Recipe for Mushroom Soup.

My Sissy was asking about this recipe. So I thought I would post it again. This may be the most consistently delicious thing I make. 

It takes about 30 minutes to prep and make and is a very doable week-day meal. Here are the ingredients I used in this particular batch...

1 yellow onion
1 shallot
1 pint of shiitake mushrooms
1 pint of baby bella mushrooms
3 shot glasses of Golden Dry Sherry
splash of lemon juice
handful of thyme
4ish tablespoons of flour
1/2 pint of cream
4 cups of water
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper

1. Saute onions and shallots in butter with a bit of thyme until they are transparent.

2. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle in some more thyme, a shot glass of sherry and a splash of lemon juice. Cook until mushrooms start shrinking (4-6 minutes).

3. SLOWLY start sprinkling in flour. Stir rigorously until you can't see any flour. Sprinkle more. Repeat procedure until there is a decent thick paste (probably about 4 tablespoons).

4. Add cream, water, salt, pepper, some more thyme (if you like) and the rest of the sherry. Bring to a boil and then immediately put it on simmer for at least an hour (this batch I kept simmering for 2 hours).

Remember soup ALWAYS tastes better the next day....but this is pretty decent immediately (especially if you simmer it for a while). Happy Soup-Makin'!

Roasted Cauliflower and Butter-bean Soup. Gluten-Free.

I am always on the look out for a new Soup Recipe.

This one didn't take much effort and was easy to do with kiddos underfoot.

Roast veggies at 400 degrees (Cauliflower and Onions). 

Add Stock and Beans and Herbs. 

Blend. 

Bam. You are done.

I used Butter-beans instead of Limas (since that is what Papa Bear came home with) and I snuck in some Dandelion Greens.

Pretty darn good. Although, next time I'll blend it much longer.

You can see the Recipe I adapted right here.

The Simplicity Month. Egyptian Red Lentil Soup.

This has been one of my quick, simple go-to meals for several years now. It's crazy cheap and crazy good. 

It's a terrific soup to freeze, if you are pregnant and trying to stock-up your freezer.

My friend gave me the recipe at one of my Soup Swaps. Thanks, Molly for introducing it to me!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of Butter or Coconut Oil
1 Onion
3 cloves of Garlic
1 cup of Carrots
1 tablespoon of Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon of Cumin
2 cups of Red Lentils
8 cups of Water, Veggie Stock or Chicken Stock
Sea Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the Butter (or Coconut Oil). 

2. Add Onion and Carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). 

3. Add Cumin, Thyme and Garlic (about 1 minute).

4. Add Lentils (3 minutes). Keep stirring so they don't stick.

5. Add Water, Veggie Stock or Chicken Stock (or a combination of all 3).

6. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

7. Blend if desired.

***Sorry for the unappealing photo. My Sissy wanted this recipe today and I didn't have any photos of bowl of my "Egyptian Red Lentil Soup." I didn't want to defrost this container just so I could take a photo, so this will have to do. 

Soups to Freeze. My Mama's "Cold Zucchini Soup"

This recipe is from my Mama and can be found in my Family Cookbook. It's a perfect, easy Summer-time dish.

Peel Zucchinis - if large, take out seeds and pith from centers.

Barely cover with water and chopped onions.

Add bouillons or use Chicken Broth.

Cook until just tender.

Cool and put into a blender (at this point you can freeze and use later...if you have a glut of zucchini, you can fill your freezer with this Soup).

Season with pepper, garlic powder, salt (unless you used a bouillon), fresh dill, a dash of curry and sour cream (or plain yogurt).

Easy, right? Except make sure you COOK the zucchini first. That's the step I missed the very first time I made this Soup when I was 19 years old. Whoops.

This would be a nice soup to make, if you are currently Pregnant and trying to stock-pile your freezer. If you don't have a garden, you may know someone who does. They'll probably be willing to give you bags full of them.

You may also want to try Broiled Zucchini. Pure deliciousness and a very FAST meal.

Soups to Freeze. A Simple Chicken and Barley Soup Recipe from GW Midwives

Here is an easy Chicken Soup Recipe from the GW Midwives.

This is a perfect soup to make for your Coccon Time. This also might be a nice, beginning stage of Labor activity to keep you busy and occupied.

The GW Midwives recommend that several bowls of this soup are given to the New Mama, during those first few days. They didn't include any times or many specifics.

I just eye-balled everything. The bowl I taste-tested was wonderful. Let me tell you...homemade chicken stock is SOOOO much better than the store bought (this was the first time I have ever made my own chicken stock). I was surprised how much salt I had to add, but I guess it's because the barley soaks it all up. I made two large pots to freeze and am excited to get the chance to eat all that yummy soup! 



1. Roast a whole chicken with herbs and seasoning (or buy one already roasted...we got ours at a Peruvian Chicken joint)

2. Remove all the meat (that was my husband's job)

3. Boil the bones and skins covered to make a good strong broth (I boiled them about an hour)

4. Chop up and put back the meat (also Papa Bear's job)

5. Add lots of sea salt
 
6. Add cooked barley (I added uncooked barley to the Chicken Stock and a few cups of extra water)

7. Add veggies like carrots, zucchini, squash and cook till soft (I just added carrots and cooked on medium heat for about an hour)

8. Add fresh chopped parsley

9. Add a big bag of baby spinach (I will add the spinach when I reheat to eat)

10. Crack in several eggs (I will add the spinach when I reheat to eat)

11. Enjoy (or freeze)!

Good Soups to Freeze. Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrots of many colors. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whoops. I made this WAY too spicy for me. My husband LOVED it and commented that it tasted very Indian.

The next batch I make, I am going to tone down the Cayenne Pepper (I didn't measure it out and that was my mistake). This soup is chocked full of warming goodness - perfect for those few first weeks after having a baby.


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (I used one that was infused with Chilies)

2 Onions chopped

6 Garlic Cloves finely chopped

6 tsp Ground Cumin

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

3 Carrots

2 Parsnips cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large Sweet Potato, thinly sliced

4 cups of Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock

3 cups of Water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a heavy stockpot (I used an infused Olive Oil that had chilies in it...this might have also added to the heat issue).

2. Add the Onion and a pinch of Salt, cook over medium heat for about three minutes.

3. Add the Garlic, Cumin, Ginger and Cayenne (this was the point where I sprinkled in way too much of the Pepper).

4. Cook for 6 minutes, until Onions are very soft. Add a little water.

5. Add the Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet Potato, 1 tsp Salt, the Stock and the Water.
 
6. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium simmer until the Carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

7. Puree the soup in a Blender or use an Immersion Stick until smooth (this is one of the times, I really want to have an Immersion Stick).

8. If using a blender, return to pot and season to taste with Salt, Pepper, & Cayenne.

Enjoy!!!

Good Soups to Freeze. Hearty Lentil, Black Bean Soup with Smoked Paprika

Lentils (Photo credit: Maggie Hoffman)

I have begun the process of starting to freeze extra food for when the new baby arrives. I've been trying out different soups that supposedly freeze well. Hearty Lentil and Black Bean Soup with Smoked Paprika is a vegetarian soup that has definitely passed the taste test. The recipe I used was from Cookin Canuck.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 large stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 bay leaves

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup dried brown lentils

4 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, divided (I just used some Vegan Bouillon Cubes and added some extra water)

3 cups water

1 (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan set over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Add garlic, smoked paprika and bay leaves and saute for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, lentils, 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth and 3 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer half of the lentil mixture, half of the black beans and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, but not pureed. It should be a chunky texture.
5. Pour the blender mixture back into the lentils in the saucepan, along with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and remaining black beans. Stir and reheat over medium heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

This soup was very, very tasty. So much so that only a two cups actually got frozen. I'm definitely going to make several more batches to freeze.

 

Homemade Mushroom Soup

Shiitake mushrooms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I admit it. I am a home-made soup addict. It's my absolutely favorite thing to make in the world and once there is a hint of coldness in the air...I'm all about making soup at least once a week. (Although, I'm definitely not above making cold soups during the summer...see my most recent post on Gazpacho soup).

I made a batch of "Creamy Mushroom Soup" on Tuesday (with a little help from my daughter...she helped stir the onions and shallots, threw all the mushrooms in the pot and helped me collect the thyme) and it was a big hit with all three of us.

It took about 30 minutes to prep and make and is a very doable week-day meal. Here are the ingredients I used in this particular batch...

1 yellow onion
1 shallot
1 pint of shiitake mushrooms
1 pint of baby bella mushrooms
3 shot glasses of Golden Dry Sherry
splash of lemon juice
handful of thyme
4ish tablespoons of flour
1/2 pint of cream
4 cups of water
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper

1. Saute onions and shallots in butter with a bit of thyme until they are transparent.

2. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle in some more thyme, a shot glass of sherry and a splash of lemon juice. Cook until mushrooms start shrinking (4-6 minutes).

3. SLOWLY start sprinkling in flour. Stir rigorously until you can't see any flour. Sprinkle more. Repeat procedure until there is a decent thick paste (probably about 4 tablespoons).

4. Add cream, water, salt, pepper, some more thyme (if you like) and the rest of the sherry. Bring to a boil and then immediately put it on simmer for at least an hour (this batch I kept simmering for 2 hours).

Remember soup ALWAYS tastes better the next day....but this is pretty decent immediately (especially if you simmer it for a while). Happy Soup-Makin'!

A Simple Meal....Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Who doesn't love Cheesy Broccoli Soup? Everyone in my family is bonkers for this meal. It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble and is super child friendly. I found the recipe at A Year of Slow Cooking (this woman is a Crock-pot Genius).

Ingredients

--1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable)

--2 cups milk (I used 2% cow's)

--2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets

--1/2 diced white onion

--1/2 t black pepper

--1/2 t kosher salt

--1/2 t ground nutmeg

--1 cup each of three different cheeses, I used jarlsberg, gruyere, and cheddar.

The Directions

Mince the onion into really small pieces. I used my pampered chef chopper thingy. The onions are going to soften in the milk and the broth, and need to be quite small so you don't crunch on onion pieces when the soup is complete.

Add the onion to your Crockpot, and top with the milk, broth, and spices. Stir in the two frozen bags of broccoli.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The broth is done when the onion is cooked nicely.

20 minutes or so before serving, shred all the cheese you are going to use, and stir it in. The cheese will be stringy and will stick to the broccoli florets---that's okay!

Serve with your favorite rolls or drop biscuits.

Love Month Round-Up

I celebrated this Month of Love by sharing how to make a board book of your own and a Spicy Valentine. I wrote about how a trip to SpaWorld would be a gift appreciated by most.

I told you about Lessons Learned from Making Valentines with My Daughter and I couldn't resist sharing some photos of the experience. I dreamed of making a much more elaborate Valentine when she is older.

I revealed my love of Paperless Post, Nikki Giovanni, Gee's Bend Quilts, the C&O Lockhouse 6 , Sage Tea, Goodwill, Home-made Mushroom Soup and the City of Baltimore.

Hopefully, my post on an Ancient Ale Date Night inspired a creative date of your own!

Thanks for reading!!!

I Love...Home-made Mushroom Soup

Only two more days for me to write about things I Love during this Month of Love!!!


My favorite soup to make hands-down is Mushroom Soup. Campbell's has nothing on this homemade stuff...

I went to the Waverly Farmers' Market in Baltimore with my sister on Saturday and bought all the ingredients there (except the Sherry). The Mushroom Lady recommended that I use shiitake instead of button mushrooms and I am glad I followed her advice. It ended up costing about $16 to make....pricey.... but I got at least 10 bowls of soups out of this batch. One of my best batches...


1/2 purple onion
2 pints of shiitake mushrooms
3 shot glasses of Golden Dry Sherry
handful of thyme
4ish tablespoons of flour
1 pint of cream
4 cups of water
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper

1. Saute onions in butter with a bit of thyme until they are transparent.

2. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle in some more thyme and a shot glass of sherry. Cook until mushrooms start shrinking (4-6 minutes).

3. SLOWLY start sprinkling in flour. Stir rigorously until you can't see any flour. Sprinkle more. Repeat procedure until there is a decent thick paste (probably about 4 tablespoons).

4. Add cream, water, salt, some more thyme (if you like) and the rest of the sherry. Low-heat for an hour.




Remember soup ALWAYS tastes better the next day....but this is pretty decent immediately.

I probably only added 3 cups of water when I made this on Saturday because I wanted my sister to eat some immediately and for it to taste yummy. On Sunday, I watered down the soup because it had had time to sit and marinate. I've added more water since, so the ratio of cream to water ends up being greater in the end (for those concerned about the calories). Enjoy!!!

Gift Idea: Soup of the Month Club

<sup>I don't know if you can tell but I am slightly obsessed with soup. I love making it, I love eating it and now I am thinking I may love giving it as a present. I have heard of people creating Cooking of the Month Clubs for their friends and families. I propose a Soup of the Month Club.

Who would like this gift? Foodies. Friends and family who enjoy homemade soup.</sup>

<sup>What are you giving? You promise to come to their house each month with a pot of homemade soup. They get a delicious home-cooked meal and get to spend some quality time with you while enjoying what you made.

When? Perfect last minute gift. All you need to do is make a coupon for them explaining your gift.</sup>

<sup>Where? There are plenty of great Soup cookbooks. My all-time favorite is Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special Recipes. There are plenty of cold soups to make during the warmer months. You can also always get some ideas from my Soup Series right here on my blog.

Why is it a great gift? The best part is that your loved one gets some built in time with you each month. It also doesn't hurt that it is easy to make a lot of soup. So, you can make a big pot, split it and keep some for a meal or two for yourself as well. Plus, soup is cheap to make!</sup>

^{My experience?  None. If you have good follow-through this would be a good gift for you to give. I don't know if I could pull this off but perhaps I'll try it next Christmas!}

Soup Series: Butternut Squash - Apple Soup

We just finished the last of the Butternut Squash - Apple Soup, I made in the slow cooker a few days ago. It took less than 10 minutes and was enjoyed by all. Even my Mother-in-law asked for seconds and she doesn't eat much non-Indian food. My husband liked the sweetest of it. The baby devoured it. I thought it wasn't the best soup I ever made but it sure was one of the easiest. 

I bought already peeled and chopped butternut squash from Trader Joe's, so that helped. The following recipe is from Slow Cooker Magic in Minutes...Enjoy!!!

• 3 packages (12 oz) frozen cooked winter squash (I used one bag of fresh uncooked squash from Trader Joe's)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chicken broth (I made my own vegetable broth)
• 1 medium Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced onions
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1. Combine all ingredients except cream in slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH for about 3 hours or on LOW about 6 hours.

2. Puree soup in blender, food processor or with electric mixer. (I used a blender after the soup was cool and added the cream in before blending). Stir in cream just before eating.

Nothing like soup on a brisk Winter day!!!

Soup Series: Three Cheese Broccoli Soup

I found this recipe at A Year of Slowing Cooking and it gets two-thumbs up from all three members of our family (including the 8 month-old). It took less than 10 minutes to make. Blending the soup after it has cooled is definitely the way to go! This soup is perfect for a family with a new baby and no time to cook!

--1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable)

--2 cups milk (I used 2% cow's)

--2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets

--1/2 diced white onion

--1/2 t black pepper

--1/2 t kosher salt

--1/2 t ground nutmeg

--1 cup each of three different cheeses, I used jarlsberg, gruyere, and cheddar.

The Directions.

Mince the onion into really small pieces. I used my pampered chef chopper thingy. The onions are going to soften in the milk and the broth, and need to be quite small so you don't crunch on onion pieces when the soup is complete.

Add the onion to your crockpot, and top with the milk, broth, and spices. Stir in the two frozen bags of broccoli.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The broth is done when the onion is cooked nicely.

20 minutes or so before serving, shred all the cheese you are going to use, and stir it in. The cheese will be stringy and will stick to the broccoli florets---that's okay!

Serve with your favorite rolls or drop biscuits.

Soup Series: Vichyssoise

It is leek and potato season! Time for...vichyssoise. Okay, I know vichyssoise is technically a cold soup but isn't it so fun to say? Vichyssoise was something my grandfather made when I was young. It has always been one of my favorite words to say and it is now one of my favorite soups to make. Here is my ad-lipped, loosey-goosey recipe.

             2 leeks cut up (only the white part)

             2 potatoes (peeled and chopped)

             pat of butter

             thyme

             sea salt

             white wine

             half and half (or heavy cream)

Saute butter and leeks over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add dried thyme. Saute another minute or so. Add an inch or 2 of water. Then potatoes. Add sea salt. Stir. Add more water and then the wine. When potatoes are soft enough to your liking add half and half. Cook until it begins to boil, put it to simmer. Add black pepper. Simmer until you are ready to serve.