Recipe: Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

4 large russet potatoes
2 tsp. salt
4 slices of bacon (cut into 1" pieces)
1 cup low fat sour cream
8 tbsp. butter
2 2/3 low fat 1 % milk
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Scallions (thinly sliced for garnish)
Shredded 2 % Milk Cheddar Cheese

Peel, rinse and dice the potatoes into small cubes and add them to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water, sprinkle in 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover; cook for 30-45 minutes. Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and drain oil from the bacon. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pot; mash the potatoes until smooth. Add in the sour cream and butter; stir until fully combined. Add the milk, pepper and salt to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Garnish with scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Ok, we are officially about to bust. After two hefty bowls of this soup, our eyes are glazing over this post, but we were determined to make it happen. Recently, we began focusing on recipes that are easy and to the point without a lot of clean up post-cooking. This is how we came across this recipe and it is truly the easiest two pot meal that we have met this month. The hardest or most time consuming part is peeling the potatoes (*what did people do before the invention of the potato peeler??) but everything else is a breeze. Serve with nothing. It is fine all by itself.

Recipe: Soup Joumou

Soup Joumou

1 lb. corned beef or beef stew meat water
1 1/2 lbs. pumpkin (peeled & diced)
2 turnips (diced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup rice, washed (uncooked, not instant) salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2-4 tsp. butter

In a saucepan, cover beef generously with water and boil over medium low heat, partially covered for 1 hour. Drain and chop beef into bite-sized pieces. In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add pumpkin, turnips, beef, onions, parsley, thyme, and 2 cloves garlic. Simmer until pumpkin is tender (15 minutes). Discard parsley and thyme. Transfer pumpkin to food processor with 1/4 cup stock and puree. Return to saucepan and heat through. Add milk, nutmeg, butter, and rice; cook until rice is tender (15-20 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, and mix in remaining garlic. Serve hot with a little butter in each bowl.

*Johnna's tip: Thanks to Cuisinivity for this recipe. Cuisinivity, like many of us in the U.S., was deeply impacted by the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti just under two weeks ago. Cuisinivity, however, had a more personal connection to Haiti then we (JKGF) did. Cuisinivity posted this recipe (Soup Joumou) which was inspired by the two years they spent in Haiti and often requested this dish for dinner. Soup Joumou is a dish commonly served during the Haitian New Year but Cuisinivity said it was so good, they requested it many times while in Haiti. Get the full story here. Kind of reminds us of a thicker, hardy chicken noodle soup.

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Top Five Wednesday: Five Soups You Should Make

After the last Food Blogger Happy Hour/Potluck, we have been infatuated with soup. All kinds. Thrifty DC Cook is responsible for this. She made probably one of the top five best soups we've ever tasted (*It was a seafood soup in a spicy, lemongrass broth). The recipe for that is coming soon and we will fill you in when we get the details. If you haven't figured it out by now, we are cold and trying to stay warm under these conditions hence we're making soup. Today's "Top Five" are the top five soups you should be making this January. Soup is sooo easy to make and sooo delicious. Typically, soups are not that fatty either because the base of the soup is usually a light broth or another light ingredient. Now, there are those soups that bring out the naughty side of eating but we hope these soups will help you stay warm and stay within your new years resolution. Check it:

1. Tomato soup- The Arugula Files recipe is simple and matches perfect with a grilled cheese...gotta love the classics.

2. Crab and Corn Chowder- This is our show stopper recipe. Serve this one when you're have a few guests over and you want something comforting.

3. Middle Eastern Lamb Stew- Super easy because the slow cooker does all the work. Just drop in the ingredients and 3 hours later you have a feast.

4. Maryland Crab- This is an art. Well in these parts anyway. Around this area, Maryland crab is the staple soup and must be done right. This is a great time to practice.

5. Miso Soup- Love this one pot soup. Our favorite additions to the typical seaweed and tofu are carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. Delish.

Click the links above to retrieve the recipes and Enjoy!

Recipe: Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
28 oz. chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Fresh Basil (Chopped)

In a pot, heat the tomatoes and broth over medium-high heat. When bubbling, add in the heavy cream and reduce heat to low-medium heat. Add in salt (to taste) and pepper (to taste) and simmer for 20 minutes; stir. Add in about 1/2 cup of the basil and stir. Ladle into your favorite soup bowls and garnish with remaining basil. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Easiest soup known to mankind. With temperatures in the 40's today, it is obvious why we felt the need to post about something that will keep you warm. Pair with a grilled cheese, a warm Snuggie and you have the absolute cozy winter night.

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Recipe: Creamy Tomato Soup w/ Herb Gremolata

Creamy Tomato Soup w/ Herb Gremolata (*Courtesy Chef Geoff)

4 (28 oz.) cans of whole san marzano tomatoes
10 oz. heavy cream
10 fresh basil leaves
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Herb Gremolata (*for garnish)

In a large pot simmer the tomatoes and cream for 60 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender (or in a blender) while adding the basil leaves. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.


Herb Gremolata: Equal parts fresh parsley, basil, and oregano pureed in food processor with a little fresh garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste.

Top soup with HG and serve.

*Johnna's tip: We came across this recipe today courtesy Chef Geoff of DC. Our disclaimer is we have not tried this one @ home yet but we wanted to share because it looks pretty tasty. Pair with a grilled cheese or a crisp salad and Enjoy!

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Recipe: Olivia's Egg Drop Soup (*Recipe from The Original Country Bob's Cookbook)

Olivia's Egg Drop Soup (*Recipe from The Original Country Bob's Cookbook)

2 cups water
1 bouillon cube
2 eggs
1 tsp. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
1/4 tsp. Country Bob's Seasoning Salt

Bring the water with the bouillon cube to a boil in a medium saucepan. Beat the eggs with the All Purpose Sauce and Seasoning Salt in a small bowl. Stir the hot bouillon with a chopstick or fork in a brisk circular motion to resemble a whirlpool. Pour the egg mixture into the center gradually while continuing to stir. The egg will cook instantly, forming tender strands. Ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.

*Johnna's tip: We are amazed at how many recipes you can make with this sauce?! We just received our very own copy of The Original Country Bob's Cookbook and it has every recipe under the sun with CB's All Purpose Sauce. We were quite impressed. Everything from the Egg Drop Soup recipe above to Shrimp Scampi has this sauce in it. This means that when we have a bottle of this on hand, we ultimately have endless possibilities...

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Recipe: Gazpacho

Gazpacho

4 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 cup tomato juice
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
3 medium cucumbers (chopped)
3 medium onions (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Mix ingredients together and add half of the ingredients to a blender, blending on high for 8 seconds. Stir in the rest of the chopped vegetables. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Gazpacho is a soup that is served cold. It is a dish of Latin American descent and works perfect during the summer time when you're in the mood for a soup but without all the heat.

Picture source: http://www.aboutgranada.com/granada/food-drink.asp

Recipe: Quick Maryland Crab Soup

Quick Maryland Crab Soup

1 can tomato soup
1 can beef boullion
1 can green pea soup
1 lb. crab meat
1 cup sour cream


Mix together the three cans of soup over low heat. Fold in the crab meat and add in the sour cream at the LAST minute. Serve.


*Johnna's tip: We are experimenting with this one, trying to constantly make it better than the first. Send us your insight into how we can make this better (johnnaknowsgoodfood@gmail.com). Remember this is the quick and easy version of the soup that has made Maryland known for its crab, we have a more comprehensive recipe circa December 17, 2008.

Picture source: http://crabpie.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5

Slow Cooked Navy Beans & Ham

Slow Cooked Navy Beans & Ham

6 cups water
5 cups dried navy beans (soaked overnight and drained)
1 lb. ham (cubed)
1 can (15 oz.) corn (drained)
1 can (4 oz.) mild diced green chilies (drained)
1 onion (diced)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW for 9-10 hours or until beans are tender.

*Johnna's tip: Don't feel up to cooking in front of the stove for the next couple of days?? Please make use of your slow cooker! The slow cooker is amazing at reducing the actual time you have to physically spend in the kitchen. Just add ingredients from the recipe of your choice that calls for a slow cooker and leave it there to merge all the flavors creating a delicious effortless meal.

Picture source: http://www.grouprecipes.com/65732/navy-bean-soup-with-ham-ala-leah.html

Cream of Asparagus

Cream of Asparagus

1 lb. fresh asparagus
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
Sour cream
Fresh dill

Wash and cut ends of asparagus. Cut the stalks into 1" pieces and cook in about 1-2 cups water about 15-17 minutes; drain; puree in blender a few tablespoons of broth. Combine the puree and broth in a pot and cook over low heat; stirring. Just before serving time, stir in the cream. Ladle into serving bowls and top with sour cream and fresh dill. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: There are tons of "cream of" something dishes: cream of corn, cream of crab, cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli...and the list goes on and on. Despite the change in the name of the main ingredient, it's really all about the cream;-)

Picture source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Cream-of-Asparagus-Soup-Creme-Dasperges-104746?printFormat=photo

Veal Stew

Veal Stew

Extra virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper (sliced)
2 onions (chopped)
1 tbsp. garlic (chopped)
2 1/2 lb. veal for stew
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
Salt

In a stewing pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the bell pepper, onions and garlic; cook until browning. Add in the veal cubes and brown. Once the veal pieces are almost golden brown, add in the tomatoes, pepper, Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat (40-45 minutes) stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1-1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with more garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Try with some boiled potatoes or with a slice of garlic bread. Most stews begin with beef but switching up the meat is what keeps it interesting. Once you try this recipe, change up the veggies you add in the next time...maybe add in some corn or chopped okra.

Picture source: http://www.beefretail.org/markveal5002.aspx

Maryland Crab Soup

Maryland Crab Soup

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
3 cups water
1 cup fresh Lima beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup carrots (sliced)
2 tbsp. chopped onion
2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
2 cups beef broth
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb. blue crab crabmeat
10 blue crab claws, steamed
1 gallon water

Add the whole tomatoes, water, Lima beans, corn, sliced carrots, chopped onion, Old Bay seasoning, beef broth and red pepper flakes to a pot. Heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Bring 1 gallon water to boil. Add crab claws and boil 6 minutes. Drain crab and set aside. Stir crabmeat and crab claws into tomato and vegetable mixture. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Serve with crackers or maybe even a side of celery (*if you're into celery, it's not a JKGF fave, but it works well with this soup...) There is nothing better than fresh seafood soup. We know seafood can be a bit pricey especially when you can usually only use it for one dish, but the flavor and taste makes it soo worth the while. Go to your local seafood market and get the freshest crabmeat you can buy, your mouth will thank you later:-)

Picture source: http://www.cbcrabcakes.com/gourmet/Sides_6/Item_Maryland-Crab-Soup_A-21G.html

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Creamy Mushroom Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil
16 oz. cremini mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 cup onions (chopped)
1 tsp. thyme
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
12 oz. heavy cream

In a pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and onions and saute until tender; stirring about 3-4 minutes. Add in the thyme and combine well with the mushrooms and onions. Add in the broth and bring mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. In batches, transfer the mixture in the pot to a blender and puree on high until mixture is almost smooth; set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add in the flour, salt and pepper and whisk together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add in the milk and bring mixture to a boil constantly stirring to prevent clumps. Add the mushroom mixture back to the pot and stir to blend; simmer to heat through about 2-4 minutes. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Reading a recipe all the way through before starting to cook is a great start to a good meal. Sometimes you may not understand how something is going to come together until you can map out in your brain the end point. This recipe, for example, asks that you set aside the mushroom mixture in another pot/bowl/whatever, so that you can prepare in the original pot the creamy base for the soup. If you didn't read the whole recipe through you may have kept the mushroom mixture in the pot and added the butter to that same pot which would have quickly ruined the entire recipe...Just a word of advice from the good folks of JKGF;-)

*Johnna's tip: We added chives and a little cilantro (about 1 tsp. of each) on top of our soup...try it, it's good!

Picture source: http://www.sheknows.com/articles/807388.htm

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cups chicken (cubed)
2 cups wide noodles
3 qt. chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. thyme
1 cup celery (chopped)
1 onion
3 carrots (diced)
1 bay leaf
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add in the carrots, onions and celery; cook for 5-7 minutes. Add in the broth and seasoning; bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-17 minutes; stir in chicken and noodles; cook until tender. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: It's the new year and now you want to eat a little healthier keeping in tack with those resolutions that you've made. This is the recipe to help ease some of your "I don't know what I'm going to eat" woes. Chicken noodle soup is great especially during this time of the year and when you make it yourself you get to take out or add the ingredients you feel are best for your new diet. Stay healthy!

Picture source: http://www.gbtc.org/wingfoot/news9901.html

Maryland Crab Soup

Maryland Crab Soup

1 lb. shin beef
1/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
3 tomatoes (quartered)
4 potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 onions (chopped)
1 cup fresh corn (*can use frozen as an alternative)
1 cup Lima beans
1 cup carrots
1 cup string beans
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. seafood seasoning (*Old Bay recommended)
1/4 cup butter
4 qt. water
6 steamed crabs
1 can beer

Combine all ingredients in a large pot except the crabs; let simmer. Clean the crabs and break crabs in half and cut lengthwise to expose the meat; do not remove meat. Place pieces of the crab in the pot with the simmering soup and crack the claws; add meat to the soup. Simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Don't like the idea of having to do all that work to get the crab meat out of the crab?? Go to your local seafood market and buy fresh crab meat that has already been packaged. Follow the same steps above except the part about cleaning, breaking and cracking the crab claws (Basically omit this part: "Clean the crabs and break crabs in half and cut lengthwise to expose the meat; do not remove meat. Place pieces of the crab in the pot with the simmering soup and crack the claws")...Doesn't this make the recipe a thousand times easier and more appealing to make at home?? Try it and warm up Maryland style.

Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Maryland-Crab-Soup/Detail.aspx

Food.Fun.Stuff: Out Sick:-(

JKGF Readers,

My, how we've missed you!! JKGF has been in remission from writing:-( for the past few days due to coughs and sniffles (Out Sick;-). We are recouping and getting it together along with new ideas for JKGF. We are ready to make 2009 the best year for Johnna Knows Good Food. New drink recipes, recipes and tons more restaurants and happenings to hear about (i.e. Nova Fashion Week is coming up, Thummitt is making waves in the foodie community...) Stay tuned and keep reading!

Sincerely,

JKGF;-)

And since we are out sick, here are a couple of our favorite store brought chicken noodle soups that we are using to get better:-)

Campbells Select Chicken with Egg Noodles
Progresso Chicken Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

We love them! They are making the sniffles that much more bearable and stay warm with the cold freezing temperatures outside.

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_soup

Winter Warmth Tomato Soup

Winter Warmth Tomato Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
2 yellow onions (diced)
1 tbsp. garlic (minced)
20 ripe Roma tomatoes (quartered)
1 cup Heavy cream
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)
Fresh basil leaves (chopped)

In a pan over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add in the tomatoes (stirring) and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and a lot of the liquid has been released. In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture from the pan; strain the mixture using a sieve over a clean pan (discard the seeds and remaining peels); heat the pan over medium heat and season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add in the heavy cream and stir; season to taste. Spoon mixture into your favorite soup bowls and top with the fresh basil, Serve.

*Johnna's tip: We can't emphasize enough how low the temperature feels in D.C. today (*maybe it's because we just left the beautiful island of Hong Kong where the temperatures were high 70's-early 80's...we digress...) This soup should offer some relief and warmth from the chilling climate...Enjoy with today's drink recipe "Hot, Hot Chocolate"...Warm Up!

Picture source: http://www.ayushveda.com/dietfitness/tomato-soup/

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans peeled whole tomatoes (drained but reserve liquid (should be 3 cups full))
1 1/2 onion (chopped)
1 green onion (chopped)
1 tbsp. garlic (minced)
2 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
3 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1-5 oz. can evaporated milk
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
2 tbsp. fresh chives
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic Powder (to taste)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a baking dish, add the tomatoes in a single layer and sprinkle on the brown sugar, onion and half of the minced garlic. Bake for 30 minutes until tomatoes are browned and dry; finely chop after they cool. In the slow cooker, add in the tomato mix, the reserved liquid from the tomatoes, chicken broth, the remainder of the minced garlic, the green onion, tomato paste and allspice to the slow cooker; mix together and cover; cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Add in the milk, basil and fresh chives; stir. Season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook for 35 minutes on HIGH. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Tomato Basil Soup is the winter-time soup:-) It is great when your sick or whenever you just want to warm up with fresh basil during the cold months...Ironically, it's not necessary here in the District yet, today feels like a day at the end of August/beginning of September, but hey, we can always store up good recipes for the winter, right?

Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Cooks-Profile/Photo.aspx?photoID=103746

Me-So Soup

Me-So Soup

4 cups water
2 cups frozen veggies (Mixed; can be found in your local grocery store as "good for stews or soups")
1 cup seaweed
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
1/2 cup mushrooms
4-5 tbsp. miso paste
1 block of firm tofu

Over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients (except paste and tofu) in a large pot and let boil. When the vegetables are softened add in the miso paste (*if this is not enough for the flavor you want, add in more until you reach your desired flavor); stir (*color should change to a light to medium brown color). Add in the tofu and cook for 4-5 minutes longer (*Do not cook tofu too long, it does not need to be cooked that long); stir and serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: The good thing about miso soup, in addition to how deliciously healthy it is, is you can add anything you want to it basically! Add in spinach if you like or even potatoes (basically whatever you have lying around the kitchen...) Another plus is it is like no calories, so you can pig out on it even when you decide it's time for that diet;-) Enjoy!

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso_soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 lb. broccoli (frozen)
1 onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1 tsp. Tony Chachere's seasonings
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain. In a pot add in the 2 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. In a saucepan, make a roux with 2 tbsp. of flour and 1/2 cup of milk. In another pot, add in the cooked broccoli, chicken broth and other seasonings. Add in the roux; stir. Cover and turn down the heat; simmer for 15-17 minutes. Serve!

*Johnna's tip: Serve in bread bowls (*can be found at your local grocery store) or sprinkle bacon bits on top or add in 1 cup of chopped potatoes to the original recipe...there's so many ways to take this dish or you could just keep to the basics: bowl and a spoon. Enjoy;-)

Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-of-Broccoli-Soup-I/Photo-Gallery.aspx