Veggie "Chicken" Noodle Soup

Here's another of my recent soup creations. This one mimics chicken soup surprisingly well. The first time I made it, I added the noodles uncooked and they kind of came apart in the soup and made it really thick (more of a stew than a soup). I didn't really mind the consistency, but if you're looking for something more like traditional chicken soup, add the noodles cooked to al dente a few minutes before you're ready to serve.

Extra Firm Tofu* - One 14 oz package, cut into approx 1 inch cubes

Olive Oil - Three turns around the pan

Yellow Onion - One, diced

Celery - Three to four ribs, chopped

Carrots - Three to four, peeled and sliced

Garlic - Two to three cloves, finely chopped

Vegetable Broth - Three containers (96 oz)

Poultry Seasoning - Two tsp (use fresh if you can find it, if not, dried is okay)

Egg Noodles - One 16 oz pkg, cooked to al dente

Salt and Pepper - to taste (I needed to add a decent amount of salt to make it taste right to me)

*Coat tofu with soy sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook two to three minutes more. Turn heat to medium low and add broth. Add poulty seasoning. Simmer at least thirty minutes. Add tofu and noodles, season with salt and pepper. Serves at least six.

*Note - leftovers may need to be reconstituted with 1-2 cups water or broth.

Mirepoix - did you know that was a word?

I didn't. I just Googled it and learned something new. I'm into making soups lately, and I'm finding that there are about a million different kinds of vegetarian soups that you can make that are delicious (see the Black Bean Soup recipe below). The reason I bring this up is that many of these soup recipes begin with onion, celery, and carrot sauteed in butter or oil. From what I've just learned via Google, this "holy trinity" is a french concoction referred to as a mirepoix, and is the base for many soups and stews. Although I didn't know the word for it, I did know that this simple combination of flavors is a wonderful basis for most vegetarian soups that you care to dream up. Try throwing some winter vegetables and store-bought broth into a pot with a "mirepoix" (sounds so fancy!), and you'll have easy home-made vegetable soup.

http://classical-french-cuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/mirepoix

Black Bean Soup

This spicy, smoky soup is really hearty; it actually makes a decent substitute for chili. I made it tonight while we were snowed in and wanted something to eat that would warm us up.

Olive Oil - Enough to coat the bottom of the pan

Yellow Onion - 1/2, diced

Carrots - 1 to 2, diced

Celery - 2 ribs, diced

Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, chopped

Poblano Pepper - 1/2 (or more if you want more heat) chopped small

Black Beans - 2 15 oz cans, liquid reserved from one can

Vegetable Broth - 2 cups

Frozen Corn - about 2 cups

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Cumin

Chili Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, carrots, and celery until tender, about five minutes. Add garlic and poblano pepper. Saute five minutes more. Reduce heat to medium low. Puree beans (adding liquid from one can) in a food processor or blender until soft but still kind of chunky. (I don't have a food processor, so I have to use a blender. It works fine.) Add beans to pot and stir to combine. Add broth, and season with onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer up to one hour. Add corn and allow to heat through, five to ten minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and tortilla chips.

Fun with Polenta

Don't be intimidated of polenta - it's just ground cornmeal (ever heard of grits?) and is both delicious and really versatile.

This was my first attempt at cooking polenta, and it turned out really well. I bought a tube of pre-cooked polenta, sliced it into 1 inch rounds, and sauteed the slices in a pan with a little olive oil over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until golden.

I topped the rounds with basic marinara sauce that I doctored with some extra veggies. I sauteed 1/2 of a large red onion (sliced into strips), 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips), and 3 garlic cloves (chopped) in olive oil until they were soft, about 5 minutes, and then added marinara sauce from a jar. Just because, I also added some frozen veggies (a pre-packaged mix of broccoli, carrots, snow peas, and kidney beans) from the back of my freezer solely because they had been in there forever and I wanted to get rid of them to make space.

Top with grated parmesan cheese and you have a really quick, inexpensive dinner. One log of polenta fed myself and my two hungry roommates. I had tons of sauce leftover, which I will use for another quick vegetarian meal later this week.

Snack - Toasted Chick Peas

This is a really tasty snack that's both satisfying and healthy - a great combination that is sadly all too rare. This makes a great party snack.

Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) - 1 can, drained

Olive Oil - drizzle

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Salt and Pepper

Add olive oil to medium saute pan set to medium high heat. Add chick peas and seasonings (to taste). Toast until browned and fragrant, about ten minutes. Serve warm.

Hero

Sigh...

Baked Ziti

I confess that this baked ziti recipe is pretty far from being healthy**...but it's really good! This is one of those dishes that come out looking impressive with minimal work. It's great to make for a crowd because it's cheap and easy to make a lot of, plus everyone will love it. Who doesn't love cheesy pasta, after all?

Pasta - 1 lb, any shortcut variety, cooked to al dente

Crushed Tomatoes - One 28 oz can

Olive Oil

Onion - white or yellow, 1/2 chopped

Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, chopped

Basil - fresh, handful julienned (cut into small strips)

Ricotta Cheese - One 16 oz container

Egg - 1*

Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup, shredded

Dried Oregano - 1 tbsp

Crushed Red Pepper - 1 tsp

Garlic Powder - 1 tsp

Salt and Pepper - to taste

*I know it sounds a little wierd to add an egg, but you'll find that it will bind the dish together nicely. Without the egg, it can be a little messy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil (set to medium low heat). Add onion, saute until tender. Add garlic, then tomatoes and basil. Simmer for a few minutes to combine flavors. Add ricotta cheese, stir until combined. Season with oregano, red pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Empty pasta into a large casserole (or any oven safe dish). Add sauce and egg. Stir to combine. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 min, or until it begins to bubble and cheese melts and browns slightly. Serves 4 - 6. I like to serve/eat this ziti with a tossed salad, garlic bread, and whatever red wine I have in the house.

**To keep this from being absolutely horrible for me, I use whole wheat pasta and low fat cheese. I think that it still tastes rich enough that I don't mind the switch.