Thursday Soup or Stew Night #2

It's all my fault that this roundup is so small - I haven't posted since Sunday, and I should have put up some reminders. But it's not too late to jump in! As I write this it's only 6 pm PST, and I'll be online off and on until about 10 pm PST - giving you plenty of time to email me about some soup or stew you want to share.














My blogger friend Ulrike of Kuchenlatein made a very pretty, and most likely tasty, Cheddar Cheese Soup. Now Campbell's makes a cheddar cheese soup, but it's an unappetizing orange glop. Ulrike's soup has onions, and carrots, and celery, and bell peppers - a very great combination.















Sara of I Like to Cook sent in a recipe with a southwestern touch: Black Bean Soup. The "different" thing about this one is the chipotle pepper. I bet the smoky flavor is divine. I plan to try her recipe with some pinto beans. I have about two pounds I need to start using.


My contribution this week is some split pea soup. Way back in college I spent a semester chasing love in Phoenix. The love part didn't work out, but I have lots of fond memories and a few great recipes. I worked at a supermarket, and one of my customers, Michelle H., gave me this recipe. It's easy to make, and you can add more or less of the vegetables, and leave out the ham if you want to make it vegetarian.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound split peas
3 quarts water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped ham (optional)
1 cup half-&-half

Rinse peas in a colander. Combine all ingredients except half-&-half in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add half-&-half and heat through.

I thought I'd start trying to add fiber to my diet by cooking more legumes, which is why I made this soup. To go with it, I made cornbread muffins, but added two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to the batter. They were great! I think I'll try to add the flax to as many things as I can.

This is day 12 of my "Carb Lite" eating plan, and I'm so proud of myself. I have yet to go over my day's "allocation" of carbs, and have done a good job of keeping them spread out over the three meals and snacks. I took the advice given to me after Sunday's post and started eating more beans, and will continue to work on cutting the fat down. This weekend my husband and I are going to the California Teachers Association State Council meeting in Los Angeles, and I've been planning for eating out. On Saturday night we're going to LA Prime, a steak/seafood restaurant in the Westin Bonaventure (our hotel for the weekend), and I've already decided to have some grilled fish or shrimp. Tomorrow night I don't know where we'll eat, but I know I'll be "good," and enjoy the challenge of finding great-tasting food that's good for me.

If you want to be added to this roundup, feel free to email me at cholmaneee at uia dot net.




food & drink