Hearty Split Pea Soup

So, things are moving along at my parents’ house, but there is one big problem — they don’t like me to cook with garlic except for on occasion. My mother has this super-nose that can sense anything remotely unpleasant, and well, I think my dad just goes along with my mother. I cook with garlic almost every day, so my challenge is great. I can rarely tell if someone has ingested garlic, or onions for that matter. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever encountered onion breath, and I love onions so much that if I had, it might just make me want to kiss them. I’m posting a non-garlic recipe, the first of many to come in the next weeks.

I got this recipe off of the Internet  probably 10 years ago, and there is no attribution for an author. This recipe is full of flavor, and is really inexpensive. Cornbread is the perfect pairing for this soup.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

• 1 package (16 ounces) dry, green split peas
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 pound cooked, finely cubed ham
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. dry thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf

Rinse split peas in cold water. Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven or large sauce pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf. Serves 6.

Leftover Chili

If you have leftover chili, but not enough for a meal, I have a solution. Just boil macaroni and mix it with the chili. Place in a greased casserole and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400 until cheese melts. But for the love of God, do not rinse your pasta. It rinses all the starch off, which prevents the other ingredients from sticking to it, and makes it watery.

White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Parmesan

I love the style of Williams-Sonoma.  I also love their White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Parmesan. This soup is creamy because of the pureed beans, and the richness of the cheese. Please don’t leave the rosemary out of this recipe – - it makes this soup something special. Also, use chicken stock in lieu of water.  I use my Kitchen Aid immersion blender for this, instead of making a mess by pouring it into a blender. Serve with a nice green salad, and the recipe I posted for homemade dressing. Yum!

White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Parmesan

Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dried small white navy beans
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Pick over and discard any damaged beans or stones. Rinse the beans. Place in a bowl, add plenty of water to cover and soak for about 3 hours. Drain the beans and set aside.
2. In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Add the drained beans and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until tender, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
4. Place 1/3 of the bean mixture in a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade (I just put my stick blender right in the pot). Puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve immediately. You can also add croutons if you like.

Fighting the flu the old-fashioned way

I have geeky housewife dreams. Once I dreamed that I dusted a table, and turned around only to find it dusty again. A few weeks ago I dreamed that all the avocados on sale at the store were gone. Last night I dreamed that I thawed out a chicken, but then forgot what I was supposed to use it for, so I re-froze it (which obviously you should never do). But then, I was bummed because I remembered I wanted to make chicken soup with it. I know, my life is pretty exciting. I dreamed about the chicken because so many people I know are getting the swine flu, and I’ve been meaning to make a batch of chicken soup and freeze it for when we get hit with a seasonal illness.

I know it is cliche that chicken soup cures colds, but it has been scientifically proven to have healing properties. Recent studies have shown that while it may not prevent illness, it can provide relief. Chicken contains cysteine, an amino acid, which is released when the chicken cooks. According to an article on www.sixwise.com, “This amino acid is similar to the drug acetylcysteine, which is prescribed by doctors to patients with bronchitis. It thins the mucus out of the lungs, making it easier to cough out. And hot chicken vapors have been proven more effective than hot water vapors in cleaning out the cold in your nose.” (sorry about mucus-talk on a food blog. kind of yucky, but I’m trying to make a point.)

It’s no wonder why chicken soup is so good for you when you consider what else is in the soup. Carrots have beta-carotene which morphs into vitamin A, which helps white blood cells. Onions are an anti-inflammatory. Garlic helps maintain the levels of antioxidants in our system. Celery has vitamin C, and in fact some people even take celery supplements because of its benefits and has been referred to as a “cure all.” (for those of you interested, it is also considered an aphrodisiac. va-va-voom.) And parsley, well, it contains three times the amount of vitamin C as oranges. After writing all this and reflecting, wouldn’t be just more efficient to make a chicken soup supplement?

Chicken Soup

Laura Macklem

This recipe is in two parts – - first you make the stock, and then you make the actual soup. It looks like a lot of work, but it really isn’t.

Broth

1 whole chicken 3-4 pounds

2 carrots, washed and cut into fourths

2 stalks celery, including celery leaves, cut into fourths

1 onion, cut into fourths

1 head (not clove but yes, the whole head) of garlic cut in half from side-to side, not top to bottom

1 TBSP black peppercorns

1 1/2 TBSP Kosher salt

1/2 bunch of fresh parsley (you don’t chop it, just throw it in)

1 tsp Bouquet Garni (herb blend)

1 bay leaf

Place the cleaned chicken in the pot and add all the ingredients. You can stuff some of the vegetables into the cavity if you need to for space. Fill the pot a little more than 3/4 full. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer covered. When the chicken is done, in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, take the chicken out to cool and strain the broth.

Soup Part

2 tsp olive oil

2 carrots, sliced thinly

1 small clove of garlic, minced

2 stalks celery the leaves, sliced medium

1 small onion, (about 1/2 cup) diced

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

salt and pepper

Bouquet Garni to taste

chopped, fresh parsley

After the chicken has cooled, pick the meat off. Save half the chicken for another use. Heat oil over med-high heat and sautee carrot for a couple of minutes. Lower heat to medium and add garlic, onion, and celery. (If using fresh corn, add here) Lightly salt to draw out moisture and prevent browning. Cook until vegetables start to soften. Add chicken stock, pepper, bay leaf, bouquet garni, and chicken. Bring to simmer, uncovered, and cook until vegetables are tender, or at least 30 minutes.  Add frozen corn if using. Add parsley.

You can also add noodles, but keep separate and add them to each bowl. The noodles will absorb the broth and your soup won’t be soup anymore after sitting in the fridge.

Finding a home for your orphaned ingredients

Open your refrigerator, and I’m sure you will find them – - a lonely carrot here, a couple of red potatoes there, a baggie of spinach or broccoli. Alone, not enough to create a side dish. They are orphans looking for a place to call their own, waiting for a chance to shine after being left behind.

The nights I make meals from “nothing” my husband asks if it is “garbage can dinner.” Not appetizing, I know. But had I not come up with a tasty solution for these bits and pieces, they would have ended up in the trash. The Italians are really good at inventing great meals from what would be discarded. Look at panzanella, which is a fantastic salad made from stale bread, dressing, tomatoes, etc . . ..  How about minestrone soup? From cooking Italian food I even learned about saving the rind of the parmesan cheese block and throw it in soups. Waste nothing. Heck, I even make bread crumbs from leftover hot dog and hamburger buns that I know will never be used. Just dry them out and pulse them in your processor. You might think that sounds cheap, but I think it is resourceful. Here are some ideas to help you make more of what you have on hand.

* Soup is the first obvious choice for fresh items laying around. Carrots, celery, potatoes and the like. Keep canned tomatoes and stock on hand which will help you be more resourceful in making creations from miscellaneous items.

* A crustless quiche (pictured) is a quick to make and perfect for leftover ingredients. Yesterday I had leftover roasted asparagus and roasted bell pepper, so I threw them in the quiche. In making the quiche I used what ever cheese I had on hand as well.

* Make a roasted vegetable medley. A couple of weeks ago I had a wide variety of bits and pieces, so I cut them all up in uniform sizes and threw them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Of course, some vegetables like squash will cook faster than carrots, so I made two full trays.

* If you have leftover cooked vegetables that will freeze well, start a running freezer bag that will eventually be enough for soup, a  potpie – - you get it.

Here are a couple of recipes I’ve been using for years, and they are very flexible with the ingredients – - a perfect home for your little bits and pieces.

Crustless Quiche Adapted from Allrecipes.com 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, or any vegetable you need to get rid of 5 eggs, beaten 2 cups shredded Muenster cheese, or any other cheese you have on hand 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Crustless Quiche

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2.	Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.
3.	In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 4 tablespoons margarine 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans 1/2 cup shredded cabbage 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes 1 quart chicken broth 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup elbow macaroni 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Minestrone Soup Allrecipes.com (Note: I have made this in the slow cooker too. I am making this in a couple days to help get rid of some orphan green beans, celery and parm rind.) Directions: 1. Melt butter or margarine in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; saute for a few minutes. 2. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, stock, garlic, parsley, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 1 hour until vegetables are barely tender. 3. Add pasta, and simmer for 30 minutes more. Correct seasoning, and serve hot with grated cheese.