Creamy Tomato Soup

Yesterday was long day at the hospital as my hubby underwent the last of the procedures required for a clinical trial of a new cancer drug. Let's just say it was not a fun-filled day. We had to be at the hospital by 6 a.m. and finally arrived back home at 2 p.m. That's when the good part of the day occurred! On my doorstep were the two new (slightly used) cookbooks I had ordered from Amazon's used booksellers. Considering I had just placed the order Sunday and they were already here was amazing! But, anyway, it sure cheered up our day.

The two cookbooks I purchased were The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt and The Best Recipe Soups & Stews by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. I have a method to my madness. I love eating and making good soups and stews. My hubby also loves them...maybe even more than I. My goal is to become accomplished enough in cooking them that I can offer soup and stew cooking classes, basics through advanced, through the community ed and parks and rec programs around here. Good idea, don't ya think? Anyway, both of these books have most of the basics for soup making in them as well as a multitude of recipes. This was also my thinking in registering for a soup cooking class at Sur La Table. Look out soups, here I come.

So, after a rough day of medical yuck, and the weather was rainy and blustery to add to the ickiness, what could be more comforting than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? I mean, really, isn't that what your mom made you when you had had a rough day? Only it was soup out of a can, right? And cheese from either the box or unwrapped slices. Well! Not for my honey. He needed excellent grilled cheese and tomato soup.

So I started pawing my way through the two books, combined a bit from both and created, sort of, this yumminess. Now, be forwarned, this much more work than opening a can or, nowadays, a box. But it was so worth the work!

Ingredients

5-6 medium tomatoes

1 26 oz. canned whole tomatoes

1 1/2 TBS. brown sugar

4 TBS. butter

1/4-1/2 finely chopped onion

1 TBS. tomato paste

pinch ground cloves or allspice

2 TBS flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. sugar

2 TBS. brandy or dry sherry

Salt to taste

Remove the skin of the fresh tomatoes by immersing in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then into cold water for a minute or so. Skins should easily slip off. Then slice in half, and remove seeds and core. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Drain canned tomatoes, saving the juice. Slice these tomatoes in half and remove seeds. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in 450 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. When they are done, let them cool slightly and remove to a bowl.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, tomato paste and cloves, and cook 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the flour stirring constantly to make a smooth paste. Let cook a few minutes to rid the paste of the flour taste. Slowly stir in the chicken broth, the juice from the tomatoes and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. I just have a large round strainer with a fine mesh. I aspire to a chinois, but have to wait until my ship comes in.

Pour the tomatoes into a blender and puree until smooth. You may need to add some of the strained liquid to help this process out. I then mashed the puree through the stainer to increase the smooth texture. Pour back into the rinsed out saucepan and add the cream and sugar and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the sherry and salt to taste. This can be saved for a couple of days in the fridge.

Notes: As I stated, this is a bit of work, but the rewards make it worth it. This is not the overly sweet soup that comes already made. It has a bit more of a tang which my hubby and I decided we liked. A bit more sugar could be added if you like yours sweeter. We also bumped up the traditional grilled cheese sandwiches a bit by making them with muenster and bacon on English muffin bread. After a tough day we were now thoroughly comforted. Enjoy!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I'm not big on surprises. I like things planned. Surprises make me feel out of control. People coming by with only a little notice drives me crazy. I want my house in order and food planned. Don't call me and tell me you're coming by at a meal time with only a couple of hours notice. I want to be able to plan a wonderful meal for you. Let me know the day before and you will get gastronomical delights. Let me know a couple of hours before and you're likely to get a PB&J sandwich.

But there are some surprises I do like. The other day I thought I was only going to have my grandbaby for a couple hours and, because of a miscommunication, I had 6 hours with him. Delightful surprise!

And this soup turned out to be another delightful surprise! I will reveal the surprise in my notes.

This soup is creamy without being thick. It would be a great starter dish, fairly light and yet has just a hint of richness. I may be late coming to the table, but I had never really thought of cauliflower as being a main ingredient for a soup. But it works very nicely. Try it for yourself.

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower broken into flowerets (2 1/2 cups)

2 cups water

1 TBS. butter

1 TBS. olive oil

1 large onion finely chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped

2 TBS. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup half and half

2 cups packed grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a 3 quart saucepan over high heat bring cauliflower and water to a boil. Cover and simmer 4 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Drain cauliflower, reserving 1 cup liquid.

In same saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and oil. Cook onion about 10 minutes until very tender. Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in cauliflower, cheese and salt and pepper. If it is too thick use reserved liquid to thin to desired thickness. Cook until heated through. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes: Ok, for the surprise. I wasn't that enamored of this soup when I first made it. It sat in the fridge for a couple of days before I reminded my hubby to take some in his lunch. He loved it! He raved about how flavorful it was without being thick. So, I heated up some to give it a second try. Surprise! It's better the second and third days. Aging serves it well. So, if you want this soup when you come to my house, give me a day's notice...no surprises. Enjoy!

Supper Corn Chowder

Between the economy taking a bite out of my tutoring business and my husband's surgery offering him a 3 to 4 week unpaid vacation, I really have to get serious about budget meals. I am tapping into my great resources of will power and pantry to avoid hitting the supermarket. Making meals out of what you have on hand is a great yet satisfying challenge. The one imperative that you must obey is have an ample supply of basics on hand. Items such as rice, pasta, potatoes, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, cream soups, bouillon or broths, dried beans, canned tomato products, and, if you have a separate freezer, chicken and ground meat. I also like to keep several packages of bacon. Oh, and cheese..gotta have cheese. I try to get to Costco once a month to replenish anything I have run low on. But to make Costco cost effective you have to be aware of prices at other grocery chains. Certain items are worth the trip, others are not. I also use WalMart and another huge grocery store here in the northwest called Winco. Taking advantage of the offerings of these 3 stores in keeping my pantry stocked with basics really helps in creating cost effective meals. (I am not even going to get into the baking items.)

The following recipe is one from a 35 year old Betty Crocker cookbook. The book long ago met its demise, but the recipe lives on. This was titled "Supper Corn Chowder". I would rename it "Super Corn Chower" as it really is super. I make this at least once a month. It's easy, economical, and very tasty. And you should have everything on hand.

Ingredients

5 slices of bacon sliced into small pieces
1/2 medium onion diced
1 cup diced cooked potatoes (I like to use either red or Yukon gold...they hold up better)
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
2 2/1 cup milk
salt to taste

Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot to a paper towel. Drain off the bacon grease reserving 2 TBS. Add onions to the grease and cook until tender. I like to let mine slightly carmelize for more flavor. Add the corn, potatoes, soup, and milk. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add in part of the bacon, reserving some for garnish. Add salt to taste and heat through. Be careful not to scorch. When dished up top with a bit of the reserved bacon.


This recipe is easily doubled. I don't think I have ever made just the single recipe. As with most soups, it definitely is better the next day. And again, it is flexible. You can absolutely add more potates, corn, bacon...whatever makes you grin. And this is really good with hot biscuits. Enjoy!

Life and Magic Soup Mac and Cheese Soup

OK, I know that I haven't posted for a bit, but I have reasons. And I think they are pretty good ones. But I'll let you judge for yourselves.

Reason #1....Our oldest grown son has been living with us this summer as he fights oral cancer. He's done with treatments and now the healing begins. It's gonna take awhile, but he's got the stuff to kick this. On a side note...if you didn't watch the "Stand Up 2 Cancer" telethon, you missed something very special. Go there and donate. Anyway, cooking soups for him and doc appointments, etc. have kept me somewhat busy with him.

Reason #2....I try to keep my adorable grandson one day a week to help out his parents.

Reason #3....It seems my husband was feeling neglected and developed a tumor that is hindering his breathing, so now we have all the doc stuff to do with that coming up.

Reason #4....I work for myself as a private in-home tutor, and after taking most of the summer off for family issues I am trying to get build my clientele back to what it was.

As they say, "Man makes plans and God laughs." He must be really killing himself about now.

But amidst the chaos arose what my son calls "the magic soup." See, he had radiation on his neck and mouth and can only handle extremely pureed foods. Yummmm! He still has his taste buds, so I have diligently worked at trying to develop tasty yet smoooooth soups. As I was pondering what to make for him next my little brain had a thought. Mac and cheese are like the ultimate comfort soup, so why not a mac and cheese soup? And I did, and it was yummy, and it goes down my son's gullet with great ease. Thus, the nomer "magic soup."

Now, a few words of warning....this soup is EXTREMELY loaded with fat. That is by design. My son needs as many calories as he can get down. And so far, we have done well in that department. So, with that said, here's the how to of the soup.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 large onion sliced in strings
1 TBS. bacon fat (reserved from frying the bacon)
1 TBS. butter
2 1/2 qts. chicken broth or vegetable broth (boullion cubes work well for this)
1 box Dreamfields rotini (or any other small pasta...about 1 lb.)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 qt. half and half or any type of milk you want (I am trying to calorie load)
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup Guyere cheese grated
1/2 pound Velveeta cubed
1 TBS. fresh savory minced
fresh grated nutmeg
fresh ground pepper

For efficiency, have all the cheese grated and herbs minced before you start.

Fry the bacon. When the bacon is done remove it to paper towels to cool while finishing the soup. Drain most of the bacon fat leaving about 1 TBS. Add 1 TBS. butter to skillet and the thinly sliced strings of onion. Caramelize the onion. While the onion is caramelizing, cook the pasta in chicken broth according to package directions. When the pasta is done DO NOT drain. Just leave the pasta in the broth. You will wanted to cook the pasta al dente so it doesn't turn to mush.

Now some juggling comes into play. Before the pasta is finished, make a roux of the butter and flour, then add the onions. Add the half and half slowly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. When thickened add to the broth and pasta. After these are mixed well, add the cheeses fairly slowly, stirring until melted. If it seems a bit thick you can add more liquid. Water seems to work just fine. At the end add the savory, chopped fried bacon, some grated nutmeg (don't get carried away with this...a little goes along way), and fresh pepper. Between the chicken broth and the cheese you most likely won't need to add salt.

This is one of those recipes you can really adjust to fit your tastes. You can use any melty type of cheese, but be sure to include the Velveeta. That gives it the really smooth texture. I used the savory because it is growing in my little window herb garden, and it just smelled like it should go into the soup. The nutmeg really adds a nice touch. And be warned, this makes a huge batch of soup. Be prepared to give some away, although my son wouldn't let me. In fact, come Friday I have to make another batch. Enjoy!

"I'm Popeye, the Sailor Man" Cream of Spinach Soup

As with all veggies there are immense health benefits to spinach. Just ask Popeye. He was always able to save Olive Oil and the day with instant strength just by inhaling a can of the limp dark green vegetable. Just lately it has been found that a daily serving of spinach, and not a big one at that, can help stem the development of macular degeneration. Since both my parents suffer from this, I am trying to get spinach regularly in my diet. And since I such an afficionado of soup, why not cream of spinach. So here we go. "Toot! Toot!"

Cream of Spinach Soup

The Ingredients

5 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound fresh prewashed and stemmed spinach (I use organic baby spinach )
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground white pepper
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

This takes a couple of pans to make as well as a blender. Put the 5 cups of broth in a sauce pan, cover, and heat until hot. In a soup pot, melt in 3 TBS. of butter (I actually used 2 TBS. butter and 1 TBS. bacon fat). Add the onions and cook until translucent. Lower the heat and add the spinach, stirring until just wilted. Sprinkle with the flour stirring once. Add the warm chicken broth, stirring constantly, bringing to a boil over high heat.

At this point, you are going to transfer the mixture to a blender. I let it cool for a bit so I don't have an explosion from the blender. Then puree it. You could use a food mill or an immersible blender also.
When it looks like the picture below return it to the pan and add salt and pepper. Isn't that a lovely green!

OK, we're almost there. In a small bowl mix together the yolks and the cream. Stir in a small amount of the spinach. This keeps the egg from cooking into bits. Return the mixture to the pot. Add the remaining butter, the nutmeg and the Parmesan cheese. Just heat through, and serve. Watch out for your expanding forearm!

This is a soup I would serve as a first course. It is fairly light and not very thick. But it is very refreshing. I would be interested in hearing how others will tweak it. Hubby and the family member that is having to have foods pureed enjoyed it. Let me know what you think.

Magic Mushrooms...Soup

Got your attention, didn't I!?

I have always wanted to try my hand at cream of mushroom soup. Mushrooms are the food of the gods. The aroma when they are sauteeing in butter and garlic is beyond description. And I could honestly devour a plate of them with some good crusty bread and call it a meal. Thus the path to this recipe. This is my first shot at it and I didn't use a recipe. So if anyone tweaks it and makes it better,

puhleeeese let me know. I am not adverse to helpful suggestions. Just be nice.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

The Ingredients

2 TBS. EVOO

2 TBS. butter

1-2 onions sliced thin (I'm not a huge onion fan so I pretty much use sweet onions for everything)

2 stalks celery chopped fairly small

2-3 large cloves garlic...minced, grated or pressed

1 lb. of mushrooms (I use a mix of button and crimini) sliced

2 cups chicken stock (you could use vegetable stock also)

1 tsp. dried thyme

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2 cups half and half...or if your really feeling decadent you could use cream.

This first part is the most time intensive part of the recipe. Heat the butter and olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add the onions and cook on medium until caramelized. This takes about 40 or so minutes. Be sure to stir often so they don't burn. They should be a rich golden brown color when done.

Standing at the stove stirring onions is not really my idea of a good time...so I try to find something useful to do between stirs. In this case, chopping celery, mincing garlic and slicing the mushrooms does the trick. This way when the onions are done you are ready to do the next step.

Remove the onions from the pan, add a little more oil or butter if needed and saute the celery and garlic for a few minutes. Now toss in the star of the show...the mushrooms. Saute until tender. The smell is going to send you to heaven...mmmmm.

Once the mushrooms are tender add a little white wine or chicken broth to deglaze the pan and get all those yummy bits off the bottom of the pot. Now you are ready to make the veggies into the soup. Add the chicken stock, thyme, and salt and pepper. Let simmer 20-30 minutes.

Then add the half and half. Heat through. OK, you think you're done, right? Wrong. Take 2 or 3 cups of the soup and puree. If you use a blender be sure to let the soup cool a bit before you turn it on, or you could end up cleaning your ceiling. Put the blended soup back into the pot and stir. Heat through and enjoy with a side salad and some hot garlic bread.

Hubby really liked this. He has a background in food service, so I totally trust his opinion. And since I don't want to be throwing food out, I have to make sure he likes it. My big concern was that maybe it was too "soupy", and did I want to thicken it. Hubby was happy with the way it was. But if any of you feel the need to thicken, I won't be offended. But please let me know what you did to it. I love to try new things and look for improvements. Anyone have any ideas on improving hubbies or kids? Just kidding...love my gang the way they are! Enjoy the soup.