Albany Friends of Opal's Park » Lunch

Taco Soup

Laurie — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 17:24:37 +0000

My good friend Jamie made this for us when Cleighton was born, and now Cleighton and Truman love it! Warning: Nothin’ vegan about this one! This recipe makes a ton, but freezes really well.

Saute:

2 lbs. hamburger

2 large chopped onions

3 chopped (or pressed) cloves of garlic (the frozen cubes at TJs are great for this!)

Add:

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

4 cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans ranch style beans

1 can yellow corn

1 can yellow hominy

2 small cans diced green chilies

1 cup water

Simmer ’til hot. Serve with grated cheddar and tortilla chips. (For da kine Hawaiian style, serve over steamed rice.)

Vegetarian Chili

Abby — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 17:03:06 +0000

Here is an easy vegetarian chili recipe that everyone always loves (and no one guesses is vegetarian).

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 C. dried red kidney beans

1 C. bulgar

1 small can tomato juice

2 big onions

3 carrots

1 green pepper

4 cloves garlic

3 large cans crushed and peeled tomatoes

Tobasco, hot red paprika, salt and pepper

Directions

1) Soak kidney beans overnight in LOTS of water

2) Boil beans until soft (about 2 hours)

3) Heat tomato juice and then add this to the bulgar in a small dish

4) Dice up onions, carrots, green pepper and sauté it all with garlic until carrots are soft

5) Add cans of peeled tomatoes (with all their juice) to sautéed vegies and heat all this about 15 minutes

6) Add bulgar

7) Add hot stuff (tobasco, etc.) to taste

8) Add kidney beans and heat again

9) Add tomato paste if need to thicken

Play around with ingredients for your desired taste – play with recipe using different types of peppers or celery.

For non-vegans, garnish with sour cream and/or cheddar cheese!

Tortellini Spinach Soup

Margaret — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 06:03:28 +0000

This is really quick and you can get it all at TJ’s. I also like to add a pack of their presliced mushrooms.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 to 6 cups broth, vegetable (or chicken)
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed through your fingers or coarsely chopped
1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini or 4 servings dried tortellini
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed

In a 3-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

From Kathleen Daelemans, Cooking Thin on the Food Network

Maryland Crab Cakes

Tenny — Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:22:51 +0000

(aka Senator Barbara Mikulski’s)

Being from Baltimore, I had to share a receipe for MARYLAND CRAB CAKES that will turn you into a believer!

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs or 6 saltine crackers,crumbled
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. Crabmeat [Phillips fresh crabmeat sold at Costco in can]

Mix breadcrumbs, mustard, seasonings and set aside.

Mix together egg, mayo, lemon juice, Worchester sauce and bread crumb mixture. Add crabmeat and shape into individual cakes.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to avoid breaking apart when cooked. (A very important step.)

Broil in the oven (or pan fry in oil) until brown.

Serve 4.

Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.

Enjoy!!

Tenny Frost & Barton Blum

Home Made Chicken Soup

Andrea — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 03:17:17 +0000

Easy (really!) home made chicken soup

Hey Guys,

This one’s from Cook’s Illus. Quick Recipe book. I’ve made some adjustments, which I’ll explain.

Ingredients

2 tbs. oil
1 Medium onion chopped
2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced (I try to add the leafy parts when possible)
5 1/4 cups scanned chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs bone in chicken thighs, skins removed (I’ve used Trader Joe’s frozen boneless thigh defrosted if I don’t have any fresh)
4 bay leaves
2 cups extra broad egg noodles (Sometimes I substitute one bunch of fresh greens ie. collards
1 tsp fresh minced thyme (I’ve used dried)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over med. hi heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and some salt. Cook until soft (5-6 mins.) Add broth, chicken, bay leaves, two cups of water (and greens if you’re using them). Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through (40 mins. for bone in, 30 mins. for deboned chicken).

2. Remove chicken from pot. Using two forks, shred chicken meat. Return to pot. (If using the greens, your done. Serve it) Increase heat to medium high.

3. If you are using noodles, add them now and cook for about 8 mins. until the noodles are done. Stir in thyme and salt and pepper.

Art and I add spicy black bean sauce to our portions at the table. Coltrane eats it all! (Except, he prefers the greens and won’t eat the noodles — Strange kid.)