a little of each

A family's cookbook

Creamy Corn Soup July 24, 2015

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:08 pm
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My two girls love to cook. Mostly it’s macaroni and cheese, but to help expand their culinary horizons, I got them each a book by Moosewood Cookbook author, Mollie Katzen. Five-year-old Alice got Pretend Soup, while eight-year-old Adeline got Honest Pretzels, and I have to say these books have been perfect for them and for us to cook together. The instructions are laid out as step-by-step pictures, but Katzen offers more detailed instructions for a supervising adult.  She also makes it clear which parts a child should be able to do on their own and which parts might require an adult’s help: uncovering the pot and deciding if the liquid is hot enough, setting up the blender, taking the pureed soup out of the blender. These are great reminders for me to go ahead and let them chop things up, stir things in a hot pot, mash the button on the processor. How else will they learn if not by doing?

When I manage to be organized and create a weekly meal plan (man, I feel like a rock star when that happens!), I ask the girls to each pick a recipe. For her first selection, Adeline chose Creamy Corn Soup.  And we made it together.
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Look at that proud face!  She was thrilled to serve it to the family, and you know what? It was good!  Not made-by-my-own-child-so-I-have-to-act-like-i-like-it good. Like, honest to goodness tasty!  It was fresh, healthy, perfectly balanced between light and filling, and inexpensive.  Pretty much perfection, no?

Ingredients

1 Tbl butter

6 scallions, minced (just the white and lower half of the green part)

1 stalk celery, chopped small

2 cups corn (we used Trader Joe’s frozen white corn – it’s awesome! You can use fresh, frozen, canned.)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup milk

shredded cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on low heat until melted. Add the scallions, celery, corn, salt and basil.

Increase heat to Medium and cook for about eight minutes.

Add the broth and heat until it begins to boil.

Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Let cook covered for five minutes.

Add the milk and then blend or process the soup until it is smooth. (We left some texture.)

Return to saucepan to reheat if needed and serve with a little shredded cheese garnish.

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Cream of Tomato Soup May 16, 2013

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:33 am
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From America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients
4 Tbl unsalted butter
2  cans (28 oz) each diced tomatoes, drained with 3 cups of the juice reserved
1 onion finely chopped
2  Tbl light brown sugar
1 Tbl tomato paste
2 Tbl all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups  low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the drained tomatoes, onion, brown sugar and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the tomatoes begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the broth and the reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender  (or food processor) until smooth.

3. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Bring to a brief simmer, then remove from the heat. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze before serving.

 

Hungarian Style Goulash March 27, 2013

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:19 pm
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Ingredients

3 Tbl butter

6 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 pounds beef for stew, cut in 1-inch cubes

¼ cup paprika

1 tsp salt

8 oz sour cream

egg noodles or mashed potatoes

 

Directions

In hot butter cook onions until lightly browned. Add meat, salt and paprika. Add enough water to cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat is fork tender. About 1 ½ to two hours. Stir in eight ounces of sour cream just before serving. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Note:     Nana changed the recipe by flouring the beef before browning it. She also added carrots and sometimes potatoes about 30 minutes before the goulash finished cooking.

 

Oven Stew

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:18 pm
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Ingredients

1 ½ lbs stew meat

2 cups canned whole tomatoes

1 cup celery, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced

6 carrots, chopped into chunks

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3 tsp tapioca

1 clove garlic

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe container. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for two hours and 30 minutes.

 

Belgian Beef Stew

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:15 pm
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Ingredients

2 Tbl vegetable oil

2 cups onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbl vegetable oil

3 lbs beef, cut in 2” cubes

6 carrots, sliced

6 mushrooms, sliced

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp dried thyme

1 can beer

1 cup water

1 beef bouillon cube

1 tsp vinegar

Parsley

 

Directions

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven. Sauté onion and garlic until soft and slightly browned. Remove and set aside. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven and brown beef on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, beer, bouillon and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for two hours. Remove bay leaves. Thicken the gravy with one tablespoon flour blended with ¼ cup water and vinegar. Add to stew and stir until thick and bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes.

 

Chipotle Chicken Stew

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:14 pm
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Ingredients

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbl olive oil

3 cups onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups red potatoes, peeled and cubed one inch thick

1 ½ cups carrots, one-inch-thick slices

¼ cup tomato paste

1 ½ tsp cumin

3 (16 oz) cans chicken broth

1 ½ chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and finely chopped

1 tsp salt

2 Tbl cilantro leaves, chopped

 

Directions

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat coated with cooking spray sauté the chicken for seven minutes or until browned. Remove the chicken; keep warm. Add the oil to the pan. Add the onion, sauté for seven minutes or until browned. Add the garlic, sauté for one minute. Add the potatoes and the next six ingredients (potatoes through chiles) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and salt. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve. A dollop of sour cream is a nice, cooling garnish.

 

Boatman Stew

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:12 pm
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This tomato-based seafood stew is best served with warm crusty rolls with lots of real butter.

 

Ingredients

¾ tsp salt

2 lbs fish, cut into chunks. Grouper is best. Shrimp and scallops make nice additions.

2 large onions, sliced

½ cup olive oil

19 oz canned tomatoes

8 oz canned tomato sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 Tbl dried parsley or 2 Tbl fresh

½ cup white wine

1 ½ cup water

 

Directions

Salt fish and let stand. Meanwhile, brown onions in oil in a large soup pot. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, red pepper, parsley, wine and water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add fish. Continue to simmer until fish is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Narragansett Bay Shrimp Bisque

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:55 pm
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From “Soup Mix Gourmet.”

One of our favorites!  It’s easy and fast, but tastes like it took all day. Although the recipe doesn’t call for it, half a pound of scallops makes a nice addition.

 

shrimp bisque

 

Ingredients
2 cans Cream of Shrimp Soup (condensed)

1 ½ cups half and half

¼ cup shallots, chopped

½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ stick butter

2 Tbl sherry

Directions
Melt butter and sauté shallots until soft. Add shrimp and toss for about two minutes. Stir in soup, half and half and sherry. Simmer and serve immediately.

 

Crab Bisque

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:53 pm
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Mary Kay served this when she hosted a luncheon for eight friends at the holidays. It received rave reviews and many recipe requests. Mary Kay said she was nearly embarrassed to reveal how easy the recipe is. A dollop of white wine or sherry is optional.

 

Ingredients

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can Cream of Potato soup

1 can Cheddar Cheese soup

1 ½ cans of milk to dilute

Cayenne pepper to taste

Crab, either canned, flaked, or imitation

 

Mix the soups, milk, and pepper together and heat. Add the crab just before serving.

 

Mama’s Chili

Filed under: Soups and Salads — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:52 pm
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Ingredients

1 Tbl vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup scallion, chopped

¾ cup bell pepper, chopped

1 cup each: carrot, celery, mushrooms, all chopped

1 can crushed tomatoes

4 cans kidney beans

1 large can tomato paste

1 bag frozen corn

1 (12 oz) can of beer

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp crushed red pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbl chile powder

¾ lb ground beef

2 lb cut of London Broil, cut into bite-size pieces

 

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion and garlic; sauté briefly. Add the scallion, pepper, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Remove vegetables. Brown ground beef; drain and set aside. Brown London Broil pieces. Add all the ingredients to the pot. Cook in the pot for one hour. Move to a crock-pot and cook on auto for three to four hours.