Soups on!: Tomato Basil Orzo Soup

How comforting does that photo look!

Wow, talk about a great pair - Tomato Basil Orzo Soup and Asiago Bread. I posted the recipe for the bread a few posts back, but this time I made it with the cheese in chunks instead of shredded. The main difference is that when you cut the bread, there were little pockets of cheese throughout (very fancy looking), I did think though that the bread with the shredded cheese seemed fresher the 2nd day than the chunk bread. Otherwise, great either way!

Tomato Basil Orzo Soup

1 cup each chopped carrot, celery and onion
1/4 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano and thyme
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cans (19 ounces) ready-to-serve tomato basil or hearty tomato soup
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup uncooked orzo pasta

Saute chopped veggies and herbs in oil for 8-10 minutes. Add soup and broth, bring to boil and stir in orzo. Reduce heat, simmer until orzo is cooked and veggies are tender - about 10 minutes.

Note: Stir while simmering the orzo, otherwise it will sink to the bottom and stick. I used the hearty tomato soup and used fresh basil and oregano from my garden.

That's Sweet!: Strawberry Yogurt Pops

Thanks to High 5 magazine for this tasty, healthy dessert!

Strawberry Yogurt Pops

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Put everything in a blender, puree, pour into small paper cups, stick in a craft stick, and freeze for 4 hours.

I used frozen strawberries and they were ready in 3 hours. Very yummy!

Good For You: Ratatouille

While browsing through an old family recipe compilation cookbook, I stumbled upon Ratatouille. I don't get excited about eggplant, but it is not a very noticable flavor in this stew. I think the eggplant gives it meatiness, but the flavor is more of a veggie filled tomatoey stew. It's good and even better paired with a big loaf of Cuban bread.

Ratatouille
(from Looney Family Reunion Recipes, attributed to Peggy Collier)

1/4 cup olive or canola oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp salt, divided
1 small eggplant, cubed
3 tbsp. red wine
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjorm
1/2 tsp oregano
2 medium bell peppers, chopped or in strips
1 medium zucchini or summer squash, cubed
black pepper to taste
2 medium tomatoes cut into chunks (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
fresh parsley for garnish

Heat oil in large heavy pot. Crush garlic into oil, add bay leaf and onion. Salt lightly. Saute over medium until onion becomes transparent. Add eggplant, wine, tomato juice, and herbs. Stir well and simmer 10-15 minutes over low heat.

When eggplant is tender, add zucchini and peppers, cover and simmer 10 more minutes.

Add remaining salt, pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste, mix well, and continue to stew until veggies reach desired tenderness. Just before serving remove bay leaf and garnish with parsley, I had some grated swiss & gruyere that we added on top and it was great. You might also add chopped black olives.

Hearty and Healthy: Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

Betty Crocker wasn't a woman at all, she wasn't a man exactly, but a creation of the Washburn Crosby Company that merged with General Mills. She was "born" in 1921.
Looks good for her age, right?
Here's "her" recipe for Vegetable Beef Barley Soup - a healthy and hearty dinner that is also quite economical.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (based on the Betty Crocker recipe, but I modified it to what worked best for me)

3/4 lb beef stew meat
1 tbsp canola oil
28 oz beef broth
1 cup water
salt to taste (may not need it, depends on broth)
2/3 cup pearl barley
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 med. carrot, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup frozen green peas
black pepper to taste

Brown beef in oil, pour in broth and water, add salt. Add barley and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes (a good time to prep veggies), then pour in veggies and return to a simmer for 30 more minutes (a good time to make rolls to go with the soup).

As a note - you can use fresh tomatoes, but unless they are in season, canned diced will work better. You can use fresh corn - 1 ear will be 1/2 cup.