Monday, November 15, 2010

Fear Not A Cold Winters Day, Soup's On The Way!

Since before I could even cook, I have been making all sorts of cabbage soups. Usually a tomato base with a lot of vegetables that won't gunk up (potatoes especially, corn and peas don't taste good after a day) after a day. Possibly the easiest thing you can make is soup. Throw it all together, fill it up with water. Soup.

My father.. recently went on a strange shopping escapade.. buying 52 cans of soup. The chicken noodle is a classic favorite.. however the beef barley and lentil cans have not been touched. I used 3 cans of the lentils in here.







Chop 2 onions, 4 skinny carrots, 2/3 head of cabbage, 4 tomatoes.
In a large pot at medium high heat, add some olive oil to lightly cover bottom of pot, saute onions and carrots. Sweating them and cover the pot for a few minutes. Add in cabbage and stir. Throw in tomatoes and gently press the tomatoes to release juice. The pot will become dry and your veggies can brown.. water, stock, anything.. But no, not just anything today.. I poured in half a bottle of champagne. Then a small can of tomato paste and lastly, the lentil soups.

Omega-3's and MUFA's

Yes those are sardines. This is beyond delicious. Extremely healthy (if I had thin whole grain toasts). Buy sardines packed in oil, they can be in tomato sauce as well. Quality sardines have their guts removed. If that is not the case, carefully (without breaking too much of the flesh) remove whatever organs you may find (they don't taste good). Sardines are rich in omega 3.. they're good for you. Sardines also are low in mercury, no risk there!  As some of you may know (well now you do!), I love avocados. I've had months where I've eaten a dozen of these fatty goodness fruits in a week. Avocados along with the olive oil I use in this recipe, contain mono unsaturated fatty acids - the good fat that can aid in weight loss.

These sardines were packed in tomato sauce.. I didn't keep much of the sauce.

Leave the bones in, they're full of calcium.
3rd time I made this.. Drain the OIL packed sardines. Drain the oil into a bowl and mix in your choice of cilantro, scallions, salt, pepper, etc.. Brush some of that oil onto some bread. Toast the bread til crispy.
These sardines here also came with jalapenos (even better!) I mashed them lightly with a fork.
Love to mash? 1 ripe avocado with a bit of balsamic vinaigrette (optional) or lemon juice is good.
Schmear your avocado onto the bread. Generously, mufas are good.
mmm good mufa.
Top it off with sardines!
Enjoy this awesome snack.