Zuppa!

Zuppa!

Hello November! Fall is in full swing and winter is just hanging back waiting for the right time to strike. So what does all that hyperbole mean??? It is soup weather! Don’t argue with me or “No Soup For You!”. 

Soup weather is really anytime because you can have hearty soups, chilled soups, vegetable soups, and fruit soups, ahh the list goes on. I prefer it being a little chilly before I break out the soup pot. So now is the perfect time.

I have mentioned before that soup is not difficult; it is basically a protein, some vegetables, liquid, and flavor. For a stew you slow cook for a long time so that the flavors develop, for a chili you can add any number of ingredients (I have a sweet potato chili on the stove as I am writing this article), or a soup can be leftovers brought together for delicious thriftiness. 

We occasionally go to The Olive Garden for an inexpensive lunch or dinner, and we order the all you can eat soup. With a family of four we can fill everyone up and give a generous tip for around $25.00. Whether it is the youngest always picking chicken gnocchi, or the oldest always picking a combination of gnocchi and Zuppa Toscana, we always walk away having a great time and a satisfied appetite. There are plenty of copy cat recipes out in the World Wide Web, so you can find out how to make the same soups at home, and then you can make them your way!

So I have taken the basic Zuppa Toscana recipe and added a couple of tweaks to stretch the meal, and satisfy the never ending hunger of my teenager. 

Photo courtesy of my Iphone 4s

Zuppa!

1 lb mild Italian sausage 
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup bacon bit (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
2. Brown sausage in your soup pot, then remove.
3. Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
4. Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in pot.
5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
6. Add sausage and bacon.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.

8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn to low heat.
10. Add kale and cream.
11. Heat through and serve.

Taken from: http://restaurant.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-copycat-zuppa-toscana-38298?

So what did I change?

I added sweet potatoes with the russet potatoes, great color, flavor, and nutrients. I substituted baby spinach (tear in the bowls and then add the soup), added a bag of frozen California blend, and lastly I did not add heavy cream. Instead I used the broth to melt 4 ounces of cream cheese and added it to the soup.

The best part about soup is using what you have on hand. To utilize the leftovers and the accidents such as overcooked meat, extra potatoes, a sudden gift from the hunter or gardener next door, etc.

I think you can throw it together without having to add any ingredients that you pronounce no processed food, no chemicals, just real food.

So go forth and cook some soup!

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Holy Squash!

Summer and the never ending squash…

as seen in The Source (http://www.yvsource.com/) July 2012

I know that by the end of the summer most people are sick and tired of zucchini, but not me. I am ready
for the plethora of low calorie tasty dishes that can be made with the every bountiful squash. In the past
I have made mock apple pie, pickles, lasagna and spaghetti (with ribbons of squash instead of pasta),
ratatouille and more. I bake, boil, broil, fry, grill, marinate, julienne, and so much more.

I recently spent a week in Washington D.C. and it seemed that every restaurant had a grilled veggie
sandwich on the menu. Slices of yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and red onion; marinated in
balsamic vinaigrette and served on a delicious whole grain bun with hummus. As a tried and true
carnivore I was hesitant to give it a try, but I am very glad I did. The Sammy was so filling, and the fresh
taste was not heavy at all.

My point is you have a great opportunity to start using the vast bounty from this versatile plant. So start
thinking and planning now!

Here is my latest squash addiction:

Grilled Marinated Zucchini and Peppers

Serves 4

4 small green or yellow squash sliced into planks (1/4 inch thick)

2 bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red are my favorites) cut into quarters with seeds removed

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ teaspoon each of: granulated garlic, paprika, kosher salt, celery seed

¼ teaspoon each of: black pepper and cumin

Mix all spices together

Preheat grill (or grill pan, or broiler)

Add cut veggies to large bowl, drizzle oil to coat, and while tossing or stirring vegetables sprinkle spices
evenly. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Grill until your desired level of char. I like mine to be well marked.

Serve as a side dish or on a sandwich or just sneak pieces while the rest of the food is cooking.

Now go cook a squash!

Something new... Stir fry with cauliflower rice

I often challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone and try new things. Whether it is a new food, or a new activity, I want to be able to evolve and expand my horizons. My boys have been a little timid in the past and I think that seeing me try new things and struggle or fail occasionally helps build their self-esteem and I hope it makes them realize that they can continue to improve and mold themselves even into their adult years.

Recently I have tried several new foods; I attended “Edesia. A Palisade Culinary, Wine & Spirits Adventure”. What an adventure to try new foods, wines, and spirits. Head cheese, caviar, pork belly, patty pan squash, ceviche… and the list goes on. I enjoyed most of what I tried but I have to tell you the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta from Il Bistro was by far my favorite sampling.

I also tried kombucha for the first time this week. Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage, so it is heady, effervescent, and supposedly great for your health… I was not a fan. I bought a variety that was juice and kombucha with chia seeds. I was hoping for this great experience and of course I wanted to feel energized and healthy from the probiotic nectar. I was put off by the aroma, the yeast was overpowering and the flavor was reminiscent of a spoiled drink. I know that I am probably not sophisticated enough to truly enjoy this drink, but at least I gave it a shot.

My point is there is always going to be new things to try and I suggest you give it a shot, it will not always work out, but you never know you might find your next obsession.





Here is a recipe that has something new for you to try. Let me know what you think!

Chinese Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice
A quick and healthy Asian inspired dish


INGREDIENTS
1 lb fresh cauliflower shredded
24 ounces California blend
1 lb chicken tenders
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water
salt and pepper to taste


INSTRUCTIONS
1. steam shredded cauliflower until just tender
2. cook California blend according to package
3. sauté chicken until done
4. mix soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil together set aside
5. Add chicken and California blend together and heat add soy sauce mixture
6. mix corn starch with cold water add to skillet stir to combine add bring to a boil
7. turn off mixture let rest 3-4 minutes, stir and serve over shredded cauliflower
8.
season with salt and pepper

I like this version because I can have a nice Asian inspired dish without the starch of the rice. Tasty, a little healthier, and easy to do!

Connect with me on my website at www.cookingwithtrace.com or on www.Facebook.com/cookingwithtrace
Now go cook something!
Trace

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Roasted Cabbage!

Tis the time to start thinking about green beer and shamrocks! What is better than a nice stout beer with some amazing food?  It is incredible that food can be associated with so many celebrations and cultures. St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. Corned beef and cabbage is the typical staple for this holiday and all too often it is a much maligned food. It has the ability to be awesome and it can be terrible, depending on how you prepare it. While I cannot fix all your problems this March, I hope to make you appreciate the dense, delicious vegetable a lot more.

How do Americans eat cabbage?

Boiled, Sautéed, Stuffed, Covered in sickly sweet dressing as coleslaw… yep that about covers it.

What about the rest of the world?

Asian cuisines have several varieties of cabbage showing up in all types of dishes (I even included it in my elk eggrolls a couple of months back).

Koreans ferment cabbage into Kim-chee. Kim-chee is amazing. It can be spicy or heady with the ability to make your taste buds dance like they never have.

Germans/Eastern Europeans also ferment their cabbage into sauerkraut type dishes that can be spicy, but most of the time they are a delicious tart sour (hence the name) flavor that is great as a side or of course on an amazing bratwurst.

I do love a good boiled cabbage with plenty of caraway or celery seeds, butter and salt. However if not seasoned properly, it can be bland, tasteless, and even slimy. Then there is the ‘aroma’… boiling cabbage not only depletes a lot of the cancer fighting properties, but it release the gases that cause the sometime unpleasant smell.  

Yuck… no wonder people turn their nose up at cabbage.

Well, like I said I want to change your mind. Here is a variation on cooking cabbage that it not only delicious, but very easy as well.

Roasted Cabbage

1 head green cabbage

1 medium white onion

2 tbls olive oil

Salt, pepper, celery seed

Preheat oven to 40 degrees

Wash and peel vegetables. I like to cut the cabbage and onion in half and then slice about ¾ inch thick.

Arrange on pan and brush with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and celery seeds. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or as the main dish. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The onions were sweet and the cabbage was crispy on the outside and silky on the inside. I will make this again and again and again…

How do you like your cabbage? Leave me a note at www.cookingwithtrace.com or connect with me on www.facebook.com/cookingwithtrace.

Now go cook a cabbage!

Pork, Potatoes, and Veggies

Pork, potatoes, and veggies

10 oz broccoli, cauliflower, & carrots in cheddar cheese sauce

12 oz all natural broccoli cuts

1 lb pork loin (sliced into 4 or 5 chops)

10 oz sweet potato medallions

12 ounce Russet potato cubed

1 ounce olive oil

Spices

Cumin, Garlic, Cinnamon, Salt, Pepper, Paprika, ??

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix your choice of spices together (I used about even amounts of each of the spices listed above).

Peel and slice the potatoes, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with ½ of the spice mixture and spread into an even layer on a cookie sheet (I used my stoneware bar pan). Roast for 20 minutes and then turn the potatoes over. Roast for an additional 20 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile cook mixed vegetables together (according to package directions).

Heat grill pan

Toss pork chops with remainder of the spice mixture, grill to medium well.

Nutrition analysis

Calories 358 | Carbs 35 | Fat 13 | Protein 28 | Sugar 8 | Fiber 6