Jenn’s Cook Book

Here is another great recipe for Spring Fever! The original recipe comes from Simply in Season, but I have adjusted the ingredients and the method of serving. The first set of ingredients and directions is more or less the original, with some additions. The second set is my own creation, created to compliment the flavors in the chowder.

I created this meal to celebrate a new apartment for my friend Leah. On the first evening in a new place, I felt the kitchen needed to be “broken in” as a welcoming gift. Both she and I loved this dish, and it makes plenty of leftovers for lunch (or enough to feed a crowd). Of course, I had to serve this with my favorite Coconut-Ginger Rice. We also had fresh cantaloupe on the side, which complimented the dish perfectly.

2 tbsp butter
2 ribs of celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2-3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups water
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (or chicken)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 can (14-16 oz) diced tomatoes, not drained
1 can (14-16 oz) corn kernels, drained
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) evaporated milk

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onions, saute 3-5 minutes until tender. Add zucchini and basil, saute an additional 3-5 minutes until tender.

Stir flour, salt, and pepper into vegetables. Gradually stir in water to make a smooth stock. Add bouillon cubes and lemon juice, mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until bouillon cubes have dissolved.

Add tomatoes and juice, corn, and evaporated milk to pot. Return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for 5 minutes until corn is tender.

At this point in the original recipe, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese are stirred into the chowder just before serving and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on top of the serving bowls. In my recipe, the sauteed beef is prepared while the chowder cooks and everything is served over hot, cooked rice.

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips 
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
6 scallions, cut into half inch pieces, white and green parts separated
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup water

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Add celery, onion, and white scallions to skillet and saute 3-5 minutes. Remove onion mixture from skillet and set aside.

Toss beef in cornstarch, cumin, cayenne pepper, and allspice until coated. Add beef to hot skillet and cook 2 minutes on one side, do not stir. Add water to pan and turn beef, scrapping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

Return onion mixture to pan and toss with beef. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve sauteed beef and zucchini chowder over hot, cooked rice. Top with green scallions.

 Dinner is served!

When I made the Apples Roasted with Root Vegetables, there was enough to feed a small army! I still had half of it left in the refrigerator, and decided to turn it into soup! You could either follow the original recipe and reserve half, or follow the recipe below if you just want to make the soup.

Here is the recipe, halved:

1 1/2 cups tart apples, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup carrots, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/2 lb small red skin potatoes, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 cups parsnips, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch chunks 
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried thyme or 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/4 tsp salt

For soup, add:
2 tsp minced garlic
4-5 cups water or chicken stock
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of red pepper

Preheat oven to 425F

Combine apples, carrots, onion, red skin potatoes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme,  and salt. Toss to coat and spread vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize. 

Saute garlic over medium heat in a large saucepan for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add 4 cups chicken stock or water, plus nutmeg and red pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add reserved vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are warm (if using leftovers). Blend in batches, filling the blender halfway each time. Combine batches in a clean pot and add additional water or stock if too thick. Top with fresh ground black pepper.   

Shown below, garnished with a cinnamon stick:

This recipe has appeared in several different forms, and here is the latest reincarnation. If you like cheesy broccoli soup and one-pot dishes, this is the recipe for you.

1 small onion, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 cups chicken broth
1 pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1 pkg (12-14 oz) processed cheese, such as Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Coat a large stockpot with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add paprika and saute 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add chicken broth and broccoli, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk flour into milk and add to soup. Add pepper and stir well until thickened, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

Remove from heat and stir in cubed cheese. Stir until melted. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Another adventure in Autumn’s produce, this soup combines rich butternut squash and tart Golden Delicious apples with a touch of curry and cinnamon. The produce used below was grown locally. There were several recipes online for this type of soup, but none really matched what I was looking for, so this is more of an original creation with a little help. Great for a rainy day! This is also going to be Turmeric-mania Recipe #8.

1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
3-4 small or medium tart apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tbsp butter or oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups vegetable stock (chicken broth can be used instead)

In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt butter or heat oil and add onion and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes until tender and fragrant. Add salt, curry powder, and cinnamon. Saute 2-3 additional minutes.

Add vegetable (or chicken) stock, butternut squash, and apples. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, until squash and apples are tender.

Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Reheat if necessary. Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch of nutmeg (if desired).

The author of one of my favorite blogs Vanilla Garlic, listed to the right under Cool Food Blogs, posted this fantastic recipe for Garbanzo Garlic Soup that I just had to try. Part of the appeal of this soup is that it is a “pantry-scraper,” to borrow the phrase, meaning hopefully you have all the ingredients on hand like garlic, onion, chicken broth, thyme, and garbanzo beans (fortunately, I’m really into chick peas right now, so I did have everything!). It was delicious and perfect for autumn.

To view the recipe, please visit the blog by clicking here.

Here is Turmeric-mania Recipe #6! This comes from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast and uses fresh carrots and chicken broth to make a sweet, spicy, and rich soup (no cream or milk required). Because the recipe makes such a large batch of soup, I froze half of it to save for the first snowfall, which here in Michigan could be next week, next month, or next new year. Appropriately enough, this soup is featured in the Winter section of the book, but is great for a chilly Autumn evening as well. Like Curried Zucchini Soup, this can also be chilled and served cold.

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth (about 3 1/3 cups)
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, carrots, and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Hot liquids will expand when blended, so be careful not to fill the jar of the blender more than halfway. To prevent the liquid from spattering, allow the heat to escape by removing the cap from the hold in the lid and cover the lid with a dish towel when blending.

Transfer the pureed soup to a clean saucepan. Add more water or chicken broth to thin to desired consistency. Reheat over low, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Saute onions in butter:

Add carrots and simmer:

Puree and serve, here topped with fresh ground pepper:

Here is my first recipe for Turmeric-mania, using fresh zucchini with a pre-made curry mix from McCormick. This particular brand of curry powder combines coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger (whew!). The recipe below is from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, and “a cup of this soup is delicious, served hot or cold.” Enjoy Turmeric-mania Recipe #1.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, about 3 medium/2 large, sliced 1 inch thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add sliced zucchini and potato, plus 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway, liquids will expand), until smooth. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Sauteing onion:

Adding garlic and curry powder:

Simmering zucchini:

Serving soup garnished with toasted almond slivers:

The original recipe for this soup came from Cooking Light magazine. Over the past few months, I’ve adjusted the recipe slightly and with each attempt it has gotten better. Here is the most recent incarnation, I hope you enjoy it.

cooking spray
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 package frozen broccoli florets
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
1 package (14 oz) Velveeta cheese
shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
chopped green onions (optional)

Coat a large, heavy-duty saucepan with cooking spray. Saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and broccoli. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Whisk together milk and flour. Slowly pour into pan, stirring constantly, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in paprika and pepper. Cut Velveeta into small cubes. Remove from heat and add Velveeta, stirring until completely melted. Let soup stand 10-15 minutes over serving. If Velveeta does not melt easily, place pan over low heat.

For serving, top individual bowls with shredded cheese and green onions as desired.

Shredded Carrot and Orange Soup (see posting below) is a recipe I created by using a combination of other recipes and using my own preferences. It is still a work-in-progress, and here are some of the suggestions I received:

“Carrots are a little dense, maybe use less.”
I’ll probably adjust the recipe to read 5-6 carrots instead of 7-8. I also kept my soup thick, so maybe add more broth. I used just under 6 cups the first time I made it.

“More garlic, less thyme.”
I agree more garlic, probably 1 or 2 more cloves (totaling 1 1/2 to 2 tsp), but I felt the thyme was just right. Maybe more garlic will help.

“More pepper.”
I used a little under 1/8 tsp of pepper, I would increase that to a round 1/8 tsp or a 1/4 tsp. I may also add some crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat to balance out the sweet of the orange.

In the cookbook Million Menus, there is a recipe for Carrot and Orange soup. It calls for grated carrots, potatoes, onion and orange juice to be fed to a food processor or blender. I tried this and didn’t really care for the consistency of the soup (think baby food). In my version, I’ve added a few more ingredients and made it a broth-based soup.

6 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 to 3 small sweet onions, grated
16 oz (2 pkg) sliced or quartered mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp)
1 large baking potato, peeled and grated
7 to 8 (1 1/2 lbs) carrots, grated
4 to 5 ribs celery, chopped or diced
1 large orange, zested and halved
several springs fresh thyme, leaves removed
salt and pepper

Pour broth into a medium saucepan over low heat. Melt butter in a large, heavy duty saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and saute until mushrooms are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Salt to taste, about 1/4 tsp.

Add potato, carrot and celery. Stir well to incorporate mushroom mixture. Stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are heated through.

Add enough broth to cover vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return pan with broth to low heat.

Add the zest of 1 large orange and leaves from thyme, about 1 tbsp each. Squeeze in juice from orange. Add more broth until soup reaches desired thickness. Let soup simmer for about 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste, 1/8 to 1/4 tsp.

Remove from heat and let soup sit covered for 5 minutes. Skim off any film that floats to the top. Serve warm with crusty bread and sliced cheese.

Preparation Suggestions:

Dice, chop, grate or slice your veggies anyway you want, the above are just my suggestions. You can also add any other veggies you might like in your soup.

Go vegetarian by using vegetable broth and olive oil instead of butter. Cut calories by using a butter substitute such as I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter Light.

Use fresh ingredients, not pre-cut varieties.