Delicious Food And Beverage fan-Healthy Care And Tips

Wow, I went an entire semester of not getting sick -- not even for half a day. But of course as soon as finals rolls around and I have to study like a madwoman WHAM , hello symptoms.... goodbye energy.

The symptoms like to come and go. It's like they are taking turns: sore throat one day, fever the next, then one day of only nausea and nothing else. Whats next, and when will it go away??? I have my first final on Friday, International Business Transactions Law. I would like to be conscious and coherent. That would be a plus -- considering its a three hour exam, closed book, covering oh... about 1000 pages of material.

::SIGH:: If you have a law student in your life, or used to be one, I'm sure this is all familiar banter. Either way,  thanks for listening.

Since today I wokeup nauseous, I survived mostly on tea throughout the day. When it came time for dinner, I wanted something simple, nutritious and full of magical ingredients that would boost my immune system and have me up and running.

So.... my soup  

Ingredients

1/2 a medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
5 cloves of garlic
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
Pam
Mushrooms, sliced thinly for garnish
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp or less of rice vinegar ( optional)
1 tsp brown sugar
4 cups of beef broth

Sautee the onions in Pam first, then add the jalapeno, garlic and ginger. "Deglaze" with the soy sauce/rice vinegar combo. Quickly thereafter, add the broth and brown sugar and let it simmer.  ( If you have scallions, they would be a great garnish as well)

Garnish with sliced mushrooms.... and pray for a miracle.

Walking home from work yesterday was miserable--it was cold and windy, and with the forecast of a wintry mix of rain and snow, I decided a hearty winter soup was in order.

I didn't feel like stopping to pick up any ingredients (I really didn't want to have to walk a second more in the wind than absolutely necessary) so I raided my pantry to come up with this white bean soup. I have listed a few fun additions at the bottom that I would have made had I had the ingredients around.

Winter White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cans (about 28 oz total) white beans
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water

Directions:

1. Over medium flame, heat oil in soup pot and saute onion until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and carrots and cook 4-5 minutes more.
2. Add white beans, spices, and liquids; bring to a boil and simmer over low flame at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
3. Remove half of soup from pot and blend with an immersion blender (or do what I do and just stick the immersion blender in and give it a few revs :)); return to pot with rest of soup.
   

Fun additions:

• Add 4 cups of cleaned, chopped kale or spinach in step 3.
  
• Cut 8 brussel sprouts into quarters; drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper then roast in the oven until soft and crispy. Add to soup in step 3.

The cost:
onion: .35
carrots: .45
garlic: .15
beans: 1.98
stock: 1.99

Grand total: $4.92; serves 6-8

I first noticed this recipe in Giada’s Family Dinners a few months ago, but wanted to wait to make it until corn was in season. I started seeing fresh corn in the markets a couple weeks ago, and moved the recipe to the top of my list. The dish combines an assortment of seafood with fennel, corn, shallots and potato.
For the seafood, I went with littleneck clams, mussels, salmon, sole and pink hopper shrimp. You can use whatever variety of seafood that you like; I think scallops would be a great addition.
The seafood and vegetables are cooked in white wine, tomatoes and fish stock. I love that this is a one-pot meal; all you need is bread or a salad and you’ve got a great dinner.

For all you purists out there, I will acknowledge that this chicken gumbo is not exactly traditional. However, it’s quite delicious considering it only takes half an hour to make!

This recipe starts with a quick roux of oil and flour. Once the roux has started to darken, red peppers, garlic, onions and oregano are added. The next step is to add some water, sliced sausage, frozen okra and cooked shredded chicken. The roux thickens the liquid and adds complexity to the stew.

As always, I made a few changes to the original recipe. I used chicken stock instead of water, and added about a tablespoon of tomato paste and a few dashes of hot sauce. These extra steps don’t take any more time, but added a lot of flavor.

Like I said before, you may not find this version of gumbo in New Orleans, but don’t let that deter you. I typically serve this with rice, but you could also bake some cornbread to go alongside.