by jphilo | Apr 17, 2013 | Recipes
The calendar says mid-April, which means grilling season to me, but the weather outdoors says otherwise. Nothing can be done about the unusually cold temperatures this spring, so I’m trying to grin and bear it with a new soup recipe. Turns out, that was a good move because the recipe turned out to be a winner, winning the coveted Hiram seal of approval.
The recipe was featured by author Deborah Vogts at her website, Country At Heart Recipes. My consumption of Italian food, which I love, has been sorely curtailed by this dairy allergy thing. But the Parmesan cheese is added to this soup after it’s ladled into bowls. So it works for both the man of steel, who things Parmesan cheese should be added to everything he eats, and for me, too.
Minestrone Soup
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
14 oz. diced tomatoes
14 oz. Italian style stewed tomatoes, crushed
15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Brown sausage in large dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add mixed vegetables, tomatoes, beans, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni and cook for another 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.
by jphilo | Feb 6, 2013 | Recipes
Between a long, busy weekend and the tail end of a cold, there was no time to test recipes. Instead, in honor of soup weather, here are links to several favorite soup and stew recipes. Enjoy!
- French Stew: This was my daughter’s favorite when she was growing up.
- Cream of Broccoli Soup: This soup tastes equally good with almond milk for those of you who have dairy allergies.
- Cheeseburger Chowder: Hiram and I recently tested a non-dairy version of this family favorite recipe using almond milk and non-dairy cheese shreds. It was surprisingly good.
- Crock Pot Bean Soup: This recipe is easy, inexpensive, healthy, and tasty. What more could you want?
- Turkey Tortilla Soup: This one’s in last place because there’s a division in the Philo ranks concerning it. I love this soup, but the Man of Steel does not. Believe me, its delish!
So what’s your favorite soup recipe? I’d love to try something new.
photo credit: stock.xchng
by jphilo | Oct 9, 2012 | Recipes, Top Ten Tuesday
For the past week, a chill’s been in the air. Hot suppers jumped to the top of my what-to-cook-tonight list. So I opened the recipe file and came up with this list of top ten favorite chilly weather foods. Please, leave a comment about your favorite hot meal and a link to the recipe if you like. The more recipes to try this fall and winter, the better!
10. Uncle Ben’s Sausage and Rice is super easy and always receives Hiram’s coveted seal of approval.
9. Crockpot Applesauce is a big winner at our house during apple season. It makes the house smell yummy while it cooks and tastes great.
8. Skillet Spaghetti Carbona is sinfully rich and so delicious. So just make it for special occasions. And if anyone has a dairy-free version, please send the recipe!
7. Some might argue that Turkey Tortilla Soup should be ranked higher, but since the Man of Steel doesn’t give it the seal of approval, it only makes it to #7. It’s a very tasty and low-cal soup.
6. Turkey Hash isn’t photogenic, but it sure tastes good in either the regular or dairy-free version. The recipe, passed down by Elsie Philo, is a family favorite.
5. Balkan Meatballs land firmly in the comfort food category. This week, I’ll try converting it to a dairy-free recipe. Watch for an update on how that goes.
4. Hearty Cheeseburger Chowder is another family favorite. It’s another one that needs converting to dairy-free. Winter won’t be bearable without the stuff!
3. French Stew is daughter Anne’s favorite and can be cooked in the crock pot. I always make a double batch and freeze half.
2. Joni’s Cashew Chicken is so good, it gets made all year round at our house. The veggies vary depending on availability. Sometimes it gets topped with peanuts or almonds instead of cashews. However it’s made, it’s always good.
1. Turkey (or chicken) Tetrazzini is the number one chilly weather food at the Philo house. The kids loved it when they were young and still like it. And it’s really easy to make a small, dairy-free pan for me along with the regular recipe for everyone else.
Which recipe tempts you the most? What would you add to the list? Leave a comment.
by jphilo | Sep 20, 2012 | Three Thoughts for Thursday
- Waiting for the grandbaby to arrive lacks the physical discomfort of the last months of pregnancy with our kids, but the waiting is just as hard. Any time now, Baby Philo, any time.
- Thanks to the networks’ policy of randomly scheduling series premiers whenever the spirit moves them, I missed the first episode of Parenthood and am waiting impatiently until September 27 for an update on The Big Bang Theory gang. Sometimes, I wish the networks still premiered all their new shows in the same week, like in the olden days…but with the option of online viewing to miss the political ads, of course.
- A tinge of soup weather’s been in the air the last few days. My three favorite homemade varieties are potato, turkey tortilla, and ham and bean. Yours?
by jphilo | Jan 25, 2012 | Recipes
Today’s recipe comes from a friend. She teaches high school Family and Consumer Science and found the recipe in her school mailbox one day. Being a woman of adventure, she made the soup at home, where it received two thumbs up from her husband and daughter.
Since I’m always on the hunt for new vegetarian recipes to prepare when the fam comes home, she passed it along to me. I made it one night when Mom was visiting. It wasn’t her favorite. No surprise since she likes meat with every meal. But Hiram did like it, which was surprising, since he usually pitches his tent in Mom’s culinary camp. My take? I can take it or leave it, kind of like meatloaf.
Here’s the recipe for you to try. Anne, who cooks quite a bit with lentils, suggests boiling the lentils a little longer than the original recipe suggests. Her suggestion is incorporated in the recipe below. Also, if you have left overs, you may need to add water when reheating this on the stove or in the microwave. The lentils tend to soak up water.
Lentil-Tomato Soup
4 1/2 cups water
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a large saucepan, combine the water, onion, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serves 6.
