Borscht: It can't be beet

Hello — husband of Frenchie here with a special guest recipe for some real hearty soup. I made this recipe up myself, and by that I mean I copied it out of the Joy of Cooking and changed one ingredient. But original or not, it sure is good! Especially if you like beets.

Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Scrub 12 ounces of beets (if you don't have a beet scale, I'd wager that's about three beets). Wrap the beets in tinfoil and toss them in the oven on a baking sheet for about an hour, until they can be easily pierced with a fork, right through their dirty beet skin into their soft, beating beet hearts.

While the beats are doing their thing in the oven, prepare 1 pound boneless beef chuck, cubed (you can also use pork spareribs but that would be a travesty of epic proportions). Lightly dredge the beef with flour (or gluten-free flour if you're glutarded like some people I know), then heat a little vegetable oil in a soup pot and toss in that beef and brown it on all sides.

Once the beef is browned, stir in about 4 1/2 cups of brown beef stock and a 28-ounce can of whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped. I just used a can of diced tomatoes and that worked out just fine, but who am I to question those who truly know the Joy of Cooking? Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat and then let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, stir in:

2 cups of shredded red or green cabbage
1 medium onion, chopped until you cry like a baby
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

Simmer partially covered for about another 30 minutes. Now you think you have some time to sit on the couch, don't you? Well, you're wrong. Dead wrong. Because you're on beet detail. Take those beets out of the oven, let them cool, then peel their skin off and slice them into thin little strips. Be careful — them beets can stain. Now, once that before mentioned 30 minutes is over, stir in the beets, along with:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (optional [I didn't do it because it just didn't feel right]).

Simmer that huge pot full of awesomeness for 15 minutes, partially covered. Then serve it up, and garnish each bowl with some sour cream and fresh dill. This garnishing is key — it really adds some nice flavoring to the borscht, kinda like putting whip cream on ice cream. But don't put whip cream on borscht. That would be weird. And don't put borscht on ice cream either. Doesn't work — believe me.

Enjoy your thick beety beef soup! Pretend you're a Russian peasant — it's fun for the whole family! This is Señor Guest Blogger, signing out.

Souper! Take III

Another good day for soup. Rainy, cold, just yucky. I am attempting to make a pot of soup once per week, as it is so easy to prepare, cost effective, and good for lunch or dinner. I swapped the chicken with sausage to this one just because I had some in the freezer.

Chickpea Chard and Tomato Stew (with sausage)
Cooking Light May 2007

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground chicken (or 3 Italian sausage links)
1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped Swiss chard
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; sauté 4 minutes (Or, remove sausage from casings, pull into clumps as you add to pan). Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Partially mash chickpeas with a potato masher. Add chickpeas, chard, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Enjoy!

I am feeling souper, thanks for asking.

My hubby was feeling under the weather today and I had all day to kick it in the kitchen. Fall is in the air. There was one obvious answer to what I should cook up for dinner tonight...SOUP!
After some perusing around the Internet to get my appetite going, I decided that I wanted to see what I could make with only the ingredients around the house I already had. No shopping allowed. I came up with a delicious hearty soup that will last us a few days. I will be sure to make it again. And again.

Indian Tomato Lentil

1-2 tbsp Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or put through garlic press
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 chili (I used a mild one because we don't really like hot food), chopped
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
1 28 oz can diced canned tomatoes or can crushed tomatoes (with their juice)
3/4 cup dried red lentils
1 can chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring medium pot up to heat, add olive oil, onion, garlic and saute until translucent.
2. Add chili and saute a few more minutes.
3. Add garam masala, turmeric, cumin to pot. Stir to cover veggies and leave on heat until fragrant but not burned (about 2 minutes).
4. Throw in mushrooms and stir to combine. Let those saute a little bit. Deglaze the pot with wine. Cook off wine for about 1-2 mins.
5. Add tomatoes and their juice, red lentils and can of stock. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. I like a soup that is both smooth with some identifiable chunks left in it. Before serving, I put about half of the soup in a bowl then used my immersion blender for the rest left in the pot. This is optional and depends on your preference.

This is really good with some Dal or garlic bread.

Avocado Heaven

I admit it, I love avocados. I could eat them every day. Several of them. In one sitting. Happily.
Anyway, it is still hot here and I was hungry for something cold and refreshing for dinner.

Cold Avocado Soup
From Joy of Cooking

2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled and pitted (I used 2 1/2)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
dash black pepper

1. Put avocados and garlic into food processor. Process until smooth.
2. Add 2 cups buttermilk, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir with a spoon (I transferred it into a large serving bowl at this point).
3. Refrigerate until cold. Add rest of buttermilk to thin out soup, to desired consistency. You could also use water to thin.
This could be garnished with a bit of lump crab, cilantro, sour cream or yogurt, or cooked shrimp.

Delish!

Beautiful Soup....

Make this when asparagus is in season. The potato adds creaminess without any of the fat of cream.

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Croutons
From Robin Miller (Foodnetwork)

4 slices bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Roasted asparagus, chopped, about 4 cups
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Special Equipment: Immersion blender, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.Arrange bread cubes on prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle cubes with parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the croutons are baking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaves and thyme and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add asparagus, potato and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until potato is fork tender. Remove bay leaves, and using an immersion blender, or a regular *blender working in batches, puree soup until smooth. Ladle soup into bowls and top with sundried tomatoes and croutons.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Eggplant for everyone

Roasted Eggplant Soup

This is one of my favorite soups to make on a cold, winter night. It is healthy, filling and delicious. I found this on epicurious.com, one of my favorite foodie websites.The recipe calls for one cup of cream, but the soup tastes equally delicious without it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
1 small onion, halved
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
4 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 3 1/2 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. I actually take out the garlic after about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with goat cheese; serve.

Soup's on!

My mom is vouching for this one... and given the good stuff that comes out of her kitchen, I think it's safe to trust her!

Parsnip, Apple, and Sage Soup

Olive oil or cooking spray
3 1/2 cups chopped parsnips (about 5 medium)
1 cup chopped, peeled Gala or Fuji apple (1 small)
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 32 ounce container fat free less sodium, chicken broth, divided
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black paper
2 tsp chopped fresh sage

1. Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Coat pan with oil, add parsnips, apply and garlic. Saute 4-5 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
2. Add 3 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes until tender.
3. Place mixture in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return to dutch oven. Add remaining broth, sage, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until heated through.

serves 6 (1 cup)