Fresh Vegetable Soup & New Year's Resolutions

Back on task!!  I must say this ten times a day.  Yesterday I joined Weight Watchers, yes my cooking is getting the best of me or should I say is giving me the worst of me.  I have a few to lose, not many but enough to make my clothes perfectly comfortable and to make me feel better about myself.   I decided WW could help me cook a bit more friendly to the old waist line.  Sweets have never been my downfall, I'm not even wild about chocolate, it's those damn cream sauces.  I love them to distraction and there has to be a way to lighten them up so I can still enjoy them.  No cream sauces in my Veggie Soup, well of course not, but I love a full flavored soup.  So here goes...

Fresh Vegetable Soup

Fresh Vegetable Soup adapted from where else?  Weight Watchers

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
2 C. Swiss chard, chopped
2 C. cauliflower, small florets
2 C. broccoli, small florets
2 T. fresh thyme, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Tony's seasoning
juice of one small lemon
6 C low sodium chicken broth
splash of white wineSpray a soup pot with olive oil spray.  Bring heat to medium and  add all ingredients in order listed.  Stirring as you add new ingredients. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes.

NOTES: 
I know, I know the white wine was probably a violation but a splash to a soup that makes 12 servings isn't going to kill anyone.

If you like thick soups, consider pureeing this recipe in the pot with an immersion blender.

Add or leave out vegetables to suit your taste.

Save in individual servings in the freezer for a quick midday snack or dinner appetizer.

Weight Watchers says this (with my modifications, that includes the white wine addition) is still only 1 point per serving!!              Makes 12 servings.

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Prime Rib & Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

For once, I'm not exhausted after preparing Christmas Dinner!  Might be the fewer number of us (we actually ate at the breakfast table) or that I finally decided to create a smaller menu.  Either way, I am enjoying the weekend because I'm not completely exhausted.

Here's is my very simple menu!

Soupe A' l'oignon (French Onion Soup) previous post-October 6, 2009

Roasted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

Asparagus with Vinagrette Sauce

Roasted Prime Rib

4 pound boneless Prime Rib Roast

Olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Grey salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat prime rib roast with olive oil.  Rub pepper and salt to taste,  I am pretty heavy handed with the pepper.  Place in shallow baking dish and roast uncovered until internal temperature reaches 110 degrees for medium-rare center, approx. 1 hour.  Once desired temperature is reached, remove from oven and place on warm platter to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/3 Cup Horseradish

1 Tbls Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp. Freshly ground Pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a mediumn mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Place in thee refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.  Sauce will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Hatch Chile Scalloped Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes

6 fresh Hatch chiles (3/4 pound)

2 Cups Heavy cream

2 large garlic cloves

2/3 C. Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded

Kosher salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay chiles on their sides on a rack of a gas burner and turn flame on high.  Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 5 to 8 minutes.  Transfer chiles to a bowl and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Rub skins off chiles with paper towels and discard stems and seeds.  Cut the chiles into 1/4-inch strips.

Bring the cream with garlic just to a simmer and remove from heat.  Peel potatoes and cut crosswise with your super amazing Cuisinart Food Processor into 1/16-inch thick slices.

Arrange one-third of potatoes evenly in bottom of well-buttered 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish, overlapping them slightly, and sprinkle with salt to taste and 1/2 of chiles.  Repeat, ending with a layer potatoes.  Remove garlic from cream and pour cream over potatoes.  Sprinkle Monterrey jack cheese lightly over top.  Cover dish with foil and bake in lower third of oven for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake until top is golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes more.  Cool slightly before serving.

Asparagus with Vinagrette Sauce

2 bundles fresh Asparagus

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp Grey Salt

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

4 Tbls. Balsamic Vinegar

4 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Anchovy Paste

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges after grating lemon rind.

Crush garlic, sprinkle with salt and crush again until you have formed a paste.  Scrape the crushed garlic into a covered jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, pepper and lemon rind to the jar, cover and shake the mixture until well blended.  Set aside at room temperature.

Meanwhile, rinse asparagus spears and trim the ends.  Steam asparagu for about 10 minutes or to taste.  Arrange on a serving platter.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then drizzle with the vinagrette.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Toasted Baguette for French Onion Soup

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