Meat and Veggie Soup *then magically* Beer Stew!!!

It's freezing outside, so it's time for some soup recipes.  I love soup because 1. It warms everyone up. 2. It's filling. 3. It's usually fairly easy and inexpensive to make. 4. It's easy to make it healthy and "hide" vegetables and other things in it. 5. Leftovers! 6. You can make it in a stockpot or a crockpot, which requires hardly any effort and almost no cleanup. 7. Easy to make adjustments, like omit pepper and add eggplant, for example. 8. SO EASY to make allergy friendly!  I have so many friends and relatives that can't have gluten, dairy, sugar, etc. Soup is easy to make without pesky ingredients that your family can't have.

Oh yeah, and you can freeze the leftovers for a quick dinner someday when you don't feel like cooking (I'm stocking up for maternity leave).  I did it when I was pregnant with my son and it was SO worth it.  Brilliant.

This recipe is pretty basic.  It follows the Paleo diet too, which wasn't on purpose, but can't hurt, right?  My grandfather makes a version of it, but usually uses lamb and adds barley.  I love potatoes right now, so skip the barley and sub the elk meat that I have in my freezer, and this soup is almost free:-)

You'll need:

1 quart of canned tomatoes (I used more- one quart plus some more.  I can my own tomatoes so I always have extra in the fridge.  You can also use fresh if you'd like)
2 quarts broth (I used beef broth because that's what I had.  Again, I usually make my own and freeze it, so I have used vegetable stock and chicken stock in place and it tastes fine).
About 1-2 pounds of meat of your choice, chopped into bite size pieces.  I LOVE lamb, but I don't always have it.  Beef is great, as is deer or elk (the other flavors get rid of the "gamey" taste.  You could also omit the mat for a vegetarian/ vegan soup).
5 potatoes of your choice, diced (I used medium sized Yukon Golds, so if you use larger potatoes like Russets, or smaller ones like Reds- my fav- just adjust to how much you want).
3 cups of green beans (This is a guess, as I used frozen beans from the garden, so I'm not sure exactly how much it was.  You can use fresh or frozen, but keep in mind the frozen don't take as long to cook).
1 bell pepper, diced (I like green and Kevin likes red.  It doesn't matter which you choose)
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 or 2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt, pepper, oregano, parlsey, and a little thyme (I used all dried and just added until I though it tasted right)

Per usual, saute the carrots, celery, onion, pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil until softened.  Add the potatoes and meat and saute until browned.  Add all of the rest of the ingredient except the beans and spices.  Bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour, covered.  Add in the beans and spices and simmer until the beans are done.

Turn down to low and cover.  Keep warm until you are ready to eat.

You can also do this in a crockpot, although you may have to half this recipe if you don't have a large crockpot.  Just add everything except the beans and cook on low for about 4 hours.  Add the beans and cook for another hour.  I like this method because i can get it ready the night before and have it cook while I'm at work during the day.  Dinner is ready when i get home and there is hardly any cleanup.

Now comes the exciting part.... TA-DA!!!

The next day, instead of having the same thing again, make it into something even cooler by adding a few things.

Warm the soup on the stove and add (what I call) "butter balls".  I call it that mostly because it's funny, and parlty because I don't know what these things are actually called.  What you do is you take equal parts butter and flour and roll it together in your hand until it forms a tiny ball.  You can add these little balls to anything to thicken it, which is what we are doing to this soup.  If you used marble size butter balls, you will probably add between 7 and 12, depending on how much soup you have leftover.

Of course, this is the perfect opportunity for some trickery:  Puree steamed vegetable like spinach, kale, zucchini, red pepper, and add them in as well.  Your kids won't know that its extra- healthy and you score mom points for preventing illness;-)

Then, add half a can of beer.  It doesn't matter which kid as long as it's not some weird flavor, like pumpkin ale.

Serve this thickened stew with shredded cheddar cheese (or smoked cheddar) on the top.  YUMMMMM...

And of course, the leftovers will pair well with.... beer! The first one will pair well with a red wine like merlot.

Stock

Stock is the cornerstone for a lot of foods: soups, stews, sauces, pasta dishes, rice dishes, roasts, and on and on...  I use it often in my house, probably more often than others (ex: when I boil rice, I use stock instead of water to add flavor).

Stock is very easy and very hands-off.  Anyone can make it.  Lots of recipes for stock call for a lot of vegetables that are chopped, etc.  My way is easier and much more convenient;-)

Whenever I cook, I save all the vegetable scraps.  I put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.  When the bag is full, I make stock.  EASY!

Here is a list of the usual things I save:

carrot peel

carrot stems/ ends of the carrot

celery leaves

celery hearts

onion peel and roots

parsley stems

thyme stems

bell pepper stems/ pulp membrane

pieces of garlic

shallot roots and peel

potato peel

egg shells (make sure they are clean)

You can use almost any vegetable.  Don't use potatoe chunks or squash, as it can make the stock cloudy.  Tomatoes can make the stock acidic, but if you are going to use the stock in a recipe that has tomatoes (ie tomato soup) then, go ahead!  Basil and cilantro will give the stock very distinct flavors, which isn't good in every recipe. Don't use fruit or anything citrus.

When you have enough scraps, put everything in a large heavy bottom stock pot and fill with cold water.  I usually add a few things for flavor: a piece of garlic, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  If the stock is lacking in herbs, I will add a little dried parsley and thyme.  Let your stock simmer, uncovered, for about three hours.  Don't boil or stir stock- the simmering will do that for you.  If you let it boil or stir it, you can make it cloudy.

I like to use yellow onion peels in my stock.  It gives it a beautiful color (obviously more so than white onion).  Keep in mind the bell peppers will turn the stock color, as will red onions.  If you are trying to make brown stock, stay away from red onions, red peppers, and tomatoes. 

NEVER EVER salt your stock.  Always salt recipes at the end.  Salt flavor cooks out the longer you cook something, so adding salt in the beginning is a good way to increase your sodium intake by quite a bit.  

When the stock is done, it should be clear and a brown or red color, depending on the veggies you use.  Let the stock cool a little and strain, using a colander, into another pot.  Then strain using cheesecloth into another container.  You can refrigerate stock for 7-10 days of freeze for months.

For chicken stock, I add either a raw piece of chicken or the leftover carcass (I hate that word).  If you use raw chicken, you will need to simmer the stock for about 5-6 hours, so the chicken is cooked completely before you strain it.  Bones add the most flavor, so when you can, use bones as well as the meat.

For beef broth, it's best to drizzle the beef and beef bones with oil and roast in the oven on 350 for about an hour, then add to the stock.  Simmer that for about 5-6 hours, the same as chicken.

I also throw some apple cider vinegar in it sometimes for a kick. Just a little gives a lot it a lot flavor. 

Minestrone- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and 0 Points on Weight Watchers!

Busy Mama Recipes




There is no "set" recipe for minestrone.  It originates in Italy, and is commonly made with vegetables, stock, and beans.  I was taught that authentic minestrone is made with bean stock, but also that the recipe varies widely in Italy depending on the region and the vegetables in season.


One of my friends told me that every time she makes minestrone it tastes so "blah".  The great thing about most soup is you can add almost anything to them without ruining them.  Hopefully you all will think this recipe is far from "blah".. ;-)


I think one of the things that really makes soups amazing is homemade stock.  If your stock tastes like water, even the most delicious recipes can be boring.  I will post a recipe later for stock... it is very simple and hands-off.  I made the following recipe, so it's vegetarian (although not vegan because I put parmesan in it, and there were eggshells in the stock).  If you want to add meat, just saute it in the same pan, and when it's done, add the remaining ingredients in the same order and follow the recipe as usual.


Another good tip is to use fresh herbs.  You can buy those little combo packs at the grocery store.  They are usually named "beef medley" or "poultry medley".  In this recipe I used parsley, basil, and oregano.  You can of course, use dried herbs or a different combination of herbs.  Use whatever you like best.


INGREDIENTS


2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach cut into ribbons
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 large tomato, diced 
1 small potato, diced
8 cups stock, depending on how chunky/ thin you want your soup.  I used vegetable stock, but you can use any kind of stock you have.
1 small box pasta (I actually used tortellini the other day and it was delicious.  Usually I use shells or macaroni)
1/2 cup wine- red or white, make sure it's dry and not sweet
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice


In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, saute the vegetables and garlic.  If using meat, saute the meat in the oil until it's done, then add the veggies. Deglaze the pot with the wine.  Add the tomatoes and beans.


When everything is hot, add the stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and let simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and add the lemon juice.  Add the spinach at the end.


At this point you can either add the pasta to the soup or do what I do: boil it separately the serve the soup over the pasta.  I do this because usually we don't eat all the soup on one sitting, so we end up with leftovers.  If the pasts sits in the soup, it will get soggy.  If you are going to eat all the soup in one sitting, there's no use in dirtying another pot.


I garnished this soup with shaved Parmesan cheese and served it with garlic bread.  

*** This soup is a clean-out-your-fridge soup.  You can add whatever veggies you want- fresh, frozen, or canned.  Corn, pees, green beans, etc would all be great additions.

By the way, use more veggies and omit the pasta, potatoes, and beans, and this recipe is: 

 ZERO POINTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS!!! 

Tomato Basil Soup - with Variations for Tomato Roasted Red Pepper or Tomato Florentine Soup

Tomato soup is one of my favorites because you can do so much with it.  You can add almost anything to it, and it wouldn't taste bad.  You could make it any style- Mexican, Italian, Greek, vegan, whatever- and it would make a great main dish, or a yummy side.  Plus, it's very inexpensive to make and goes a long way.  When I make it I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later.


The recipe below is for a creamy tomato basil soup, and below are a list of variations of the recipe and how to make them.  

Busy Mama Recipes


Creamy Tomato Basil Soup


2 quarts canned, peeled tomatoes, whole or diced (You could substitute fresh tomatoes if they're in season)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 large white onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs oil (I ove Wildtree's Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil, but olive oil or any other oil will work)
1-2 quarts stock (I like to use vegetable stock, but chicken stock works too.  The amount of stock you use depends on how thick or thin you want your soup)
1 bunch basil, leaves only,  cut into chiffonade ribbons
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400.  

OPTIONAL: On one baking sheet, spread out the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic evenly.  On another baking sheet, spread out all of the tomatoes (save the juice in a container for use later).  Roast in the oven for about thirty minutes, or until vegetables are slightly browned.  This will enhance the flavor of whichever vegetables you roast.

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sautee in olive oil until tender, stirring often.  Deglaze the pot with the red wine.  Add tomatoes, simmer until hot and tomatoes are tender- about 15 minutes.


Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning and sticking (the thinner the soup, the less likely to burn). Turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, uncovered.  Take the soup off of the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing with an immersion blender.  Be careful not to splatter.  Puree until you get the desired consistency.  Add the heavy cream.  If the soup is too thick, you can add some tomato juice left over from the jars or more stock.

I can my own tomatoes from the garden, so they tend to be very robust in flavor and acidic.  The heavy cream helps mellow that flavor.  If you want vegan or dairy free soup, leaving out the cream will not hurt.  


Add basil, spices, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. 

• For Tomato Florentine, substitute spinach leaves for the basil.
• Add cilantro and a roasted poblano pepper for a Mexican style soup.  Serve with creme fraiche, lime wedges, and cotija cheese.
• For a Mediterranean style soup, add chopped fennel bulb and eggplant to the veggies, and garnish with feta cheese.
• For a vegan soup, use vegetable stock and omit the cream.

Crockpot Variation:  Add all ingredients except cream to a crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 7 hours).  Blend with an immersion blender and add the cream at the end. 

New England Clam Chowder

Busy Mama Recipes

Kevin loves clam chowder.  He says it's his favorite soup.  He didn't eat meat for 17+ years (I didn't for 3, until I got pregnant), so we didn't have it often. It's just not the same without bacon and chicken stock.  Fortunately for me, I was able to persuade him to eat some red meat, so this soup is an occasional treat for us:-)  I love cooking dishes that Kevin loves.  It makes it more fun!

Ingredients
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
1 Large white onion, diced
3 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Tbs Butter 1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup dry White Wine
1 12 ounce bottle Clam Juice
24 ounces Chicken Stock
3 small cans chopped clams
7 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs Tabasco
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Tbs chopped fresh Dill
Juice and zest of one lemon
salt, pepper, and paprika

Directions

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, sautee the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon but leave the grease.  Cook the carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes in the grease, and add butter.  When the veggies are tender, deglaze the pan with white wine.  Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, stirring iften to prevent burning and sticking.  Cook for about 3 mintues, until the raw flour taste is gone.

Add the clam juice and chicken stock.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend.  The goal is to make to soup thick, not to completely puree it.  Only blend for a minute or so, it's good to still have chunks of vegetables in the soup.

Add bacon, clams, heavy cream, lemon, Tabasco, Worcestershire, dill, and spices to the soup.  Simmer for 25-45 minutes.  If soup is too thick, add more stock or cream.  If it is too thin, cook to reduce, or add butter and flour***

***Use your fingers to roll together little balls of equal parts butter and flour.  Once they turn into "dough", they can be added to any soup or sauce to thicken it.