THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Fight off winter's 'chill' with warm, hearty soups
THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Hawaiian Electric Co.
HAWAII'S version of winter is here: big waves on the North Shore, more wind and rain than usual, and a slight chill in the air. Some might say it's not really that cold (compared to places like Denver), but it's cool enough to prompt a craving for a hot bowl of soup!
These recipes are easy enough to cook up during the week, because they don't require long simmer times. Here's a tip: prepare the soup first, and while it's simmering, throw together a nice salad and you've got a complete dinner in 30 minutes or less!
Mustard Cabbage Soup
3 dried mushrooms, soaked
3 quarts pork, beef or chicken stock
1/2 pound pork or beef, thinly sliced
1 small piece ginger root, crushed
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
1 quart mustard greens, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
Remove stems from mushrooms; finely slice caps.
In large saucepan combine stock, pork and ginger. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, turn heat to high and cook uncovered until greens are just tender. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 130 calories, 5 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, greater than 950 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 13 g protein.
Minestrone Soup
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1/4 pound ham, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 quarts beef stock or canned bouillon
2-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup cubed carrots
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1/3 cup rice
1/2 cup small-shell macaroni
1 3/4 cup kidney beans
1 cup cooked green beans or peas
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/3 cup minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup burgundy wine
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Brown bacon, ham, onion and garlic in large pan. Add beef stock, tomatoes, celery, carrots and green pepper; bring to boiling on high heat, then simmer 20 minutes on low.
Add rice, macaroni, beans cabbage, and parsley; cook 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper; pour in wine just before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serves 10.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 250 calories, 8 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,000 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 14 g protein.
Midnight Chicken Soup
3-1/2 to 4-pound chicken
1-1/2 teaspoons Hawaiian salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon salad oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 bag spice garni (see note)
2 quarts water
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, diced
3 potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 pound vermicelli, broken into halves
Remove skin from chicken. Season with Hawaiian salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large saucepot, heat oil; add garlic and chicken and brown chicken on all sides. Add onion; cook until transparent. Add tomato sauce, spice garni and water; cover and cook 20 minutes.
Remove bones from chicken and chop meat. Return chicken to pot. Add celery, carrots and potatoes; cook 10 more minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and vermicelli; cook another 10 minutes or until done. Remove spice garni before serving. Serves 12.
Note: To make spice garni, tie 2 large crushed bay leaves, 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon each crushed marjoram and thyme leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed sage leaves in a piece of double cheesecloth.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (using 4 pounds whole chicken): 360 calories, 8 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 35 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a public service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.