Summer Soup

Well, I thought I'd continue my trend of posting seasonally inappropriate recipes!

Fall and winter are the perfect time for a hot bowl of soup. But what kind of soup can you enjoy in the summer when it is sweltering outside? Gazpacho, of course!

I don't mind winter...until about mid-January...and then I long for it to be over. This year hasn't been quite so bad because I have a sweet 2 year old son who is so much fun to play with in the snow. My son loves to eat the snow and you know what? I do too. That's one of the best things about snow. Not to mention the fact that my son loves snow ice cream too (and so do I!).

What? You've never tried snow ice cream? Okay, we'll take a quick detour...

Snow ice cream is so easy to make...as long as you have the right supplies! You just have to have a nice, fresh, pollution-free snowfall! There's no specific recipe either, because it's all about the right consistency and flavoring the ice cream to your taste. But here's the gist of it:



Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Freshly fallen snow
Milk, to taste
Sugar, to taste
Flavoring of choice, to taste (vanilla extract, almond extract, other favorite extract flavoring, Italian Soda Syrup flavor of choice, etc.)

Directions:

Mix snow, milk, sugar, and desired flavoring together until you reach your desired consistency and taste. Use less snow if you want more of a shake-like consistency. Use more snow if you want a thicker ice cream. It's as easy as that!

Source: My grandma used to make this for my Mom and her sisters when they were kids. Then, my mom made it for us when we were kids.

Notes: You know, snow ice cream is one of the best things about winter. It brings back so many childhood memories for me. It just tastes soooooo good. The basic way to make it is to use vanilla extract for a basic vanilla snow ice cream. But I've used Italian soda syrup and made hazelnut and white chocolate snow ice cream so far this winter and those were super tasty too. So, get creative and have fun. If you're craving snow ice cream during the summer, you can satisfy your craving if you own an ice shaver or ice shaving machine. You can also make a snow slushy/snow cone and skip the milk altogether. You can mix the snow with Italian soda syrup, snow cone syrup, or soda pop until you find a consistency you like. I tried this with some sugar-free raspberry Italian soda syrup and it was really yummy--and a lot lighter on the calories too!

Okay...now on to the real purpose of this blog post. Gazpacho. Now, who wants cold soup in the winter time? Yuck! No one! But who wants a cold, refreshing, spicy, savory soup with a bit of crunch in the summer time? Most everyone (except my husband. He does NOT like gazpacho at any time).

I made the first gazpacho in the spring and summer, but failed to post it because I was waiting to get another gazpacho recipe from my mom...only to find out that I had the recipe all along! D'oh! It's kind of like The Wizard of Oz. The scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion travel to Oz to ask the Wizard for a brain, a heart, and courage...but they really had those things all along! I mean, come on, the scarecrow is always coming up with the game plan and the tin man cries at the drop of a hat. But the cowardly lion...well, he was pretty much a coward to begin with. So, I guess the trip to Oz was all for his sake!

Anyway, I hope you like these two gazpacho recipes.



Gazpacho

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups tomato or vegetable juice (such as V8)
1 cup peeled, seeded, finely chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine the juice, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, vinegar, oil, garlic, parsley, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Serve cold.

Serves 5.

Nutrition information: 117 calories, 2 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fats, 690 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber.

Source: South Beach Diet cookbook (this is an older version...I'll have to get the publication year later).

Notes: This is time-consuming because it requires a lot of chopping, but it is tasty! I usually double it.


Rico Mexican Market's Shrimp Gazpacho

Ingredients:

32 oz. Clamato Juice
10 oz. cocktail shrimp
1/4 cup jicama, diced
1/4 cup avocado, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 Tbsp. green onion tops, sliced
1 Tbsp. yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Garnish: Hot sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Chill and garnish as desired.

Source: This is one of my Mom's recipes. Judging from the title, I'm guessing it originally came from a place called Rico Mexican Market!

Notes: If you like a chunkier gazpacho, feel free to increase the amounts of chopped vegetables. Also, I accidentally bought tomato juice instead of clamato juice (they were right next to each other in the grocery store and I somehow reached for the wrong one. I didn't notice my mistake until I got home). It works just as well with the tomato juice as the clamato. So, if you hate clamato juice, just use tomato juice.

I Cuss, You Cuss, We All Cuss for Asparagus!

Does anyone remember Gary Larson? "The Far Side" was one of the best comic strips ever, in my opinion. Maybe it's just because I'm older, but the comics have definitely lost their luster.

There's a Far Side cartoon that is entitled "Failed Marketing Ploys" and it has a guy driving around in a truck similar to an ice cream truck, but it has a sign that says "I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss for asparagus." Now, I really like asparagus...so when I have it, there's no cussing involved. Though I don't cuss as a rule, anyway!

Again, I must apologize that I am posting a type of food that is out of season right now. Asparagus is best (not to mention less expensive and more widely available) in the spring. But my baby is due in six weeks and judging by how I was with my first baby, I don't think I'm going to have a ton of free time to blog. So, I wanted to post this while I had the time--despite the fact that it is out of season. Also, I must apologize that I don't currently have any pictures of either of these dishes.

I hope you like these two asparagus recipes. Also, if you have any other asparagus favorites, I would love to hear about them!


Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb asparagus spears, rinsed and trimmed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus with next 3 ingredients. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until tender, shaking pan often to roast asparagus evenly.

Yield servings.

Nutrition information: 61 calories, 5 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 2.5 g fiber, 2.5 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 147 mg sodium, 25 mg calcium, 0.5 mg iron.

Source: This is a Weight Watchers recipe, but I'm not sure where it came from specifically.

Notes: This couldn't be easier. When I was younger, I really only thought of steaming or boiling vegetables. But now I prefer baking/roasting vegetables. They are so much more flavorful and crisp that way! Yum!

Sesame Snow Pea and Asparagus Salad

Snow peas and sesame are a natural combination. Adding fresh asparagus makes for a very elegant and classy salad. Serve this alongside a main dish, or enjoy it as a light lunch.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cooked
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cooked
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

Directions:

In a large serving bowl, toss the rice with the canola oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Stir in the snow peas, asparagus, and sesame seeds, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the scallions and red-pepper flakes.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: 239 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 314 mg sodium.

Source: The South Beach Diet Cookbook, published 2004.

Notes: This is another recipe I found while preparing meals for my in-laws. I made it quite awhile ago, but according to my memory, I doubled the recipe and adjusted the seasonings slightly according to my taste (I added a little more soy sauce and crushed red-pepper flakes). This has a nutty, robust flavor that is very satisfying. I used low-sodium soy sauce as opposed to lite soy sauce too.

All Wrapped Up in a Nice Little Package

Parchment paper is a handy dandy little cooking tool. It keeps things nice and tidy (not as many dishes to clean up), and it creates some juicy, tender meat and flavorful vegetables.

My sister already posted some chicken packet recipes, but here are a few recipes I found.

The first is a South Beach recipe that I discovered thanks to my in-laws' love of all things South Beach. It is flavored with orange and tarragon. This recipe represents the first time I actually tasted tarragon...and I love it!

The second is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe that incorporates some pretty strong flavors (jalapeno, cilantro, and ginger) to create a very flavorful, but not overpowering chicken. I found the jalapeno and ginger too strong to eat, myself. But my husband loved it. I would, personally, have increased the mango quite a bit. It was really tasty, but I felt that there wasn't nearly enough of it.

If you want a light dinner, the packets alone are enough for dinner. However, if you want to flesh it out a little more, some rice pilaf and a little side salad would be just the right touch.

I hope you like them!



Chicken en Papillote

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced diagonally
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest (see notes below)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees (425 degrees if you use foil instead of parchment paper). Cut four 2-foot lengths of parchment paper or foil. Fold each in half to make a 1 foot square. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place a breast slightly below the middle of each square of paper.

In a small bowl, combine the scallions, carrot, zucchini, tarragon, and orange zest. Spoon 1/4 of the vegetable mixture over each chicken breast.

Fold the parchment or foil over the chicken and crimp the edges together tightly. Bake for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.

To serve, cut an X in the top of each packet with scissors and tear to open.

Serves 4

Nutrition information: 144 calories, 27 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fats, 86 mg sodium, 65 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber.

Source: South Beach Diet cookbook

Notes: First of all, I doubled the recipe. I increased the vegetables quite a bit. I used 3 regular sized zucchini, and about 8 regular sized carrots. I cut both the carrots and zucchini into matchstick shapes by cutting them lengthwise in half, and lengthwise into sticks. I added salt and pepper to taste to the vegetable mixture rather than salting and peppering the chicken. I felt that 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest wasn't quite enough, so I added the zest of one large orange (it was either a heaping 1/2 teaspoon or a full teaspoon of orange zest). I also added the juice of the zested orange. Also, I didn't follow the instructions above for how to fold the parchment paper or foil. I used the twist method found in the recipe below.



Chicken with Mango and Ginger

Ingredients:

1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4 inch wedges (see notes)
8 chicken cutlets (about 1 3/4 pounds total) or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch), peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 medium jalapeno, thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mango wedges in center of four 18-inch-long pieces of parchment. Top with chicken, ginger, cilantro, and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle each with 2 teaspoons oil. Fold parchment into a "twist" or "envelope" shape (page 85).

Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until packets are puffed up and chicken is cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition information: 297 calories, 11.5 g fat, 37.1 g protein, 9.7 g carb, 1.1 g fiber.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Notes: Again, I would double or even triple the amount of mango used for this recipe. It wouldn't make the chicken too sweet. The other ingredients are flavorful enough to keep that from happening. It would just create a more abundant side-dish of mango. Yum!

Beef, It's What's For Dinner

I promised myself that I wouldn't do a blog about chicken this time! I like other foods too! I promise.

So, I decided to focus on beef this time. If you are addicted to beef, then you'll love this website: www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

The first recipe was given to me by my husband. It is his family's signature recipe for flank steak and it is scrumdiddlyumptious. If you don't like mushrooms, you can omit them (or pick around them!).

The next recipe is a beef stew recipe (I know it's not soup, stew, or chili season, but it fits with my theme!). It is a South Beach recipe I found while planning meals for my in-laws. It is hands down the best beef stew recipe I've ever made! It is so flavorful. It has a kick to it (which I love). I did add a few more potatoes than called for in the original recipe. I wanted the stew to go farther and come on...it's beef stew! You can't have beef stew with only one potato! Besides beef, potatoes are one of the things that make beef stew...beef stew! Again (I know I'm a broken record here), I don't agree with low-carb diets, but I believe that you can find a good recipe anywhere!

I hope you like them.

Washburn Flank Steak (pictured above)

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Flank Steak
4 Tbsp.-1/3 cup Worchestershire Sauce (flavor according to your taste)
4 Tbsp.-1/3 cup Soy Sauce (flavor according to your taste)
2 cans mushrooms (pieces and stems)

Optional Ingredients (to make a rounded out meal):

Instant mashed potatoes (even flavored ones work great here. I prefer the Idahoan brand that you can buy in the pouch)
Side salad or vegetables

Directions:

Put flank steak in a ziploc bag. Cover with whole bottle of Italian dressing. Add in Worchestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce. Squish the bag to mix dressing, Worchestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce. Marinate overnight (you can marinate for only an hour if you don't have enough time).

After marinating, put flank steak (without sauce) on a foil lined cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes per side (depending on how well done you want your steak). If this is done too far in advance, you can leave the steak in the oven on low broil while you finish the rest of the dinner.

Put marinade in a pan on medium-high heat. Add both cans of mushrooms. Cook until well-heated.

Thinly slice flank steak and serve sauce on top.

This goes very well with instant mashed potatoes (again, use the sauce as a gravy on top of the potatoes) and a side salad or vegetables.

Source: My husband said that either his dad made up this recipe or found it in the New York Times 10-15 years ago.

Notes: For medium-rare, broil for 6 minutes per side. For medium-well, broil for 8 minutes per side. For well done, broil for 9 minutes per side. The picture at the very top is well done because I made it while pregnant and couldn't eat rare meat. I usually prefer mine medium to medium-well and my husband prefers his medium-rare. The picture just above is cooked to medium-rare.


South Beach Pepper-Spiked Beef Stew

Note: This stew freezes well, so you might want to simmer up a double batch and freeze half of it. You can also substitute sweet potatoes or even butternut squash for the potatoes and carrots, if desired.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lean round steak, top or bottom, trimmed of all visible fat and cubed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups beef broth
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 potato, scrubbed and cubed (I used 3 large potatoes)
4 carrots, sliced

Directions:

In a large zip-top plastic bag, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the chili powder, and the salt. Add the beef, seal the bag, and toss to coat well.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and oregano. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes (with juice), red-pepper flakes, and the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is tender. (Note: do not boil during this time as it will not speed up cooking time--it will only make the beef tough).

Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information:

190 calories, 5 g fat, 1 1/2 g saturated fat, 24 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 45 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium.

Source: The South Beach Diet Cookbook.