Tag Archives: soup

Happy New Year! Soup for you!

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Soups by

We hope 2017 is off to a great start!

It seems that every time I turn around, a week or two has passed! Yikes!

Do any of you feel the same?

I have been on a mission to make a more concerted effort to eat as organic as possible and have been busy in the kitchen. Since my Daria continues to bring me wonderful organic food from the Lancaster Co-op, I have been creating recipes to satisfy our appetites and souls.

Here is a creation of a butternut squash soup with apples….all organic and all delicious!

And did I say it was easy?

All you need is a saucepan, a bit of time, a blender, and you are set!

Enjoy!

 

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Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole butternut squash, peeled, cut and cooked

1 apple, cored, cut and cooked

2 T olive oil

1 small onion, cut

1 peeled garlic clove, minced

10.5 oz veggie stock

¼ tsp thyme

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

NOTE: In order to infuse the flavors, you need to cook the ingredients on the stovetop before blending.

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Add olive oil to large saucepan and when hot, saute onion and garlic until translucent.

Add the squash and apple and cover with the veggie stock.

Add the thyme, cinnamon and salt.

Cook until fork tender.

Now put the squash mixture into your blender and blend until smooth!

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Y*U*M!

Hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!

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whisks © 2017, Monica of glutenfreedoubletalk

Cream of broccoli soup and Mac ‘n cheese….does it get any better?

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Soups by

Monica and Daria say:

Can you say yum?

Can you say it twice?

Well, that’s what you will be saying when you make these two great dishes!

The first and last soup of our celebration this month is a wonderful recipe shared with us by a great friend, Mike.  We remember tasting it for the first time several years ago and we were hooked!

It’s relatively easy but you’ll need some patience and a good blender.

Since it’s a creamed soup, you will need to purée it when all of the ingredients are done cooking. It’s so worth the extra effort….you’ll see!

First begin gathering your ingredients and then follow this recipe!

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Saute on medium heat:

1 head of celery, chopped

2 large onions, chopped (we used sweet Vidalia onions)

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

¼ cup olive oil (we used organic coconut oil)

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Add:

½ cup Uncle Ben’s White Rice (We used Jasmine rice and have also used brown rice but it takes a wee bit longer)

½ gal chicken stock (64 oz. OR 8 cups; we use unsalted stock)

Salt and pepper

Heat on medium until soft boil (about 10 minutes)

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Add:

2-3 chopped crowns of broccoli

Heat broccoli until it can be fork-pierced

 

Purée the soup in a blender. We split the batch in two and then added it back into pot!

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This soup can be served with a dollop of sour cream or grated cheddar cheese or plain.

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We love to garnish it with fresh parsley!

© 2005, Mike Hurley

 

And now…for our homemade gluten-free Mac ‘n Cheese to eat alongside the soup!

Gluten-free Mac ‘n Cheese

This recipe fills an 8“ x 8” glass baking dish with oooey, gooey goodness!

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Cook 8 oz of your favorite gf pasta according to package instructions (we love Tinkyada rice pasta and used  half of a bag of elbow macaroni).

Meanwhile, gather your other ingredients!

1 T butter

1 clove minced garlic

1 T arrowroot flour (or gf blend)

¾ cup skim milk

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz shredded Fontina cheese

Pepper and red pepper

Gluten-free bread crumbs

Romano cheese

Directions:

On medium heat, melt the butter and add in the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds, add in arrowroot flour and whisk to create a roux.

Now whisk in the milk. Reduce heat to low and add in the cheeses and melt (should melt really quickly!).

Combine the cheese mixture with the pasta. Add a dash of pepper. You may also add some red pepper, if you like.

Place into a small baking dish sprayed with Pam or any cooking spray.

Top with some gluten-free bread crumbs and sprinkle top with Romano cheese.

Bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes.

If you want the top of your mac ‘n cheese golden, you can place it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving….just watch it doesn’t burn!!

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© 2016, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk  whisks

 

This is such a satisfying lunch or dinner!

The combo of these two comfort foods is the best!

Hope you try these and if you do, let us know how you like them!

Enjoy!

© 2016, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not your average soup and salad!

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Salads, Soups by

Monica says:

Today was the first snowfall of the season where we live!

I must admit, even though I was secretly hoping that we might skip winter weather all together, it did look beautiful while it was falling!

So since we are working on delivering great soup recipes this month, the soup that I chose for this week is a home run!

As I was going through my recipes this Cream of Crab soup popped out and I just knew that I had to make it…crab is a favorite of ours IN anything, ON anything, and WITH anything!

So I had a handwritten piece of paper, torn on one edge, folded and creased….but I was able to track down the original recipe online.

It just so happens that this recipe won the “Grand Prize” in the Soup Division of the Annual National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield, Maryland, on Labor Day weekend of each year. So since it was the winner in 2000, I just had to replicate it!

Turns out, that the recipe is gluten free!

The only thing that I changed was instead of using cornstarch, I used 1 T of arrowroot starch in ½ cup of  water to thicken the soup.

Yep, that was it!

And let me say, this soup is a full fat dinner or lunch…no skimping here! And surely not for the lactose intolerant, unless Lactaid tabs work for you!

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So here is the recipe, credited to Ms. Char Ann Smith…great job, Ms. Smith!

Award Winning Maryland Cream of Crab Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 pint whole milk

1 quart half-and-half

2 pints heavy whipping cream

1 lb jumbo lump crab meat (only from Maryland will do!)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1⁄4 cup butter

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

cornstarch

water

dry sherry, to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. Add crab meat, fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch and water and add to thicken soup.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with a bit of Old Bay and chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers and a small cream pitcher of sherry on the side for diners to add to taste.

That’s how we do it in Maryland!

© Char Ann Smith of Bishopville, MD

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To go along with the cream of crab soup, I decided to make a salad with some great ingredients that I had in my fridge.

I wanted it to be fresh and have a lot of texture.

Here’s what I came up with!

Roasted Squash with Beets, Spinach, and Feta

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squashes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces (you can use any squash you choose)

4 organic beets, roasted and cut into bite-size pieces

Bed of organic baby spinach (or greens of your choice)

1 (15 oz) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Pomegranate seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Feta cheese crumbles for garnish

Dressing:

¼ cup orange juice (from the carton or freshly squeezed)

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400˚ and when ready, roast acorn squash with olive oil, a sprinkle of Autumn Harvest spice blend from Calicutts (or pumpkin pie spice), salt and pepper for approximately 40 minutes or until tender. Turn halfway during roasting.

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Whisk the dressing for the salad and set aside.

When the squash is done, cool slightly and then begin assembling the salad.

Place a bed of organic baby spinach in the bottom of a bowl, top with roasted squash (it smells amazing), organic beets, pomegranate seeds, salt (not too much, since the feta cheese is salty), and pepper.

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Drizzle with orange/oil dressing.

Garnish with feta cheese.

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© 2016, Monica of glutenfreedoubletalk whisks

Oh, so delightful!

So soup and salad definitely warmed up our night!

 

How about you? Soup and salad?

Enjoy!

© 2016, Monica of glutenfreedoubletalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “Souper” days of January!

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Soups by

Monica and Daria say:

Happy New Year, everyone!

2016 is here and we are excited about the possibilities to come in the next 12 months!

Since our weather here has been so mild, we haven’t been thinking about one of our favorite foods….soup!

However, these past few nights have reminded us that we are, in fact, in the season of winter and are now feeling its frigid temperatures. When we took Molly for her daily walk today, it was an amazing 16 degrees….did we say 16 degrees at 2:30 in the afternoon?

Yikes!

Anyway, this is now soup weather and every week in January we will be sharing a great homemade soup recipe with you!

Our first recipe is for a lentil soup that is not only super easy but is super good!

Lentils, which grow in pods and are part of the legume family, are a super food. They not only help lower cholesterol but pack some serious fiber. If you love your heart, lentils are the way to go because these little powerhouses contain not only fiber, but magnesium and folate, which help prevent heart disease.

So, how about a great recipe for lentil soup?

You got it!

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Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 T coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds

1 T minced garlic

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup chunky tomato sauce

1 ½ cups lentils (we used orange hulled lentils)

32 oz unsalted chicken or veggie stock (we used chicken)

Dash of pepper

1 T red wine vinegar

Directions:

Chop onion, peel and chop carrots, and mince garlic. Set aside.

Heat the olive or coconut oil over medium heat.

Add onion and carrot rounds and sauté until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and salt. Stir into mixture for about 30 seconds.

Now stir in chunky tomato sauce and cook for 1 minute.

Add lentils and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Now add the 32 oz of stock and make sure that the mixture is covered with the liquid. If not, add some additional stock or even water.

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Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the lentils are tender.

Season with additional scant amount of salt and pepper as taste requires.

Stir in the vinegar just before serving.

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The flavors in this soup blended so well; each spoonful was delicious!

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It really hit the spot on a blustery day!

Hope you get a chance to try this recipe….it won’t disappoint and you will gain some nutritious benefits, too!

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Enjoy!

© 2016, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk  whisks

 

 

Yummy spicy soup!

Posted in Soups by

Monica says:

It’s Christmas week and I have a million and one things to yet accomplish!

And I woke up with a head cold!

I need some nutritional intervention….maybe some soup!

I head off to the grocery store and wander aimlessly around the produce section.

What can I do with a giant head of cauliflower?

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Make some soup!

I found this lovely veggie at Weis Market and I just had to find a great recipe to do it justice.

So, as soon as I got home, I cruised Pinterest and lo, and behold, there it was!

Creamy Spiced Cauliflower Soup on a lovely food site called, Produce on Parade!

This was one time that I didn’t need to “reinvent the wheel” so to speak….I didn’t have to change a thing….

the recipe is both gluten-free and vegan!

And did I mention that it is so delicious?

Well, it is!

The recipe is very straightforward and can be made in a relatively short amount of time!

Here are some of my soup pictures.

I can’t even tell you how wonderful my house smelled when the aromatics were sautéing!

Cumin, coriander, turmeric and cardamom, oh my!

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Look at these healthy ingredients getting all happy in the pot!

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Using a blender makes this soup so incredibly smooth and the only thing I forgot to buy at the store was fresh dill,

so I added a wee bit of dried dill to the soup right before eating!

It was Lewie’s idea to add a dollop of sour cream and that was an added flavor, too!

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You really need to try this soup!

So yummy!

Thanks, Katie…you have a few new followers!

© 2015, Monica of glutenfreedoubletalk

It’s National Crab Day!

Posted in Dinner by

Monica and Daria say:

We just love when Lewie (hubby and daddy) cooks!

He is great in the kitchen…will try any recipe that looks intriguing and his food is always delightful!

We are very luck women!

In honor of crab day and since we posted our crab cakes in an earlier post, we wanted to share a crab soup or bisque that Lewie whipped up for a cold winter evening.

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This soup uses FRESH lump crab meat…that really makes the difference! The crab is so sweet and tender; it literally melts in your mouth!

So without further ado…

Crab Bisque

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Cook time:  45 minutes

Servings:  6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup onion, minced

1 cup carrot, minced

21 ounces of chicken broth (we like College Inn low sodium in the box)

4 tablespoons GF arrowroot starch

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

1⁄2 cup cooking sherry

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t like spicy!)

Fresh chives, minced (optional)

Pinch of kosher salt

1⁄2 pound fresh lump crabmeat

 

DIRECTIONS

Sauté onion and carrot in 2 tablespoons butter until soft. Set aside.

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter and add arrowroot starch, whisking constantly over medium heat until roux becomes light brown (about 5 minutes). Make sure it doesn’t burn!

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly to ensure mixture stays smooth.

Add onions and carrots, cover, and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Add cream, sherry, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and crab and simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Garnish with fresh minced chives if desired.

Note:  Adapted from a recipe on http://www.food.com

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Enjoy!

© 2015, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk

 

February Foods We LOVE! Italian Wedding Soup

Posted in Dinner by

Monica and Daria say:

Everyone has an idea of their perfect comfort food. Maybe it’s chicken and dumplings, mac ‘n cheese, or apple pie.

We have several….and one of our favorites on this “National Homemade Soup Day” happens to be Italian wedding soup!

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“For me, it reminds me of my Aunt Kate,” says Monica. “She raised my Dad when he lost his Mom as an infant, and she really was more of a Grandmother to me and my sisters, than an aunt. The fact that this wonderful Italian woman lived right down the street when we were growing up, impacted our relationship. And best of all, she was a great cook!”

“Italian wedding soup will always remind me of snow days!” says Daria. “Since my Mom was a school librarian, she would have off when we did, and our ‘jammy days’ were celebrated with lots of cooking, baking and great food. We absolutely loved our ‘next-doors’ and would exchange our snow day creations with them (they were cooking and baking, too) and just play and eat all day! Such great memories!”

We have our Aunt Kate’s “original” Italian wedding soup recipe, which she called “Chicken Endive Soup” but had to update it when we became gluten-free. And remember, she was Italian and cooked by instinct, so it was more “a little bit of this and a little bit of that!” We really had to try and pin down the amount of each ingredient!

So the recipe we present here is based on the original and even though it’s gluten-free, it has the same flavor profile.

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Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For soup base:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

2 celery stalks, chopped into bite-size pieces

6 chicken cutlets (thick-cut) or 2 chicken breasts (we use organic), cut into bite-size pieces

3 boxes of chicken broth (32-oz.); low sodium/no MSG (we use College Inn)

2 cups of additional chicken broth (use Herb Ox chicken packets to season)

For bite-sized meatballs:

1 lb. ground chuck

½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs

3 T Locatelli (Pecorino Romano) grated cheese

1 large egg, organic

For later:

1 bag fresh baby spinach (8 oz.)

1 cup Schär Anellini gluten-free pasta

3 large eggs, organic

2 T Locatelli (Pecorino Romano) grated cheese

Directions

Chop all ingredients for soup base first. Then in a large stock pot, sauté onion and garlic in 1-2 T of olive oil until fragrant on medium heat.

Add carrots and celery and continue to sauté for a few minutes while stirring every so often.

Next add chopped chicken and sauté until each piece is slightly browned on all sides.

Now add the 3 boxes of chicken broth and the additional 2 cups of broth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined and cook for at least ½ hour.

In the meantime, mix the bite-sized meatballs by combining the ground chuck, gluten-free breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and egg until well combined. Roll the mixture into small balls and place on a plate.

Turn up the heat a notch to a rolling boil, and place the meatballs into the pot. Stir and let cook for 5 minutes. The meatballs will become nice and brown.

Lower the heat now to low, cover, and let the soup cook for at least one hour to allow the flavors to infuse.

Now it’s time to add the pasta!

Increase the heat to medium and place pasta into the pot. The pasta will only take a few minutes to cook, so keep an eye on the soup and when you are satisfied with it, turn it down to low. Cover and add the washed baby spinach and let it wilt. Keep soup on low heat.

Right before serving
Beat 3 eggs with a fork and add 2 T grated cheese into it. Beat until combined. Add this mixture into the soup on low heat now and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes.

Ladle soup into large bowls and serve with gluten-free bread of your choice.

Have additional grated Locatelli cheese on hand for your family and guests to add to their delicious bowl of soup!

© 2015, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk   whisks

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Note that the original endive was replaced with fresh baby spinach. Spinach provides more vitamin A and protein, so it seemed a logical choice!

The pastina (tiny pieces of pasta) was replaced with gluten-free Anellini pasta by Schär….perfect for our soup!

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We hope you try making this great soup and realize that it really isn’t that hard!

It’s so worth the effort!

Enjoy!

© 2015, Monica & Daria of glutenfreedoubletalk