Cream of Mushroom Soup

Did you know that mushroom soup doesn't have to come from a can? Here's a simple recipe that you may want to try.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cups milk (cashews, soy, or dairy)
2 Tablespoons unbleached white flour (or gluten free alternative)
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken-style seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 4-oz. can mushrooms with liquid

Place milk and seasonings in blender. Blend until smooth. Add mushrooms and blend briefly until mushrooms are chopped. Pour into saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened.

Chilled Swiss Cherry Soup

Cherry season is upon us! I'm sharing this refreshing and light chilled soup recipe with you today. The weather has been so warm; I thought this Swiss cherry soup might be quite the ticket for cooling things down. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Chilled Swiss Cherry Soup

3 cups unflitered apple juice
6 thin lemon slices
6 thin orange slices
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 cups pitted cherries
2 cups sliced peaches

Simmer first 5 ingredients together for 10 minutes in covered saucepan.Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to saucepan, stirring briskly.Return mixture to a boil and continue to boil 1 minute over medium-high heat or until clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cherries and peaches. Serve chilled.

Serves: 4

*Add the sweet herb, stevia, if you would like a sweeter version of this recipe.

The cherry orchard next door was filled with cherry pickers this morning. They were busy harvesting (and I am sure the orchard owner is praying for "no rain" until harvest is past). Fortunately sunny skies are in the forecast.

Summertime Three-Bean Soup

Summertime Three-Bean Soup

• 3 cups water
• 15 oz. can rinsed kidney beans
• 15 oz. can black-eyed peas
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
• 1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 cups whole corn kernels
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish'

Combine water, beans, tomato paste, mustard, garlic, chili powder, basil, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add corn, carrots, zucchini, and onion. Return to a boil, then simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings as desired. When ready to serve, spoon into bowls and garnish as desired.

Simple Chilled Cucumber Soup

My mother would sometimes serve a chilled cucumber soup for afternoon tea or on other special occasions. She would add all the ingredients to a blender and puree them. Always refreshing, I always enjoyed it when she served it. When I decided to make a chilled cucumber soup of my own, I was dismayed to find that most of the recipes I found contained canned soups, like chicken or potato. The delightful freshness of cucumbers was lost in the sodium and preservatives of the canned product, so I kept searching and ended up adapting a recipe to create my own. This is my version of a summer delight.  It's a great way to use the cucumbers from your garden!

Simple Chilled Cucumber Soup

• 2 cups almond milk
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and snipped
• 2 tsp. chicken-style seasoning*
• 1/2 tsp. dillweed, dried
• 1/2 cup English cucumber, seeded and shredded
• 2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
• salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar. Lid and shake. Place in fridge to chill for several hours before serving. Serve cold with a sprig of mint and toast points. 

{Ingredients can be mixed in a blender like mother did as well.}

Piquant {Spicy} Pumpkin & Peanut Soup

It's that time of year! Time to use up all that pumpkin!

Piquant {Spicy} Pumpkin & Peanut Soup 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. lemon zest

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish (or other chicken-like broth seasoning)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 - 16 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 - 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. agave syrup or maple syrup

Salt to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

2 Tbsp. peanuts, roasted

Saute' onion in olive oil. When soft, add ginger and cayenne. Then stir in lemon zest, water, chicken-like seasoning, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. 

Strain the broth into another pot and discard the solids. Return broth to a low simmer. Then whisk in pumpkin,coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt. Cook until heated through. 

Serve with cilantro and peanuts.

Pasta Con Faggioli

Fresh, savory, and quick to make --- Pasta con Faggioli is great for a crowd. 
Serve with sandwiches and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends.

Pasta Con Faggioli

6 cups water

4 - 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and diced

1 sweet onion, medium

8 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 Tbsp. chili pepper, crushed

1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and chopped

15 ounces cooked Great Northern White Beans

8 ounces quinoa spaghetti, broken

In a skillet, sauté sweet onion and garlic until 

soft. Add seasonings, tomatoes, and beans. 

In a kettle, bring water to a boil. Add spaghetti 

and cook until tender. Add bean and tomato 

mixture to the spaghetti. Add fresh parsley 

and stir in gently. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

Cover and allow to sit for 2 - 3 minutes before 

serving.

E*L*E*G*A*N*T Chestnut SOUP

{{Elegant}} Chestnut Soup

Makes 4 servings

3 cups water chestnuts, roasted and peeled

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 1/4 cups water

1 tsp. tamari

1 dash nutmeg, optional

1 Tbsp. oil

1/4 cup celery, chopped

3/4 cup apple juice

1 vegetable bouillon cube, broth OR 1 tsp. chicken-style seasoning

To roast chestnuts: Choose fresh, firm, unwrinkled chestnuts with no signs of mold. On the flat side of each chestnut, make two cuts with a small, sharp knife from one end to the other, making an X. Place the chestnuts, cut side up, on a low baking sheet with a thin layer of water on the bottom. Bake the chestnuts for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. until browned and the cuts peel back naturally from the heat. Test one chestnut to check is the "meat" is tender. When tender, remove from oven. Cool only slightly, then peel and enjoy or use in recipes. Some people like to boil the cut chestnuts for easier peeling. 

Prepare chestnuts. Peel off the outer shell and the fuzzy skin before using the inner chestnut meat.

Heat the oil until hot and saute the onion until semi-tender. Add the celery and saute until both are very tender. Blend the water and apple juice with the chestnuts and all the remaining ingredients.* Simmer everything on low to medium heat (do NOT boil) for about 15 - 20 minutes or until hot throughout and the flavors mingle. Enjoy this rich and tantalizing soup with extra chopped or ground nuts as garnish.

Keeps 4 - 6 days refrigerated.

Variations:  Double the vegetable broth and omit tamari if desired. Apple juice can be replaced with 1/2 cup applesauce and an additional 1/4 cup of water.

Piquant Pumpkin and Peanut Soup

It's that time of year! Time to use up all that pumpkin!

Piquant Pumpkin & Peanut Soup 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. lemon zest

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish (or other chicken-like broth seasoning)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 - 16 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 - 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. agave syrup

Salt to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

2 Tbsp. peanuts, roasted

Saute' onion in olive oil. When soft, add ginger and cayenne. Then stir in lemon zest, water, chicken-like seasoning, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. 

Strain the broth into another pot and discard the solids. Return broth to a low simmer. Then whisk in pumpkin,coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt. Cook until heated through. 

Serve with cilantro and peanuts.

Afternoon Tea Picnic

The heat of summer is just arriving in the Pacific Northwest. Although this makes for great road trips, it isn't quite as pleasant to eat hot and heavy foods when the temperatures are so warm. Picnics for week-end outings that are simple, fresh, and cool in temperature are inviting and refreshing! Chilled soups, fresh fruit, veggies and dips, cookies, and tea in many variations provide a delightful and simple way to satisfy hungry travel companions while seeing the countryside.

Here's a yummy recipe that's easy to carry in a Thermos for an afternoon tea picnic. Carrots, fresh from the garden, are so flavorful this time of year!


Chilled Carrot Ginger Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
small pinch of salt
1 pound carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, peeled, shopped
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger, grated
5 cups chicken-style broth
zest of half a lime
juice of one lime

Heat olive oil in soup kettle. Add onions, carrots, celery, and salt. Saute until soft. Add grated ginger and good for a minute more. Add chicken-style broth and cook for 5 - 10 minutes at a gentle simmer. Cool slightly and then use blender to puree the soup. Add lime zest and juice. Chill and serve. Garnish with mint leaves, grated carrots, or a circle of lime.

Photos:  Summer hanging baskets and Snoqualmie Falls.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

My mother would sometimes serve a chilled cucumber soup on special occasions. She would add all the ingredients to a blender and puree them. Always refreshing, this was a summer soup recipe I always enjoyed. When I decided to make a chilled cucumber soup of my own, I was dismayed to find that most of the recipes I found contained canned soups, like chicken or potato. The delightful freshness of cucumbers would be lost in the sodium and preservatives of the canned product, so I kept searching and ended up adapting a recipe to create my own. This is my vegan version of a summer delight.  It's a great way to use the cucumbers in your September garden!

2 cups soy milk
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. parsley, fresh and snipped
2 tsp. chicken-style seasoning*
1/2 tsp. dillweed, dried
1/2 cup English cucumber, seeded and shredded
2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar. Lid and shake. Place in fridge to chill for several hours before serving. Serve cold with a sprig of mint and toast points.