July 28, 2008
· Filed under Soups, Traditional, pasta · Tagged camping, dutch oven, Elkmont, Great Smoky Mountains, hiking, minestrone, soup, squash, zucchini
I took my cousin hiking and camping in Elkmont this weekend. Thankfully, some of the old vacation cabins are being repaired and preserved. I’m not certain if it’s happened yet, but some groups in the area are fighting to have them zoned as an historical landmark. The history of Elkmont and the logging community is interesting and I would be happy to see these places saved from demolition by neglect.
We had an absolute blast…even through all the rain. This was our dinner Saturday night over the campfire. It was simple and DELICIOUS! If you are going for the campfire version, pre-chop and ziploc the ingredients so all you have to do is put it in the pot.
Minestrone Soup
1 1/2 cubes vegetable bouillon
3/4 cup pasta (elbow or shells)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 yellow squash, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
3-4 cups water (I used about a bottle and a half)
salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne (to taste)
Place the bouillon and water in a dutch oven and heat until dissolved. Add tomatoes, vegetables & spices. Let simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add the pasta and cook until pasta is tender. Voila!
We had the soup with baked potatoes that we cooked wrapped in foil in the fire embers.
July 14, 2008
· Filed under Asian, Quick Lunches, Soups · Tagged dumpling, edamame, ramen, soup, veggie
I hope the blandness conveys in the picture! I’ve come down with one of those hellacious summer chest colds and soup is all I want to eat!
This is veggie bouillon with ramen noodles, edamame and cabbage dumplings. Sassier than what mom used to make but just as comforting.
June 18, 2008
· Filed under Asian, Rice & Grains, Soups, Uncategorized · Tagged Asian, dumplings, gyoza, miso, rice, sauce, sesame, shiitake, soy wrapper, sushi
I’ve been hitting Kalamata on Monday nights for sushi, but decided this week to stay in and try some new things. A trip to the local Asian food market yielded some pretty great new things! I got some dried shiitake mushrooms, a huge container of toasted sesame seeds, a bag of kim chi dumplings & an assortment of soy wrappers. I was excited to say the least!
First course: Steamed Kim Chi Dumplings with a Gyoza Dipping Sauce
Second Course: Red Miso Soup
Main Course: The sushi is made with the soy wrappers, prepared Szechuan tofu and veggies like red lettuce, avocado, shredded burdock and the rehydrated shiitake.
April 28, 2008
· Filed under Quick Lunches, Soups, Traditional · Tagged chili
I made this small batch of chili for myself Saturday. I usually just cook enough for me to have a meal and just a little leftovers.
1 can of beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup seitan
Chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, liquid smoke…who knows what else!
Topped with cheez and ’sour cream’.
March 19, 2008
· Filed under Quick Lunches, Soups, pasta · Tagged amy's, lunch, pasta salad
I woke up this morning with a throat too sore to swallow. Stupid sinuses! So it was hot tea for breakfast and my twist on comfort food for lunch. When I was little, mom did the classic soup and a sandwich for her ailing child. Tomato and grilled cheese is my personal favorite combination. Today, it’s Amy’s Tom Kha Phak soup and a pasta salad I put together lastnight from goveg.com. For canned soup, it’s pretty tasty but a little greasy and not spicy enough for my taste. It felt good on the throat and that’s all that matters to me!
March 9, 2008
· Filed under Soups · Tagged soup
It was exceptionally cold here today. We even had snow! Soup always makes me feel cozy when it’s blustery out so I whipped this up for dinner. Extremely simple!
I made a broth of water, cajun spices, salt and garlic. Then I tossed in carrots, celery, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, mushrooms and rice. Topped with a little green onion for pretties…voila! Coziness in a bowl.
