Category Archives: Pots of Goodness

Halloween Soup: So easy it’s scary

 

Almost instant squash soup, with pro toppings for extra credit.

Almost instant squash soup, with pro toppings for extra credit.

This is the whiny thing I was going to post: “I give up. I will never, ever be able to produce an exact recipe for soup. I’m into my third pot of butternut squash soup of the season and have yet to really measure the ingredients, or actually even keep track of them. For me, homemade soup is like a hall pass to use whatever I have and crave at the moment….”

But then…but then…then it all changed. I discovered a trove of pumpkin/squash soup recipes that take the same basic ingredients and, with nary a knife unsheathed, produce a deliciously complex and satisfying soup. A soup that can be served hot in a big bowl as a meal, or cold in a shot glass as an appetizer.

I am including my non-recipe below, for when you have the time and ingredients to create something uniquely yours. In the meantime, here is the sheer brilliance of nearly instant pumpkin/squash soup.

A few notes: I love red curry paste so I probably sneak in a bit extra. You can also use red curry powder, though you would be missing out on the twin goodness of garlic and lemongrass.  I roast my own kabocha squash because its thicker and sweeter than other squash, and makes the house smell good. But dang, the option of opening two cans instead is money! Finally, I cannot tell you how much I love toasted unsweetened coconut flakes and the healthy, tasty, crunchy I daresay almost bacony finishing touch they add.

Now my little kitchen witches and goblins, go forth to your pantry and make some Halloween Soup!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp red curry paste (more or less to taste)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, about 32 ounces (one carton)
2 15 ounce cans pumpkin puree (or 4ish cups cooked squash of choice.)
1 3/4 cup coconut milk, or a 13.5 ounce can, reserving 1 Tbsp (slackers—pour in the whole
an and be done with it)
1 large red chili pepper, sliced (totally optional but a nice touch for hotties)
Cilantro for garnish if desired
Toasted coconut flakes for garnish if desired (strongly encouraged)

Method

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the curry paste for about one minute or until paste becomes fragrant. Add the broth and the pumpkin and stir.
  2. Cook for about 3 minutes or until soup starts to bubble. Add the coconut milk and cook until hot, about 3 minutes.
  3. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk and sliced red chilis. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.
  4. Serve with Best French Bread, Paleo Crackers, Dirt Bread or your dipper of choice.

And now for…

Edie’s Seat of Pants Squash Soup

While I can’t provide an exact recipe, I can provide a process, some ingredient guidelines and of course my sincere encouragement at every step. There really is nothing that says comfort like a pot of your own signature soup.

Ingredients

Olive oil (for silkiness)
Butter (for tastiness)
1 onion
1 apple or pear
Savories (your choice of curry, garam masala, cumin, dried or fresh herbs, fresh ginger, red or green curry paste, a squeeze from a tube of lemongrass paste my new fave go to ingredient.)

  • Optional deglazing hooch (sherry, wine, calvados, hard or regular apple cider)
  • Cooked winter squash (and/or any leftover cooked root vegetables)
  • Diced potato (if no leftover roasted potatoes were in your leftovers above)
  • Maple syrup, a tablespoon or more to taste
  • Chicken or vegetable broth

 Method

  • Saute chopped onions until slightly soft.
  • Add apple or pear and continue cooking until all are soft and starting to brown.
  • Add savories and continue to cook a minute or two, or until aromatic. You want to really get the flavor infused before adding liquid.
  • Just as you are thinking “OMG look at the stuff sticking to my pan!” pour in a healthy splash of deglazing liquid of choice and give the pot a good stir/scrape. Watch the browned bits disappear and rejoice as the liquid cooks down.
  • Add in broth and potatoes. If potatoes are raw let them cook for 10 minutes or so before adding squash. If cooked add them with squash.
  • Add squash and maple syrup. Continue cooking, giving flavors time to meld. I have no idea if this step is necessary, but it gives me ample time to check email, read The Skimm, take a shower or get through a few more minutes of Serial.
  • Turn off heat, let soup cool a bit and then process until smooth with an immersion blender (you just plain need one for fall) or in a blender.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with Best French Bread, Paleo Crackers, Dirt Bread or your dipper of choice and be very, very happy.

Farro Risotto with Asparagus and Tofu

Grainy goodness with faro, mushrooms, asparagus, and tofu

Grainy goodness with faro, mushrooms, asparagus, and tofu

Before I get into this recipe, let me first say, I’m happy to be back!  I was away with work and family travel for a few weeks and, oh how I missed my food blog and foodie friends. I thought about the posts I would do when I got back, so get ready, because I have lots of ideas.  Also, a big thank you to my blog partner Edie for keeping the posts coming while I was away!

Next, let’s get started with this delicious vegetarian, über grainy recipe.  If you haven’t tried farro, it is a great grain to add to your repertoire with one caveat, it takes a while to cook. It’s not the easy-peasy quinoa that you throw in a pot of water and it’s cooked before you even have time to grab a fork or a spoon. This requires a little more time and effort, so plan ahead.

Next, it is grainy. Did I mention that already? Well, it’s worth re-iterating.  I kept thinking it wasn’t cooked, but in the end I realized, it is just chewy.  You won’t have to try to eat this meal slow because there is no other choice!  I love it and I think you will too.  I added asparagus, dried mushrooms, and of course, cubed tofu (which I seem to add to just about everything!), but you can add whatever you like.

Ingredients

1 oz. dried mushrooms (any kind will do)
1 lb. asparagus
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cups vegetable stock (you can use the water left over from soaking the mushrooms as part of this vegetable stock, plus a vegetable stock – see below)
1 1/2 cups uncooked farro
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. variety of mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, oyster, porcini), sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Place dried mushrooms in medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until tender.  Drain and coarsely chop.  Use mushroom water as part of vegetable stock if desired.

Toss asparagus in 2 Tbsp olive oil on baking sheet and roast in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring half way through.  Cut stalks into thirds and set aside to add to farro later.

Sauté cubed tofu in a little olive oil with the smallest dash of cayenne pepper. Set aside to add to farro later (you can totally skip the tofu if this adds too much work).

Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Keep stock warm over low heat.

Heat remaining olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add farro and onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add all mushrooms (rehydrated and fresh).  Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add wine and thyme and cook until liquid almost evaporates.

Add 1/2 cup broth to farro mixture; cook over medium heat for approximately 4 minutes or until the liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining 4 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time until liquid is almost absorbed each time, stirring occasionally. This will take about 50 minutes so you are definitely committed for the long haul, but as stated above, it is worth it.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once farro is cooked, add in asparagus, cubed tofu, and top with fresh parsley and cheese.

Cooked and ready to CHEW!

Cooked and ready to CHEW!

Prep for adding later

Prep for adding later

Pre-cooked Farro sautéing in oil

Pre-cooked Farro sautéing in oil

slow cooker chicken chili

Fi-Fi to the Rescue (with chicken taco chili)

I have a friend (and you know who you are) who refers to her slow cooker as FiFi, short for “Fix It and Fugget It.” Of course, she is on her second slow cooker because she forgot about FiFi for three months while it was filled with leftover Chicken Marbella. But let’s fuggedabout that image right now, and focus on dinner….tonight…with zero effort. This recipe comes from Amy, who I am calling right out because she deserves credit on at least two fronts.

First, Amy appreciates the vast the difference between crockpot cookery and crockpot warmery, an issue discussed in the Fast and Slow Lasagna post. Other than chopping up one onion (and some cilantro unless you are a slacker like me and blew it right off), the only effort involved here is opening cans, and FiFi is the only dish called into service.

Second, Amy offered up a recipe that is as delish as it is easy. With a whole lot of cold winter nights and aprés ski opportunities in the forecast, and with the Super Bowl right around the corner this comes just in time. We ate this for dinner, for lunch the next two days and were not the least bit relieved when it was gone.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can of cannelli beans (use whatever combo of beans you have)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (canned works too)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent weight boneless, skinless thighs)
chopped fresh cilantro (for overachievers)

Method

Combine beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half an hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Dig deep and serve with cheese and sour cream to show you care.

OK we're ready. Bring on FiFi's finest chicken chili!

OK we’re ready. Bring on FiFi’s finest chicken chili!

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup

As my blog partner Edie said in her last post, it is soup season.  We here at Bring It are non-stop soup making machines lately.  This sausage tortellini soup is hearty!  It is so hearty that you can practically eat it with a fork.

I made this soup recently for the Upper Valley Haven where I volunteer to cook once a month.  I make dinners for the adult shelter with two other cook partners.  We love this opportunity to cook and share meals with these individuals each month.  The Upper Valley Haven is a fantastic organization providing temporary shelter and educational programming for homeless families and adults as well as food and clothing to anyone in need.  The people working at the Haven are the nicest group of people anywhere! They are always smiling and so willing to give.  I am fortunate to have found such a perfect volunteer opportunity to combine my love of cooking with an organization such as the Haven. If you want more information about the Upper Valley Haven, click here.

As for me making this soup filled with meat, well, I’m a meat-cooking vegetarian.  I have a son who is a carnivore extraordinaire and there are plenty of dinner parties where I make a meat dish and a veggie dish just to cover all my bases.  So, I really didn’t get a chance to try this soup, but from the way it was lapped up, I think it was a success.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 cups beef stock
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
Fresh spinach, amount is up to you
2 small zucchini, sliced
½ cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
Red pepper flakes to taste

10 oz cheese tortellini
Parmesan cheese

Method

Saute sausage in Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through, crumbling with back of spoon, about 10-12 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from Dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Return sausage. Add all other ingredients.  Simmer 40 minutes.

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender (check package instructions for how many minutes).  Season soup with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bring It

This soup will be thick which is perfect for the transport.  This thickness will minimize the soup sloshing around in your backseat while you navigate the highways and byways.  I usually leave my soup in the pot and tape the lid to the pot.  Or you could transfer to a very large Tupperware which is probably a safer bet.

Thai Coconut Corn Soup

Hiking weather, soup weather, Lonsesome lake

Baby it’s cold outside. Time to pack up some soup

Yes, soup for you! In looking at our Bring It repertoire one might think we never make soup. The fact is, especially this time of year I am something of a “Soup Nutsy,” cooking up soup and broth all the time and bossing it into as many family meals as possible. The problem is that I never use a recipe, which makes sharing the love problematic. I’ll work on that, as well as decent soup photos which apparently are no small feat.

In the meantime, I offer you this super excellent slightly spicy soup that can be made almost entirely out of non perishable pantry items, which allows you to plan ahead, stock up and whip it up in a pinch.

I discovered this while desperately searching for something vegan and gluten free to make for a friend recovering from surgery. The next time I made it was as a last minute punt for a moonlight winter hike. I threw it together in record time and chucked it in a Thermos. It was a huge hit.

The key is to resist any urge to use up the dirt cheap cattle feed grade frozen corn tucked away in your freezer and spring for the Birds Eye white and gold good stuff, or even the canned white shoepeg corn. Also, when I first made this I could not get to our super groovy coop for the Thai red curry paste so I used Tikki Masala curry paste in the International section. It’s milder so I used more and it was similarly excellent. And might I say, if gluten is your bag, baby, this goes excellently with Easiest French Bread Ever.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp light olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 to 5 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into short, narrow strips
Two 15-ounce cans light coconut milk
1½ cups rice milk
One 16-ounce bag frozen corn
2 tsp good quality curry powder
1/4 tsp Thai red curry paste, more or less  to taste
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Method

Heat the oil in a small soup pot. Add the garlic, the white parts of the scallions, and the bell pepper. Sauté over medium-low heat  until softened and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, rice milk, corn, curry powder, the green parts of the scallions. If using the curry paste, dissolve it in a small amount of water before adding to the soup.

Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and remove from the heat.

Serve, passing around the cilantro for topping.

Yield: 6 servings.

 

Warm Millet with Roasted Vegetables

Warms the heart and soul

Warms the heart and soul

Now that it’s fall, comfort foods are an order.  I love this warm millet salad mixed with roasted vegetables.  Millet is my GO TO grain lately (check out these millet muffins if you have a chance).  For you gluten free folks, this is a gluten free food and has lots of health benefits (good source of protein, essential amino acids, and fiber) so go for it!. Also, in a websearch, while trying to figure out what this grain was all about, I found it listed as the oldest human food and first domesticated cereal!  So, I’m thinking it must be good for you, right?  And if not, then it gets big points purely for it’s staying power.   For this warm millet salad I used Brussels sprouts and carrots but you can mix it up with sweet potatoes, beets, asparagus, beans, or any other vegetable of your choice.   And you can always throw in some tofu to make a complete meal.

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts (or mix of other vegetables), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into disks similar in size to the Brussels sprouts
5 Tbsp canola oil, divided
3/4 cup millet
2/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp grated lemon zest

Method

Perheat oven to 450. Toss Brussels sprouts and carrots with 2 Tbsp canola oil in large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Arrange sprouts and carrots in a single layer in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Roast 20 minutes or until tender and a little brown.  Cool 5 minutes.

Heat large pan over medium heat.  Add millet and cook 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.  Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.  Transfer millet to large bowl. Cool 5 minutes.  Fold in Brussels sprouts and carrots, walnuts, cranberries, and parsley into millet.

Whisk together remaining 3 Tbsp oil, vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest in bowl.  Stir into millet mixture.  Add salt and pepper if needed.

Roasted vegetables

Roasted vegetables

Dutch Oven Enchiladas

Dutch-Oven-With-Flowers

You can really eat anything when you are camping as long as you don’t have to carry it in a backpack (wait until I get to my dehydrated chicken stew for what to carry in a backpack!).  When we camp, we bring our Dutch Oven (DO) everywhere we go – on raft trips, back country ski trips, and camping from our car.  I cook all sorts of dinners, cakes, breads, and desserts in it. I brown meat, sauté sausage and bacon, and fry fish in it.  I keep pancakes, garlic bread, and anything else warm in it.  The DO is used at ninety percent of my meals and I never stop finding new ways to use it.  And, the bonus, you just wipe it out to clean it (that is my favorite part!).  Below is a recipe for DO enchiladas, but remember, anything is possible. Just think of it as an oven in the woods!

Ingredients

2 cans enchilada sauce
6 tortillas
1 bag rice and beans
1 can black olives
1 bag shredded jack or cheddar cheese

Method

Cook rice and beans according to package.
Wipe inside of DO with oil.
Place a light coating of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the DO.
Place one tortilla in the bottom of the DO.  Top with rice and beans, olives, and cheese. Top with enchilada sauce, repeat process until DO is full.
Cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (read your DO instructions to know how to cook at 350 – I generally use 10 coals on bottom and 12 on top).
Let cool for 5 mins, cut, serve

Top with avocado and cilantro if available at Chez Camp Site.

Pre-cooked enchiladas

Pre-cooked enchiladasch

Dutch Oven at 350 degrees

Dutch Oven at 350 degrees

Bring It!

Normally I would cook the rice and beans from scratch and not buy the prepackaged cheese, but when camping, you want to make it as easy as possible so pre-packaged/shredded is the way to go.  Also, there are plenty of good recipes for enchilada sauce, but again, canned works great when camping.

 

 

Moosewood Ratatouille

Eggplant simmering in pot

Eggplant simmering in pot

I went to school in Ithaca, NY, home of the Moosewood Restaurant. This was in the early 80s when Molly Katzen was relatively unknown and vegetarianism was not so widespread. My roommates and I decided to try the restaurant one night and sheepishly walked into the small dining room wondering if we had accidentally walked into someone’s living room. There was a chalk board in the corner with 3 dinner items, 2 soups, and a salad listed. I didn’t know what any of the dinner items were, but the description of the ratatouille sounded okay so I decided to go with it.  I was blown away. It was unbelievably good. I later bought the cookbook so I could make this dish for myself and my friends. That was over 30 years ago and I’m still making the Moosewood Ratatouille on a regular basis. As far as tailoring the recipe, I always add cubed tofu or beans (any kind of bean will do). Also feel free to throw in any veggies on hand – mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, etc… it all works. It is great served with brown rice or crusty bread and a green salad.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium  bell peppers, cubed
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 small eggplant , cubed
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 medium tomatoes, in chunks
1 bay leaf
1 tsp each basil, marjoram, and oregano
Dash of ground rosemary
3 Tbsp dry red wine
½ cup tomato juice
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley

Method

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot.  Crush the garlic into the oil. Add bay leaf and onion, salt lightly.  Saute over medium heat until onion turns transparent.  Add eggplant, wine, and tomato juice.  Add herbs.  Stir to mix well, then cover and simmer 10-15 minutes over low heat.  When eggplant is tender enough to be easily pricked by a fork, add zucchini and peppers. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste.  Mix well.  Continue to stew until all vegetables are tender (How tender is tender?  Molly Katzen says do a taste test and decide what seems right to you).

Just before serving, mix in fresh parsley. Top with grated cheese and chopped black olives.

Ratatouille on plate v2

Bring It!

This is ideal to bring in a crockpot so all you need when you get to the dinner party is a small bit of counter space and an outlet.  If you don’t own a crockpot, you should strongly consider buying one.  These are critical to the Bring It mentality.  Short of that, if you can bring it in a pot so you can heat it when you get there, that is great.  Or put it in a serving dish and pop it in the microwave to heat before serving.  NOTE: ask the host if you can heat on the stove or microwave when you get there so they are prepared.  Some people don’t have microwaves (yes it’s true – my friend Edie is one of them!), so definitely check before you go.