Seafood Cioppino (Soup)

Seafood Cioppino - Northern California Seafood Stew

Serves: 8+

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 cups medium Yellow Onions (diced)
1 1/2 cups Fennel (thinly sliced)
1 cup Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup minced Garlic
1/2 cup Tomato Paste
1 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine
6 cups Tomato Sauce (or blended whole tomatoes)
1/2 cup Clam Juice
Juice of 1 lemon
1 quart Water
2 Bay Leaves
2 tablespoons Red Chili Flakes
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
1 tablespoon dried Basil
2 tablespoons fine Sea Salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
1 package seafood mix, approx. 2lbs (purchased from Costco, includes calamari, mussels, shrimp)
1 bunch of coarsely chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

Directions:

Chop all your vegetables.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onion, fennel, red pepper, and garlic until lightly browned.

Add the tomato paste and cook until it browns, stirring often. Add the wine, tomato sauce, clam juice, lemon juice, water, bay leaves, chili flakes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. Cook out the tomato paste for at least 5 minutes until it is the color of rust.

Simmer for 1 hour. 

Add the seafood and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Do not stir.

Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and serve immediately (with bread if desired).

This recipe was adapted from: Guy's Nor Cal Cioppino Recipe

Tom Kha Gai Soup

Tom Kha Gai with leftover turkey breast

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 quart homemade chicken stock (recipe)

1 14oz can of coconut milk

2 cups chicken meat, pulled (I used leftover turkey breast meat)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon minced ginger 

1 teaspoon hot chili oil (or a pinch of cayenne powder or red chile flakes)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon olive oil 

3 chopped green onions

4oz sliced mushrooms

Handful of chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime, plus slices for serving

Instructions:

Take olive oil and heat with chile and curry powder for a few minutes to permeate the oil. Add in minced garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant.

Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer.

Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer, then add mushrooms and half the green onion and fish sauce.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add in chicken or turkey meat.

When ready to serve add lime juice and cilantro and top with remaining green onion.

Great Grandmas Borscht (beet soup)

Great Grandmas Borscht (beet and tomato soup)

When I bring up the topic of beets to most people I almost immediately see a weird unpleasant look on their faces, and they are reminded of the pickled beets sitting at the salad bar no one eats.

Beets, by there very nature, are sweet, creamy and rich, and I've never quite understood the pickled beet, I mean I get it from an evolutionary standpoint because of the health benefits of fermentation and picking, but a sweeter application of the beet will almost always yield more pleased eaters than not.

I was raised eating this creamy warm soup since infancy, it has always been a Christmas Eve tradition at my Polish/Russian great grandmothers house, along with scratch made bagels, periogi, a homemade liquor from clove and honey and lots of shrimp. We would pack 40 people into her small wash park home, with the table extending the length of her house, and sing Christmas carols before opening presents. Santa Claus was even known to make a special appearance from time to time. These memories are so special to me that I will cherish and try to hold onto to their detail for as long as possible.

Anyways, back to the soup, it is simple and perfect for fall and winter, especially if you've harvested your own beets, which I have done in previous years. 

The soup is usually served with a mushroom filled tortellini (there is an actual Russian pasta name for this little guy but I don't know it, we usually buy fresh mushroom tortellini or make our own from scratch) for some reason they were referred to as "pig ears" while growing up, probably some attempt to freak us children out, but nevertheless soups with stuffed pastas are always amazing, but not always necessary, so for the sake of health I usually only eat the pasta variety at Christmas Eve.

The soup freezes really well and can be enjoyed any time of the year, some people will eat beet soup cold and some people will top the soup with sour cream, whatever variation you prefer, do it! Beets are just too delicious and too healthy not to include in your menu!

Ingredients:

5 cans julienne beets

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (your favorite variety or homemade, I look for an organic gluten free variety)

2 cans tomato soup

2 can v8 juice

Pickle juice to taste (several tablespoons to add tang)

This is a one pot soup, bring all ingredients to a boil and when it is smooth, add in your pickle juice, to taste, it should have a slight tang, and then it is ready to enjoy.

If adding pasta add 15 minutes before serving so they stay whole.

I added 2 poached eggs into my soup for dinner and it was amazingly creamy and delish! 

40 Clove Garlic Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2-3 tbl Olive oil 

3 heads of garlic cloves, peeled

1-2 large cloves sliced thin, for frying
3 1/2 cups Chicken stock (or veggie broth if vegetarian)
1/2 cup Heavy cream- warmed (if going paleo substitute coconut milk)
3 Egg yolks
1 tsp ground Nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Thick slices of bread, toasted (optional)
Shaved Parmesan to top soup (optional)

Instructions:

Peel all of your garlic cloves.

Take your thin sliced garlic chips and heat in pot with the 2 tbsps olive oil on medium high until browned. Remove.


Then turn the heat to medium-low. Add the whole peeled garlic cloves and cook until softened considerably (could take from twenty minutes to a half hour).

When softened take 2 tablespoons of the oil and the cloves and put into a stock pot.


Pour in the chicken stock.

Season with salt and pepper, thyme and grate in the nutmeg. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and then heat for fifteen to twenty minutes.

- Blend the soup until it is smooth. Return to the heat.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks together.

Then slowly beat in about 1/4 cup of the heated soup mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously.

- Now, pour the egg yolk mixture into the soup, beating continuously. In a minute or two, the soup will thicken slightly.

Continue to heat at a low temperature until cooked through, then turn heat off and stir in the 1/2 of warmed heavy cream.


Take off of heat.


- Pour the soup into a bowl and put a few pinches of shaved Parmesan and a toasted piece of bread on top, then sprinkle fried olive oil chips on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition estimated on myfitnesspal.com

This recipe was adapted from the James Beard garlic soup recipe. Soup Recipe

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Serves: 6

Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Ingredients:

A few bunches of fresh broccoli
2 cups stock
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of gouda cheese (or any other melting cheese you prefer)
1 shredded carrot
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
3 TBSP all purpose flour
3 TBSP butter
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Grate the carrots and onion. Mince the garlic. 

Shred your cheese. A little side note, always buy block cheese and shred yourself as needed, bagged pre-shredded cheeses have additives on it so that the pieces of cheese don't stick together, and I have no idea what those additives are or what try do, but I do know that geese made to not stick together doesn't melt into a yummy cheese soup. Also at the last minute I decided to add 2 slices pepper jack cheese to up the spicyness.

For the broccoli, chop 2/3 of it into tiny florets and then take the remaining 1/3 and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup.

Add your stock to a pot on medium-high heat, add your 2/3 of your broccoli [about 2 cups of florets] as well as your onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf. Simmer on medium, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Once the broth is done, start your roux. In a large pot (or using the same pot, by removing the veggies and stock), melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly. Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.  

Remove from heat and slowly pour in the broth from your veggie mixture [its okay if some of the veggies jump in along side it!] and stir to incorporate. 

 Next pour in the veggies and slowly stir in 1 cup of warmed half and half. Return to the burner on very low heat, uncovered. 

Once the soup has warmed back up, stir in the grated cheeses and remove from heat immediately.

 Serve right away, soup will continue to thicken as it cools.

Serve with crusty baguettes.