I'm-Gonna-Slap-You-With-My-Whisk Tomato Bisque

Don't worry, I haven't gone off the deep end just yet - this recipe is one from the new cookbook by Coolio, Cookin' with Coolio, 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price, which I've reviewed in full on Cooking with Anne.

Funny stuff, and a really great, and fresh, recipe.

Don't even think about reaching for that d*mn can! I will bust your head like Gallagher busts a watermelon. I'll be g*dd*amned if I feed that much sodium to my kids or to myself. That doesn't mean you can't have tomato soup that reminds you of being a kid. Here's a great recipe to make your own at home. Serve this up with some mac n' cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich to really bring back those memories.

I'm-Gonna-Slap-You-With-My-Whisk Tomato Bisque

How long it takes: 15 to prep, 50 to cook
How much it makes: enough to make 4 people really happy

What you need:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium white onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
One 15-oz can whole tomatoes
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
1 dime bag salt
1 dime bag pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

What to do with it:

1. In a large saucepan, heat up your olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and garlic and cook them bad boys until they're nice and soft.

2. Pour in the canned tomatoes, followed by the freshly chopped tomatoes and all your broth.

3. Get the saucepan a rockin' by bringing it to a boil. Now, reduce the heat, cover, and let it all simmer and coagulate for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat and puree.

5. Once it's lookin' like soup, drop it back to your saucepan and reheat on low heat.

6. Add the milk (or cream), give it a swirl, season to taste with salt and pepper, and carefully pour it into a nice vessel.

7. Garnish the top with some fresh basil and eat it up!

*Dime bag is equal to a tablespoon - have that much on-hand to season from - don't use the whole tablespoon!

Caldo Verde from The Un-Constipated Gourmet

For the full story on The Un-Constipated Gourmet, check out my other blog, Cooking with Anne.

This soup was so good and so simple it was really hard to believe there was so much flavor from so few ingredients. It's quick to make and disappears from bowls even quicker!

I had a photo for this - a very pretty one - but my hard-drive died just after the photos were uploaded from my camera. I haven't had a chance to make this again, but I will soon and I'll get a new photo then.

Caldo Verde

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

1 1/2 pounds kale or Swiss chard
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
4-5 cups chicken stock
8 ounces spicy chorizo - sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash kale; strip leaves from stalk; chop leaves; discard stalks.
Place potatoes and garlic in large soup pot. Pour stock over and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are soft. Without burning yourself, mash potatoes in broth. Add kale and sausage to soup. Simmer another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Sourcebooks Inc.

Tomato Noodle Florentine Soup

I visited with my oldest daughter at college on Saturday and we stopped at a local diner for lunch. Part of our meal came with a choice of soup and I chose tomato noodle. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything I'd ask for again. It was a sort of combination of tomato soup and vegetable noodle, but lacking any real flavor. I vowed then to come up with my own, and this is it.

I use canned tomatoes all the time - it's one of those things that is sometimes just better or necessary canned, so don't feel badly about using them for this. Try to get fresh spinach, but if it's looking bad at the store or you just can't get it, frozen is absolutely fine, I've given measurements for both. As always, I prefer freshly grated Parmesan, but a quality pre-grated brand works fine, too.

Cut your prep time by making the noodles while soup is cooking and keeping warm until needed.

Tomato Noodle Florentine Soup
Serves 4-6
Ready In: 30 minutes

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion such as Vidalia
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups crushed tomatoes
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach or 1 pound fresh chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces spaghetti or linguine noodles - cooked al dente and drained well
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a heavy soup pot over medium-high flame and add olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add onion and garlic. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until onion softens and begins to turn translucent. Be careful not to burn garlic.
2. Add stock, bay leaf, oregano and basil to pot. Turn heat to high and stir well. Once stock boils, add tomatoes.
3. Return soup to a boil and immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add spinach and cook for 5 minutes longer, until spinach is fully thawed or limp - depending on which you use. Add sugar and salt & pepper to taste.
5. Remove bay leaf and add cooked noodles and Parmesan. Stir well and serve.

Reuben Soup

One of my favorite sandwiches has always been the Reuben. To me, the ultimate grilled cheese includes Swiss, even though the rest of my family rails and refuses to eat it.

This soup can easily go far overboard in the sodium arena, so care in rinsing the sauerkraut is vital. I also purchase the bagged variety of sauerkraut as it seems less salty. Using homemade beef stock before any salt has been added, or low-to-no sodium beef stock is also important. Season as needed at the end of cooking.

You can always put a rye crouton on top of the soup bowls, add the cheese and broil until melted, but I chose to cook the croutons with cheese separately and the result was just as good.

Of course, I made this first and then searched the web for similar soups and it seems that 'creamy Reuben soup' is the big thing out there. I like to stay true to flavors and be a little different, anyway - and this was something everyone liked - except for the cheese.

Reuben Soup

Ready In: 35 minutes
Serves: 8

1 pound deli sliced corned beef - chopped
2 pounds sauerkraut - rinsed well and drained
10 cups beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (omit if using rye bread with seeds)
8 slices rye bread (seeded or seedless if fine - see above)
8 ounces Swiss cheese - shredded
1 cup Thousand Island dressing

1. In a large soup pot, heat to boiling the stock, sauerkraut and corned beef. Reduce to a simmer, add bay leaf and caraway seeds, if using. Cook for 30 minutes.
2. While soup is cooking, heat broiler and spread one side of rye slices with 1 Tablespoon Thousand Island dressing each. Broil until golden brown.
3. Turn bread and spread the other side with 1 Tablespoon Thousand Island dressing each. Top with 1 ounce shredded Swiss cheese for each slice and broil until melted and bubbly.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and top with hot croutons. Top each with an extra dollop of dressing, if desired.

Egg Roll Soup

It's no secret by now that I am fond of de-constructing foods and putting them into soup form. Check out Pierogi Chowder and Philly Cheesesteak Soup to get an idea for what I do. I think egg rolls are one of the best foods ever and I had it in my head for some time to make a soup resembling one.

This soup is to-die-for! I mean it. It tastes exactly like the egg rolls I make and the crisp egg roll wrapper strips are so good the kids ate a tray of them without anything else. You can buy fried noodles if you wish, but there is no comparison to the ones made with egg roll wrappers. They are thinner and crispier than the store-bought ones.

There are very few ingredients here, but the flavor is huge. No need for added salt, the soy sauce and stock handle that end very well.

Egg Roll Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for frying

2 pounds boneless pork ribs - sliced thin (chicken is fine, too)

4 garlic cloves - minced

1 small head cabbage - shredded (about 6 cups)

2 small carrots - shredded (about 1 cup)

1 small bunch green onions - sliced (about 1/2 cup)

8 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce - plus more for serving

10 egg roll wrappers cut into thin strips

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot and saute pork until no longer pink.

2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Toss in remaining ingredients (except egg roll wrappers) and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.

5. Meanwhile, cook strips of egg roll wrapper in hot oil in small batches until browned and crisp. This only takes a minute or so per batch.

6. Drain well on paper toweling.

7. When soup is done, ladle into bowls and top with fried egg roll wrappers and extra soy sauce, if needed.

Dawn Hall's Creamy Chicken and Noodle Soup

Photo and recipes used with permission by Dawn Hall and Thomas Nelson Publishers

This recipe is from Dawn Hall's newest cookbook (her 8th!) Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook. Her approach to food is simple, do the best you can with what you have. A fuller look at Dawn Hall, her amazing and inspirational story, and her cookbooks can be found today at the HalfHourMeals.com blog: Food for Thought. The cookbook debuts today and can be found at Amazon.com.

With these recipes there's no stone unturned. Dawn lays it out for her readers from top to bottom: Timing, equipment and shopping list. The only thing you need to worry about is who to make these delicious meals for!

Creamy Chicken and Noodle Soup

This is my best Chicken Noodle Soup recipe yet! Grandma would be so proud!

Ingredients

12 cups plus 1 cup chicken broth made from bouillon, divided
6 stalks celery, finely chopped (to make 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (from a jar)
1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine
½ cup cornstarch
1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots
2 (12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water

Instructions for entrée:

In a large non-stick Dutch oven or soup pan bring to boil 12 cups of chicken broth made from bouillon.*
Finely chop 6 stalks of celery with the leaves to make 2 cups, add to broth.
Add 2 tablespoon minced garlic (from a jar) to the broth stir well.
Add 1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine into the broth; break the fettuccine in half before adding to broth.
Bring soup to full boil stirring occasionally.
Cook at a full boil soup for 12 -14 minutes or until fettuccine is tender.
Dissolve ½ cup cornstarch into 1 cup chicken broth and set aside. Pour into the soup.
Add to soup 1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots and 2(12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water. Breaking up the big chunks of chicken before putting into soup.
Stir until everything is heated through.

Yield: 16 (1 cup) servings

Calories per serving: 153 (9% fat); Total fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Carbohydrate: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Protein: 12 g; Sodium: 541 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat

Helpful Hint:

To make the broth: Add ¼ cup chicken granules instant bouillon to 12 cups water stirring until dissolved, and 1 teaspoon chicken granules instant bouillon to the 1 cup water stirring until dissolved.


MS/Meal Suggestion: 30 minutes for total meal:

Homemade Seasoned Crackers

Instructions to prepare suggested meal

Set timer for 30 minutes

30 minutes before meal:

Make the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup according to the directions. After you put the pasta into the boiling broth, then make the Homemade Seasoned Crackers.

10 minutes before meal:

Begin making the Homemade Seasoned Crackers according to directions.(Recipe below)

5 minutes before meal:

Place the seasoned crackers in the oven. Bake until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
Finish making the soup.



LIST FOR SUGGESTED MEAL:


Supplies List for entire meal

Large non-stick Dutch oven or soup pan

Cutting board

Oven

2 Baking sheets

Timer

Grocery List for entire meal

PRODUCE

Celery (6 stalks needed)
PACKAGED

1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine

1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots

2 (12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water

4 fat-free flour tortillas
PANTRY

Chicken broth made from bouillon (13 cups total needed)

Minced garlic

Cornstarch

Garlic salt

Dried parsley (5 teaspoons needed)

Paprika

Butter flavored cooking spray
*************************************

Homemade Seasoned Crackers

(This is recommended with the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup)

These were a huge hit with the children! They even made more independently later in the week for snacks, because they liked them so much!

Ingredients

4 fat-free flour tortillas
1 ½ teaspoon garlic salt
5 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Place oven rack in middle of oven. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut 4 fat-free flour tortillas into 8 pie shaped wedges. Arrange wedges in single layer on 2 baking sheets.
Spray wedges with butter flavored cooking spray on both sides of wedges.
Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt, 5 teaspoons dried parsley and 1 teaspoon paprika evenly over wedges.
Place in oven and bake for
Place the seasoned tortillas in the oven. Bake until crispy, 3-4 minutes.

Yield: 16 (2 crackers) servings

Calories per serving: 31 (0% fat); Total fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrate: 6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 168 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch


Supplies List for cracker only
Oven

2 Baking sheets

Timer

Grocery List for crackers only

PACKAGED

4 fat-free flour tortillas

PANTRY

Garlic salt

Dried parsley (5 teaspoons needed)

Paprika

Butter flavored cooking spray

Ravioli and Meatball Soup

Yet another example of the fact that almost anything can be made into soup - this Ravioli and Meatball Soup is quick to get together and my kids ate it until the bottom of the pot was nearly dry. Top with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for an extra flavor boost.

The best part of this is that you can go vegetarian very easily by using TVP meatballs and vegetable stock.

Ravioli and Meatball Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6-8

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
2 small carrots - peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery - chopped
2 green onions - sliced green and white parts
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound pre-cooked meatballs
1 pound small cheese-filled ravioli

1. Heat oil in a medium soup pot over med-high heat.
2. Cook and stir vegetables until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add ravioli and meatballs - bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until meatballs and ravioli are heated through and vegetables are tender.