Frugal Organic Girl

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (0.25)
• 2 medium organic onions, diced (0.10)
• 3 medium organic carrots, diced (0.15)
• 3 stalks organic celery, diced (0.10)
• 4-5 tbsp organic cumin powder (0.25)
• 6-8 cloves organic garlic, minced/pressed/grated (0.20) ~ I buy my organic garlic in bulk at costco
• 1 medium organic bell pepper diced (1.25)
• 2 14oz cans organic black beans ( or 3 cups soaked, sprouted (optional) and cooked dried black beans – it saves you ALOT of $$, 2.18 for canned, 1.10 for dried)
• 1 14.5 oz cans organic diced tomatoes (1.00)
• 4-6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth ( I used water 0.00)

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pot heat over medium/medium high heat. Once hot add 1 tbsp olive oil, drop one piece of onion into the pan and once it starts sizzling add the reast of the onions and garlic and cook until soft, transparent and fragrant.
2. Next add the bell peppers, carrots and celery. Like the onions, cook them until they are soft, transparent and fragrant. Add cumin while veggies are softening and work it into the cooking veggies. Add more oil if needed to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
3. If using canned beans dump 1/2 of the beans from one can with juice into a seperate bowl or container and dump the reamaining beans into the soup pot with veggies and spices. Mash the 1/2 can of separated beans with a potato masher, inside the cafe or bowl of a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. And dump it into the bowl of beans and veggies. If using cooked and soaked dried scoop out 1/2-3/4 cup of beans with liquid into bowl and blend or smash to smitherines.
4. Add the pureed beans into the soup pot, start with 2 cups of water then add upto 4-6 cups to get the desired consistency that you’d like.
5. Allow it to simmer, covered for an addtional 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve HOT.

Meal Planning ideas: top with feta cheese or yogurt and sere with bread, and salad

Leftover tips: If you have leftovers serve it over rice, make burritos or mash for spicy refried beans.

To make a cream soup base you need to make a white sauce. You can make this one of two ways:

The basic formula from scratch for it would be (1 part fat+1part flour + 2 cups liquid (a combo of milk + broth(x) or milk+ veggie(x) of choice = cream of x soup ))

or

Quick and easy way: 2 cups liquid (milk/broth combo) + 2tbsp cornstarch. Mix cornstarch and milk together when milk is cold, be sure its fully combined, pour into sauce pan and bring to a simmer to thicken.

Example recipe using rue ~ Cream of chicken soup

2 tbsp fat (butter, olive oil, bacon if you want to go wild)+
2 tbsp flour = rue (natural thickener for sauces/soups)

Melt butter, add flour whisking it in to break up the bits. Cook flour and butter until light golden brown.

1.5 (if adding meat broth for flavor) or 2 C (for cream of whatever veggie soup) milk/half and half (for richer soup add full fat milk or part full fat milk and heavy or whipping cream)

wisk milk in slowly so that there are no lumps in your soup/sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer, almost boiling and adjust thickness as needed, by adding more milk to thin or keep simmering to reduce liquid to make it thicker. If adding a meat based broth add the broth before making it thinner to test texture.

1/2-1 cup chicken stock/broth or equal amounts bouillon cube or concentrated broth paste ( you can find organic broth paste at costco for around 7 bucks makes 72 1 cup servings!)

For veggie cream soup

rue + 2 cups milk + veggies bits
or
2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 cups COLD milk + veggie bits

veggie bits I use for cream of x veggie soup

- broccoli stalks, peeled and cut into small pieces, save floret heads for adding crunch to the rest of the soup, if desired. Or if you have frozen broccoli that works fine too

- woody asparagus pieces and leftovers that were too tough to serve steamed or grilled or leftovers I froze from a previous night’s dinner.

- dried mushrooms, rehydrate in hot water, strain through double layer of cheese cloth to get all dirt out, reserve liquid and add to soup to make a mushroomy broth. Or add fresh or frozen sliced mushrooms

- less then steller carrots, meaning they are still good..just sorta floppy and on their way out.

- less then steller celery, meaning they are still good..just sorta floppy and on their way out.

~ frozen spinach if desired…i like it some don’t

While soup is boiling to thicken add veggies that have been cut into bit sized pieces, say a rough dice. Cook until soft, soft enough that a fork pierces it easily. Once soft the veggies are soft, blend the heck out of it until you have the texture you desire.

Healthier Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or 1/3 c or more chicken or veggie broth
• 1 extra large onion, diced
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 3-4 celery stalks, diced
• 2-3 medium sized zucchini/yellow squash, diced
• 1 small can of tomato paste (optional)
• 1 28oz can whole, peeled plum tomatoes w/ basil w/ sauce
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes w/ juice
• 45oz V8 tomato juice or 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 25 oz can red kidney beans or equal amount dry kidney beans (soaked and cooked)
• 1 14oz can white beans ( i like white kidneys but whatever you have is fine) or equal amount dry white beans (soaked and cooked)
• 1 bunch kale, swiss chard or spinach, cleaned, steamed, cut into bite sized pieces (optional – I add it when I have it on hand, or use frozen thawed, drained chopped spinach)
• 1-2 tbsp dried basil or 1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil (yum!)
• 2-3 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 C water ( to thin soup out-optional) \
• 6-8oz grated pecorino romano or more to taste
• 1-2 c small whole wheat pasta, any type, cooked separately (optional)

Method:

In an extra large pot ( 6-8 quart size) turn burner to medium high, once hot add olive oil or chicken/veggie broth. Then onions and a little later garlic.

Saute together until onions and garlic are soft, translucent and fragrant, then add carrots and celery. Again cook until soft and translucent add more chicken/veggie broth as needed if it has evaporated away.

Next dump in tomato paste, cook down a bit to develop the natural sugars.

Once paste is incorporated add both types of canned tomatoes, stir to combine.

Next add tomato juice or chicken broth, beans, kale/spinach/chard and dried or fresh herbs and spices. Bring soup to a boil then simmer for up to 45min-1hr until soup has reduced by 1/3. Add more water if you want a thinner soup. Add romano cheese to taste Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.

While soup is reducing boil pasta in a separate pot and drain in strainer. Set strainer in pot and cover with a kitchen towel to keep it moist.

If you wish to add pasta add it to the serving bowl about 2-3 tbsp per bowl when serving only! If you add it to the soup and store the soup w/o pasta in it because, the pasta will absorb all the liquid in the soup and grow!

Since I’m diabetic, I limit my carbs and skip the pasta and go right to sourdough garlic rolls w/ a tiny bit of butter. Its soo good with toasted sourdough garlic bread rolls, green salad and if you are really hungry add some fresh fruit w/ part-skim ricotta cheese or hard low fat cheese too. So so so yummy and SO easy! This also freezes beautifully. I usually store it in individual freezer safe storage containers to have on hand for days I just don’t feel like or have time to make a healthy meal from scratch!

So I made this last night for dinner and as always it was a HIT! My toddlers ate it!  I was really really thrilled! It’s super super easy to make and it’s made with ingredients almost everyone already has on hand! The reason I use spicy Italian sausage is because it comes already fully and incredibly well seasoned. So, you don’t need to add any more spices, just salt and pepper. Of course you CAN use mild sausage, but it won’t be as spicy and you may want to add some fennel and red pepper (optional) to kick up the flavor of the soup.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2.5-3lbs spicy Italian turkey sausage
• 2 extra large onions, diced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-5 medium carrots, diced
• 2-3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes + 1 28oz can water
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 quarts  (8 cups) chicken broth
• 2 cups blackish green french or brown lentils (brown are my fav)
• salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

1.   In an extra large pot (6-8 quarts), add 2 tbsp of olive oil and turn your burner to medium/medium high and allow the pan to warm up.

2. If your family likes medium to large chucky bits of italian turkey sausage in their soup then just slice it into rounds and cut in half. I love taking it out of the casing and breaking it into crumbles like you would any ground meat. Removing it from the casing also disperses the spices into the  soup better, making it stronger flavored.

3. Brown your sausage chunks or crumbles until golden brown and remove from the pot and set aside.

4. Add onions, celery and carrots to pot and scrap up all the browned bits (fond) on the pan. Later add the garlic and keep cooking until garlic is       fragrant and onions and celery are translucent.

5. Once the onions, celery, carrots and garlic have become fragrant and translucent, add the diced tomatoes. water, tomato sauce, chicken broth and lentils. Bring the pot to a boil.

6. Once soup is boiling, skim off the scum that sits on the surface of the soup. Reduce your burner to medium/medium low so that the pot keeps a slow soft simmer where the bubbles are bearly breaking the surface. Leave it uncovered for 30-45 minutes, keep testing and tasting until the lentils are soft to the bite. Enjoy!

Meal Planning Ideas: Serve wtih crusty whole grain peasent bread, salad and fruit w/ creamy ricotta cheese and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Well its been a long long long time since I have participated in menu plan Mondays, but I’m getting back on track and so here is the list of what we have coming up with week plus an excellent recipe for a simple cold gazpacho clean out the fridge soup! And the best part is you just need a blender ( stick or regular) and a knife! Since I have TWO toddlers now my menus have had to simplify A LOT.

So here’s this week’s menu:

Breakfast

• organic oatmeal w/ dried fruit (dried organinc cranberries, blueberries, raisins or cherries)  & hard boiled egg
• organic whole grain pancakes with fruit, maple syrup and or yogurt
• toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk
• poached eggs w/ sprouted grain toasted bread & grass feed butter & fresh sliced fruit
• mixed left over veggie fritatia w/ herbed feta cheese, sprouted whole grain bread and fruit
• carrot zucchini yogurt muffins, fruit and morning star sausage patties

Lunch:

• Dried organic ravioli w/ organic vodka tomato sauce w/ grated pecorino and steamed veggies
• Gazpacho clean out the fridge soup, crackers/bread , cheese & fruit
• peanut butter and jelly sandwitches, carrot sticks and apple sauce
• fingerfood feast (bite sized fruits, veggies and cheese w/ crackers or bread
• wild salmon or turkey burgers (from freezer), sprouted grain whole wheat buns w/ cucumber sticks and fresh sliced fruit
• leftover’s

Dinner:

• Red wine Beef stew w/ sprouted grain bread, cheese and fruit
• No peak chicken w/ brown rice, mushrooms and green beans
• Spicy peanut sauce with crazy veggie slaw w/ sprouted grain bread and fruit
• chicken creole over brown rice and mixed steamed veggies
• Leftover’s
• Spicy sausage lentil soup

Desserts/Snacks:

• homemade strawberry yogurt
• popcorn and mixed nuts
• string cheese and fruit

Gazpacho  clean out the fridge w/ white beans  soup

Equipment:

• Hand held blender or regular blender
• kitchen knife for slicing and dicing
• clean cutting board

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced/smashed
• 1 onion, coursley chopped
• 1-2 cucumbers
  
• 1-2 green bell peppers
• 1 28oz can crushed or diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 sliced zucchini or summer squash
• 3 tbsp olive oil (organic extra virgin is best)
• 1/4 cup organic balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 bunches fresh parsley or basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12oz v8 tomato juice
• 8oz beef or veggie broth
• 1  14.5oz can white or black beans (optional) or equal amount dried beans, soaked and cooked.
  

Method/Directions:

1. Slice and diced all veggies if you have not already done so.
2. Toss all veggies, paprika, vinegar, v8 juice, beef broth in a tall soup pot, extra large bowl or into your blender’s container.
3. Puree until desired texture is achieved.
4. If using beans for added protien drain and rinse beans and toss into soup
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

For more great meal ideas visit Organized Junkies site