Tomato Florentine Soup

In the Dietetics Program at BYU one course that I took was Food Production Management Lab.  In this class I gained hands on experience of managing and being a part of a food production facility (The Pendulum Court).  We made all the food (lunch entree  salads, sandwiches, desserts, muffins...) and took turns working in the different areas of the kitchen as well as manager.  We made delicious food!  The best position to have was in the bakery.  We were taught that we were to sample everything (also taught on Master Chef by Gordon Ramsay. haha!).  Well you can't sell a cookie or muffin with a piece broken off so when in the baker position one got a little more than a sample and as you can tell I have a big sweet tooth. :)  Since it was a 5 hour class we also got a free lunch!

My favorite soup we made was the Tomato Florentine Soup which I had my very first day of lab.  I made it today and it tasted better than I remember (I tweaked it by changing some measurements and adding and substituting some ingredients.  The recipe below is my version of the soup and served in this bread bowl recipe).  My husband liked it but also informed me that he doesn't usually like tomato based meals (ex: spaghetti, probably his least favorite meal and I make the sauce very well from scratch) and this is a tomato based soup.  I on the other hand LOVE tomato based food like this soup, spaghetti sauce (I eat pasta with my sauce), and pizza (my favorite part is the sauce, not the cheese).

Sometimes tomato based things can be acidic and when I first tasted my soup it was a bit acidic.  I remembered reading somewhere that baking soda helps to reduce that since it is basic.  I gave it a shot and added 1/2 tsp baking soda to the soup and it actually decreased the acidity.  I am going to try it next time I make spaghetti and chili too!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp butter
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground beef
1/2 box (5oz) frozen spinach, chopped
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 c water
4 c (32oz) tomato juice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c orzo pasta

DIRECTIONS
In a medium pot melt butter and add celery, onion, and jalapeno.  Cook over medium heat until tender and onions are translucent.  Add garlic and cook 1 more minute until garlic is fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside for later use.

In a large pot, brown ground beef.  Drain off fat and add the cooked vegetables, spinach, diced tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt, bouillon cubes, honey, vinegar, water, and tomato juice.  Stir to combine and then mix in baking soda.

Add orzo, bring to a boil, and then reduce to low.  Cover and allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes and then serve.

–Melanie

Bread Bowls

I had all afternoon Sunday to lounge around so I decided to use the time to make dinner a little more fun by making bread bowls (and I still managed to take a 2 hour nap)!  I had never made them before but they turned out pretty well!  I think that the bowls would be better for a cream based soup because it really soaked up the water in the broth based soup but it was still good.  I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs: MelsKitchenCafe, but I added some sugar to the dough and made it half whole wheat (posted is my version of the recipe).

I think I have only eaten soup from a bread bowl once before.  It is a fun way to eat soup this way but it's a lot of bread (the equivalent of 4-6 slices when one would usually eat 1-2 slices).  Nick managed to eat his whole bowl plus what I pulled out from the middle but my little baby just didn't allow me to fit all that inside.  This little girl is starting to push on my ribs and make me uncomfortable... only 3 more months left though!  I have been eating small meals and snacks about every few hours and have been able to avoid the common and uncomfortable pregnancy symptom: heartburn.  Hopefully I can avoid it in my third trimester too!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 c warm water
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 c whole wheat flour
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp corn meal

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Mix, cover with a towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Mix in salt, oil, and whole wheat flour.  Add the white flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing well between each addition.  Add the white flour until the dough is soft and no longer sticky.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes until smooth and elastic (add flour as needed to prevent sticking to hands or surface).  Lightly grease a large mixing bowl and place dough in it.  Cover with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 40 minutes).

Prepare a baking sheet by lightly greasing and sprinkling with corn meal.  Punch dough down and divide into 6-8 equal pieces and then form each into a round ball.  Place on prepared baking sheet and use a sharp knife to make 2 cuts on the top of each ball.  Cover lightly with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.

Let bread cool completely and then cut off the top of each loaf as you would cut the lid of a pumpkin.  Gently pull it apart from the rest of the loaf and then dig out the inside of the loaf leaving a 1/2-1 inch wall remaining.  Fill bread bowl with soup and serve immediately.

–Melanie

Potato Cheese Soup

I love soup!  It make me feel all warm and cozy, especially when eaten with fresh, warm, homemade bread.  I get off work at 5 and at that time I am starving so I have been trying to make dinners that I can mostly prepare the night before or in the morning before work.  My mother-in-law gave me a recipe book with all crock-pot recipes so I decided to give the potato soup a try.  It only took about 20 minutes of prep in the morning and then 10 minutes when I got home.  I made some adjustments and it was awesome!  Here is my version of the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
2 lb red potatoes (about 8)
3/4 c. finely chopped carrots
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. cream
2 c. whole milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp salt
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions, chopped
Bacon pieces


DIRECTIONS
Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place potatoes, carrots, onion, and broth in crock-pot.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Just before crock-pot timer goes off melt butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add flour to make a roux.  Slowly add in cream while stirring. Add whole milk and continue to warm over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat just before it begins to boil. Add in cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth. Add mixture to vegetables in crock-pot and stir until evenly mixed.  Serve topped with green onions and bacon pieces with fresh bread on the side for dipping.
–Melanie

Crockpot Corn Chowder

I really love the types of dinner where you toss everything in the crockpot and have dinner ready in 8 hours without much extra work. A disclaimer on the photo - Brett took this photo the second night we had the chowder while I was at work. I asked him to garnish with some bacon, but my idea of garnishing with crumbled bacon is a bit different that his ;). But the chowder was pretty delicious and it lasted us for several days. I found this recipe on Mamalovesfood.com but changed it up a bit. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound cooked and chopped bacon
5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cans whole kernal corn
3 cans cream style corn
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups half and half (you can use heavy cream)
salt and pepper

Combine everything but the half and half cream in a large crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. After the 8 hours, the chowder will still be pretty thick and chunky. Remove half the chowder and blend it in a blender. Return the blended half to the crockpot, add the half and half, and cook for 15 more minutes or heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Be aware, this makes a lot, so if you have a small family or don't want left overs for days, half the recipe. :)

Heather

Roasted Red Pepper, Corn, and Tomato Soup

I don't make soup very often or really ever because Nick is not a big fan but I saw this recipe on ourbestbites.com and had to try it.  I modified it a bit to make it easier and use the things I had.  It was actually pretty easy to make.  I also made Irish Soda Bread to go with it. (On Master Chef one of the contestants made a roasted carrot soup with Irish Soda Bread and it looked soooo good! I want to try carrot soup next!)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb frozen sweet white corn (~3 cups)

4 gloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion (white or yellow), diced

8 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained

1 can diced tomatoes

32 ounces chicken broth*

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest chipotle powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 green onion, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread corn and garlic on a baking sheet and spray or drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot and add diced onion.  Cook until tender and then add roasted peppers, tomatoes, chicken broth, paprika, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. Add corn and garlic when they are done roasting (reserve a few spoonfuls of roasted corn for garnish).  Allow soup to simmer 20 minutes on low while covered.  Transfer soup to a blender** and puree until very smooth (may need to be done in two batched depending on the size of the blender).  Divide into bowls and garnish with a shake of paprika, corn kernels, and green onion.

*1 tsp chicken bouillon powder + 1 cup water = 1c (8oz) chicken broth 

**Before blending remove stopper at the top and cover with a paper towel.  This will allow the steam to escape but prevent food from escaping with it.

–Melanie