Sausage Soup

 

We had all these leftover vegetables and some vegetable broth and stock from other recipes.  

We didn't want them to go bad so we put them all together with some homemade turkey sausage.

Birthday Dinner at Home

Birthday Dinner!

Black Bean Soup

Happy Labor day everyone.  I'm sure there are countless backyard grills going as I write this, with hamburgers and hotdogs.  Alex and I left our trusty grill back in California, I think our little car would have looked quite the sight with a big red charcoal grill strapped to the roof as we drove 3,000 miles across the country.

This leads us to the realization that we cannot grill this holiday, sad day.  I did not disrepair, since this gives me the opportunity to try out a recipe that I found on Babble.  It's an adaptation from a recipe found on Smitten Kitchen.

Meatless Mondays is something that I've been trying to do for some time now.  Some weeks it works some weeks it doesn't.  This week is a success even though Alex tried to convince me that the soup needed ground turkey, I did not give in to the meat temptation.

Black Bean Soup

Minestrone Turkey Soup

Another hot day and another round of soup.  I must be crazy.

Thank you for all the good thoughts regarding my eye troubles.  I really hope they clear up soon.  It's been an interesting week at work dealing with the reduced viability.

On to today's project.

Minestrone.

With Turkey of course.

Turkey Tomato Soup

Okay.

For the past month (?) I've been noticing that my vision is not what it use to be, even a couple of months ago.  I figured I just needed to update my prescription and all would be right with the world.

Yesterday, I went to the eye doctor and she could get my right eye to 20/20.  Now I'm freaking out.  What the heck am I going to do if I cannot see 20/20 out of one of my eyes.  She takes a closer look at my eye and I'm having some sort of inflammatory response to...?

And there is something like a rash on my eye, hence the reason I cannot see.  Now I'm on some steroid eye drops and hopefully the "rash" and inflammation is gone by next Tuesday so that I can get my eyes rechecked to update my prescription.

Please hope that it's all better soon.  I'd like to see again.

Now for dinner tonight Alex and I made turkey and tomato soup with left over turkey and bits and bobs from around the kitchen.

Hungarian Goulash

Tonight it is stormy and blustering outside.  

For dinner tonight Alex and I both wanted something hearty and warm.  

I remembered seeing a section in the January/February/March 2012 edition of Something Extra.  This is a free food magazine give out at the check stands of our local grocery store Raley's.  

Two recipes struck our fancy.  

Saxon Potato Soup

and

Hungarian Goulash.  

We opted for the Goulash since the Potato soup was similar to the Julia Child soup we had just a few weeks ago.  

Hungarian Goulash

S.E. pg 33

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 lbs. Black Angus Beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 & 1/2 cups shredded celery root
• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 chopped orange bell pepper
• 2 carrots chopped 
• 8 cloves garlic, minced 
• 6 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 8 cups beef stock
• 2 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 
• 1 lb red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• salt and pepper to taste.  

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add beef and brown well.
• Add celery root, carrots, bell peppers, and garlic.
• Cook for 10 minutes.
• Stir in paprika and caraway seeds.
• Reduce heat and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Make sure that the paprika is well incorporated into mixture.
• Stir in stock and tomato paste.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 & 1/2 hours.
• Add potatoes.
• Cook, uncovered for 1 more hour, or until goulash has the consistency of a thick soup.
• Press the beef and potatoes against the side of the pot to break up slightly and season with salt and pepper.  

Shared with:

50 Women Game Changers #1 Julia Child - Potage Celestine

For some time some of the blogs I read on a regular basis have been doing this 50 Women Game Changers challenge started by Mary from One Perfect Bite after the May 2011 article in Gourmet.  I've been wanting to join in the fun, but have been full of excuses.  This year my goal is to do it my self!  Even though the rest are all the way up to #31 and I'm starting at the bringing I'm still excited.

Is it any question as to who the number one person on this list is.  I hope not, for Mrs. Julia Child really needs no introduction.  However, I need to tell you about my introduction to Julia.  Like most people I had heard of Julia Child, though I did not have her cookbooks or recipes around while I was growing up. My appreciation of her did not start to grow until the movie Julie and Julia.  You know the movie that sparked many a young woman (like me!) to appreciate Julia Child.  After the movie I had to read the book Julie and Julia by Julia Powell and then her second book Cleaving.  But my obsession with Julie Powell will have to wait for #50 in the challenge since she was named one of the Women Game Changers in Food too!

After that I thought hey I'm a twenty-something on the verge of thirty.  I need to do something with my life why don't I do as Julie Powell and cook my way through Mastering the Art of French cooking.  Things did not go as planned.  Such is life.

For Christmas last year (2010) I was able to get my hands on a copy of both books for a really good price.

Here are my posts on the subject from over the past year:

MtAoFC: Part 1

MtAoFC: Part 2

Soupe au Pistou

Boeuf Bourguignon

Roti De Porc Poele or Casserole-roasted pork

Bouef aux Olives

Potage Parmentier

Filets de Poisson Bercy aux Champignons

Reine de Saba

Tarte aux Fraises

Quiche aux Champignons

Mousseline au Chocolat

Coquilles st. Jacques a la Provencale

So for my newest recipe I've delved into MtAoFC vol II

Potage Celestine 

Celery soup with potatoes, leeks and rice

Really I should call this recipe or at least the one I made liquidy mashed potatoes.
Adapted from MtAoFC part 2 page 15 and 16.

Ingredients:

• The white part of 2 leeks, sliced
• 3 cups sliced celery stalks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups light chicken stalk
• 1/3 cup plain white rice 
• 4 medium potatoes, chopped 
• 2 cups water 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups milk heated in a small pan
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 4 to 6 tablespoons soft butter 
• 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon 

Directions:

• Cook the leeks and celery slowly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and cover until tender but not browned.
• About 10 minutes 
• Add the chicken stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Stir in rice.
• Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.  
• Meanwhile, bring the potatoes with the 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  
• When tender, drain their cooking water into the leeks and celery.
• Puree the potatoes.
• Return to the saucepan and beat in the milk to make a smooth, white cream
• Puree the leak and celery mixture with its liquid into the potato cream. 
• Blend well with wire whip and bring to a simmer.
• Season to taste   
• Mash the 4 to 6 tablespoons of soft butter and tarragon in the soup tureen.
• Blend the hot soup into the herb butter.
• Serve immediately.  

Left overs soup

Day 7.

Oh my dear readers it is already the seventh day of December. Where has the time gone?

I still haven't purchased a Christmas Tree, but all my other decorations are up.

Alex keeps asking me when I want to get the tree. I'm feeling reservations about having a tree this year. I'm not entirely sure why.

I love Christmas and especially the trees.

Maybe I'll get one this weekend. At least a small one. Maybe it'll cheer up the house hold.

The cats will like it. Maybe a little too much.

Well on to what we had for dinner tonight.

Left overs soup.

Ingredients:

• Left over Turkey carcass
• Green beans not used for green bean dish
• Bacon not used for green bean dish
• 3 carrots, roughly diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3-4 red potatoes roughly diced.
• some garlic
• some salt
• some pepper
• some marjoram
• a dash of oregano
• Large can of chicken broth
• large container of chicken stock
• home made noodles.

Directions:

• Heat some olive oil in a large pot.
• Saute onions in olive oil until soft.
• Add garlic.
• Add bacon broken into pieces.
• Cook for several minutes to melt fat on bacon.
• Add carrots
• Add broth and stock
• Add turkey, green beans, red bell pepper, celery, potatoes, and anything else!
• Add spices to taste
• Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to simmer.
• Cook for 1 to 2 hours, until vegetables are soft.
• Add noodles about 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

What to do with the remaining two poached chicken breasts from Tuesday's night dinner poached chicken with creamy mushrooms.

Why, I think some soup sounds good. Vegetable soup to be precise.

As I was throwing this all together I discovered that I need a larger stockpot (hint, hint so someone who might buy me a present). As I added ingredients and the liquid level began to rise higher and higher coming very close to the rim. So, I had to cut back on some of the ingredients that I had planned to add and remove some of the liquid.

Luckily this soup called for it to be simmered uncovered and it reduced down enough that I could add the liquid (previously removed) back. YAY!

Alex said he wanted it to have spicy sausage in the soup. So, tonight I'll be add some andouille sausage into the mix for night number two of soup.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 poached chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 2 pound red potatoes, cut into bit-sized pieces
• 1/2 pound of carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1-pound frozen lima beans
• 1-pound frozen niblet corn
• 1/4-pound frozen cut okra
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Directions:

• In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic.
• Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned
• Add chicken broth, potatoes, carrot, lima beans, corn, okra, tomatoes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour.

Shrimp Tortilla Soup

As I was driving to work this morning to my delight this song started playing on the radio. Of course I had to turn it up and sing along.

Now some of you might think this is strange, but others will know that I am strange. The truth is this song takes me right back to high school. And I unlike lot of people I know, I loved high school. So there you go.

Now on to the recipe for today.

Shrimp Tortilla Soup
Inspired by Rachael Ray's Chicken or Shrimp Fajita-Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp, tails removed. (I used the previously cooked kind)
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 green hot pepper
• 1 red hot pepper
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 bag white corn tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 ripe avocado

Directions:

• In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-heat.
• (If using raw shrimp cook shrimp first with spices for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan)
• Add onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, coriander, thyme, salt and pepper
• Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add broth and tomatoes until boiling.
• Add shrimp to heat briefly.
• Crush some tortilla chips and place in bottom of bowl
• Add 1/4 cups cheese
• Then ladle soup over top.
• Garnish with avocado

Happy last day of Summer!

Vegan Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup

Home alone on an Friday night. Sad? Not really.

Freedom from making dinner and entertaining my Husband is good every once in a while.

What to do with myself?

I decided to listen to a couple more Joy The Baker Podcasts from Homefries.

Which inspired me to make something that Alex would never want to eat. Something without meat!

Maybe I'll even get a good workout in. Though it's still hot. I'll think about it.

On to the recipe where I try to not get soup all over the place and long for an immersion blender.

Vegan Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup
From Joy The Baker

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
  
  
  
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 cups carrots, diced ( I sliced mine, you better dice yours)
  
  
  
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onions and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Add ginger and saute for another 4 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
• Add coriander and diced carrots.
• Stir to incorporate.
• Add the vegetable broth, reduce heat, and simmer mixture until carrots are completely softened, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• Using a blender, blend soup in batches until smooth.
• Return soup to pot, stir in coconut milk.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve soup warm.

The soup is super yummy, though it could have been smoother. I'm happy with how it turned out. Now it's time to sit back and relax with Zoey.

Happy Friday.

Turkey Soup

For love and pasta. After several months of not using the pasta machine that Alex got for Christmas, we took it out of the box. We did all this for one special reason to make homemade noodles for turkey soup. A yummy and easy end of the turkey we made last weekend. Now to eat soup for several days.

Noodles

Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• Left over turkey


• 5 quarts of water


• 1 cup chopped celery


• 1/2 cup chopped celery leaves


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 6 chicken bouillon cubes


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 bay leaf


• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley


• 1 cup frozen peas


• 2 carrots, chopped


• 4 small red potatoes diced.

Directions:

• In a large pot, saute onion in a little butter.


• Add turkey, water, celery, celery leaves, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.


• Heat to boiling.


• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.


• Add parsley, peas, potatoes, and carrots to soup.


• Heat to boiling.


• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetable are just tender.


• Heat to boiling.


• Add noodles.


• Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Potage Parmentier

Soup...

According to Julia Child soup is "an excellent lunch or light supper".

Potage Parmentier (Leek or Onion and Potato Soup)
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 1

"Is simplicity itself". I could not put it any better. This recipe only has six ingredients. This has been the easiest MtAoFC recipe that I have made thus far.

Makes about 2 quarts and serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups or 1 lb. peeled potatoes, sliced or diced

3 cups or 1 lb. thinly sliced leeks including the tender green; or yellow onions

2 cups water

1 tbs salt

4 to 6 tbs whipping cream or 2 to 3 tbs softened butter

2 to 3 tbs minced parsley or chives

Simmer vegetables in water and salt for 40 to 50 minutes

Mash the vegetables. I used a potato masher, but Julia says to use a fork or a food mill. So I really need to get myself a food mill for the more complicated soups to come.

Removed from heat. Stir in whipping cream one spoonful at a time, then decorate with herbs.

Bon Appétit

D

Soupe Au Pistou

For my first MtAoFC recipe I choose something simple... Soup.



This Provencal Vegetable Soup with Garlic, Basil and Herbs was simple and easy to make.