2021 A to Z Challenge and Wordless Wednesday! April 28, 2021

One of my favorite flowers! 

Have a lovely day and thanks Sandee!

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 Xcellent Green Soup  Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 onion, diced

¼ cup broccoli florets, chopped small

2 zucchini, diced

1 teaspoon dried basil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

3 cups baby spinach

6 cups bone broth or vegetable broth

1 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat

2. Add the olive oil, salt, onion, broccoli, zucchini, basil, garlic, mint and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender, the broccoli is bright green and the onion is soft.

3. Add the spinach and broth and cook for 15-20 minutes, then add the frozen peas.

4. Cook for an additional 5 minutes and serve.

Tasty and sooooo good for you too!

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2021 A to Z Challenge and Awww Monday! April 26, 2021

 Awww here's a week old baby donkey!

Thanks Sandee for Awww Monday!

Almost done with the "souper"  2021 A to Z Challenge!

V is for Vichyssoise

   6 to 8 servings

The soup is really easy to make, doesn't use a lot of ingredients, and lasts for days.

The trick is serving temperature. It's great hot, though it is designed to be a chilled soup. I found the best serving temperature is just below room temp. Too cold and and the flavor from the butter, potatoes, and salt just disappears.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter

4-5 cups sliced leeks, cleaned (see How to Clean Leeks)

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_clean_leeks/

 white and pale green parts only (from about 4 large leeks)

1 medium onion, chopped or sliced

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

6 cups water (vegetarian option), or chicken stock

2 teaspoons Kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Directions:

Heat butter until it begins to brown

In a large (6-quart) pot, heat the butter on medium high heat until it melts and foams up. Continue to heat until the foam subsides a little and the butter just begins to brown.

Sauté leeks and onions

Immediately toss in the sliced leeks and onions. Stir to coat with the butter. Cook for several minutes, reducing the heat to medium if necessary, until the leeks and onions are translucent and wilted.

Add potatoes, water or stock, salt, bring to simmer

Add the chopped potatoes, salt, and water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are completely cooked through. Remove from heat.

Purée until smooth

Purée using an immersion blender or working in batches, blend in a blender. (Careful! With hot liquids only fill the blender 1/3 of the way full, and hold the blender top on with your hand while blending.) Purée until completely smooth.

If you want an even smoother soup, you can take the extra step of pressing the purée through a sieve with a rubber spatula.

Cool and stir in sour cream and whipped cream

Allow to cool a bit before stirring in the sour cream and whipped cream. Allow to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator. The soup should be served just below room temperature (maybe 65°F or 18°C). If it is too cold, it won't taste as good.

Add more salt to taste. Serve garnished with chopped fresh chives. YUM.

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2021 A to Z Challenge C is for Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams

1 cup minced onion

1 cup diced celery

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

¾ cup butter

¾ cup all-purpose flour 

1 quart half-and-half cream

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

Directions Instructions 

Step 1

Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Step 3

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

 

Thankful Thursday and the 2021 A to Z Challenge! April 1, 2021

I am so thankful for all the home made soups my mother made for all of us kids! This 2021 A to Z Challenge is dedicated to all the mothers who made such delicious meals for their families!  And we enjoyed those soups down to the last drop!

                              Warhol at the Grocery Store

Soup soup beautiful soup
Eat it with a spoon
Eat it with a scoop
Eat it with noodles
Share it with poodles
Empty up that can
Paint it like a man
That clever man Andy
He was so handy
With paint and brush
There was no rush
Who would have thought
That a can bought
Could bring such fame
To the Campbell name

A is for 

Acorn Squash Soup with Pistachios, Black Bread and Apples

Ingredients

1-2 pound acorn squash, halved lengthwise

3 teaspoons butter

1 large slice pumpernickel, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

2 tablespoons shelled pistachios

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 quarts water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Place the squash halves, cut-side down, on a baking sheet. Do not remove the seeds. Bake until the skin is blistered and the flesh is fork-tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter. Add the bread and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the bread to a medium bowl using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the apple, followed by the pistachios, sautéing until golden brown. Transfer to the bowl and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Scoop the flesh and seeds from the squash and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons butter, the sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and water.

Working in batches, purée the mixture in a blender until smooth. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the bread mixture.

Enjoy! 

PS  The silly poem was my creation way back in February 2012! 

Wordless Wednesday! March 31, 2021

Starting tomorrow I will be 

participating in the 

2021 A to Z Challenge.

My theme is Soup!

I will be posting a new soup every day in April

except for Sundays. At the same time 

I'll still be posting on Sandee's

Awww Monday, Happy Tuesday,

Wordless Wednesday and Feline Friday.

Plus Brian's Thankful Thursday!

On the same blog post you will also get to savor

26 soup recipes one day at a time !!

And as they say in France "Bon Appetit!"

Or in Spain "Buen provecho!"

Enjoy!

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It's time for soup!

On a cold winter's day nothing satisfies more than

a big bowl of hearty soup.

Two nights ago I made this creamy curried winter squash soup....

here's my simple recipe:

Saute some onions and garlic in olive oil, add diced raw new potatoes

and 5 cups of water mixed with 4 tsp of chicken "Better than Boullion" .

Simmer for 15-20 minutes, add curry, Thai Green curry paste and pepper to taste.

Do not add any salt as there is plenty in the boullion.

Blend well with an immersion blender or use your regular blender.

(you really need an immersion blender-less fuss and easier!)

Simmer a bit more, ladle into big warm bowls and garnish with

chopped parsley and toasted slivered almonds....yum.

Serve with biscuits and enjoy!

Then here's the good old standby-hard to resist French Onion Soup!

I haven't mastered it yet and the best outside of France is found

at NW Portland's Fenouil restaurant.

We each had a big bowl just yesterday....simply divine!