Potato & Celery Soup

I've finally begun to realize that soup can be an easy thing.  It doesn't always mean caramelizing or roasting vegetables long and slowly or simmering away for hours on the stove.  It can mean a quick saute, a little simmering, a little pureeing, and then voila - good eats.  Monique, of La Table de Nana fame, has been a wonderful teacher in this regards.  All the recipes she shares are wonderful.  Many are great yet uncomplicated recipes with huge flavor.  And the recipe for Potato & Celery Soup is no exception.  I'd never had a celery soup before, but her (always) beautiful photos took me in.  And so I tried it.

More and more, I'm allowing myself to cook with what is on hand instead of having to run to the store for every ingredient, so I made a couple of substitutions.  With no onions on hand (an unbelievable oversight on my part), I did happen to have two generously-sized shallots.  Additionally, I  normally would have used  a russet potato in the soup, but alas, no russets on hand, so I used 2 smallish red potatoes, leaving their skin on.  The vegetables sauteed and simmered away in the water called for in the recipe until nice and tender.  After pureeing, the soup needed just a little more liquid for thinning out.  Since I had an opened bottle of white wine, that's what I added to the soup.  It was wonderful!

Now, I have no doubt, none whatsoever, that the recipe made as written was delicious.  So, if you have all the ingredients on hand, by all means, try it that way.  But don't be intimidated by the need for substitutions.  You never know what culinary concoction you come up with!!

Thank you, once again, Monique!

Potato & Celery Soup
(Serves 1 generously)

2 sticks celery, cut into small chunks
1 small yellow onion, diced (I used 2 large shallots)
1 floury potato, cut into small chunks
1 cup water (I used about 1-1/2 cups of water)
1/2 to 1 cup stock (I used about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of white wine)
Knob of butter
Croutons* (optional)
About 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley optional)

In a saucepan, heat up a knob of butter. Fry onions until they begin to sweat. Add in celery and potato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in water and allow to simmer over a low-medium flame until the vegetables have cooked through and softened. The water would have been reduced considerably. Use a hand held-blender to mash everything into a smooth puree.

(If you do not have a hand-held blender, use a traditional blender (turn off the fire when you do this, obviously). Be careful, as the lids of blenders can get blown off by the hot steam. After you get a smooth puree, return it to the saucepan, on a low flame.

Add stock according to how thick or thinned out you want your soup to be. I added slightly less than 1 cup.

Add 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese. This imparts a nice salty flavour. :) I did not need to add salt at all.

Top with croutons, or plain toasted bread. Sprinkle parsley before serving.

*I made croutons from leftover challah bread:  Cut into cubes, toss with a little olive oil, then bake in a 400 F. oven for about 10 - 15 minutes, until croutons are golden, turning a couple of times during the cooking.

French Onion Soup

When the weather is blistering, cold soups, like gazpacho and fruit soups are refreshing and the perfect light meal.  But when the temperatures start to drop, my thoughts turn toward heartier fare.  I make a mental list of all the wonderful soups I want to make.  Clam chowder and potato soup.  Squash soups.  And this one.  French Onion Soup.  It took me a moment, but I realized I've never made French Onion Soup before.  I often order this soup when I'm out, but why I've never cooked up a batch myself escapes me!

Of course, my first foray into French Onion Soup making meant I had to follow the master:  Julia Child.  Julia has you sweat the onions for about 10 minutes, then caramelize them, creating a rich depth of flavor in the soup.  Now we all know how much Mrs. Child loved her butter. And, truth be told, so do I.  But I have to admit that I found the call for 1/2 cup of butter to cook the onions in a bit much.  I didn't question the recipe when first making it but made a note that the recipe could easily reduce the amount of butter by half and still be delicious.

And then I realized she said 1/2 stick of butter.   Duh.  Thankfully, I had used a bit more onion than the recipe called for.  But, of course, the soup was still a bit... shall we say, buttery.  Overnight in the fridge rendered the excess butter easy to remove.  *whew*

As I've been guilty of doing a bit lately, I thought I had some beef stock in the pantry and was mistaken.  Thankfully, I did have chicken stock, and after perusing a few other recipes online, decided that it would make a decent substitution. Since the recipe also calls for a a glug of Cognac and a cup of white wine, as well as a long (1-1/2 hours) simmer, I knew the soup would definitely develop a great flavor.  And it did.  The flavor is obviously a little different but still very good.

A crouton made from some homemade French bread, along with a healthy sprinkling of grated Gruyere, and a run under the broiler produced the very soup I was craving.  Ah.  Thank you once again, Julia!

French Onion Soup

1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock (or chicken stock, in a pinch)
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white wine
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning


Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup with Bacon

I came across this soup on Epicurious.com, one of my very favorite places!   I love butternut squash and was happy to find another soup recipe using one of my favorite ingredients.  While the recipe directions have you dicing the squash and boiling it in the stock, many of the reviewers indicated that they had roasted the squash first before adding it to the soup.  I decided to halve the squash, drizzle the halves with extra virgin olive oil and seasoning with salt & pepper, then roasting in a 450 F. oven for 1/2 hour.  I then scooped out the roasted squash flesh into the stock.  I also decided to puree the soup save for 1 of the cans of cannellini beans, which I added back to the pureed soup and cooking long enough to heat them through.  By the way, I also rinsed all the cannellini beans - adding all that starchy, sodium-ridden liquid was not all that appealing to me.  I was very happy with the result.  Delicious!  Here is my version of this soup:

Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup with Bacon

2 thick bacon slices, chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 butternut squash (about 1-3/4 pounds)
3 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained & rinsed,divided
14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Halve the butternut squash lengthwise.  Place skin-side down on baking sheet.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes, or until squash starts to take on some caramelization.  Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Sauté bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add chopped onion and garlic to drippings in pot; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to boil.

Separate roasted butternut squash from skin and transfer to soup pot.  Add 2 cans cannellini, drained tomatoes, and fresh rosemary. Cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Puree soup with stick blender (or, alternatively, puree in blender in batches.  Return to soup pot.)  Add remaining can of drained cannellini beans.  Season soup with salt and pepper. (Bacon and soup can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and chill bacon. Chill soup uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm bacon and soup separately before serving.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped bacon and serve.

Weekend Blog Showcase: Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Apple Chips

Welcome to the first edition of the Weekend Blog Showcase.  The purpose of the WBS is to show a little love to our fellow bloggers and the dishes they so generously share with us on their blogs.  Guidelines to participate in WBS can be found at the bottom of this post. Ann (Thibeault's Table) and I will take turns each week hosting and welcome all of you as we look forward to being introduced to some new blogs as well as revisiting old favorites!

My first Weekend Blog Showcase bow is actually to someone many of you are already well acquainted with, I'm sure!  Monique is a beautiful soul whose talented photography, beautiful posts, and love for her family and friends is brilliantly displayed on her blog, La Table De Nana. It is always a joy to visit her blog everyday, a calming moment I look forward to each morning.  While Monique has many, many wonderful recipes to choose from, one that I had bookmarked for several months now, is her Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Pear Chips.

Monique mentions a couple of alterations she made to the recipe at the end of her post.  I had a whole head of cauliflower and decided to go ahead and follow the recipe as written.  However, one little tweak I did make to the recipe was to make Spiced Apple Chips as I have a Lodi (I think) apple tree in my backyard, currently overrun with ripe fruit.  So apple chips it was.  Instead of slicing them vertically, I sliced them horizontally, hoping to get a glimpse of the little 'star' shape in the middle.  The chips were easy to slice on my Japanese-style plastic mandoline, and their spicy scent was heady as they were baking.

The soup itself was extremely easy to make and not at all out of the ordinary... until just before serving.  A bit of orange zest and some fresh orange juice really added a freshness to the soup while still maintaining it's 'comfort' quality.  Delicious!  I'm having a hard time stopping at my SECOND bowlful!  Thank you, Monique!

Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Pear Chips
"Dressed up with a touch of orange and snappy, spiced pear chips, cauliflower becomes fit for company in this easy soup. Make it a day or two ahead of time and you only need to reheat and finish it with a fresh burst of orange just before serving. The pear chips can be made days ahead of time and stored in a cookie tin but you might need to hide them so they don’t disappear before it’s time to serve the soup."

SOUP

2 tablespoons (25 mL) butter or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 all-purpose potato, peeled and diced
4 cups (1 L) vegetable or chicken stock (approximately)
2 cups (500 mL) water
7 cups (1.75 L) chopped cauliflower (approximately 1 head)
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) grated orange zest
1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice

SPICED PEAR CHIPS*
1 firm ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon (0.5 mL) cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For soup, melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add garlic, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper and sauté for 1 minute or until garlic is softened and fragrant.

Add potato, stock and water; bring to a boil, scraping up bits stuck to pot. Stir in cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and boil gently for about 15 minutes or until cauliflower and potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.

Discard bay leaf. Using an immersion blender in pot or, transferring soup in batches to an upright blender, purée soup until very smooth. Soup can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

For spiced pear chips, preheat oven to 275°F (140° C).

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pear lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Combine paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Lightly sprinkle over both sides of pear slices. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and set another baking sheet on top of paper to keep pears flat.

Bake for 45 minutes or until pears are very soft and starting to dry around the edges. Remove top baking sheet and carefully peel off top piece of parchment. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes longer, checking often, until pears are dry and firm. They will crisp more upon cooling. Carefully peel pears from parchment while still warm and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To serve, return soup to pot if necessary and reheat over medium heat until steaming, stirring often. Stir in orange zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warmed bowls and float a pear chip on top of each. Serve extra pear chips on the side.

*I made apple chips, slicing the apple horizontally.  Continue with recipe as written.

Serves 8

Source:  Holiday 2008 Food And Drink Magazine/LCBO via Monique/La Table De Nana




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To participate in Weekend Blog Showcase:

1. Make a recipe from a fellow blogger's website and share the recipe on your blog with a link back to the blog where you found the recipe. (It's always a nice touch to comment on the blog recipe you've borrowed from.)
2. Add the Weekend Blog Showcase logo to your post.
3. Link your post to Mr. Linky.

That's it.  Leave a comment if you'd like.  We always love comments!  Thanks for joining in on the fun!

Saturday Blog Showcase #20 - Gazpacho

It's Week #20 for Saturday Blog Showcase.  Join Ann (Thibeault's Table) and me in featuring recipes from our fellow bloggers.  Look at the bottom of this post for guidelines to join in on the fun!

This week, I visited Budget Bytes, a wonderful blog devoted to eating well without breaking the family budget.  Beth's recipes are broken down cost-wise and into easy-to-follow steps.  Her gazpacho looked delicious and I was not disappointed.  Even using canned crushed tomatoes, the tomatillos, fresh cilantro and parsley, and fresh lime juice really brightened the flavor.   It was so easy to put together after work - a slight bit of chopping and blitz the rest in the blender.  A wonderful cold soup as the Texas temperatures start creeping upwards.  Thank you, Beth!

Summer Gazpacho

1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable juice (like V8)
1 small yellow onion
1 large cucumber
2 small tomatillos
1/4 bunch Italian parsley
1/4 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium lime, juiced
1 medium avocado

Wash, seed and finely dice the cucumber, tomatillo and yellow onion. Split the chopped veggies into two bowls. Half will be pureed with the other soup ingredients and the other half will be added at the end for texture.

In a blender combine the crushed tomatoes, half of the chopped veggies, the minced garlic, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and half of the V8. If all of the V8 will fit in your blender, go ahead and add all of it but don't let the liquid exceed 3/4 of the blender's volume. Puree these ingredients on a fairly low setting until almost smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.

Pour the contents of the blender into a bowl and stir in the remaining chopped veggies and remaining V8 juice. Dice the avocado and either sprinkle on just before serving or stir into the soup. If you stir it in, the acid from the tomatoes and lemon will keep it from browning. Let the soup chill for at least 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve cold!


* * * * * * * * * *

To participate in Saturday Blog Showcase:

1.Make a recipe from a fellow blogger's website and share the recipe on your blog with a link back to the blog where you found the recipe.

2.Add the Saturday Blog Showcase logo to your post.

3.On Friday night or Saturday, link your post to Mr. Linky:

Chicken & Corn Chowder

Mondays.  I'm not crazy about them.  Just when you think they're not going to be that bad, something always happens that makes me remember why I'm not in love with them.  Thankfully, Mondays are only 24 hours long, and whatever happens on Monday I try to leave on Monday.  Unfortunately, today was a typical Monday - started out okay, and then deteriorated.  So I needed soup.  There's always something comforting about soup.  I found this one a few weeks ago from a lovely blog called Heart n Soul Cooking.  Other than halving the recipe, I made no changes to it.  It's a delicious soup, filled with comforting potatoes, corn, and chicken.  The recipe suggests garnishing with avocado, tomato, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.  I had all that on hand and I was surprised at how much the garnish actually completed the flavor of the soup!  Another delicious blog find that I'll be adding to my own repertoire!

Chicken & Corn Chowder


2 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (from a 2 1/2- to 3-lb. roasted chicken)
3 cups corn, frozen or kernels cut from 3 ears corn
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges
Freshly ground black pepper


In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat renders and meat starts to brown. Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes.

Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep mixture simmering and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream to taste. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Serve in soup bowls, garnished with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, a squeeze or two of lime juice, and pepper to taste.


Yields: 6 servings

For Printable Recipe, Click Here

Orange Lentil Soup with Croutons

Another chilly football-watching day. The playoffs are here and my team is doing well! While watching potential adversaries should my team make it all the way to the Super Bowl, I decided I wanted soup. Not a dainty little soup. Something more substantial without being heavy. Sounds like a tall order, right? Well a little research on Epicurious.com rendered an orange lentil soup that sounded simple, hearty, and not heavy - all at the same time!

The aroma of this soup simmering on the stove had a very 'comfy' quality to it. I couldn't get over how easy this recipe was. It smelled good, but could such a simple recipe give me the depth of flavor I was hoping for? Yes!! The lentils have a flavor all their own, but the cumin really enriched that flavor. And to extend the richness of flavor, I sprinkled some Turkish Seasoning (a mixture of salt, garlic, cumin, Tellicherry black pepper, Turkish oregano, paprika, sumac, cayenne, and cilantro) that I picked up at Penzey's to season the croutons made per the recipe. Boy, were those good!!  The perfect accompaniment to this wonderful soup!

Orange Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the croutons
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups orange lentils, picked clean and rinsed
6 cups low-sodium canned chicken or beef broth
3 slices whole-wheat or white bread, crusts removed
sprinkling of Penzey's Turkish Seasoning (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and stir to coat them in the oil. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook, removing any foam that rises to the surface, until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the over to 400°F.

Brush olive oil over both sides of the bread slices, and cut them into small cubes. Place the cubes in a single layer in a baking dish, and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Set the croutons aside.

Transfer the lentils, with their liquid, to a blender, in batches if necessary, and puree. Return the soup to the pot. (Alternatively puree the lentils right in the pot with an immersion blender.) Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and give the soup a good stir. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and sprinkle a few croutons on top of each serving.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings


Source:  Epicurious.com

For Printable Recipe, Click Here

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I have to confess something.  When I'm not feeling well, I want cream of mushroom soup.  I mean the stuff that comes in the red and white can.  Growing up, it was always my favorite comfort food... even as an adult, it was my guilty pleasure.  That is, until Ann of Thibeault's Table shared her recipe for real cream of mushroom soup.  It's so good and so easy.  Real sliced and sauteed mushrooms, not those tiny, little gray cubes that come in the canned stuff.  This can be as rich and thick as you want it to be.  Today I kept it a little brothier.  Some crouton or crostini, and I've got a wonderful meal.  I don't even miss the red and white can!!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

3 - 4 tablespoons butter
2 - 3 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig of fresh thyme
4 cups chicken stock/ broth
2 cups milk
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 - 4 tablespoons flour, (optional)

Saute sliced mushrooms in butter.  Add shallot, cooking for 2 - 3 minutes, until shallots are tender but not browned.  Add minced garlic and thyme, and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add milk and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and tarragon, if using.  If a thicker soup is desired, mix flour with some milk in a jar, and slowly stir into soup, continuing to cook until soup thickens.  Optional - coarsely puree soup with an immersion blender.


Serves 4


Source:  Ann Thibeault

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup. I always thought that it was so called because it was traditionally served at Italian weddings. A little research uncovered that while Italian-American weddings may include it as a favorite part of the menu, the actual origin came from the way the flavors of the dish marry so well together.  My favorite part of Italian Wedding Soup are the tiny little meatballs.  They're so tender from being cooked in the broth, and, in return, they impart such a wonderful flavor to the broth.

A couple of years ago, I tried Rachael Ray's recipe for this soup.  As her recipes promise to be, it's quick and easy.  And though that's not necessarily a prerequisite in my kitchen, it sure is nice when I'm tired but want something healthy and filling.  What a great way to end the week!

Mini-Meatball Soup (Italian Wedding Soup)
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: --
Cook Time: 27 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 big servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined (I used 1/2 pound ground sirloin and 1/2 pound ground pork)
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini (I used orecchiette)
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (I used arugula)

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings.

Clam Chowder

Have I mentioned that it's been a little chilly where I live???  It was actually in the 40's this morning.  In Texas!  In October!!  That's about 20 degrees lower than normal... and I'm loving every bit of it!!  "Chilly" is cozy weather.  And there's nothing cozier, food-wise anyways, than a bowl of hot, thick clam chowder.  It's a recipe I got from my Aunt Joanie many years ago, and it's rich and delicious, making me happy every time I eat it!

It was also a perfect day to make bread.  So I made a boule, thinly sliced a couple of pieces, and toasted them to have with my soup.  The perfect go-with.

Hearty and delicious soup and homemade bread.  NOW I feel cozy!

Clam Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced leeks
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons flour
2 cans clams, reserve broth
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 cup diced potatoes
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
3 drops Tabasco sauce
dash black ground pepper

Heat butter in 4 quart pot.  Saute leeks, onion, and celery 6 to 8 minutes.  Add flour to mixture and cook 2 minutes.

Add enough water to reserved broth to make 2 cups of combined liquid. Add to vegetable mixture.

Scald milk and cream.  Add to soup, and stir in potatoes, Worcestershire, salt, thyme, Tabasco, and pepper.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 25 to 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Add clams, cooking an additional 5 minutes.  Serve.

Note:  This soup freezes well.


For Printable Recipe, Click Here

Tortilla Soup

This is one of the easiest and quickest soups I make. It may be quick, but it's long on flavor. I fry up the corn tortilla strips, but you could use ready-made chips. I also like to up the taste factor by putting a little bit of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on the fried tortilla strips at the bottom of the bowl before adding the soup. The cheese melts into a nice little gooey 'surprise', adding to the different textures this soup provides. Stir in a little shredded cooked chicken to the soup for even more substance if you like. Garnish with some cubes of avocado. These flavors all work together for a heavenly bowl of soup. The colors, the textures, the flavors... it really can't be beat!!

Tortilla Soup

4 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus more for frying the tortillas)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
small bunch cilantro, chopped
Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
avocado, cubed

Slice tortillas into 1-inch wide strips. Fry in vegetable oil until crisp, and drain on paper towelling.

In soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes until soup is slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped cilantro, reserving small bit to garnish soup.

Place fried tortilla strips in bottom of serving bowls. Place small mound of grated cheese on strips, and ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with reserved chopped cilantro and garnish with cubes of avocado.

Serves 4

I'm BAAA-ack...

...and ready to start cooking!

First order of business: stock up on stock. Nothing beats homemade chicken stock, and since I had depleted my stash, I got out my 21-quart "cauldron". I use Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa's) recipe. I found 10-pound bags of chicken leg quarters for only $7.90, so two bags of the leg quarters went into the stockpot. I followed the rest of the recipe pretty much as written, though I simmered the stock a little longer. When it was done cooking, I let it rest for a while, and then skimmed the stock, strained it, and chilled it overnight, which allowed the fat to solidify on top - much easier to remove that way! My efforts resulted in 8 quarts of stock. Liquid gold!

I decided to immediately take advantage of some of the stock by making one of my favorite soups: Butternut Squash Soup with Port. It's creamy and rich with no cream (though I did use a few drops to garnish the soup - purely optional, of course!) I even left out the 2 tablespoons of butter that was to be stirred into the soup just before serving. I didn't even miss it. At all. It's been rainy and the temperatures have dropped a little bit - it's starting to feel like autumn and this soup was perfect for an autumn evening. A little crostini to go with, and I can almost see the leaves changing colors before my eyes -


Chicken Stock

3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
20 sprigs fresh parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.


Source: Copyright, 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup

You're trying to come up with an idea for dinner. The temperatures have climbed to triple digits again. The first thing that comes to mind is... hot soup?? Unconventional, yes, but that's exactly what I wanted. Not just any soup. I wanted a soup that I have had at a local Mexican restaurant several times. It's a poblano cream soup. The color is beautiful with a flavor to match.

To find a suitable recipe, I went to my favorite treasure trove of gastronomic concoctions - Epicurious.com. That site rarely fails me. And it didn't today, either. I loved the idea of roasting the poblanos first. Roasting or charring gives a wonderful lightly smokey flavor.

Now the problem with the poblano pepper is its inconsistent heat factor. These chilies can be pleasantly mild or spicier than a 15-year-old boy's mind. Mine turned out to be a bit on the fiery side. To combat the heat, I added a bit of sugar and a dollop or two of sour cream. It was perfect. Keep that in mind in case you end up with a wicked poblano or two in your bunch!


Roasted Poblano-Cream Soup
Bon Appétit | February 2001
Yield: Makes 6 servings

1-1/2 pounds poblano chilies*

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1-1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup (or more) whipping cream

*Fresh green chilies, often called pasillas, available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets

Char chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes to steam. Peel, seed and chop poblano chilies.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add chilies and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until chilies are very tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cilantro, parsley and mint. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in 1/4 cup cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cream if soup is very spicy. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

A Darling Baker's Tea Party

The Darling Bakers are hosting a tea party this weekend. I invited my sister-in-law and my niece for high tea. It was all very "lady-like". My sister-in-law, Amy, doesn't mind trying new recipes - I love cooking for her! I made a few old standbys and tried a few new things, too.

We started the meal with soup shooters: three different soups in 2-ounce glasses. All of these recipes were new to me, but all turned out delicious. We had Broccoli Bisque, Gazpacho, and Corn Soup. All were surprisingly easy and quick to make. The Broccoli Bisque was full of fresh broccoli flavor, tempered with leeks and just enough potato to really smooth out the flavor. The Gazpacho was the best gazpacho recipe I've ever had - bright and fresh-tasting. The Corn Soup was as sweet as mid-summer corn on the cob! Delicious!

We also had individual shrimp cocktails. I bought "easy-peel" shrimp to save a little time - they were already headed and deveined. I only had to boil them for a couple of minutes (I add a few black peppercorns, black mustard seeds, and nigella seeds to the boil), then move them to an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them tender. The sauce is an easy recipe of ketchup (or chili sauce), prepared horseradish, Worcestershire, fresh lemon juice, and a dash of cayenne.


I decided to make individual cheese balls. Cheese balls are kind of a retro thing - there was always a cheese ball for people to nibble on when my mother had people over for dinner! I changed it up just a little by making little ones for each person, placing them on paper grape leaves, and putting a little spreader and crackers on each plate. It was a hit!

My other standby recipe is for chicken puffs, miniature profiteroles filled with chicken salad. I change up my chicken salad all the time. This time I minced some roasted red bell pepper for the salad, which turned it kind of pink - something I knew my niece would love!

We enjoyed Celestial Seasons' Tangerine-Orange Zinger iced tea with lunch. It was fruity and pretty - perfect with our meal.


For dessert, we had mini fruit tarts. This is the first time I've ever made them, but they were not as difficult or as time-consuming as I thought they might be. I used a Martha Stewart recipe for the pate sucre and for the pastry cream. The raspberries were just the right amount of tart-sweet and the blueberries were juicy and sweet, just right to top these little 4-bite morsels.


With our desserts, we had Twinings Lady Grey tea, a lighter, more floral version of Earl Grey. It was the first time we'd tried that tea - it was really delicious and Amy proclaimed it her favorite hot tea.


It was a wonderful tea party! I really love cooking for my family and friends, and this was no exception!


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The recipes:

Broccoli Bisque With Gremolata Garnish
Autumn 2008

By: Lucy Waverman

"Broccoli soup is much more tasty than you might give it credit for. It is full flavoured and interesting."

2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stem peeled and roughly chopped, about 4½ cups (1.125 L)
½ cup (125 mL) peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
¼ cup (50 mL) whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Gremolata
¼ cup (50 mL) finely chopped parsley
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp (25 mL) grated lemon rind

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for 3 minutes or until limp. Add broccoli and sauté another minute. Add potatoes and toss together. Pour in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are very tender.

2. Using a hand blender, process vegetables until smooth. Add cream, bring to boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes to amalgamate flavours.

3. Combine parsley, garlic and lemon rind in a mini chop or food processor. Process until well combined. Dot on top of soup before serving.

Serves 6

Source: http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/RecipeController?language=EN&recipeType=1&action=recipe&recipeID=3777

*****
Gazpacho

Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min

Inactive Prep Time: 0 min

Cook Time: 0 min

Level: 0

Serves: 3 quarts, 6 to 8 servings

• 2 pounds, about 10 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2-cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the soup. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until almost pureed, leaving a little texture. Season with salt and pepper. Return to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Prepare topping mixture. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve: Ladle 10 to 12 ounces into chilled soup plates. On a large serving spoon, place 1/4 cup of the topping mixture, top with 2 shrimp, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Carefully place in the center of the plate of soup. Place a wedge of lime on the rim of the plate.

Topping mixture:

1/4 cup red bell pepper, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup red onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup red and yellow pear tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes:

12 to 16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied, poached, and chilled
6 to 8 sprigs fresh cilantro
6 to 8 wedges lime

Source: Wolfgang Puck's "Pizza, Pasta and More!", copyright 2000

*****Shrimp and Corn Bisque
(I omitted the shrimp this time.)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups fish stock (I used chicken stock this time since I omitted the shrimp.)
1 cup milk
1 cup peeled cooked small shrimps, deveined if necessary
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or thyme (I used basil as that was what I had on hand - it was wonderful!)
hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
1/2 cup light cream
salt
sprigs of fresh dill, to garnish (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 8 - 10 minutes until softened but not browned.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium pan. Add the flour and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the stock and milk, bring to a boil and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Cut each shrimp into 2 or 3 pieces and add to the cooked onion with the corn and fresh herb(s). Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Add the sauce mixture to the shrimp and corn mixture, and mix well.
5. Remove 3 cups of the soup and puree in a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender and pureed the whole batch.) Return the puree to the rest of the soup in the pan and stir well. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.
6. Add the cream and stir to blend. Heat the soup almost to boiling point, stirring frequently.
7. Divide into individual soup bowls and serve hot. Garnish with sprigs of dill.

Source: 400 Best Ever Soups, copyright 2005, 2006

*****

Brenda's Cheese Ball

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room tempreature

8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained well

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

2 tablespoons minced onion

seasoning salt

Mix all ingredients well, seasoning to taste. Roll in chopped pecans.

*****

Profiteroles

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir with wooden spoon over low heat until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from sides of pan, 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in eggs, one at a time.

Spoon or pipe tablespoon full of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water) or cream. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and pierce sides of profiteroles with tip of knife to release steam (this keeps the profiteroles crispier than if not pierced). When cool fill with sweet or savory fillings.

*****

Pate Sucre
Makes one 11-to 12-inch or two 8-to 9-inch or two 14-by-4-inch crusts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup ice water

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 20 seconds.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks; add ice water. With machine running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Pastry Cream
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

Pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Bring milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisking, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Slowly add remaining milk mixture until incorporated. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until it begins to bubble in center and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean.
3. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; beat on medium speed until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed or whisk by hand until smooth.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

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Thank you again to the Jain and The Darling Bakers for scheduling another fun event!