Brought to us today by Gail Greenblatt, a new friend and food writer/editor - a quick, yummy, healthy soup for these never ending winter days. Enjoy!!

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER APPLE SOUP

Ingredients
A 16 ounce package of frozen cauliflower flowerets
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon of curry powder, or to taste
2 only 4-ounce cups of apple sauce
1 15 ounce can chicken or vegetable broth, plus 1 cup water

Directions
Cook cauliflower as directed on package in a large microwaveable bowl.
In a smaller bowl heat olive oil, curry, onion and garlic until softened, about
3 minutes on high. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Add apple sauce, broth and water to cauliflower, along with onion mixture. Stir.
Microwave on high 5 minutes, stir.
Microwave on power 8 for another 5 minutes.
Let cool.
Puree with immersion blender.
Adjust seasoning

On my continuing quest to have low fat but really yummy food in the fridge, I decided to make some soups today. Usually I just buy vegetable stock, but I had the time and all of the veggies already in the fridge, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Veggies ready for the pot

Here’s what you need:  1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 leek, 1/2 turnip, 1 tomato, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, some parsley.

Here’s how you do it: heat 2 T of oil in  a pot and add the vegetables.  Put the heat on low, cover the pot, and let the veggies sweat for 5 minutes.  Add 1 gallon of cold water, bring the water to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

The stock is fabulous, and can be used as a base for just about any soup you can think of.  I think I’m going to continue cleaning out the fridge and put all the veggies I’ve got in there into this stock.  Maybe some pasta, too.  Yum, can’t wait for lunch.

Portuguese Watercress Soup Recipe

Here’s a great old Portuguese recipe that will keep you warm through even the coldest of Atlanta’s snowy days.  Better yet, it freezes well and is really versatile, served over rice or even soft buttered rolls!  This spicy Watercress Soup gets its heat from the peppery bite of the watercress and the delicious old world spices in the sausage.  This could feed 6 very hungry Portuguese fisherman, or maybe even your teenagers!

What you need:

1 VERY large bunch of watercress, preferably an older plant with tougher, woodier stems.  If you can’t get that, a package of fresh young watercress works great!

1/2 lb.  of Portuguese Sausage, you can probably find Silva brand at your local specialty grocer’s.  If you can’t find that, look for linguica or a spicy andouille.

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (is there any other kind?)

1 large onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes

1 large russet potato

2 cans dark kidney beans

red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste

1.  Cut the watercress into 2 1/2 inch pieces across the stem from bottom to top, separating them into 3 groups based on stem thickness

2. Cut the Portuguese sausage on a slight diagonal to make little ovals

3. Heat half the Olive Oil over medium/medium-high heat in a large stockpot and start chopping the onion, but not too fine

4. Add Portuguese Sausage in 1 layer and let it crisp on bottom before turning it over, again allowing for the sausage to crisp.  Once crispy, push the sausage to the edges of the pot, making a ring.  Add onion in a nice thin layer and let it cook gently.  Once it gets translucent, stir the sausage back in.  While your waiting for the onion to cook, mince the garlic, and add on top of the onion once it starts getting fragrant.

5. When you can smell the garlic, stir it all together.

6. Cut up your tomatoes still in the can with a pair of kitchen scissors until in small chunks, then add tomatoes and their juice to the pot.  Scrape the bottom while stirring them in, thats where your flavor comes from!  Add your first (thickest stem) bunch of watercress slices.

7. Turn your heat down to medium-low and let everything simmer.  While simmering, peel and chop the potato into 3/4 inch squares (it doesnt have to be perfect, this is a soup, after all).  Add your potato to the pot and let it come back to a simmer.

8. Drain and rinse the beans.  Add them to the simmering pot, along with two bean-cans full of water.  Add tomato paste and stir.  Throw in the medium stem batch of watercress and mix it in.

9. Bring the heat up to medium and cover the pot until its at a low boil.  Uncover and let simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

10. Remove from heat and add the last (smallest stem) batch of watercress.  Stir it in.  Let sit for about 5 minutes and add seasonings to taste.  Serve hot, and enjoy!

Note: If youre using younger watercress, don’t add it in stages.  The young leaves are very delicate and should just go in at the very end where the recipe calls for the last batch.  It still tastes great!

Mama Says…eat your vegetables - at least seven of them!

To feed friends and family over the long holiday weekend I made a Moroccan seven vegetable soup/stew to serve with couscous.  Friday evening the dish was ideal with an oven roasted turkey.  And tonight with grilled chicken - superb. The leftovers are so flexible; A bowl of soup with some couscous, chicken over a green salad, or a redux of the first meal. Don’t let the amount of chopping stop you from trying this recipe — seven is considered a very lucky number.

Grilled Chicken with Moroccan Spices

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds chicken (your choice – I prefer skinless, boneless breasts sliced in half)
Parsley (optional garnish – minced fresh)

Marinade: Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in a medium glass-measuring cup. Place chicken in a plastic bag; add marinade and turn to coat. Chill 4 to 6 hours.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place marinade-coated chicken on barbecue. Grill chicken until just cooked through, occasionally brushing with any remaining marinade, about 4 minutes per side Transfer chicken to platter; sprinkle with parsley and serve with couscous.

Seven-Vegetable Stew

12 cups water or chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1 pound turnips, peeled and quartered
4 medium onions, in 1/16th lengthwise, root end intact
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 or 2-inch chunks
1 pound butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1or 2-inch chunks
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1or 2-inch rounds
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cabbage heart, quartered and halved
1 can diced tomatoes, with their juices
½ teaspoon saffron
Fresh parsley and coriander, minced (approx ½ to ¾ cup)

Couscous:

1 box prepared couscous
Optional:  add a dash of cinnamon and garlic powder to the liquid
Harissa (Tunisian hot sauce) or Zhrug

Preparation

For the stew: Put the turnips, onions, and carrots in a large soup pot with a lid. Add water or broth and bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the vegetables are somewhat soft, about 10 minutes. Add squash, zucchini, chickpeas, cabbage and tomatoes to the pot. Simmer the stew, covered, until it is slightly thick and fragrant, and the vegetables are fork tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes more. (You can test the vegetables a bit sooner, remove them as soon as they are tender, and return them to the pot when you are ready to serve. All the vegetables should be tender enough to cut with the side of a fork, but still hold their shapes.). Stir in the parsley and coriander just before serving.

For the couscous:

Follow the directions on the package using a mixture of water and stew broth for the liquid. Will take approximately 5 minutes after the liquid comes to a boil. Transfer to a bowl and fluff with a fork.

To serve: Put the couscous and stew in serving separate bowls.  Pass the harissa or hot sauce around for people to adjust the heat, as they desire.

Enjoy. Thank you for joining us in the kitchen.

Make No Bones About It - Chicken Broth Recipe

It’s been cold, cold, cold in Atlanta - and in many places across the country this week.  With so many sniffles, viruses and bugs in circulation, I decided we needed a dose of medicine that only a mother or grandmother can provide – Thrifty Chicken Broth.

Combine chicken bones for soup – thrifty doesn’t begin to describe the price - with some odds and ends from the fridge to create a homemade medicine for winter colds. Oven-roasting the ingredients intensifies the flavors and adds to the aromas in the house.

Thrifty Chicken Broth
Yield 6 – 8 cups

1.5 pounds of chicken bones for soup
2 carrots
3 celery sticks
1 small onion with skin on (rinse)
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon whole black peppers
3 whole garlic cloves
water

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roughly chop carrots, celery and onion into quarters.  Place chopped vegetables into the bottom of a stockpot, which accommodates the oven and stovetop, along with the spices. Next place the chicken bones on top of the veggie mixture. Add 1 -2 cups of water.  Place in the oven uncovered for 30 – 45 minutes.

2.  Using potholders remove stockpot from the oven and place on the stove on high.  Add 4 – 8 cups of water to cover chicken. Bring to boil and stir to mix.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3.  Strain through a colander.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately as a clear broth or return to stove top and add any items you like (noodles, sliced carrots, celery, onion) to make a hearty chicken soup.

Mama Says that a little prevention goes a long way.  Stay warm.

Photo credit: DOCTOR HOLDING CARROTS © Ron Chapple Studios |  Dreamstime.com