Modifications Are In Order

White bean chili is something I never really tried until Weston and I made some this January. I liked the recipe a LOT but now that I look back on it, the chili might have been a little on the runny side (Weston, I don't want to hear it...)

I used the same base recipe as before but made a few modifications:

1, 48 oz can Great Northern Beans

1, 15 oz can Kidney Beans

1 orange bell pepper chopped small

2 onions, and 3 cloves garlic chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

salt, pepper, garlic powder

36 oz chicken stock

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or leftover spaghetti sauce

Saute the onion, potato, pepper, and garlic until cooked through, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour until it reduces by about an inch when you look at the side of the pot. Spritz with lemon before serving, if you wish.

I am increasingly amazed...

...at all the delicious flavors a soup can take. Spices alone give each there own profile and make them utterly unique.

The following is a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Magazine which, thanks to my negligence in renewing my subscription for the past 3 years, I was given for free as part of a welcome-back package. This soup had a great kick from the cayenne and lemon combo and the two together give the flavor of sour cream almost, that little tang you get when it lingers on the tongue. You don't need any fancy mumbo jumbo over the top - it just adds calories and distracts from the complexity of the soup, but if you must: I recommend a bit of avocado and maybe a few pieces of diced red onion.

This is just screaming, "I'm good for you!!!"

Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans and one can pinto beans

2 cups chicken stock

1 large onion, chopped fine

3 scallions, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pat butter plus olive oil to fry the onions in

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin seeds (you can use cumin powder, too)

dash apple cider vinegar

juice from one lemon

sprinkling of cayenne pepper

salt, pepper, garlic powder

1/2 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

To begin, heat the oil in a large pot. Dump in the yellow onion first and cook until it's translucent. Then add the scallions and garlic.

Lower the heat and add the beans. If using canned beans, fill each of the empty cans with water and add that water as well. Then add about 1 and a half cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock).

Add everything but the corn and increase the heat to a good simmering temperature, I'd say medium to medium-high. Cook the soup until you can see it has reduced by about a quarter inch. This takes about an hour - 15 minutes in, taste the broth and season with salt and pepper. This is the point where the flavors will still seem separate so don't worry if you taste too much lemon or cumin. Keep the pot uncovered.

When the soup is almost at the consistency you want it, add the corn. After adding the corn, you should cook it another 3o minutes.

I know the cook time seems long, but the great thing is, you just have to be in the house while making the soup - just to give the occasional stir.

Something Old, Something New

...oh yes. Winter is the time. The time for soup. I've gotten quite good at perfecting the art of soup, if I do say so myself. I used to think brewing up a pot of homemade goodness was such a hassle, but really it couldn't be easier so long as you have some type of stock and veggies/beans on hand.

The following is quite possibly the crowning glory of any soup I've ever made. I walked into the kitchen completely uninspired and then something amazing just happened and the following recipe was born:

What you need:

2 onions, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce (homemade is best - I always add oregano to mine, so if you're using sauce without it, add about 1/2 tsp)

3 carrots, chopped

5 potatoes, chopped

5-6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)

1 tsp sage

salt, pepper, garlic powder

5-6 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 can cannelloni beans, not drained

2-3 pats butter and 2 Tbs oil

What you do:

Saute the onions in the oil until they are nice and almost caramelized, then add all the potatoes and carrots and saute down until the onions are almost melted and dark brown. Toss in your butter. Add the spices, tomato sauce, and stock. Put a lid on the top and cook for about 30 minutes, then add the beans (don't drain them - this helps thicken the soup). Cook another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked a bit past their "tender" stage.

There are a few things that, I think, make this soup especially wonderful. First, it uses things everyone has on hand but perhaps never thought to put together. Second, it's cheap, and don't we all love that? Third, and most important - it is so good for you! Hardly any fat at all, brothy, and high in protein and nutrients from the tomatoes, stock, and garlic - ward of those pesky colds. The broth in itself is a thing of beauty because the butter adds another level of decadence and a wonderful viscosity not typical of your regular runny broth.

Nourishing Break-Time Meals

With a physiology exam on the horizon, I had to find a way to motivate myself to study hard for the entire weekend. And since we have Monday to study, I knew I had to make my time at the desk count. So I started "rewarding" myself. As in, if you finish taking notes on these 7 chapters, you can make a tasty lunch. Or, once you've memorized these equations, you can bake a batch of cookies. And wouldn't you know, I am sitting here, writing this post with a plate of cookies in front of me and a Tupperware of carrot stoup in the fridge. I call it "stoup" for a reason, and I'll tell you about that in just a moment. The point is, it's important to work hard, but work efficiently. For me, that means setting goals but also breaks to regroup and revive.

I started the morning intending to make a little carrot soup for myself. More to use up the carrots I had in my fridge because I knew I would get sick of eating them raw with my lunches. So I sauteed 2 pats of butter with 4 chopped carrots and half a Vidalia onion (which are wayyyy easier to find here in Virginia than they were in Virginia). Next, I added a splash of sherry because I always feel the soup is missing something. I seasoned with a teeeny bit of salt and some pepper and then added my chicken broth - 4 cups. Instead of rice, I added about 1/2 cup of barley as well. I set the timer for 25 minutes and allowed the soup to simmer away on medium heat. During this time, my roommate came home and told me she was going to take a little nap. I didn't want to wake her by whirring up my soup in the blender. So I just scouped up a bowl as it was and took a spoonful. Man, was it good!!!!! Soooooo good. I loved have a little extra texture and the barley made it so satisfying. To use the words of AArti, it warmed me from my belly out. I went back for seconds.

Two hours later, I was feeling unmotivated again, so I told myself I could make some cookies if I stuck it out another 20 minutes. I just used the recipe on the back of the Ghiradelli bag of chocolate chips, cutting it in half because, let's face it, I don't need 30 cookies hanging around the house when I am under pressure ;)

For your viewing delight, here are a few pictures of the cookies dough, because everyone knows it's my favorite part. Oh, and a little trick - I like a crunchy exteriors and a gooey interior, so I take the cookies out when they have a nice little crust, but still dip in when I poke them gently. I let them sit on the pan on the counter and they cook a little more, but not toooo much.

Yummy Carrot Soup

When I was a little girl, my favorite book was called "The Tawny Scrawny Lion." Short story shorter, there was a lion who didn't eat anything and was way too skinny, so to fatten him up a family of bunnies made him some carrot soup. I thought carrot soup was a myth until I discovered this recipe. It's so simple, you won't believe it tastes so good!

What you need:

4 Tbs butter

12 carrots, sliced

2 onions, sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch of thyme

8 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 c rice

splash of cooking sherry

What You Do

Melt butter in a large pot and add the carrots and onions. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Add the broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Add rice and sherry. Simmer on medium heat for 35 minutes.

In a blender, add 1 ladle-full of the soup mixture and puree until it is the consistency you like - I am a fan of a very smooth, creamy texture.

Gobble it all up on a rainy day :)