Potato Leek Soup

One Bite At A Time - Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends by Rebecca Katz is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks!  All of her recipes are nourishing and immune boosting and oh ---those photographs of so many recipes makes me want to cook nonstop!  Unfortunately, I can't eat many of her tasty recipes, but the approach she uses for flavor combinations and her vast knowledge of nutrition has been inspiring for me.  Many of her soup recipes are pureed, so I have tried most of them and this one is definitely one of my favorites.  Using yukon gold potatoes and leeks from my husband's garden, this soup was voted a "keeper" by my husband, Tom, and my 18-year old son, Sam.  The recipe gave directions for roasting a head of garlic, which I had never done before, but was convinced of its merit as the aroma permeated the kitchen.  It was definitely worth the time.  One day I added some pureed kale that I had in the freezer to a portion of this soup and oooolala.  Yummy.  Nutritious.  Digestible!  Ah...life is full of Pzazz!




Yukon Golds and Russet Potatoes from Tom's garden

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds medium  Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or a pinch of dried rosemary
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 leeks, white part only, chopped
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Cut the top off the head of garlic and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.  Wrap the garlic in a square of parchment paper and then in a slightly larger piece of aluminum foil.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until soft and golden.  The aroma will tell you when it's ready.  Remove from the oven to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Toss the potatoes with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the pepper and rosemary.  Spread on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Transfer to a bowl and mash by hand.  Set aside.

While the potatoes are roasting, in a 6 - 8 quart pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and leeks, decrease the heat, and saute until both the leeks and the onions are golden.  Add the roasted garlic by squeezing it from its skin and saute for 30 seconds.  Deglaze the pot with 1 cup of the broth.  Once the liquid evaporates, add 7 cups of the stock and simmer for 25 minutes.

In a blender or using an immersion stick blender, puree the potatoes and broth until smooth.  Return the soup to the pot and taste; you may need to add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon.  If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more broth or water.  To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a pinch of nutmeg.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 10


Kale can be added to this soup too!

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 137

Total Fat:  0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 275 mg

Total Carbs: 29 g

Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 5 g

Butternut Apple Soup with Ginger

The original recipe for this soup was one I found in a sale brochure from the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op.  I omitted the cream and it was still delicious.  The hint of apple taste combined with sage was delectable.  It was delightfully easy to make, as well.

Have I ever mentioned how shopping at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op makes me feel nourished, healthy, wholesome, peaceful, zany, vivacious....ALIVE!   Those days when I have a bad case of the crankies....I try to get to the Co-op.  It cures me almost instantly....until I get home and long for the same aromas, the same "natural" feeling, the same sense of well-being.   Ah.....what else do I need to get at the Co-op?   When can I go again?  Here's the link: http://wholefoods.coop/    Hope to see you there!  Did I tell you that my husband and I were one of the original "cooperative member/owners" of the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op, when the building was off the beaten path and remarkably small and contained primarily locally grown produce and we volunteered our time as part of our membership? My first exposure to a whole foods cooperative was while I worked in a small community in southern WI and traveled to Madison many weekends to explore the farmers market around the capital square, and the many alternative whole foods stores.   Great memories!  Now....back to the soup......I ate it with a slice of sourdough bread and some smoked whitefish that someone gave to my husband, Tom.  The fish was soft enough for me to digest easily and was a fine compliment to the soup. 

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large tart apple, seeded and cubed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste (not included in nutritional analysis)

Preparation:
In a large stock pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic and ginger until soft.  Add the squash, apple, sage and broth and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes until the squash is very soft.   Remove from heat, and using a stick blender or regular blender, puree the soup.  Season with salt and pepper.




Simmering ingredients for the soup


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 106
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 41 mg
Total Carbs: 18 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2 g

Favorite Green Soup

I was looking at the recipes I have posted thus far and realized that I had omitted this very basic and favorite soup in my repertoire.  Use whatever types of greens you have available.   When I wasn't feeling well at the beginning of September, a gracious friend, Tracy, harvested  the Swiss chard, typhon greens and kale from my husband's abundant vegetable garden, then made large batches of this soup and froze it for me. What a gift to be able to go to the freezer and pull out this soup whenever I don't have the energy to make something nourishing for myself.  

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed           
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
7 cups chopped fresh spinach
(or other greens such as kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, collards, etc)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
Saute onion in oil.  Add potatoes and the water.  Cook until potatoes are tender.  Add greens and the chicken broth, salt and pepper and simmer until tender.  Puree.  

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: Approx. 1 cup
Calories: 97
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 2 mg
Sodium:  543 mg (this used regular chicken broth, not low-sodium)
Total Carbs:  16 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 4 g

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Where have I been, you might ask, or at least I hope you are asking that.  Well, I have had shoulder/neck pain that is made worse by using the computer too much.  I needed to rest for awhile.  But I kept cooking and taking photos, so here is what I have been up to.  

Blessed tomatoes....they keep ripening out in the garage.  I love the bright yellow ones for their beauty as much as for their taste.   I hesitate to cut into each one because it will destroy the splendid sight. And.. I think I just don't want them to ever end this year.  Fortunately, I found a new recipe to override my reluctance.  I had saved this recipe for Roasted Tomato Sauce that I had cut from the July/August 2010 issue of Natural Home, and only needed to modify it a bit by reducing the amount of olive oil. I used fresh onions from the garden, as well as fresh basil and oregano from the herb garden.  Ah, it was delightful served over a bit of pasta and even tastier when served over spaghetti squash. 

Healthy bite info:   Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant found to lower cancer risk and they are also an excellent source of vitamins C, A, and K, as well as magnesium and iron.

Heirloom tomatoes are ideal for making sauce, because they have a thin skin so there is no need to blanch and peel the tomatoes first.  Even though I love to cook, I also love quick and easy!

 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 1/4 pounds fresh heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) yellow onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Use a little oil to coat a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Spread tomatoes evenly across dish.  Mix garlic, onion, oregano, basil and 2 Tablespoons olive oil and spread evenly over tomatoes.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil and toss.  Bake in a 375-degree oven for about an hour.  Let cool, then blend tomatoes to a rich puree in a food processor or blender.  Add salt and pepper.  

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 8 
Serving Size: 1/2  cup
Calories: 107
Total Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 118 mg
Total Carbs: 10 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Tom pulled more carrots from the garden, so I made this quick pureed carrot soup.  I have no recollection of where I obtained this recipe, as it is one that I have been making for several years.  The original recipe used cilantro for seasoning, but I substituted garam masala, an Indian spice, and liked it much better. This soup combines carrots with sweet potatoes, resulting in a megadose of potassium (295 mg per cup serving) and Vitamin A (316% of the recommended daily minimum).    Carrots are also an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene.  Additionally,  the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in carrots support liver, digestive, and kidney function, according to nutritionist Rebecca Katz, in her excellent cookbook, One Bite at a Time.  I'll make a separate post about this outstanding cookbook another time.   Until then, enjoy this soup simply for its superb taste and ease of preparation.




I garnished the soup with a sprinkle of finely ground hazelnuts



Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (about 3 cups)
2 lbs. carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1" chunks (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups Pacific Organic Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup water
1 small piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 3 tsp)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala seasoning

Preparation:
Simmer sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and lemon zest in broth till tender (about 15 - 20 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice, water, ginger and garam masala and cook another 5 minutes.  Puree in a blender or with an immersion stick.  Season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Nutrition:


Simmering Soup

Servings per recipe: 8                                           
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 89
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 75 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g

Moroccan Carrot Spread

I tasted a Moroccan Carrot Spread at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op and loved the creamy texture and sweet carrot taste with spices.  So I looked for a similar recipe on-line and found this one from Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, and author of 10 cookbooks, including her 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook series.  The list of ingredients was nearly identical to the one at the Co-op, but her recipe did not include parsley, so I added it to this recipe.   The key to the creamy texture is cooking the carrots until they are very tender.  I had never tried cooking carrots in the microwave before, and I have to admit that it was much quicker than my usual stove-top method. 

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots (about 8), cut into 1" chunks              

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Put the carrots in a medium microwave-proof dish; add about 1/4 cup water.  Cover tightly and microwave on high for about 8 minutes, or until very tender.  (Or cook the carrots in a stovetop steamer.)  Drain well.

Transfer the carrots to a food processor; process until mashed.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Bring to room temperature for serving.

Nutrition:

Servings per recipe: 5



Food processing  the ingredients

Serving Size: 1/4 cup cup

Calories: 89

Total Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 64 mg

Total Carbs: 9 g

Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 1 g

Gingered Carrot Soup Again

I posted the recipe for this soup in May, but I made it again today and used carrots from my husband's vegetable garden.  Oh, I love this soup!  Here is a photo of the finished soup to inspire you to try it.  I added the photos I took while I made it today to the original post with the recipe, too. 
Here is the link for the recipe:
 http://pureedpzazz.blogspot.com/2011/05/gingered-carrot-soup.html

Gingered Carrot Soup!