Italian pantry soup

I love Olive Garden's zuppa toscana.  It is the only way I think I would have tried kale, initially.  You have to remember I was a picky eater, up until about 7 years ago.  The only cooked vegetables I would eat were corn and potatoes.  Really.  I have come a long way since then, but I still am looking to increase my veggie intake, and really, shouldn't we all increase our vegetable intake?  This soup was born of my love for the zuppa at OG, but I was hampered by what I actually had in house.  And instead of making a special trip to the store to buy ingredients, I decided to bastardize my own version of the soup.  It was a very delicious experiment!

Italian pantry soup
1 can white cannelini beans, well-rinsed
4 Italian (chicken) sausages
1 tsp. oil
1 large russet potato, washed and sliced thin
6 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 large bunch kale, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. better than bouillon soup base

In a high-sided skillet, warm oil and brown sausages on all sides.  Remove to a plate and cut length-wise and return to pan to brown insides.  Remove to a paper plate and cut into bite-sized pieces and allow to drain.  In a crockpot or large stock pot, put beans, sausage pieces, sliced potato, onion, garlic, water, and soup base.  Cook on low in crock for ~6 hrs. or on stove-top in stock pot until potato is fork tender.  When soup is ready, add kale and cover for 5-10 minutes to wilt kale.  Serve hot.

If you like it hot, you could add some crushed red pepper.  If you like it creamy, like OG's, you could add either some heavy cream, a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream, or pureed potatoes to the broth in order to give it that creamy consistency.

A Soup Post

Most of my posts here are recipes.  And I have to tell you that I fully intended this post to be a recipe. But, as usual, I didn't use measuring utensils and I forgot to write anything down, so now, you have yourself here a technique piece.  I hope you enjoy, and I will definitely try to take measurements the next time I make some of my soup :)

You know what I love about soup?  There aren't very many rules.  You don't have a chemical reaction, as in baking.  The only thing you really need is the broth and something to put in it.  I used to be a very picky eater.  Going by my old standard, I'm a positive foodie now.  But others, I know, would still classify me as picky.  That's fine.  I'm happy trying things at my own pace.

What does that information matter to you?  Well, I had never tried parsnips or turnips before my Mother-in-law put them in some homemade chicken noodle soup at Christmastime in 2011.  And she didn't ask me if I would mind if she put them in, she just did.  So I braced myself before tasting that first bite.  And you know what?  The flavor of that broth, that soup, was so much more improved I couldn't believe it was still just your basic chicken noodle soup!  The parsnips and turnips added such a richer flavor note that I loved it.  Truth be told?  I put turnips and parsnips in every pot of chicken soup I make now.  I find that when I leave it out, the flavors are just too lacking for my taste.

Now, this past weekend, both of my boys were down with pink eye (bacterial) and a virus.  And I had just developed an ear infection.  I was tired and just wanted some comforting food.  When I'm sick like that, and it's cold to boot, the only thing that spells comfort food to me is s-o-u-p.

But I really didn't have it in me to boil a whole chicken to get the broth and the meat for my soup.  And I didn't want a whole 4 qt. stock pot full of soup to freeze and keep.  I decided to compromise - I went to the grocery store and picked up a medium parsnip, a large turnip, and deli-counter roast turkey breast (I didn't realize it was turkey until I got home and was opening the package; no matter, it was still delicious) that had been previously shredded.  So that cut a ton of time off the top for me.  I peeled and diced my parsnip and turnip and some carrots I already had on hand.  I tossed in two handfuls of my previously chopped and frozen onion and celery and a couple teaspoons of chopped garlic and sauteed them all in 2 Tbsp. of butter to release the flavors and soften them.  Then I poured in 6 c. of water and 2 Tbsp. of better than bouillon soup base (chicken flavor).  I brought it to a roiling boil for somewhere between 15 minutes and a half hour (I'm not sure on the time because one of my kids pooped his diaper, the other was having a potty crisis, and my husband wasn't home).  Basically, I got my veggies good and cooked in the broth.  But then, instead of adding my herbs, chicken, and pasta, I ladled half of my soup up and put it in a pyrex to cool on the counter a bit before freezing.  You see, now I have a ready-made soup base, to which I will only need to add meat, seasonings, and a starch!  Voila!  After I had the set-aside portion dished out, I added some water (the boiling had reduced the liquid level), my shredded turkey, and a half a box of ditalini.  I brought it back to a boil to cook the pasta and then I was ready to go.  I had my semi-homemade soup and quicker solution for the next time I might want to whip up some soup, semi-homemade style.  And really, setting aside a portion to freeze and use as a soup-base later worked very well, because I had much less soup I felt compelled to eat right away.  And by using just the veggies and the broth, I can add whichever meat and seasonings I want to change the style of the soup.

So now you know that I like soup as comfort food, and that I love turnips and parsnips in my soup.  Seriously, you have to try them.  But I also tend to add both dill and parsley to my homemade chicken noodle soup.  I read an article in a Women's World issue that talked about the different health benefits of all of the components of chicken noodle soup and each had health benefits (I can't remember what they were, but they were good).  I had never thought to add dill to chicken noodle soup before that article.  Parsley was pretty standard (as long as I remembered), but the dill was a new thought.  Well, as with the turnips and the parsnips, I loved it.  You can almost always find dill and parsley in my homemade chicken noodle soup now.  And I really don't feel like I need to add more than that - those simple ingredients combine together to bring such a wonderful, full flavor to my soups that I don't even need to add any other salt and pepper.

What is your favorite addition to chicken noodle soup?  Have you ever had parsnips and turnips before?  Would you try them?

Simple French onion soup

Having my boys changed something with my taste buds and I absolutely love the taste of onions now, whereas before I hated them.  This is a recipe that I've adapted a bit from the Leinenkugel's recipe (which, by the way, was phenomenal!).  I made this for my in-laws while they were visiting, and since my father-in-law is lactose intolerant, I didn't carmelize the onions in butter.  What with all the cheese, I figured I could save him a little bit.  It is much easier to slice all the onions if you have a mandolin, but it is not necessary.

4-5 softball-sized sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. (olive) oil
2 quarts beef broth (could sub chicken)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 large slices of French or sourdough bread, toasted
1 c. grated Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese

In a large pan, heat oil over low heat.  Add onions and stir occasionally - the carmelization will take upwards of 45 minutes.  The key is to go low and slow so the onions get a nice brown color to them - they will reduce drastically.  When onions are all carmelized, add broth to pan, as well as thyme, tarragon, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine and then ladle into 4 oven-safe bowls or crocks.  Float bread on top of onions, top with grated cheese, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Smoky potato and beef soup

Okay, I know it's been a while since I've posted.  I apologize.  If you follow me on facebook, you'll know that I announced I had been dealing with some personal issues, and I have been.  Between uncertainty of when my husband is returning, and whether we will be moving, and with having to put one of our pets down right before Christmas, I was definitely down and dealing with other things.  I hope no one was left in the lurch.

With the new year and doubtless new resolutions on everyone's plates, I've concocted a new recipe utilizing more vegetables than meat.  And, if you have any on hand, soup bones!  (I asked at the butcher counter at the grocery store, turns out they generally package them up and have them frozen!  Now I know!)  Keep in mind that I am cooking for one adult and one toddler, so this is a significantly pared down portion size - and since I chop everything super small for toddler bite size, it takes less of each ingredient.  To make this for adults, simply double this recipe

1/2 pound stew meat, diced
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. parsnips,diced (about one small)
1/3 c. carrots, diced (about one small)
1/4 c. celery, diced
half a soft-ball sized onion, diced
2 Tbsp. cognac (optional)
2 c. cold water
2 qt. water or broth from boiled soup bones
2 Tbsp. beef soup base
3 small bay leaves or 1 large
2 garlic cloves, smashed (let sit for at least 10 minutes after smashing before adding to recipe)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 large russet potato, diced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

In a dutch oven, heat one tablespoon oil on medium to medium high heat until it begins to shimmer, 2-3 minutes.  Dump in your meat (one layer please!) and allow to brown - meat will release from pan after seared.  Turn and allow to brown on all sides, remove from pan (note - it is NOT cooked yet!).  Add parsnips, carrots, celery, and onion to pan drippings and oil and allow to brown well, don't worry if some of them stick a bit.  Carefully add cognac and stir vegetables.  Allow to cook off a bit and then add the cold water - using a stiff, flat-edged utensil, scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (easier time doing dishes, adding awesome flavor to food!).  Allow the water to come to a boil, then add the meat back to the pan, along with all juices from plate.  Add in additional water or bone broth, soup base, bay leaves, garlic cloves, cumin, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Allow to come to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cover.  Cook for one hour.  Add potato and tomato paste and allow to cook for at least 1 hour more.  Fish out bay leaves and serve.

This can easily be adapted to a crockpot - low for 6 hours, high for 4 hours.  Also, if you don't have cognac or don't want to use it, try using instead 6 oz. of red wine or a heavy white wine, 3 oz. coffee/3 oz. red wine, or one of your favorite beers.  You really can't beat the background flavors these ingredients add.  And the alcohol will cook off, don't worry.

Zucchini bread, by special request

So, I'm not much for baking, generally, because it tends to be very exact.  When I cook, I tend to play fast and loose with measurements.  In fact, almost all of my recipes are just guesses for measurements since I almost never actually measure anything in cooking.  However, baking??  Baking deals with chemistry.  Your measurements need to be precise so you don't totally screw up what you are baking.  But there is one thing that I always hit out of the park - quickbreads.  What's a quickbread?  A quickbread doesn't use yeast and therefore doesn't need to rise, making it quicker.

My friend's son is a picky eater.  In a bid to get him eating more vegetables, she is test driving the quickbreads with him.  Now, mind you, quickbreads can have a high sugar content, so they should not be relied upon as a sole source of vegetables.  But they are very tasty!!  So, by request from my friend, I bring you a recipe for zucchini bread (don't knock it 'til you've tried it)!

3 c. zucchini, unpeeled and shredded
3 eggs
1 c. oil (or 1 c. butter softened)
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir in zucchini.  Add in flour, stirring as little as possible to combine (over-mixing will result in tough bread).  Pour into loaf pans, filling only 2/3 full.  Place loaf pans onto foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: I usually get three loaves out of this recipe.  And if it weren't for the sheet pan, I'd also have one hell of a mess in my oven.  Do NOT skip the sheet pan, I'm telling you!!

Easy and tasty vegetables

I watch a lot of Food Network.  It is family friendly (no swearing, no violence), educational (if you can't watch an hour of Food Network and learn something, you weren't really paying attention), and inspirational (they make some things, like souffle look so easy!).  As a self-confessed picky eater, I have to say that Food Network has definitely inspired me to be more adventurous when it comes to my vegetables.

The biggest tip I've learned from those tv chefs: roasting concentrates the sugars in the vegetables and brings out the natural flavors.  Roasting is easy and requires very little skill or prep and virtually no active cooking.  The only skill point you need to make sure you pay attention to is that you must make sure when chopping up the vegetables that the pieces are the same size, or else you will have some pieces underdone and some pieces burnt.

This is one of those technique things, so I'm not going to label it as a recipe.

Start by washing and peeling (if desired) your vegetables.  If it is something large, like potatoes, squash, or eggplant, break it down into 1/2 cubes.  In a medium mixing bowl, lightly drizzle your veggies with olive oil*, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and any other seasonings.  The key to this is to remember that the vegetable is going to be the star, so you don't want to over season it; if you pick anything other than just the salt and pepper, thyme is a great choice.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for 20-45 minutes, depending on your vegetable; at the least, check them at 20 minutes and shake them around some.  You will know they are done when they smell fragrant, are browned around the edges, and begin to look a little wrinkly.

*Extra Virgin Olive oil has a burn point of 350 degrees.  If you want to roast at a higher temperature, you will need to use a different oil.