Make-It-Up Monday: Potato and Leek Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms

Mondays are hard.

The last thing anyone wants to do after a full day at work is come home and make a complicated, three course meal involving so many ingredients and prep bowls and pans that you run out of room on the kitchen counters. Slow cooker leftovers make weeknight cooking a breeze, but the enthusiasm for a dish can wear off after having the same meal (or a version of it) two nights in a row, so Monday night means coming up with something new.

But no need to stress. I use Monday night as the time to clean out the fridge and pantry and turn it all into an easy, delicious meal. Just take a look at what you have and get creative -- but not too crazy, it's Monday after all. Have leftover roast chicken? Frozen veggies? Crescent roll dough or biscuit mix? Turn it into a Monday night version of Chicken Pot Pie. Too much cooked spinach or veggies left over from your weekend trip to the farmers' market? Whisk together some eggs and butter and cheese, add the spinach and some sautéed onions and maybe a splash of cream, and make a Monday night Quiche. Leftover meatloaf? Chop it up and gently warm in your favorite tomato sauce, then server over pasta -- Monday night Spaghetti and Meat(loaf)balls. You get the idea, yes?

Tonight, we're having a Monday night version of Potato and Leek Soup, but with a twist. I had onion left over from the Slow Cooker Chicken Chili with Sweet Potato and Peppers, and a leek and mushrooms from my latest organic box delivery. The chicken was in the freezer, and the spices and stock were in the pantry.

Tip: To thaw frozen meat quickly, keep in plastic packaging or put in a freezer bag, and place in a bowl full of cold water. Pour out the water after about 5 mins and refill the bowl. After about 3-4 refills, the chicken should be thawed.

Once I had my ingredients, I went to work on my basic routine for making a soup/stew -- heat butter or oil in a large pot, soften onions/garlic/leeks, add other veggies in order of how long it will take them to cook starting with the longest (potatoes), add some liquid to aid in cooking, brown your meat (or don't), add it, some seasonings and more liquid, then cover. Let the magic of Monday night cookery do the rest.

Potato and Leek Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms

Monday Night, Done Right!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 leek, washed and chopped (white end only)
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 handfuls of wild mushrooms (mixed types), cleaned and chopped
• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cubed
• Olive oil
• Herbes de Provence
• Salt/Pepper to taste

To Do:

• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, then add in the onion, garlic and leeks and cook until tender. 
• Stir in the potatoes and 1/2 of the stock and simmer uncovered until liquid starts to thicken, about 5-10 minutes. 
• Add in the mushrooms and continue to simmer.
• In the meantime, brown the chicken in a medium pan with a bit of olive oil, then drain and set aside. Note: don't cook through -- just brown it.
• Add in the chicken, remaining stock and TBS or so of the HdP and heaping pinches of S/P
• Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the stock is velvety and thick (the starch in the potatoes will help with this). Ideally, let it simmer on low at least another 15 minutes -- 20 if you have the time. You can test the chicken after 15 min, and if it is tender and juicy, it's time to turn off the heat and remove the pot to a cool burner. If not, give it a few minutes more.
• Serve with crusty bread, some nice cheeses (Manchego, Bleu, Aged Gouda, etc.) and maybe a simple salad of butter lettuce or arugula wtih diced heirloom tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and splash of red wine vinegar.

Monday night dinner? No problem.

xoxo,

LPG

Eat Your Vegetables: Great Gazpacho

I know you're tired of hearing it, but I'm tired of living it, so I'll say it again: It's hot.

We're having a summer for the record books over here on the East Coast. More 90+ degree days than the past 11 years combined, or something like that. I don't pay much attention to the weather forecast anymore. It's too depressing.  But, if there's one great thing about the heat, it's that it puts the focus on tasty food that doesn't have to go anywhere near the oven.

Chris and I have been noshing on summer delights like cold chicken, crusty bread, olives, ripe tomatoes, creamy avocados -- and my favorite summer soup: Gazpacho.

I like making gazpacho, because it turns out a little bit different each time I make it, depending on the ingredients. This time, I had some V-8 in the fridge from a brunch batch of Bloody Marys, and the blender was still  out, so I just grabbed a few things from the fridge, and in literally 10 minutes, had a batch of bright, zingy gazpacho. I let it chill for an hour or so before Chris came home, and that was it. Easy as pie...mmm, now I'm thinking about pie. And you probably are too. Sorry!

Great Gazpacho
Ingredients:
12 oz. V-8 juice
1 cup baby carrots, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large slices of roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
1 TBS diced jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
1 bunch each of mint, parsley and basil leaves, chopped
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up Category 1

To Do:

• Add 1/4 cup of V-8 to the blender cup along with the carrots and finely chop.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Do the same with the cucumber and tomatoes (chop each in the blender with a bit of juice, separately), then add to the bowl of carrots and stir together.
• Reserve about 11/4 cup of the cucumber, tomato and carrot mixture, then return the rest to the blender.
• Add the roasted pepper slices, jalapeno, herbs, and the rest of the V-8 and puree until you have the consistency you like (I like mine a bit chunky).
• Pour over the reserved veggies and stir.  Season to taste with vinegar and olive oil, and a few pinches of salt/pepper.
• Let chill at least 1 hour so flavors can merge. Adjust seasonings before eating.
• To serve: place avocado slices in the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over them. Garnish with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Mmmm.

xoxo

A Souper Vacation!

We are headed to the Caribbean soon, hence, it is time for the annual "Soup Cleanse." Basically, that means taking a vacation from eating whatever I want for the next several days, so that I can spend a hedonistic week in the tropics without coming home with extra baggage, a.k.a. vacation pudge.

Sometimes, I dread the soup diet, but I must say, I've actually been doing okay so far this time around (it's only day 3 of 14). You can't help but feel better after a few days on this plan. All those lovely vegetables have to be doing something good, right? And, resetting your system and feeling a bit trimmer while still eating full meals, isn't a terrible thing either, especially with bikini season right around the corner. Am I right, ladies?

I've posted about the "Amazing Soup Diet" a few times before, so apologies to those of you who are weary of hearing about it. However, some of you have asked me for more details, so this time, I'm sharing the recipe as well as a link to the whole program, which comes from Good Housekeeping magazine, and which you can find here.

Once your soup is made, you just follow the plan. They even give you a grocery list to make things easier. You'll eat from a choice of breakfast and lunch options and then every night, a version of the soup and a small side. For example, on Monday night, I measured out two cups of the basic soup and added portions of whole wheat rotini and cannellini beans, some chopped basil and grated romano cheese for the Minestrone version, which was served with a dollop of plain yogurt and berries. Last night, into the basic soup went some ground turkey breast, egg noodles, paprika, caraway seeds and low-fat sour cream for Goulash, with a side of seedless grapes. Tonight, I'll do the Southwest Chili version with a side of a few baked tortilla chips, and for the weekend, my favorite, Thai Shrimp Soup, with a half of an apple on the side. Plus, you get two 100-calorie treats per week -- and yes, wine counts. And, if you find yourself starving, you can have as much soup as you want -- its low calorie goodness will fill you up.

Pretty tasty as far as "diets" go, and a little prep ahead of time makes dinner a snap all week. Give it a shot! (What do you have to lose, except a few pounds?)

Amazing Soup Diet Basic Recipe from Good Housekeeping
Minimal MESS, Category 3+
Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, sliced
1 1/2 lbs onions (3 medium), chopped
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 28 oz cans, whole tomatoes in juice
1 lb (1/2 small head) green cabbage, thinly sliced
3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed cut into thirds
48 oz. chicken broth
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/4 lbs zucchini (3 medium), sliced in half lengthwise, then into half moons
12 oz baby spinach leaves*

*Note: After a few rounds of this, I've learned that chopping the baby spinach into small pieces helps a lot when you're on day 6. Trust me, do it.

To Do:

• Coat a 12-quart stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. 
• Over medium-high heat, add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. 
• Add the cabbage, green beans, broth, water, salt and pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Increase heat to high; stir in the zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. 
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer again 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. 
• Let cool and you're ready to start your soup adventure! (Makes 28 cups of soup. 1 cup of soup = 45 calories and 1 gram of fat.)

Check out the Good Housekeeping website for the complete program and more soup versions. Just note that everything is measured out for one person, so don't forget to double if you're doing this with a buddy.

Good luck, and have a souper day!
xoxo

We Wish You a Merry Soupmas!

The Amazing Soup cleanse is back.

Chris and I leave tomorrow for 2.5 weeks in the sunny, gorgeous West Indies.  We go away somewhere fantabulous every year for the holidays and I must say, it's the best decision we've ever made. Yes, we don't get to be with family for Christmas, but the peace and calm we absorb for two weeks straight on the islands really helps us get through the rest of the year. Working in NYC is awesome, but it is also draining and stressful and you never feel like you have a minute of quiet or calm. And there are people everywhere. For me, all that fades away the minute my toes hit the sand on a deserted island...

But, going to the Caribbean also means drinking lovely, heavy on the rum cocktails, eating dessert for breakfast -- and wearing swimsuits for two weeks straight. So, for the past 12 days we've been on our annual soup cleanse.  This is our fourth year, and some have been easier than others. We're always annoyed at ourselves for doing it between Thanksgiving and Christmas (we have to miss out on holiday lunches and parties and such), but it makes the most sense, timing-wise.

And, it wasn't so bad this year. We liked the Minestrone and Thai Shrimp versions the best this time around, and using the organic veggies from my box in the soup seemed to make it brighter in flavor.  I lost 4.5 lbs in the process, so I can't really complain.  Plus, it's healthy and easy to do.  One tip -- chop the spinach as small as you can get it. It makes all the difference. At about Day #5, you'll thank me.

Anyway, enough about soup. I want to wish you and yours a lovely and delicious holiday season. I'll be back after Christmas with more tasty Gourmess adventures.

Happy, Merry!

xoxoxo

Buttercup Bliss

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

A big, squat buttercup squash came in my recent organic box and I couldn't wait for the weekend so I could turn it into a lovely soup, perfect for a chilly fall day. Making this soup is almost as much fun as eating it.


Buttercup Squash Soup

2lb of buttercup squash (you'll want 2-3 cups of squash for this recipe)

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Ground nutmeg

2 TBS butter

1/2 Lg. yellow onion

3 TBS Calvados

Cinnamon

Ground ginger

Ground nutmeg

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

To do:

Rinse the squash, cut off stem and cut into uniform pieces (no bigger than a pie slice).  Coat the pieces with olive oil, salt and a pinch of nutmeg and roast in a 375 degree oven for about an hour or so, until soft.

While you're waiting for the squash to finish roasting, slice half of a large yellow onion into thin pieces and add to a pan with 2 TBS of butter.  Cook until soft, but don't let them color  -- you want them to be translucent.  Add 3 TBS of Calvados or brandy and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.  Stir in a dash of ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and a couple pinches of kosher salt. Remove from heat.

When the squash is ready let it cool, then remove the skins and place the squash in a large soup pot. Add the onions.  Using an immersion blender, slowly pulverize the squash and onions into a lovely puree. Then, stir in half the stock and cream and blend until smooth.   (You can also do this in a blender or food processor).  Adjust seasonings to taste (a bit more salt or nutmeg perhaps) and then add the rest of the stock and cream in small amounts, until you have your desired consistency for the soup.  (This may mean you have to add a bit more than a cup of stock, etc.)

Ladle into big bowls and serve with hot crusty bread with a smear of fresh goat cheese.

YUM.

xoxoxo


Buttercup Squash