simple and tasty:
1 lb bag of spinach, washed/chopped
1can of black eyed peas, drained
1 ion, chopped
black or red pepper, to taste

saute onions, add spinach, add black eyed peas and pepper, serve over rice or orzo, looks really pretty if you mix a bit of saffron with the orzo, sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you want.

mmmmmm....

uh,
that's one ONion, not an ion.

Mmmmmm. I think I will have to make that spinach! Soup is one of my favorite things to make. It's really easy to be creative and you can use whatever you have on hand! Here's a great base recipe:

pre-heat up the pot and add
-2 tbsp. oil (vegetable, olive, whatever), butter, (or a mix of the 2)a rou if you want it thick..etc.

next add your flavor base (usually small chopped veggies 1/4 to 1/2 c each to taste):
- i.e. " the trinity" from the red beans and rice, you can do just onions or just garlic or both, if you want french- do carrot, celery and onions, chinese- do garlic and ginger, shallot, leek, whatever you have around.
- cook over med. heat till clarified (5 min or so) if the brown a little who cares? soup is very forgiving!
- if you plan to add any spices or "branch herbs"(rosemary, etc), or tomato paste add them now. (You will get more flavor if you add them to the oil instead of waiting till the broth is in) Cook for just a minute or so till you smell them.

Now you can add the main stuff
- if you are using tough vegetables like potatos or winter squash you can add them first and "sweat them" by putting the lid on for a few minutes before adding the broth but you can also throw them right in the soup it will just take longer. If you are doing a minestrone or tomato soup and are using canned tomatos you can put them in before the broth too.
- add 4 c broth (veggie and chicken go with pretty much anything, use beef or mushroom for more deep, assertive flavors) or water
(you can use cooking water- say you are making a potato soup and you pre-boil the potatos, the resulting "potato-water" would be great to use! Plain water is fine for a really light, fresh soup- say fresh peas or something like that)
- add your veggies. The amounts and size are totally up to you! Bite-size that fit on a spoon are usually good. If you cut up too much, add more broth! Suit the broth-to-stuff ratio to your own taste. Add the veggies with the longest cooking times first (potatos, winter squash, parsnip, etc.), give them a good 10 mins and add your mediums (zucchini, beans, asparagus), the quickest, (fresh corn, peas, etc) will only take about 5 mins. you can use frozen stuff too just add it at the end! A rinsed can of beans is also nice and should be added near the end.
- then you just cook til the veggies are done! (should only take about 20 mins from start of veggies to end)
- if you are doing a cream soup, add it at close to the end
- at the last minute, or even off the heat, add any fresh herbs you want (parsley, cilantro, chives, etc)

You can also add rice or pasta. just know how long it takes to cook and add it at the appropriate time. Remember they will soak up some of the liquid and release starch which will thicken it.

Whew! so is that easy or complicated?

here's how the above applies to that squash soup we had the other night

1 tbsp veg. oil, 1 tbsp butter
add 1 shallot (minced)
cook till clarified (2-3 mins)
add 2 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
add 1 med winter squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin) chopped, cover and sweat 5 mins.
add 4 c veggie (or chicken) broth or to cover
cook 20-30 mins, till squash is very tender
blend using immersion blender if possible. or take out and do (in batches!) in regular blender
return to pot and heat thru, add more broth if too thick.

serve w/ sour cream and chives or by itself- yummy!
(can you tell it's friday?)

Thanks for the soups and chopped ions.

Ok, so it's friday, what kind of links you in the mood for?

something funny.

funny. funny. funny.

or, life-changing.

and can someone please tell me if they remember "spaghetti with a spoon" from electric company or if i'm delusional?

No, I don't remember spaghetti with a spoon. Doesn't mean you're delusional, but you might have to hum the tune for me before I remember it.

i don't know if i remember the tune, but there's a chick sitting on a wooden bar stool eating spaghetti with a spoon, singing, "spaghetti with a spoon... spaghetti with a spoon... spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti with a spoon...."
and then at the end the camera pans out and there are spaghetti noodles hanging from all the rungs of her stool and all over the floor.
classic.

Yeah, I remember that song from THE ELECTRIC COMPANY. But it wasn't a chick who sang it; it was Luis Avalos (the balding guy with the mustache who also played Pedro The Plantman). He does a lot of character actor-type roles in movies (STIR CRAZY) and one-shot TV guest appearances (I've seen him on everything from MAMA'S FAMILY and FULL HOUSE to THE JEFFERSONS). His singing on that song was so hammy it rocked--it's almost like Luis himself knew how ridiculous it was!
"People say that I'm no good and crazy as a loon/because I always like to eat spaghetti with a spoon! Spaghetti with a spooooon! Spaghetti with a spoon! Spaghetti (in an effected gutteral voice) Spaghetti!!! Spaghetti with a spoon!" I'd love to see this on DVD or videotape just for posterity! Classic!