10/12 Soup (ten-spice twelve-veg instant pot soup)

Toss and go colorful deliciousness

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked

4 to 5 cups vegetable broth

1 to 2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups diced onion (about 1 medium)

At least half cup up to one cup each, chopped to similar sizes, whatever veg you have such as:

carrots (about 3 medium)

bell pepper any color (or roasted red pepper from jar)

peeled and chopped sweet potato, regular potato, and/or butternut squash

2 stalks celery

Broccoli and cauliflower stems, not hard bitter parts, peel broccoli stems before chopping

Zucchini and/or yellow summer squash

Green beans chopped into short pieces

Cabbage

Frozen sweet corn

1 can petite diced tomatoes, with their juice

1 can small white beans or any favorite beans, undrained (or rinsed and add 1/2 cup more broth)

1 to 2 tablespoons Homemade 10-Spice Mix, to taste (I like 1 1/2)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional: 2 tsp white miso, one cup (packed) chopped baby spinach or other greens

Homemade 10-Spice Mix (makes 1/2 cup): (from Oh She Glows)

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ancho pepper powder, (optional)

Instructions

Blend cashews in one cup broth, set aside

Dry-sauté onion, add garlic when half done

Add all veg (except greens or peas, if using), canned tomatoes and beans, broth and seasoning, stir.

Set IP for five minutes pressure, let npr ten minutes

If desired stir in packed cup of chopped baby spinach (or other greens) or 1/2 cup frozen peas

Stir in cashew cream, serve with crusty bread

Can also stir in 2 tsp white miso before serving if desired

Notes:

Based on Oh She Glows 10-Spice Soup, freezes well!

Spice mix makes enough for several batches or other uses. Or use favorite creole or Cajun mix

If you like soups quite thick or are using lots of watery veg like summer squash, use the smaller amount of broth. 

For less fat or lower cost, you can blend white beans instead of cashews for the creaminess, though it won’t be as rich.

When raw cashews are unavailable, simmer roasted ones for a little while in the broth (microwave will do) though if you don’t have a high-speed blender you won’t get them as creamy. You can also just blend some of the soup.

Cheddar-Onion Bread

When you want something a little fancier and flavorful, here's an easy one to do when you are already making a batch of bread (and of course it will freeze for use on a busy day in the future).

Chop a large onion and cook it slowly in a little butter while making bread dough until golden and sweet.

Make your usual or favorite whole wheat bread dough (here's my recipe) and after the first rising, save out a portion - a large loaf's worth.After shaping any other loaves, take the reserved piece and knead in the onion and about 1 1/2 cups finely grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar (or other favoirte cheese). Let it rest 10-15 minutes.

Divide into three portions and roll each into a long snake, maybe about 14 inches. Braid them together and form into a circle in a greased 10" glass pie plate (or on a baking sheet). Let rise 30 minutes, put in cold oven on a slightly  lowered rack and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until browned.
You can brush it with water before baking to help it get crusty.

This bread is great with broccoli soup, easy vegetable soup, etc.

Make $18 an hour cooking dinner; cheaper and healthier soups

I was asked to help teach a class in budgeting about the same time I got a recipe I had requested that looked rather more expensive than my usual thing. So I did a lot of research and pricing (even found a site with how many teaspoons in an ounce of various spices so I could estimate costs using my spice shelf) then used three versions as an example of how we can adjust our spending in more ways than we might think. Each recipe includes actual prices I have gotten, either this week or things in my storage.

Here's the recipe I got with notes from the sender, (it's really tasty and very easy, a handy recipe)

Southwest Chicken Soup                       

1 Chicken (I used Costco rotisserie chicken)   $5.99

64 oz. Chicken broth (any brand will do) $4.00

1 Package Near East Brand Rice Pilaf, Spanish Rice Flavor $2.19

                (I have used other brands, but this one is the best)

1 – 12 oz. container Salsa (I prefer fresh or refrigerated, but bottled will work). I like mild. $3.45

1 – 16 oz. pkg. frozen sweet corn (white or yellow) $2.39

Debone chicken, tear into chunks. Add broth, heat. Also use the juices from the rotisserie container. Add Rice, flavoring packet, and salsa. Cook until rice is done. Add corn, heat through. This soup can get quite thick, especially if you make it the day before – you might want a little more broth.

Serve with: sour cream, cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips. Could add chopped green onions, or even avocado slices.

to make enchilada casserole-. Sometimes the broth just disappears. Then I add black beans to the mixture. Layer it with corn tortillas and cheese. Bake it at 350 for about 40 minutes. Then top it off with fresh tomato chunks, green onions and olives.

The cheapest chewy artisan bread added $2.99. This makes a total of $21.89

(Optional additions - though of course you probably wouldn't use entire containers) could add up to $8.85, making it a casserole could add $8.15

Second is a version I would more likely make at my house: (Budget) Southwest Chicken Soup 
also easy, delicious, could be just as fast if you use previously made & frozen stock

Remains of a rotisserie chicken bought on sale and used for previous dinner (figure 1/4 meat left from $4.99 chicken, $1.25) 

2 bouillon cubes ($.09)

onion, half chopped and half used in simmering broth $.37

1 jar sale salsa (got some yesterday for $1) or canned diced tomatoes with green chilis

rice (white - $.08 for amount equal to packaged, or half box of instant brown rice for healthier soup - $.80) 

can corn or Mexicorn  (got lucky, a 50 cent sale) 

can black beans, rinsed and drained ($.69, more sales)

favorite spices (approx. 3 tsp. about $.30)

Cover the chicken carcass with water (include juices from package) and simmer with boullion and half onion, some leafy celery ends if you have them on hand. After about 30-40 minutes, strain. Brown the other half onion (chopped) and add broth, meat off chicken, salsa or diced tomatoes, rice, corn, beans. I like to use Penzey's Adobo seasoning, cumin, ancho powder. Simmer til rice is cooked.

serve sprinkled with saved tortilla chip crumbs (freeze) and a little bit of grated cheese. (.30)

Sale French bread saved in freezer $1.29

Total $6.62 with white rice, $7.34 with brown. 

And if you want to really save and use food storage items and have twice as much soup and bread...............

(Economy) Southwest Black Bean Soup instructions at link

black beans bought in bulk - $.67 lb

turkey carcass free (well, you were going to toss it, weren't you?)

onion, carrot, celery leaves for broth total about $.52

chopped onion, minced garlic, $.20

spices $.30

can of chopped tomatoes with green chilis (sale) $.87

squirt of lime juice .05

carrots, sale can corn, about .50 each

three corn tortillas torn up (saved in freezer) about .20

Homemade French Bread .60 (two loaves)

total $4.18

Think of it this way, you can save about $18 cooking the cheaper way, and the total work time is only about an hour more so you earned $18 an hour and ate healthy food with plenty for another dinner.

 

Really Quick and Easy Summer Soup

This is simply a set of instructions for infinitely variable soup that is quick and yummy and healthy - based on Lunchbox Vegetable Soup (From Sunset 30 Minutes or Less cookbook). I call it Summer Soup because you don't need long simmering like you might enjoy in winter.
Today we made it with leftover pork broth and meat scraps from Sunday's crockpot dinner and used basil fettuccine, usually I make it meatless or occasionally with remains of a rotisserie chicken that's pretty picked over (simmer a little while to get your broth and pick off any meat left while the rest simmers).


large chopped onion, (I precook in a small bit of butter or olive oil so its well done - even richer flavor comes from using a little bit of bacon grease you've frozen)
4 large carrots (about 1 lb. total) peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced or chopped

6 cups Knorr Vegeterian vegetable bouillon or other favorite broth/stock
1 or 2 cups water
1 can (about 15 oz)  corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt
2 cups dried pasta bow ties or other pasta
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1/4 cup chopped parsley(if available)
(we like to add a can of kidney beans, drained - or black-eyed peas for more flavor)

1. Peel carrots and cut crosswise into thin rounds.
2. Melt butter in a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and corn.  Cook, stirring often, until celery and onion are tender to bite (5 to 6 minutes).
3. Add broth, pepper, and salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon); bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta; return to a boil and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.
4. Add peas and continue to cook, uncovered, until pasta is just tender to bite (7 to 8 minutes more).  Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

options: baby corn is good but pricey, black-eyed peas have lots of flavor and work well, you can add any veg you have - broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, slaw mix, zucchini or yellow squash (add summer squash later on, it takes about as long as the pasta)

I love to use Penzey's spice and herb blends, like Foxpoint, Paris, Mural of Flavor, etc. Or use Mrs. Dash, etc. The original calls for tarragon but we didn't like it, "spice to taste"! This is a good time to use your summer herb garden - parsley, chives, basil, oregano, savory, all would be good- or freeze dried chives, parsley, etc if its winter or you don't have fresh on hand.

tastier, healthier broccoli-cheddar soup

Cook's Illustrated is definitely my #1 kitchen helper. They said that if you want something that's not actually  "cheesy cream soup with a bit of broccoli", here are the secrets:
1- Use loads of broccoli and
2- Cook it surprisingly thoroughly.

Very Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Start with about two or more pounds of fresh broccoli, cut up (peel stalk and slice) and saute with onion and garlic, and then add a cup or so of broth, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes with a pinch of baking soda. This gives the same effect as cooking for a full hour, which jumps past the bitter, smelly stage to a stage where all the flavor is released, it works -
Then add more broth (chicken or vegetable, about 4-6 cups) and whatever else you like in your soup - chunks of yukon gold potatoes are my choice, plus favorite seasonings, and simmer a while longer til potatoes are tender.Salt and pepper, any favorites like Mrs. Dash or other spice blends are fine.
Last of all, to make it really pretty, add in a big handful of de-stemmed and chopped baby spinach right before putting through the blender (in two batches) along with a big handful of grated sharp cheddar cheese and some Parmesan. (I always add potatoes and we like it chunky, so I took some big spoonfuls of them and some of the broccoli out before blending and then stirred them back in) It was gorgeous soup, rich and green and creamy without any cream. Looks even prettier with a little pinch of grated cheese on top.

Next time I will reserve a big handful of florets and a couple of chopped potatoes, throw the potatoes in the steamer for ten minutes then add broccoli for five more and add to soup after its blended. But this is really good! A little cayenne pepper livens it up a bit too. I like to start the onion early so it can get some color, and you can throw in a grated carrot for even more vitamins. I sneaked in some cauliflower too.

If you like, you can make your own bread bowls for serving it in using the French Bread recipe shaped into rounds:  http://eatfastandhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/03/french-bread.html

Turkey Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

Don't be afraid to cook that giant bird! I finally found a "leftover" recipe where the turkey is really delicious and it doesn't seem like some recipe you just substituted turkey leftovers into. When the turkey sandwiches are done and there's not much left to find on the bones, its soup time!

The day before brine 1 lb of black beans (soak in heavily salted water at least 12 or up to 36 hours - or use canned beans)

To make broth: cram your turkey carcass into a soup pot (it usually breaks in two pieces pretty easily) along with a peeled onion, a scrubbed and trimmed carrot, and a handful of celery - the leafy ends. Cover and simmer about two hours.

Pour through a strainer or colander into a large container. In the original pot saute a large chopped onion until starting to get color, add a grated carrot or two if you like, chopped celery, some minced garlic. After they have a chance to start getting fragrant and brown just a bit, add your turkey broth (if you have more than about 4 quarts, simmer it down or save some for another day) and the well-rinsed and drained beans. For richest flaver, add some spices now and more of them later: ancho pepper, cumin, oregano, cilantro if using dried, a couple of bay leaves, any favorites spices with Mexican-leaning flavors, and one can of chopped tomatoes with green chilies (or Mexican seasoned chopped tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes and a small can green chilies, etc).
Simmer for about an hour or more - more if your beans are very old.
Add any meat you get off turkey bones. Put in another round of spices and a dash of lime juice - and of course, salt and pepper to taste. If it smells like you walked into your favorite Mexican restaurant you are on the right track. Not required but even better: you can add green and/or red pepper, sliced carrots, half a package of frozen sweet corn - or can of sweet white & yellow corn or "Mexicorn", or small chunks of butternut squash.
Tear up two or three corn tortillas and toss in to dissolve for thickening and flavor then simmer about 30 minutes more. If using fresh cilantro, stir in a nice big handful well-chopped near the end.


You can sprinkle some crushed tortilla chips on top of each serving (or toasted strips of flour tortillas), a little grated cheese, and a small dollop of sour cream.
Goes nicely with a big crunchy green salad.

Split Pea Soup

 Take a ham bone (with a good bit of meat left if possible), put in soup pot and cover with water, add a carrot and an onion (peeled and trimmed but whole).Cover and simmer for an hour or two.

Pour the broth thru a strainer and back into pot (discard carrot and onion, their flavor has gone into the broth) Take meat off bone and cut up while you start the peas simmering in the broth -- add at least a lb of green split peas, probably 1 1/2 lbs for a mostly full pot of soup . Depending on available time, this can simmer quite a while - you'll want at least an hour, or longer if the peas are old. About 45 minutes or so before eating add peeled and chopped potatoes (maybe two-three), sliced carrots (maybe 4-5), and a large chopped and sauted-until-golden onion -- can add some water to get bits off onion-y pan to add (can also add carrots/potatoes to saute a little while for extra flavor if you want).
OR while the broth is in the container you strained it into, brown the chopped onion in the pot (and celery and other things if you like), then you catch all the extra flavor when you put the broth back in and add peas, etc.but you might not want the potatoes and carrots as mushy as they can get with all the time needed to soften the peas.

Put in cut up meat off the ham bone whenever you get it done, use Mrs. Dash and Nature's Seasons or  Penzey's Foxpoint or Mural of Flavor seasonings. Bay leaf is good (added with peas) or other favorite seasonings added some early, some mid-cooking, some near end for layers of flavor. Usually there is enough saltiness from the ham that you don't need salt - check before salting! fresh ground pepper is good.
*Stir occasionally -- and turn down or stir more often if it sticks to the bottom.

Good dish for a cold day - just do one step every once in a while as you go about dealing with home and family till its done for dinner.

for best results serve with Fresh French Bread! (easy recipe in previous post - if you start both recipes early in the afternoon you'll be all set, maybe a little fruit for side or dessert)


for extra fun, if you have yellow split peas, divide up your broth and make half with yellow, half green, then pour both kinds in the bowl from opposite sides, do one careful swirl through both sides and dollop a little sour cream in the center and put on a parsley leaf - how high-class is budget dinner now?

Simple and Delicious Tuscan Bean Stew (and brining beans)

Brining: To have tender skins and not mushy beans - can help very old storage beans! (from Cooks Illustrated)
put1 lb beans in 4 quarts room-temperature water with 3 Tablespoons salt, soak 8-24 hours (long is good if the beans are old - even 36 hours won't hurt them). Rinse well and cook gently in your oven, for tender yet not mushy beans that keep their shape, as below (about 1 1/2 hours at 250 if already simmering when put in)

For Tuscan Bean Stew: (adjust ingredients to taste or with what you have on hand)
Heat oven to 250 degrees with rack down low enough to fit your soup pot
If you have a bit of bacon (maybe three slices) or pancetta, or a bit of good sausage, chop and brown it to render fat, (or pull a bit of bacon fat you saved in the freezer from making corn chowder) then add:
a bit of olive oil if needed
large chopped onion
chopped celery (2 stalks)  and
thin sliced carrots (3) and
cook til soft.
Add up to 8 peeled and crushed cloves of garlic - (or spoonful of store-bought minced garlic in jar) and cook another minute.
Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth and
3 cups water,
2 bay leaves, and
1 lb. previously brine-soaked, rinsed white beans.
Bring to simmer over high heat then cover and put in oven. Cook an hour then add :
a can of petite diced tomatoes and
your choice of greens (1 bunch kale or collard greens or spinach, chopped, or a bag of coleslaw cabbage, etc.) and
return to oven for about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves, (you can mush some of the beans to make it thicker if you like).
I like to add Pensey's Foxpoint seasoning or "Nature's Seasons" or "Mrs. Dash".
Good served over thick toasted slices of country bread.