Soup's On!

There's something about the chill in the air during the fall and winter that makes me crave soup.  It warms me up from the inside out like no other meal can, and yes, soup can be a very hearty, delicious meal on its own!  I especially love making soup at home because there's so much you can do with it.

One of my favorites is a vegetable soup I concocted a few years ago and have been tweaking ever since, finally having found the combo of ingredients I like best.  It's wonderful straight off the stove, and better yet makes fantastic leftovers for lunches during the week (I'm all about 'make more to store' because it's that much less I have to think about during the week).

For the soup I use the following:

• Trader Joe's^® Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
• Safeway™ Chicken Cooking Stock
• Green Giant^® Antioxidant Blend, frozen vegetables
• Trader Joe's^® Organic Pasta, Vegetable Radiatore
• extra virgin olive oil
• Gourmet Garden^® Chunky Garlic (in the tube in the fresh produce section)
• oregano
• chili powder
• smoked paprika

First things first, I fill a pot with water and put it on the stove to boil for the pasta since this will take the longest (and this way I can get the soup going while I'm waiting for the water to boil).  I measure out two ounces (2 oz) of the veggie pasta and set it aside next to the pot to put into the water once it's started to boil.  Once added I cook it for 9 min and set it aside to add to the soup at the very end.

To start the soup, I drizzle olive oil into a pot over medium heat (just barely coating the bottom with a thin layer).  I add roughly a tablespoon (1 tbs) of the garlic into the pot once the oil is warm and use a fork to break it up into the olive oil.  To that I vigorously shake oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika (I don't measure, just shake until I've got a layer of each that covers the bottom).  And I should note I am IN LOVE with smoked paprika!  It adds such flavor, and what's better is it smells like BBQ!  I let that sit over the heat until the oil starts to sizzle and you can really smell the garlic and spices.  Be careful not to let the garlic and spices 'sizzle' too long though, or you run the risk of burning the garlic.  And burnt garlic does not taste good.  *Trust me*

At this point I add the tomato soup (2.5 cups) and chicken stock (1.5 cups) to the pot, using a whisk to stir everything together and really scrape at the bottom to get the garlic and all the spices thoroughly distributed.  Stir everything continuously until the olive oil is completely mixed in and there isn't any oil pooling on the top of the soup.  Once it's warmed up a bit I use a spoon to taste and shake any additional spices in, if needed, to bring it up to my flavor preference (again, no measuring, I'm just eyeballing it when I do this).

A word to the wise though: when it comes to adding spices, do it a little at a time if there's no measuring going on.  It's better to gradually bring things to par than to go overboard and have an over seasoned dish.  The point of the spices is to complement and enhance the overall flavor, not mask or overpower it.

I leave the heat at medium/low and put the lid on it so it will gradually heat through.  I find the flavors are more pronounced when you heat things slowly, and the spices have more of a chance to really distribute their flavor.  When the soup is just starting to bubble around the edges I put the veggies in the microwave and following the heating instructions on the package.

Once the veggies are done and the veggie pasta has been cooked and drained, I turn the heat off under the soup and add both to the soup base.  Give everything a good stir to mix it all up, and it's ready to serve!

I like to grate a little fresh parmesan over the top with my microplane, just a thin layer to give it that nice tanginess from the cheese, and I tear up some fresh basil leaves over the top for a pop of color and an extra zing when you take a bite (that and basil is such a wonderful compliment to the tomato base).  Using fresh herbs as a garnish is an easy way to add some extra (practically calorie free) flavor to any dish, plus it makes it look that much more appetizing!

Overall the whole process takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes, making it a great weeknight meal.  I can get three to four servings out of a pot of soup depending on how hungry I am.  The pasta does absorb more liquid and expand a bit if you store it though, so it will have more of a stew quality than a soup consistency when consumed at a later time (don't worry, it tastes just as good!)

I usually pair a green salad or a green apple with the soup on the side, something light and clean to compliment the rich flavor.  Whatever your favorite soup companion this is sure to warm you up on a cold night!  Please share any creative license you take with it, I'd love to hear how you make it your own!


Nutrition Facts (rough estimate as prepared above; based on four servings)
1 serving: 218 cal, 10g fat, 881mg sodium, 25g carb, 2g fiber, 8g sugars, 11g protein

The Great (Late Night) Dinner Debate!

It’s happened to all of us at some point or another: after a long day at work you come home tired, brain dead, and very, very hungry.  I know the last thing I want to have to think about when I walk in the door late at night is dinner, but there are quick and easy solutions that don't take too long, look and taste good, and are healthy as well.

My favorite late night dinner lately has been a chicken Caesar Salad.  It's so easy, and what's better is I don't feel guilty eating this sort of thing at 9p.  Here's what I use:

• Eating Right™ Classic Caesar Complete Salad Kit (Vons/Safeway brand)
• Tyson™ Grilled & Ready Fully Cooked & Glazed Chicken Breast Fillets

The chicken breasts are already cooked so all you have to do is microwave them for about two and a half minutes (for one).  While that's defrosting I pour half of the bag of the salad mix into a bowl and add between 1/3 to 1/2 of the salad dressing that comes with (I'm a 'less is more' girl when it comes to dressing, so I eyeball it).  I mix that up to coat the lettuce, and usually as I'm finishing that up the chicken is just about done. 

I let the chicken sit a minute to cool down so it doesn't wilt the lettuce and then cut it into small, bite sized pieces and put it in the bowl with the lettuce, tossing everything together to get some of the dressing on the chicken as well.  The salad kit comes with shaved parmesan and croutons too, and I sprinkle half of each of those packages over the top of the chicken and lettuce. 

Voila!  A yummy dinner that only took you about 5 minutes to make!  What's great about this salad kit is it's reduced fat, so even though it's a Caesar Salad (which can be notoriously high in fat and calories from the dressing,) the overall nutritional content is still very reasonable, and this isn't a meal that will be hard for your body to digest at a later hour (if I’m eating late, I tend to eat light so it won’t be hard for me to fall asleep).

One thing I love about salads is how easy it is to make them whatever you want them to be.  Garnishes (such as cheeses, nuts, croutons, or even edible flowers) are an easy way to take your salad from ordinary, to extraordinary!  The fact that this kit comes with the garnishes and looks so appetizing when you put it all together is a big plus.

As with most all packaged foods there is some sodium involved for preservation and flavoring (mostly from the salad dressing), but if you drink plenty of water your body will be able to flush the excess out.  I sometimes add a second chicken breast depending on how hungry I am, or pair the above preparation with a glass of wine (which is usually needed if I’m getting home really late!)  Whatever your nutritional preferences or needs are, this isn’t a meal that will break the bank.

Let me know if you’re able to try this out on your own and what you think of it.  Enjoy! 

  

Nutrition Facts (as prepared above)
1 serving: 247 cal, 5.5g fat, 705mg sodium, 16g carb, 1g fiber, 3g sugars, 29g protein

Welcome to Everyday Gourmet!

I started this blog as a way to share what’s going on in my kitchen in the hopes that other people can benefit from my ‘kitchen experimentation’, and hopefully find little ways to help make your everyday lives a little more gourmet as well!  The idea behind Everyday Gourmet is something I’ve been putting into practice for a while: small touches and details that make the food we eat more enjoyable, flavorful, fun, and well, gourmet!  It’s not only about what we’re eating but how it’s presented.  We all deserve to have a gourmet experience every time we sit down for a meal, whether it’s a quick snack for ourselves or dinner party for friends and family.

Most of the food I make is ‘semi-homemade’ as Sandra Lee on the Food Network would call it (part store bought ingredients, part fresh produce with a touch of creative license thrown in on my part).  I also love to make recipes from cookbooks and magazines, and customize them after trying them out to make them a little more my own (I’ll reference any recipes I use so there won’t be any confusion as to what’s original and what’s published).  There are some ingredients I use that are store brand as well – I shop at places close to my home – so hopefully it won’t be difficult to duplicate (if you so wish) for those of you in other areas!

My goals are to try make the most of my meals while trying to stick to my grocery budget, which I know can be challenging sometimes (trust me, building your spice rack is expensive!)  I also try to keep things as healthy as possible – with the occasional indulgence thrown in – so I’ll try to post rough nutritional information for my fellow calorie trackers out there.

Everyone’s lifestyles and needs are different, and I hope that anyone reading this can find useful tips and takeaways to help jazz up your own eating routine.  “Life is too short to eat bad food” as my dad always says, and since we have to fuel our bodies we might as well put the good stuff in them.  We deserve it!

I hope you enjoy my blog!  Check in for updates, share your thoughts and don’t forget to…

Live Life Deliciously!

<3,
hem