Italian Wedding Soup (Lightened)

Yummy yummy soup

 One of Katie's favorite soups is Italian wedding soup. I think it is the perfect soup for a cold winter's day. It is not quite winter but it is cold outside. Not just cold but it is a damp cold. The kind of cold that goes right through you. The cure for this kind of weather is a nice hearty soup. Italian wedding soup is just that and it is a meal in a bowl.
The Italian name for this soup is Minestra Maritata. It means "married soup." It is not a soup for wedding but the marriage of greens and meat. And what a marriage it is!
My mom has been making this soup since I was little. I love her recipe and soup, but I was in the mood for something a bit different. So, I decided to shake things up and change the traditional soup. Here is a more traditional recipe. My favorite part is the meatballs. I do not want a bland meatball so I decided to use beef and pork. Yum!  

Minestra Maritata "Wedding Soup"

Meatballs

1 lb (.45 kg) of Ground Beef
1 lb (.45 kg) of Ground Pork
2 Slices of White Bread with Crust Soaked in 1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Milk
1 Large Egg, Beaten
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Tsp of Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp of Black Pepper
1/4 Cup (30 g) Parmesan Cheese, Grated
1/4 Cup  (20 g) Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped

Mix all of the ingredients together and shape into meatballs (use about 1 1/2 teaspoons- it should be about the size of a small pecan).

All of the ingredients in a bowl

Some people bake their meatballs before adding them to the soup so that they brown. I don't but you certainly can.  I use about half of the recipe in the soup and the remainder I bake at 400F/204C/Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes turning once and use in other recipes or freeze.

All kinds of meatballs

The Soup

3 Quarts (3 liters) of Broth (Turkey or Chicken)
1 lb (.45 kg) of Meatballs
1/2 lb (.22 kg) of Small Noodles
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 Handful of Arugula
1 Handful of Swiss Chard

Heat up the broth over medium high heat.

Turkey broth

Bring broth to a boil and lower to a simmer. Carefully drop the meatballs into the broth and add the garlic. Do not stir or the meatballs will break up. Cook until the meatballs are done about 20 minutes.  Add the noodles and cook until done. Add the spinach, arugula, and Swiss chard. Cook until tender.

Greens and meatballs

The bottom line: will I make this again? I love this and I will make this again. The fresh greens add a lot to this soup.

Spicy Corn Chowder

Summer corn

 Corn season, tomato season, corn season, tomato season, rabbit season ... boom! Sorry, I got caught up in the moment and a Bugs Bunny cartoon.  I have been so preoccupied with summer tomatoes that I almost forgot about summer fresh corn. Almost, but not quite, because I came across some incredible looking corn. So, on a rainy weekend day I decided that spicy corn chowder was needed to brighten up our day. It brightened up Steven's and my day but not Katie's. It was way too spicy for Katie and even spicier the second day. I used a serrano pepper and a lemon pepper.

Spicy Corn Chowder

4 Pieces of Bacon
6 Ears of Corn
2 Cups (265 g) of Diced Sweet Onions
2 Ribs of Celery, Diced
2 Hot Peppers, Diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced
5 Small Potatoes (Approximately 1 lb/453 g), Diced
3 1/2 Cups (840 ml) of Milk (I used 2%)
32oz (946 ml) of Chicken Broth
2 Sprigs of Thyme
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Cut the bacon into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces and place in a soup pot over low heat. While bacon is slowly cooking (it will take about 10-15 minutes), cut the kernels off of the cob (and reserve both the cobs and the corn), dice the the onions, celery, and peppers, and slice the garlic.

Sautéing veggies

Once the bacon is crispy, remove and place the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic in the bacon grease. Slowly cook the veggies until soft. Add the potatoes, milk, chicken broth, and corn cobs.
Taste the chowder and add slat and pepper, to taste. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Everything in the soup, now it is time for a simmer

Once the chowder boils, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove corn cobs and thyme and add corn kernels and bacon. Reduce the heat to low and warm the chowder for approximately 5 minutes until the corn is tender.

To purée or not to purée? All of the recipes I have read instruct the cook to purée part or all of the chowder at this point. I did not do this. I like a really chunky chowder, one where I am wondering whether to use a fork or a spoon. The problem with not blending part of the chowder is a thin chowder. I did slight mash some of the potatoes with a fork. Does that count? Seriously, if you want a thick chowder you do need to purée about a third of the solids.

The finished chowder. I ate several bowls.

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, I will just so I can try the different variations running through my head. Next time I am going to add some fresh tomatoes and okra. I may even breakdown and purée part of the chowder.

Make Your Own Gazpacho

Make your own gazpacho

It is nearing the end of tomato season so I am trying to make as many of my favorite tomato dishes as possible. I've realized that I have a lot of favorite tomato dishes. I don't think I will be able to make all of them by the end of the season, especially since I need to either freeze or can tomatoes for this winter. While I will miss fresh tomatoes, I am looking forward to fall soups, stews, gumbos, and chowders.
Today it is still summer and today's specialty is make your own gazpacho. Would it be easier just to make one gazpacho? Yes, it would but then Katie (who doesn't like onions wouldn't eat it). So this is my compromise. I make the gazpacho base and refrigerate it and chop up the stuff we like and everyone adds their own. It is kind of like a deconstructed gazpacho.  It takes a bit of time but it's worth it.

Gazpacho Base

3 Cups (720 ml) of Tomato Juice (about 4 Medium Sized Tomatoes Food Processed)
1 Lime, Juiced
2 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
Hot Sauce, To Taste (optional)

Place garlic cloves in a food processor with cored  tomatoes (cut in slices) and process. (I use the seeds, skin and all put you could always remove the seeds and skin the tomatoes). Put in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Since Katie does not like spicy foods, prior to adding the hot sauce, I remove one cup from the bowl and place it in a separate bowl. Refrigerate.

Gazpacho base

Toppings

Gazpacho toppings

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Mint

Basil

Parsley

Chives
Rosemary

Sweet or Green Onion
Sour Cream

Croutons or Bread Smeared with Garlic and Olive Oil and Toasted

Dice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. I like gazpacho with substance so my dice is a bit bigger than a small dice. Chop the herbs into small pieces.

The bottom line: Will I make it again? Yes, it is an easy no cook meal that my family loves. I am going to try to make this again before the summer tomatoes are gone.

Udon Soup

Udon Soup

As a practicing Catholic, I fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. (Fasting for Catholics means we are allowed one full meal). I have often wondered how big of a meal and what sort of a meal is appropriate for breaking my fast. I (personally) don't think having a huge meal with creamy sauces is what I should be eating. On the other hand, I want something hearty because we would be very hungry by dinner. I am open to all ideas - except I want to have something different from fish sticks and macaroni and cheese, the classic Catholic meatless meal.
 

I read through my monastic cookbooks for inspiration. Monastic cooking is wonderful and their food philosophy (obviously) works perfectly for Lent.  Most monastic diets do not include meat (year round), but do include fresh local food that is in season. They have wonderful recipes with fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, and cheeses. Actually, this sounds a lot like some of the current "slow food" and "local food" movements. My favorite monastic cookbook is The Pure Joy of Monastic Cooking by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette. I really like all of his cookbooks. 

It took awhile, but inspiration fully struck; not that it was a sacrifice to read through cookbooks.  Here is what we are planning on having. I will post pictures of our dinner once we have it.

Ash Wednesday Dinner 

Veggie and Shrimp Soup with Udon Noodles

14 oz. (400 g) Package of Udon Noodles
4 Cups (1 L) of Vegetable Broth
1 Inch (2.5 cm) Piece of Ginger
2 1/2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Granulated Sugar
6 oz. (170 g) of Mushrooms, Sliced
6 oz. (170 g) of Baby Corn, Cut into Pieces
1/2 Cup  (60 g) of Carrots, Thinly Sliced
6 oz. (170 g) of Shrimp

Cook udon noodles according to package directions and set aside.

In a large pot combine vegetable broth, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar and bring to a boil (I had the greens from the carrots so I added those to the pot as well). Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes (remove carrot greens).

Add mushrooms, carrots, and baby corn. Cook until tender. Add shrimp and cook for four more minutes until shrimp are pink.

Divide the udon noodles between four bowls and pour the soup over them over them.

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, it was a quick meal to make and I loved the broth.

Cincinati Chili

Four ways

I have been making Cincinnati chili for about 20 years now. I have been eating it a lot longer than that. I love everything about Cincinnati chili and I miss the Cincinnati chili parlors where I would either order four ways, coneys or both. In fact, one of the first meals I made for my husband (before we were even dating) was four ways. He made fun of the dish until he tasted it and then he was hooked. I never put it together, but maybe he married me for my chili.

When I make chili, I don't think I have ever measured the ingredients (I just pour them in) but for this blog, I measured everything. Please note that Cincinnati chili is soupy (or even runny); it is not a thick stew.

My Chili Recipe

In a large stock pot, bring to a boil:

1 Quart (1 Liter) of Beef Stock
About 1 1/2 Cups (375 ml) of Water

Add
2 Pounds (907 g) of Ground Beef (I add it piece by piece)

Stir until separated (it will separate much quicker if you add it in smallish pieces)

Reduce heat to a simmer and add:

2 Cups (382 g) of Grated Onions (I process them in the food processor; other people grate them with a grater)
4-6 Cloves of garlic minced (I sometimes add more I love garlic)
3 8 oz (227 g) cans of tomato sauce
2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tbsp of Chili Powder (I like to use a mixture of regular chili powder and Penzey's Hot Chili Powder)
4 Tbsp of Cocoa (this is not a typo- 4 Tablespoons)
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon
2 Tsp of Cumin
2 Tsp of Season Salt
The following ground: 8 Whole Allspice, 7 Whole Cloves, and 10-12 Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes (we use dried peppers from our garden) or 1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne (you can always adjust to your taste-- this is a comprise between my husband's desire for spicy and my daughter's desire for very little spice)  

The chili is soupy or even runny, not thick

Return the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours.  It is best to cool overnight to skim the fat off of the top-- but I can never wait that long. The smell of the chili cooking makes me so hungry that I end up sampling it while it cooks.

When you can wait no longer--- cook some spaghetti- place the spaghetti on a plate and cover with the chili -- add FINELY grated cheddar cheese (3 way); Finely grated cheddar cheese and chopped onions or cooked red kidney beans (4 way); Finely grated cheddar cheese, onion, and cooked red kidney beans (5 way).  If you have oyster crackers you should serve those with it and have hot sauce for those who like it a little hotter.

Coneys with lots of cheese

To make a coney- Get a hot dog bun, add a cooked hot dog, and add some mustard, chili, chopped onions, and lots of cheese.

The bottom line: Will we have this again? Yes. This is a standard meal in our house. I actually might be done tinkering with the recipe.

This Week at the Farmers Market- Tom Yum Gai Soup

A bowl of Tom Yum Gai Soup

My Saturday mornings usually include a trip to the Tulsa Cherry Street Farmer's Market. I look forward to it all week. It has a great combination of locally grown produce and live plants.

This week I found some great tomato plants: Napa grape hybrid, chardonnay grape hybrid, and Victoria. I think I have a dozen tomato plants. Last year I planted too many pepper plants (more Steven's fault than mine). I guess this is the year of the tomato. I also have planted all kinds of herbs, shallots, leeks, beans, peas, peppers, eggplant, okra, corn, blueberries, raspberries, and even tomatillos (great for salsas). I also have a dwarf banana plant but it will not provide any fruit until next year. Below are pictures of my garden (which show that I need to get out and pick some weeds).
Tulsa is a great place, but until my garden starts to provide me with its harvest I only have access to fresh local produce once a week. It's amazing how much better fresh food tastes.

This week's fresh haul at the farmer's market was snow peas and green onions. I am in a soup mood (getting over a nasty cold) so I came up with a modified Tom Yum Gai soup. I love Thai food. I think the mingling of flavors is amazing. I grow lemon grass each year so I have access to one of the most important ingredients (at least in my opinion). Tom Yum Gai has an incredible balance between spicy and sour. I know it is not traditional, but I love coconut milk so I added it too. Here is what I did:

Tom Yum Gai Soup

Homemade chicken stock
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
Can of Baby Corn
Can of Straw Mushrooms
2-3 Limes
5 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
3 Shallots, Chopped
3 Green Onions, Chopped
1 Habanero Chili, Cut Down the Middle
Snow Peas
3 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced
Green Onions
Lemongrass Stem, Cut in Pieces
Galangal Root, Sliced (I can only find this at an Asian market)
Chicken, Chopped

Put a total of 10 cups of chicken stock, water from baby corn, and water from straw mushrooms in pot. Add lime juice, kaffir leaves, lemon grass, garlic, shallots, and galangal (or ginger if you can't find any galangal). Bring to a boil then let simmer for 20 minutes. Next add baby corn, mushrooms, chili, tomatoes, snow peas, green onions, coconut milk and chicken. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Taste the soup -- I ended adding a little brown sugar , red curry paste, and chili garlic sauce. (The lime juice was too overpowering and needed to be offset). Since this soup was our main course, I added rice noodles.

Gumbo

I love to make Gumbo. It changes every time I make it because I make it from leftovers, what's in season, what's on sale, or what's in my freezer. Today I made gumbo with chicken, tasso, shrimp, and andouille sausage. I actually jotted down notes as I made it -- so here is how I made today's gumbo (which will never be repeated).

3/4 of a Red Bell Pepper, Diced
1 Large Onion, Diced
3 Ribs of Celery, Diced
6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

Added to a pot with oil covering the bottom, add salt, pepper, cayenne, Creole seasoning, and Louisiana hot sauce to taste.

Saute for approximately 15 minutes stirring frequently.

Add one 28 ounce (794)  can of crushed tomatoes, tasso, and andouille sausage. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

Add chicken broth (approximately 8 cups (2 liters)) and simmer for one hour.

About 30 minutes before serving, make rice.

About 15 minutes before serving taste and, if necessary, tweak the spices. Once you're satisfied, add the raw shrimp, cooked chicken and okra.

Serve with file (ground sassafras) and enjoy!!

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian wedding soup

I really want to be out planting, but it is a rare cold day in April in Oklahoma. It is supposed to freeze so I have to wait to plant. Instead I am making Italian Wedding Soup or Minestra Maritata. Historically it has nothing to do with weddings but is the marriage of meat and vegetables. It is the perfect soup for a cold day.

My mother made wedding soup for special occasions while I was growing up and I did not have the appreciation for the soup that I do now. It does take awhile to make (in part because I make my chicken broth from scratch). I think it makes a big difference with this soup (I always think that
homemade chicken broth make a difference and is worth the extra time).

All the ingredients for a great broth

Chicken Broth

To make the chicken broth, I take chicken quarters (I really like Smart Chicken) and cover them with chicken broth and water. I throw in some celery, onion, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, and cook for about 45 minutes then remove the chicken, celery onion and carrots from the broth. The chicken can be used in another recipe.

The meatballs are ready for the soup

Meatballs

• 2 lbs (1 kg) of Beef (or a mixture of beef and pork)
• 2 Slices of White Bread with Crust Soaked in 3/4 Cup (180 ml) of Milk
• 1 Large Egg, Beaten
• 1-2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tsp of Salt
• 1/2 Tsp of Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup (57g) Parmesan Cheese, Grated
• 1/3 Cup  (20 g) Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped

Mix all of the ingredients together and shape into meatballs (use about 1 1/2 teaspoons- it should be about the size of a large pecan). Some people bake their meatballs before adding them to the soup so that they brown. I don't but you certainly can. (Trust me on the milk soaked bread). I use about half of the recipe in the soup and the remainder I bake (at 400 F/ 204 C for 20 minutes turning once-- these meatballs should be the size of a large walnut) and use in other recipes or freeze.

The Soup

At last it is time to make the soup. Into the chicken broth I add a package of frozen chopped spinach, 1/3 cup (20 g) of chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley, and the meatballs. At this point you may want to add more salt and pepper. Simmer until the spinach and meatballs are cooked about 8-10 minutes. In a separate bowl whisk two eggs and 1/2 cup  (57 g) of Parmesan cheese. Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly add the egg cheese mixture to the moving soup. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve. You can always add more shredded Parmesan cheese to the top of the soup (I do).
Enjoy the soup and stay warm.