Ontario Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup with Sausage

"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite." Auguste Esoffier

Bonjourno my followers, I hope you all had a lovely weekend!
So here we are, the last week of 'Soup Month." It's gone by quickly, hasn't it? But, I feel it was exactly what my blog needed and hopefully it will inspire all of us to keep our tummies full of delicious soup all winter long! Today's choice is a classic... Minestrone. This soup is one of my favourites and can be made any time of the year. With the different vegetables being harvested with each season, minestrone can be made a million different ways. You know, this though crossed my mind while making it and I had a great idea! I'm going to make a different minestrone soup each season this year with the variety of each harvest! Why not?! This minestrone is full of wintry goodness. A sacrifice of using tinned tomatoes and dried herbs is the consequence of cooking this time of year, but there is nothing wrong with that in my books (as long as your ingredients are of good quality). Even though minestrone is traditionally a vegetable soup, I have decided to add sausage and pasta, just because it's super tasty!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup with Sausage
(serves 6 to 8)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, rough chop
1 carrot, rough chop
1 celery stalk, rough chop
3-4 cloves garlic, rough chop
4 Italian sausages (mild or hot), meat taken out of the casings
2 cups locally grown winter vegetables (celeriac, turnip, parsnip, cabbage, potato, sweet potato, etc.)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp each dried basil and oregano
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tins ( ml each), beans (kidney, broad, navy, garbanzo, etc.), drained and rinsed
1 tin (ml), diced tomatoes
1 1/2 litre chicken or vegetable stock (found on my 'Recipes' page), or water
1/2 cup dried pasta
2 tbsp fresh parsley, rough chop

.in a large pot heat the oil on medium and toss in the sausage, all the chopped vegetables and herbs with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper
.cover with a lid and stir occasionally until the sausages are fully cooked, about 10 mins
.add in the beans, tinned tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid and slowly simmer for about 45 mins
meanwhile...
.cook your pasta in a pot on the side until it is just el dente, drain and rinse under cold water and set aside until the soup is done
.when done, stir in the pasta and parsley, adjust the seasoning, buon appetito!

As always, go ahead and use different seasonal veggies to make it your own. Also, omitting the meat and pasta is easily done and will not take away from the flavour. This soup is so hearty and chocked full of so much yummy goodness, it makes a perfect one pot meal for guests. I love to serve my minestrone in nice deep bowls with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. A nice loaf of crusty bread on the side with a little more olive oil for dippin' and you've got the perfect winter dinner! This soup is one of those that is always better the next day and truth be told, I made it on Saturday but Kev and I didn't eat it till dinner last night! I have portioned out the rest and put it in the freezer, and I can guarantee it will be just as good when reheated. Well, followers 'Soup Month' will continue on Wednesday! See you then!

White Bean and Sausage Soup with Swiss Chard, Gluten Free

"Soup of the evening, beautiful..." Lewis Carroll

T.G.I.F! Wouldn't you agree, my trusty followers?
Well, 'Soup Month' is still on and I think it's been a pretty exciting month, thus far! Talking to people around town has made me realise that there is quite the soup loving crowd out there! Making soup is easy and the more you make it, the more adventurous you become. I pride myself on being the 'MacGyver' of the kitchen, which means I can make something out of next to nothing. I certainly feel this way with soup, but there was a time in which it intimidated the heck out of me! Years ago I worked at a tiny restaurant in which the owner liked to have a new soup every other day on the menu. She would rarely bring in any new ingredients, so I had to make due with what was around. I remember how scared I was at the beginning and simply tried to remake the soups we had studied at Chef school. As you have guessed, that didn't last very long and soon enough I was left to my own devices. A quick peek at the restaurant's pantry, fridge and freezer forced me to be creative and gave me a challenge that I loved, and I still do! Today's soup started with a few of those peeks for ingredients about 2 hours ago and here I am now, sharing my creation with you all! Isn't cooking fun?!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

White Bean and Sausage Soup with Swiss Chard
(serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, rough chop
1 leek, white part only, rough chop
2 garlic cloves, rough chop
2 sausages, meat removed from casings (I used gluten free Bratwurst)
2 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
1 tin (540 ml) white kidney beans
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock (can be found on my 'Recipes' page), or water
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
2 cups Swiss chard, rough chop
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chop
1/4 tsp rosemary, chop (dried or fresh)
Parmesan cheese

.heat the oil in a pot on medium heat, add the onion, leek, garlic, sausage, thyme, bay leaf with a pinch of salt and pepper
.cover with a lid, stir occasionally and cook for about 5 mins, until the onions are soft
.pour in the stock, bring to the boil, partially cover and simmer on medium low for 30 mins
.turn the soup off, stir in the chard, half the parsley and the rosemary, adjust seasoning
.ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle over remaining parsley, some Parmesan cheese and a grind of pepper, enjoy!

This soup is perfect for a chilly evening like tonight, don't you think? It's quick and easy to make and as always, open to your own interpretation. Use a different type of sausage, use spinach or rapini instead of the chard or use a different cheese. Hey, wouldn't homemade croutons be fantastic with this soup (recipe found below this one!)?! Don't be intimidated by soup like I used to be, just relax and experiment. Alrighty followers, the last week of 'Soup Month' will start on Monday... I've got three great soups lined up and I promise, they will all be tasty! Have a great weekend, make some stock on Sunday (I know I will!), and we'll meet again on Monday! Bye!

P.S. Look what I discovered online! Jane Rodmell and I were 'twittered' during one of our cooking demos at the fall 'Cottage Life Show!' Crazy!
http://twitpic.com/3aq84e

Crunchy Garlic Croutons

"Go ahead, add some crunch!" Me

Hello my friendly followers!
Well, 'Soup Month' is still going strong and to mix it up a bit, today's recipe for good ol' croutons. I love homemade croutons. Making them is the easiest thing in the world and they are so, so good! Tossing a few into a bowl of soup adds crunch and yummy, buttery goodness. I prefer the flavour of sourdough bread for croutons, but any bread can be used. Heck, I made us croutons out of a frozen hot dog bun the other night! Why not? Isn't the kitchen the best place in the house to get creative?!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Crunchy Garlic Croutons
(makes 2 cups)

2 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 cups of cubed bread (I prefer sourdough)
sea salt

.add the butter and garlic to a large frying pan on med low heat, fry until the garlic is fragrant
.throw in the bread and quickly stir and toss to coat the cubes with butter, add a pinch or two of salt
.turn the heat down to low, stir occasionally and allow the bread to dry out, about 20 mins, adjust seasoning, enjoy!

I guarantee you will love these croutons! I also encourage you to play with the recipe! Use different varieties of bread, omit the garlic, use olive oil instead of butter, add grated Parmesan cheese, use different herbs and or spices to season the croutons. Once cooled, you can store your croutons in an air tight container for a couple of weeks. You can also add your croutons to salad or any other dish you want to liven up with a crunch! Now followers, make sure to keep some croutons for Friday when the next featured 'Soup Month' recipe will be posted! Bye!

P.S. My 'Crostini' would also be a great addition many soups!!

http://visheaus.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-is-better-me.html

Ontario Mushroom Soup, Gluten Free

"What do you call a mushroom who buys everyone drinks and is the life of the party? A fun-gi!" Ha!

Hiya followers, I hope your weekend was lovely. Ours was great!
So, today's soup might be the most controversial during 'Soup Month!' If there is one thing I have learnt from working in the food industry for 16 years, it is that people either love mushrooms or hate 'em with a passion! I happen to fall into the love em' category and I'm happy to say that my sweetie does as well. With a turbulent past and the fact that most varieties are poisonous, I can understand why some people prefer to skip the mushrooms. Heck, Buddha was said to have been killed by a poisonous mushroom and I betcha none of his friends or family never ate one again! Luckily, we have only edible fungi in the stores these days, so unless you are an adventurous outdoor scavenger, you should be safe! I'm actually thinking about buying a home growing mushroom kit off the interweb this spring and see what happens. Wouldn't that be cool? Well, as long as they're not of the magic variety... Far out!!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Mushroom Soup
(serves 4)

3 tbsp butter
454gr mushrooms, sliced (I prefer a combination of button and cremini)
*1 tbsp dried porcini (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
750 ml water, vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup cream (5, 10 or 35 %, it's up to you!)

.in a pot, melt 2 tbsp butter on medium heat, toss in everything, except the last two liquids, with a pinch of salt and pep and stir frequently until the onions are soft (about 5 mins)
.add in the water or stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with a lid on for 45 mins
.remove some mushroom slices to set aside for garnish and puree the rest (I always find my hand held wand mixer most handy for this job and I prefer to use it right in the pot!)
.stir in the last tbsp of butter and the cream, adjust seasoning, enjoy!

I made a batch of this soup and sent to work with Kev. His manager really liked it and wanted the recipe, so here you go Gary! To end today's blog, I am attaching a few pictures of our trip to Niagara from the weekend. We had a great time and won a combined total of $150 at the casino! Big winners! It was enough to treat ourselves yesterday in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I love that place. Tea and scones at the 'Pillar and Post' gave us the warmth and energy to make it through the 'Ice Wine Festival' happening along the main street. Ice wine certainly helps when it's in the minus 20s! A stop for lunch and a pint at the 'Angel Inn' was then needed to defrost our chilly selves. Gosh, I just love that little old pub and I love a relaxing weekend getaway! But, here we are and I suppose it's back to reality. I'll have another blog up for you mid week, my followers! Hmmm, I wonder what will be next during 'Soup Month?'

Easy French Onion Soup

“Onion soup sustains. The process of making it is somewhat like the process of learning to love. It requires commitment, extraordinary effort, time, and will make you cry.” Ronni Lundy

Howdy my frosty followers!

As promised yesterday, I am back with a recipe for French Onion soup. I'm so happy that my friend Adrianne made the request, because how could 'Soup Month' be complete without it?! French onion soup is one of those things that I always order in a restaurant but never make at home. I've just had it in my head that it was just too much effort. Boy, was I ever wrong! It is so easy to make that I don't think I will never pay for it in a restaurant again! Starting life as a simple peasant's meal, 'soupe a l'oignon gratinee' soon became a staple at any Lyonnaise brasserie. These days, French Onion soup can be found just about anywhere in the world, including in a can on the grocery store shelf! I have done a bit of research and have decided the fewer ingredients the better. I am taking 'soupe a l'oignon gratinee' back to it's roots and using the simple ingredients that would have been found on the farm.

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

French Onion Soup
(serves 4)

2 tbsp butter
4 large cooking onions, sliced
1 litre beef stock (homemade preferred, found on my 'Recipes' page)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
4 to 8 slices old bread (preferably baguette)
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

.in a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter on medium low heat and throw in the onions with a pinch of salt and pep
.cover with a lid and allow the onions to simmer down for about 30 to 45 mins, stirring occasionally
(make sure to scrape up any dark bits, you don't want the bottom of the pot to burn), until the onions are nicely caramelized
.pour in the stock, replace the lid, turn down to low and allow the soup to simmer for another 30 to 45 mins

.turn on the broiler and toast the bread on both sides, adjust the seasoning of the soup

.ladle the soup into 4 ovenproof  bowls, top with the bread and grated cheese, place on a tray and broil until the cheese is bubbly

.serve immediately with a little extra salt and pep, bon appetit!!

C'est tres facile, n'est pas? The rich flavour of this soup utterly amazing, especially when you consider it's simplicity. Adrienne, if you make it please let me know what you think! Alrighty followers, well Kev and I are off to Niagara for the weekend. C'est fantastique! But don't worry followers, even if we win big at the casino, I will still be back next week with more recipes for 'Soup Month!' Till then and have a wonderful weekend!

Homemade Crackers with Olive Oil

"Soup and crackers go hand in hand!" Me

Hiya followers! Is it cold enough out there for yah?! Brrrr!
Well, I assume that you all got my hint in the last blog! Today's blog is all about homemade crackers. Exactly followers, how could 'Soup Month' continue and not feature crackers?! Now, there are a lot of different cracker recipes, but I have decided to go with one that is (surprise, surprise...), super easy. Most cracker recipes I found are those of the 'cream cracker' variety, made with cream and butter but I have opted for a dough that is made with olive oil. I also added some different flavouring to my crackers (poppy seed, flax seed, fresh rosemary and an old Cheddar cheese and Parmesan combo...), but of course they can stay plain. Although crackers are credited as an American invention, they have a long history with such ancient cousins as the unleavened matzo and flatbrod. So, my loyal followers, push up those sleeves and get out the rolling pin! I swear you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy and tasty homemade crackers can be!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Homemade Crackers with Olive Oil
(makes 1 to 4 dozen)

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (extra coarse salt for the top)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (more for brushing on top)
*1 tsp poppy seed, flax seed, sesame seed, dried or chopped fresh herbs, spices, etc. or 1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)

.mix your dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the middle
.combine the oil water and oil and pour into the well, while mixing with a fork until it comes together
.turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for a few minutes until it forms a firm ball (it doesn't have to be smooth)
.wrap in plastic or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour
.preheat oven to 425 and roll out dough as thin as it will go, cut into preferred cracker or flat bread shapes
.place on a greased tray, brush tops with some olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 6 to 8 mins until lightly browned, enjoy with your fave soup!!

How easy it that?! Now, you can make whatever shape or size you like. I found that a pizza cutter was really handy, but a sharp knife will do. Or, if you prefer a flat bread shape, you could divide the dough into walnut sized balls and roll them out into long ovals. Not only good with soup, these crackers would make a great addition to any cheese board or served with a yummy dip. Don't be shy to experiment with the flavourings, anything would be great! Alrighty followers, I will be back tomorrow with a request for yummy French onion soup. Don't you just love 'Soup Month?!'

Vegetarian French Canadian Pea Soup, Gluten Free

"It's as thick as pea soup." Unknown

Bonjour, mes followers! Welcome back to the excitement that is 'Soup Month!!'
Well, as you can see, we are making good ol' French Canadian pea soup today. This is a recipe that is as Canadian as butter tarts and aren't we proud of that?! Whenever I think of pea soup, my mind takes me back to that first night of any trip to our family cottage in Muskoka. You see, my family would always arrive after dark and my Grandparents would be waiting for us at the cottage with a late dinner. My Grandpa's pea soup was a staple and although I didn't enjoy it much as a child, I have grown to enjoy this tasty soup. I have been doing a bit of research on the history of French Canadian 'soupe aux pois,' and found that it was first mentioned in the mid eighteenthed century. Wow, this soup has been a staple for many people, for a very long time. Although traditional pea soup is made with salted ham (and in some cases, the piece of ham would have been removed from the soup, sliced and served on the side), today's version is vegetarian. It's a request from ma belle cousine Melanie who loves pea soup, but has found it hard to find a yummy vegetarian alternative. It's been a challenge and I hope I have done well. This one's for you, Mel!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Vegetarian French Canadian Pea Soup
(serves 4)

2 tbsp butter
1 onion, small chop
1 celery stalk, small chop
1 potato, small chop
1/2 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 Litre vegetable stock (found on my 'Recipes' page), or water
1 tbsp dill, chop
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

.melt the butter in a pot on medium heat, throw in all of the veggies, peas, bay leaf and thyme with a pinch of salt and pep and stir until the onions are soft (about 5 mins)
.add the liquid, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with a lid on (be careful not to boil over), until the peas are soft (about 45 mins)
.if you wish, puree have the soup (I prefer using my hand held wand blender right in the pot!), stir in the chopped dill, adjust seasoning, bon appetit, eh!

Serve this soup with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Omit the dill if you like, but I thinks it adds a lovely flavour. This soup is definitely better the next day, so if possible, make ahead. It also freezes exceptionally well. Mel, I really, really hope you like my soup and please let me know what you think! As always, my loyal soup loving followers, I love requests! I still have a lot of recipes to come during 'Soup Month' and it's not too late to ask! Bye for now and I'll be back in a few days with a recipe for soup's best friend... Ha!

Ontario Roasted Root Vegetable Soup, Gluten Free

"There is nothing like soup." Laurie Colwin

Hello my wintry followers! Aren't you so happy we finally got some snow? I sure am!
Well, isn't it the perfect time for 'Soup Month?!' What better way to warm up a chilly winter evening, then to snuggle up with a nice hot bowl of soup. For this reason alone, I'm pretty sure that soup has been around just about forever! My goal with this month's recipes is to keep them local, seasonal and easy to prepare. I figured I would start the fun with a simple recipe for roasted root vegetable soup. Kev's Dad really liked it and I hope you will too! All of the ingredients have been grown close by and can be found at any grocery store. Or, if you are lucky enough to live in a city such as Hamilton, Toronto or Ottawa which feature year round, indoor farmer's markets, get out there and support your local farmers! Alrighty then, time to thaw out some homemade stock that is sitting in your freezer and get down to business!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
(serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups mixed root vegetables, rough chop (I used sweet potato, Yukon Gold potato, carrot and parsnip)
1 onion, rough chop
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
4 cups homemade vegetable stock or water
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

.preheat the oven to 375
.place the chopped veggies, garlic and thyme in a bowl, toss with the oil and season with salt and pep
.spread out single layered onto a lightly greased or parchment lined try and roast for about 45 mins, until browned with slightly charred bits
.place the contents of the tray into a pot on the stove, add the liquid and bring to a boil on high heat
.turn down heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 mins
.remove the thyme sprigs and puree until smooth ( I find my hand held wand blender is the best!)
.adjust the seasoning, enjoy!

How easy is that?! Please don't hesitate to be creative and switch up the root veggies! This soup would be fabulous made with turnip, celeriac or shallots. If pushed for time, one could skip the roasting of the veggies and increase simmering time by 15 mins, but the flavour wouldn't be as intense. This soup is also a great way to use up older vegetables in the fridge or pantry. I hope you like the first of many soups to come and remember to check back soon to find out what will be next during 'Soup Month!' How exciting!

Vegetable, Chicken and Beef Stock Recipes

"The wonderful flavor of good... food is the result... of the stock used for it's cooking." Julia Child

Happy new year, my trusty followers! I hope your holidays were lovely!
Now, I have decided to kick off 2011 with a bit of fun. I recently looked at my recipe page and realised I have hardly any soup recipes. Geez Sarah, it's cold out there and we need soup! Don't you agree? So, to fix this problem, I am proclaiming this month 'Soup Month!' Remember how exciting 'Salad Week' was this past summer? I've decided to begin 'Soup Month' with a lesson in making stock. Just thinking of stock takes me back to my good ol' days at Chef school. At Stratford, there are dinners in which a student Chef is in charge. The rest of us in the group make up the brigade, each with tasks to do in order for the meal to be prepared. For one such dinner, I was the saucier and was in charge of making a vast amount of beef stock. Let's just say that it took a couple of days and the stock pots were probably about as tall as me! Recently, while recipe testing for a magazine, I had a run in with store bought stock. Yuck! The organic vegetable broth tasted like dirty old cabbage water!! Making stock is super easy, costs next to nothing and it fills your home with the loveliest scent (cold Sunday mornings are my fave time to put on a stock!). Today we will cover a basic vegetable, chicken and beef stock (my recipe for turkey stock is listed on my 'Recipes' page). Let's do this!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Vegetable Stock

1 onion, peeled, quartered
2 carrots, quartered
2 celery stocks, quartered
1 leek green, quartered
*1 bouquet garni
6 cups of cold water

.throw everything into a pot, bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 mins
.strain through a fine sieve, discard the boiled veggies (or load them up with sea salt and butter and eat em' like i do! Tee hee!)

**Roasted Vegetable Stock (for stronger flavour):
.keep the skins on the onion and toss it, along with the carrot, celery and leek, in a bowl with a dash of olive oil
.spread the veggies onto a tray and roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 mins, turning over once, until the onion skins are charred and veggies are browned
.continue with the vegetable stock recipe from the beginning...

Chicken stock

1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, quartered
2 celery stocks, quartered
1 leek green, quartered
*1 bouquet garni
chicken bones and other bits that equal 1 carcass, raw or leftover form roasting
8 cups of cold water

.throw everything into a pot and bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 4 hours, occasionally skimming away any foam, fat or impurities off with a spoon or small ladle
.strain through a fine sieve, discard the boiled bits (or eat em'!)

Beef Stock

2 onion, skin on and quartered
2 carrots, quartered
2 celery stalks, quartered
*1 bouquet garni
1 tbsp tomato paste
500gr to 1 kg beef bones and beef pcs (cooked or raw)
8 to 10 cups cold water

.throw the raw beef bones and pcs into a 400 degree oven until they are darkly browned (about 45 mins), add in the veggies and tomato paste for 20 mins more (if the beef is already cooked, roast for about 30 mins with the veggies and paste)
.toss the roasted beef and veg into a pot, add the bouquet garni and cold water, bring to a boil, immediately reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, occasionally skimming away any foam, fat or impurities off with a spoon or small ladle
.strain through a fine sieve and discard the boiled bits (or eat em!')

*Bouquet Garni

1 pc of rinsed leek green
1 sprig of fresh thyme & parsley
1 bay leaf
4 - 5 peppercorns
(place thyme, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns inside the leek tie with butchers twine)

Stocks are made differently from one kitchen to the next, so as always, I ask you to simply use my recipes as helpful guidelines. Boiling your stock will result in cloudiness. Putting the strained stock back on the stove to simmer will reduce it and intensify the flavour. Now, I have made beef stock from the odd leftover steak, fat trimmings and the bones left from a prime rib roast. I have made chicken stock from raw bones and bits of fat, and also from leftover roasted thighs and breasts. I collect the odd bits from here and there and freeze them, until I accumulate enough to make a batch. I pour my cooled stock into containers and freeze them, thus making one's life much easier whenever a soup or sauce needs to be made. Please try making your own stocks. It takes little effort and the difference in flavour as opposed to store bought will be well worth it! 'Soup Month' will continue next week, followers! Till then!

P.S. Look what my sweetie Kevin got me for Christmas! An 8 quart Le Creuset French oven! It's my pride and joy and I roasted us a lovely herbed chicken in it the other night! It turned out so
scrumptious and I promise I will share the recipe with you soon!