If there was a show called, "The Worst Thing I Ever Ate," the soup I made today would have been in it. I was walking by the meat section and thinking about making a pot of soup for lunches this week, when I came across some smoked turkey wings. They were right beside the smoked ham hocks....which I SHOULD have bought.... but I was thinking that I could save a few fat points if the wing thing turned out. I carmelized the onions, carrots and celery, and added in the teeniest potato and 2 cloves of garlic. Then I put in the wings, chicken stock and dollop of basalmic vinegar and the dried peas, and let it go. YUK it was disgusting!! Sometimes a good idea goes horribly wrong.
Heard round our house yesterday. Paul: Hmmm...cornish game hens and a side of carrots. If you put in some noodles, this would have been a "deconstructed chicken soup." Robin: Ok, maybe we're watching too much food network.
Today I decided to turn over a new leaf so to speak... and save my egg shells and coffee grounds for the compost. Only problem was, I came to a sliding stop half way out because the whole compost bin is buried under about 3 feet of snow. Apparently, Paul ran out of room to put it. Next time.
We had baked porkchops for dinner, a good choice when you're busy because even the thickest ones only have to bake for 35 minutes after you get a good sear. But the star of the meal was the Swiss chard salad. I don't think we eat enough greens in this country because we don't know how to use them. Like spinach, chard requires a light sautee, and also like spinach, they are water-soluble so require just a touch of olive oil to bring out their great color and taste. The saute included a little bell pepper and small amount of onion, and then refrigeration until we were ready to use it. I added a chopped avocado and some raw red pepper and just a touch of basalmic. It was really good.
Dark greens like chard and spinach have phytonutrients (besides vitamins K, C, E and B) that ease the bodily inflammation that causes diseases such as diabetes. Greens are a natural way to fight osteoarthritis, and the beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin that greens contain keeps our eyes healthy as we age. So... if you have a good greens recipe please share it with us! Oh...and if you have a decent recipe for pea soup...that DOESN'T CALL FOR SMOKED TURKEY WINGS...please share that too. Happy eating!!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
French Onion Soup!
We had brutally cold weather this week so I had to reach into the cupboards for some comfort food ingredients. Actually I had just been to Appleby's the night before and had my "dining out go-to food", small caesar salad and a crock of French Onion Soup. The soup wasn't too bad...I've had worse... but mine is much better. So here is how I made it. Anyone following a weight watcher's plan should love this soup, I doubt it has 5 points per serving.
Quick Soup for Two
4 large onions, sliced
Tablespoon of oil to carmelize the onions
2 large chicken bouillon cubes, or 5 cups chicken stock and skip the water item
5 cups of water
2 cans beef consomme
1/4th cup of red wine
2 slices of whole grain bread that is trimmed but a little larger than your crock.
Mozzarella cheese for the top of the bread
Just carmelize the onions in oil in a pan that is big enough to hold the other contents. After the onions are tan, add the bouillon and water. Let this simmer for about a half hour to reduce down. Add the consomme and wine, keep simmering while you trim the bread. Get your crocks ready, and trim the bread slightly larger than the top of the crocks. Fill the crocks with hot soup and lay the bread on top, making a slight depression in the middle. Put a couple of tablespoons or a slice of mozzarella on the bread and broil in the oven for a minute to melt the cheese and toast the bread. Be careful not to burn it. I love my small counter top oven for this task.
When Alton Brown makes his onion soup, he adds cider to it to give it a sweeter taste, but we have more savory palates and I don't need the carbs from the cider. This soup can also be baked, we usually just do it on top of the stove.
This week my sister sent me some jalapeno spices in a little baggie. We put it on porkchops and practically licked the plates after dinner. I just put some garlic on porkchops and let them sit in the fridge for a few hours, then dipped them in egg, and rolled them in jalapeno spice and panko. I sprayed the oven pan with Pam and roasted them for an hour. When I asked her where she got them, she said the Old Mesilla Valley Chili Co. so here's their website. http://www.oldmesillachile.net/recipes.htm
Happy Cooking everyone!!
Quick Soup for Two
4 large onions, sliced
Tablespoon of oil to carmelize the onions
2 large chicken bouillon cubes, or 5 cups chicken stock and skip the water item
5 cups of water
2 cans beef consomme
1/4th cup of red wine
2 slices of whole grain bread that is trimmed but a little larger than your crock.
Mozzarella cheese for the top of the bread
Just carmelize the onions in oil in a pan that is big enough to hold the other contents. After the onions are tan, add the bouillon and water. Let this simmer for about a half hour to reduce down. Add the consomme and wine, keep simmering while you trim the bread. Get your crocks ready, and trim the bread slightly larger than the top of the crocks. Fill the crocks with hot soup and lay the bread on top, making a slight depression in the middle. Put a couple of tablespoons or a slice of mozzarella on the bread and broil in the oven for a minute to melt the cheese and toast the bread. Be careful not to burn it. I love my small counter top oven for this task.
When Alton Brown makes his onion soup, he adds cider to it to give it a sweeter taste, but we have more savory palates and I don't need the carbs from the cider. This soup can also be baked, we usually just do it on top of the stove.
This week my sister sent me some jalapeno spices in a little baggie. We put it on porkchops and practically licked the plates after dinner. I just put some garlic on porkchops and let them sit in the fridge for a few hours, then dipped them in egg, and rolled them in jalapeno spice and panko. I sprayed the oven pan with Pam and roasted them for an hour. When I asked her where she got them, she said the Old Mesilla Valley Chili Co. so here's their website. http://www.oldmesillachile.net/recipes.htm
Happy Cooking everyone!!
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