Kitchen Cupboard Gazpacho

My grocery delivery was scheduled for Sunday morning this week, so by Saturday, the coffers were pretty bare. I work really hard to avoid throwing away food--especially fresh veggies. So the day before grocery delivery is often Kitchen Cupboard Soup Challenge Day. I don't have all the ingredients I want but I must use as many ingredients that I have in house, particularly stuff that is in danger of going bad.

This is what I found and used to make my soup yesterday morning:

• A ton of minced garlic from the jar (I'm guessing about a 1/2 cup)
• Half a bunch of rough  chopped celery
• a 16 oz bag of baby carrots
• 1/2 bag of leftover fresh spinach
• 1/2 jar of medium salsa
• The usable remnants of a bunch of cilantro (I'm guessing about a cup)
• A pint or so of leftover grape tomatoes from my farm share yield (It's actually my friend Valerie's Brookwood Community Farm weekly harvest share that she gave me when she went on vacation. I am TOTALLY doing the CSA farm share thing next summer)
• Salt and pepper

I sauteed the whole mess in the bottom of the stock pot with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO). After it softened somewhat, I added a carton of organic vegetable broth and a half of an avocado I found in the back of the fridge. I brought it to a boil and then reduced heat and simmered for about 30 minutes. Then I put the mix in the blender and after it was pureed, I put it back in the stock pot and added a cup of amaranth (the only whole grain I had left in the house) and two cups of water to thicken the soup without corn starch or flour. I brought it to a boil again, reduced heat and simmered for another half hour of so. When I tasted it, it didn't have the kick I wanted so I went to the spice cabinet and added random and liberal shakes of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. I simmered for another 15-20 minutes.

The results were a little thicker and spicier than I expected and didn't really resemble typical gazpacho at all.I It turned out a kind of muddy greenish color. I ate it hot and enjoyed it but I LOVED it several hours later when it chilled. I ate it with with leftover and slightly stale white and blue corn potato chips crumbled in it. Mmmmmm.

What's in danger of going bad in your fridge?

Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup WITH RAISINS!

No recipe per se but here's what I did...more or less: I took what was left of a bag of frozen shrimp (I'm guessing 20 or so), rough chopped celery and carrots, minced garlic, added salt and pepper, and sauteed it all with EVO. After it softened somewhat, I added three cans of coconut milk, a small rectangle chunk of curry paste, and a cup of water. I brought it to a boil and then reduced heat and simmered for about an hour I think while I rode my bike to drop off school forms. When I returned, I added a cup of amaranth (because that was the only whole grain I had in the cupboard and I wanted to thicken the soup). I brought it to a boil again, and then reduced heat and simmered for another hour while I went to fetch free perennials. (You should have seen me walking through Mattapan and Milton with 4 shopping plastic shopping bags filled a bunch of cool perennials, and a 5-foot tall "clipping" of a really cool purple, flowering plant I can't remember the name of.) 

When I got back home, I put the plants in a bucket and took the pot off the stove. I just had a bowl and it was YUMMY. If I wasn't still being somewhat cautious with my gut, I would have used more curry but it still had a little kick.

I forgot to mention the raisins! I'm eating a bowl of the leftovers on Friday night and, when I tasted the plump sweetness of the raisins, I came back to make sure that I mentioned them.  Alas! I spaced the raisins. I'm pretty sure I added them at the same time as the amaranth. I love the curry raisin combo so I thought it was worth this edit.

Burnt Chicken and Potato Soup

Here's my Facebook status update while I was making this soup:  Healthy Soup Creation simmering on the stove: Cubed chicken breast marinated in balsamic vinegar, ginger, and garlic (for a few days in a Ziploc bag in the fridge), sauteed with celery, onions, and purple pepper from Valerie's farm share harvest, EVO, cilantro, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Then boil the heck out of 10 baby red skin potatoes (skins on) with chicken bullion and water, mashed them up, and added them to the softened sauteed mix with more bullion water. And now I wait.

After doing all the above, I simmered the heck out of this soup, put half in the blender and added it back into the stock pot to make it creamier.  Then the trouble started. I didn't want to totally puree it because I was ready to actually start chewing my food, but I thought it needed to be a little thicker. So I added quinoa--a fabulous whole grain that is high in protein. Unfortunately, I promptly forgot about it on the stove and burned the quinoa which stuck to the crock pot and stunk up my kitchen. WHOOPS! Since I cooked the quinoa IN the soup, the results were a little...eh.  Don't get me wrong. I still ATE it but it had a burnt after taste.

Sweetness in the Sand

Here's my Facebook post about this soup:

Healthy Soup Creation on the stove: Vidalia onions sauteed with garlic, EVO, ground cinnamon, ground basil, salt, and pepper. Add in peeled and par boiled sweet potatoes and 2 cartons of organic veggie broth. Bring to boil and simmer the heck out of it. It smells great so far. Should be ready by lunchtime.

Although my beach buddy Diane couldn't believe it (and was a little grossed out), I chilled this soup and ate a HUGE tupperware container on Nantasket beach on a sunny Saturday. She doesn't know what she was missing!

BBQ Chicken...No Soup for You!

Switching up the Healthy Creations with BBQ chicken, beans, and onions in the crock pot. Not sure I'll be able to eat it but I am determined to cook all leftovers. Did I mention that I started composting, too?

Creamy, Creamless Potato Soup

Facebook status update:  Made a creamy, yummy potato Healthy Soup Creation. Saute celery, garlic, EVO, and garlic in the bottom of the stock pot. Add in washed and cubed dozen (or so) white and red skin baby potatoes (skin on). Add 2 cartons of organic veggie broth and bring to boil for about 5 min. Add dried rosemary, chopped basil and pepper.... Simmer for 30 minutes. Blend on high until pureed then return to simmering stock pot for 30 min.

This soup is really good chilled or hot. My friend Laurie loved this soup but was not at all shy about adding salt. I wasn't insulted since she was right. :-)

A Fruity Pre-Dawn Disaster

My UC medication gets me up at the crack of dawn.  Truly. Sometimes it's 4:30am and I force myself to stay in bed until at least 5:00am. I'm not sure why. Getting up before then just seems OBSCENE and reminds me of my days as a Newswriter on Morning Edition after college which I loved but  kicked my butt physically.  Since I'm not used to being a morning person, I find myself wandering the house with my new-found energy, looking for stuff to do until the kids get up. The storage part of my basement has never been more organized and the freezer and fridge are filled with Tupperware containers of soup.

Here's my Facebook status update after one of these early morning adventures:  Just made my first Healthy Fruit Soup Creation: 1/2 a bottle of Kefir which was a gift from my friend Julie, about 1/2 a seedless watermelon, ground ginger (maybe 3 tablespoons which was WAY too much), 1/2 a fresh squeezed lemon, a peeled cucumber, and a can of peaches in pear juice (drained first). If only I still had cilantro for flavoring and garnish. Must keep the herbs stocked!

This was a failed experiment. I'm not sure if it was the Kefir, the fruit, the overload of ground ginger, or what, but this did not taste great and caused me some serious UC symptoms. I will NOT be repeating this recipe.