Tomato soup ~

I made this last Saturday and again on Monday.  The second go round I found out the following:  This is one of the few things all three children will not want to eat again.  Even though FLD said, “Hey, this is really good!”…turns out he thinks one needs to chew in order to be satisfied and an occasional succulent tomato doesn‘t qualify.  He’s wrong, but he’s 14, so he’s not wrong.  Parent?  You understand.  Miss Annabelle said she liked it, too - surprisingly.  In a surprised happy hopeful enthusiasm I asked if she would have more.  No, she won’t.  Strike two.  I barely needed to look in the direction of Little One More to know her reaction.  She silently balks at things with tomatoes in it.  She was so proud of herself telling me that she ate three bites.  Truth is, I was proud of her. My fragile food ego was not bruised.  Much.  

The ending which resulted in those that were pleased with this soup:  When I had company over Saturday night, this was on the menu.   They both had seconds.  It’s good.  I’ll be making this every winter from here on out - that’s how much I loved it.  And to love means I don’t need to have it verified by an outside source to have my love be validated.  That’s not soup talk.  May your week be one that is full of honest love.  


Tomato soup ~

2 T. olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced - approximately 1 c.
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt
Fresh thyme leaves, approximately 2-3 tsp.
Fire roasted tomatoes, loosely drained, leaving approximately 2 lbs. of the tomatoes to work with. (see note)
2 c. chicken stock
3 T. unsalted butter

• Heat a soup pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil when hot. 
•  Add the onion, salt, pepper.  Saute for five minutes or until slightly browned.
• Add the garlic, saute for a minute longer.  Be careful to not brown garlic.Add the thyme leaves, tomatoes, stock.  Bring to a simmer - a steady, full simmer - let simmer 30 minutes.  This will reduce by quite a bit.  (see notes)
• Add butter and remove from heat.  Stir to melt the butter.
• Remove approximately 2/3 of the tomatoes to a blender.  Do not close up the top completely or the heat will blow the lid off.  Instead, use a towel over ¾ of the top with the lid more than ajar.  Start off on low and puree.  
• Return the pureed soup to the pot.  Add more stock at this point if you want a thinner soup.
• “Oh boy!” said the porcelain bowl, “Tomato soup comin’ up!!”
• Croutons and parmesan cheese optional…but oh, what a nice bonus.

Notes -

Possibly two 28 oz. cans of fire roasted tomatoes, drained, might be enough.  I buy 6 lb.+ cans of fire roasted tomatoes, so I only know what I measured out and weighed from a larger can to make this recipe.

The yield from simmering and reducing will vary depending on how vigorous your simmer winks at you.




Toodles!!!
xoxo

Roasted pork & adzuki bean soup ~

~
Homework soup ~~ Insert love here.  Most mornings Former Little Dude gets himself up and out the door to high school on his own.  I'm on a two schools-three children schedule around here.  Up until this year all three were at the same school that went through 8th grade.  This year FLD not only is in high school, start time is at 7:45a., he's also taller than me by almost a handful of inches.  He's challenging as a male teenager that is never wrong and I love him anyway.  Since most mornings he is out the door before I rouse from bed, a tinge of guilt from not making him breakfast is a steady feeling early in the mornings.  I was always good at warm homemade breakfasts most mornings...until this year.  What I do now that is new and nurturing is that I have ready a good after school snack for him.  It's more like a small meal...that boy at 14 growing thing.   Today it was this soup.  "Looks like there is a lot of meat in it, Mom, so I'll probably want a lot of it."  Okay.

Got some smokey seasoning blend?  I did.   Pretty fun stuff.  I don't often purchase spice blends, but this was one of their free sample tastings.  They mixed it with yogurt for a spicy sauce to serve as a spread with a chicken patty sandwich.  We did that.   Moving onto what I used it for after that....

The prep ~
I did the roast and beans the day before making the soup

Pork roast, either shoulder or butt.  (I've been told it's the same cut.  I don't understand that, but that's what one butcher told me.)
Seasoning blend
Salt
2 T. oil
Carrots, two
Onion, one medium
Bay leaf
1 c. chicken stock


2 c. dried adzuki beans
Kosher salt

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Season the roast with salt and a smokey seasoning blend.
• Heat a  3" high saute pan over medium high heat, or use a stock pot.  Add oil.
• Sear off the pork roast, letting it brown on each side without moving it until it releases from crusting/browning.  Turn once.  When browned, remove to a plate.
• In the pan, add the carrot and onion and saute until browned.
• Add the chicken stock, scrap the bottom to release the tasty browned bits.  
• Add the roast back to the pan, cover and braised in the oven for two hours.
• Remove the roast and let cool a little before using or putting in the fridge.  Save the veggies and broth if you want to use in the soup....goooood flavor.

While the roast is cooking --

• Rinse the beans and cover with hot water.
• Heat over high to boiling, then remove from heat.  
• Drain the beans and rinse.  Return to the pot.
• Add hot water, covering the beans by four inches or more above the bean line.  
• Again bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, covered.  
• Please monitor the cooking beans often, be generous with testing starting at the hour mark.  Simmer for 90 minutes, add salt - about 1 1/2 tablespoons, more depending on how much water you used.  Ideally the salt is added in the last half hour of cooking time. 

Note ----  I pulled these off the heat before they were completely soft throughout - I left them still firm in the very middle middle.  They will get more cooking time with the soup process.

The next day ~ the soup ~


Two carrots, small chop
Two celery stalks, sliced
One onion, diced
Olive oil
Two bay leaves
Salt
Smokey seasoning blend
6 c. chicken stock
Shredded pork roast
Cooked adzuki beans
1-2 tsp. puree of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Corn, fresh cut from the cob, one cob

• Heat a stock pot over medium heat.  When hot, add oil.
• Add the veggies, season with salt and seasoning blend.  Sauted until there is some brown on the onions.
• Add the chicken stock, the pork, the beans, and bay leaves.
• Let simmer for 30-45 minutes. 
• Adjust seasoning to your liking, adding a bit more salt if necessary.  Salt should never "sit" on the top of a finished soup, only for final small adjustments.
• Add the fresh corn, then serve - or freeze some.  I did.  :)

 

Potato Hashbrown Soup ~

Oh boy, another hard to resist item for me -- potatoes.  This is another food item we just don't have in the house often...like bacon.  Oh look - they are both here in attendance.  :)  

~FLD's after school snack, very filling ~

I was talking about soups with FLD (Former Little Dude) last week when I made chicken soup.  I bought a bag of *REALLY* cheap potatoes in a moment of "These are cheap - we are poor" mode the same week.  Dysfunctional offerings to the public - genetically modified potatoes.  They will be the last in this home, I hope.  Back to my main thought...I mentioned potato soup to FLD because he loves potatoes.  He likes to try things, has an open mind when it comes to food...so I said I would make potato soup.  He was happy to hear that it also had bacon.  Insert male grunting happy for meat sounds here.  14 years old = often hungry.

Potato Soup ~

6 slices thick cut bacon, trimmed of excess fat, sliced in 3/4" pieces
1/2 white onion, diced
4-6 medium red russet potatoes, large cubes, cooked.  Leave on skins.  Drain and set aside
2 medium red russet potatoes, peeled, diced.
5 c. chicken stock.
3/4 c. half and half.
2 tsp. pureed chipotle in adobo sauce
1 T. freshly chopped Mexican oregano
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

• Note that this recipe has cooked potatoes.  If you have not done this, now is the time, use salted water.
• In a stock pot heated over medium, brown bacon until it is crisp and has released all it's fat.
• Remove bacon and all but 2 T. fat.  Reserve fat if you feel you might use a tad more in the recipe.
• Saute diced potatoes in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until half cooked, some browning is good.  Remember to salt and pepper the potatoes as you start.  Remove when half cooked and reserve.  These do not get added until after the other boiled cubed potatoes have been pureed.
• If you feel you need a tad more grease use either the reserved bacon fat or a touch of olive oil.  In this, saute the onions until brown.
• Add the cooked cubed potatoes, not the sauteed diced potatoes, 3 - 4 cups of the stock and the oregano to the onions.  Let warm through.
• Remove the potatoes and stock to puree in a blender, in batches.  Watch the overspill, leave the lid ajar with a towel covering or it will spray out.  Never blend hot liquids in a closed atmosphere.
• Add the puree back to the stock pot.  Add the remaining chicken stock, the half and half, the chipotle puree and the reserved sauteed diced potatoes.  Let come to a gentle simmer until the diced sauteed potatoes are cooked through, but still fairly firm to the bite.
• At this point, since salting the hashbrowns and the onions, there should not be too much need for more salt, only minor adjustments.  I tend to like a peppery potato soup, so I added more freshly ground pepper.  The chipotle puree ads depth to taste.  Add water if you want it thinner.

Happy Fall day!  Eskimo kisses ~ ~ ~

This is linked to the happy sharing day of Foodie Friday. 

Noodle soup with coconut milk and shrimp ~

Close up.  Ready.

I ran across a recipe for this soup in an old copy of Fine Cooking.  As I read the list it quickly became thought of, "I don't have that, I don't have that, or that...".  So, I made do with what I did have on hand.  I used the dried lemongrass I found at the health food store some time back.  I don't know how well it would work alone with additional lime, considering it was not the only tart flavor, having key limes on hand to boost the citrus aspect of this soup.  

I was very proud of this outcome, that doesn't happen too often for me.  I am often very happy and pleased, but this was something so different for me to make because of the scratch paste...I was quietly beaming inside. That and my scratch Thai or Chinese is usually mediocre.  This took a bit of prep time, more than the cooking process...that alone I was proud of because a lot of prep is something I am not always crazy about.   I am so grateful that my children love such a variety of foods, especially seafood.  It makes my heart float at times ~ :) 

The kidlets were very happy with this, especially my little shrimp eater, Annabelle.  She actually lights up when we have shrimp.  Nic came to the stove as I was starting the saute' and asked if he could tell Annie, because it would make her happy, and he wanted to see that.  I thought that was cute.  Not that I let him...I wanted to wait to see her happy face light up at the table.  :)

Linked to this wonderful place to share on Fridays ~ :)

Noodle soup with coconut milk and shrimp  ~


1 small onion, rough chop (approx. 1/2 c.)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled, chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 heaping T. dried lemongrass
1/2 jalapeno, exterior only - no seed or vein
1/4 c. cilantro leaves
1 tsp. fresh ground cumin
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 T. hoisin sauce
2-3 T. water
2 T. oil 


1 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined (save shells) - I used 21/25 ct.


2 c. chicken broth
3 c. water
14 oz. coconut milk
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Bean sprouts - optional


6 oz. rice noodles, thick

• In a food processor, put the onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, cumin, sugar, hoisin sauce Make a paste.
• Heat a soup pot or large saucier over medium heat.  When hot add oil and paste. Saute the paste, stirring often until it softens and the scent is very aromatic...about 5-8 minutes.
• Stir in the shrimp shells and cook until they become pink, about two minutes.
• Add the stock, water, and coconut milk.  Let it come to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

• Bring a pot full of water almost to a boil, then turn off the heat.
• Soak noodles in the water for five minutes.  Drain, rinse.  

• Strain the broth into another pot and put back on the low heat.
• Add the shrimp, cook through, about 3 minutes.

• Divide the noodles between the bowls. Ladle the broth and shrimp into the bowls.  Add more cilantro, bean sprouts and cucumber.  

Notes ~ ~ 

• I took the extra half of the jalapeno, removed the seeds and vein to have it sit in the simmering stock stage for about ten minutes.  Taste the broth as you go along.  Your pepper might be very spicy, mine wasn't.  Monitor your heat ~ excess heat never makes anyone happy. 

Toodles ~
It's latte time
xoxo 

Cauliflower soup critiqued with love ~

Blue soup bowl purchased just for Blue Monday ~ :)

Soup with kids.   On Wednesday.

Sitting at the computer, I say, "The soup had too much sage didn't it?  I'm going to reduce the amount of sage."  

Former Little Dude - "Yes, it did."  Looking over at me, "You're not going to post that soup on your blog are you?"  Said tenderly, "It wasn't that great of a soup.  The picture you took doesn't look very good.  I don't care for cauliflower a whole lot"  Well, now.  Okay.  

A few minutes later Miss Annie and Little Miss Sofia enter the room.  I mention the soup.  Annie, "I loved the soup!  It was great!  It tasted cheesy, it was delicious."  Okie dokie.  I have not lost my soup palette mind.

Miss Sofia, "It was okay.  I don't care for that flower stuff."  Young, honest, verbal.

It seems Annabelle and I liked it just fine.

Fast forward to Soup with Kids on Saturday afternoon - they happily and quickly ate leftovers of this, all with lots of yummy sounds and expressions - all three of them.  Go figure.  Me?  I love this brothy soup and will impose it on them again.  :)

Just Fine Kitchen Sink Cauliflower Soup ~

(A bunch of leftovers redone)

2 - 4 T. olive oil
1 medium onion
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced in rounds or half rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
1 qt. chicken stock, more if desired
1 tsp. sage, chiffonade
Two bay leaves
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Stalk or two of rosemary with leaves - no old brown stalk. This is an infusion, to pull out like the bay leaves
1 1/2 c. shredded chicken breast
2 c. roasted cauliflower 
3/4 c. heavy cream 
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated 
Salt and pepper

• Heat a stock pot over medium, add olive oil.  Add onion and carrots, toss in some kosher salt, saute until onions have some color. 
• Add the garlic, saute for 30 seconds or so longer.  Add 2 more tablespoons oil, then the flour.  Cook the flour for a minute or less.  
• Add the stock, herbs, chicken cauliflower, and cream.  Heat to under a simmer so as not to break the cream and cheddar, 30 minutes to marry all flavors.  

Happy Blue Monday!!

Homemade whole wheat sandwich bread with oats and walnuts for grilled cheese and shallot sandwiches, served with this soup

Oh boy, oh boy!!

 ~

Clam chowder, honey!!!  *sighing* with recent memories of warm, light, creamy spoonfuls of a delicious nature.  (I'll never be a writer.)

Former Little Dude, now a teenager, said that my chowder is lighter, taste more like clams, less creamy than Mo's.   I sure do like that he talks about these things that he notices.  He likes both, but prefers a lighter version.  So do I.  I like brothy.  Maybe this is clam soup.

Pretty rounds

Clam soup ~

5-6 slices of thinly sliced proscuitto
1-2 T. olive oil
One large-ish yellow onion, diced
5-8 yukon gold potatoes, washed, skin left on, chopped into 1 1/2" chunks
Two pints clam juice
1 lb. frozen baby clams in juice, or clams of choice.  Reserve the juice if thawed.
4 T. cornstarch
1/2 - 3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper

• Heat a stockpot to medium heat, add olive oil and proscuitto.  Cook to not quite crisp.
• Add onions, toss of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, saute to soft.
• Add the two pints clam juice, heat to simmer.  Add potatoes.
• When potatoes are shy of being done, place a cup of the clam juice (from the frozen clams) into a bowl with the cornstarch.  Whisk thoroughly and pour into the stockpot, cook for five minutes.
• Add the clams, cream and heat through.  
• Taste for seasoning.  

With rosemary-walnut bread

Chicken corn chowder ~

~ Mmmm, onions ~

Rough estimates - soup makers understand this.   Additional salt with each added ingredient when sauteing, building layers.  Account for the salt that is in any favorite stock.   There can be a feeling of contentment at what the stockpot will produce before the process is even started...simply with the feeling of knowing it's time to make soup....starting slow...taking time, as I imagine soup lovers do when they enter the kitchen to make such comfort ~~ as I wish for lovers, too.    


Chicken corn chowder ~

Four chicken thighs
Two cobs of corn, kernels removed (of course frozen is fine)
One yellow onion, diced
Three cloves of garlic, minced
Four yukon gold potatoes, large dice
Roasted red peppers, diced, maybe less than 1/4 c.
Chicken stock - 2 quarts - more if you like
Small can of chopped green chilis, drained
Thyme
Touch of cream if desired

• In a stockpot....
• Saute (salt and pepper) chicken thighs in olive oil until done.  Remove, set aside.  Shred when cool.
• Add onion, saute until there is some brown color (add a touch more olive oil if you need it)
• Add garlic and corn, saute until soft  
• Add chicken stock, and potatoes.  Cook until potatoes are almost done.
• Return chicken to the pot.
• Add green chiles and red peppers.
• Add your desired cream, or half and half.  Go light at first.
• Adjust seasoning, more fresh pepper here is good.