 I am an East Coast expatriate hiding out in the Midwest... I am an urban gal living in the suburbs and occasionally hiding in the country I am a yoga practitioner, fitness enthusiast, believer in the mind-body-spirit connection... I am a mid-life "revert" to the Roman Catholic faith in which I was raised and which has become an enormous source of support, encouragement, inspiration, and joy in my life... I am a mom, sister, daughter, and wife... I am an explorer; adventurous and curious about the world and people around me... I am educated in the formal sense but I gain insight through everyday living... I created this blog at a time of great fear and apprehension in my life. I chose to sustain it because of the discoveries about myself and the world around me that it has revealed. What you can expect to find here: the documentation of a love-hate relationship with the greater Philadelphia area
reminiscing about the good-ole-days (the 80's!)
complaints about my various ailments and injuries, both real and imagined
pictures and stories of gardening, decorating, shopping, sewing
my love of irony
links to kooky news stories
way too much scatological musing for sane people
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Friday, December 07, 2007
Yesterday morning, as I sauntered out the door to accompany my daughter to the bus stop, my local weather-person informed me that in my location, it was a whopping five degrees outside..."warming up to a high of 28!" Five. 5. That's Farenheit, too, for all my metric-luvin' friends who may not think 5 is a big deal for December. Actually, at the weather station about 20 minutes away it was Zero. Again, in Farenheit. Ah, winter in Chicago! Anyway, to warm your guts without overdoing the fat, sodium, carbs, and other junk typically present in most prepared soups (and even in many recipes) here's a tried-and-true chill-buster that is popular in my household. Its originally from the Atkins Website from 3 years ago. In place of escarole, I usually use spinach. Beef Vegetable Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use regular salted butter)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 portabello mushroom, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 celery stalk, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 small carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes (use low sodium type if possible)
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 pounds stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1/4" cubes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 bunch escarole, washed, tough ribs trimmed, cut into 1/2" strips
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (note; I use dried thyme and only add 1/2 tsp.)
- In large non-stick skillet melt butter over medium-high heat Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sautee until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrot and sautee until barely softened, about 2 minutes Add garlic and sautee about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and wine and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season meat with salt and pepper. In large pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add meat and sautee until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomato-vegetable mixture to broth and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer until meat is very tender and vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in escarole to wilt, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Posted at 03:08 pm by brandy101
 | | | Gigglesbee
December 16, 2007 12:49 PM PST
I guess I won't tell you that we've been in the upper 80's, then. lol Actually, I hate how hot it is. but, we have a cold front moving through today, so we'll get down in the 30's tonight, but it will only last for a couple of days.
I just hope it gets a little bit cold on christmas. *sigh*
Your soup sounds wonderful! I think I'm going to make it this week...or at least a version of it. I don't like mushrooms, so I'll leave those out, and instead of stew meat, I think I'll use turkey kielbasa and make it a sausage vegetable stew. I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for the idea!!! | |
| | | AbbyNormal
December 9, 2007 11:03 AM PST
We're forecasted to hit a high of 23 today! Great day for soup, thanks for the recipe! | |
| | | O
December 8, 2007 07:05 PM PST
Yum, this sounds good, especially with all the cold weather lately! | |
| | | Michelle
December 7, 2007 09:59 PM PST
Yes it has been a cold week here too with highs in the mid thirties - I think we might get into the forties tomorrow if we are lucky! | |
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