Cream of Asparagus Soup

This is from the old (1977) Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I actually follow this recipe, except for decreasing the butter. Most cream/white sauce recipes use equal amounts of butter and flour, but I don't find that to be necessary. I just use enough butter to saute without burning, probably about 2 Tbsp for this soup. I'm not fussy about getting the exact amount of asparagus called for, either. If I have a little more, that's fine. This is delicious with skim milk--creamier milk makes it more luxurious.

Cream of Asaparagus Soup
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
butter as needed
salt
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups water or stock
4 cups scalded (heated almost to a boil) milk
1/2 to 1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
white pepper
dash of tamari or soy sauce

• Break off the tough asparagus bottoms and discard them (compost pile!!). Cut off the tips and set them aside. Chop the stalks, and cook them with the onions in the butter, salting them lightly.
• After about 8-10 minutes, when onions are clear, sprinkle in the flour. Continue to cook over lowest possible heat (use a "waffle" heat absorber if you have one) for 5-8 minutes.
• Add water or stock. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
• Puree the sauce bit-by-bit with the milk in the blender. Blend it until thoroughly smooth. Return the puree to a kettle, preferably a double boiler, and add dill, salt, white pepper, and tamari.
• Heat the soup very gently--don't boil it or cook it. As it heats, steam or saute the asparagus tips until tender but still very green. Add these, whole, to the soup.
• Serve as immediately as possible.

Note: My mom gave me an immersion blender (you stick the blender in the pot rather than transferring the soup) which makes the pureeing MUCH easier. Also, I don't bother with a double boiler; I'm just careful not to scorch the soup.

Taco Soup

A friend shared this simple, quick recipe with me.

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix (I use reduced sodium)
Brown meat. Add onion and mixes and cook.

1 can (15 ounce) dark red kidney beans
1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans
1 can (15 ounce) hominy
1 small can chopped green chiles, optional
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) stewed or petite diced tomatoes
3-4 cups water
Do NOT drain the cans. Add to meat mixture. Cook about 30 minutes, until soup is hot and flavors are blended.

This is great served with chili condiments: sour cream, fritos, grated cheese, and sweet or green onions. If you want it thicker (or want it to fit in your crockpot), just don't add as much water.

This recipe is easy to increase. It freezes fine, but it's so easy that I don't see the point in taking up the freezer space. Maybe making and freezing extra meat mixture would give you a head start. With that in the freezer and cans in the cupboard, you'll always have an emergency dinner ready.

Beef Barley Soup

Don't you feel cozier just looking at that bowl? :-)

Beef Barley Soup

2 pounds beef cubes (from a roast; chuck roast requires trimming but is flavorful)
onion, chopped, to taste (about 2 large)
5-8 cups broth or water (I use the Swanson boxes of reduced sodium beef broth)

extra broth may be needed
2/3 cup barley (it really expands!)
fresh mushrooms, sliced, optional
sliced or baby carrots

I made this recipe up, and there are several ways to cook it. You can just throw everything but the carrots in a crockpot, then steam the carrots and add at serving time.

The flavor is better if the meat and onion are browned first. Saute the beef in oil, in small batches so it can stick a bit and brown instead of steaming in its juices. Next cook the onions, scraping up the meaty bits in the pan (add a bit of broth if needed). Then put everything but the carrots in the crockpot, or simmer on top of the stove. If you have a Dutch oven, you can even simmer in the oven (about 300 degrees).

In any case, simmer somehow until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender, at least an hour and a half. If you use a crockpot, steam the carrots and add at serving time. If you're simmering on the stove, add the carrots after the beef and barley are done, and cook just until the carrots are ready.

This recipe is easy to double or triple (but that's A LOT of soup), and it freezes well without the carrots. I sometimes make a big batch with the smallest amount of broth, and freeze it in a smaller portion than we will eat. Later I thaw it and add the carrots and more broth. The long cooking is done, and it takes up less space.

Sticky Rice with Mango

If you've been to a Thai restaurant, you've probably tried sticky rice with mango. It seems to be one of the national desserts of Thailand, equivalent to apple pie or chocolate chip cookies here in America.

It is delicious! The rice is, yes, very sticky, and slightly sweet with the subtle flavor of coconut milk. The juicy, sweet mango is a perfect counterpoint, although fresh pineapple is good, too.

I found a recipe on epicurious.com (from the June 1994 Gourmet), but have since adapted it. The original recipe included a sauce to drizzle over the final product, but didn't use a whole can of coconut milk. I found it annoying to store the leftover milk, and we eat this up so quickly that I decided to revise the recipe using more rice and a whole can of coconut milk. I made it a little sweeter and omitted the sauce. It's still delicious, and even easier. You do need to plan ahead to soak the rice overnight, but there is not much "active" work involved in making this dish.

Sticky Rice with Mango
2 1/4 cups glutinous (sweet) rice
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar (9/26/08: or up to 3/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
fresh mango, peeled and cut
toasted sesame seeds, optional

1. In a bowl wash rice well in several changes of cold water until water is clear. Soak rice in cold water to cover overnight.
2. Drain rice well in a sieve. Set sieve over a large deep saucepan of simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30-40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).
3. While rice is cooking, heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Put tender rice and coconut mixture into glass 9" x 13" pan (or other appropriate dish), and stir well with spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes, until coconut milk is absorbed.
5. To serve, cut a square or rectangle of rice, and put on plate. Sprinkle on sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with mango.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for just one mango. This is in no way enough for us. You'll probably want two or three.
• The rice is special. The grains are short and fat. It's called glutinous or sweet rice, and will probably be from Korea or Thailand. Check the international aisle of your grocery store, or else an Asian store.
• In the past I've used a sieve and pot to steam the rice, but now I use a rice cooker with a steamer insert. Both methods work well.
• I store the leftover rice at room temperature, but keep the fruit refrigerated.
• UPDATED NOTE: Even at room temperature the rice can get stiff. Microwaving a portion for a few seconds makes it softer and pleasantly warm (don't go for hot). You might also try using just 2 cups of rice.
• UPDATE #2 (9/26/08): Our local Trader Joe's sells frozen diced mango. It thaws out pretty well--not mushy. Fresh is of course better, but this is easy and reliable (always ripe, always available, not stringy...).

Waverly "Candy"

We didn't make many cookies for Christmas this year, so I'm allowing myself to gradually bake some of our holiday favorites now and then. Lauren especially likes these buttery and slightly sweet treats.

This is a recipe I got from my mom, although I've seen variations since.

Waverly "Candy"
Waverly or club or graham crackers
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup white or brown sugar

Fill a jelly roll pan (11" x 17" x 1") with crackers in a single layer. Sprinkle with nuts. Slowly heat butter and sugar until it just comes to a rapid boil. I whisk the butter mixture to keep it homogenous. Pour over the crackers and nuts, covering completely. Bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Watch near the end so they don't burn. While still warm, remove to a cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Notes:

• For some reason, heating the butter mixture slowly does matter. I hurried it once, and it wasn't as good.
• Try to get the oven time just right--too long and the crackers burn, too short and the cooled product is chewy rather than crisp.
• If you wait until the crackers cool before removing from the baking sheet, they will stick and break.
• You can drizzle on melted chocolate, if desired.