Recipe Thread #1

[Bobbie]

I have also checked on labels for "low calorie" foods and found that they are different by only maybe 10 calories. Not worth worrying about.

[Alias Reader]

Barbara, do you think I could freeze the lentil loaf is single serving packages?

Thanks.

[Bobbie]

Alias Reader wrote: "Barbara, do you think I could freeze the lentil loaf is single serving packages?

Thanks.

"

I have no idea. But must admit that in recent months I have learned that more things are freezable than I knew.

[madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I was comparing two cans of tomatoes at the store one day (I forget the brand)....one was "no added salt" and the other was the regular tomatoes. Guess what? The salt content was exactly the same!"

It must have to do with the brands. I have two types in my kitchen right now, both "Brand X" & there is a significant difference in them. Regular has 360 mg salt, while the "no salt added" has 36 mg!! I wonder if there is a mislabeling problem? If so, with your company, JoAnn, or mine?

deborah, who hastens to add that the reason we have both kinds in the kitchen is because DH shops here, too! ;-)

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Deborah, I have no idea why your tomatoes have such a discrepancy, but I was very surprised at what I saw. My sister said she sees this apparent lack of "truth in labelling" all the time. One time she found different serving sizes on the regular and no-salt-added products (same brand)

Also, sometimes food producers get rid of one thing and add another. For example, no fat half- and-half has no fat, but does have sugar. So you trade fat for sugar.

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

Make-a-mix Cookery
More Make-A-Mix Cookery
Make-a-mix cookery: How to make your own mixes

Since we've been talking about the bad stuff that can sometimes be in mixes and processed foods, something made me think of sharing these cookbooks with you. Back in the 80's and 90's, these ladies actutally did some work with Tupperware after they found out we were using and recommending their recipes.

By making your own mixes, YOU control the ingredients, and it's usually a cost saving as well. Hope you can find these at your Libraries. I think they have a web site as well..........

Donna

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "It must have to do with the brands. I have two types in my kitchen right now, both "Brand X" & there is a significant difference in them. Regular has 360 mg salt, while the "no salt added" has 36 mg!! I wonder if there is a mislabeling problem? If so, with your company, JoAnn, or mine? .."
-------------------------

Canned tomatoes,(tom. sauce, tom. paste, and crushed-pureed or whole tom. etc) are a product where you must read the label. Most brands add salt, and a lot of it. You must read the nutritional info provided on the label.

When it comes to sodium in a processed foods there are FDA guidelines.

Sodium-free – less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving

Very low-sodium – 35 milligrams or less per serving

Low-sodium – 140 milligrams or less per serving

Reduced sodium – usual sodium level is reduced by 25 percent

Unsalted, no salt added or without added salt – made without the salt that's normally used, but still contains the sodium that's a natural part of the food itself

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I just checked out the regular canned tomato products in my pantry. Each is "crushed tomatoes" but there are three different brands. One has 120 mg of sodium, one has 140, and one has 220.

And another brand, Pomi, has only 10 mg!!!

[madrano]

Alias Reader wrote: "Unsalted, no salt added or without added salt – made without the salt that's normally used, but still contains the sodium that's a natural part of the food itself...

So, are we saying that the reason there are such discrepancies has to do with the natural salt in different sort of tomatoes? For instance, that canned Roma tomatoes have different mg of salt listed on the label because it might be different from another sort of tomato which is used in canning? Most years we can a few jars of our own tomatoes but don't use salt. Now i'm wondering how futile that effort is. Well, not really, since we surely don't want added salt, but i am now curious.

deborah

[madrano]

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Make-a-mix Cookery
More Make-A-Mix Cookery
Make-a-mix cookery: How to make your own mixes..."

Over the years i've made some mixes myself, most often a Bisquik-like concoction. I find them handy & like knowing i have control over what goes into them. However, i don't usually cook much with mixes, so it's a bit of a waste for our family. More often than not i ended up throwing away my homemade stuff, fearing (don't laugh!) that since it was made without preservatives, it had probably gone bad. :-0

deborah

[madrano]

In the process of moving recipes off AOL (yes, i'm STILL working on leaving AOL!), i found the following recipe:

Pasta e Fagioli with Rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano
Known as Pasta Fazool in some circles, this dish remains a healthy favorite

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped coarsely
1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound dried Soldier beans or cannellini beans
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 cups chicken broth
14-ounce can tomatoes, drained
1 rind (about 1/4 pound) Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 ounces very small cut tubular pasta, such as ditali
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
extra-virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and chopped fresh basil for garnish

1. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and cook until they're soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, dried herbs, broth, 3 cups of water, tomatoes, and cheese rind. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft, about 1 to 2 hours (depending on the age of your beans).
2. When beans are soft, remove cheese rind from the pot and add the pasta. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until pasta is done. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve in wide bowls, garnishing each serving with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about a tablespoon of cheese, and about a teaspoon of fresh basil.

Usually i provide a link to the recipes i save but there isn't one for this. I'm hoping someone here will recognize it. If not, maybe someone here can answer my question anyway.

I've never seen a recipe where a "rind" of cheese is used. From the directions i see that it is, in fact, rind & all, the rind of which is removed. Has anyone here cooked this way? I don't know how the rind doesn't melt into the dish. I'm also wondering about inks used on rinds. Likely i'm thinking about this too much. Still, my curiosity is piqued. Any help?

deborah

[Bobbie]

While I've never done it, I have heard of the "rind" thing. And I have a recipe for Pasta e Fagioli which has been sitting in the pile on my kitchen table for the past 3 months. LOL

Barbara

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I would be inclined to removed the inked portion of the rind but what do I know? I could find nothing that said it was non-edible.

I did a little googling...

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/f... (I love this magazine!)

http://www.cookthink.com/blog/?p=828
(there are some recipes at the bottom of the page)

http://fall-recipes.suite101.com/arti...

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Unsalted, no salt added or without added salt – made without the salt that's normally used, but still contains the sodium that's a natural part of the food itself...

So, are..."

---------------------

Generally speaking, there is 11 mg. of sodium in a raw tomato. -
per 2.35 diam. tomato or 4 ounces -

The difference you are seeing in processed tomatoes is from added sodium and or serving size.

If the manufacturer choses to make a sodium claim on the front label they have to follow the FDA guidelines I posted. They don't have to make any sodium claims on the front label.

They must list sodium on the back nutritional label. So, one must read the back nutritional label for the exact sodium in a product. You will most likely see sodium or some variation of that if the sodium content is about 11 mg. per 2.35 diam. tom. (note that is not a serving size) Read the label for the serving size.

As a guideline, for low sodium diets, the sodium in a processed food should not exceed the calories per serving.

For canned tomatoes, if the nutritional label on the back is reading "One has 120 mg of sodium, one has 140, and one has 220" the manufacturer is adding sodium to the product.

America Choice brand of Tom. sauce (which is the one I currently have) on the front label chooses to advertise NO Salt Added. So according to the FDA they can not add any sodium. The nutritional label on the back of the 8oz can of tomato sauce is 15 mg per 1/4 cup.

This is the easiest FDA category to understand.
It is Reduced sodium label that leads many astray. Even though it is reduced. 25% from the manufactures original brand, it may still be sky high in sodium. It is just reduced by 25%.

So the key is to read the nutritional label on the back. If the sodium exceeds calories and you are following a low sodium diet,you might want to check other brands or not eat that particular food.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I made the BEST soup tonight. My friend who had the stroke sent it to me so it is fairly healthy. I might note that I could have eaten a POUND of pancetta. Where has it been all my life?

WHITE BEAN SOUP

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cubed pancetta
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped - I used 2
1 celery stalk, chopped - I used 2
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesian cheese(It says to stir it in the soup but I left it out and we sprinkled it on the top)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In 3 1/2 qt. Dutch oven over medium heat cook pancetta in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.Add beans, broth and thyme and siimer over low heat 10 minutes. Off heat puree with immersion blender until smooth. I left some chunks in the soup.

After pulling off about a third of a cup of thyme leaves, I got tired of this, so I threw a stalk of thyme into the soup pot.

[madrano]

Alias Reader wrote: "The difference you are seeing in processed tomatoes is from added sodium and or serving size...."

I appreciate the info you shared, Alias. I suspect what i'm seeing is a failure in manufacturing. To make certain i double checked the labels i had. The serving sizes were the same (1/4 c.) but the sodium numbers were vastly different from what JoAnn reported. The one, which was labeled, "No Salt Added" reported 36 mg salt, while the other, no special labeling, had 360 mg. I'm going to the store today, so i'll be checking there.

deborah

[madrano]

JoAnn, that soup sounds great! When i get my hands on some cannellini, i intend to try it.

One question, though. The recipe calls for 3/4 tsp. thyme but you mentioned pulling off 1/3 cup thyme leaves. Were you just doing it all at once, saving the rest of is there a typo in the recipe? TIA.

deborah

[madrano]

Bobbie57 wrote: "While I've never done it, I have heard of the "rind" thing. And I have a recipe for Pasta e Fagioli which has been sitting in the pile on my kitchen table for the past 3 months. LOL"

Sounds like here, Barbara.

I appreciate the comments here about the rind recipe. JoAnn, i tend to agree, if i can remove the inking i will. In my online search for the whys i found this website about cheese rinds. http://www.wisegeek.com/which-types-o...

I also learned that mothers of young children in Italy have been known to give the rinds to their toddlers who are teething. Also, many, many people freeze the rinds for later use, adding them to soups & pasta sauces. Who Knew?

Finally, one site mentioned removing a thin veneer of the rind since it has been sitting on shelves & handled by many people. AND i learned that ALL rinds are edible, even that wax on the gouda. Recommended? No, but the FDA insists only edible waxes be used--these would be similar to those wax bottles found in those candy treats which hold liquid. Or waxed lips, which i loved to chew as a kid, however, i don't think i swallowed it.

deborah

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Deborah, I am an IDIOT. I misread the recipe and thought it said 3/4 CUP of fresh thyme!!! That is a lot of thyme leaves, isn't it? Maybe that is why it tasted so amazing. I used a TON of fresh thyme. About 1/3 cup plus some branches.

The recipe said 3/4 tsp. Next time I would still use more than that.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Charlie is getting his first tooth. Maybe I should take him a Parmesan rind!

[madrano]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Deborah, I am an IDIOT. I misread the recipe and thought it said 3/4 CUP of fresh thyme!!! That is a lot of thyme leaves, isn't it? Maybe that is why it tasted so amazing. I used a TON of fresh thy..."

LOL, JoAnn. But now you have your own "secret ingredient" to add. More thyme sounds nice, though.

deborah

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "I suspect what i'm seeing is a failure in manufacturing. To make certain i double checked the labels i had. The serving sizes were the same (1/4 c.) but the sodium numbers were vastly different from what JoAnn reported. The one, which was labeled, "No Salt Added" reported 36 mg salt, while the other, no special labeling, had 360 mg. I'm going to the store today, so i'll be checking there...."

------------------

Your post is exactly my point. And is not any failure or wrong doing on the manufactures part.

The manufacturer who choose to make a sodium claim on their label, in this case "no salt added" followed the guideline with only 36mg of naturally occurring sodium in the product.

The other manufacturer made no sodium claims on the front label, and thus was free to add whatever amount they wanted to the product. They chose to add 360 mg. As required they reported this on the back nutritional label.

Bottom line read the nutritional label on the back. I would never buy tomatoes with 360 mg. Even if I was not watching sodium, I would rather add it myself. I also tend to think that if you have a quality product you don't need to cover up the natural taste with fat, sodium or sugar.

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "I've never seen a recipe where a "rind" of cheese is used. From the directions i see that it is, in fact, rind & all, the rind of which is removed. Has anyone here cooked this way? I don't know how the rind doesn't melt into the dish...."
--------------------

I purchase my Parmesan cheese freshly grated. They will put bits of the rind into the mix. Instead of throwing these bits out, I put them in a container in my freezer. When I make any soup, I put some of the rind in the soup/stew. The rind melts and adds flavor. (if the rind had ink, I wouldn't use it)

I picked up this tip from the Food Network.

[madrano]

Alias Reader wrote: "Bottom line read the nutritional label on the back. I would never buy tomatoes with 360 mg. Even if I was not watching sodium, I would rather add it myself. I also tend to think that if you have a quality product you don't need to cover up the natural taste with fat, sodium or sugar. ..."

As mentioned upthread, i went to the grocery store today. DH decided to go with me & received an education in sodium. We compared sodium on all the tomato sauces available there (it was a slow morning, so we were in no one's way, surprisingly). We couldnt' find any "no salt added" which was even close to the high of the merely labeled, "tomato sauce." The surprising fact, for us, is that the lowest sodium, whether labeled "no salt added" or not were the cheapest brands available. Indeed, one "brand x" didn't label their sauce "nsa" but were, in fact, lower than all the others! As Alias noted, read the labels!

Of course now i've created a monster. DH checked the labels on all sorts of things throughout the rest of the store. I suspect he'll be Extremely Hesitant to eat sandwiches for lunch, now that he knows the sodium content of lunchmeats. I've been trying to tell him that sandwiches aren't a good option but he kept on preparing them. Maybe he'll join me more often with my veggies & dip.

THEN he found the Hormel dishes which are ready made but stored on the grocer's shelf, not refrigerated or frozen. One of those provides over 1000 mgs of salt! Stunning.

deborah

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

Isn't it an amazing experience to read these labels?? Makes you wonder why some of these manufacturers add so much salt. I don't understand why if I can cook something at hoema nd add minimal salt, WHY does the prepared food of the same kind have to ass so much salt??? I don't get it!

Does anyone have an answer to this? Seems like it would be CHEAPER NOT to add the extra salt!?

Donna in Southern Maryland

[Alias Reader]

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "WHY does the prepared food of the same kind have to add so much salt??? I don't get it!

Does anyone have an answer to this?."
---------------------

Donna, there is a bestselling book that answers your very question. The author is DAVID A. KESSLER, MD, he served as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The book is:

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler

From Publishers Weekly
Conditioned hypereating is a biological challenge, not a character flaw, says Kessler, former FDA commissioner under presidents Bush and Clinton). Here Kessler (A Question of Intent) describes how, since the 1980s, the food industry, in collusion with the advertising industry, and lifestyle changes have short-circuited the body's self-regulating mechanisms, leaving many at the mercy of reward-driven eating. Through the evidence of research, personal stories (including candid accounts of his own struggles) and examinations of specific foods produced by giant food corporations and restaurant chains, Kessler explains how the desire to eat—as distinct from eating itself—is stimulated in the brain by an almost infinite variety of diabolical combinations of salt, fat and sugar. Although not everyone succumbs, more people of all ages are being set up for a lifetime of food obsession due to the ever-present availability of foods laden with salt, fat and sugar. A gentle though urgent plea for reform, Kessler's book provides a simple food rehab program to fight back against the industry's relentless quest for profits while an entire country of people gain weight and get sick. According to Kessler, persistence is all that is needed to make the perceptual shifts and find new sources of rewards to regain control. (May)


Manufactures add sodium/sugar/fat because people like the taste.

As noted on the McDougall message bd.
Even Small Dietary Reductions in Salt Could Mean Fewer Heart Attacks, Strokes and Deaths

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/...

intro paragraph

Quote:
Reducing salt in the American diet by as little as one-half teaspoon (or three grams) per day could prevent nearly 100,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths each year, according to a new study. Such benefits are on par with the benefits from reductions in smoking and could save the United States about $24 billion in healthcare costs, the researchers add.

----------------
Deborah: Of course now i've created a monster. DH checked the labels on all sorts of things throughout the rest of the store.
-----------------

I love it ! :) Welcome aboard, Deborah's Dh !

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I made this tonight and it was about the best pulled-pork I have ever had. And before anyone says "but that soup is loaded with salt" I will say, yes it is, 1800 mg...but this recipe makes 12 servings, so that is only 150 mg per serving!

http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/campbell...

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I also want to comment that different tomato products have varying amounts of salt....the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato puree, crushed tomatoes...every one seems to be vastly different.

And speaking of tomatoes, have any of you seen Kumatoes?

http://www.kumato.com/en/growing.aspx

It is a Belgian-bred tomato that is dark-brown to golden- green in color, with the darkest color being somewhat similar in looks to the Cherokee Purple (an heirloom tomato). It is not genetically modified in any way. The taste is just delicious....sweet but slightly acidic. These are not easy to find, but the greengrocer near my daughter's in Baltimore often has them.

[madrano]

Alias, thank you for the link to Kessler's book. Sounds good & answers our questions. The kumato page wouldn't work for me, so i'll try again later, as that is often the problem, timing. Sounds interesting, so i'll keep my eyes open for them when i shop in Dallas. Here, i feel lucky to find romas. :-)

deborah

[Kim]

Wow - a lot of great recipes!! I think I will try the Santa Fe Soup this weekend!!

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Kate, your pork recipe is famous. I gave it to my daughter, who gave it to a friend of hers who posted it on her blog. She and my daughter are into scrapbooking and a couple of scrapbookers saw it and put it on their blogs ---- and it is now out there in the blogosphere. All great reviews of it, too.

[NK15]

Oh wow, I'm glad so many like that recipe! It's a great winter treat so now's the time to try it!

Kate

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

Here's a recipe I found online -- actually, I mixed 3 recipes together and went by the comments -- but we made it last week and it's really good and HEALTHY too!

Baked Brown Rice
1 cup Brown Rice
1 can of Chickpeas/Garbanzos drained
1 cup Beef Broth
1 14.5 oz can low sodium Chicken Broth
(We used all Chicken Broth)
1/4 cup melted butter OR EVOO
(We used the Olive Oil)
1 small chopped onion
1 can of mushrooms (you could use fresh)
1 tsp of Garlic Powder or Fresh Equivalent
1 tsp of Mrs. Dash or equivalent

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion, mushrooms, & garlic in oil. Mix all ingresidents in 2 QT Casserole and cover. Bake, covered, for about an hour. (Ours was perfect after an hour.)

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. Two things I like about this site: the comments, and the fact that you can change the serving amounts and it will automatically revise the recipe. One of the comments mentioned she had made it with different things added....sliced carrots, etc. so it's very versatile according to what you have in the kitchen. Hope you like it!

Donna in Southern Maryland

[Alias Reader]

That sounds good, Donna. I would definitely use fresh mushrooms. (I would think the canned has a lot of sodium and fresh tastes so much better) Funny your recipe calls for chickpeas, Donna. Today, I bought dried chickpeas for the first time instead of canned.

I have a recipe that calls for pasta, chickpeas and broccoli rabe. I've never made it.

4 cups trimmed coarsely chopped broccoli rabe
1 tablespoon + 1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup low sodium veg broth or chicken broth
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 cups rinsed and drained canned chick-peas (I will use the dry) So I will have to soak them overnight)
1 tsp lemon juice
6 ounce pasta shells or small pasta ( I bought small penne)
2 table spoons Parmesan cheese ( would probably use more)
pepper

Boil water for pasta

-steam broccoli rabe until tender (5 min.) set aside.
-in large nonstick skillet heat oil
add onion and saute until golden
-add broccoli rabe, broth, garlic, pepper, cook stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated.
-Add chickpeas, lemon juice, stirring 1 min.

-Add cooked pasta to mix.

-Sprinkle parm. cheese toss lightly and serve.

337 calories per serving.
serves 4

I think I will add some sliced small grape tomatoes for more color.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

I have a friend who uses only dried beans but she cooks them in minutes in a pressure cooker.

I must say that I am not crazy about the garbanzos which I cooked from the dried state last week.

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

I thought of this recipe last night and went looking for it. I used to give it out a lot when I was in Tupperware, as it makes a great inexpensive gift, plus the soup is just terrific for when you are expecting a "Crippling" Snowstorm such as is coming our way. (Yes, the weatherman said Crippling

NINE BEAN SOUP & MIX

Nine different types of dried beans, plus barley, are combined to make a heart-warming bean soup mix great for gifts or to keep on hand. If you are giving as a gift, be sure to include the recipe instructions. This will make 9 gifts and each will make enough soup to feed 8.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound navy beans
1 pound white lima beans
1 pound black beans
1 pound small kidney beans
1 pound lentils
1 pound pinto beans
1 pound garbanzo beans
1/2 pound green split peas
1/2 pound pigeon peas
1 pound barley
(Donna's note: you can really use ANY mixture of beans that you want)
Preparation:
Pour navy beans, lima beans, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, pigeon peas, and barley into a very large bowl. Stir to combine.

Line up 9 (1-pint) gift containers. Divide beans evenly amongst the containers, stirring the bowl often to keep beans well-distributed. Seal containers tightly and attach recipe instructions (below).

Yield: 9 gift containers (about 2 cups each)


Nine Bean Soup Mix Recipe Instructions
1 package Nine Bean Soup Mix (above)
2 quarts water
1 turkey leg or ham bone and scraps or 1-1/2 pounds pork roast cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (28 ounces) can whole, peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 teaspoons salt, optional
1/4 cup small pasta, such as digitali

Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Drain well. Place beans in a large stockpot along with 2 quarts of fresh water and turkey, ham, or pork. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Add tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, chili powder, thyme, and sage. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. Stir in pasta and salt. Cook an additional 15 minutes until pasta is done and beans are tender.

If the soup is too thick, add broth or additional water. If using turkey leg or ham bone, remove from the pot, de-bone the meat, chop, and return to the soup.

This freezes well.

Yield: about 8 servings

[Alias Reader]

Donna, my neighbor just made me 16 bean soup. It is great !

16 bean soup is one of the Goya Dried beans in a package.

http://www.netgrocer.com/pd/Netgrocer...

ingredients:
pinto beans, small red beans, pink beans, red kidney beans, great northern beans, baby lima beans, large lima beans, blackeye peas, small white beans, black beans, whole green peas, yellow split peas, green split peas, lentils, chick peas & pearl barley.

Nutritional info:
serving: 1/4 cup dry beans
calories 90
fat zero
cholesterol zero
sodium 85
fiber 15

Just sauté onion, celery, carrots. When they are soft you add the beans with water to cover plus some extra as beans soak up the liquid. Keep adding water as needed.

You could also use a low sodium broth if you like instead of or in addition to water.

Add pepper, 3 cloves garlic chopped, oregano, crush some fennel seeds and add to mix.

Cook on a low simmer until beans are soft and creamy. A few hours

Serve in a bowl and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over soup.

Serve with crusty Italian bread and a small green salad.

[Marcy]

I love these bean soup recipes - many thanks for posting them!!

Donna - stay warm and safe during the storm.

[madrano]

Hey! Who's been looking in my kitchen? We're having baby limas tonight!

deborah

[Alias Reader]

Here is the recipe that I mentioned up thread. My neighbor made it for me and it was awesome.

Ribbollita, the name of the Italian soup from which this dish originates, is served with a slice of bread in the bottom of the soup bowl. ( I served the bread on the side) .


Tuscan Cabbage Soup - without the soup

Makes 6 servings

1/4 pound pancetta, in one whole piece or thickly sliced
1 med. head green cabbage -about 2 lbs- prepared, quartered and cored- Peel off any loose,dark green outer leaves or any tough wilted or blemished leaves.
* Remember over cooking cabbage is what makes that unpleasant cabbage odor.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup cooked cannellini beans, rinsed well. Or used dried beans, and soak overnight
1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes with juice -14 ounce can
pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley- or dried if you don't have fresh use less if using dried
Parmesan or Romano cheese grated

1- dice pancetta and cut the cabbage into bite sized pieces. In large skillet, heat olive oil and brown pancetta and onion. Add cabbage and sauté for 10 min., or until cabbage is soft and glistening.

2- Stir in garlic, cannellini beans, tomatoes and their juice, pepper to taste. Break up the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Cover skillet and simmer over low heat for 25 min.

3- Stir in parsley, transfer the mixture into a serving bowl, and sprinkle with cheese.
Serve with crusty Italian bread.


- Variations & menu suggestions

1- Add broth to make this dish a soup- Use low sodium canned or boxed.
2- Toss with spaghetti or linguine to make a new main dish
3- Serve with a green salad.

Complete Vegetable Cookbook, The: Easy, Delicious Recipes for More Than 200 Vegetable Side Dishes by Lorraine Bodger


Edit: I made it and made some changes.

First my neighbor told me she added some crushed fennel seeds, so I did too. Just a small handful.

Second. I added a can of low sodium chicken broth.
and some water.
My neighbor just added water. Just enough to give it a soup consistency.

Three. I cooked it a lot longer than the recipe said. About 2 hours after I put the beans and tomatoes in. I would say, cook it until the cabbage is very soft. At least that is the way I liked it.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Alias Reader wrote: "
Here is the recipe that I mentioned up thread. My neighbor made it for me and it was awesome.

Ribbollita, the name of the Italian soup from which this dish originates, is served with a slice of bread..."

Oh yum, this sounds good. I might just add some extra tomato juice rather than broth is I wanted it soupier.

[Marcy]

Alias Reader wrote: "
Here is the recipe that I mentioned up thread. My neighbor made it for me and it was awesome.

Ribbollita, the name of the Italian soup from which this dish originates, is served with a slice of b..."

This does sound wonderful!!

[madrano]

I'll join the crowd in thinking this sounds great. Thanks, Alias.

deborah

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

you will probably gain 5 pounds reading this post, which I also posted at R and R

I just had to post this about what my sister and I did tonight. We went out for dinner to a place called Celebrity Kitchens. It is a very unique place which brings in guest chefs to demonstrate and cook a meal....an interactive experience. The demonstration and meal take about three hours and reservations must be made weeks in advance. It is a very popular experience. The small place holds 7 tables for 4 and you sit with strangers if you do not have a group of four. We sat with a delightful young couple who love to cook.

It is not cheap ($55 to $60 per person). Complimentary wines are freely poured ; -) and it is so much fun.

Our menu tonight was prepared by the executive and sous chefs from the Hotel duPont, whose restaurant is consistently four-star rated. It is an incredible place.

First Course: Cream of Crab Soup, Scented With Lemon Grass; Avocado Puree

Second Course: Petite Greens, Goat Cheese, Truffle Honey Vinaigrette, Candied Lime Rind, Roasted Beets

Main Course: Tournedos of Filet Mignon, Aleppo Pepper Crust, "Root beer" Reduction

Pan Fried Risotto Cake, Chanterelle and Brussels Sprout Sauté;

Dessert Course: Chocolate Panna Cotta, White Chocolate Ganache, Red Wine Spiced Strawberries

What an incredible meal! I learned a lot, too.

[NK15]

Oh wow, that sounds like so much fun. I don't think the expense is too dear for an excellent four star meal. The root beer reduction interestes me. Really root beer? Are you given the recipes? I'd probably never attempt any of them, but I'd be interested.

Kate

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Yes, Kate, we get all the recipes and I would probably not try them because they are pretty long with lots of ingredients I would probably never use again.

The root beer reduction had root beer soda,molasses, sassafras, juniper berries, fennel see, vinegar, stock, and white wine.

His stock for the cream of crab soup had been simmering for two days! It had lobster and crab in it.

I found a spice I really liked - aleppo pepper - and came home and promptly ordered some from The Spice House (where I buy lots of spices) for my sister and I.

http://www.thespicehouse.com/

Aleppo chili pepper comes to us from northern Syria, near the town of Aleppo, which is considered one of the culinary meccas of the Mediterranean. It has a moderate heat level with some fruitiness and mild, cumin-like undertones, with a hint of a vinegar, salty taste. Use it for authentic chili flavor in any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dish.

Aleppo chili offers a nice variation from your usual crushed red peppers. It has a very robust flavor that hits you in the back of your mouth, tickles your throat and dissipates quickly. Try this staff favorite in place of regular crushed red chilies on pizzas, salads, and pasta.

To justify the shipping cost, I also ordered

Pot Herbs, French Soup Herb Blend
Tomato Powder
Chanterelle Dried Mushrooms

[Alias Reader]

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "you will probably gain 5 pounds reading this post, which I also posted at R and R

I just had to post this about what my sister and I did tonight. We went out for dinner to a place called Celebrity..."
------------

The price sounds very reasonable for an experience like that.

I recently ate at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. It's a beautiful campus. You can see it on the link. The picture changes. That is the Hudson river you will see. It cost about the same per person w/o drinks. We ate at their American Bounty restaurant.

http://www.ciachef.edu/

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

Sounds like a really interesting and fun evening. I think the price sounds reasonable for an evening of education, entertainment and food. I wish I could have tasted the Cream of Crab Soup, one of my absolute favorites.

Donna

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Alias Reader wrote: "I recently ate at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. " ..."

This is a place I need to visit, esp since my son lives near there. Our country club takes a bus trip up there in the spring and I think the cost is $120, which includes the meal and a tour. And best of all, I would not have to drive!

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

Donna, one of the reasons the cream of crab soup was so delicious was the GALLON of heavy cream that was used to make it!

And the chunks of jumbo crab.

And the dollop of avocado puree.

YUMMMM