Category Archives: Soups & Stews

December 26, 2011 · 9:55 am

A New Year’s Day Soup

This recipe originally appeared in Hasty Tasty Meals in the RV (© 2006)

I created this recipe especially for my mom. She loved blackeye peas, and she loved this soup. It’s a great use-up of your turkey stock if you make it from your Christmas turkey bones. I prefer dried blackeye peas, but canned works, too.

You can make this recipe either in the pressure cooker in half an hour or slow-cook it half a day. Either way, there’s no need to presoak the blackeye peas. Make it up ahead and re-heat to serve. (Soup’s always tastier the next day!)

RECIPE

Blackeye Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot grated
1 potato, cut up into 1” pieces
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
1 can blackeye peas, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups water and 1 cup dried blackeye peas― add cooking time)
1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chiles
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat the oil in a 4-quart sauce pan (I use either the Gourmet Slo-Cooker or the pressure cooker) on Medium and sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrot, potato. Sauté another 5 minutes. Add the quart of broth, can of Rotel®, and can of blackeye peas (or dried peas and 2 cups water). Bring to a bubble then reduce heat.

Slow-cook method: Remove pan from burner, add bay leaf, and place on the electric base. (or pour into a Crock Pot® if you prefer) Slow-cook on a medium-low setting for 5 hours, or longer if using dried peas. Remove bayleaf, check and adjust seasonings, then serve.

~OR~

Pressure Cooker Method: Secure lid of your pressure cooker, bring to pressure and cook 15 minutes for canned blackeye peas and 30 minutes for dried blackeye peas. Remove from heat, release pressure according to your manufacturer’s instructions, then carefully open the cooker.

Check the peas for doneness. If necessary, return pot uncovered to the burner and simmer until the blackeye peas are cooked. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, then serve.

Happy new year!

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November 25, 2011 · 5:46 pm

Turkey leftovers? No problem!

For the holidays, I’m recapping some of our favorite turkey leftover recipes. Remember, it’s easy to shred leftover meat in the Vitamix, food processor, or mixer. I use shredded leftover turkey to make turkey salad, turkey burritos, and turkey barbecue sandwiches.

RECIPE

Turkey BBQ Sandwiches
Serves 2
(I serve these with Cole Slaw made using the Vitamix)

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded turkey dark meat
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce of choice
2 whole wheat burger buns

Directions:
Combine turkey and barbecue sauce in a one quart pan. Cover and place over low heat for gentle heating. After mixture is completely warmed through, remove pan from heat and serve on the burger buns.

RECIPE

Turkey Tetrazzini
Serves 4-5

(I use a Kitchen Craft covered skillet, but this recipe can be baked in a conventional oven. I prefer the electric skillet because the entire dish is prepared in one pot, reducing clean-up time in the kitchen. Also, a quality liquid core electric skillet uses less energy than an oven):

Dry sauté in the skillet:

1 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

After the mushrooms have browned, add:

1½ cups cooked turkey, cubed
4 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta, spread evenly across vegetables and chicken in skillet (or 1½ quart baking dish)

In a 1 pint measuring pitcher, blend:

1 10 ¾ oz. can Campbell’s® 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pour soup mixture over turkey and pasta. Be sure all pasta is covered.

If using a skillet, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Do NOT remove lid to peek. If baking, cover casserole with foil and cook in a pre-heated 375°F oven for 30 minutes.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with a garden salad and whole grain bread. Serves 4.

With the rising cost of canned goods, I’ve started canning my own turkey stock, which is easy using the pressure cooker and freezer-safe, pint canning jars.  But whether you make your own stock or buy it, you’ll enjoy making soup from leftover turkey.  Here’s one suggestion, Turkey Noodle Soup:

RECIPE

Turkey Noodle Soup

Makes 4 servings

In a 3 quart pot over medium heat, add

2 teaspoons olive oil
brown for 5 minutes:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
4 stalks celery (including the leaves), sliced
1 bell pepper (any color, but I use red), seeded and chopped

Add:

1 quart turkey stock or chicken broth
1 cup water
Seasonings – your choice
1 ½ cups cooked turkey, cubed

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Don’t remove the lid and you’ll be able to cook on the lowest setting.

About 10 minutes before serving, add:

1 cup dry whole wheat noodles, or any whole wheat pasta

Taste test for seasonings. You may want to add salt or pepper. When the noodles are al dente, serve the soup.

The beauty of this recipe is the cooking time is flexible. The soup can simmer for 20 minutes or a couple of hours because the starchy pasta isn’t added until the last 10 minutes. It’s a light, healthy meal for those days following the overindulgence of a holiday meal. Double or triple the recipe and feed a crowd on a cold night.

One more tip: You can adapt this for the slow cooker. Add the pasta in during the last hour and turn to Low.

Here’s one I modified from a GE recipe.  Theirs is baked in a casserole dish, but I use the electric skillet.

RECIPE

Turkey Cashew Casserole
Serves 6

In a pre-heated electric skillet, melt:

1 Tablespoon butter

Sauté for five minutes:

2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped

Add:

5 cups cubed cooked turkey

Mix together in a large mixing pitcher or bowl:

1 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 cans reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
dash of hot sauce

Pour over chicken and cover.  Simmer (220°) for 20-25 minutes (or bake in a casserole dish at 350° for 30 minutes in a traditional oven).

Sprinkle cooked casserole with:

1 cup cashews
10 oz. chow-mein noodles

Serve and enjoy!

I saved my favorite for last, turkey burritos!  This recipe can be adjusted according to how much leftover turkey you have.

RECIPE

Turkey Burritos
Makes 6

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a medium bowl combine:

1 cup shredded cooked turkey
1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning (or your choice)

Mix together and divide into six equal portions.  Fill each of the:

6 whole wheat tortillas

with a portion of the mixture.  Wrap tortilla around mixture into a roll.  Place burritos in a 9×13 casserole dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and uncover.  After 5 minutes, remove each burrito from the casserole dish and serve.

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

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September 17, 2011 · 8:36 am

Minorcan Clam Chowder Revisited

(This is revised from an earlier post. It’s in honor of my late friend Winni Wood, who bought me my Saint Augustine Seafood Cookbook that contained the original recipe. I miss you, friend.)

Soon it will be soup weather again. Here in the Hasty Tasty Meals kitchen I’m making a pot of Minorcan Clam Chowder. If you’re unfamiliar with Minorcan style cuisine, come to Saint Augustine, Florida, where many restaurants offer dishes featuring recipes from the 18th century settlers who originated from the Spanish island of Minorca.

I’ve adapted this recipe for the more modern, Hasty Tasty Meals kitchen. If you can find datil peppers, you should use those instead of the bell pepper. Datil peppers are authentic to Minorcan cuisine. I use canned clams, but if you have fresh clams, all the better!

RECIPE

Minorcan Clam chowder
Ingredients:
1 pint canned clams (do not drain)
1 Tbsp. oil
2 lbs. onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. pepper (I use Redneck Pepper® original)
¼ tsp. salt (optional–I omit because there is salt in the canned clams and juice)
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and minced

Directions:
In the pot of a 6-quart pressure cooker, add oil and sauté onions until soft. Add all other ingredients. Cover and secure lid, bring to pressure, and cook for four minutes. Remove cooker from the burner and allow it to sit 5 minutes. Release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cool chowder, and store in the refrigerator. Making the chowder ahead of time allows the flavors to season. Warm over medium heat and serve.

Note: Also good with fish instead of clams. For richer chowder, double the amount of clams.

Note that this is lower in saturated fat than New England clam chowder, and spicier than Manhattan clam chowder. Also, if you scrub the potatoes and leave on the peels, you’ll add potassium and fiber. It’s about as figure-friendly a clam chowder as you can get. Enjoy!

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June 14, 2011 · 7:57 pm

Hasty Tasty Cincy Chili

It’s Skyline Chili! That’s what my hubby said when he tasted my knock-off version of Cincinnati style chili today. Try this hasty, tasty version and judge for yourself.

RECIPE

A local favorite with Mediterranean flavor, Cincinnati
chili is popular now nationwide. This is a quick version that’s almost as good
as the long-cooking method. Serve it plain, five-way, or your choice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 2 cups water or broth
  • 1 cup frozen diced onion
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. garam masala¹
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 can small red beans, rinsed and drained (Optional  for topping)
  • 1 cup diced onion (Optional for topping)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Optional for topping)

Directions:

  1. Cook ground turkey in the water or broth over
    medium heat in a large (4 quart) saucepan.
  2. When the turkey is cooked, add onion and garlic.
    Stir.
  3. Add the spices, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar,
    and tomato sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.
  4. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the sauce from heat. Serve over cooked
    whole wheat spaghetti and add optional toppings if desired. Top five-way chili with
    cheese, onions, and beans, Four-way with two of the three, etc.

Yield: Serves four – five

Store leftover sauce (in an airtight container) in the freezer for up to four months.

¹garam masala is a spice blend of cumin, cardaman, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper.

If you wonder why I use frozen instead of fresh diced onions, this recipe is featured in my RECIPES FOR RECOVERY, the new cookbook designed for patients after major surgery or illness. The recipes stress good nutrition with minimal effort or time in the kitchen.

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