Today's blog is going to be a little different...today's blog is a cooking lesson...
I thought you might need some relief from my blogging therapy, whining, and yelling at you to find a spin bike and ride...
If you are a follower of mine of Facebook or Instagram you know that I have turned into some sort of a sad cliché of a middle-aged divorced woman:
I post photos of my cats and food I cook
and that's about all I post photos of...except for the occasional sweaty selfie or group shot after a spin class...
But since I post so many cooking photos I get a lot of questions and requests...and since everyone is early into still trying to keep your New Year's Resolutions I thought I could help you out a bit by giving you some cooking tips...
I know everyone is working hard because the spin classes at the studio are booked to "waitlist" status (yay! I love a full class!) and you can't find parking near any gyms...
so right now people have health and fitness on their minds...and one of the best ways to keep yourself healthy is by cooking things at home so you can control the salt and fat content...I lost all of my weight not with a special diet or surgery but by what I ate and working out...and I found that when I was in control of what went on my plate I had great tasty HEALTHY meals that were low in sodium and fat and high in flavor.
I love to cook so for me that was the best way to do it...
I learned to cook from my mom. She was a great cook.
Like me she was a cook...not a baker...
She didn't particularly enjoy baking and neither do I...I did as a child but now it is a chore. I guess it is because of all the measuring and exactness. I have always considered baking a science and cooking an art...
not that baking can't be artful because it totally is...but that is more about how you decorate and plate it and "foof" it up...
cooking is more forgiving and foolproof...you don't have to measure...you just put stuff in...
so for that reason I have exactly 2 cakes in my arsenal and that is it:
Coca-Cola cake
and
Tres Leches cake
that's it...other than cookies from pre-made dough that is the extent of my baking I do.
And if I bake for you then you know you are LOVED...because I hate doing it...
It's cold outside and these days I crave a lot of soup...
I like soup
It's easy...
It's a meal that is warm and comforting
It freezes well
its easy to make a giant batch of it so you cook once but have many meals
It can be super healthy or super rich and bad but oh so yummy
a good bowl of soup is a thing of beauty...
My mom made soup better than anyone...and her sandwich making was an art form...
I think my mom was the only blonde (ok from a bottle blonde) Catholic woman who made matzoh ball soup as good as any Jewish grandmother...maybe better than most...
I never complained when she said we were having soup for dinner and when I was an adult I often called her and asked her to make me a sandwich and soup for lunch when I was working or if I could come over on a Sunday afternoon and have a bowl of her delicious soup...
The only time I got tired of soup was the 6 weeks I had a broken jaw (long story...no one hit me...it was to fix an open bite) and had to eat nothing but soup...
that was a long 6 weeks and I got very sick of soup...and I made every soup you can imagine...
but it taught me the art of soup making...
then I got married to a man who thinks soup is just something you eat at the Chinese restaurant before you get your General Tso's chicken...
my son feels the same way...
my daughter, on the other hand, loves soup and will eat just about any soup I make except for tomato basil (she doesn't like tomato things...)
the other night I went to KuteKaren's house and 5 college kids happily slurped up mugs of my homemade tomato basil soup and hugged me for making it...and then I kicked their booties playing "Cards Against Humanity"...
So today's lesson is going to be about...
SOUP
(I guess you figured that out by now)
You need some basic equipment...like a stock pot or a dutch oven...it all depends on how much you are making...
This is a photo of my cooktop...it looks like this all the time...I keep those pots and skillets on there all the time because I use them ALL THE TIME
Really if you have a good seasoned cast iron skillet and a heavy cast iron enamel dutch/French oven you are set...I do 98% of my cooking in those pots and pans...the only time I do something different is if I am using a roasting pan for the oven...but on the stove---those are pretty much it...
And you don't need to pay a bajillion bucks for a dutch oven...two of mine are of the fancy French pricey variety but the one in the middle is from the grocery store (HEB) and it works as good or better as the other two and was 1/10th the price.
Same thing with the cast iron...they are from the grocery store. I wish I had a 50 year old one handed down over the decades but that isn't the case...so I bought these. Most cast iron skillet these days come pre-seasoned...When I get one I pour a little oil in it, heat it up, turn off the heat...pour out the oil and then wipe it out leaving a little film of oil on it. Then I start using it...
and if you don't know about cleaning...well...in a nutshell:
dutch oven---never put in the dishwasher (some people do but I don't), soak to remove stuck on food...if something is super stuck fill it with water and put it on the stove...dump in about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of baking soda...bring to a boil and boil 10 min...pour out and the gunk will easily come off with a sponge...
cast iron---NO SOAP EVER...just wash with hot water...a well seasoned skillet will come clean with just a spray from your faucet sprayer...I use kosher salt if something gets stuck on...after rinsing I dry with a paper towel and I keep mine on the stove with a thin coating (just a sheen) of canola oil to prevent rusting...
I may be making mistakes with my pots but that is what works for me...
They make excellent wedding and graduation gifts...
So now that I have totally bored you about equipment let's get to the cooking...
You can't make a good soup without a good stock.
yes, you can use the stuff in the box...but I SWEAR if you will just try making your own stock you will find it is sooooo much better...
not kidding
it makes that big a difference
What do you need for stock?
a big pot
aromatic veggies (celery, onion, carrot)
garlic
herbs (depends on the stock...and I like fresh ones)
olive oil
bones or poultry carcass
wine or beer (red wine for beef, white for poultry, and beer if I am making a Mexican soup)
"Better than bouillon" paste or Knorr bouillon cubes (it's a cheat but works)
cheesecloth
I have learned that it is easy to freeze and save bones and carcasses if I am not going to make a stock right away...same with veggie scraps or those last 2 carrots that are about to go "wilty" in the fridge...
If you buy a bone-in steak it is usually cheaper by the pound but you end up paying for the bone...consider that a huge fabulous bonus! Cook the steak with the bone on and then cut off the bone and throw it in a Ziploc...save for soup! I do that with my prime rib roast bones too...
and I almost always supplement my beef stock bones with some oxtail bones...they are an inexpensive way to add flavor and the marrow adds that "gelatinous" quality that makes a soup a bit richer...
and for chickens and turkey if you buy a grocery store roasted chicken and use the meat for a casserole, save the bones in the freezer to make a stock...
I have tried making chicken stock from cooking a whole bird but frankly I find I can make as good or better a soup (and not have over boiled meat) if I use a grocery store roasted chicken...I pick the meat off and save it for after I get the stock done...the bones and wings go in the stock pot...
once you have saved up enough bones and veggies (or go to the store and get them) set aside a Saturday or Sunday to babysit your stock and watch some tv while it goes from "a bunch of stuff" to "deliciousness"...
and remember---this is the STOCK not the soup so scraps and "junk" is just fine
All stocks start like this:
roughly chop up some onion, celery and carrots...or get the scraps out of the freezer...
heat some olive oil in your pot until it "shimmers" and then add in the veggies and cook until they are starting to brown...the flavor is in the brown people...
you can also roast your veggies...
add in whole cloves of garlic (you do not need to peel because all of this gets strained out)
peppercorns
bones or carcass
If I am making a beef stock instead of olive oil I save a bit of the fat from steaks when I trim them and freeze it to use to render the fat for the stock...adds a lot of flavor...
Now cover the whole mess with water...cover it until it is well covered...you will keep adding water as you go...
This is when I add herbs...I always toss in some bay leaves and whole stems of thyme...and if I am making stock for Mexican caldo or tortilla soup I forgo the thyme and bay leaves and use cilantro and a few slices of fresh jalapeno
bring to a boil and then turn down to a gentle simmer...and start watching it...
when the water level becomes reduced a bit I add in some wine....but not too much...it is hard for me to tell you how much to use because I don't know how much you are making but what I usually do is toss in a good "glug"...it will enrich it and you can add more as you go...and again for the Mexican caldo I prefer to use a beer...you don't want it to taste of wine but 1/2 cup of wine in a large stock pot won't make your stock taste of wine but will add to the flavor...and since this is just the stock if you want more of a wine flavor you can add in more wine when you turn the stock into soup
now here is where I "cheat" a bit...I always toss in a few Knorr bouillon cubes or a few tablespoons of "better than bouillon" paste...not too much or it will get salty...and I never salt until I actually make the soup itself....but it will enrich your stock...
(I keep those Knorr cubes on hand...the are great for making rice taste better and adding as a seasoning...just use less salt)
let the whole thing simmer for 6-8 hours adding water as you go...you want a rich stock so don't add too much water but as long as you keep the bones and veggies covered you should be fine.
taste it and see if you have a nice beefy or chicken or turkey or veggie flavor... and you can throw in an extra tablespoon or so of bouillon paste or wine at this point...
now you strain...
I strain twice...
Once with my regular pasta strainer and then I strain again with the strainer but line it with cheesecloth...that catches all the little bits and gives you a nice fairly clear stock...
there is some fancy stuff you can do with eggs that makes it very clear but I have never bothered with that...
I always put it back in the pot (I clean the pot out while straining) and once cool enough I put it in the fridge over night so the fat will rise and harden and I can pull the fat off...
The next day pour into freezer bags (very handy) or freezer containers and store...and if you have an old ice cube tray laying around making some stock cubes is a good thing for enriching sauces...
that's it...
then it is ready to use for soup...
as for soup, here are some easy soups I like to do:
Beef Veggie Soup with Noodles:
Ingredients:
beef stock
homestyle noodles (or egg noodles but if you can get your hands on a homestyle kind do it!)
carrots
mushrooms
thyme
onion (thin sliced)
garlic
corn
leftover steak or some cubed beef for soup or stew
red wine
Saute the onion in a bit of olive oil until starting to brown...add in mushrooms (slice or whole) and cook until the mushrooms soften. Add in a good glug or two of red wine and let it start to burn off...thrown in carrot slices (or baby carrots) and a finely chopped garlic clove (or two)...or grate in the garlic with a microplane...saute your meat until it starts to brown...add in your stock and gently simmer for a couple of hours...pull out... thyme and add in egg noodles and cook until noodles are soft. You can add other veggies like frozen corn, etc...whatever you like...and don't forget to taste for salt (you might add it now) and I love some pepper...
To make chicken noodle to the same thing except with chicken...duh...and use white wine...and I definitely use a little celery when making chicken soup...and I add in chicken from a grocery store roasted chicken...
To make a Mexican style soup I saute onion and bell peppers...add in the garlic...maybe a slice or two of jalapeno...I use cilantro instead of thyme...beer instead of wine...add in chicken stock...throw in some cumin to taste...add in chicken meat. For veggies I usually use corn and squash and carrots...I skip the celery...and you can use beans but I am not much a fan of beans in my soup unless it is a bean soup...fish out the cilantro and jalapeno slices before serving and serve with baked tortilla chips and a little cheese and maybe some crema and a bit of fresh chopped cilantro...
I use beef (and sometimes chicken) stock to make French onion soup...just saute some sweet onions in butter until carmelized...toss in some fresh thyme and about 1/2 cup red wine and let the wine reduce...add in stock...that's it...taste and check for salt and seasoning...you can do the whole bit with the bread crouton and melted cheese on top but I take the easy route and throw a crostini or bruschetta bread on the bottom of the bowl, ladle in the hot soup and throw some shredded gruyere or swiss on top and stir in...
I know that none of this is exact but I am not that kind of cook...I don't measure...
When you make the stock just remember that all of it will get strained so don't stress about how the veggies look or are cut...don't salt it but rather save adding salt for when you make the soup...add ingredients like wine and bouillon a little at a time so that you don't over-do...
I also find that some unexpected things can season up a soup (not the stock but the SOUP) really well:
a dash of soy sauce for an Asian soup...or try Ponzu sauce...
a dash or two of Worcestershire adds a lot of flavor to a beef soup and chicken soup
a dash of balsamic vinegar adds a little extra flavor too...but just a dash...
a couple of dashes of Tabasco add flavor and no heat...
all soups are made even more yummy if you have some tasty things to dress it up...I love making homemade croutons and bruschetta to serve with soup...I bake my own tortilla chips in the oven for texture...fresh cilantro or green onions are always delish...and a little Mexican crema can turn a soup creamy and extra yummy...
For homemade croutons: get some good loaf bread (unsliced)...let it get a little stale and dried out...cube the bread and toss in a skillet or roasting pan with equal parts butter and olive oil (I love to use flavored olive oils for this)...toss to coat and bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy...store in a Ziploc or plastic lidded container...will keep a few weeks...
for the bruschetta I get a loaf of unsliced bread (rosemary sea salt is my favorite)...slice into thin slices and brush with olive oil (flavored olive oil, especially garlic, is nice for this)...bake until crispy...
for flavored olive oils if you don't have an olive oil/vinegar store in your town you can order online...Boston Olive Oil company is my favorite...I always keep garlic, chipotle, and butter flavor on hand...love rosemary flavor and jalapeno flavor and...bacon...oh yeah...
Get creative with your soup making...think about baked potato soup...carrot and ginger soup...butternut squash...
the possibilities are endless...and if you have some good stock on hand it is easy to take what is in your fridge and turn it into a delicious bowl of goodness...
I will leave you with one last soup...this one does not use stock...
Tomato Basil soup:
get a variety of tomatoes, preferably organic...I use a combination of roma, beefsteak, hothouse, and lots of varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes...
rinse the tomatoes and roughly chop the bigger ones...cherry and grape ones can remain whole...
in your pot saute 1/2 of a chopped sweet onion in a bit of olive oil over low heat until it is soft...toss in the tomatoes and cook (stirring often) until they are releasing juices and very soft and "popping" open as you stir. Turn off the heat and stir in a few tablespoons of butter and a little white pepper and 2 TBS of brown sugar (yes, do it...). don't salt yet...take a stick blender or blend in batches in a regular blender adding fresh basil to taste...Now add some salt...a little at a time...this should be sweet and rich but not salty. If you want a cream soup you can add some half and half but I find that no cream is needed...it tastes creamy as it is...and it is super healthy this way...
Ok so I know this isn't my usual blog and many of you who read this are stellar cooks but I wanted to share with you for those of you who don't realize how easy it all is...
If you have questions please leave them in the "comment" section at the bottom here...very likely what you are asking is something someone else may want the answer for...
and let me know if you want a few more recipes or cooking tips...I am happy to give them or I can keep this blog to the therapy/musings it always is...
Inspiration Song: "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical "Oliver!"...
Bye Darlings...make yourself a pot of soup and enjoy how satisfying it can be....tonight I am going to watch Downton Abbey while I enjoy some chicken soup....
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