Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup 

Day two of the Coronavirus "telework" for David.... and another winner from NYT Cooking - I made a few minor changes and simplified a bit.  (Kids, if any of you want an immersion blender, I will help you get one.  I've never had one, and now I'm totally converted.)

The miso brings the umami.  The lemon is important.  This is a great great healthy soup!  We ate it with those cheesy rolls from Maison Kayser bakery.

40 minutes
4 servings




2 T good olive oil - and more for serving 

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices 

1 tsp salt (more as needed) 

1/4 - 1 tsp ground coriander, to taste 

2 bouillon cubes (optional - I used those good Japanese bouillon cubes)

1/2-1  head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets 

3 T miso (recipe call for putting white miso into the soup before simmering; I used red miso and put it in at the END - you don't ever want to boil miso!) 

zest and juice of 1/2 - 1  lemon - start with zest of one lemon but add juice gradually, to taste. 

A few good shakes of Cholula 



1.  Add olive oil to soup pot on medium heat.  Stir in onion; cook until soft and lightly colored, about 10 min.  Add in garlic, stir. 

2.  Add the veggies, crushed coriander, salt, a couple of bouillon cubes (optional), 6 C water to the pot.   Bring to a simmer; cover, and simmer until all the veggies are very tender.  It will seem like a lot of broth in proportion to the vege.  15-20 min or so. 

3.  Remove from heat.  Stir in miso!  Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.  Stir in lemon zest and juice.  Check for seasoning.  

Serve.  (optional - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and sea salt to taste).  YUM. 

(terrible photo - if you make it send me a better photo) 

Steve's Super Bowl Chili

Grandpa Poth makes this every Super Bowl Sunday - who knew?  David and I happened to be with Dad and Denise in Denver for the Super Bowl (go Pats!) and we loved this.

SUPER BOWL CHILI

2 T Crisco*
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef,  course chili grind
4 T ground red chile (hot or mild, or a combination)
2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp salt
2 16-oz cans plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 C water
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves (optional)
2 green peppers, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 16-oz cans kidney beans, drained

1.  Melt the fat in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent.
2.  Add the meat to the pot.  Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is evenly browned.
3.  Stir in the remaining ingredients up through the cloves.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours,  Stir occasionally.
4.  Stir in the green pepper and beans and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes longer.
5.  Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and if possible, cloves.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

* or butter/olive oil


Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and grated cheese.  Yum!

Easy good chili

Easy Good Chili 

This fills the Le Creuset pot to the brim.  The recipe is from The Food Nanny although I have increased the meat, beans and vinegar, and decreased the sugar and salt.


1 - 1.3 pounds lean ground beef
1 lb bulk sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
1/2 onion, diced 

1/3 C red wine vinegar 

1 can (14.5 oz, or bigger) crushed or diced tomatoes 

1 46 oz bottle tomato juice

4 cans (15 oz) beans (pinto, black, kidney - use a combo), undrained 

3 T chili powder
2 T brown sugar
1 T salt
1 T paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper


1.  Brown the beef, sausage, and onion in a large pot.  The onions will soften quickly.  Leave large chunks of the beef and sausage. 

2.  Add the vinegar, cook and stir to deglaze the pot.  Keep stirring about a minute.   Add the remaining ingredients.  The pot will be filled to the absolute brim (perhaps hold back on some of the tomato juice - depending on how much crushed tomatoes you have put in). 

3.  Bring to a gentle simmer; decrease heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour to reduce and thicken the chili.  Taste for seasonings. 

Just as good or better the next day!   

Toppings - shredded cheese; sour cream; Fritos 

Great served with cornbread of course!  Or cheddar cheese scones.  

xo 

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup 

1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt

4 large baking potatoes, chopped
1 large can pumpkin
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C heavy cream 

In large soup pot, saute onion, celery, and garlic until very tender. 

Add chicken, chili powder, and cayenne; saute

Add potatoes and enough water or chicken broth to cover. 

Simmer until tender. 

Remove from heat.  Add pumpkin, sour cream, and heavy cream. 

Add salt to taste, and adjust seasonings. 

Beans and Greens Soup

Beans and Greens Soup 

Easy, fast, wholesome.  I got this recipe from Tona Hangen - 2007 - it is terrific!  I usually double it.

Single recipe (serves 4):

1 can chicken broth
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 links sweet Italian sausage*
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
dash of oregano, thyme, black pepper
1/3 C uncooked alphabet pasta
1 can drained/rinsed cannellini beans
4 oz bag of baby spinach or baby kale (I usually use spinach)
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

1.  Saute onion, garlic, spices, sausage in Dutch Oven in a little olive oil.
2.  Add broth, tomotoes, and 1 can water.  Bring to a boil.
3.   Add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente.
4.   Add beans, seasonings, and then spinach.  Takes just a few minutes to wilt the spinach.
5.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the parm.  Great with crusty bread - yum!

(*I use the Al Fresca precooked chicken sausage.  Quarter each link length wise, then dice)

BIG BATCH:
1 box broth
1 large can tomatoes
whole package (4 links) sausage - cut lengthwise into quarters, then dice
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion
seasonings...
2/3 C pasta
2 cans beans or one large can
8 oz spinach

lots of parm

Variation:  To make the soup even heartier, skip the pasta and parm, but add a package of fresh cheese tortelli - so good!!!

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder - Aunt Janette

Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 pound good stew beef
1 can Campbell's beef stock*

1 onion
2 stalks celery
1 small package carrots
1 large baking potato or a few small Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 small can diced tomatoes, with juice
salt and pepper

1. Dredge the stew beef in some flour/salt/pepper.  Brown the meat in a little olive oil on high heat.
2. Add can of beef stock and some water, stir the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck on bits.  Add one onion, quartered, two carrots, the celery.  Cover and simmer on very low for 1-3 hours. 
3. Strain the broth.  Remove the meat, cut it into very small pieces and set aside.  
4. Peel and chop the potato and the remaining carrots.  Add to the broth (carrots first), and add a little water if necessary to make sure the potatoes are covered.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Add the frozen beans. 
5. Add the corn, the tomatoes, and the reserved meat.  Bring to a slow simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.   If the soup doesn't look as thick as you'd like, do not cover the pot. 
6. Check for seasoning - may or may not need more salt and pepper.  I go easy on salt but like to add dried basil, oregano, and parsley.   Maybe add a dash of Cholula. 

All the quantities are approximate.  This soup is a "wing it" type of soup.   

It's great the next day too.  It does not freeze well in terms of the potatoes, so eat it up. 

Ideas:  serve with crusty bread or cheddar cheese scones, and maybe some parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.  (Grandma Janis used to cook up some small pasta for people to add to their bowls)

*In Japan I used beef bouillon cubes, and some dashi, which was delicious. 

Crock Pot White Chili

Crockpot White Chili 

This has been a family favorite for years.  It's a nice thing to put on before church.  You can prepare everything the night before, refrigerate the crockpot, and add the chicken broth the next morning.  This is almost a "pantry" soup - except for the onion and peppers, everything in this recipe can be available in the pantry (chicken in the freezer).  


3-4  15 oz cans of beans (any combination of cannelini, pinto, great northern) - DRAINED
3-4 chicken breast halves, poached and cut into bite-sized pieces*
1 large onion, chopped 
2 large peppers (yellow, green, or red), chopped 
2 small jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or crushed in a garlic press)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano (crush it between your fingers)
1 box of chicken broth (32 oz) 

Combine everything into a large crock pot.  Stir well. 

Stir in 1 box of chicken broth (32 oz or 4 C).  

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. 
Adjust seasonings. 


Serve with tortilla chips and shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. 

* To cook the chicken, cover with water or chicken broth, and let simmer for about 12 minutes.  Try not to overcook - just cook until barely done.  The chicken will cook more in the chili.  Better yet - use bone-in chicken breasts, and poach with a little carrot, onion, and celery - this is cheaper and would also make a nice broth.

Corn Chowder

Serves 3-4
All of these ingredients are approximate:

6 slices bacon
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 can creamed corn
1 package frozen corn
whole milk (approx 2-3 cups)

1. In the large Le Creuset Dutch oven, cook the bacon til crisp.  Drain on paper towels, tear into small pieces, and reserve.  The bottom of the pot is likely to be very browned at this point. 
2. Drain some but not all of the bacon fat. 
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook on medium heat, stirring often, until onions are very tender.
4. Add a small amount of chicken broth and deglaze the pot.  
5. Add the potatoes, and enough chicken broth to cover.  Add about 1/2 tsp of salt. 
6. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. 
7. Add the canned corn, frozen corn, bacon, some ground pepper, and some milk.  Heat through and adjust seasonings. 

Once you have the bacon done, this recipe is a breeze.  Nice served with bread and a good salad like the BLT salad (which also calls for bacon).