a little of each

A family's cookbook

Black Bean Soup for Slow Cooker March 27, 2013

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:48 pm
Tags: , , , ,

The recipe looks a little bland, but the resulting soup is delicious. The measurements are all approximations, as are the cooking times. When it goes into the pot it looks like a clear broth soup, but when it’s done everything is black, and I mean everything. You can use the immersion blender to smooth a little of it.

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 (~10 oz) bag of dry black beans

Turkey sausage or kielbasa, sliced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

Chicken stock

 

Toppings:

Sour cream

Diced tomatoes

Cheese

Hot sauce

 

Directions

Sauté the onions and garlic on the stovetop until they are translucent, or put them directly into the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients with enough chicken stock to cover the dry ingredients. Stir. Cook on low for about six hours. Serve with toppings.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:53 pm
Tags: , , ,

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped (Katie says this is optional!)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 cup frozen corn

¼ cup dry white wine

1 tsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp chili powder

2 (14.25 oz) cans chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (“Hint of Lime” flavored ones are the best)

½ cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)

1 lime, cut into wedges

 

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté two minutes. Stir in chicken and next nine ingredients (corn through tomato soup); bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. If soup reduces too much, add another can of chicken broth. Ladle soup into bowls; top with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheese. Squeeze the juice from one lime wedge into each bowl of soup before serving.

 

Lentil Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:44 pm
Tags: , , , ,

 

Like the yellow squash soup, this is perfect: easy to make, inexpensive, healthy, and absolutely satisfying. I’ve tried it with both red and brown lentils and both are delicious. If it thickens too much, add up to one more cup water or chicken broth. Ken and I like it served over the Delicious Indian Rice as a version of rice and beans.

 

Ingredients

2 Tbl oil

1 onion, chopped small

3 carrots, cut into coins then in half into half-moons

3 celery stalks, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes, any flavor variety

1 ½ cup lentils, picked over and rinsed

½ tsp dried thyme

2 cans chicken broth (3 ½ cups)

1 Tbl red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

 

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery; cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in garlic and stir for a minute. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the lentils, thyme, broth and one cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper and serve.

 

Cabbage Paprikash Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:41 pm
Tags: , , ,

When I used to eat meat – my general rule of the past ten or so years is to not eat things with four legs –  I loved the the tangy beef and cabbage soup served at TooJay’s Deli. I finally found something comparable in a cookbook called “Soup Makes the Meal,” and, even better, it doesn’t rely on beef for flavor (although, by all means, add some bite-sized pieces and use beef stock if you want).

I do have to brag for a second: this soup won the blue ribbon in Temple Beth El’s (Knoxville, Tennessee) annual soup and chili cookoff.  It really is that good.

Ingredients

1 Tbl olive oil

1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced

4 cups cored and thinly sliced cabbage

salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbl sweet paprika

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup canned chopped or crushed tomatoes

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

3 Tbl tomato paste

juice of 1 lemon

2-3 tsp sugar, to taste

black pepper, sour cream and chopped fresh parsley, to taste or to garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the cabbage, salt lightly and cook until all the cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, carrot and tomato paste and season again with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add about half each of the lemon juice and sugar; simmer briefly, then taste, adding more sugar and lemon juice to get a mellow, but distinctly sweet-tart broth. Season with pepper. Serve piping hot with garnishes.

 

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:32 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

The flavor in this soup is wonderful – hearty and delicate at the same time. It thickened up quite a bit on me, becoming almost a stew, but a little extra chicken stock helped.

 

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash (about 1 ¾ lbs), halved and seeded

¼ cup olive oil, divided

6 fresh sage leaves

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 cups chopped onion (give or take)

¾ cup chopped leeks (white part only)

½ to 1 cup fat-free half and half

3 to 4 cups chicken or veggie broth

salt

10 slices French bread

1 Tbl olive oil

pepper, sour cream, chopped parsley and sage as optional garnishes

 

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Rub inside of each squash with 1 Tbl olive oil, then fill each half with 3 sage leaves. Place squash face down on prepared sheet and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, discard sage, then scoop out squash and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Heat remaining oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Sauté apples, onions and leeks until apples are tender and onions are translucent, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add squash, half and half and enough chicken broth to cover; simmer 5 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender to desired consistency, and then stir in additional chicken broth to desired consistency. Add salt to taste. To make croutons or crostini, drizzle the olive oil over the bread slices, along with a little salt and pepper and broil briefly in a toaster. Float the toasted bread along with additional garnishes on a serving of soup.

 

Creamy Carrot Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:21 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Adapted from a Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt recipe.

 

Ingredients

2 Tbl olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¾ cup onion, diced

1 Tbl ginger, peeled and grated

3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbl rice

1 cup plain lowfat yogurt

2/3 Tbl cornstarch

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Using a small stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ginger, onions and garlic and sauté until onions begin to soften. Add carrots, stock and rice, and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots break apart easily. Using a blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth or only partially, depending on your preference. Return the soup to the pot, and heat over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and cornstarch and blend until well-mixed. Stir this mixture into the soup, being careful not to bring the soup back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt.

 

Yellow Squash Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:16 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Adapted from “Weight Watcher’s” recipe. Serves four.

This is cheap, quick, and healthy. Oh, and it’s really tasty!  I didn’t puree the soup however, as I like my soups with a little more substance to them, and I recommend this recipe that way.

Ingredients

1 Tbl butter

1 ½ lbs fresh yellow squash, sliced and quartered

1 cup Vidalia onion, chopped or a few shallots, diced

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

½ cup milk

1 ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 Tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat; add squash and onion. Cover and cook 13 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Transfer squash mixture to a food processor; puree until smooth. Return squash mixture to saucepan. Stir in broth and next four ingredients; cook, uncovered, over low heat until thoroughly heated. Serve one cup of soup with fresh Parmesan sprinkled on top.

 

Mexican Tomato Lime Soup

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:06 pm
Tags: , , ,

Ingredients

3 gloves garlic minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbl vegetable oil

6 cups tomato juice

2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced

1 large lime, juiced

3 Tbl fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Tabasco, to taste

2 cups tortilla chips

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

 

Directions

In a soup pot on low heat, sauté the garlic and cumin in the oil for a minute. Stir in the tomato juice, fresh tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for several minutes. Add Tabasco to taste. Place tortilla chips in soup bowls and ladle soup over them. Top with grated cheese and some more fresh cilantro.

 

Citrus, Mango, Avocado Salad

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:26 am
Tags: , , ,

I’ve recently become aware that I really like grapefruit.  And from a most unexpected source: my six-year-old daughter. As a child myself growing up in Florida, I found grapefruit to be worthless abominations that were Not Tangerines.  They were bitter, full of seeds, bitter, not tasty, bitter, and made a rotten fruit mess of the backyard. I will admit to a certain thrill and eewww-factor when a mushy grapefruit got pulverized by the lawn mower.  So, see? No love lost.

But then one day during this past year, Adeline tried a grapefruit, and, yes, it did have a healthy topping of powdered sugar, but she tasted it, liked it, and then proceded to devour the whole thing, including the juices, with abandon and impolite sucking noises.   I eyed the other half of the fruit and thought, heck, don’t I always encourage them to try things? Shouldn’t I pony up to this grapefruit?

So I did.  And wow, it was wonderful!  Tangy, fresh, sweet, and, yes, still slightly bitter, but not unpleasantly so.  I ate that sucker, Adeline happily drank the juice, and my worldview of grapefruit was changed.

When I saw this salad on Pinterest (love me some Pinterest – yes!!), I thought, let’s go for it!  When I saw the recipe was from Lauren Conrad, I thought who? what? why…?  (Seriously, who is this person, and why is she a thing?)  When I served it to my seder guests, I was a bit nervous.  When they loved it and went back for seconds and thirds, I knew we had a keeper recipe.  Thanks, Lauren Conrad, whoever you are!

 

Citrus, Mango, Avocado Salad

adapted from Lauren Conrad

Serves 8

 

Ingredients
2 grapefruit
2 navel orange
2 avocado
2 mango
bag of baby spinach
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Segment grapefruit and orange by removing both ends, cutting off all the peel, and cutting each segment of fruit between the white membranes. Do this over a bowl to save the juice that will spill out.
  2. Slice avocado and mango into large dices.
  3. Gently mix avocado and mango with citrus.
  4. Mix reserved grapefruit juice with maple syrup and oil.
  5. Plate baby spinach topped with a heap of the fruit mixture.
  6. Drizzle dressing on the salad, then top with sliced almonds.
 

Honey Horseradish Chicken

Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:47 am
Tags: , , , , ,

If you are invited to my house for a meal, you will be experimented on. As much as I want to stick with tried and true standbys, I can’t resist the urge to try new recipes on unsuspecting palettes. Even at times like Thanksgiving and Passover when a dud could really put a damper on things.

Last night’s seder had no duds. Not even close. The dilled matzo ball soup turned out well, the salmon was tasty, the haroset was tweaked nicely, the roasted root vegetables were perfect in their simplicity and not al dente as I feared, but the stars were this roasted chicken dish and an unusual salad.

I am a sucker for sweet and hot or sweet and tangy or other somewhat unexpected flavor combinations. So when I saw the recipe for Honey Horseradish chicken come through my inbox (via Kveller.com), I pounced. I used an oven bag (a really useful tip from my mother-in-law that has never let me down), and reduced the amount of garlic to one bulb (honestly, I don’t know how five bulbs of garlic could even think about fitting inside a five-pound chicken…). Next time I might reserve some of the honey and horseradish blend, or make a slightly thicker version, to use as a condiment.

 

Honey Horseradish Chicken

from The Nosher

 

Ingredients

1, 5-pound whole chicken, rinsed well and with innards removed
½ lemon
5 bulbs garlic (I reduced this to one bulb of garlic.)
½ white onion
5 fresh rosemary springs
¼ cup kosher for Passover prepared horseradish
¼ cup kosher for Passover honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Then put the chicken breast side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.

Stuff chicken with the lemon, garlic, onion, and rosemary sprigs.

In a small bowl, whisk together horseradish, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread all over the chicken, making sure to get under the skin as well.

Place in oven bag, if desired.

Roast chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes, and then turn the oven up to 450 degrees F to brown the skin. Continue cooking about 20 more minutes until the internal temperature near the thighbone is 160 degrees F and the juices run clear (it should continue to cook once removed from the oven until the temperature is 165 degrees F).

Let chicken rest for 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.