Hearty Minestrone Soup

Autumn means cooler temperatures, the garden starting to wind down on production, and hearty meals to warm the tummy and the soul.  A hot bowl of soup is just the thing on a cool evening.  And with just a few items from the garden, you can quickly prepare a large pot of minestrone soup to feed the whole family.  And I'll show you how to make this soup with meat, or vegetarian.

You will need:
1 large, (or 2 medium) carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups trimmed green beans, (fresh or canned)
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1 teas. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 teas. garlic powder
2 Tabs. olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
28 ounce can tomatoes
1 14 ounce can beans, (canneillini or kidney)
1 cup elbow pasta
Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, over medium heat, add the oil.
Add the chopped onions, celery, and pepper.  Cook until the onion is softened, (about 4 or 5 minutes).

Note: If you want a meat version of minestrone, now is the time to add ground meat, (hamburger, turkey, venison, your choice).

Make sure to season with salt and pepper well, (about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper - to taste).

Once the onion is softened, add the chopped carrots, zucchini, and oregano.  Cook for another 5 minutes, (to start the carrots cooking).

Add the green beans.

Add tomatoes, I like to break up most of my tomatoes, as I add them to the soup.

Add chicken broth.  Make sure to taste, and if needed season again with salt and pepper.

Note: If you want a vegetarian version, you can use vegetable broth.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the pasta.

 Drain and rinse the beans and add to the soup.  Stir well.

Today I only had chickpeas, so I used them, (any bean will work).

Return the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the pasta is done.

And you have soup.

Top with a generous portion of grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Tonight we are have minestrone soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, (on homemade rosemary and Parmesan bread).  YUMMY.

So for just a few ingredients and a little time, you can have a large pot of soup, and feed a crowd.

Enjoy !

Corn Fritters

The corn is starting to go on sale in our part of the country, (you can find it 5 or 6 ears for $1).  And who doesn't love fresh corn on the cob?  But sometimes you might cook too much, or maybe you just have a couple of ears leftover.  That's the time to make corn fritters.  This simple age old recipe makes 8 good sized fritters, with very few pantry ingredients.  Let me show you how.

You will need:
2 cups of corn off the cob, (about 2 ears)
3/4 cup flour
2 Tabs. cornmeal
1 Tabs. sugar
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1 egg
oil for frying
salt and pepper

Remove the corn from the cob.
2 ears will give you approximately 2 cups of corn.

Note:  you can also substitute frozen corn that has been thawed, or even canned corn that has been drained of all the liquid.   Also, your corn doesn't need to be cooked before you remove it from the cob.  You can use it raw or cooked on the cob.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.

Add the egg to the milk, and stir well to break up the egg and mix it into the milk.

Add the milk to the flour mixture, and fold in.

Add the corn, and gently fold in.

In a medium pan, heat 2 or 3 inches of oil.

Add the fritter batter, approximately 2 heaping tablespoons per fritter.  The batter will puff up and form a nice fritter.

Let fry about 2 or 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, flip over and fry an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove from the oil, and transfer to paper towel to drain while you cook the remaining fritters.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  And your corn fritters are ready to serve.

These are a great side dish.  Down south this is a common dinner dish, (families could feed large groups with very little corn).

 When you break it open, you see the corn and the nice fluffy interior.  It's crunchy on the outside, yet warm, soft, and has nice layers inside.  It's just begging for you to bite into it.

If you want to really "gild the lilly", just add a little honey to the fritter.  O-M-G !!  So good.  Even plain they are delicious.  So, got a couple ears of corn on hand?  Give this fritter recipe a try.

Enjoy !

3 Bean Cassoulet

Last year during our 28 day cruise from Rome to Singapore, there were several days that I needed a break from the heavy meals,  So I would order from the vegetarian / vegan menu.  I had a 3 Bean Cassoulet that was so tasty and so filling, (it also gave my system a chance to relax from the heavy meals).  In fact, I had it several times on our cruise.  Since I've been home, I've tried several times to recreate the recipe, and I've finally think I've hit upon it.  It's great for those meatless Monday night meals, or even as a side dish.  This recipe has very few ingredients, yet makes a large pot.  You can easily feed 6 to 8 people as a main dish.  Let me show you how I make it.

You will need:
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans
1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans with garlic and onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teas. dried parsley flakes
1 teas dried basil
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 teas dried thyme
1/8 teas pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Drain and rinse the  garbanzo and great northern beans.
Drain but do not rinse the small white beans, (you don't want to remove the garlic and onions).

Add the 3 beans to a 3 quart baking dish.

Note:  You could also use chickpeas in place of the garbanzo beans.

Add your chopped carrots, onions, and minced garlic.

Make sure to chop your carrots and onions very small, (so they will cook completely through).  I used 1 large carrot and 1 medium onion.

Add the parsley flakes, dried basil, salt, dried thyme, and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, and bay leaf.


Note:  You can also use stewed tomatoes, to add another layer of flavor.

Stir everything to combine completely.

Cover and bake for about 90 minutes, (until the vegetables are cooked completely).

Once the vegetables are cooked completely, you will notice that tomatoes have formed a sauce and thicken slightly.  Let the cassoulet cook just slightly, before serving.

And you have a wonderful, tasty, meatless main dish.  Or, a great side dish.

And for those who have a meat lovers in the family, An alternative is to brown up some ground meat and add it to the cassoulet as you are assembling it, and bake it all together, (just remember to drain any excess fat from the meat, before adding it to the mixture).


Enjoy !

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

The days are cooler, and the garden is winding down and the last of the tomatoes are picked.  And there's nothing better than a nice bowl of creamy tomato basil soup.  My version is quick, easy, and requires very few ingredients.

You will need:
2 Tabs olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch fresh basil
Parmesan cheese  

In a large pot, over medium high heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the chopped onion.

Generously season the onions, (approximately 2 teaspoon), with the Kosher salt.  Cook until the onions are soft, and just ready to turn brown.

Add the minced garlic.  Cook for about one more minute.  Stirring often.

Add in the chicken broth.

(You can use homemade, or store bought.)

Add in the chopped tomatoes.

Add in the freshly ground black pepper, (approximately 1 or 2 teaspoons).

 Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Note: If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute 1 -28 oz can of tomatoes, (crushed, or whole tomatoes cut up), or 1 quart jar of home canned tomatoes.

After 15 minutes, blend the soup, until smooth.

I like to use my immersion blender, you can use a food processor or blender, and then return the soup back to the pot.

Add in the heavy cream.

Add in a handful of the basil leaves, (torn into pieces).  Cook for another 15 minutes, on simmer.  ( If you want a thicker soup, you can cook it a little longer.)

Taste the soup.  Does it need more seasoning?   Your soup is now ready to serve.

 Garnish with Parmesan cheese, grated, and some chiffonade of basil.

Nice hot soup on a cool fall evening.  This taste so wonderful.  And it was so easy to make.

Give this a try.

Enjoy !

Green Chili Sauce

This year has been a very good year for my peppers.  In fact everyone I've talked to has remarked about how their peppers have done well.  And the farmer's markets are selling all kinds of peppers at very low prices this years.  My Anaheim peppers are very large, and the plants are very full.  We've been enjoying them in many dishes, and my freezer is full for this winter.  One dish we like to use the Anaheim peppers in, is a green chili sauce.  It's so simple, and uses very few ingredients.  Yet, once you make it - you can use it in many dishes.

You will need:
8 - 10 good sized Anaheim peppers
3 Tabs. olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 teas salt

Preheat the broiler.  Wash and dry the peppers, then place them on a baking sheet.   Broil the peppers until they are nice and charred, turning them over after 5 minutes.

Note:  You can also roast the peppers on a grill outside.

 This is what your charred peppers will look like.

Next place the peppers inside a plastic bag, and close the bag.  Allow the peppers to cool, until you can handle them.  This will make peeling the peppers easier.

 Remove the outer skin, stem, seeds and membrane, (if you want your sauce to have some heat, leave a few seeds in).  Chop the peppers.

 Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan, over medium heat.

 Add the onions and saute until softened.

Add the chopped chili peppers.

Add the minced garlic.

We love garlic, so I always add a little more.

Add the salt.

Add the chicken stock.

Note:  You can use homemade, or store bought stock.

Stir well, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.   Make sure to stir every so often so the sauce doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

 You will notice the sauce is starting to thicken.

 After about 20 minutes, puree the sauce.

You can use an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender.

Once the sauce is nice and smooth, it is ready to use.

You can use it for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, on pulled pork, fish, chicken, so many ways.

This will keep in the refrigerator easily, and you can freeze it for later use.

Tonight, I am using it over chicken.  I have one pound of chicken thighs that I seasoned and browned the outside.

I placed the chicken into a dutch over, covered the chicken with the green chili sauce, placed the lid on the pan, and baked it in the oven, (350 degrees), for 1 hour.

And I now have a delicious green chili chicken that we can eat with a couple of side dishes.  I can also shred the chicken and make tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.  And I have some sauce to spread over the top.

So, if you have a few peppers, and you're wondering what to do with them, give this green chili sauce a try.

Enjoy !