Thursday, January 14, 2010
Happy Birthday Gabriele!
The cake perfectly matched her dress - sparkle polka dots included! I wish I'd gotten a picture of her with the cake, she looked so adorable! The perfect little Minnie Mouse! Happy first birthday Gabriele!!!!
Veggie Soup
Please forgive me for not also posting a picture...I didn't like any of the ones I took...and well, the soup got eaten too fast for me to try and take another!
It is, indeed, the new year and basically everyone is on some sort of crazy diet. I decided not to have any major resolutions, just to try and get back down to my pre-baby size (and I'm almost there!). I am not a huge meat eater - unless I'm going all the way with some great BBQ or a guaranteed-to-be delicious steak. On a regular basis, I prefer veggies, carbs and oh, fish is okay. So last night I decided to make an "Everything veggie in my cabinet and fridge" soup. It included the following ingredients (and they can certainly be substituted for your favorite coordinating vegetables).
Fresh Garlic (minced)
Carrots (whole carrots sliced - more flavor!)
Celery (sliced)
Canned Stewed Tomatoes (diced - I took mine out of the can to cut them smaller, they came halved)
Canned Green Beans
Fresh Romaine Lettuce
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Chicken stock (32oz box, or coordinating amount to your veggies)
I like to use whole carrots - they are much more fragrant and flavorful than the baby carrots. The stewed tomatoes won't get soggy and fall apart like fresh tomatoes would - they also have a little more flavor to them. You can certainly use fresh green beans, also - but I find they're softer from the can. You can substitute the romaine lettuce for any of your other favorite greens like spinach or kale. You could also add onions and potatoes if you wish - you can add the potatoes along with your other fresh veggies. If you want meat, you can also add that - just put it in and cook thoroughly along with the garlic (and onions) - or cook separately and add in the meat later...but of course, it would no longer be veggie soup - it would be regular soup!
I started with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of my pot to brown my garlic, on medium-high heat. If you have any onions, you could dice them and add them in with the garlic - I just didn't have one. Once garlic and onion is browned, add in the chicken stock. I then added in all of my carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and let these fresh vegetables soften for about 5-10 min (you want to give them a head start since the canned ones are already soft).
Turn the heat down to medium. Then add in your canned veggies. I think the tomato really makes the dish- it adds such a great flavor and provides adequate salt. You could, of course, add more salt if needed, but we're trying to stay away from that, too. Stir periodically. Once everything is well incorporated, add in your greens. It's okay if your pot is VERY full - it'll go down as it cooks. Cover with lid, and let your greens cook down and soften. Stir occasionally, mixing in your greens as they cook down. Add in black pepper, garlic powder and, if desired, salt to taste. Viola! Stone soup.
It is, indeed, the new year and basically everyone is on some sort of crazy diet. I decided not to have any major resolutions, just to try and get back down to my pre-baby size (and I'm almost there!). I am not a huge meat eater - unless I'm going all the way with some great BBQ or a guaranteed-to-be delicious steak. On a regular basis, I prefer veggies, carbs and oh, fish is okay. So last night I decided to make an "Everything veggie in my cabinet and fridge" soup. It included the following ingredients (and they can certainly be substituted for your favorite coordinating vegetables).
Fresh Garlic (minced)
Carrots (whole carrots sliced - more flavor!)
Celery (sliced)
Canned Stewed Tomatoes (diced - I took mine out of the can to cut them smaller, they came halved)
Canned Green Beans
Fresh Romaine Lettuce
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Chicken stock (32oz box, or coordinating amount to your veggies)
I like to use whole carrots - they are much more fragrant and flavorful than the baby carrots. The stewed tomatoes won't get soggy and fall apart like fresh tomatoes would - they also have a little more flavor to them. You can certainly use fresh green beans, also - but I find they're softer from the can. You can substitute the romaine lettuce for any of your other favorite greens like spinach or kale. You could also add onions and potatoes if you wish - you can add the potatoes along with your other fresh veggies. If you want meat, you can also add that - just put it in and cook thoroughly along with the garlic (and onions) - or cook separately and add in the meat later...but of course, it would no longer be veggie soup - it would be regular soup!
I started with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of my pot to brown my garlic, on medium-high heat. If you have any onions, you could dice them and add them in with the garlic - I just didn't have one. Once garlic and onion is browned, add in the chicken stock. I then added in all of my carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and let these fresh vegetables soften for about 5-10 min (you want to give them a head start since the canned ones are already soft).
Turn the heat down to medium. Then add in your canned veggies. I think the tomato really makes the dish- it adds such a great flavor and provides adequate salt. You could, of course, add more salt if needed, but we're trying to stay away from that, too. Stir periodically. Once everything is well incorporated, add in your greens. It's okay if your pot is VERY full - it'll go down as it cooks. Cover with lid, and let your greens cook down and soften. Stir occasionally, mixing in your greens as they cook down. Add in black pepper, garlic powder and, if desired, salt to taste. Viola! Stone soup.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
