I was speaking to our son at school the other day and he commented on the weather. As he goes to school in Pittsburgh, he is exposed to a full four seasons of weather. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of reference and your tolerance for extremes. But the fall season in the Eastern states is a wonderful time of the year. There is crispness in the air, leaves turning colors that you had never imagined, and football and hockey are being played. All sure signs that colder times and the holiday season is upon us.

What better time to talk about doing some soups and chili. They are usually easy to prepare, do not require lots of off the wall ingredients, and are subject to the whim of the cook.... (Meaning you don't have to follow the recipe exactly....you can fudge!!)

I wanted to cover the gamut stuff we would look at..... so I am going to look at a Tortilla Soup (hey, I'm in California!!); A Chicken Noodle Soup that uses several of my favorite things to have around; an Escarole - White bean Soup ...that can be done with or without pork (and is the one way I willingly eat my greens!!); a Baked Potato Soup that has been reduced in both calories and fat; a Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Gumbo; and a great Chili recipe that I use all the time (with beans... sorry you purists)

Once you get the idea of how soups come together, you can begin to customize your own soups using your favorite ingredients....and have a few basic items in your pantry ready to go at a moment’s notice.

So here goes,

ESCAROLE-WHITE BEAN SOUP

• 2 Tbsp olive Oil
• 3 ea cloves Garlic-chopped
• 1 ea medium onion-sliced
• 1 Lb. Hot Italian Sausage- (meat taken out of the casing)--this is an optional item...depends on if you want meat in your soup!!
• 1 ea. head Escarole - (washed, dried, and chopped roughly.)
• 2 ea. cans White beans....your choice of variety, but drain only one can
• 1 qt Chicken stock (or a bit more depending on how much broth you want and how thick)
  
• .Grated parmesan cheese for topping and maybe some good olive oil for drizzling...and while you are at it, a good loaf of crusty bread!!!!

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. If you are going to add Italian sausage, this would be the time. Cook until no pink remains in the meat, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 7-8 minutes - until the onions are soft and beginning to show a little brown color. Add the garlic and sweat it for 3 minutes at medium heat, stirring constantly - don't burn the garlic!! this is a flavor you do not want in your soup.

Add the escarole at this point. Stir it into the meat and onion mixture and put a lid on the pot. Steam the escarole on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid when it has cooked down and is a brilliant green in color. Add the chicken stock and turn up to high heat. At the same time, puree one can of the white beans in its juice and add to the soup. Wait until it has just begun to boil and add the other can of beans, but drain this one before adding. Season well with salt and pepper and low heat to a simmer. Let cook for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Serve in bowls with grated parmesan, a bit of olive oil and lots of great, crusty bread....the only other thing here is a bottle of wine....maybe a crisp white or a light red. Enjoy

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This soup utilizes several of my the favorite items that I try to keep around the house for last minute meals....a Rotisserie chicken from Costco, and fresh Oriental noodles (either Japanese or Chinese). The noodles are available in the cold case of most good super markets...around the same place you can find the won-ton and eggroll wrappers and the Tofu (why did I even mention Tofu, I must be losing my grip!!)

• 1/4C Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ea large Carrots...peeled and sliced about 3/8 inch thick on the diagonal.
• 3 ea stalks celery...sliced on the diagonal
• 1 ea medium onion, sliced, 3/8 inch thick
• 3 ea cloves garlic-chopped1 Tbsp of ginger. Finely grated, or the stuff out of the jar is even better....it is almost a puree. It assimilates into the soup very well (Nice use of big words, eh???)
• 1-1/2 qt Chicken Stock....I always use the Swanson's out of the box....you can safely store left-over stock in the fridge
• 1 ea Costco rotisserie chicken.....use a much or a little as you like....just pull the meat off the bones and sort of break it up.
• 1- 8 oz package fresh Chinese or Japanese noodles...get the fattest looking ones!!

Sauté the veggies in the olive oil over medium high heat until they are starting to brown. It is a good thing to put a little color on the veggies, the carmelization process that occurs on the veggies will enrich the color and taste of the broth. As the veggies just begin to brown, add both the garlic and ginger. Stir well and often for 3 minutes or so, just until the aroma of the garlic and ginger is very fragrant. Be careful not to burn!!!  At this point, add in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes or so just below a full boil. Add the chicken, get it up to temperature and season liberally with salt and pepper....especially pepper. Once the carrots are cooked as you like them, add in the noodles and cook them just until tender.....remember, the fresh ones will cook in no time. If, for some reason, you are using dried noodles, (which is fine; a good dry egg noodle will work well.) cook the veggies a little less, add in the dry noodles and cook them as long as is indicated on the packaging.

Although I did not list it on the ingredients, a little grated parmesan goes well....or a chiffonade of fresh basil. (A chiffonade...(it's ok, guys) is basically when you stack a bunch of leaves one on top of another, roll them up like a cigar and slice them thinly...it makes a nice look!!)

CHILI CON CARNE

The truth about this recipe is that it emanated from somewhere years ago and it is credited to Al Roker (The T.V. guy who very successfully battled his weight). He is a bit of a BBQ guy, and as such supposedly developed this chili recipe. All I know is that it is good!!!!  It does include beans in the recipe...which I can either make a case for or against. In this case, the flavor of the chili is very good....to me the texture and taste of the beans just go well in this recipe. Plus, beans are a great source of vitamins, fiber and a bunch of other good stuff.

• 2 lbs of well trimmed chuck. (Save the fat for other uses...it freezes well) Cube the meat in bite-size pieces
• 1 lb of your favorite hot Italian sausage (hopefully the one you made from the recipes we learned a couple of weeks ago...this is a perfect place to use that!!
• 2 ea. large onions....dice
• 12 ea cloves of garlic...finely diced (use the jarred stuff. Costco sells a 1 qt jar of wonderful garlic for the cost of 2 small bottles at the grocery store)
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp paprika (if you have smoked, all the better!!)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder. There are lots of different varieties of chili powder nowadays, knock yourself out!!
• 1 ea 28 oz can whole tomatoes in puree...more on that later!!
• 1-ea 16 oz can pinto beans, drained
• 1 ea-16 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 1 ea-16 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained

Brown the beef and Italian sausage (out of the casings) in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the meat and reserve. Drain off all the fat, leaving 3 tablespoons in the pot. Sauté the garlic and onions in the fat until translucent, about 7-9 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika and chili powder. Stir well and cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes...ok, take the peeled whole tomatoes and grind them up in your food processor, until pureed. The reason for this is that when you buy crushed tomatoes, they usually have been cooked during the process of crushing them...this, IMHO takes some of the fresh flavor away from the tomatoes. But, hey, it's your chili...and most people will not know the difference.....So, add the tomatoes and the meat back into the Dutch oven, bringing to a simmer. Cook for about 1-1/2 hours on the stove or until the beef is tender. Add more stock if the chili is too thick for you. At this point, add the beans and cook over medium low heat for another 30 minutes.  It is ready to go. Serve it with your choice of chopped scallions, sour cream, shredded cheese, and even a little bottle of hot sauce, if you are so inclined. A little homemade cornbread and a bottle of your favorite malted adult beverage and you are good to go!!!

BAKED POTATO SOUP

This is a soup that I particularly like...and it has been adapted to reduce the calories and fat per serving...I chose to add this recipe because I tend to like full flavored, high fat recipes....because they basically taste good. But in this case, some of the fat and calories has been removed...and it still tastes pretty darn good. This is also a good easy soup because we usually have all the ingredients in the fridge or pantry...and is not real expensive.

• 4 ea baking potatoes. (About 2-1/2 pounds)
• 2/3 C. all purpose flour.
• 6 C. milk...use 2%...can't tell the difference in this recipe.
• 1 C. (4 ounces) reduced fat, shredded, extra sharp cheddar cheese.
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 C. reduced fat sour cream
• 3/4 C. chopped green onions.
• 6 ea bacon slices, cooked and crumbled. 

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and bake for 1 hour until they are tender and cooked thru. Cool. Peel potatoes and coarsely mash. Discard skins (Drat, the best part of the potato!!). Lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife. Place the flour into a large Dutch oven and gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper and stir until the cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 C. onions. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes...do not boil...Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions and bacon and serve....If you have the willpower to limit the serving size to 1-1/2 cups, you will ingest about 329 calories (30% from fat). Not bad for a soup that tastes this good!!!

SHRIMP AND SMOKED SAUSAGE GUMBO

 This is a little different type of recipe...a gumbo. A gumbo is a Creole specialty...a thick, stew-like dish that can have any of many ingredients...but the one thing that all good gumbos begin with is a dark Roux. The Roux adds an unmistakable rich flavor. Usually, okra serves to thicken the mixture, as does file powder...which must be added after the pot is removed from the fire. The name "gumbo", is actually a derivation of the African word for okra....now this is probably more than you already wanted to know, but to add one more thing, file powder is said to have been first used by the Choctaw Indians from the Louisiana bayou country...it is made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. (Which gives us bay leaves) The powder must be added off the heat, because undue cooking can make the file tough and stringy....sooooo, if you have not navigated away from this blog and gone on to the ESPN web-site, or to some Brides website....that means you are still with me...so here is a good, basic recipe that does feature shrimp and smoked sausage.....BUT....you can substitute chicken for the shrimp, or ham for the sausage...or anything that you like.

• 1 C. vegetable oil
• 1 C. flour
• 1-1/2 C chopped onions
• 1 C. chopped celery
• 1 C. chopped green bell pepper
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, such as Andouille or Kielbasa...cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp....16-20 size is best.....if you use a smaller size, be careful not to over-cook.
• 1Tbsp veggie oil
• 1 Tbsp butter...unsalted.
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 3 ea bay leaves
• 6 C. H20
• 1 tsp Cajun rubs...you can buy one or make your own...
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 C. chopped green onions
• 1 Tbsp file powder 

Combine the oil and flour in a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20-25 minutes (or the time it takes to sip 2-12 ounce beers), make a dark brown roux. It will slowly change colors...and you want to end up with a roux that has the color of dark chocolate....there is a fine line between a roux that is dark and complex, and one which is burned and bitter....be careful...go slowly. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers and stir 4-5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the water. Stir until the roux mixture and the water are well mixed. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 2 hours. Season the shrimp with the rub, and sauté in 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter until just cooked thru...
Add the shrimp to the pot, and cook for 20-25 minutes....Skim off any fat that comes to the surface....Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, green onion and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

TORTILLA SOUP

One last recipe....this as a nod to the Hispanic heritage of So. Cal.  This soup comes together faster than you think...it's like anything food....if you have your ingredients organized before you begin, it will go quickly enough to give you the pleasure that comes with creating a dish, but not so long as to get tedious.

• 6 Tbsp veggie oil
• 8-ea 6 inch corn tortillas...halved and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 ea. onion chopped.
• 4 ea. large cloves garlic--smashed with the flat side of your chef's knife.
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 1-1/2 qt. chicken stock
• 1 ea. can whole tomatoes---that you crush yourself....use all the juice that comes with the whole tomatoes, also
• 2 ea bay leaves
• 2-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 C lightly packed cilantro leaves....plus 3 Tbsp chopped
• 1-3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs...cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 ea. avocado, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
• Lime wedges for serving...

In a large pot, over moderately high heat, add half of the tortilla strips, stirring until pale golden....about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips. Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the onion, garlic and spices...cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, the cilantro leaves and 1/3 of the tortilla strips. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 30 minutes...remove the bay leaves.

In a blender, puree the hot soup....remembers the sermon about the use of hot soup in a blender!!!! Puree in batches and pour back into the pot. Add the chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer and cook just until the chicken is cooked thru and add the avocado. To serve, put the remaining tortilla strips in the bottom of each bowl, top with cheese, pour in the soup and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and your favorite Mexican beer!!!

Enjoy.....All of these recipes are easy to make...most of them keep well in your reefer for up to a week or so and can serve as take-to-work-lunches or afternoon snacks. There are so many types of soups that you can easily make with ready to use ingredients that most of us either have or can easily get and keep on hand.  You can swap ingredients in and out depending on what you like, and you can season all of these soups in a variety of ways.....The Escarole soup could be seasoned with a splash of balsamic vinegar.....the Chicken Noodle Soup with a splash of soy sauce and a drop or two of sesame oil....in the Chili Con Carne, you could add 1/2 a bottle of whatever beer you are going to drink...just after the spices have been added...and on and on...have fun...taste as you go...and share with good friends!!

Cheers!!!