Minestrone Soup

I've made this twice now, and it is really amazing! It's a big hit, it's filling (though I always throw in a sourdough/raw cheddar grilled cheese too!), and it's cheap! Six to eight servings, which could be an entire week's worth of lunches, cost me about $5.50! That comes out to less than a dollar a serving. So, not only are getting great nutritional benefits, but you're saving money too.

Minestrone Soup Recipe

8 cups of beef stock (chicken or turkey stock can be used. You can substitute up to half of this amount with water, but it is best to use mostly stock)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
2 cups of kidney beans (I like to buy dried ones and soak and cook them myself, but canned are fine too)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (1 15 ounce can of diced will work)
1 cup of fresh spinach or leafy greens, finely chopped
sea salt or fish sauce
freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish

To peel tomatoes, submerge them in boiling water for 10 seconds, and then slip the skins off.

Bring stock to a boil and skim.

Add garlic, beans, carrots, and greens. Feel free to adjust this recipe to suit your vegetable tastes, or even add brown rice or buckwheat pasta!

Simmer ten minutes and garnish with cheese!

Garlic Soup

I have to admit, I got sick for the first time in a year and a half. That's actually pretty impressive, as I used to be Queen of Illness. I either had a cold, sore throat, or the flu several times a year. As soon as I started eating right, and using whole foods to keep my body healthy, I noticed that I was able to fight off sickness before it even took hold. But, I've been bad in December. Between the holidays, and my MFA applications, I haven't had much time to prepare food the way I like. I managed to stay healthy for most of December, but flying to Florida was the nail in the coffin. The constant sugar binges, and change in temperature and air pressure (from the flight) knocked me out.

For four days I battled a low grade fever, congestion, and a very sore throat, without any of my healing foods at my disposal. As soon as I arrived back in Massachusetts though, I started taking my echinacea, honey, and ginger. I also decided to make a garlic soup, sincegarlic has great anti-viral, antibiotic properties. Not only was it delicious, but I think it may have given me the added boost I needed to feel like myself again (which I do! - I just finished an hour of power yoga.) This soup only costs about $5.50 (comparable to the Minestrone), which equals out to less than a dollar a serving!

Garlic Soup

2 medium onions
16 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 T butter
6 cups of chicken stock (or combo with water)
2 medium potatoes, washed and cut up
thyme
crushed peppercorns or pepper
3 yellow squash, sliced
sea salt or fish sauce
creme fraiche

I decided to roast my garlic first, which gave it a nice flavor. I just turned the toaster oven on 300 degrees and let two heads of garlic heat up while I prepared the rest of the soup. After about 15 - 20 minutes, the cloves were slightly opened, and I just scooped them out with a fork.

I used my new food processor to chop the celery and onions, and sauteed them in the butter. If you don't roast the garlic, you should throw it in at this time too. Otherwise, add garlic after soup boils.

When vegetables are soft, add chicken stock and potatoes, and bring to a boil and skim.

Simmer the soup, covered, until the potatoes are soft.

Add the squash and simmer uncovered 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Now comes the fun part - puree soup with a hand held blender. You can always add water if it is too thick. If you don't have a blender stick, you can use a regular blender, or a food processor, or just eat it chunky!

Add creme fraiche and seasonings to your liking!

Pea Soup, Carrot Soup, and Chicken Feet, O My!

Mark and I had one of the worst fights we've ever had because of those four innocent looking chicken feet above. While reading Nourishing Traditions, I learned that chicken feet are chock full of hydrophilic colloids, which are compounds that attract liquids, thus drawing out digestive juices and aiding in digestion. Colloids have been shown to successfully treat intestinal disorders like Crohn's disease, so I thought I'd throw a few feet into the stock if it meant that Mark's digestive track would be helped. He didn't exactly see eye to eye with me. We still haven't fully resolved how we'll be proceeding when it comes to the frozen digits that I have stashed behind the lamb's heart (or the stock that I already made with a handful of them at top left). Nonetheless, I thought my two faithful readers might like to see some of the fractious appendages.

In addition to making stock with chicken feet, I made an easy pea soup (bottom right) with a bag of dried peas that I think we inherited from my mother on our wedding day - 5 years ago! - and an organic smoked ham hock. I just followed the directions on the bag, and we ended up with a pretty tasty soup! I also threw together a carrot soup which was pretty good. Here's the recipe:

Carrot Soup
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion
4 T butter
2 t curry powder
1 quart of chicken stock
lemon rind
grated ginger
sea salt and pepper
creme fraiche

Saute onions and carrots very gently in butter about 45 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder and stir around til well mixed. Add stock, bring to a boil, and skim. Add lemon rind and ginger. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Puree witha handheld blender. Season to taste. Serve with creme!