On October 17, 1814 the streets of London where flooded with beer. Porter to be exact. At around 6pm, a 22-foot-tall monster barrel of beer, containing over two million pints of porter, succumbed to the pressure of the liquid pushing mightily against the large iron hoops. The burst was so loud, a literal explosion, it could be heard as far as five miles away and caused a chain reaction of erupting barrels across the Meux’s Brewery’s rooftop.
The resulting tidal-wave of beer flooded the streets, the crowded nearby tenements that housed impoverished Irish immigrants, and a local church. In an attempt to score free beer, and salvage the precious liquid from the perils of waste, the local citizens ran through the streets with pots, pans, and mugs to stock up on the wealth of brew that had been bestowed upon them.
The beer tsunami killed a total of nine people, the last man succumbed days later to alcohol poisoning in a valiant attempt to assist the cleaning of the streets by consuming as much of the rogue beer as possible, but most drowned in the beer infused streets or where crushed under the weight of beer toppled structurs.
So when the questions comes up, "Is there really such a thing as too much free beer?" the answer, apaprently is 1,224,000 liters happens to be too much.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, cooking until soft. Add the chorizo, cooking until browned. Remove approximately half of the chorizo, reserve for soup topping (alternately, you can cook half of the chorizo in the soup pot, and cook the other half just before serving the soup).
Add the beer, broth, beans, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder.
Simmer the soup until the beans have softened, about 4 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Add additional broth to thin, if desired.
Ladle into bowls, top with reserved chorizo, cheese and cilantro.
French Onion Soup was Julia Child’s last meal. Seems fitting for a woman known for French classics. And who wants to mess with a classic dish that America’s Culinary Grandma chose as her last meal?
Me. That’s who.
Although I do like to stick to classic methods when it comes to cooking this warm bowl of cheese-topped-comfort, the addition of a malty stout gives a new dimension and depth of flavor. While most French Onion Soup recipes all have nearly the same ingredients, the results vary widely depending on how you treat the onions, the star ingredient.
Stick with sweet onions when making this dish, the higher sugar content gives you a better caramelization. Cook them for a long time. Then cook them longer.
Caramelized onions will actually give off a "beefy" flavor when cooked slow and low for an extended period of time. This is one of the major key factors in bringing a soup from "good" to "great".
Although I’m sure Julia would have wanted to throw a copy of The Way To Cook at my head for putting beer in her soup, I’ll just have to make peace with that. I love a beerified soup.
8ouncesshredded or sliced Gruyère cheeseabout 2 1/2 cups
Instructions
In a large pot over medium high heat melt the butter. Add the onions, brown sugar and salt, allow to simmer over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are a dark golden brown, at least 30 minutes and up to one hour (the longer onions cook the more flavor develops).
Add ½ cup stout beer, simmer until the beer is reduced and the pan is almost dry.
Add the remaining beer, beef stock and black pepper. Simmer for ten minutes.
Pre heat the broiler on your oven.
Ladle soup into bowls, top with slices of French bread toast and then cheese.
Lately, I’ve been struggling with a creative plateau I can’t seem to push myself past. A dissatisfaction with everything I make. The recipes that just don’t seem creative enough, the photos that I can only see as average, and the sub-par writing. I’ve been trudging through this phase, trying to push myself, and the things I create, closer the level I want to be on.
A few days ago I came across this quote from Ira Glass that reminded me that although I’m not where I want to be, I just might be on the right path.
Because maybe discontentment is the only common thread of successful people. Maybe it’s dissatisfaction that pushes anyone towards the best self they can ever achieve, and maybe complacency is an anchor into mediocrity.
Maybe.
I don’t know if I have more talent to unearth in myself, or if I’ve squeeze every bit out of an average ability, but Ira Glass did give me hope that the struggle is part of the journey. And it’s a normal part.
I see this struggle in brewers, too. The ones that make the jump from homebrewer to successful brewery owner share that same dissatisfaction, the push to be better, learn more, create great beer, and master the simplicity of classic styles. The biggest leaps in potential comes from feeling self-dissapointment in the middle of your own celebrations. When everyone else is cheering your accomplishments, you are taking inventory of your short falls.
Seasonal and special release beers are brewers pushing the levels of their own creativity. A way for the rest of us to thoroughly enjoy the fight these talented, creative, souls are engaged in to push themselves higher in their own climb.
Hop Cuvee is a newly released pale ale from Bison Brewing. It’s a beer that has an accessible, balanced, hoppiness that uses three different types of hop as a celebration of the best hop crops of the years. It’s crisp and citrusy with notes of pine, it’s a great choice for summer. Dan Del Grande, Bison’s fearless leader says, “My hop blend in Hop Cuvée will change every year, like a vintage, to reflect the best crops that our organic hop farmers have to offer.” Bison is a great brewery to get to know, they have a love of great beer, and have figured out how to give it to us in a way that’s organic, eco-friendly, and aims for a lower carbon footprint every year.
This is a beer that celebrates seasonal crops, making it perfect for the asparagus that just came into season. It finishes the soup to give it a bit of an earthier taste. I prefer this soup warm, but it can also be served as a chilled soup when the weather jumps into the triple digits.
In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth and cook until asparagus has softened, about 10 minutes, remove from heat.
Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, puree until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream and return to heat, brining to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, stir in beer.
I promise you that this is the last St. Patricks day post. Until next year when I will further assault you with recipes for celebrating my love 'o the Irish, and forcing you to read more stories of my visit to Dublin.
Until then, here is a Green Beer cheese soup that contains not a drop of food dye, relying on the natural pigment of broccoli to get the job done. Although I don’t know who’s to blame for fouling up beer with green dye, I can’t imagine the Irish, with their deliciously dark stouts, are to blame. I’d wager the fault goes to America. No matter how you choose to celebrate, green beer-food just feels festive. I just wish I had some shamrock shaped soup bowls for the occasion.
To up the Irish in this dish, I used Kerrygold Dubliner cheese. I’ve been using Kerrygold for years, and not just because I have a soft spot for Ireland. Kerrygold uses natural, sustainable methods, uses co-op farmers, grass-fed cows, and zero artificial colors or flavors (not sponsored post, I swear!). While at a pub in Dublin, I met the son of a sheep farmer.
We talked for hours about farming (I also grew up on a farm) and even when he wanted to change the subject to his love of Eddie Murphy, I kept steering the conversation back to farming in Ireland. Irish farmers are unlike any farmers I’ve ever met. Because the herds are always small, due to land limitations, the relationships between farmers and animals is unusually devoted and affectionate. Although Kerrygold is readily available at most grocery stores, it has a small farm feel to it.
Even if you do end up throwing in some green food dye to up the color, I hope you love this soup as much as I do, and raise your pint to Ireland.
Green Beer Cheese Soup (Broccoli Cheddar) with Pesto Croutons
7ouncesDubliner cheesegrated (or sharp white cheddar)
8ouncesgoudagrated
1cupvegetable broth
1/3cupheavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
For the Croutons:
1French baguettecut into cubes
2tablespoonsbutter
2tablespoonspesto
Instructions
In a large pot of lightly salted water, cook the broccoli until very soft, drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 4 tbs butter. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the carrots are very soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds, remove from heat.
In a large food processor or blender, add 1 cup beer, cornstarch, both kids of cheese and as well as the carrot and celery mixture, process until very smooth, about 5 to 8 minutes. Return mixture to the pot along with the remaining beer.
In the same food processor (no need to clean between jobs) add the broccoli and the broth, process until very smooth. Add pureed broccoli, as well as the cream, to the soup.
Bring the soup to a low simmer, stirring occasionally until warmed and slightly thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbs butter. Add the bread cubes and toss until browned. Remove from heat and immediately add in the pesto, toss to coat.
Serve the soup topped with croutons.
*This is not a sponsored post. I actually feel this way.
Let’s stop vowing to cut things out of our lives at then beginning of each year, and start promising ourselves we’ll add some great things in.
Can’t we all just agree that those “I’m going to lose weight/stop eating sugar/give up carbs/cut out coffee” resolutions are just going to leave us feeling hungry, guilty and eventually shameful when they go enormously ignored about the second week in January?
Maybe you have a bigger capacity for restraint than I do, or a higher guilt threshold, but I gave up those types of personal promises years ago. Although I do still love a good resolution and tend to make them year round.
How about we agree to ADD things to our lives instead of taking away? There is something about making a decision to add something great to our world that just reminds us what an amazing life we have ahead of us. And adding greatness has a way of pushing out some of those not as great things.
Let’s give it a try.
Here are my favorite food resolutions, all about adding more amazingness, not about taking things away.
1.Start a food tradition: Maybe a once a month Sunday Supper with your family, or a quarterly Food Friends Pot Luck, or even just New Recipe Wednesday where you try a new dish. Food traditions are memories that you’ll be glad you made.
3. Join a CSA or other Organic Produce Delivery Program. Before my recent move, I got a box of organic produce delivered to my doorstep every Wednesday from Love Delivery. Mostly local, in season and very fresh fruits and vegetables. This also gets you to eat more good stuff, because it’s there. And you hate to waste it. Supporting local farmers and eating healthier, it’s a total win. There are several in most cities and states, consult Google for ones in your area.
4. Try New Foods. This is for the picky eaters. Pick one new food a month and cook it, and eat it. Or, order that one thing on the menu that you would never normally eat. After a year you’ll have 12 foods that you never otherwise would have tried. And I’m going to bet you a batch of cookies that you will be surprised at how much you like at least one of those new foods.
5. Master A Recipe or Technique. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to make a soufflé, or homemade pasta. What better resolution to make than the acquisition of culinary knowledge you can someday pass down to future generations? Just go into assuming that the first time may not be a huge success, and by that I mean don’t plan an entire dinner party around skills you haven’t acquired just to end up in tears when your husband has to have pizza delivered. It will probably go fine, and you will probably post the results on Facebook (yay!), but take it slow and know that to master a technique takes a lot of practice, each time you try it you’ll learn something new.
One of my resolutions is to explore vegan cooking more, even though I have no plans to give up meat or dairy. There really isn’t any arguing with the fact that produce is the best thing you can put in your body. The more I focus on the beautiful flavors of fruits and vegetables, without using meat and dairy as a crutch, the better my cooking becomes over all.
Here is a vegan soup, inspired by this Bon Appetite recipe. Without garnishes, it’s about 170 calories a serving.
Here is a How To Roast Red Peppers post by Kitchen Treaty. If you are going to use them right away, you can skip the oil and the jar.
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Avocado Soup
Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 large red potato, peeled and chopped
6 cups chopped broccoli florets
½ to 2 cups water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
pinch chili powder
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 lage avocado, diced
1 red pepper, roasted, cut into strips
Instructions
In a stock pot or Dutch oven heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add the vegetable stock and potatoes, cooking until the potatoes are almost soft, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until the broccoli and potatoes are both tender, about 5-8 minutes. Using an emersion blender, puree until smooth. Add water, if desired, to thin to desired consistency. Add spices and lemon juice.
Garnish with avocados and red peppers prior to serving.
If you want to know how I made the garnishes "float" on top of the soup for the picture, check this out.
As we leave the most divisive election in modern history, we need to remember that we are still a Nation. One Nation, Under God, Indivisible by politics, that comes together to help others.
(Photo, AP: Frank Franklin)
Red state or blue, that is what we are. We are also a Nation that loves to help, feels an obligation to lend a hand, lift up others when we have the opportunity. We are a Nation in which everyone of us have had the "do you give your spare change to the homeless" debate, because regardless of the answer we all have felt the a conflict in walking away without handing something over to someone in need.
We are a society of people who have even felt selfish in giving because it makes us feel good. Because we want to help others.
(Photo: AP Spencer Platt)
We are not a nation that spends our precious moments on this earth angry because of which of the good-hearted, great men was chosen to lead this amazing Nation. At least that is what I need to believe. I see so much good in you, America.
I see that huge heart that breaks when you see others in need. And no matter where your bed is tonight, remember those who are without one.
This post is dedicated to all of the victims of hurricane Sandy, from Jamaica, to Cuba, to Haiti, to New Jersey to New York.
To all of the more than 110 lives that were lost in the USA, and the 71 lost in the Caribbean.
For the more than 55 billion dollars of damage the storm did.
This post is so little, in the face of that. But like you, America, I want to help. And if I could, I would make every person affected by the storm a big bowl of soup, and listen to their story and hope that I did someone some good.
Click on the picture to give to Red Cross to assist in their efforts to help:
1 leek, chopped (white and very light green parts only)
1 shallot, minced
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs white wine
4 cups broth (either chicken or vegetable)
4 cups red potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups artichoke hearts, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup cream
Instructions
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and shallots, sautee until soft and slightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add the wine, scraping to deglaze the pot.
Add the broth, potatoes, and only 1 cup of the artichoke hearts. Cover and allow to simmer (adjust heat if necessary) until potatoes are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, belnd until smooth.
Add pepper chili powder and cream, stir until combined. Salt to taste.
Chop remaining artichoke hearts.
Pour into 4 bowls, garnish with chopped artichoke hearts.
Living in LA during "fall" makes you feel like a bit of crazy person.
I’ll pull on my tall boots and a chunky sweaters that I am rightfully entitled to wear in late October, later realizing that the weather will creep up into the 80’s by mid day. And I’m the crazy lady at Starbucks ordering a pumpkin latte, wearing vintage Frye boots, jeans and a thick wool sweater while I could be wearing a jersey knit sundress like the normal, non-crazy, girl behind me in line.
And still, I persist. I even go home and make soup. Sweating the entire time I eat it. In my sweater, with the air conditioner running.
I spent three years as a vegetarian. The best thing I ever did when it comes to cooking, it opened up a world of produce to me and reminded me of all the foods I would often overlook just because they didn’t contain meat. To this day there are still things I prefer in a vegetarian or vegan form.
When it comes to thai cooking, fish and oyster sauce are frequently called for. Here is an article about how to make those, DIY style in your own kitchen using non-meat products.
1 tbs fish sauce (For vegan, use adaptation listed in above post)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
1/4 cup green onions
1 tsp crushed red peppers
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir. Add the egg and cook until softly scrabbled. Add the tofu (or chicken), cook until lightly fried about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, then add the noodles, soy, sriracha, fish sauce, and peanuts. Cook until noodles have softened, about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with peanuts, green onions and red chili flakes.
I’m so excited to share this with you. It is my favorite soup right now, and one of my favorite recipes so far this year.
It’s interesting to see which posts get tons and tons of traffic and which ones get ignored, because really, you never know. My highest trafficked post isn’t even in my top twenty favorites.
My most popular post, Inside Out Caramel Apples, makes me cringe a bit. Although it has been pinned about 200,000 times and shared on Facebook and Twitter thousands more, I don’t really love it. It was posted about a year ago, and there seems to be mixed results with success. As a blogger, that’s hard. I want everyone to have a home run every time they make the recipe, and that one seems to be hit or miss. I hate that. And I hate that I have no idea why it fails for some people, and works for others.
And sometimes, the recipes that I love and can’t wait to share, get ignored. You just never know what is going to be a runaway pinterest hit, and what is going to get nothing more than a passing glance.
But this soup, I LOVE this soup, and I hope you do too.
Seriously, I’m going to make it again this week.
Creamy Butternut Soup With Pomegranate and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
1 head garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 large (or two small) butternut squash
2 shallot, minced
3 tbs olive oil
2 cup chicken broth
2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne
1/2 cup cream
1 cup pomegranate seeds
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Cut the tip of the head of garlic, exposing the tops of the cloves. Place on a small sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tbs olive oil. Fold foil around garlic to form a tight package.
Cut the butternut squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet. Place garlic package on the baking sheet as well.
Roast at 425 for 25 minutes, remove the garlic and allow to cool. Continue to roast the butternut squash for an additional 20 to 30 minutes (45 to 55 minutes total) or until flesh is soft and easy to scoop out.
Scoop out flesh (should be about 5 cups) and puree in a food processor until smooth.
In a large pot or dutch oven, add the shallots and olive oil over medium heat. Caramelize the shallots over medium heat, stirring occasional, for about 10 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Don’t cook over high heat or the shallots will burn.
Add the chicken broth, water, butternut puree, salt, pepper and cayenne. Squeeze the soft garlic head until the cloves push out (should be soft and mushy) add cloves to the soup. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and to maintain a simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, add cream and stir.
Scoop into bowls, garnish with pomegranate and goat cheese.
Although most of you are starting to pull out those wool sweaters you neatly packed away a few months ago, here in Los Angeles we are in the throws of a record heat wave that drug us into 108 degree heat yesterday. While most of the sane people of LA stayed indoors and avoided the oven, I spent the morning interviewing ex-cons turn foodies, and then came home and made soup.
Like i’ve mentioned before, my inherent rebellion pushes me to buck tradition and even reason. I drink stouts in the summer, eat ice cream in the winter and make soup in triple digit heat.
Beer Braised Chicken and Hefeweizen Cornmeal Dumpling Soup
4boneless skinless chicken thigh filletscup into bite sized peices
3clovesgarlicminced
1/4cupwhite onionschopped
1/2cupcelerychopped
1/2cupcarrotschopped
1cupsweet white corn kernelsfresh is best, frozen is acceptable, canned is disgusting
2cupsHefeweizen Beer
2cupschicken broth
2tbsflour
1/4cupcream
For The Dumplings
1/2cupMasa Harinacorn flour used to make corn tortillas
1/2cupfine ground corn meal
1/2cupall purpose flour
1/4tspsalt
2tspbaking powder
1/2tspchopped fresh rosemary
2tbsbuttercut into small cubes
1/4cupmilk
1/2cupHefeweizen beer
Instructions
In a large pot with a lid, like a dutch oven or enamel cast iron pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until seared on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots and corn, stir. Add the beer and broth, stir. Allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the pot and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream while stiring. Return to medium/low heat.
In a large bowl, add the masa, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary, stir to combine. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingers until completely combined.
Add the milk and hefeweizen and stir until combined. You don't want the dough too thin or it will fall apart during cooking, you want a biscuit like consistency.
Drop mounds of dough, about 3 tbs in size, equally spaced on top of the pot until all dough has been used. Cover the pot and cook on low heat until the tops of the dumplings are dry, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Raise your hand if you ate way to much this weekend.
I finally found pie pumpkins in my city wide search and participated in hours of pumpkin glutton. Those posts will be up later, but I needed a bit of a pumpkin detox before jumping back in for more. I have no plans to stop my fall pumpkin worship, but I needed a break.
I am also preparing for October Unprocessed. Have you taken the challenge? I signed up. Andrew of Eating Rules has asked if we could all go just one month without eating processed foods. I did it last year and found that it was both easier and more challenging that I had thought. What is processed food? That’s quite the debate, but it gets you thinking. It was, more than anything, a great reminder to read every single label on every single package I buy. Why am I buying a jam with ingredients I don’t recognize when I can just buy the one with only two: Strawberries, sugar.
Why don’t I just buy my bread from the baker down the street, with his 4 ingredients rather than the package from across the country with 17 ingredients?
More produce, less cans, no Doritos. You can do it.
There is no fixed answer to the question, "What is unprocessed?" but the simple answer is: do you have (or could you have) all of those ingredients in your kitchen and could a person reasonably make it themselves.
For instance, I have lots of friends who are home brewers and they make beer themselves. So that makes beer OK to have, it passes the Kitchen Test. If you could reasonably assume you COULD make it, it’s OK.
However, I have no idea how to pronounce half of the ingredients in Oreos, I don’t have those in my kitchen, I could not make that product, with those exact ingredients, so sorry, no Oreos for me. For more in depth answer to the questions, you can read this.
The best thing about this challenge, is that it gets us thinking. About what we eat, who we "vote for" with the dollars we spend, and what we are training our bodies to crave.
And if you can’t go a month with eating just real whole food, then why not? Why is that hard for you?
I encourage you sign up, even if you know you can’t be perfect. Can you do Unprocessed Wednesday Night Dinners? Sign up and give it a try. It will get you thinking about what you’re eating, and what you are feeding your family.
This soup recipe could even be debated (although it is not yet October). While some ingredients easily pass the kitchen test, it reminds you to read the labels on the brands of sour cream and cheese you buy. Some will only have three or four easily recognized ingredients while some brands will have several more. It’s just about being mindful of what you buy.
Skinny Baked Potato Soup 210 Calories
Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 leek, chopped (only white and light green part)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fat free chicken broth
4 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup milk
Garnishes:
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, 1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup green onion or chives, chopped
(Makes 4 servings)
Instructions
In a pot over medium high heat, add the leeks and onions, cook until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, and cauliflower and allow to boil until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree until smooth. Stir in the spices and milk, return to heat and allow to simmer until thickened to desired consistency (the longer you simmer, the thicker the soup will become).
Divide among 4 bowls, top each one with 2 tbs sour cream and stir. Top with remaining garnishes and serve.
I have a confession to make. Before starting this blog, I tried to make beer cheese soup and failed. I was baffled, at first, but figured out that a combination of my lack of patience (manifesting itself in my cheese dumping rather than slow adding) and a furious boil, resulted in a sloppy mess.
Second confession of the day (just call yourself a priest, and I’ll say a few Hail Mary’s on my way out) is that even though I love this recipe, I think I may love the photos more. Because right after I took them I was reminded via ping of my first post and how on their best day, those photos are hideously below average. I’ve worked really hard to bring my photography up to an acceptable standard and these photos reminded me of how my work is paying off.
Third confession, I won a state-wide Cook-Off on Friday. Ok, not really a confession, but I’m excited, so I thought I would share.
Fourth confession, I still have a crush on Luke Perry. And Val Kilmer’s character in Real Genius. Looks like I went one confession too far.
Mac And Beer Cheese Soup
Note: Cheese sauce separates easily if the mixture is brought to a boil, or if pre shredded cheese is used. If the mixture does separates, try to puree the cheese sauce with a hand blender before you add the noodles.
2cupscheddar cheesethinly grated, don't use pre shredded
1/2tspsalt
1/2tsppepper
1tspsmoked paprika
1 1/2cupselbow macaroni noodles
Instructions
In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the onions and jalapenos, cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the butter stir until melted.
Sprinkle the flour and corn starch on top of the melted butter and whisk until combined.
Add the beer, broth and cream bring to a low simmer.
1/4 a cup at at time, add the cheese and stir until completely melted before adding more (do not boil or cheese will separate). Repeat until all the cheese is incorporated into the soup.
Add the salt, pepper, smoked paprika and stir to combine.
Add the macaroni noodles and cook until noodles are al dente.
Add additional beer or broth to thin to desired consistency.
Do you remember when you were a kid and staying home sick had sort of a romantic, charming allure? Your friends at school would wonder where you were. Maybe there would be rumors of your overall declining health and that you passed out in 31 Flavors the night before.
You would stay home, indulge in as much sleep as you wanted. Watch TV in your jammies, eat ice cream.
You had no idea that when you grew up, that would be called "Vacation."
When you have a baby, there are no such thing as sick days. Your kids pay absolutely no attention to that note your doctor gave you saying you need to rest. Those little Tyrants want sippy cups filled at full capacity, grapes cut into quarters, constant supervision of their destructive tendencies…*Sigh* It’s a good thing we are genetically inclined to adore them or they would be the worst boss ever.
BUT, if you do get sick, make sure and give your immune system the boost it needs. First, and I hate to break it to you after all that Ice Cream talk: Sugar lowers your natural immunities. Stay away it for the first few days.
Garlic, ginger and lemongrass are all known fighters of the everyday cold and flu. I ate disgusting amounts of them the winter I was pregnant with Tater, and I avoided getting sick for the first winter in about 6 years.
Plus, the kick of thai chili in this soup will remind you that you are alive and strong, empty sippy cups and whole grapes beware.
Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
2 tbs Smart Balance Light, butter or margarine
2 tsp chopped thai red chili, seeds removed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh Lemongrass, chopped
1 tbs thai Galangal ginger, peeled, minced
5 cups, fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 cans light coconut milk
3 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbs lemon juice
8 large basil leaves, chopped into ribbons
16 large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined, tails off (can substitute 1 cup, chopped raw chicken)
(Makes 4 Servings)
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the margarine. Add the chili and the lemon grass and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the ginger. Stir frequently until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference.
So I made this resolution to not be so hard on myself.
This is a resolution I made, not for myself as much as for my daughter. And how I model womanhood to her.
I want to show her how to focus more on her successes than her failures.
Hold her strengths closer than she holds her weaknesses.
Our children only learn so much from our words, but our actions, especially those that we think they don’t see, are ingrained in who they are.
I’ve stopped using self deprecating statements, as my vow not to model for her what I so badly want to protect her from.
As I see her tiny body grow more and more into a mirror of my own, I now realize that all the things I say about myself, I am inadvertently saying about this tiny "Me" who is now running around trying to mimic what I do.
It’s cute when she says, "Bacon, Yum!"
Would it be as cute if she looks in the mirror and says, "I’m too fat to wear this"?
I don’t get to pick and choose what she picks up from me. I can just be more aware of my own attitudes and try to shape them into what I want her to pick up. And hope that I do my best to eliminate the mentalities that cause me to say hateful things about myself.
I want to teach her to look back on her mistakes with a postivive filter.
Not to say:
"What was I thinking?"
But instead to try and figure out:
"What was I learning?"
How the heck does this relate to Mac N Cheese soup? Well, most of you have resolutions about weight. Some of you probably even need to lose weight for health reasons. But if you have a daughter, or even a sensitive son, please don’t say:
"I don’t want to be so fat anymore."
Instead:
"I want to be healthier. Run faster, jump higher."
Because, the truth is, unlike a lot of regrets we have in life:
Your weight is fixable.
That is great news, because so many things we have done aren’t. Make a plan, stick to it. Focus on your success, not your failure and give yourself time to make it happen. Because,if you have kids, our resolutions aren’t that different. They are for our kids, modeling how to live. Eat how you want them to eat and they will follow suit.
Mac N Cheese soup is great way to do this. It’s familiar, with just a bit of the high calories stuff. I’m focusing on the strengths of the food to bring it into a high flavor, low calorie food.
I used the Recipe Calorie Calculator on Spark people to find out how many calories are in this. It’s a great tool for homemade food. You can even adjust the ingredients to see how you can get the same amount of food for less calories.
Healthy Soup Recipe: 220 Calorie Mac N Cheese Soup
Ingredients
2 tbs Smart Balance Light (or other low cal margarine spread)
1/3 cup red onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs flour
6 cups of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
3 cups of butternut squash, fresh, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup Macaroni noodles
1/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Makes 4 servings.
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the Smart Balance Light. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic and stir until you can smell them cooking, about 20 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until combined with the butter spread and no flour lumps remain. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the cubes of butternut squash, place the lid on at an angle allowing the steam to vent, boiling until the squash is very soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Using an immersion blender, puree the squash until smooth and creamy. Return to heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the spices, adjusting to your preference. Add to bowls and top with chopped tomatoes.
My favorite thing about fall is homemade soup. I love a soup that takes all day, it’s like an art. But, since I am a very busy working mom, as I assume quite a few of you are too, I also need a really delicious soup that I can make after work. I invented this soup because I adore clam chowder, but I’m not a huge fan of the clams that you buy at the grocery store. Crab, in all it’s delicious splendor, was a fine substitution. I added the avocados because I live Southern California, a very avocado heavy place. If you ever make it out west, make it a mission of yours to stop by a farmers market (we get to have them year round in these parts) and have one for yourself.
Avocado Crab Chowder
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (I used Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Corn Kernels)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp chili pepper sauce (Such as Tapatillo or Tabasco)
2 6oz cans crab meat (lump or claw meat if you can find it), drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 large avocados, chopped
In a large pot, melt the better over medium/high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and allow to boil until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, Old Bay, and chili powder, stir to combine. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth, and then pour in the cream, stir to combine. Return to heat, add the corn, and allow to boil until thickened, stirring frequently,about 5 minutes. Add the chili pepper sauce, crab meat, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Pour into serving bowls, garnish with avocado.
