Sauerkraut soup...

As I'm doing my back and hip rejuvenation this morning, the alarm clock goes off with further discussion of the G20 Summit presently going on in Seoul. Much is still being said about the  summit of Toronto of this year.  I'm not defending anybody here you understand, and if I'm saying something you don't like please feel free to click out the same way you clicked in.  What does this have to do with recipes and Sauerkraut soup. Well, my husband is a retired police officer, he would have been one of those officers "policing "Toronto during the summit, weather or not he was actually at the summit? police work carried on throughout  the city during that time. In the summer, during the nightmare of Caribana, and he policed it, many a time, I'd be expected to have a meal that would compliment the fact that he hadn't eaten or drank much during his 12hour shift, many time more than 12 hours.  As one of his partners said, "it never fails, you're five minutes from the end of your shift and "something " happens, and as an officer you stay with that case till it's processed.  So I imagine that throughout the summit not too many husbands/wives made it home for dinner, or even to sleep.  So today, being a little chilly, he's no longer a policeofficer, he's retired, but he is a private investigator.  As such he's doing jobs that private companies hire him to do, because there are just not enough police officers to do private duty.Or at least this is what I'm lead to believe.

He was off in the wee hours, and he'll be standing for 12-15hours in this cool temperatures, on concrete, no amenities, no lunch, no coffee breaks. So with his fowl mood tonight and his cold feet, I thought I'd save myself so grumbling conversations and serve his favourite, cold melting, sour puss sweetening Sauekraut soup.  (P.S.it keeps well for days, and then I don't really have to cook anything else he likes for days,) 

I started my soup today on stock that I had made with my turkey carcass.  I sautéed a whole, large onion chopped with a couple of strips of finely chopped bacon, added this to the stock.I threw in a couple of potatoes peeled and cubed, two carrots chopped, a couple of ribs of celery whole, (I take them out after the soup is done) a couple of chilli peppers, (from my garden)and a jar of drained sourkraut.  (Taste this, as sometimes it's very sour and you need to rinse with cold water, another reason I drain it, the liquid could be used, but if it's really sour, you'll be puckering up for days)  I put in a tbsp. of Vegeta/or bouillon cube and cook on a low temp heat for a couple of hours, (have your fan going, it stinks).  After a couple of hours I threw in a couple of smoked sausages, (these were already cooked, but if they were raw, I'd have cooked them first, the saurekraut doesn't allow the meat to not be red , and I don't like that)  And now all I have to do is give him a gigantic bowl and some rye bread and viola dinner is served, and it's not even 10a.m.  

So when you're watching the news and you see the cops doing their stuff, think of their poor wives who have to live with the bitching that they come home with,  and the meals they have to make, just to shut them up. 

I always remember an advertisement that the city of New York had.  It pictured a Police Officer entering a very dark alley, it read "You wouldn't go into that alley for a million dollars, yet we expect our police officers to do it for a lot less."  My suggestion to you is next time you see a nice police officer, and there aren't many, say thanks, or like I do ask him to come home for soup.  What am I saying, my guy is not nice...

Squash Bisque, Country Style,

Squash Bisque, Country Style
(Jamaica)

1 large winter squash, or a combo of several small ones.
It should be about 2c. of squash meat(I used butternut, acorn or even spaghetti squash)
Peeled and cut into chunks.
1 clove of garlic
1 pinch each marjoram, thyme and allspice
1 small onion finely chopped sautéed
½ tsp. sugar ( I use brown)
1/3c. sherry
1 slice lean bacon, fried crisp, crumbled
1 c. tomatoes
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1 small potato (or 1 sweet potato)
2 tbsp. pearl barley/or rice
1 bay leaf
Tsp. Tabasco
6. c. stock/ beef/ chicken or vegetable

In a large sauce pan, fry bacon, when the bacon is crisp remove it and set aside to crumble for topping. Using the grease from the bacon, sauté onions, garlic which has been grated, celery chopped up, add marjoram, thyme and allspice. When the onions are translucent the mixture is done. I place all of this in a blender and crush it, that way my boys are not picking out the onions. Return to saucepan, add the stock, and potato, carrot, squash, bay leaf. Let cook until vegetables are tender, I like to use a potato masher to break things up, then I add the pearl barley and crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook until all the flavours have a chance to mingle, approx. 30 min. (on med. Heat) add sugar and sherry and Tabasco. Serve with bacon crumbled on top of each bowl, with saltines or croutons. I also cut my bacon just ½ inch off the end of the lb. instead of fussing with a slice and then trying to crumble it up. Enjoy.

This recipe was given to my by Lois, my painting pal. I’m sure I’ve made personal adjustments so. .. I often leave the bay leaf out, just because my mother never cared for bay leaves and she was often at the table when I served this , and I have added a red pepper to my sauté and left out the Tabasco, I like the sweet potato as well and I like to mix up all different squashes. If I use the spaghetti squash alone I don’t use the potatoe masher to break up the vegtables, or I add the spaghetti squash after I mash.

Lost in translation

I thought I better let you know how I make that white barszcz (Zurek). I start with that Saturday Soup that we eat on Sunday. *I add the mixture that I purchased at my local Polish Deli. The label was somewhat decieving, but once I got my Polish mind going, I figured this must be it, it's a very literal translation."Sour Soup" refers to the method used to obtain the results required for this particular soup. I was so delighted when I read the label at how low in fat this was( 0%), then I remembered I was going to whisk in 1/2 pint 35% cream. Sometimes I find this a little lacking in flavour so I'll add some Vegeta (similar to oxo cubes, but more flavour). And that is it, heat thoroughly. I serve it with hard boiled eggs, horseradish, kielbasa and rye bread. Refrigerate leftovers.

Now you can make this mixture yourself. Place 1 loaf of rye bread in a 2 gallon crock and fill the crock with boiling water. Cover with cheese cloth and allow to sit for 2 -3 days, until it sours. Hence the name "Sour Soup" Strain the liquid and refrigerate liquid until use. Place the liquid in a 6 quart pot and add the 2 1/2 tsp. salt,, 1 3/4 tsp. pepper and 1 1/2 tsp. sour salt (citric acid), bring to a boil. And now you can continue from *.


If I'm not making this for easter and just feel like it, and I do, Nardini Sausage goes great in it. Nardin Sausage is located in Stoney Creek Ontario. Or if you have a favorite sausage by all means experiment. Cook sausage,any way you like, slice and add to soup.

Won Ton Soup

Won Ton Soup

½ lb. won ton skins
4oz. minced pork
4 oz. minced shrimp
1 tsp. memi
2 tbsp. white wine
Pinch salt and pepper
3 ½ c. pork stock
1 egg

Add to soup
¼ lb. snow peas
1 doz. Sliced water chestnuts
2 leaves Buk Tuey (chopped)
2 green onions ( chopped)
½ tsp. memi

Mix the pork, shrimp, salt, pepper and white wine. Put ½ tsp. of the filling in the centre of each skin. Fold over and dampen one side with egg and pinch together. Cook the won ton very gently in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Then drain and put into individual bowls.

Bring pork stock to a boil, add the snow peas, water chestnuts and buk tuey, green onions and memmi. Pour over the won tons and serve.


Notes
I don’t care for water chestnuts so I leave them out, and I use my own stock, not usually pork. I also like my snow peas cooked a little more, still crisp but cooked so I delay adding the buk tuey and green onions and memmi for about 7 minutes while I heat thoroughly the soup. Buk Tuey is a leafy herb available at Chinese grocery stores, or I have used parsley instead. Memmi is a milder soy sauce, which you can use instead if you can’t find memmi.

Angel Food Cafe

I few years ago we took my mother out to the Angel Food Cafe in Grimsby Ontario, for her birthday. The chef there made a incredibly delicious soup. He also sold the spices for that soup. I've been saving this spice for special occasions, because for some reason the cafe is no longer open, and thus the spices are no longer available. I wish I knew someone in a CSI lab so they could tell me what was in this great mixture. So Sunday's soup was Sweet Potatoe and Parsnip. My husband doesn't particularly care for the angel mixture, so I kept it for myself. If anyone knows this chef please beg him for the spice recipe. Here it is ...

Sweet Potatoe and Parsnip

1 med. to large sweet potatoe
1 parsnips
3 cups stock, about
1/4 c. heavy cream

I steamed these two, after peeling and cutting into approx. the same size pieces. When they were fork tender, I mashed them coarsely with a potatoe masher. Add stock to desired consistency. Just before serving whisk in cream. Serve with a great rye bread. Ambrosia I say... * I put 1/4 tsp. of my angel mixture into my bowl and BAM is not a strong enough word to describe it.

Remember I'm using the stock I made on Saturday night so I've been able to control the salt and fat.

Tortellini Minestrone with Spinach

Tortellini Minestrone with Spinach

2tsp. vegetable oil 2tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery 4cups stock
1sp. Dried basil ¼ tsp. black pepper
1 1/2cups diced plum tomatoes(canned will do)
2cups freshly chopped spinach
2cups frozen cheese tortellini
3tbs. grated parmesan cheese.

In a non-stick saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery : cook 4 minutes or until onions are softened.

Add stock, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp.

Stir in tomatoes, spinach. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

In another pot, bring 4cups water to boil. Add tortellini and cook until water returns to boil and tortellini rise to top. Drain, rinse. Spoon tortellini into bowls add soup, garnish with parmesan cheese.

* I sometimes buy the plum tomatoes with seasoning for a change of taste. Or the tri-colored tortellini just for fun. Store leftover soup separately from tortellini in refrigerator. Tortellini just suck up all the soup liquid.

Warm all over soup...

The gym group are sharing soup recipes. So I'll skip the gym and just give them a really great soup.
Red Onion and Grilled Red Pepper Soup

Preheat oven to Broil
Baking Sheet

3 large red bell peppers
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar *
5 red onions.
3 to 31/2 c. stock of your choice.

Arrange oven rack 6 inches under element.
Cut red peppers into quarters, and remove seeds, place cut side down on baking sheet. Peel and quarter onions also place on baking sheet. Peel garlic and also put on baking sheet. Roast until skin of peppers in chard and. I use a non-stick baking sheet and skip the oil. Let cool. Peel the chard skin off the red peppers, place in blender along with the onions and garlic. Put in pot and add stock until desired consistency. Red peppers and red onions make a naturally sweet-tasting soup, sugar may not be needed.* Heat through, whisk in sour cream or dollop on top for serving.Garnish with basil or parsley.

A great source of fibre. Freezes well without sour cream.

Soup de jour

O.k. today I used my stock to make Leek and Potatoe Soup, it was delicious. It's an old Milk Calender Recipe I believe 1986. I reduce the fat by using skim milk, and a Teflon pan to saute my leeks. I didn't add the mushrooms today, (just forgot to buy them). We gobbled it up. My family continued with a second course but I was good and just had the soup and my yogurt.

So you use the leeks white part only, chop it up and saute in a Teflon pan,
or in the microwave with a little stock. Until translucent.

Blend them up, add to stock.

Meanwhile, peel and cook 3 medium potatoes, mash and add to stock.

When thoroughly heated, whisk in 1/4c. skim milk.

I used about 4 leeks, 3 med. potatoes and 4cups stock. If you plan on adding mushrooms about 1/2 lb. will do they do need to be fried, so once you have finished with the saute of the leeks add the mushroom, you may need to add some butter/margarine to brown them well. I skipped this today as we are watching our fats. This is really good with some grainy bread and a large salad.

Saturday soup, that we eat on Sunday and again throughout the week.

Usually on Saturday I make a giant pot of "Rosol" Chicken soup. I then clean it up removing the chicken bits and vegetable (I don't serve these other than the carrots, because I think they tasted used). I serve it once with noodles and the remainder gets used as a good strong stock in other soups. It seems like a lot of work, but trust me once you get it going you can go watch a movie, turn it off when the movie is over and watch Saturday night live (while you're waiting for your kids to come home from "their social life") and then stick it into the fridge before you go to bed. Or train your kids, like I did, to stick it in when they come home. A large post-it note, the exhaust fan and light over your stove top going is a great reminder.

Mature hen for stock (gizzards remove and don't use)
1 piece of beef shank, not too fatty, with bone in. (do not cut up)
3 or 4 stalks of celery
2 onions
the green part of the leek (reserve white part for leek and mushroom soup)
2 carrots
parsley and/or dill.*
2 tbsps. Vegeta if desired.(available in the spice section of your grocers)

Wash the meat and put in a 3quart pot to boil, or a size big enough to acomodate you meat covered with water and a little room at the top for boiling. Fill another large stock pot, as big as you have, with water and bring to a boil. When your pot with the meat boils there will be some impurities from the meat. Drain, wash the meat again and then put it into the larger pot. I have a cast iron frying pan that I use for this next step, but any thick bottom pan will do. I blacken the onions (peeled) No oil or grease of any kind, just put the onion cut into quarters into the pan at a high temperature and blacken it on all sides. Then into the stock pot. Add the remainder of ingredients except Vegeta, and cook on med/low for about 3hrs. (covering the pot will reduce the evaporation) Add salt and pepper to taste. If your chicken was a truly mature one, your soup will be good and strong flavored and you may not need to add the Vegeta, otherwise add that at the end it tends to be quite salty so taste in between tablespoons. Cook noodles of choice separately serve strained soup with noodles. Strain remainder and freeze in appropriate portions for use later in the week. I usually do this on Saturday night (I have no life) and the house smells great while the soup is cooking. Makes a great Sunday lunch. Why do I serve this on Sunday? Well I always find that Sunday lunch has to be a rushed, (boys running off to work and all) So the soup has cooled overnight in the refrigerator and I have an opportunity to remove any fat from the top (it's all about reducing fat isn't it. I just heat up what we are going to use that day and then the rest gets divided into use able portion size. I'm usually too tired to do this late on Saturday. It's just me, you can eat it anytime you like.

smacznego or enjoy.


*One spring my mother fixated on "PARSLEY".Her mobility was already somewhat compromised and the dementia obviously was in it's beginning stages. All 5 of us, her children, and her two friends were sent on these missions to find just the right parsley plant for her garden. And then of course we had to plant them. She ended up with about 1,000 different varieties of parsley, still not the right ones. I was so ticked off that I boycotted parsley, and didn't use it in my soup for a very long time. Then when her diet became just soups I tried to use everything I could think of to make her meals tasty and parsley was reintroduced. I had forgotten how much flavour it truly adds. But the soups were more than o.k. without it so...