Is it Soup Time Yet?

Okay, I know it's still August, and it's hot and humid but....I miss soup. I love soup. So warm and comforting. So many different varieties.

In honor of my love of soup and the fact that soup season can't come soon enough, I thought I'd share a slow cooker soup that even my husband (who refuses to consider soup a main course) loved. I also love that the longer cook time means that it can cook while I'm at work plus a little bit afterwards so I don't have to worry about dealing with it first thing when I get home.

Brown Jug Soup
Adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)

1 (10 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 qt. water
2 cups diced onions
4 cups diced potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
1 (10 oz.) package frozen whole kernel corn
1 (10 oz.) package frozen green beans
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese in 4-5 qt. slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours or until vegetables are tender.

3. Just before serving, add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

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Bruschetta Bread

One day last week, I was faced with the following conundrum: what could I fix that would use up the last 1/3 of a loaf of Italian bread, a handful of grape tomatoes that were on the verge of becoming wrinkly, and a basil plant that is threatening to take over our back yard?

Bruschetta! Or my version of it anyway! What's great about it (and also makes it hard to write down) is that these measurements don't have to be exact - just use what you have on hand.

Bruschetta Bread

Pesto:

4 cups fresh basil, loosely packed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

5-6 cloves garlic

3/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Italian bread or something equivalent

2 cups diced tomatoes (I used a combination of the grape tomatoes plus a couple of Better Boys from our garden)

1 cup or so of mozzarella, depending on how cheesy you want it

3 tbs. butter, melted

Put the ingredients for the pesto, except parmesan cheese, into a food processor. Blend well, but the goal is not to liquify it. Put into bowl and stir in parmesan cheese. Set aside (I actually like to set this aside for 1/2 hour or so to allow flavors to blend, but that is not necessary)

Brush the slices of Italian bread with the butter. Then spread pesto on each slice (the amount depends on personal preference). Top with diced tomatoes and then mozzarella.

Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted (sometimes I put in the broiler to speed things up).

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Green Tomatoes "Recipe"

After my post last week on my love of green tomatoes, a few of you asked for my recipe. Well, I don't have a recipe per se, but I do have a method, so I'll share that now.

First, I cut up some lovely green tomatoes into slices about 1/4 inch or so thick (I'm not big on or talented at exact cutting). Then I lay them all out and sprinkle them with either seasoning salt or Creole seasoning to taste. I flip them over and sprinkle the other side.

Then I put some flour on a plate (how much flour depends on how many tomatoes you're doing). I dredge each slice in flour and set them aside.

Then, I heat up about 1/4 inch of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.

After the oil is hot, I dredge each tomato slice in the flour AGAIN right before I put it in the oil (sometimes I sprinkle some of whatever seasoning I'm using into the flour for this second dredging...sometimes I don't. Whatever floats your boat). Then I lay the tomatoes in a single layer in the oil and flip them once the first side gets a nice brown crust on it. Take the tomatoes out of the oil when both sides are nicely browned and put on a paper towel lined plate. Depending on how many tomatoes you're doing and the size of your skillet, you may have to do several batches.

Then, because you're impatient like me, eat your first fried green tomato when it's waaaaay too hot and chew it with your mouth open to get some cool air in there because you couldn't possibly swallow something that hot.

And that's my method. I'm sure someone else has a better one, but this works for me!

Praline Stuffed Yam

As promised yesterday, here is the recipe that I made to use up a lingering yam. As I only had 1 (large) yam, I adapted the recipe to fit. Hence the odd measurements.

Praline Stuffed Yams
Adapted from The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook (Trim and Terrific)

1 large yam, unpeeled
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1/8 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 tbs. butter, melted
1/6 cup flour
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke yam with a fork a few times. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour.

2. Cut yam in half (You'll probably have to hold it with a towel or pot holder while you do it. It will be HOT). Spoon out contents into a bowl. Mash together with sugar, milk, half the cinnamon, and half the vanilla. Spoon mixture back into the yam skin halves.

3. Mix together butter, flour, brown sugar, pecans, and remaining cinnamon and vanilla. Crumble on top of the yam halves.

4. Turn oven down to 350. Bake yams for 15 minutes or until topping is browned.

It was yummy and I didn't have to add the yam to the compost bin!

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Lone Star Rice

Here's a recipe that is a stand-by at my house. It is versatile and works all year long with a variety of meals. We'll use it a lot this summer with all the grilling we do!

My Version of Lone Star Rice
Adapted from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes

2 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (chicken or beef, depending on your menu)
1 cup uncooked parboiled rice (really important - other types of rices did not work!)
1 tbs. olive oil
1/3 cup diced white onion
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Bring the water and bouillon cubes to a boil over high heat in a medium sized saucepan.

2. Add the rice to the liquid and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. When there is 10 minutes left in the rice's cooking time, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

4. When the oil is hot, add the onion to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are a golden brown.

5. When the rice is done, add it to the skillet with the onion. Add the chili powder and salt. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.