Black Bean Backlog!

Although I have been cooking, I have not been blogging.  I am looking to turn that around and start posting once again all of the dishes I cook, as well as some of the dishes my boyfriend cooks.  I am on a backlog and hope to post dishes made in the past two months, as well as the ones I currently cook up!

I made this black bean soup during the holidays for me and my boyfriend on the night we made Christmas cookies together!  It is a Dave Lieberman recipe, and I highly recommend it for a cold winter's night.  It would also be a great dish to make for Superbowl Sunday!

BLACK BEAN SOUP (courtesy of Dave Lieberman)

• 5 slices bacon, finely chopped (I used center cut)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro (I omitted since I hate cilantro)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish (I used low fat)
• Grated cheddar, for garnish (I used low fat)

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the cilantro and garnishes.

Potage Crecy - French Fabulousness

I am so far behind in blogging that today I decided the holiday gift to myself is to give myself the time I need to blog.  I am not feeling too bad about it, though!  My time has been spent with my amazing boyfriend and although I have been cooking often for him (and he for me), I just have not had the time to sit and blog all of the food goodness happening in my kitchen, especially this holiday weekend! 


I have also been to two supper club meetings since my last post and am a month behind.  So, I decided to start with last month's supper club theme which I requested: SOUP SWAP!   Soups included a pasta fagioli, a curried butternut squash and apple, and a coconut Thai soup.  We also ate baguettes and cheese.  It was a perfect autumn meal.  


It was also ideal to post the soup I made for supper club today - Potage Crecy - in case you have any leftover carrots from Thanksgiving!  In New York, it is certainly soup weather!   Cheers! 


POTAGE CRECY (courtesy of Williams Sonoma French)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and tender green parts, rinsed and sliced [see Kitchen Notes]
3/4 pounds carrots [about 5 or 6], diced
3/4 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1-1/4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves [or 1/2 teaspoon dried]
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste [see Kitchen Notes]
additional fresh thyme leaves, for garnish [or finely chopped flat-leaf parsley—see Kitchen Notes]

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Melt butter and combine with olive oil. Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add thyme, cover the pot and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, in batches, if necessary. [Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the pot.]

Return puréed soup to the pot. Add half-and-half, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste [using a light hand, depending on how salty your chicken stock or broth is]. Bring to a simmer until just heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme leaves or parsley. Serve.

Kitchen Notes

Cleaning leeks. Leeks like to grow in sandy soil, so you need to clean them carefully. Slice off root end and most of the green tops. Slice leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse under running water, fanning layers to wash out any trapped grit. When they’re cleaned, slice crosswise in 3/4-inch pieces.

Soup's On!

This weekend its 70 degrees in New York despite the fact that its Columbus Day Weekend!  Still, October is the month when soup season begins.  In fact, my the theme of my monthly Supper Club is "Soup Swap"!   Later on this month we will gather and enjoy homemade soups and then mix and match containers to bring home and stick in the freezer - perfect to have on a night after a long day at work or on a cold winter afternoon on a blustery weekend.

I saw this soup recipe in the latest Weight Watchers Magazine and had to try it.  I tweaked it just a little by adding some crushed red pepper flakes.  Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as instructed and a quintessential bowl of soup was the result.

What soups will you be making this fall?  Happy Slurping!

Tuscan Chicken Soup (courtesy of Weight Watchers)
Ingredients:
Cooking spray (I use Canola oil cooking spray for its neutral flavor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound ground chicken breast (make sure its not dark meat!)
2 (14 oz) cans of fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (16oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I added this for a bit of zing)
6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
6 teaspoons of freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Heat a large saucepan over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray
2) Add garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes or until just tender
3) Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, crumbling with the back of a fork
4) Add the chicken broth and the next 6 ingredients
5) Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 22 minutes
6) Stir in spinach and cook for 3 minutes or until spinach has wilted
7) Ladle soup into bowls and top with 1 teaspoon of cheese

Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups of soup and 1 teaspoon of cheese
WW Points per serving: 4