Rustic Clam & Vegetable Soup

I was going to call this recipe ‘clam chowder’, but let’s face it… it’s not loaded with cream and it certainly isn’t white.  Instead I call this rustic clam and vegetable soup because I think that title suits it much better.  While still thick and creamy, my clam chowder is a heartier and lighter version of what you get when you’d order it at a restaurant.  I usually start this soup by frying up a couple of slices of apple wood smoked bacon, but I was out.  If you’ve got some, after frying… use a tablespoon of the drippings to cook your vegetables in instead of olive oil.  It gives the soup a really smoky flavor.  Also, when I have it on hand, I use fresh thyme, but today I went with dried.  Use whatever you’ve got on hand.  I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the potatoes will break down quite a bit when trying to reheat and the soup will become mushy… which nobody wants.  Serve with a bit of minced Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.

What You Need:

2 small cans clams and their juices (I like Snow’s or Crown Prince)
4 cups chicken stock – I used homemade (broth would work also)
½ - ¾ cup ½ ‘n ½ at room temperature (to taste – depends how creamy you like it)

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (any potato would work here)
2 large stalks celery, ½ “dice
4 small – med carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium – large brown onion, ½ “dice
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
½ tsp dried thyme

3 Tbs butter (I used unsalted, but any kind would work)
3 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat pastry, but any kind will work)

What To Do:

Sauté carrot, celery and onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are deeply browned. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Push the vegetable mixture to the sides of the pot and melt butter in the well you created. Once the butter is mostly melted add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add stock in 1 cup increments, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, over medium high heat until thick and bubbly. This will take about 4 minutes.

Add the potato to the pot and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Depending on the size of your potato chunks – the smaller you cut, the faster it cooks.

Remove from heat and add your ½ ‘n ½ and clams (with juices). Serve soup garnished with fresh Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.



Makes 7 – 1 cup servings


Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Turkey & Potato Soup with Spinach

When you’re tired of being frozen on a day where you’re totally snowed in and its storming like crazy… you’ve got to make this soup to warm up!!  If you use all of the listed ingredients, this recipe will remind you of a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts in a bowl.  B and I enjoyed this Sunday evening while watching movies.  I highly recommend it.  I know that using ground meat in a soup in definitely not ‘normal’ turkey soup, but trust me… this turns out wonderfully.  I will warn you… There are several ingredients and this soup cannot be made in 20 minutes or less, but it’s SO good… you’ve gotta try it just once!     

What You Need:

1 – 1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 – 32 ox box chicken or turkey stock (broth works too)

2 cups milk, at room temperature

3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes, 1” dice (or any other thin skinned potato)

6 oz grated cheese (I used garlic infused jack)

½ large brown onion (about a cup), ½ “dice

3 medium carrots (about a cup), thinly sliced

3 small stalks celery (about a cup), thinly sliced

8 oz baby spinach

6-9 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

2 Tbs Italian parsley, minced (dried would probably work here also)

2 Tbs butter

3 Tbs flour

1 Tbs + 4 tsp olive oil

1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or your favorite salt free seasoning blend - to taste)

½ tsp poultry seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)

2 bay leaves (optional, but highly recommended)

½ tsp salt and pepper, divided (to taste)

 

What To Do:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the celery, carrot, onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Season the vegetables with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another 2 tsp of oil into the pan and turn the heat up to medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and bay leaf and sauté for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with ¼ tsp salt and pepper, 21 seasoning salute and poultry seasoning.


Push turkey and garlic to the outside of the pan and melt butter in the center with 1 Tbs olive oil. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the flour in and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.


Add the carrots, celery and onions back into the pan and slowly add the chicken stock a little at a time, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.


Bring to a simmer and add potato for 10-12 minutes or until potato is fork tender.


Add the milk and bring up to temperature without boiling or the milk could curtle.  Remove from heat and add spinach, mix and then put the lid on until wilted. Add cheese and parsley. Serve with crusty bread.




Edited to add: makes 10 - 2c servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

**cook’s note: I don’t recommend freezing this soup as it has a creamy broth and also potatoes which tend to break down quite a bit when defrosting and then cooking again…**



 

Mirepoix Tofu Stir Fry

I know what you’re thinking… A French stir fry?! Nope! But the word mirepoix (pronounced: meer-pwa) is a French name for the combination of vegetables: carrot, celery and onion. I always have carrots, celery and onions on hand in my pantry, but sometimes I don’t end up using them before they start getting tired. That was the case this fine evening and so another tofu stir fry was in order, featuring a mirepoix.

What You Need:

1 block extra firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes

1 package snow peas, cut into bite sized peices

½ large sweet onion, sliced

¾ yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2” pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 – 8 oz package mushrooms, roughly chopped
6 - 10 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbs minced ginger
3 green onions, thinly sliced

The sauce:
Hot sauce to taste (sriracha)
2 Tbs oyster sauce
Soy sauce to taste
2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil



What To Do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add tofu and cook until well browned, about 8-10 minutes.

Add celery, carrots and onion and cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.

Next, add yellow pepper, snow peas, garlic and ginger. Cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables are cooked, but still have some crunch.

Turn heat down to medium low and add hot sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serve with green onion and additional hot sauce.





Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary