I’m a Soup Freak; what I keep on hand for them

I’m not someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen. (Wait, I wrote this 2 years ago, now I’m constantly cooking.) Maybe because I worked from home for so long that I got in the habit of eating most of my meals out. I have a handful of favorite dishes I cook for myself and for friends and one of my favorite things to cook is soup.  Sometimes I’m just looking in the fridge at the leftovers. Sometimes I do this in a structured manner, like deciding on split pea soup and buying just those ingredients, but most often I find myself in the store looking at a juicy stalk of fennel next to a fat leek and the ideas start to flow. If I have no direction in mind, I can just let the fresh vegetables of the day direct me. 

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Hearty Spicy Low Fat Soups

Andrea’s Spicy Low Fat Seafood Chowder

Marinate 1 lb of shrimp or bay scallops in the juice of 2 lemons while you begin
Saute 6 cloves freshly chopped garlic in 2 tblsp olive oil
Dice and add:
I giant whole leek
1 fat stalk of fennel
I parsnip
2 whole carrots
Corn from one raw ear
4 stalks celery

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A Favorite Split Pea Soup

Split Pea soup Image kalhh, Pixabay

Split pea is a favorite of mine because I can make it in 35 minutes. Even though I make only one quart of it at a time, I saute my vegs in a 2 quart pot so I can get them all browning and carmelizing.  (Double the recipe if you want 2 quarts.)

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Savory Lowfat Kinda Crisp Kinda Carmelized Roasted Tomatoes

The tops are crisp with a light breading, underneath are chewy and carmelized

Mmmm breaded Roma tomato slices roasted, crispy AND chewy! Basically 1/3 of the way to a dried tomato. The resident food critic pronounced them the best he’s ever had, anywhere. I’d have to agree. I like Roma tomatoes because they’re not very watery, they stay firm and flavorful. Plus I can grow tomatoes from the slices!

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My killer lazy low fat stovetop frittatas

Broccoli, onions, black olives, fresh Roma tomato, tarragon, basil, garlic, pepper jack cheese

I love a good omelet but I’m not good at making them. What I can do tho is make a killer stovetop frittata.
(1) First I basically make a stirfry of all my fave veggies. For me that’s onion, red pepper strips, halved brocolli florets, mushrooms, scallions. Fill the bottom of the pan with them, it will cook down by half. Cook til golden.
(2) pour *egg mixture to cover the vegs.
(3) lower the heat (for me it’s medium low)
(4) after 5 mins, top with fresh tomato and strips of cheese, cover and let it all melt
(5) serve alone or inside a grilled soft taco with sour cream and lettuce

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Zatar spice mix Za’atar

Za’atar is a flavorful condiment to sprinkle over soups, salads, hummus, roasted vegetables, olive oil for bread dipping and croutons.
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp cumin seeds, freshly ground
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, freshly ground
1 tbsp sumac
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes if you like heat

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Szechuan Peppercorns

I learned something today. I love kung pao chicken. I always avoided eating the little red chilies in it thinking they would be too hot for me. Yet I like the numbing sensation. So today I learned it’s two different foods. I was researching make a spicy sauce for some bland chicken I cooked last night and that’s when I read about the difference between the Szechuan peppercorns and the dried red chilies. They said the peppercorns are not hot but they do have the mouth numbing quality. A friend said he usually grinds them and uses them in any dish he’d like to give more heat and a slightly floral flavor. They aren’t hot as much as they have a somewhat punchy and mildly fruity flavor and they give that mouth numbing effect.

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