Health for life

After three years of farmers market shopping, I still don’t have a great handle on when fresh vegetables start showing up. Ive got a history with this seasonal amnesia, too: when I was little, I would be surprised every year when it was cold at Halloween. I got that one to stick, just in time to outgrow trick-or-treating, but then I spent years expecting trees to have leaves by mid-March.

And now, for the last few weeks, Ive gone to the farmers market with no idea whether Id find bountiful produce, or just more of last years apples.

For several spring weeks, its still been those dang apples (okay, and asparagus), but this past weekend I was finally met by a variety of veggies at the market. Following the rules of Barbara Kingsolvers Animal Vegetable Miracle, its mostly leafy greens – baby spinach, broccoli rabe, incredibly abundant bunches of stinging nettles. (I may be desperate for inexpensive fresh veggies, but Im not ready for greens that can hurt me.) Maybe prettiest of all: a few big bins of light green, lovely baby bok choy.

They had the same oval leaves as grown-up bok choy, but rather than merging at a thick white bulby stem, they were gently joined at their bases, and just an inch or two tall.

So, a plan started to form in my mind.

The boyfriend and I had talked about maybe ordering in soup that night, and what is one of the most basic rules of eating cheaply, healthily, and kindly-to-the-environment? Make it yourself! I remembered a recipe with vinegar-spiked stock and lots of mushrooms and ginger, with room for the addition of just about any vegetable. Enter baby bok choy.

To ine it, I hit the internet and read through several additional hot and sour soup iterations. Some called for exotic dried mushrooms from a Chinese market; some called for supermarket mushrooms. Ultimately, I went with a one that saved me the hour-long trip to Chinatown. I also replaced sriracha with hot pepper flakes. After a few more tweaks, we had soup! And ohmygoodness, was it good!

I think the magic was this: inspired by Ask the Internet: Best Cooking Fat?, I sautéed the mushrooms and ginger in coconut oil on low heat. The soup doesn’t taste like coconut, but there’s a richness in flavor that belies how very low-calorie this is. It’s also kind of astonishingly filling.

If youre not a vegetarian, add some pre-cooked meat after sautéing the mushrooms, and cook that for a few minutes before adding the stock. Make it hotter or not, more or less sour, however you like your soup. (And might I recommend enjoying your leftovers with a poached egg? Kind of amazing.)

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Egg Drop Soup
• Miso Soup
• Vegetable Lo Mein

~~~

Hot and Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy
Adapted from Serious Eats and All Recipes.
Serves 6


1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 10-ounce package crimini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
A few shakes of hot pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
6 cups broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
1 package tofu, pressed, cut into cubes (I would recommend against extra-firm)
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
4 cups baby bok choy (or other greens)
6 scallions, chopped

1) Put a soup pot (4qt or more) over medium heat. Melt coconut oil. Add mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft and have given up their liquid.

2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Set aside.

3) Once mushrooms are cooked, add broth and water. Add soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Taste, and add more pepper flakes, vinegar, or soy sauce, to your taste.

4) Bring soup to boil. Whisk the eggs together in a measuring cup. While stirring the soup, pour in the eggs in a slow stream.

5) Reduce heat to a simmer. Add bamboo shoots, tofu, and bok choy. Simmer for five minutes.

6) Serve topped with scallions. Try not to burn your mouth.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
133 calories, 7.8g fat, 2.2g fiber, 11.3g protein, $1.69

Calculations
1 T coconut oil: 117 calories, 13.6g fat, 0g fiber 0g protein, $0.40
1 10oz package crimini (or baby bella) mushrooms: 42 calories, 0g fat, 1.9g fiber, 6g protein $2.99
2 T minced ginger: 3 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein, $0.16
2 cloves garlic: 9 calories, negligible fat, fiber, .5g protein $0.04
a few shakes of hot pepper flakes: negliglible calories, fat, fiber, protein $0.02
6 c broth (I used Better Than Bouillon): 30 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein, $1.11
2 c water: nothing!
2 T soy sauce: 22 calories, negligible fat, fiber, 3.8g protein $0.21
2 T rice vinegar: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.16
1 t sugar: 16 calories, negligible fat, fiber, protein $0.02
1 t black pepper: negliglible calories, fat, fiber, protein $0.01
2 eggs: 155 calories, 10.6g fat, 0g fiber, 12.6g protein $0.66
1 package tofu: 365 calories, 22g fat, 5.8g fiber, 39.8g protein $1.79
1 can bamboo shoots: 25 calories, .5g fat, 1.8g fiber, 2.3g protein $1.19
4 c baby bok choy: 27 calories, 0g fat, 2.5g fiber, 2.5g protein $1.25
6 scallions: 11 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, .5g protein $0.11
TOTALS: 797 calories, 46.7g fat, 13g fiber, 68g protein, $10.12
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 133 calories, 7.8g fat, 2.2g fiber, 11.3g protein, $1.69

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Happy last day of Hanukkah, friends! Hope you had a super week plus one.

Gentle Readers, though I live on Holiday Island, USA (not to be confused with Christmas Town, USA—just down the road from my folks’ place), and I was sick for most of Hanukkah, I’m just not feeling it—it being the holiday juju that’s supposed to filling my heart with magic.

Thanksgiving was so delicious and festive; and I want Christmas to be the same. But if I start getting into the holiday mood too soon, I’ll be over it by the time Christmas actually gets here. To avoid holiday burn out, I use to decorate, shop, or cook anything holiday related until December 12. Even that is pushing it, but I don’t want to be anywhere near a retail outlet on Christmas Eve either.

In the meantime, I’ve been on the lookout for recipes that use seasonal vegetables but don’t have cinnamon, clove, or pumpkin pie spice. A few clicks around the Internet machine and tada! Yellow Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potato and Kale at one of my favorite recipe blogs, Fat-free Vegan Kitchen.

This is the recipe I’ve been dreaming about—clearly, since I didn’t have to buy a single ingredient to make it. I swapped out the kale for a gorgeous, emerald bunch of Swiss chard chilling in my crisper and made the easy substitution of toor dal (split pigeon peas) for yellow split peas.

For a minute, I thought this recipe was going to be too easy and it would only take me the 30 minutes of prep and 60 minutes of relatively inactive cooking (occasional stirring) time to make. But I had to take it a step further.

The recipe calls for curry powder which, after a few introductory lessons in Indian cooking, gives me pause. I’ve stopped keeping it around, opting to use whole spices instead. However, my imaginary friend and mentor Madhur Jaffrey shares a recipe in World Vegetarian for her own every day curry powder (called My Curry Powder). So I whipped up a batch.

Within minutes, my apartment was filled with the aromas of cumin and coriander as I roasted the whole spices and then ground them fine in the coffee grinder. (I have one dedicated for that purpose.) Having freshly ground spice blends is worth the minimal amount of effort it takes to grind them yourself.

Otherwise following the recipe, the soup was everything I wanted it to be: hearty, flavorful but not overpowering, and fragrant. The Indian spices perfectly complemented the sweet potato and the hint of bitterness in the Swiss chard gaves it a nice balance. Toor dal added a creamy texture to the soup without being mushy.

Plus the recipe made enough for this army of one-singular-sensation to have lunch and dinner for a several days. If CB and the Roommate are sweet, maybe I’ll share.

So let’s fortify ourselves, Gentle Readers, for the coming holidays with this delicious, satisfying, Indian-inspired soup. Cinnamon and peppermint will be scenting our dreams soon enough.

~~~~

If you fancied this recipe, you may take delight in:

• Shipa’s Dal and Rice with Ginger and Green Chilies
• Pindi Chana
• Fast Easy Soups for Sick Vegetarians

~~~

Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, and Toor Dal Soup
Serves 8


2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups water
3 cups dried toor dal or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 tbsp mild curry powder (to taste)*
Salt to taste (optional)
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, trimmed, and chopped

Note: Swiss chard stems are edible. They have a crunchy texture, like Romaine lettuce, and add a nice color contrast to the dish, whether you choose red, yellow, or white. When trimming Swiss chard, snip off any ends that are tough or dried out, but it’s not necessary de-stem like you would with kale or collard greens.

1) In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil and cook onions 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Move onions aside in pot and add second teaspoon of oil and whole cumin and mustard seeds. Stir seeds with spatula for about 30 seconds.

2) When mustard seeds begin to pop, stir together spices with onions. Then add ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

3) Add water, sweet potato, toor dal, and curry powder and stir. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the dal is tender.

4) In the meantime, wash and chop Swiss chard and set aside. Stir dal occassionally to prevent sticking and burning.

5) When the dal is tender, turn off heat, remove lid, and stir in Swiss chard. Replace lid and allow chard to wilt for 5–10 minutes.

6) Serve piping hot with crusty bread or naan and put off shopping for another day.

*Bonus Recipe:
Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Powder
from World Vegetarian
Makes 5–6 tablespoons


2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp whole brown mustard
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 to 6 whole cloves
3 dried chilies, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1) Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat. Combine all whole spices in skillet and roast for 1–2 minutes until aromas begin to emerge, stirring or shaking the pan intermittently. Some spices will brown and change color.

2) Add ground turmeric and heat for another 10 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a plate or bowl to cool.

3) Grind in spice or coffee grinder until mixture is as fine as possible. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Take a deep breath and smile.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
306 calories, 2.4g fat, 13g fiber, 18g protein, $.39

Calculations
2 medium onions: 80 calories, 0.4g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.88
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 tsp black mustard seeds: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
2 tsp canola oil: 79 calories, 9g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.05
1 tbsp fresh ginger: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.06
3 cloves garlic: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.04
2 medium sweet potatoes: 112 calories, 0g fat, 4g fiber, 2g protein, $0.34
3 cups dried toor dal: 2109 calories, 9g fat, 92g fiber, 133.5g protein, $0.18
1 tbsp curry powder: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
Salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 bunch Swiss chard: 56 calories, 0g fat, 8g fiber, 8g protein, $1.50
TOTALS: 2454 calories, 19g fat, 104g fiber, 143.5g protein, $3.13
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 306 calories, 2.4g fat, 13g fiber, 18g protein, $.39

Hi everyone! Before we get started, I just want to say how happy I am to be here. So, my fellow CHG-lovers, it’s so nice to meet you!

And, now that we’re on a first name basis, I have a confession to make. I am a lot of things: a wife, a small business owner, a triathlete, a skier, and an animal lover, among others. Until recently, I was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a cook.

In fact, I used to pretty much avoid cooking as much as possible, aside from maybe boiling water for pasta. My husband and I have fully remodeled two houses together, which left little time to think about what we were eating. When you’re covered from head-to-toe in some form of paint, drywall mud, tile mastic (or worse), the last thing on your mind is what goes in your mouth. Dinner came out of a box, a bag, or from a restaurant. I. Did. Not. Cook.

About a year ago, I started paying attention to the foods we eat, and, yikes! Have you ever internalized what some of those ingredients in convenience foods really are? I finally did, and had an “ah-ha” moment: I realized the meaning of that old adage, “you are what you eat.”

The past year has been an interesting journey of figuring out how to feed us things that actually qualify as food instead of chemistry, and it has been surprisingly wonderful. Among the many surprises, I found out I really like having an active role in our nutrition. I learned to make things I would have never thought I could make, with ingredients I would have never purchased (or had even heard of) before.

It’s all good.

A while back, I was on a mission to serve my husband, AKA 2ChiliBreadBowl (yes, I actually call him that) something with butternut squash in it. I was certain he wouldn’t actually eat butternut squash if it wasn’t somehow disguised, but he had mentioned he had tried butternut squash ravioli once and liked it. My ears perked up. Anytime 2Chili mentions he likes something that does not involve massive amounts of sugar, ketchup, or barbeque sauce, I take notice. I decided I would try my hand at this magical ravioli he liked.

A surprise dinner guest on that fateful butternut squash ravioli night, which happened to be a Tuesday, gave me the idea to create Test Kitchen Tuesdays. Now, I make something completely new-to-us every Tuesday night, and have started blogging about it. 2Chili is taking it in stride. He’s the first one to admit his palate is about as diverse as your average 6-year-old’s, and watching me put effort into something new and outside my comfort zone in the kitchen has (I presume) inspired him to eat outside his box of chicken nuggets.

All that stage-setting aside, let’s get on to business. I figured since the fabulous and humble butternut squash was responsible for inspiring me to start up our weekly test recipe endeavors, it was only proper to feature a butternut squash recipe in this post.

I happen to like the ol’ butternut in a multitude of dishes, from smoothies (really!) to soup to just plain roasted. When I stumbled on a large butternut squash on the end cap at our local Trader Joe’s for only $1.59, I couldn’t resist. The result of that purchase was this creamy, savory soup that officially qualifies as autumn in a bowl. If autumn in a bowl wasn’t good enough, as an added bonus, it’s so good for you that you can gobble it down without regret!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Original Recipe/Inspiration: The Reluctant Vegetarian.

Recipe Makes: 8 one-cup servings, plus or minus, depending on the size of your squash


 Time Required:

• 15 minutes to prep
• 30 minutes to cook

Skill Level (out of a possible 5): 2

Chili’s Taster Rating (out of a possible 5): 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 4 1/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth/stock
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Method

• Peel and cube butternut squash, and peel/core apple and set aside
• Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Once it begins to heat up and thin out, add onion and nutmeg; Sauté until the onions soften up – 3-5 minutes
• Add squash, vegetable, apple, and apple cider; Depending on the size of your squash, you may need more broth than called for – just make sure that the apple and squash are covered by about 3/4-1 inch of broth
• Bring to boil. Then, drop heat to low or medium-low and simmer (uncovered) around 30 minutes, until both the apples and the squash are soft and tender.
• Add soup to blender with a ladle, making sure to evenly distribute enough liquid to help blend your squash/apples well. The amount of broth you add will determine the thickness of your soup. I had to blend the soup in two batches, and I have a pretty big commercial-sized blender. It’s called the Ninja, by the way. If you’re going to blend, you might as well blend like a ninja!
• Puree soup until smooth, and serve immediately

General Notes:

• The original recipe called for seasoning with sea salt and pepper – I am generally not in to adding salt and pepper. Maybe you are. If so, season to taste!
• If you don’t have apple cider, and don’t want to buy apple cider just for this, you can do what I did. Peel and chop an apple and put it in your blender. Add a couple tablespoons of water, and blend until you have applesauce consistency. Then, pour the applesauce into a sieve that is set up to drip into a bowl, pressing down on the sauce to squeeze out the juice. Let the sauce drip for about 10-15 minutes and you’ll have about 1/2 cup of homemade cider. You can use the leftover applesauce in another recipe to replace some butter. Talk about thrifty!
• I feel like this recipe would freeze well. Perhaps make up a big pot and save half in the freezer to remember the taste of autumn when we are deep into the winter doldrums.

Nutritional Profile
I used the Lose It app on my iPhone to calculate this info based on a low sodium vegetable stock. Your final results may vary, depending on the type of stock you add.

• Calories: 79
• Total Fat: 1.9g
• Saturated Fat: .3g
• Cholesterol: 0g
• Sodium: 79.3mg
• Carbohydrate: 15.9g
• Fiber: 2.7g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: .9g

The Verdict: Okay, I’ll admit it. 2Chili doesn’t much like soup. He has a thing against hot liquids (yes, he knows chili is technically a hot liquid). Try as I may, I have not been able to get him to overcome his hot liquid aversion. So, for him to give it a 4 star rating is a pretty big deal. You’d think I’d learn to stop trying, but I find myself channeling my mother a lot: “just try it, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it…”

Personally, I thought it was so good I would drink this soup from a mug and call it a thick latte. I guess you’re just going to have to try this one yourself and determine your own rating!

Dear Sir or Madam,

I do not know your identity. You may be a candystriping Girl Scout, or a grandmother who volunteers 20 hours a week at the Red Cross. You may work to save endangered species, and your dedication to social equity and human rights might make Mother Theresa look like Jeffrey Dahmer on a bad hair day. You may be kind to children, fair to animals, and a patron saint to environmental causes the world over.

I do know that you have a car alarm, and that its gone off twice in the last week, at 3am, for 30 minutes each time. And that makes me hate you.

What is it with car alarms? They seem like leftovers from the 80s, the pride of hyper-vigilant teens and twentysomethings with shiny new Iroc-Zs to protect, presumably from menacing threats like wind and rain. (I do not know what else sets off car alarms.) Yet, especially in the Tri-State area, they are as prominent as Applebees and lower back tattoos. Why they havent been relegated to the dustbin of history, along with stonewashed jackets and Ratt posters, is beyond me.

In fact, I have it good on authority (meaning: my own delusion) that, throughout the course of automotive history, car alarms have deterred exactly two burglars. The first was Borden P. Titmouse, a hapless petty thief doomed by his particularly sensitive hearing and lack of arms below the elbow. The second was a cat who mistook a Chrysler for a hunk of steak. Cats are dumb, see.

The number of people awoken, annoyed, and otherwise driven apoplectic by car alarms, however, numbers in the millions. The billions, even. McDonalds would kill for that kind of demo.

Someday, I may be a mother. And if your car alarm wakes my child - who I presume will have spent the whole day alternately being adorable and vomiting into my open mouth, if Facebook is any indication – I will key it into oblivion, then pound the remaining atoms into a pretty purple paperweight. I dont care if you are the Chairperson of Greenpeace, the head of Habitat for Humanity, and the potential broker of peace in the Middle East combined. You will be upset. Neighboring cars will weep. Charlie Sheen will question my destructive tendencies.

In closing, no one wants to steal your Honda. For the love of god, turn off the alarm.

Love,
The rest of Brooklyn

Oh yeah – the food. About two years ago, we ran a Jamie Oliver recipe for Pappa al Pomodoro, or Tomato and Bread Soup. It was pretty simple, involving some roasted cherry tomatoes, a few handfuls of basil, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Well, brace yourself, Waldo, because this one is even easier, tastes just as lovely, and can be made (almost) entirely from ingredients sitting around your pantry. Except rosemary. You have to buy that. The fresh stuff is worth it.

But, mmmm. So good. Make it now! And dont buy a car alarm.

~~~

If this looks real purty, you’ll be like, “Yeah, y’all!” to these:

• Easy Tomato Sauce
• Grape and Feta Salad with Rosemary
• Tomato and Bread Soup

~~~

Tomato and Bread Soup with Rosemary
Serves 3
Inspired by Jamie Oliver.

Without cheese

 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
28 ounces whole canned tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth (veggie broth for vegetarians)
About 1/3 large loaf Italian bread, chopped or torn into chunks:
Grated Parmesan, for serving

1) In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add rosemary and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth. Turn heat to high. While mixture is coming to a boil, break tomatoes up with a wooden spoon or good set of kitchen shears. Once it starts boiling, drop heat to a healthy, rolling simmer and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Kill heat. Add bread. Gently stir so bread soaks, but doesn’t fall apart. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.

With cheese (avec frommage).

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
183 calories, 5.9 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 6.9 g protein, $1.05

Calculations
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.4 g protein $0.10
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary: 2 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoons olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.10
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.02
28 ounces canned tomatoes: 151 calories, 0.8 g fat, 7.9 g fiber, 7.3 g protein, $1.25
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 4.9 g protein, $0.57
About 1/3 large loaf Italian bread, chopped or torn into chunks: 244 calories, 3.2 g fat, 2.4 g fiber, 7.9 g protein, $0.60
TOTAL: 550 calories, 17.6 g fat, 10.7 g fiber, 20.6 protein, $3.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 183 calories, 5.9 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 6.9 g protein, $1.05

A funny thing happened while I was making French Onion Soup for the first time: I discovered that onions sautéed in butter made a wonderful base for a vegetable broth. I extended that thought by adding carrots, celery, mushrooms and thyme after the onions had browned a bit (10-15 minutes), cooked for a few more minutes, and then added water. From that point, I could make any number of soups and they would have been incredibly rich.

The first time I made it, I added two cups of lentils with about 12 cups of water and some more thyme. I brought it to a boil and then lowered to simmer for an hour. It was awesome! I have always loved lentil soup and still have fond memories of eating canned Progresso as a child. This soup beat the pants off Progresso.

This weekend I was charged with making butternut squash soup for my Best Friend’s 40th birthday dinner. The complicating factor was her wonderful new boyfriend, who is a vegetarian. I always used chicken broth in the past and had a batch of chicken broth itching to be used in my freezer. Fortunately, before I offended the guest of honor and her honored guest I remembered the Lentil Soup vegetable broth base. I also decided to roast the squash with sage and olive oil to add a layer of depth. Once the squash was nicely roasted, browned and mushy, I added it to the soup base. I used my handy dandy hand blender and voila - rich yummy, vegetarian, squash soup.

Just for fun, because I don’t have enough to do with my husband, two children under five, full-time job out of the house and three cats, I decided to make sage toasted croutons out of homemade bread. I used my new go-to no knead bread recipe and then tossed crouton-sized chunks with sage and olive oil and toasted in the oven at 350 degrees until crunchy. You could save some time by toasting the croutons while you roast the squash.

If 20 cups of soup seems like too much, both soups freeze well or make great party favors. We left some with our hosts and gave some to the guest of honor to take home.

~~~

If these look good, youll surely enjoy:

• Gingered Carrot Soup with Lime and Cilantro
• Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup
• Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

~~~

Vegetable Stock Base


 4 TB salted butter
1 large onion (I used yellow)
3 large carrots diced (about two cups)
3 large celery sticks diced (about two cups)
1/2 pint mushrooms diced (about two cups)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
12 cups water

1) Melt butter in large stock pot

2) Cook onions in butter on medium heat until they brown, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, thyme leaves and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

4) Add water, salt and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer for a half hour.

~~~

Squash Soup with Sage Croutons
Makes about 20 cups of soup


1 recipe vegetable stock base
1 large butternut squash peeled and cubed
30 fresh sage leaves chopped
1/2 loaf hearty bread cut into cubes
4 TB olive oil split
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) Toss squash with 2 TB of olive oil, 1/2 the sage leaves, salt and pepper.

3) Toss bread cubes with 2 TB of olive oil and the other 1/2 of the sage leaves.

4) Roast the squash on the bottom half of the over for 40 minutes stirring at 20 minutes.

5) Toast the bread cubes on the top half of the oven until you reach your perred level of crunchiness. I like mine crunchy and it took about 20 minutes.

6) Add the squash to the vegetable stock base. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

7) Puree soup with a stick hand blender if you have one. Alternately you can use a regular blender but be very caul!

~~~

Bonus Lentil Soup
Makes about 20 cups of soup
1 recipe vegetable stock base
2 cups lentils
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Add two cups of lentils to vegetable stock base. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer for an hour or until the lentils are soft.

2) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
191 calories, 6.4 g fat, $0.63

Calculations
4 tablespoons butter: 400 calories, 44 g fat
1 large onion: 67 calories, 0.13 g fat
1 medium butternut squash: 410 calories, 1.0 g fat
3 carrots: 164 calories, 0.62 g fat
3 celery stalks: 18 calories, 0.21 g fat
½ pint mushrooms: 30 calories, 0.48 g fat
4 TB olive oil: 476 calories, 54 g fat
1 tsp thyme: negligible fat and calories
30 sage leaves: negligible fat and calories
Salt, freshly ground black pepper: negligible fat and calories
½ loaf whole wheat bread: 540 calories, 6.00 g fat
TOTAL: 1705 calories, 62.44 g fat
PER SERVING (TOTAL/20): 85.25 calories, 3.12 g fat

As (relatively) intelligent beings, we take the advice of those around us who are wiser and more experienced in order to avoid undesirable consequences. We wear seatbelts. We say “No!” to drugs. We steer clear of young children at the mall wearing Heelys. But sometimes we just need to learn lessons for ourselves.

For me, pureeing hot soup in a blender was a life lesson that fell squarely in the second category.

The husband and I crowded into our postage stamp kitchen with a few friends to whip up a batch of Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup. Everything was going swimmingly. The soup was nearing completion, and everyone was laughing and joking. More importantly, all our digits were still attached and no one had sustained major burns.

Then I read this step in the recipe, “Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids).”

Well, did I mention I was starving? Overconfident? And also impatient?

I loaded that blender to the tippy-top, slammed on the lid, and switched it on with a flick of my wrist and a cocky gleam in my eye.

And sweet potato soup exploded all over my kitchen.

So, when you make this soup (because you really ought to; it’s delicious), I implore you, take caution. When the recipe says to puree in batches, it ain’t kidding. Cover the lid of your blender with a towel and hold on for dear life.

Or, just do what I did and put an immersion blender on your birthday list. Because I’m still starving, overconfident, and impatient. I guess I’ll never learn…

~~~

If this looks good, imagine the following:

• Curried Sweet Potato Stew
• Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Soup

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Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup
Serves 8.
Adapted from Everyday Food.


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1” chunks
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (feel free to use a bit more or less until the soup is the desired consistency)
Sour cream, for serving

1) In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion to pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook onion, stirring as needed, until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2) Stir in sweet potatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.

3) Allow soup to cool slightly. Transfer soup to your blender in batches, being cautious not to fill blender to the top, and holding lid on tightly, and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to Dutch oven. (Alternatively, puree using an immersion blender.) If the soup is too thick, add last 1 cup chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At medium-low temperature, heat soup until it is warmed through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

NOTE (from Kris): For a vegan/vegetarian version of this soup, simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and leave out the sour cream.

New Yorkers like their soup. Just how much was a phenomenon unfamiliar to me when I moved here in the mid-’90s and found myself serving it by the bucket to insatiable Upper West Siders. Diners based their lunch orders on the soup du jour and were often despondent if told their favorites were off-menu or, even worse, sold out.

It’s just soup, I would think, sometimes aloud to my fellow waitrons. But what did I know; I grew up eating soup from a can. Occasionally, my grandma would try to get me to eat her homemade vegetable or chicken noodle, but I rebuffed her advances. It wasn’t sodium-rich Campbell’s, and I would have none of it.

As a frugal eater-outer, soup never seemed like a good bargain. A bowl of soup can run upwards of $6 or $7 dollars in a New York restaurant. As a vegetarian, the “is there meat in it?” question is often difficult to nail. One chef/waiter’s meat-free soup is another’s fish stock surprise. A bowl of watery, mushy vegetables just didnt seem worth it.

But somewhere along my home-cooking journey, I discovered something: soup is amazing. It can be simple or complex, light or hearty, bland (in a good way) or rich. Soup is a fabulous way to get vegetables into the diet and, with few exceptions, is easy to make. I dont know what took me so long.

I stumbled on this simple, rich and light green pea soup on Chow.com a few weeks before Easter. The vibrant green color caught my eye; it looked like spring and tastes like spring: green peas, leeks, fresh mint, a squirt of lemon. The sun came out just to see if it could have a taste. With only a few ingredients, this brightly colored soup whips up quickly and makes an impressive starter or light lunch supplement.

Coincidentally, my colleague E supplied the optional crème fraîche when she whipped up a batch from scratch. It was lighter than I expected and added a delightful tanginess to the sweet peas.

Take Chows advice to water down commercial broth, if you go that route. I didnt for my first batch, which made for a very oily soup when combined with the whole tablespoon of butter the original recipe suggests. I recommend halving the fat and using home-brewed broth (or watered down store-bought) for a less greasy mouthfeel (ew…I said mouthfeel).

Now for the variations. Ive made this soup about five or six times since Easter when it made its debut (to raves). After a couple of batches, I started changing up the veg and the herbs, and it just kept being fantastic, like changing the curtains when you want to freshen up the living room. The variations are listed below the recipe.

I finally get it. Soup is easy, delicious, and versatile, and except for the eating out part, 8 million New Yorkers cant be wrong.

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If this recipe floats your boat, paddle on over to:

• Chilled Summer Squash Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard
• Vegetarian Miso Soup

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Green Pea Soup
Serves 4–6
adapted from Green Pea Soup from Chow.com


1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium leek, root trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth or 1 cup low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water*
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
3 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 1/2 pounds of peas in their pods) or 16 ounces frozen peas, thawed**
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves***
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Crème fraîche, optional

1) Heat olive oil or butter in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Saute leek in oil with pinch of salt. Add broth and bring to boil.

2) Add green peas, remaining salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3) Remove from heat, stir in mint (or parsley), and allow flavors to meld for 10 minutes or so.

4) Transfer soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth. Add lemon juice to tasted.

5) Serve hot or cold with a dollop of crème fraîche or a sprinkle of finely chopped mint or parsley.

Broccoli Potato Variation
Makes 6 servings
* 4 cups vegetable broth
** 12 ounces broccoli, chopped + 8 ounces, red bliss potatoes, washed and chopped into 1/8" dice

At step 2, add broccoli and potatoes, remaining salt, black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Cauliflower Variation
** 16 ounces frozen cauliflower, thawed
***1/4 cup parsley

At step 2, add cauliflower, remaining salt, and black pepper. Return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
Green Pea (four servings): 131.8 calories, 1.9g fat, 5.5g fiber, 6.6g protein, $.78
Broccoli Potato (six servings): 85 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.59
Cauliflower (four servings): 71 calories, 1.9g fat, 3.8g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.73

Calculations
1/2 tablespoon butter: 70 calories, 7.5g fat, 0g fiber, 0.5g protein, $0.08
1 medium leek: 54 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $0.25
2 teaspoons kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
2 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth: 50 calories, 0.25g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.48
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
16 ounces frozen peas: 350 calories, 0g fat, 20g fiber, 25g protein, $2.19
[12 ounces broccoli: 164 calories, 0g fat, 20g fiber, 16g protein, $1.32]
[8 ounces red potato: 140 calories, 0g fat, 4g fiber, 4g protein, $1.00]
[16 ounces cauliflower: 108 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, 9g protein, $1.99]
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice: 3 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.00

Note: One teaspoon of crème fraîche per serving adds 7.7 calories and .7g fat.

Green Pea Soup
TOTALS: 527 calories, 7.75g fat, 22g fiber, 26.5g protein, $3.12
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 131.8 calories, 1.9g fat, 5.5g fiber, 6.6g protein, $.78

Broccoli Potato Soup
TOTALS: 511 calories, 8g fat, 26g fiber, 21.5g protein, $3.53
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 85 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.59

Cauliflower Soup
TOTALS: 285 calories, 7.75g fat, 15g fiber, 14.5g protein, $2.92
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 71 calories, 1.9g fat, 3.8g fiber, 3.6g protein, $.73