Recipe of the Week: Won Ton Soup

As I post my final soup recipe for January, I thought I would end with an old family favorite: Won Ton Soup. 


First, a little back story: I grew up on the high plains of the midwest and the front range of the Rockies where cattle and wheat fields outnumbered people.  My earliest years were spent living in a culture heavily influenced by Dutch, German, Polish and Czechoslovakian immigrants. When we moved to southeastern Colorado,  the ethnic backdrop shifted dramatically:  mostly Hispanic, along with many Italian families whose parents and grandparents had ventured west to work the coal mines and railroads.  Everyone else was a smattering of this and that.  Our little town housed Germans and Italians during WWII and just east was a similar camp for Japanese. I have no idea how many of them remained after the war ended, but I didn't have any Asian classmates.


Even though I grew up in two very different melting pots, there were were no Japanese, Chinese, Thai or other Asian restaurants in my childhood towns. None.  Nada. Zip.  But my mom was an adventuresome cook and we enjoyed americanized Asian dishes like stir-fried vegetables, beef pepper steak (the canned variety and homemade), and Won Ton Soup.  She taught herself how to wrap the noodles around the pork filling and how long to cook them thoroughly without disentegrating.


When I married and moved to a college town, I suddenly had access to the entire spectrum of eateries.  And what I found was that my mom's recipe was pretty authentic, at least in comparison to your typical Asian take-out place.


Here's her version, which I have made countless times for my own family - I've even been asked to make it when someone has the sniffles. 

Mom's Won-Ton Soup

Ingredients
1/4 pound mild pork sausage (could substitute turkey sausage)
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 package won ton wrappers
4 cups chicken broth
2 scallions, diced (include the green tops)

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sausage, ginger and soy sauce together - use your fingers to blend it well.  Place a half-teaspoon of filling in each square; fold to form a triangle and lightly wet the two edges of the triangle and smooth with your finger to make them stick together; be sure to press out any airbubbles around the filling as you go.  With the folded edge of your triangle pointing toward you, bring the two lower triangle points together and use a bit of water to get them to stick together.  Here are some tips on won ton folding plus variations if you want to go all fancy.

While making the won-tons, heat the broth in a large saucepan or 6-quart stockpot just to boiling.  Drop the won tons in the gently boiling broth and cook until they rise to the top, approximately 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the diced scallions and ladle into serving bowls.  Makes 4-5 bowls.



Once you get the hang of folding the won tons, this is one of the fastest soups you can make for your family and is ready to eat immediately.  It's a light but filling soup, good for chasing away the sniffles and aches of a winter cold.

Happy cooking!

Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Pepper Soup

January is national soup month in the U.S., which makes sense.  Most of us are faced with cold and/or wet and/or snowy weather this time of year, so a bowl of hot and hearty soup warms us from the inside out.  

Like last year, I've focused on soup recipes each Wednesday in January.  (You can find lots of soup recipes in my Recipe Box here.)  Today's recipe is a newer one I recently found on Pinterest.  I made it for our family last week, then made it again for the Bunco girls on Monday night. It was one of those recipes that was on the right track, but needed some modifying; here's my second rendition which was well received:

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 green peppers, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 jar mushroom and pepper spaghetti sauce
1 can petite diced tomatoes
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked rice (1/2 cup uncooked)

Directions:
In large stock pot, brown beef.  Drain and remove from pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute onion and peppers until soft. Add back the beef and all other ingredients except the rice.  Simmer for an hour or longer.  Just before serving, stir cooked rice through.  Makes 6 servings.

The original recipe called for two cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce; not spaghetti sauce.  And a LOT more rice. It also had a very short - 35 minute - cooking time.  When we tried it, we found the rice made it very thick; more like a stew. And the flavor of the peppers and tomatoes didn't really meld together, but remained raw and distinct. I gently modified the ingredients and quantities, and adjusted the cooking time. That is key to most soups:  unless you're dealing with ingredients that will toughen or fall apart if cooked too long, be sure to give your soup some time for the flavors to release and come together.

Happy cooking!

Recipe of the Week: Mmm, Mmm, Good Chicken Noodle Soup

Everybody has their rendition of "perfect" chicken noodle soup.  Most of those venerable recipes have been passed down through the generations; they are made with love, replete with fat, pillow-soft noodles, big chunks of meat and vegetables, and a variety of herbs and seasonings.

But I actually like the chicken noodle soup that comes in a can with that familiar red label.

You know the one.  It's mmm, mmm, good.

Yeah, I really do like it - and I even indoctrinated all three of my children: they like the canned stuff, too. And I don't really care much for most homemade or homestyle chicken noodle soups.  Go ahead, call me crazy or taste-impaired (but just remember, Andy Warhol did an homage to the red label, so it's iconic if not healthy or particularly delicious.)

However, despite my junk-food-junkie tastes in soup, I do care about the amount of fat and sodium we eat. So I set out to make a healthier, homemade soup that tastes a lot like this without the sludgy layer of fat on top, or a lot of sodium swimming around the broth.

Admittedly, it's an odd goal to set out to make a food that tastes like canned stuff.  But if you - or your family - also likes the pop-a-top type chicken noodle soup, give this one a try.  Unless you load it up with salt and high-fat chicken stock, it's got a lot of good things going for it.  And it tastes good.  At least I think it does :-)

Mmm, Mmm Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced fine (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup carrots, diced fine
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or one clove, minced)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or poultry seasoning
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken meat
1 or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 pound thin homemade or home-style noodles*

Directions: In a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, melt butter and saute onion, carrots and celery until softened.  Add garlic, seasonings, broth and chicken meat.   Allow to simmer (not boil) for about 20-30 minutes.  Add potatoes and continue simmering until potatoes are soft when speared with a fork.  Add more broth if necessary along with noodles and cook until noodles are tender. - the potatoes will continue to soften and may even break apart. That's okay, they are mainly for added texture in case your chicken broth is not particularly stock-y (mine is homemade without fat or sodium, so it's on the thin side, especially in comparison to chicken stock or  commercial broths.)

Add salt and pepper to taste just before serving. Makes 6 hearty bowls-ful. It's best the first time around, but still edible when reheated.


*About those noodles.  I like the fine/thin Amish noodles from Emmanhaus (see photo at right.)  But if you prefer, you can substitute broken pieces of linguine for noodles to approximate those oh-so-famous thin noodles.


Happy cooking,

Recipe of the Week: Albondigas Soup

January is soup month, and this week's recipe was a new one for us: albondigas soup.


"Albondigas" is one of the few words I remember from high school Spanish, because it was just so much fun to say.  But even though I grew up in an area with a high concentration of Hispanics, I don't remember ever eating "sopa de albondigas," or seeing it on any Mexican eatery menus.


At any rate, "albondigas" means meatball, and there are numerous twists on this meat and vegetable soup whose roots date back to Moorish times.  I hope you'll give it a try.  It's fun to say and fun to eat!

Albondigas Soup

Ingredients for meatballs:
1/2 pound chorizo (look for bulk chorizo near other bulk sausages; if using links, be sure it's fresh, not precooked, remove the casings)
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% or 93% - you don't want greasy soup)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, diced*
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for soup:
6 cups chicken broth (low-sodium is recommended; I thawed my own frozen stock, which is salt-free)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or 1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Directions.
Cook the rice; set aside.  Saute celery and onion with a tablespoon of oil in a medium-size stockpot or Dutch oven.  When softened, add all other soup ingredients and bring to a high simmer; it should cook for about 20 minutes before you add the meatballs.

While it's bubbling, prepare meatballs by placing all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mixing thoroughly with your hands. (It's messy.)  While your hands are still mucked up, make 20-24 meatballs (each will be about 1 1/2 -2 inches in diameter) Be sure to firmly roll each meatball between your palms as you form it, so it will stick together when it cooks.

Add meatballs one at a time to the gently boiling soup. If the soup stops boiling, wait a minute before adding more meatballs (you want the liquid to be very hot or the meatballs will fall apart.)  Gently shake the pan or carefully and slowly stir through once to make sure the meatballs are submerged.  Cover and simmer at a low boil for another 10 minutes. Serve.  Makes 5-6 generous soup bowls.

*Cilantro:  I used a generous teaspoon of dried cilantro in place of the fresh, because a) IMHO the flavor of fresh cilantro can be overpowering and soapy; and b) I didn't have any on hand. But when I make it again, I will use the fresh cilantro in at least the meatballs to add a little more flavor.  Some recipes insist that fresh diced mint leaves should be used in the meatballs for authentic flavor.  Your call.

Other notes:  To ramp up the flavor, I would recommend substituting a can of mild Rotel or tomatoes with jalapenos, or adding a can of diced green chilis to the tomatoes called for in the recipe.  You may also want to add some chili powder to give it a bit more flavor.  (Or use the fresh cilantro as called for, if you like the flavor.)  This is one of those recipes that has countless variations floating around; that makes it fun to find the heat and spice combination that suits you.

Happy cooking,

Day of rest, week 9: A super-sized, souper day!

Yesterday was the annual day to roll back our clocks, and that extra hour makes for a super-sized day.

It couldn't have come at a better time - instead of getting back from Knoxville at 11:30 Saturday night, we could tell ourselves it was only 10:30.  Reverting to standard time comes with its own adjustments to psyche and Circadium rhythms, but early morning rising will be a little easier - at least until the newness of the time change wears off.

I was mentally patting myself on the back yesterday morning, since I knew I had all the ingredients for a "souper" Sunday with vegetarian chili for dinner.  Then I remembered that lunch comes before dinner.  Eeek!  Fortunately, we had enough tag-ends left over that we all enjoyed something: pasta e fagioli, homemade pizza and tuna fish were up for grabs, along with a gameday bowl of creamy refried bean dip scooped up with big corn chips.

With the mealtime dilemmas out of the way, my afternoon was clear to accomplish some tasks.  For starters, I won this soup tureen on eBay:

Less than $5.  Woot!

I've been scouting vintage tureens for years.  And this one was pretty AND dirt cheap - that's a tough combination to beat.

After I scored the tureen, I turned my focus on the kitchen:  middle son recently requested monster cookies.  A big batch of these oversized monstrosities was in order, before our family devoured the huge bag of M&M's I bought especially to make them.

And I wanted to try a batch of apple cider caramels (most of which are going with Mr. Official to work today.)  So it was a pleasantly busy, home-centered afternoon, which suited me to a "T."

I think we are settling into a habit with this weekly routine, and not only did I hit the grocery store just once last week, I managed to stretch out the time between visits to ten days.  Granted, we ran out of milk a few days before I went, but it's now an optional drink for us, not a necessity.  And our foodbill was well under $100 for the week, due in large part to the stockpile of meats and other more expensive items I already had on hand to incorporate into the week's menu.

It struck me recently that we have not eaten a dinner out in quite some time, which can be attributed to  a combination of eating in on Sundays and football season, which consumes our Friday and Saturday nights.  That might change when we are no longer chasing after high school and college football games on Friday and Saturday nights, but for now, our food budget is heaving a huge sigh of relief.

I don't know how many more Mondays I'll blog about our weekly day of rest, although with the upcoming holidays, I may find us wrestling with time constraints that test my resolve to avoid shopping on Sundays.  But for now, a few simple, deliberate choices have created a new, enjoyable weekly routine.  The next step will be to re-introduce some form of hospitality on Sundays, either hosting a midday or evening meal occasionally.  

I hope you're intrigued or inspired just a little and considering trying a Sunday of respite, away from the hustle and bustle of eateries and shopping.  It's nice to not feel pressured to go anywhere, or do anything in particular one day a week.  

Like the 1970s Life cereal commercials told Mikey, "try it - you'll like it!"

Happy Monday,

Day of rest, week 8: no treats

Another Sunday has passed.  We witnessed the latest UT loss in Knoxville on Saturday (yeah, we're a little bitter.)  Since it was a late game, we spent the night before driving home Sunday morning and dropping off a nephew and his friend on the way.  When we arrived back home, I broke out an old-but-favorite tomato-basil cream soup recipe, and grilled some cheese sandwiches for our dinner. So it was a mostly non-consumer day; hotel breakfast notwithstanding.

Today is my least-favorite holiday.  Last year, I gave an explanation as to why I don't do Halloween anymore.  And I realize that makes me a bit of an oddity among my friends. (But so does my Sunday-day-of-rest thing, so I'm 2 for 2!)

In case you wondered, I can say I have never been afraid of poisoned candy or finding razor blades or needles in the treats. Nor have I ever been concerned that I or my children would be abducted by a satanic cult or opportunistic creep, even though we approached our share of strangers' doors on a dark night.

As a non-Catholic, I just can't celebrate Halloween as "All Hallow's Eve."  If I don't celebrate All Saints Day, it would be disingenuous to claim to celebrate its eve.

So why do I avoid this holiday?  In a nutshell, I'm a Christian, and it seems that modern society is quickly growing intolerant of Christians; I guess this is my proverbial line in the sand.  While I don't expect non-believers to adopt my beliefs, I hope they will reciprocate my tolerance and  understanding if I refuse to buy into a day that celebrates a combination of paganism, hedonism, gothic and the occult.

While I know everyone won't jump on this bandwagon with me, I hope that more will begin to open their eyes and realize there's probably a connection between the downplaying and marginalizing of Christian holidays and practices, with the swift rise in the commercial popularity of this one. 

Mr. Official asked me f I thought we'd have many trick-or-treaters.  Since we now live on a quiet country road, I'm hoping our unlit porch light won't disappoint too many out looking for some treats.  For those of you who participate in the festivities tonight, may you have a safe and happy evening. And I hope I've given you some substantive food for thought to go with all that candy.

Marty Feldman, Gene Wilder and Terri Garr in "Young Frankenstein"

If you drop by our house, be prepared to hang out a while - you'll undoubtedly get drawn into watching Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" with us.  It is my one concession (aside from my beloved Charlie Brown images) to the day, with its goofy, campy send-off on the classic "horror" flicks of decades past.

Happy Monday,

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Okay, this week's recipe is technically not pumpkin-based.  However, you *could* make it from pumpkin.  Although if you've ever tried cutting a raw pumpkin into chunks, you know why sweet potatoes are a whole lot easier, and they are really very similar in taste and texture once they're cooked.  Close enough.

And I wanted to include at least one savory recipe in this little recipe series.  They're pretty scarce, so this may be the only one.


I spotted the original recipe in a Penzeys catalog.  It was for a filling (without tomatoes) to stuff into flour tortillas for enchiladas; it sounded pretty good but I was looking for a sweet potato chili recipe to try on my family, and the ingredients  attracted me because of the unusual way of cooking the sweet potato chunks.  You'll see.  And trust me when I say it's worth the extra step - the apple cider vinegar and soy make the sweet potatoes much more flavorful.  This is one way to get your pickiest eaters to eat some super-nutritious sweet potatoes on the sly.

I provide some either/or options below so you can adapt it to your family's preferences and what you have available.  For example, I have a bottle of dried shallots from World Market that I want to use up before they lose their flavor, so I tossed a generous handful in with the potatoes while they cooked.  If you don't have dried shallots, a small onion or a couple leeks (which is what the original recipe called for) browned with the sausage will be just as tasty.

It's not often I declare any recipe a "winner" the first time out of the chute. This one has that distinction, so without further ado, I'm happy to share it with you.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size chunks (1/2 to 1 inch)
1/3 cup soy sauce (I used light/low sodium - regular would also be fine)
1 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons dried shallots or two leeks or a small sweet onion, diced fine
1 pound chorizo sausage (Not ringing any bells?  See my notes below)
5 cloves garlic, minced or 5 teaspoons diced garlic-in-a-jar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne (more or less, to taste)
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans Rotel or (1 can Rotel and one can plain diced tomatoes for tender palates)
1 cup beef broth (more or less to achieve the desired consistency)


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, place sweet potatoes, soy and dried shallots (if using) and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.  Bring to boil and reduce heat and cover, simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  (Keep a close eye on it - don't allow it to dry out and scorch.) Set aside.

In a Dutch oven (recommended) or other soup/chili pot, brown together the chorizo and garlic, and leeks or onions (if using instead of dried shallots.)  When browned, remaining apple cider vinegar, cumin and chili powders, beans, tomatoes and beef broth.  Gently mash the sweet potatoes, leaving some lumps.  Add to other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly through.  You can add more beef broth if it gets too thick.  Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and corn chips or saltines.

Makes 6 servings.

Footnote:  in case the word "chorizo" stopped you in your tracks, here's a picture of the brand I used (and would recommend). Unless your only option is chorizo links, look for bulk chorizo - it will be located near other sausage "chubs" in your grocery store.  If you have to use links, try to find a package labeled "fresh chorizo" and slice open the casing (yeah, that is as gross as it sounds) and scrape out the sausage into your skillet or pan, discarding the casings.  You don't want sliced chorizo links in this dish unless it's your only option. 

Happy cooking!

Crockpot, you're my hero

A few weeks ago I realized I used my crockpot for four dinners out of seven:   on Monday, it held pork chops; Tuesday, Hobo Stew.  Thursday, it was chicken and wild rice soup, and Friday it got a back-to-back workout roasting 3 pork butts for pulled pork.  Not bad for this humble, hard-working kitchen appliance.

I even waxed eloquently about my crockpot-a-palooza back here.  But I think my crock pot has flexed its culinary muscle even more this year.

There are some tricks to crockpot cooking - off the top of my head, here are six things everyone should know about crockpots.

1.  Ask not what your crockpot can do for you, but what you can do for your crockpot.  Not everyone is home most of the day (as I am), and even I have learned the hard way that it's imperative to respect its limits and yours.  If the food is going to cook for 8 or more hours and you don't have a high-end programmable crockpot with delayed start, auto shut-off and keep-warm-options, then steer clear of recipes that call for a short 4-5 hour stint in the crockpot.  They just aren't going to work on a weekday.  Save them for a weekend or day off when you can adjust your start time accordingly Long-cooking foods like briskets, roasts and beans are generally safe bets, but don't expect the crockpot to keep your food in a holding pattern for much longer than the recipe's cooking time. Overcooked food is dry, tough and tasteless, and that isn't your crockpot's fault.

2.  Less is not more.  You may be a "the glass is always half full" optimist, but if your crockpot is less than half-full, it is a disaster waiting to happen.  Seriously, your pot should be two-thirds full of stuff.  Otherwise, you may come home to the charred remains of the-dinner-that-was.  If you don't need that much food, double the recipe and freeze half in individual portions for quick meals later.  Or buy a smaller crockpot. Really.  Bigger is sometimes better.  Sometimes it's just bigger. And sometimes bigger is a big honkin' headache.

3.  Crockpots and slow cookers are cousins, not identical twins.  A slow cooker heats from the bottom while a crockpot heats around the sides.  That doesn't always make a huge difference, but if the recipe specifically calls for one or the other, know what you have and be prepared to adjust accordingly.  This is especially true if you're making candies or baked goods - heed the recipe directions.

4.  Newer is not necessarily better.  

This is just like mine - only whiter.

This is especially true on the plain-Jane (high-low-off) models. If you're lucky enough to have an older crockpot (circa 1980 to early 2000s), you may be able to relax a bit on the cook times, because they cook at lower temperatures; a recipe that calls for 6-8 hours may still be perfectly edible at the 8-hour mark.  Thanks to our general phobia about germs and bacteria, and the ever-present threat of a lawsuit, crockpot manufacturers decided to up the ante--and the thermostat--on crockpots about 6 or 7 years ago.  "Low" settings are now more like the "high" settings of old.

Don't have an old crockpot?  Trade with your mom. Or haunt yard sales or thrift stores for someone's castoff.

This is just like my first one :-)

Telltale signs:  it'll probably have cute country blue and rose decorations, and maybe a blue insert.  Or it'll be glazed brown insert with a beige, orangey-red or mustard yellow casing and lettering that just screams circa 1981. Just be sure it isn't too old - the truly original crockpots didn't have a removable insert.  That made washing up a bit of a challenge.

5.  The highs and lows.  Here's the lowdown on that high/low knob:   there is no difference between high and low except in the time they take to get to simmer temperature (209 F), and then they stabilize regardless of which setting you selected.  Really.  Who knew?  But don't fool yourself into thinking a 6-hour recipe can hang tight for 8 hours if you cook it on low.  It might work, or you might come home to a crusty mess, especially if you're cooking in a newer model without a "keep warm" option.

6.  Keep yer hands off.  If you are hovering over your crockpot, don't.  It works best alone. At least refrain from removing the lid repeatedly. Every time you lift the lid, you let several degrees of accumulated heat dissipate into thin air.  It's like opening the oven to check on the cake - just don't do it.

So now that you're armed with more info about crockpots than you ever thought you could want to know, let's talk recipes. Crockpots are most forgiving for dishes that have lots of liquid like vegetable or meat soups and roasts.  And foods that need to cook for a long time to tenderize, like brisket.   Thicker soups and stews will do well if you heed the advice above, and don't ask them to cook all day.

Other foods can be prepped and placed in the crockpot, then transported cold with you, and plugged in to cook for a few hours so they are heated through and ready-to-serve at the appointed time.  In addition to starchy dishes like potato casserole and mac and cheese, crockpots work GREAT for heating up fudge or caramel toppings for ice cream or apples when you're serving a crowd.  Just another useful use for our trusty crocks.

it is wise to test-drive these types of recipe ideas at home beforehand, and know exactly how long they need to cook/heat, and how long they can hold,  before you spring your dish on a crowd.

Since January, I've made the usual lineup of chili and chili-esque soups and stews of course, along with countless pork butts.  Other memorable recipes include:

Macaroni and cheese (surprisingly good and perfect for office potluck lunches)
Corn with cream
Hobo stew
Potato soup
French dip roast beef
Ranch chops
Cassoulet
Creamy bean dip
Garlic-lime pork chops (not-so-moist, but I think with a creamy chile verde sauce it has potential)
Lasagna (yes, really - and it was pretty good)
Chicken and wild rice soup (recipe needs to ramp up the flavor, but it's high potential)
Steak and brown rice (an old recipe shared by a friend - she and the dish are pretty wonderful)

This week, the crockpot gets another workout with a new chicken teriyaki recipe, plus some beef barley stew when the temps are destined to dip again in a few days.  Hmmm, now that I think about it, I might have to do a crockpot recipe series after the holidays.  Stay tuned and break out those crocks.  'Tis the season.

Happy crockpot cooking!

Recipe of the Week: N'awlins Oyster Soup

Our final week of celebrating soup month, and I might have just saved the best for last!

Several years ago, Mr. Official and I traveled to New Orleans for our anniversary, and had an amazing time even though the weather was a little nippy. One of the restaurants we visited was Arnaud's, a venerable French Quarter establishment known for its world-famous remoulade sauce. They served Mr. Official a particularly wonderful oyster soup. (Side note : oyster soup or stew is a Christmas Eve traditional dish for Catholics and especially in areas where fresh oysters are plentiful...places like New Orleans.) The restaurant was kind enough to email the recipe to me after we left. Merci beacoup, Chef Tommy! If you are a fan of oyster soup (or stew), this one is definitely bowl-worthy.

Arnaud's Oyster Soup

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups water
2 dozen freshly shucked oysters, drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions:
Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add oysters and cook for 3 minutes. Remove oysters with a slotted spoon and reserve 3 cups liquid. Set both aside.

In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook celery, green onions and onion in 1 tablespoon butter, stirring constantly until tender. Stir in 2 1/2 cups reserved broth, plus garlic, thyme, red pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Stir in whipping cream; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in milk and return to simmer. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook one minute, stirring constantly, then about 3 minutes or until smooth (mixture will be very thick.) Gradually add flour mixture to milk mixture, stirring with a wire whisk until blended. Add oysters, salt and white pepper. Cook until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and ladle into warm soup plates. Serves 4-6

Happy soup-ing,
Terry

Recipe of the Week: Tomato-Basil Soup

Here's another family favorite in honor of soup month.  Cream of tomato soup strikes a chord with almost everyone. For most of us, we think of the sweet red condensed stuff that oozes out of a can of Campbell's Soup, with its distinctive red and white label. Diluted with milk and heated, it is often accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich and remains a classic pairing for a quick lunch.  What's not to love?


When I came across this recipe in a 1997 Southern Living magazine, I latched onto it and served it as the soup course for Christmas dinner that year.  It was an epiphany to realize that tomato soup could be much more elegant and interesting than the canned soup of my childhood, and yet still retain its comfort-food feel and taste.  Since then, I've seen many similar recipes crop up, and tomato-basil soup has become a staple on many restaurant menus. I've tested many of them for myself; some rise to the occasion and others fall short. Over the years I've adapted the recipe slightly (the advent of stick blenders and commercially prepared fire-roasted tomatoes are responsible for the main changes), but it remains pretty true to the original...because it's just that good.

Versatile Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced (or 4 shallots and 1/2 pound leeks, diced)
1 celery stalk, diced
2 or 3 tablespoons diced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes (plain or Italian style), undrained
1 14.5-ounce Italian style tomatoes, undrained
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonaded (see note)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Heat a Dutch oven; add olive oil and onion (or shallots and leeks), celery and garlic.  Saute 10-12 minutes until tender (do not brown). Add tomatoes and broth; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and basil (only if using dried); bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for one hour.  Remove from heat; use a stick/immersion blender (or pour over into a food processor or regular blender) to puree until smooth. If serving immediately, gently reheat (do not boil) and add cream just before serving; if using fresh basil, swirl it in just before transferring to individual bowls.  Makes 6 one-cup servings.

Alternatively, the soup can be frozen (without the cream and fresh basil), for up to a month.  Thaw in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  Before serving, gently heat in heavy pan (do not boil) and add cream, heating just until warmed through, swirl in fresh basil and serve.

Note:  Chiffonade is a fancy way of saying "cut into thin long strips."  Here's a link that explains how to chiffonade basil.  Now that fresh basil is available in the produce section year-round, it's a nice addition to this soup and will add a fresh, zesty flavor that dried basil cannot impart.  But if dried is all you have, you can take comfort in knowing it was the ingredient in the original recipe.

Happy soup-ing

Recipe of the Week: Crockpot Cheesy Potato Soup

January is soup month, and this is recipe #2.  Potato soup has come a long ways from its humble beginnings.  Not too long ago, mentioning it conjured up visions of a thin, milky broth with grainy, mushy potato chunks floating around in it.  Poor folks' food as my husband referred to it.  ("My daddy always said we'd be eatin' tater soup and pintos," he laments any time those two foods appear on our dinner table.) 

To my husband's chagrin, I like both potato soup and pintos, regardless of their humble qualities.  And sometimes I declare cook's prerogative and make them despite the groans.  Fortunately for us all, potato soup went upscale with the addition of cheese and some tasty garnishes, and is now proudly served at many restaurants.   Frankly, I've found a few versions to be a little thick...kind of like eating a bland queso dip.  But the restaurant versions, thick and cheesy, captured my kids' hearts and tastebuds and even convinced my husband that it could be a hearty and filling soup. So I've figured out some recipes that lighten the cheese factor and improve (IMHO) the taste and texture.

This particular recipe was shared between me and a friend via Facebook.  Now, I'm pretty sure SHE shared it with me, but it might have been the other way around (which would lead me to question where I got the recipe to begin with.)  So for simplicity's sake, I'm going to give her credit for it.  She deserves it - she's got a house-full of hungry mouths to feed, and somehow she manages to feed them delicious meals on a tight budget and whip up scrumptious treats to give out as Christmas gifts.  She embodies the essence of frugality while maintaining a humorous and generous spirit.

The soup is easy to put together, delicious to eat, and takes some of the stress from days when my schedule is a little too frantic for elaborate dinner prep. (Like, uhh, most days.) I have modified it a tad, and this is my rendition of the original.

Michele's Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 32-ounce package frozen hash browns (Southern-style, not shredded)
1 can cheddar cheese soup (I substitute 8-12 ounces of Velveeta, cubed)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced and sauteed in a little butter
3 pieces bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
This soup is embarrassingly easy to assemble.  You simply plunk all the ingredients in the crockpot - stir it (to the best of your ability, because the frozen potatoes are going to temporarily clump up when that liquid hits them), then stir it a few times while it simmers on low for 3-4 hours.  At the end, you can add some crumbled bacon, diced chives if you want o make it a "loaded" potato soup.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Leftovers will re-heat, but a little more broth and/or milk may be necessary to thin it out to soup consistency after a night in the refrigerator.

Happy soup-ing

Recipe of the Week: Vegetarian Chili

January is "soup month" (in addition to being apple, apricot, artichoke, asparagus, oatmeal, hot tea, prunes, whole wheat bread, hobby, mail order gardening, get organized and shape up month...I'm not exaggerating - I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.)

But let's focus on soup, shall we?  To celebrate, each Wednesday this month, I'll share one of our family's all-time favorite soups, starting with this sinus-clearing chili soup that I *think* came from my mother's copy of Anna Thomas' "Vegetarian Epicure" cookbook back in the '70s. It garnered a 2nd place ribbon in the vegetarian chili category at a recent charity cook-off (yes, there were only a couple of us competing in the category.  However, I suspect the voting was rigged by one of my fellow competitors, considering he had his entire extended family on hand to stuff the ballot box.)

I digress.  At any rate, it's a winter favorite with my family and some new converts who tested it at the cook-off and came back begging for seconds.

Vegetarian* Chili

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon jar garlic)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 medium potatoes, peeled (or unpeeled, your choice), diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 14.5-ounce can diced stewed tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
4 cups vegetable or chicken* broth
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:
In heavy Dutch oven, heat oil, add onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until softened.  Add paprika and continue cooking for a minute or two until it begins to caramelize (watch closely and don't let it scorch.)  Add remaining ingredients except seasonings and Monterey Jack cheese; bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Add seasonings during last 5-10 minutes of cooking.

Distribute cubed cheese among bowls (you can add as much or little as you like); ladle the piping hot soup over cheese and let stand for a minute to give the cheese time to soften and get wonderfully gooey. Makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy! 

A few notes:
*Obviously, using chicken broth will negate the "vegetarian" status, but it's good with vegetable broth if you have it handy.  I tend to substitute chicken broth because we aren't vegetarians and I always have a few quarts of chicken broth in the freezer.)

I have substituted a couple cans of Rotel for the tomatoes and green chilies if that's all I have on hand.  Just keep in mind that either way, the green chilies can pack quite a punch if you pick up "medium" or "hot" instead of mild.  We like it spicy, but consider yourself warned.

This soup can be doubled and/or cooked in the crockpot on low or high heat, just add more cooking time if you use the slow cooker.  It also reheats well (you may have to add a little more broth as the potatoes will absorb some of the liquid overnight); just keep the cheese cubes separate, as they will get rubbery or stringy if heated along with the soup.

Happy soup-ing!

Recipe of the Week: Pasta e Fagioli

Soup weather has arrived, and that's a good thing - afternoon swim practices start this week, keeping us at the pool until 6 pm, four nights a week.   Soups, stews and slow cooker recipes will dominate our weeknight menu until sometime after the holidays.

I first sampled Pasta e Fagioli at Olive Garden and it is still my favorite when I opt for their soup-and-salad-and-breadsticks.  For the uninitiated, this soup's name means "pasta and beans" and is pronounced "pasta fa-ZHOOL."  Traditionally a meatless peasant stew, the modern renderings have introduced meat and tomatoes, making it a little more like American chili, but with a definite Italian twist.  This recipe is a copycat version of Olive Garden's and is incredibly easy to make with a few pantry staples.  It can be tailored to your preference for a spicy or mild taste (just choose hot, medium or mild Rotel) and leftovers reheat nicely. Serve with some good bread sticks, a little fresh-grated Parmesan cheese on top, and enjoy!

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1-2 tablespoons)
1 can white beans (Canellini or Northern), drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 jar mushroom and pepper pasta sauce (any brand will work)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild, medium or hot - your choice)
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup julienned carrots (I cheat and buy the bagged julienne or matchsticks)
3/4 cup uncooked ditalini or other small tube pasta

Directions:
In large stock pot, brown beef with onion; drain.  Add garlic, beans, pasta sauce, broth, tomatoes and celery.  Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for an hour or until celery is tender.  Add carrots and continue simmering.  At the same time, cook pasta separately until al dente.  Drain and add pasta to soup just before serving, stirring through to mix well.

Additional notes:
Like most of my recipes, I've experimented with the scale and cooking methods for this soup.  I found it can easily be doubled for a crowd, and/or it can be prepared in a slow cooker (brown the beef and onion in a skillet, drain, then add everything to the crockpot and simmer on low for 4 hours, or high for 1-2 hours.)  The flavors meld better if it's made ahead and refrigerated overnight before reheating to serve, but the pasta can get mushy.  So if you're making it the night before serving, hold off on cooking the pasta until you're ready to reheat and serve, or at least keep the cooked pasta separate and add to the soup just before serving.

Happy soup-ing!