October 16, 2011


Back to menu planning? Who knows, but going to give it a try!

Fall is officially here in South Carolina. Finally. I've had my crock-pot and soup on my mind for weeks, waiting for the perfect weather. I have selected four family favorites that I can either toss together quickly or crock-pot. It's going to be a GREAT week!

Utility Belt Penne
Tomato and White Bean Soup
Jules' Homemade Tomato Soup
Cinnamon-Beef Noodles

Feast For One: Utility Belt Penne

Kiy Note: I have many authors that I love. I wait patiently (yeah, right) for their new books to come out, marking the date on my calendar, salivating. But I have a TOTAL favorite. Dana Stabenow, specifically when she writes her "Kate" books. I can't get enough of Kate and Mutt. The fact that she writes about life in Alaska and I still like her books, is amazing. You see, I am not a fan of snow. AT.ALL. However, she makes me dream of someday seeing Alaska, and actually living there (not that that is going to happen). If you haven't found the wonderful Ms. Stabenow and enjoy suspense/thriller, be sure to pick up her first Kate novel, A Cold Day for Murder.

Thankfully, I follow her on Facebook or I would have never known that she also has a very cool cooking blog. Here is a soup that she posted today. I can't wait to try this, I know we will all love this and while it's "cooking for one", I can see it will easily double or triple. I wonder if Emi will let us have any. That gal and soup, a true love affair!

Utility Belt Penne

You know how Batman always has everything he needs fastened to his all-purpose, super-duper utility belt? In the same way, you've always got everything you need in the refrigerator for one-dish pasta.

Start with some olive oil. Add some chopped onion of any kind, yellow, green, sweet. Saute for about two minutes.

Add a couple of cloves of sliced garlic, and a couple of sliced anchovies. Saute for another minute.

Add four or five Roma tomatoes, chopped, or a can of stewed tomatoes, or a can of chopped tomatoes. Add some hearty shakes of dried Italian herbs, stir, and cook down for a minute or two. Add salt, but only a little because there is plenty in the anchovies and capers and cheese, and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of sugar if you feel like it.

Add a cup or two of chicken broth. It's better if you make your own, but canned is fine. Add a glug or two of wine, red or white, whatever you have on hand.

Bring to a simmer, and add a couple of handfuls of penne pasta. Yes, I know you're supposed to cook it separately, but why dirty another pan, especially when the pasta will soak up all that lovely broth you're putting together?

Bring back to a simmer and let cook for twelve minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Feel free to test, you'll know it when you bite into it.

Just before serving, toss in a tablespoon or so of capers. Garnish with parmesan, the good stuff, the stuff you should always have on hand, and serve.

CrockPot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

The Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 T olive oil
2 small medium onions, or 2 T onion flakes
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
2 small apples, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon

The Directions:

Use at least a 5 quart crockpot for this soup.

Cut the squash in half long ways. This is terribly hard to do. If you microwave the entire squash for 2 to 5 minutes on high, the skin will soften, but you will still need to use a pretty powerful knife. If you can find already peeled and cubed butternut squash use that.

I couldn't believe how difficult it was for me to cut the squash. My knife got stuck.

Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Brush olive oil on the inside of the squash and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until you can peel the skin away from the flesh.

Plug in your crockpot and turn to high. Add the broth, and the onion and apple. Stir in the spices. Cover to let heat.

When the squash has finished roasting, add it to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Blend in small batches with a stand blender, or carefully blend with an immersible wand.

The Verdict: This is a comfort soup. I like to curl up with a mug and watch TV. My mom, grandma, and I all like squash soup, but we're the only ones who do in the family. This is what I'm going to have for lunch this week.

Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

Cooking Light, MAY 2002

This entrée falls somewhere between a soup and a noodle dish. You can eat it with chopsticks, but be sure to have spoons around to catch the broth.

8 ounces uncooked udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles) or spaghetti
1½ teaspoons bottled minced garlic
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (14¼ ounce) cans low-salt beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake (rice wine) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon honey
Cooking spray
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
½ cup thinly sliced carrot
8 ounces top round, thinly sliced
¾ cup diagonally cut green onions
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Place garlic, pepper, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine soy sauce, sake, and honey in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vegetable mixture to broth mixture. Stir in beef; cook 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color. Stir in noodles, green onions, and spinach. Serve immediately.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1½ cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 306 (16% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 1.8g, mono 2g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 22.4g; CARB 36.6g; FIBER 2.4g; CHOL 39mg; IRON 3.4mg; SODIUM 707mg; CALC 59mg;

Cooking Light, MAY 2002

Cinnamon-Beef Noodles
Nina Simonds , Cooking Light, JANUARY 2001

Kiy Note: My friend Gina shared this recipe with me. Told me it's a family favorite so I knew I had to try it. I am excited as I have never thought to pair beef and cinnamon. I bet it's really tasty and different!

Kiy Update (02/2008): After making this now twice, I have come to realize ... it's a soup! Go figure, I thought I did something wrong the first time but nope, it came out exactly the same the second time. The flavor is simply amazing and honestly, it does not taste like cinnamon. I can't tell you what the cinnamon does but it definitely adds to the dish! YUM!!!


In this classic version of red-cooking, the meat is simmered in a soy sauce-based mixture for a long time until tender. Seasonings such as ginger, garlic, and cinnamon provide extra flavor. This method can be used to cook a variety of meats, including pork, lamb, chicken, and duck.

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1½ cups rice wine or sake
¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1½ inch cubes
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
4 cups hot cooked wide lo mein noodles or vermicelli (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of the beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and beef. Return beef to pan; add water mixture, onions, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard ginger slices and cinnamon. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until wilted. Serve over noodles.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup beef mixture and ½ cup noodles)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 403(14% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 5.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50.4g; SODIUM 1080mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 2.9g

Tomato-and-White Bean Soup – Cooking Light, October 1997

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed (Kiy Note: Or, if you are like me, the jarred stuff, chopped.)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
(Kiy Note: I use the balsamic vinegar ones, when I can find, or the basil/oreg ones)
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
(Kiy Note: Great Northern Beans – I use only 1 can usually)
1 (14½ oz) can fat-free chicken broth (Kiy Note: I usually end up using 2 cans)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (Kiy Note: how about some handy dried stuff!)
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Estimated Total Time: 30 minutes

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and next 5 ingredients (tomatoes through pepper), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

**Kiy Note: I also add a large can of mushrooms at the beginning, I buy frozen chopped onions when I can find them (time saver).

**Kiy Note: I also add a can or two of zucchini, a small can of corn, a regular can of petite peas. Basically any canned vegetable that sounds good, but don’t add canned asparagus. When I tried them, they turned mushy very quickly and made the leftovers nasty!

As stated in the recipe:
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 297(22% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 1.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 18.2g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 154mg; SODIUM 451mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 4.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42g

*Update: See below for notes.*

JULES’ HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP

2 cans (28oz) whole tomatoes or home grown
1-2 cans (14oz) beef or chicken broth
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup half & half
½ stick butter
½ tsp sugar
House seasoning to taste*

In large soup pot sauté diced onion in olive oil over medium heat till tender. Season with house seasoning to taste.

Blend the whole tomatoes in a blender until just smooth, only a few seconds. You’ll want a slightly lumpy consistency. Pour tomatoes into soup pot. Add broth to pot to a pleasing consistency. If you prefer a thicker soup add 1 can broth. If a thinner soup add 2 cans broth. Season again with house seasoning to taste. Simmer 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Add half & half, sugar and butter. Stir well as butter melts. Simmer another 20 minutes. Serve with grilled cheddar cheese on rye bread. Yum!

*House seasoning is equal parts kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

*Kiy Notes, March 17, 2008: I made this meal tonight. I was in need of something fast and easy, this more than fit the bill. Things I did: used two cans of crushed tomatoes in puree with one can of low-sodium fat free beef broth. This did two things, (1) no need to put the whole tomatoes into the blender, cutting down on a step and (2), made it nice and thick. I also used fat-free half and half (shhh, don't tell Jeff!), ICBINB margarine and frozen chopped onion (about a cup, give or take). Seriously, this soup rocks. It's so easy that I will keep the ingredients on hand. No more canned tomato soup for this family!