Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Soup, Soup, Soup

When the weather turns to fall, I'm always drawn to my kitchen. I'm not much of a summer cook, but cooler weather brings out all my cooking instincts. Meatloaf and baked potatoes, soups and bread, crock pot meals, I'm even thinking about food before lunch! As in planning ahead! Trust me on this, I don't plan ahead in the summer--all of a sudden it'll be four o'clock and I'm forced to think, "What's for dinner?!?" Barbecues are us.

I found a recipe a week or so ago for a crock pot minestrone and decided to give it a try. It made a huge pot and we really liked it. I used Elk stew meat and it was nice and tender, easily cut with a spoon.


It's not a pretty soup, but it was quite tasty, especially sprinkled with shredded Italian cheese (mozzarella and parmesan). I got the recipe here.

And by the way, the split pea soup I made earlier this week was fantastic. The recipe came from Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass.
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4 comments:

  1. HallieOctober 27, 2010 at 9:33 PM

    Ah ha! A clue for this delicious split pea soup. Will I be able to find this recipe online or is Pressure Perfect a magazine/book? Does the title "Pressure Perfect" indicate that one needs a pressure cooker to make it? Did your split pea soup also have ham? YUM!

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  2. ChrisOctober 27, 2010 at 10:09 PM

    Hi Hallie--Pressure Perfect is a book on cooking with a 6 qt pressure cooker. You should look at one--they're so easy to use and are so speedy. The soup was done in half an hour--put all the ingredients in the cooker, bring to pressure (about five minutes) and cook under pressure for 10 minutes, and then let the pressure drop (maybe 15 minutes). I did use ham I'd frozen from Easter. YUM was definite the word!

    I do bean soups in it and just put in the dried beans and other ingredients and go--of course it's under pressure longer, maybe 35 minutes, but sure beats soaking the beans overnight and then cooking for hours.

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  3. KathyOctober 28, 2010 at 7:05 PM

    Hmmmm. I should give a pressure cooker some thought as well. Mike had one when we were married and he liked to cook birds in it. It just had a "rockers" that set on the spout, not a pressure gauge. I think I let it go when we moved -- wasn't real comfortable with it.

    I think Hallie is developing a love of bean soup. Say, Chris, do you know anything about Irish soda bread? Hallie is seeking the ultimate soda bread recipe.

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  4. HallieOctober 28, 2010 at 8:56 PM

    Mom used to have an embroidered picture that said something like, "This House is Big Enough for Love--That's All!" Well, I'm living in a house just that size and when I upgrade, my house will hopefully be big enough for love AND a pressure cooker! ;)

    Yes, looking for a soda bread recipe (traditional--no fruit), that is sweet like cake and light in texture. I have some ideas for experimentation--lots of baking soda and baking powder and perhaps lots of sugar, too.

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