From Jim Friday

1 Cup Cracked Wheat (Bulgar) soaked in boiled water for 20 mins then drained.
2 Cups Very finely chopped salad materials -- spring onions, celery, tomatoes, sweet green pepper, carrots, and anything else you like (Not Lettuce, though)
2 Cloves Garlic -- finely chopped. Black Pepper to taste.

Mix the above after the Bulgar has cooled.

Add 5 tbls. extra virgin olive oil and the juice of one lime. You can add a bit of lemon, too. DON'T use zest (peel).

Add 2 tbls. mint sauce (yes, Mint Sauce), or a handful of fresh mint, very finely chopped, if you want to be purist.

Mix together thoroughly and chill.

Eat with tortilla bread or anything else. It's a really good Turkish/Lebanese (and Greek) salad, both filling and delicious.

|

This is taken directly from James Peterson's Splendid Soups for the basic recipe, and then I'll tell you my own modifications to it.

Makes 8 Servings
(Not really, makes about 4 dinner-sized servings)

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 C. Maderia or dry sherry.
1 quart chicken, vegetable or dried porcini broth
14 ounces fresh cultivated white or cremini mushrooms, rinsed and dried
1 Cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped (for topping)

My modified recipe:

1 medium white onion, fine chopped
6 Tbsp. Butter
1 cup dry sherry (+ extra if needed later)
1 quart box of Pacific Organic brand mushroom broth or Free Range chicken broth. DO NOT USE CANNED BROTH. It is nothing but colored salt water. Pbbbbblt!
1 pound white mushrooms, or do half & half of white and wild mushrooms
1 pint heavy cream
kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup heavy cream
half bunch of fresh tarragon, plucked and woody stems discarded
pinch kosher salt

1 French baguette, biased sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, allowed to "stale" in the air for a day, or quick stale on a cookie sheet in a warm oven. Do not toast.
1/2 lb butter
1/2 bulb garlic



Tarragon Cream:
hip the heavy cream, tarragon, and salt in a blender until it is thickened. I like it a little looser than cool whip. Do not overwhip.

Transfer the tarragon cream to another container and store refrigerated. Do not clean out blender pitcher - the added flavor is good for the soup.

Garlic Croutons:
Prepare the Garlic croutons by first rubbing each piece of stale bread with fresh garlic, on both sides. For one loaf, you will probably use up 2 of the larger garlic cloves of the head. Peel and finely mince the rest of the garlic, place it in a small sauce pan with the half-pound of butter over medium heat. Melt and allow to boil only slightly, do not allow to burn. Stir to help the garlic infuse flavor into the butter. Remove from heat.

In a large skillet, place a few tablespoons of the garlic butter to coat the bottom, heat until sizzling, then place a layer of the French bread slices in and saute them on both sides until they are nicely browned, but not burned. Do not allow the garlic to blacken. The bread should be quite crisp and oily, the flavor pleasantly strong. Remove bread from pan, set aside in a bowl or basket, and repeat with the remaining bread and garlic butter, in batches, adding more fat to the pan as needed as the bread soaks it up.


Mushroom Veloute:

Cook the onion in butter in a medium (4 quart or larger) stock pot over medium heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent browning.

When the onion turns translucent, (about 10 minutes), add the flour and stir over medium heat 5-10 minutes more to cook out the starchy taste of the raw flour.

Add the sherry to the hot onion mixture, let some of the alcohol evaporate to concentrate the flavor, then add the broth. Whisk the soup to get rid of any lumps and bring it to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes.

Have a large bowl with a mesh strainer positioned over top ready for the next step.

Place mushrooms into the blender pitcher, filling about half way. Add 1 cup of the hot soup base. Do not overfill, because when hot soup is blended, it expands and can seriously burn you when you turn it on. Hold the lid on tightly. Blend the mushrooms on high speed (liquefy) for about 2 minutes, adding a little more soup base if needed to get them moving. Empty the blended soup through the mesh strainer, into the large bowl. You may want to push it through a bit with a rubber spatula, as the onions may be fibrous. Discard any pulp buildup that remains. Repeat with another batch of mushrooms and more soup base, until it has all been blended and strained.

Pour the mushroom soup from the large bowl back into the original stock pot. Add the c ream. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle it into warmed bowls, and top each serving with a dollop of the tarragon cream. Pass around the croutons and any extra cream for dipping and soaking.

|

courtesy of lurker Allison:

2 tbs of olive oil or small amount of soup stock

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups soup stock

1 can of V8 juice, or 1 cup of tomato juice, or 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1 tsp of ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste


makes 6-8 bowls of soup
-heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot at medium heat (if you want to make this NO FAT use a small amount of soup stock instead) add chopped celery and onion, cook until soft. add soup stock, V8 or tomato juice (if you use crushed tomatoes you mayneed to add water)

add black beans (rinse them before adding) bring to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer and add cumin, blend the soup smooth with a hand blender add salt and pepper to taste*** depending on the stock you use you may not need any salt - TASTE FIRST

OPTIONS - if you want a garlicky soup add some fresh garlic to the onions and celery.if you prefer to see your veggies don't blend the soup and add some corn - it looks really pretty

We often have this soup with chicken quesadillas and fresh salsa, even the kids like it..

|

courtesy of lurker Allison:

2 tbs of olive oil or small amount of soup stock

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups soup stock

1 can of V8 juice, or 1 cup of tomato juice, or 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1 tsp of ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste


makes 6-8 bowls of soup
-heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot at medium heat (if you want to make this NO FAT use a small amount of soup stock instead) add chopped celery and onion, cook until soft. add soup stock, V8 or tomato juice (if you use crushed tomatoes you mayneed to add water)

add black beans (rinse them before adding) bring to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer and add cumin, blend the soup smooth with a hand blender add salt and pepper to taste*** depending on the stock you use you may not need any salt - TASTE FIRST

OPTIONS - if you want a garlicky soup add some fresh garlic to the onions and celery.if you prefer to see your veggies don't blend the soup and add some corn - it looks really pretty

We often have this soup with chicken quesadillas and fresh salsa, even the kids like it..

|

serves 3-4

2 pkgs udon noodles (they're in the refrigerated ethnic section, possibly near produce)
assorted stir fry vegges (I used sugar snap peas, carrots, green onions, and garlic)
2 cans beef broth

cook noodles according to package (usually boil in water 2-3 minutes)
drain

in a HOT giant non stick pot, pour a little oil and quickly stir fry veggies (only put garlic in the last minute of cooking or it will burn)

after veggies are done (about 5 minutes), add both cans off beef broth. add one of the packages of seasoning that came with the noodles. keep on medium heat until soup is heated through.

to serve, put a scoop of noodles in bowl and ladle broth on top.

mmmmmm!

|

I've had a hankering for some black bean soup recently. This is odd, because I don't think I've ever eaten black bean soup, let alone make it.

So I looked up a recipe on foodtv.com. I knew that it was a good recipe, because the first ingredient was 10 STRIPS OF BACON. Excellent.

The recipe is here, but I'm going to post it here, because foodtv sometimes takes down their recipes at random. Also, since I can't leave well enough alone, I made some changes based on what I had available, and because dammit, I like tinkering. My changes are in blue.

10 slices bacon, finely chopped (I only had 7 slices. you can probably use less if the thought of that much bacon horrifies you)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed (I only had 3 cans. trust me, this is enough)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro (I'm not a big cilantro fan, so I used parsley from my garden)
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (I was out of these)
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I like my soups creamy. So at this point, I scooped 3 or 4 cups of soup out and poured it into the blender. I blended it smooth, then added it back to the soup pot.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes and corn muffins.

corn muffins

These are easy. Buy a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. Add the egg, BUT instead of using milk, like the box calls for, pour in 2/3 can creamed corn. This makes the muffins thicker and moister. I'm not a fan of dried out corn bread. You'll probably have to cook the muffins for a few minutes longer. Keep an eye on them, when they start to get brown on the top, they're done!

|

This is not an elaborate recipe. I originally used ground beef, but last time made it with turkey to make it a little more healthy.

1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can beans (any kind, I use Goya's small white beans)
1 pkg taco seasoning
salad fixens
ranch dressing
tortilla chips

Saute the onion in a little veg oil. Add the meat and brown. Drain any fat. Add the can of beans, liquid and all, and the package of taco seasoning (optional: reserve a spoonful of the seasoning mix). Cook on medium until heated through, stirring occasinally.

Prepare your favorite salad and veggies and toss with a little ranch dressing (optional: mix ranch dressing with reserved taco seasoning before mixing with salad).

Everyone gets a biiiig bowl - fill halfway with salad, and then top with ground meat mixture. Garnish with tortilla chips.

|

This is a very easy vegetarian dish. I like to serve it with pita/flat bread and a dollop of lowfat sour cream. The recipe calls for the Grit Indian Spice. It is worth it to go ahead and make the spice mix. You can use it over and over again. I got this recipe from "The Grit Restaurant" Cookbook in Athens, Georgia

1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
2 quarts water (64 ounces)
1 small or 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Grit Indian Spice **

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently . Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently. When consistency is creamy and split peas have lost their body, soup is done.

For a creamier result, puree cooked soup in a blender or food processor. Reheat and serve immediately in warmed bowls.
Yield: 6-8 servings

**
Grit Indian Spice
4 tsp. curry powder
4 tsp. cumin powder
3 tsp. turmeric powder
3 tsp. granulated garlic
3 tsp. coriander powder
3 tsp. cayenne powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp. ground clove

Combine well and store in an airtight container.
Yield: 2/3 cup

|

6-7 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
frozen precooked meatballs - I use alot (around 30?) because I love them, you can use less
1 cup acini de pepe or other small soup pasta
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbs grated parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat broth in large pot to boiling. Add basil. Add meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach and stir until thawed.

In separate pot, add pasta to salted, boiling water. Cook according to directions, minus 2 minutes. Strain out pasta and add to soup. Simmer all together for 5 minutes. Add parmesean cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with warm, crusty bread. Mmmmmmm!

|

Do you have a crock pot? I sure as hell hope so. Why would you NOT own one of these wonderful devices? Just throw some stuff in before you leave in the morning, and when you come home, your house smells wonderful, like your own personal slave has been cooking for you all day.

The easiest thing to make in a crock pot is beef stew. If you can use a knife and open cans, you can make this dish.

1 pkg Stew meat - or you can probably cut up a pot roast cut.
potatoes (I used 5 smallish)
carrots (ummm...5, I think)
onions (as many as you like...actually that goes for all the veggies here)
2 cans beef broth
bay leaf
salt '
pepper

Chop up veggies into large yet bite size pieces. Put into pot. Dump meat into pot. Add bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Pour cans of beef broth over. Turn crock pot on low, for 8 or more hours, or high for less time.

When you get home, you can eat it right away (just fish out the bay leaf), or if you have some time you can play around with it. I turned it up to high and added barley. You can also add some tapioca beads, which help thicken (sounds gross, but it's not!). I like to make bisquick dumplings - just follow the directions on the box. The dumplings disintigrate a little, thickening the stew. Or you can probably just mix some flour with mix, add, and let cook until thicken.

mmmmm....tasty....

|

1 Med Onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3T Butter
3-4 Potatoes
Water(different amounts make different textured soups)
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1tsp Paprika
1-2tsp Salt or less to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
3T Oil
3T Flour
Fresh chopped Parsley, or if your lazy, the dried flaky stuff will do




First fry the onion and celery until the celery is soft and nearly see-through, in the butter. Then add water, potatoes, tomato sauce, paprika, salt and pepper. If you add more water, it is more soupy, if you add less, it is more stewy. I like it somewhere in between so I put it at least an inch over the potatoes.

Bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or longer if your potatoes are not soft.

Place oil and flour in a shallow pan over med to med high heat. Stir constantly until it bubbles and flour changes color. It is a subtle change in color and in texture.

VERY SLOWLY add the mixture to the soup, stirring carefully. Watch out, this usually sizzles, and smells great!

Let soup cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, add Parley, stir and serve! I like it with cheddar cheese and crackers on the side!

|