Stovetop: Canned Mushrooms and Mixed Vegetable Soup

I love the Star Trek Cookbook by Ethan Phillips (Neelix from Star Trek Voyager) and William J. Birnes. I have bookmarked several recipes, this is one, Jeri Ryan's Wild Mushroom Soup. But, as you will see, my recipe does not resemble the original recipe.

 

Where I live, many powdered spices absorb moisture and harden. I decided to try and use up my hardened onion and garlic powders in this recipe. I used a bit too much. But, the end result was tasty, not a knock your socks off flavor, but tasty.

 

Most of the time, I never have all the ingredients recipes call for, so, I am usually in “Use What You Have” mode.

 

In this recipe, I did not have fresh mushrooms or potatoes, so I used canned mushrooms and canned mixed vegetables.

I did not add specific measurements, I just eye-balled it.

 

 

Canned Mushrooms and Mixed Vegetable Soup
(Inspired by: Star Trek Cookbook, Jeri Ryan’s Wild Mushroom Soup p30)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

1-2 Drops Hot sauce

1 14oz Can of Sliced Mushrooms, drained & rinsed

Water

1 vegetable or chicken bouillon cube

1 14oz Can of mixed diced vegetables, drained & rinsed

Process:

 

Note: my skillet is small, a larger skillet would have been better or I could have cooked the mushrooms in the pot, first.

In a skillet, add olive oil, garlic and onion powders, and hot sauce.

Cook at medium heat, stir and cook until ingredients are thoroughly mixed and heated.

Add mushrooms.

Add oil as needed.

Stir and cook ingredients until thoroughly mixed and heated.

In a pot, add 2-6 cups of water.

Add bouillon cube.

Add vegetables.

Add mushroom mixture.

Stir well.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer 20 minutes.

Serve with crackers.

 

 

Guest Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

As part of the Guest Recipe Posts, S sent this one.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

 

Ingredients:

20 oz Butternut squash, cut up

1 Medium - large onion, chopped 

3 cups Carrots, cut up

3 Tbspns butter (or olive oil)

1 Container of Vegetable broth

Vegetable base

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Topping (Optional): Roasted Pumpkin seeds

 

 

Process:

 

Sauté onion 5 minutes or until soft not brown.

Add carrots, cook another 5-7 minutes.

Add butternut squash.

1 container vegetable broth.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Cook on high until boils then to medium high for about 30 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable base.

After a short cooling (while still hot), mix in blender until smooth.

Add some roasted pumpkin seeds to top before serving. 

 

Note: Vegan if you use olive oil.

 

Hotplate: 10+ Hours Pinto Bean Soup

Hotplate: 10+ Hours Pinto Bean Soup
(Adapted from: https://whatscookingamerica.net/soup/appalachian-soupbeans.htm)


Pre-Preparation:

Add 1 Cup of pinto beans, rinsed and drained into a medium pot.
Cover with water an inch higher than the beans.
Cover pot.
Leave on counter overnight.
If possible, check in a few hours to see if the beans need more water.


Ingredients:

1 Chicken bouillon cube
4 Cups water
A drizzle of vegetable oil
2 slices canned meat, cubed
5 dashes onion powder
5 dashes garlic powder
2 dashes hot sauce
1 TBspn Cilantro, dry (optional)
3 Grinds Black pepper
S/P to taste
Garnishes: shredded cheese, diced onions or scallions


Process:

In the morning, drain and rinse beans in a colander.
Set aside.
Add 1 chicken bouillon cube to 2 cups of water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove and stir to dissolve bouillon.
Set aside.
Add a dribble of veg oil to pot.
Add meat cubes to pot.
Add garlic and onion powders, hot sauce and black pepper.
Cook on medium-high, scald the meat quickly, then add 1/2 cup chicken stock.
Stir mixture.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook for a few minutes.
Add beans to a pot.
Add remaining stock.
Stir.
Add 2 Cups Water.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer.
Stir.
Add cover but leave a small gap to let air circulate. It will help the beans soften.
Simmer 45 minutes.
Check mixture.
Stir.
Add more water if liquid is low.
Add salt to taste.
Stir.
Simmer for another 45 minutes.

 When serving, add garnishes of choice.

References:

Wikipedia, Pinto Beans
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinto_bean

#GERD-friendly
 

Hotplate: COVID19 Chicken Broth with Additions

Breakfast today was a catch-all, Kitchen Sink Mug O'Something.

Lunch was a mug of COVID19 Chicken Broth with additions accompanied with several saltine crackers.


COVID19 Chicken Broth with Additions


Ingredients:

6 Cups water
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
1 Dollop vegetable oil
A sprinkle of onion powder
A sprinkle of garlic powder
Ground black powder
1-2 drops hot sauce
Additions: Use what you have.
Saltine crackers 


Process:

In 1 cup of water, add bouillon cube and microwave on high for two minutes.
Remove, stir to dissolve bouillon.
In a pot, add oil.
Add onion and garlic powders.
Add ground black pepper and hot sauce to taste (Optional).
Turn heat to high.
Stir the ingredients quickly.
Add bouillon water.
Stir.
Add 5 more cups of water.
Let this mixture heat up then remove from hotplate.

I added 6 ladlefuls of the broth to a large mug.
Then I add a ladleful of Rice, Chicken and Vegetable Stew to the broth.
Then, I stirred the mixture.
I microwaved the mixture for 2 minutes on high.

Be careful this broth will be hot!

Have some saltine crackers with the broth.


While I had a healthy frugal Breakfast and Lunch, the cafe next door has begun to offer door-to-door service. So, today, I got a Cafe-Carmelo Frappachino.

Hotplate: Simple Chicken Vegetable Soup

Hotplate: Simple Chicken Vegetable Soup
(Inspired by: https://natashaskitchen.com/easy-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe/)

I love soup. It is one of many comfort foods. This recipe is also frugal (Budget-friendly).

I appreciate Natasha's recipe. It inspired me to keep trying to make Chicken Soup. I had failed before so many times. While my recipe is a major departure from Natasha's, she pointed me in the right direction.

Now, I have an easy recipe, I can make with confidence.

I used leftover vegetables and vegetables I had on hand, so this recipe can have lots of variations.

I think potatoes add additional flavor and texture to the soup.


Ingredients:

1 Chicken bouillon cube
6 cups of water
1 dash of garlic powder (Optional)
1 dash of onion powder (Optional)
Ground Black Pepper (Optional)
Season to taste and GERD tolerance
Use vegetables on hand for example:
2 chayotes, 1 frozen, 1 fresh, sliced and diced
6 Leftover roasted potatoes, cubed
10 snack carrots, diced
*I added some leftover pastrami slices. (Optional)


Process:

Add 2 cups of water to a microwaveable container
Add 1 bouillon cube to the water.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove and stir until bouillon cube has dissolved
Add stock to large pot.
Add 4 cups of water.
Add spices.
Stir.
Cover pot.
Cook on high.
Bring liquid to a boil.
Add vegetables.
Stir.
Recover pot.
Cook on medium for about 15 minutes.
Check vegetables, if they are soft, the soup is ready, if not, cook for 5-10 minutes more.

I serve soup with crackers.

I divide remaining soup into single servings in freezer containers and freeze for later use.

#GERD-Friendly, use none or a little of the spices

Hotplate: Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a #GERD-Friendly soup. Using the spices is optional. What gives the soup some flavor is the tomato or spinach flavored noodles.


Hotplate: Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
(Inspired by: https://natashaskitchen.com/easy-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe/)


Ingredients:

1 Chicken bouillon cube
6 cups of water
Noodles, fettuccine (Spinach or Tomato), or other type of noodles
1 dash of garlic powder (Optional)
1 dash of onion powder (Optional)
Ground Black Pepper (Optional)
Season to taste and GERD tolerance
1 354g (12.48 oz) Can of chicken, drained


Process:

Add 2 cups of water to a microwaveable container.
Add 1 bouillon cube to the water.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove and stir until bouillon cube has dissolved.
Add this stock to large pot.
Add 4 cups of water.
Add spices.
Stir.
Cover pot.
Cook on high.
Bring liquid to a boil.
Add noodles.
Stir.
Recover pot.
Cook on high for about 10 minutes.
Add chicken.
Stir and mash chicken chunks into smaller pieces.
Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes or until noodles are soft (el dente).

I serve soup with crackers.

Later, I divide remaining soup into single servings in freezer containers and freeze for later use.

#GERD-Friendly, use none or a little of the spices

Hotplate / Microwave: Dressed Up Can of Portobello Mushroom Soup

You can take this dressed up Can of Cream of Portobello Mushroom soup anywhere.

Thanks to Jack Monroe (https://cookingonabootstrap.com/), I’ve made another great soup.

Sadly, I do not have a blender, so I used a can of Cream of Portobello mushroom soup instead of fresh mushrooms and also made other adjustments.

It turns out that Cream of Portobello mushroom soup is more of a broth whereas a different Cream of mushroom soup is creamy.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised, I had been saving a bit of leftover red wine in the frig for quite awhile. It was fine.


Hotplate/Microwave: Dressed Up Can of Portobello Mushroom Soup
(Adapted from A Girl Called Jack - Red Wine and Mushroom Soup p51)
 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups water
1 Vegetable Bouillon cube
1/2-1 TBspns Onion powder
1/2 TBspn Garlic powder
1 15oz (420g) Can of cream of Portobello mushroom soup
2 oz (50ml) Leftover Red wine
1 Tspn Thyme, dry, crushed
Garnish: Thyme, dry, crushed

Process:

Add bouillon cube to water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove and stir until cube has dissolved.
Pour a small amount of the vegetable stock into a medium pan.
Add garlic and onion powders.
Stir.
With the liquid, the powders will become a paste.
Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Add mushroom soup.
Stir and mix ingredients.
Add the rest of the stock.
Stir.
Add wine.
Stir.
Add thyme, crush between palms over liquid.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Stir.
Simmer 3-5 minutes to get soup thoroughly hot.
Add garnish when serving.

#GERD-friendly

Basic Potato Soup and a Shirley Temple Mocktail

Whew, a success. I needed a success.

Basic Potato Soup

2 medium white potatoes, quartered

1 medium red onion, diced

1.5 tbspn olive oil

3 tbspn flour

4 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a pan, add potatoes and onions. Cover with water.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.

Cook 10-20 minutes until potatoes and onions are soft.

Drain potato and onion mixture.

In a separate pot, add oil and flour. Stir until smooth.

Add 1 cup of milk.

Stir. Heat to thicken while stirring.

Add remaining milk and stir.

Add potato and onion mixture.

Season to taste.

Heat until hot.

This was my first potato soup. I even used the flour thickening trick.

The end result was a pleasant surprise.

Note:

Now, one thing I do consistently is I do NOT cut up my potatoes or onions into tiny pieces. Often they are not even bite-sized. Cutting up things is not my forte.

I celebrated with a Shirley Temple with my modifications.