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Easy Homemade Stock in the Crockpot

30. November 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free · Tags: , , , ,

Though I’m a soup aficionado (though more so on the enthusiasm side than the knowledge side), I’ve never made my own stock. I cooked a 6 pound turkey- nicknamed Bradley- for my second Thanksgiving on Saturday, so I figured I’d give stock a test-drive with the leftover turkey carcass (sounds appetizing, huh?).

I just placed the turkey remnants in my Crockpot and added in carrot peels, the dark green tops of leeks, onion skins, and celery tops. I covered everything with water and let it stew overnight on low.

The next morning, after straining all the big pieces out, I had a richly colored, flavorful stock to use as a base for soups!

DSC 0544 1024x914 Easy Homemade Stock in the CrockpotHaha, you can see the apple icon from my computer in the reflection!

Here are a few tips:

  • Be sure to clean your vegetable scraps thoroughly before adding them to the stock
  • Keep a Ziploc bag of meat and vegetable scraps in the freezer to add to as they come. Once you have enough, make a pot of stock
  • Once the stock is cooled, you can skim the fat off the top and dispose of it
  • Wilted vegetables and herbs are great for stock
  • Seafood shells (crab, lobster, etc) can be used for seafood stock
  • Cheese rinds can be used for a slightly cheesy stock
  • Freeze stock in a silicone muffin tin. When frozen, pop out and put in a Ziploc bag for individually-sized stock portions
DSC 05421 1024x682 Easy Homemade Stock in the Crockpot

P.S. Here is a helpful roundup of posts about making homemade stocks and broths from TheKitchn

Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the Crockpot

20. November 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Nothing says fall to me like butternut squash. I’m so obsessed that my friend once told me if I had a word cloud for my life, butternut squash would be in big letters (“That’s what she said” would probably be in huge letters too…).

And leeks in soup? Such a delicious way to get a creamy texture without dairy. If you’re my friend, you’ve probably heard me go on and on about potato leek soup.

You could even play around with this soup by adding a potato for an even creamier texture. Or mix up the spices by subbing basil and oregano for the nutmeg.

Or just follow my recipe icon smile Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the Crockpot

5228197922 c336eac362 Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the CrockpotPhoto credit

  • 1/2 large butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into bite-sized chunks)
  • 1 1/2 leeks (trimmed, cleaned, and sliced)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (diced)
  • 4 chicken bouillon cubes and 4 cups of water or 4 cups of chicken broth or 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg

4137937933 85b16b5022 z Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the CrockpotPhoto credit

Prep vegetables. Combine broth and vegetables in Crockpot. Sprinkle 2-3 dashes each of salt, pepper, and nutmeg on top. Cook on low in Crockpot for 6-7 hours. Allow to cool for several minutes, then blend with an immersion blender (or leave chunky if desired). Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

P.S. Do your hands ever get itchy, red, and start peeling when you handle butternut squash? Mine do and I found out why: butternut squash dermatitis! The best solution is to wear gloves or buy pre-chopped butternut squash.

Easy Masala Simmer Soup

17. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I recently had half a package of firm tofu left over from another recipe, so I decided to make an Indian meal with it. Luckily, I found a jar of Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce in the back of my pantry. After a quick Google search, I stumbled across a recipe for Quick Indian Soup from Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen.

masala simmer sauce trader joes Easy Masala Simmer SoupThe star of the show

Here is my adapted version:

  • Firm tofu, pressed and cubed
  • Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce (you can use another brand, but I prefer TJ’s!)
  • Onions, diced
  • Carrots, sliced
  • Broth or bouillon
  • Rice (I used Cashew Basmati microwavable rice from Target)
  • Hot pepper, chopped (optional)
  • Canned tomatoes (I didn’t have any but I bet they’d be good!)

In a pot, cook onions and carrots in olive oil over medium until onions are translucent. Add simmer sauce and two cups of broth or two cups of water with two bouillon cubes. Simmer on medium-low until carrots are soft. Add tofu and heated rice; simmer until all ingredients are warmed.

Easy Masala Simmer SoupPhoto credit

Fall Soup Roundup

04. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , ,

I’m getting my wisdom teeth out today (ohh, the joys!), so I planned ahead by prepping several different soup varieties to tide me over until I can eat solid foods again.

Here’s what I’ll be eating by the bowlful as I watch Friends, sneak new episodes of Luther, and tweet about my pain (just kidding, I’ll try to abstain from such pointless updates):

(Note: click the soup title for the recipe)

Rainbow chili

Fall Soup RoundupPhoto credit

Zucchini & yellow squash soup

Fall Soup RoundupPhoto credit

Sweet potato, kale, & chicken soup

Fall Soup RoundupPhoto credit

Spiced tomato bean soup

Fall Soup RoundupPhoto credit

 I made several adjustments for each recipe. For example, I didn’t use flour in the zucchini yellow squash soup and I replaced chickpeas with red kidney beans in the spiced tomato bean soup.

Link Roundup: Vacation Days, Success, Mac & Cheese, Yoga, & More

28. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Link Love · Tags: ,

Note: remember to check out the “What I’m Reading” section on my right sidebar for interesting articles that I’ve found through my Google Reader.

What do you think of buy-sell programs for vacation days at work? I had never heard of them before I read this article!

I’m a huge advocate of negotiating- here are five things you may not have known that you could negotiate from the Daily Muse. I actually just got my internet bill down by a few dollars a month!

This piece, called Present Tense, really struck a note with me. Remember: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

I’m adamant that exercise keeps me sane, so I have no doubt that yoga can help your career!

Need some help learning how to create great presentations? Here’s a free livestream class.

How do you define success? Sam Davidson says your definition of success is too narrow.

I can’t stop raving about fall- one of my favorite things is trying new soup recipes. Here are a few recipes to get me (& you!) started.

And speaking of food…here is a healthified mac & cheese recipe from Caroline of After Dinner Dance.

Cajun Sausage, Lentil, & Tomato Soup

09. August 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free · Tags: , , , , ,

I always keep several boxes of Zatarain’s jambalaya in my pantry because it’s an easy meal to make and can be adapted easily by adding onions, peppers, zucchini, shrimp, and/or sausage. But occasionally, I’m not in the mood for jambalaya but I still want a New Orleans-inspired dish that incorporates Andouille sausage. And that’s where this soup comes in! As per usual, it’s less of a recipe and more unmeasured inspiration. As I always say, soups are hard to fu mess up icon smile Cajun Sausage, Lentil, & Tomato Soup

  • Onion, chopped
  • Diced canned tomatoes
  • Lentils, washed
  • Broth, vegetable or chicken 
  • Cajun seasoning {pre-mixed or homemade}
  • Fully cooked Andouille sausage, chopped

Place uncooked lentils in a medium sized pot and cover with cold water {use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to lentils}. Add chopped onion. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and simmer until the lentils are tender. Add broth, cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, and sausage; simmer until lentils are completely cooked and flavors are well-blended.

Save it for a rainy day or throw caution to the wind and eat it on the hottest day of the summer icon smile Cajun Sausage, Lentil, & Tomato Soup

kim chi cabbage soup

18. June 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free · Tags: , , , , ,

After my trip to the farmers’ market, I found myself with a head of cabbage to use up. I made homemade kim chi with half of it and decided to make an easy kim chi soup with the other half!

kimchi soup kim chi cabbage soup

In a soup pot, saute chopped onion, garlic, and shaved ginger in olive oil over medium. Add dried red chili peppers and cayenne to taste. Add a cup or two of vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chopped cabbage and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until cabbage is soft {about 15 minutes}. Garnish with sesame seeds and a dash of sesame oil. 

Granted, this is a bastardized version of any authentic soup but it’s healthy, easy, and pretty filling! You could add chopped green onions, fish sauce, sriracha, and even meat if desired.

P.S. My friend Shelly is Korean so I’m going to make her teach me how to make authentic kim chi!

a pho-nomenal competition

28. May 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Food & Drink, Raleigh, North Carolina · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I have a confession. I currently have 70 {yes, 70!} half-written blog post sitting in my draft folder. Yikes. One that I’ve been meaning to write since last July was where to find the best hole-in-the-wall ethnic food in Raleigh.

My buddy and I made plans to get take-out Pho {Vietnamese soup} the other night. As we were driving up Capital Blvd and deciding which Pho restaurant to go to, we decided to get a dish from each place and pit them against each other in a super-intense food competition. Yes, this is what I do with my time. Haha! I knew it was a blog post in the making.

The competitors {drum roll, please}:

Pho Cali: 3310 Capital Blvd  a pho nomenal competition
Pho Far East: 4011 Capital Blvd

a pho nomenal competition

We carefully devised a system to rank the restaurants.

  • Atmosphere: Pho Cali was perfectly nice but very simple; Pho Far East felt much more cozy because of the decor and lights.
    • Winner: Pho Far East 
  • Popularity {extra points were awarded if the customers were Vietnamese because we all know that matters}: Pho Cali gained two customers while we were there, but Pho Far East had about eight people eating dinner there. It was a tie for percentage of Vietnamese diners. 
    • Winner: Pho Far East
  • Price: $8.99 for a big portion of pho at both places.
    • Tie
  • Quantity: The presentation made it slightly hard to judge, but I think the servings were comparable.
    • Tie
  • Hours: Pho Cali is open for an extra hour at the morning, but I am realistically going to drive up Capital for pho at 9am? Gonna call it a:
    •  Tie
  • Presentation: The overall presentation of Pho Far East’s was more elegant and appetizing.
    • Winner: Pho Far East
  • Service: The service at both places was fantastic. Everyone was friendly and welcoming and even let us practice our Vietnamese pronunciation. But the winner by a slight margin was Pho Cali.
    • Winner: Pho Cali
  • Location: Pho Cali is closer to downtown; Pho Far East is further up Capital {which is one of the worst streets in Raleigh}.
    • Winner: Pho Cali
  • Quality: Arguably the most important of the categories! Alone, each bowl of pho was delicious. But side-by-side, Pho Far East was the clear winner. The broth was much more flavorful, the meat looked more fresh, and they included sriracha, which is critical to the enjoyment of a bowl of Pho.
    • Winner: Pho Far East 
Pho Far East was a pretty clear winner in the pho-off {reviews on Yelp say the same thing}. I look forward to patronizing the restaurant again in the near future icon smile a pho nomenal competition  

P.S. Cheesy joke time: what country has the best food? Viet-nom nom nom icon smile a pho nomenal competition

on the menu for the week

02. May 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: On the Menu · Tags: , , , , ,
132504414006704901 2V5PYsXi c on the menu for the week

Tofu masala with quinoa

Potato leek soup {this stuff is like crack}

Cucumber tomato dill salad {made with my home-grown dill!}

Cinnamon crunch chickpeas

Leftover fajitas + all sorts of Cinco de Mayo food!

Lemon Chobani + sliced vegetables with dill dip + Larabars + navel oranges + apples & peanut butter

Source: goo.gl via Carita on Pinterest

tomato basil meatball soup

17. April 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free · Tags: , , , , ,

Now that I live in a nicer, more cozy apartment, my sister lives to come hang out…and make me feed her {and I’m the younger one! Shouldn’t she be feeding me?}.

meatball soup tomato basil meatball soup Photo credit

I decided to whip up a quick tomato soup with the rest of my Al Fresco Tomato & Basil Chicken Meatballs, leftover from my split pizza.

In a pot, combine a can of diced or chopped whole tomatoes, a chopped clove of garlic, and chopped caramelized onions. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover all ingredients. Sprinkle with a dash each of sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce to low. Use an immersion blender to blend coarsely. Add fully-cooked chopped tomato basil chicken meatballs and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

P.S. For an even easier version of this, simply chop the meatballs into small pieces, throw into a bowl of Trader Joe’s Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup; and microwave. I should get a commission off sales of their soup, since I blog about it all the time!

pixel tomato basil meatball soup
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