All-You-Can-Eat Soup Diet Basic Recipe

My recipe for the Basic Soup yields such a large quantity -- to make sure you have enough all week -- that it calls for a 12-quart stockpot for preparation. If you don't have one, not to worry -- the ingredients divide easily in half and the soup can be prepared in 2 large saucepans or Dutch ovens, depending on what you have in your kitchen cabinet.

I use this All-You-Can-Eat Soup Diet Basic Recipe for all kinds of variations like: Minestrone Soup, Mexican Chicken Soup, Greek Fish Stew, Southwest Chili, Thai Shrimp Soup, Goulash, Red Beans and Rice Stew, and Vegetable Curry Soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound carrots, sliced
• 3 medium onions {1 1/2 pounds}, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated
• 2 cans {28 ounces each} whole tomatoes in juice
• 1 small {1 pound} head of cabbage, thinly sliced
• 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and each cut into thirds
• 1 can {48 ounce} chicken stock
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 medium {1 1/4 pounds} zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• 2 bags {6 ounces each} baby spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Coat a 12-quart stock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
2. add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with the side of a spoon. Add cabbage, green beans, stock, water, salt and pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high; stir in zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or untill all vegetables are tender.

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 50 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

THREE CHEESE CALZONES

Now that you have made your Homemade Hot Giardiniera you can serve it with these Three Cheese Calzones. Along with a few slices of Italian salami, marinara for dipping and a mixed baby green salad with a simple vinaigrette and you have a complete meal. That is sure to satisfy even the hungriest man in your house. Bubba, his crew, and the grand-kids just love this meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese {about 8 ounces}
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons freshly grated parmesan cheese {about 1 1/2 ounces}
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
• 1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Marinara sauce, warmed for dipping
• 4 ounces sliced Italian salami
• Homemade Hot Giardiniara, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Make the filling: Mix the mozzarella, ricotta, basil, scallions, 1/4 cup parmesan and the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl until combined.
3. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface, to a 7 to 8-inch round.
4. Spoon one-quarter of the filling onto one half of each dough round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. 
5. Lightly brush the edges of the dough with some of the beaten egg; fold the dough over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer calzones to the prepared baking sheet.
6. Brush the calzones with the remaining beaten egg and cut 2 slits in the top of each to let steam escape.
7. Sprinkle calzones with the remaining 2 teaspoons parmesan, then bake until golden brown and cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
8. Serve with marinara sauce, the salami, Homemade Hot Giardiniera and a salad of baby mixed greens with a simple vinaigrette.  

ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES 
SERVES: 4

 

FRENCH DIP SAMMY'S

The Fourth is over and it's back to the weekend grind of planning a satisfying menu for the week coming up. Lately, I've noticed that I've fallen into a food-rut, the same ole, same ole, only on different days of the week.

Today I happened to receive some new cookbooks that I had ordered a while back. YEA...no more food-rut I thought, I can use my new cookbooks to plan my menu. If you are like me you have an overwhelming cookbook collection, and can never decide which ones to use.

I collect cookbooks, I read cookbooks {like they are books} and then I place them on the shelf to collect dust. I've got tons of recipes in files, on my computer, in magazines and in cookbooks and I seem to never use them. I get recipes from my favorite bloggers everyday, file them away and never use them, are we seeing a pattern yet?  I even have my own food blog and I write my own recipes, yet unless I'm developing a new one, the same ole, same ole food-rut continues!!!!

Well time to turn over a new leaf and start using all these recipes for planning my weekly meals. No more food-rut I say...Bubba will be so happy that I'm finally using my recipes. No more fend-for-yourself night, different and exciting meals all year long, WHOO...I'm tired now, no more ranting, on to the recipe at hand.

Ingredients: 

• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon horesradish, plus more to taste
• 8 ounces gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound roast beef, thinly sliced
• 4 hoagie rolls, split

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cook, stirring until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; reserve the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, make the dip: Bring the beef stock and nutmeg to a simmer in a small saucepan; remove from heat and add the horseradish and 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Cover and keep warm.
3. Layer half of the cheese then the roast beef, onion and the remaining cheese on the rolls.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sammys and top with a heavy skillet to flatten the sammys, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts, about 4 minutes per side.
5. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 2 sammys. Serve with the dip.

ACTIVE TIME: 35 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES
SERVES: 4