...this recipe says that it serves 6, but I would guess more like 4-5. I doubled this, and only ended up with enough leftovers for my Mister's lunch. Also, make sure that when dicing the vegetables, go small. This dish relies on a mirepoix [mihr-PWAH] for its flavor. That just means chopped up carrots, onions and celery that is sauteed and added to flavor dishes. I didn't know that, but when I used a little "French" on the family, they were impressed!

Cuban Black Bean Soup with Tomato/Cilantro Rice

This winter, I kind of have a "theme" going. I am addicted to black beans! Besides the fact that they are low in fat, they have the added benefit of containing huge amounts of fiber!


Fiber is good.


This dish has 20 grams per serving. It is recommended that adults take in between 25 and 35 gram a day. Most adults don't even come close.


I'm here to remedy that.

Enjoy!



Cuban Black Bean Soup


1 lb. dried black beans (2 1/3 cups)
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (Be careful!)
1 Tb. paprika
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. ground coriander
2 0r 3 strips of bacon
1-2 Tb. red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste


Soak beans in water overnight. (If you add a Tb. of buttermilk, whole milk yogurt, whey or lemon juice, it will break down the hard-to-digest proteins!)


In the morning, drain beans and rinse. Combine beans, broth, onion, celery, jalapeno, paprika, cumin, oregano, and coriander in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Lay the bacon over the top of the bean mixture. It will season the beans. I doubled the recipe and it fit nicely in my 8 quart crock pot. Cover soup; cook on high-heat setting for 5-6 hours or on low-heat setting for 8-9 hours. When 1 hour remains, check beans for doneness. Remove and discard the bacon. Stir in vinegar; season with salt and pepper.


Puree 4 cups of the soup in a food processor. Add pureed soup back into the pot. Stir to combine. Serve with Tomato-Cilantro rice and sour cream. Serves 6.

Tomato-Cilantro Rice

2 Tb. EVOO

1 Tb. minced garlic

1/2 t. ground cumin

2 cups dry converted white rice (I only had jasmine, so that is what I used.)

2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

Sea salt to taste

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cumin; saute 30 seconds. Add rice; stir to coat grains. Stir in broth and tomato sauce; bring to boil.

Cover rice mixture; reduce heat to low. Cook rice for 20 minutes and remove from heat.

Let rice stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in cilantro and salt before serving. Serves 6

This was divine! With a "dollop of Daisy", it was heavenly. You're going to want to double this for the leftovers...I promise.

Burger & 5 Bean Soup

Growing up, my mom made a 4 bean dish that was called, "4 Bean Dish". While the title wasn't very unique, the ingredients were. I remember my mom grabbing the ketchup bottle and squirting a huge blob into the pot. Then she'd grab the mustard bottle and squirt some more.


I loved this dish! I couldn't wait until I was a grown-up so that I could eat this whenever I wanted!


Then I actually grew up.


While I still love this dish, I have learned that corn syrup in my soup isn't exactly the healthiest choice.


Hmmm...maybe my mom should rename her dish, "Corn Syrup & Bean Soup"?


So, in honor of my mom and all mom's who have used ketchup to disguise undesirable foods, (ahem, lima beans) ...this is for you.


First, fry up some really good, grass-fed, ground beef. I'm doubling this recipe, so I used 2 lbs. This makes great leftovers, so make plenty!








While the meat is cooking, open up the cans of beans. You'll need 2 (15 oz.-ish) of each; kidney beans, garbanzo beans, (AKA chickpeas), lima beans, and pinto beans. You could substitute black beans or butter beans instead. Don't drain though...the "juice" becomes the broth. It is a step up for the lowly juice...let's give the juice their moment.





You'll also need a 28 oz. can of baked beans. These are what I had, so these are what I used.







Okay, funny story. I have a very small kitchen. In a 5600 sq. ft. house, the kitchen is teeny. I had a moment of brilliance, following a weekend of HGTV, and decided to clean off the counters to make the kitchen appear larger. So I threw the electric can opener away.


My children were not amused.


So my daughter, Melissa, decided to pay me back and take a picture of me toiling over the can opening process.


She's a funny girl.


Before the meat is done, dice up a whole, sweet onion and a couple of stalks of celery. Go ahead and add some garlic. While 2 cloves of garlic are good, 3 are even better. Trust me.






Dump all of the beans (and juice!) into the crock pot. Then add the cooked hamburger. In the same fry-pan, add 1 Tb. olive oil and 1 Tb. unsalted butter. Add the chopped up vegetables and cook until the onions look opaque. Add 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1/4-1/2 cup sucanat (rapadura or brown sugar works too), 1/4 cup molasses, 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil, and 1 Tb. chili powder. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the liquid looks gooey.






Add the cooked vegetables to the crock pot. I then poured a quart of home-canned tomatoes into the pot. Stir well and cook on low for 6 hours.




Before serving, salt and pepper as needed.

And don't forget the cornbread!



Burger & 5 Bean Soup


2 lbs. ground beef
2 (15 oz.) cans each: kidney, garbanzo, Lima, pinto beans
1 (28 oz.) can baked beans
1 large, sweet onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart tomatoes
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4-1/2 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 1/2 dried basil
1 T. chili powder


Cook beef in fry-pan. Dump in crock pot. Add beans to pot. Saute onions, celery and garlic until opaque. Add mustard, sugar, molasses, and spices and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Dump in crock pot. Add tomatoes. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with cornbread. Because it's the right thing to do.

**I have made this dish using dried beans that were previously soaked and cooked. It adds extra time, but is well worth the effort, especially as you are able to remove the "toots".**

Menu Plan for 12/28-1/3/10

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was filled with food, fun and family...followed by Tums, sleep and a coma-like stint on the couch!

Seriously. And because we had electricity (unlike our 3 day outage last year!), it was a perfect day.

And because I got to "veg out" and watch "The Princess Bride" the next day, it made it better than perfect. Add in the dark chocolate Reeses peanut butter cups...

...let's just say, I would've given my children anything if they'd asked! Thankfully, they left me alone and didn't take advantage of me during my moment of weakness. (Okay, it was more like 12 moments of weakness, but who's counting?)

This week, we'll be "detoxing" from our sugar binge and eating from the freezer and pantry. We'll be enjoying several soups and adding in some vegetarian dishes, as well as using spelt flour for homemade pizza.

Here's what's cookin' this week...

Monday: Sourdough English muffin, poached egg, fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice
Peanut butter and jam crackers, clementines
*Tortellini Spinach Soup, multi-grain rolls

Tuesday: Soaked oatmeal w/ blueberries
Cheese & turkey quesadillas, apple slices
4 Bean dish, cornbread (carried over from last week)

Wednesday: Yogurt/granola/fruit parfaits
Taco salad
*Lentil soup, multi-grain rolls

Thursday: Plum smoothies, toast
*Black Bean Burgers, broccoli salad
Cheese fondue, pumpernickel and rye breads, fruit platter with yogurt dip, veggie platter, nitrite/nitrate free deli meats, sparkling apple cider

Friday: Waffles, juice
**Spinach/Ricotta White Pizza with homemade spelt crust**, salad

Saturday: Granola
Leftovers
Pesto Linguine, salad

Sunday: Granola
Melissa's choice (since she's cooking!)

*Recipes*

Tortellini Spinach Soup

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. olive oil
2 14-1/2 oz. cans chicken broth (or make your own)
14-1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes (I use a quart of home-canned)
9 oz. pkg. cheese tortellini, uncooked
10 oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained (semi-thaw and squeeze)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, saute garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes with juice; turn heat up to high and bring to boil. Stir in tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach; heat through. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over individual servings, before serving. Serves 6.

Lentil Soup

8 cups water
2 12 oz. pkg. dried lentils
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 quarts pureed tomatoes (Blend stewed tomatoes to get puree)
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tb. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tb. sea salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme
2 bay leaves, broken to release flavor
6 slices bacon, cooked (not crispy!) and chopped

Throw everything into pot. Let cook with lid on medium low for 2 or more hours. Easily adaptable to the crock-pot.

Black Bean Burgers

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 t. garlic salt
2 t. cayenne pepper (or less, if you don't like a little heat!)
8 whole grain buns, split
Garnish: sliced tomatoes, Swiss cheese slices, lettuce

Place black beans and onion in a food processor; process to a mashed consistency. Transfer to a bowl; mix in egg, bread crumbs and seasonings. Form into 8 burgers; cook on a grill or in a skillet with a little olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden. Place on buns; garnish as desired. Makes 8 sandwiches.

**I will post the recipe for Spinach/Ricotta White Pizza and the Spelt flour crust tomorrow!**

For more menu ideas, check out Organizing Junkie!

Black Bean & Sausage Soup

I love soup. Almost as much as I love chocolate.

Almost.

Since I can't survive on chocolate alone...and let me tell you, I have tried...soup is the next best thing to perfection. It feeds the soul and lifts the spirit. Soup can mend a broken heart and cure the common cold. Just ask any grandmother.

Speaking of grandmother's...my daughter, Tia, just called to inform me that on Monday, my 1st grandson will be making his appearance! But more about that next week...

Where was I? Oh...ask any grandmother. I'm a grandmother. (*happy dance*) Just ask me.

Soup is good.

This one is great. Just take it from this grandma!

Black Bean & Sausage Soup

2 lbs. dried black beans

2 lbs. beef kielbasa, cut into bite-sized chucks

3 quarts organic vegetable broth (or homemade)

2-3 cups carrots, shredded

1 large, sweet onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 t. sea salt (more or less to taste)

pepper (to taste)

lemon juice

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

sour cream, optional

green taco sauce, optional

The night before, soak beans by covering with water and adding 2 Tb. lemon juice to water. Soaking overnight helps to neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. It breaks down the difficult to digest complex sugars. (Nourishing Traditions)

Translation: It releases the "toots" that gives beans a bad rap.

In the morning, drain beans and rinse. Add to crockpot. In a large frying pan, saute onions and celery in 1 Tb. olive oil and 1 Tb. unsalted butter, until tender. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8. Serve with Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and green taco sauce. Great with cornbread!

*If cooked on the stove, cook beans in water, until halfway done. Skim any foam ("toots") from liquid. Drain. Add back to pot along with remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until beans are tender.

Menu Plan for 12/14-12/20

Well, we're still in a deep freeze here. And no snow yet. Somehow, being this cold just doesn't seem right without the fluffy white stuff!

I've pried my nose off the window long enough to post my menu, but plan on stickin' it right back up after!

If I can get the kids out of the way first.

Really. I need some snow. Seriously. It's bad.

I bought a hat and everything.

Here's what's cookin' this week...

Monday: Oatmeal w/ peaches
(leftover) Meatloaf sandwiches, apples
Navy Bean soup (with leftover ham bone), sourdough bread, salad (carried over from last week)

Tuesday: Poached eggs on toast
Leftover Navy Bean soup, crackers, orange slices
Chicken Enchiladas, green salad

Wednesday: Plum Smoothies, English muffins
Toasted cheese sandwiches, lime jello w/ pears
*Potato/Corn Chowder, homemade rustic multi-grain bread

Thursday: Pumpkin waffles
Leftover Potato/Corn Chowder, crackers, banana
Tater Tot casserole, spinach salad

Friday: Blueberry Coffeecake
Toasted Tuna sandwiches, sliced apples
Chicken Tortilla Soup, cornbread

Saturday: Spiced Blueberry Muffins, hot chocolate
Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup, crackers
Lasagna, sourdough, salad

Sunday: Granola
leftovers
Venison Stew, homemade rustic multi-grain bread

For more menu ideas visit here.

*Recipes*

Potato/Corn Chowder

5 large potatoes, unpeeled and diced
1 bay leaf, broken in half
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 sweet onion, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup flour
1 T. sea salt
2 bags (16 oz.) frozen corn
1 cup cream
1/4 t. paprika
1/2 T. dried tarragon (or more, depending on taste)
ground pepper to taste

In large pot, put potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Cover with water and cook until carrots are tender. Scoop 1-2 cups into blender or food processor and blend with 1/2 cup flour and salt until smooth. Stir into pot and let simmer until thickened. Add corn, paprika and tarragon. Mix a couple of tablespoons of hot soup into cream to bring temperature up. Then add cream to pot. Season with pepper.

*P.S.* As I finish this, the snow has started to fall. I just may cry. Now I have to go try out that hat!

Turkey Tortellini Soup

Sometimes, when I cook a 24 lb. turkey, there's leftovers. Sometimes. This was one of those times. Instead of the same old turkey noodle soup, which I love, I decided to experiment with a few ingredients I had lurking around the fridge and pantry. Time to clean up, tomorrow's a grocery shopping day.


Little known secret...I'm forgetful. If I don't write down ingredients as I go, they're lost for all eternity. Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't lose the list! So I've had to resort to the infamous white board to keep track of my thoughts. I probably need a larger one, but that would require a larger refrigerator, which I'm sure my hubby would not appreciate. Anyway, the white board is too large to fit in my pocket, but large enough that I can see what I've written, without having to wear my glasses. (Foggy glasses while cooking can be a dangerous problem!)

In a large pan, saute 1 diced sweet onion. Then toss in 3 diced celery stalks. For kicks, add 2 minced cloves of garlic. If you like garlic, add a third clove. I did.

When the onions are translucent, add 2 chopped up carrots. Saute for about a minute. Add 1 t. dried thyme, 1 t. sea salt, 3/4 t. ground black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 t. dried parsley. Stir it up and let it cook for another minute. Remove from heat and dump into large soup pot, or a dutch oven. (My personal favorite.)

Add 1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted, and 3 quarts of chicken broth to the cooked vegetables. This is where I'm supposed to tell you the benefits of making your own turkey broth, but I can't. Not today. You see, after my hubby finished deboning the turkey, he tossed the carcass. Normally, I would've warned him not to do that, but I was busy.

Enjoying this. Honestly, if I had to choose between making my own turkey stock and loving on my granddaughter, well, let's just say, the turkey loses! But it does take second place! If you haven't made turkey stock, you're missing out. But if you have a grandchild, don't miss moments like these. They are what matters.

Back to the soup...I added about 3 cups of turkey meat. I used white because it tends to dry out when reheated. Unless of course, it's in soup! Cover the pot and let simmer for an hour to allow the flavors to blend.



In a separate pot, boil about 8 cups of water. Add a splash of olive oil. To the boiling water, add 2-3 cups of dried cheese tortellini. Cook until al dente, then drain in a colander. Before adding pasta to the soup, mix 1/4 cup water with 2 Tb. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and add to soup. Let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.