The greatest part about making soup is that you don’t have to use the freshest products to get good results.
This is probably my favorite vegetable I’ve made in a long time.
I started off by blanching 3 tomatoes. As they were cooking, I chopped up 2 medium zucchinis, a head of cauliflower, 2 cloves of garlic, and an onion.
After I got the tomatoes in the ice bath, I heated up a pot with a carton of vegetable broth in it.
Once the tomatoes were cool enough to cut, I chopped them up and added them to the broth, along with the rest of the veggies.
Then I added about 3 cups of water, and my spices. I used salt, pepper, thyme, and basil.
Now, when I eat soup, it needs to be hardy or it’s just not worth it. So I decided to make mini turkey patties to add some “umph” to the soup.
I started by dicing up some garlic and shallots super finely. No one wants to bite into a big chunk of garlic when eating soup, or a burger for that matter. Then, I mixed that with about a pound of ground turkey, bread crumbs, and an egg.
I knew that if I tried to cook the patties in the soup, they would completely fall apart. So I first seared them in a frying pan.
This does two things, first it almost forms a crust on the patties to that they hold their shape better. And second, it holds in all the moist “juices” from the turkey.
Once those were done, I added them to the soup, and let it sit on low heat for about an hour.
It was surprisingly good, I ate like 3 bowls back to back.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
onion mushroom soup
So today I found myself looking into a bag of mushrooms that were on the edge of going bad. I always seem to be doing this; buying produce, using some of it, and then throwing the rest of it in the fridge for it to go bad. But not today, I decided to make onion mushroom soup.
I knew I had to sauté the onions first, and that’s what I did. I sliced up 1 and a half red and yellow onions and 3 shallots and threw it all into a sauté pan with a nice big handful of salt. I recently heard salt referred to as foods magnifying glass, you use it to make flavors bigger and better. And I let them cook until I got a nice creamy texture and a golden brown color.
At the same time I brought a pot of water up to a boil, with some S and P (that’s salt and pepper) and a touch of olive oil.
As I looked at my pot and pan on the stove, I realized I had no plan for what I was going to do next. I never made this soup before and I had nothing to reference for an idea. So I asked myself, what am I cooking? Soup. Ok what kind of soup? Onion mushroom. Ok so I got the onions cooking and I have to cook the mushrooms, and in they went into the pot of water. Then I threw in the onions and let that come back to a boil.
Ok now what? Um….spices, I didn’t want anything to strong, so I added some chicken consume, oregano, basil, and of course garlic, who could forget garlic, I put in about 6 cloves sliced up nice and thin.
After that, I realized the soup was too liquidy, I wanted it to be thicker but boiling the water out just wasn’t cutting it, so I added some flour, I’d say probably about 1/3 of a cup.
Once it got to the consistence I wanted, I gave it another taste. It was still missing something, but what? It had the onions and mushrooms, spices, garlic, chicken consume. And that’s when it hit me; there was no fat in the soup. And there in lied my problem, I had no chicken or meat to put in it. So I pulled out my trusty package of beef hot dogs.
Now, I know hot dogs are on the bottom of the culinary food chain, but every college student should always have tuna, beer, and hot dogs on hand in case of an emergency.
So I cut 3 dogs up into chunks and threw them in.
I let the soup sit for about an hour and a half, then put it in the fridge. We’ll see how it turns out tomorrow. To me, the best soup is day old soup; soup needs time to sit to let the flavors blend.
I knew I had to sauté the onions first, and that’s what I did. I sliced up 1 and a half red and yellow onions and 3 shallots and threw it all into a sauté pan with a nice big handful of salt. I recently heard salt referred to as foods magnifying glass, you use it to make flavors bigger and better. And I let them cook until I got a nice creamy texture and a golden brown color.
At the same time I brought a pot of water up to a boil, with some S and P (that’s salt and pepper) and a touch of olive oil.
As I looked at my pot and pan on the stove, I realized I had no plan for what I was going to do next. I never made this soup before and I had nothing to reference for an idea. So I asked myself, what am I cooking? Soup. Ok what kind of soup? Onion mushroom. Ok so I got the onions cooking and I have to cook the mushrooms, and in they went into the pot of water. Then I threw in the onions and let that come back to a boil.
Ok now what? Um….spices, I didn’t want anything to strong, so I added some chicken consume, oregano, basil, and of course garlic, who could forget garlic, I put in about 6 cloves sliced up nice and thin.
After that, I realized the soup was too liquidy, I wanted it to be thicker but boiling the water out just wasn’t cutting it, so I added some flour, I’d say probably about 1/3 of a cup.
Once it got to the consistence I wanted, I gave it another taste. It was still missing something, but what? It had the onions and mushrooms, spices, garlic, chicken consume. And that’s when it hit me; there was no fat in the soup. And there in lied my problem, I had no chicken or meat to put in it. So I pulled out my trusty package of beef hot dogs.
Now, I know hot dogs are on the bottom of the culinary food chain, but every college student should always have tuna, beer, and hot dogs on hand in case of an emergency.
So I cut 3 dogs up into chunks and threw them in.
I let the soup sit for about an hour and a half, then put it in the fridge. We’ll see how it turns out tomorrow. To me, the best soup is day old soup; soup needs time to sit to let the flavors blend.
Monday, July 26, 2010
good old fashion chicken soup
When I was little, we always had a pot of chicken soup in our fridge. It was a simple yet delicious recipe.
You start off with about four to six pieces of chicken. I like using thighs because they have a higher fat content then breasts, which gives more flavor to the soup.
Then, depending on how big of a soup I want to make, I add four to six carrots and six to eight zucchinis, peeled and chopped, as well as a whole onion, and lastly a heaping tablespoon or two of chicken consume.
Fill the pot up with water, so that everything is submerged in water.
Cook it on high until you get a good rolling boil, then let it simmer on low heat for about an hour.
Next, refrigerate the soup over night so that the fat congeals on the top.
Once it does, scoop out the fat with a spoon, and you're good to go.
You start off with about four to six pieces of chicken. I like using thighs because they have a higher fat content then breasts, which gives more flavor to the soup.
Then, depending on how big of a soup I want to make, I add four to six carrots and six to eight zucchinis, peeled and chopped, as well as a whole onion, and lastly a heaping tablespoon or two of chicken consume.
Fill the pot up with water, so that everything is submerged in water.
Cook it on high until you get a good rolling boil, then let it simmer on low heat for about an hour.
Next, refrigerate the soup over night so that the fat congeals on the top.
Once it does, scoop out the fat with a spoon, and you're good to go.
bringing old recipes to life
So today I decided to take some of my favorite recipes and threw a spin on them.
I started off with boiled chicken, then my popcorn cauliflower, a cabbage salad, and baked potato chips.
For the chicken, normally I bake the individual pieces with barbecue sauce, but I was trying to think of a way to get the moist, tender chicken of a slow roast, but without drying it out.
When I thought about it, I realized the most moist chicken I know of is chicken from good old fashion chicken soup. So I strained the leftovers from a pot of chicken soup into another pot, added a whole onion cut into half. threw in two bay leaves, about a cup of water, some salt and pepper, some oregano, and thyme.
As for the chicken itself, I rubbed a whole chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. and placed it in the pot, breasts down.
I, then, cooked the chicken for about two and a half hours on low heat.
Next, I made my popcorn cauliflower recipe, but once the cauliflower was done cooking I added it sauteed asparagus that I thinly sliced diagonally.
Once I cut up the asparagus, I lightly coated them with about a teaspoon olive oil. then added 3 cloves of garlic, diced, and some salt and pepper.
My next dish was a purple cabbage slaw. I used about a pound of pre-shredded purple cabbage from a bag, then added about 3 to 4 cups of red seedless grapes, cut in half, some sesame seeds, and a 1/4 cup of both teriyaki sauce and balsamic vinegar.
And if that wasn't enough, I also made baked potato and sweet potato chips. Out of everything, these were probably the easiest to make and the dish that was finished the fastest.
I took two regular and one huge sweet potato, cut them using my trusty mandolin on the middle setting. I cut them right into a bowl of water to wash them off, so they don't stick together when they cook. Then, I laid them flat, one layer per tray, on a cookie sheet with foil, but first I sprayed the foil so that the potatoes don't stick to the foil. then I lightly coated them with salt and stuck them in the oven at 500 degrees until the potatoes start to brown.
I started off with boiled chicken, then my popcorn cauliflower, a cabbage salad, and baked potato chips.
For the chicken, normally I bake the individual pieces with barbecue sauce, but I was trying to think of a way to get the moist, tender chicken of a slow roast, but without drying it out.
When I thought about it, I realized the most moist chicken I know of is chicken from good old fashion chicken soup. So I strained the leftovers from a pot of chicken soup into another pot, added a whole onion cut into half. threw in two bay leaves, about a cup of water, some salt and pepper, some oregano, and thyme.
As for the chicken itself, I rubbed a whole chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. and placed it in the pot, breasts down.
I, then, cooked the chicken for about two and a half hours on low heat.
Next, I made my popcorn cauliflower recipe, but once the cauliflower was done cooking I added it sauteed asparagus that I thinly sliced diagonally.
Once I cut up the asparagus, I lightly coated them with about a teaspoon olive oil. then added 3 cloves of garlic, diced, and some salt and pepper.
My next dish was a purple cabbage slaw. I used about a pound of pre-shredded purple cabbage from a bag, then added about 3 to 4 cups of red seedless grapes, cut in half, some sesame seeds, and a 1/4 cup of both teriyaki sauce and balsamic vinegar.
And if that wasn't enough, I also made baked potato and sweet potato chips. Out of everything, these were probably the easiest to make and the dish that was finished the fastest.
I took two regular and one huge sweet potato, cut them using my trusty mandolin on the middle setting. I cut them right into a bowl of water to wash them off, so they don't stick together when they cook. Then, I laid them flat, one layer per tray, on a cookie sheet with foil, but first I sprayed the foil so that the potatoes don't stick to the foil. then I lightly coated them with salt and stuck them in the oven at 500 degrees until the potatoes start to brown.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Farm Fresh to You
As a college student, having fresh produce isn't the easiest thing, especially when you don't have a car.
Farm Fresh to You (FFTY) is one of the best ways to solve this problem. As Angelenos become increasingly more demanding in the quality of produce, Farmers, like Kathleen Barsotti, have started to deliver their fresh produce to all over southern California, delivering that weeks harvest directly to your door.
Like any new fad, competition for the best "bang for your buck" has really picked up, and FFTY is leaving the competition in its dust. With descriptions of exactly what comes that week, in all the different boxes.
They have about 20 different boxes you can choose from, starting at $25 per box to $80 per box, you can choose fruits and veggies, or just friut, or just veggies.
Since this is a per delivery fee and not a monthly fee you also get to choose how often you want to get a delivery, you can get it every week, every other week...... and if you're going to be out of town for a week, all you have to do is email them saying you don't that week's box. They, also have a page of everything they grow and when they grow it.
And if that isn't enough, if you don't like a certain product they grow, you can simply send them an email saying you don't want that anymore and they'll stop sending it to you, no questions asked.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
simply delicious popcorn cauliflower
First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees, then you’re going to start by breaking down the cauliflower. I like the florets to be on the smaller side, but do it however you like them.
Next you have to wash the cauliflower, if you’re buying your produce from a farmers market or one of those kosher Persian markets, you really have to wash them well, but if you get it from Ralphs or Trader Joes a simple rinse is fine.
Once they are clean, you are going to dry them, if you don’t dry them then when you roast it, it might get more mushy than desired. I like to use a salad spinner, because it’s real easy, but you can also shake them off by hand and use a clean dish towel.
Next, in a large bowl you are going to mix about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons per head of cauliflower of olive oil, some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and if you want, although I don’t, curry powder.
Once that is done you’re going to add the cauliflower, I find it easier to do about two big handfuls at a time. This makes mixing it all up that much easier.
Once the cauliflower is evenly coated, spread it evenly onto a cookie sheet. Make sure you don’t pile up the cauliflower, you should only have one layer on your sheet, otherwise the top layer will crisp and the bottom will be mushy. Bake for about 15 minutes, if you aren’t getting the crispiness you are looking for once the cauliflower is cooked, broil it for about 5 minutes.
Next you have to wash the cauliflower, if you’re buying your produce from a farmers market or one of those kosher Persian markets, you really have to wash them well, but if you get it from Ralphs or Trader Joes a simple rinse is fine.
Once they are clean, you are going to dry them, if you don’t dry them then when you roast it, it might get more mushy than desired. I like to use a salad spinner, because it’s real easy, but you can also shake them off by hand and use a clean dish towel.
Next, in a large bowl you are going to mix about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons per head of cauliflower of olive oil, some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and if you want, although I don’t, curry powder.
Once that is done you’re going to add the cauliflower, I find it easier to do about two big handfuls at a time. This makes mixing it all up that much easier.
Once the cauliflower is evenly coated, spread it evenly onto a cookie sheet. Make sure you don’t pile up the cauliflower, you should only have one layer on your sheet, otherwise the top layer will crisp and the bottom will be mushy. Bake for about 15 minutes, if you aren’t getting the crispiness you are looking for once the cauliflower is cooked, broil it for about 5 minutes.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Ribs made simple
Ever since my fourth birthday, when I asked my mom if we could have "What Smie eats," making a reference to the scene in the 1991 film 'Hook' (directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, and Julia Roberts.) where Smie eat what must have been the biggest pork chop ever, I have been in love with ribs.
There are probably a million different ways you can make ribs, and I'm sure they are all delicious, but nothing beats a good old fashion barbecue sauce.
Unfortunately, no one can spend all their time in the kitchen. So, instead of making a barbecue sauce from scratch, buy the big jug of BBQ sauce, I like to use Charbecue barbecue sauce. But to beef it up a bit, for every cup of barbecue sauce add to it about 1/3 of a cup of honey, 1 teaspoon of ginger powder, and about 2 cloves of garlic, diced. Then, mix it all up in a large bowl.
Next, rinse off your ribs with cold water, pat them dry, sprinkle a little salt over them, and then, let them sit for about a minute, to let the salt dissolve. After that, throw them into the bowl with the barbecue sauce, and mix the ribs around so that they all have a nice thick coat of sauce on them.
Once you get your grill to about 450 degrees, place your ribs on to the grill. Let them cook for about 10 - 15 minutes on each side, then about 5 minutes on their ‘backs’.
You should always keep an eye on any food you have on the grill, especially meat. Depending on how hot your grill is, will affect the speed in which the ribs will cook.
There are probably a million different ways you can make ribs, and I'm sure they are all delicious, but nothing beats a good old fashion barbecue sauce.
Unfortunately, no one can spend all their time in the kitchen. So, instead of making a barbecue sauce from scratch, buy the big jug of BBQ sauce, I like to use Charbecue barbecue sauce. But to beef it up a bit, for every cup of barbecue sauce add to it about 1/3 of a cup of honey, 1 teaspoon of ginger powder, and about 2 cloves of garlic, diced. Then, mix it all up in a large bowl.
Next, rinse off your ribs with cold water, pat them dry, sprinkle a little salt over them, and then, let them sit for about a minute, to let the salt dissolve. After that, throw them into the bowl with the barbecue sauce, and mix the ribs around so that they all have a nice thick coat of sauce on them.
Once you get your grill to about 450 degrees, place your ribs on to the grill. Let them cook for about 10 - 15 minutes on each side, then about 5 minutes on their ‘backs’.
You should always keep an eye on any food you have on the grill, especially meat. Depending on how hot your grill is, will affect the speed in which the ribs will cook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)