Meal Type: Lunch

Mom’s Tomato Soup

Thanks to Anna Gorman, Child Programs and Extra Helpings Administrator for the recipe and photo

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter OR neutral oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup flour
2-28 oz cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped OR 2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained OR equal amount of fresh tomatoes, peeled.
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL SPICES: 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp paprika

Instructions

Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and carrot and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf after 30 minutes.
Puree 1/3 of the soup at a time in a blender until smooth (if you have an immersion blender, you can do this directly in the pot).
Add milk and any optional spices. Stir to blend.

Tips

Make a double batch of this soup and put half of it in the freezer before you add the milk. When you want to have a super quick dinner, defrost the remaining soup and add 1 cup of milk.
My mom’s original recipe for this soup called for cream; you’ll see here it’s been slimmed it down to whole milk. Feel free to go even leaner if you want, but using a low-fat or non-dairy milk will definitely make this soup thinner and not as creamy.
Toppings for this soup include, but are not limited to: crushed Saltine or Ritz crackers, feta or goat cheese, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, croutons, a sprinkle of Parmesan, a drizzle of pesto, or chopped herbs like rosemary, basil, or thyme.

Broccoli-Cheddar-Spinach Frittata

INGREDIENTS

6 large eggs
1/3 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated and split evenly between 2 bowls
½ a yellow onion, chopped
1 head broccoli, separated into florets and sliced
3 tbsp water
1 ½ cups spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 cup green onions, chopped (OPTIONAL)
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, and half the cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add a couple tablespoons of oil to an 8-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, about 3-5 minutes.
Add broccoli and spread it out evenly over the surface of the pan. Add the water and quickly cover the pan with a lid (if your pan doesn’t have a lid, a cookie sheet also works). Allow broccoli to steam for about 2 minutes. Broccoli should be a much brighter green and easily pierced with a fork.
Add spinach and green onions (if using). Cook for about a minute or until the spinach is wilted.
Spread vegetables in an even layer around the surface of the pan. Give egg mixture a quick whisk before pouring it over the vegetables. Tilt the pan or use a spatula to make sure the egg mixture is in an even layer.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the egg mixture and place pan into the preheated oven.
Cook for 7-8 minutes until you can gently shake the pan handle (using an oven mitt) and the middle of the frittata just barely moves.
Take the frittata out of the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. Frittata keeps very well in the refrigerator and will keep for at least a few days.

NOTE: Frittata is incredibly adaptable! Leave out the spinach if it’s not your favorite. Make it dairy-free by using unsweetened non-dairy milk and omitting the cheese. If you don’t have broccoli, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts or asparagus would also work. Add ham, bacon, or sausage for an even heartier breakfast.

Comforting 15-Bean Soup

Fall is officially here (even though the Bay Area weather doesn’t always reflect it)! As the days get shorter, we start turning to warm comfort foods. Many people attending our Empty Bowls events throughout the years might be familiar with this month’s featured soup. It comes to us from James Porter, Kitchen Manager and Chef at one of our partner agencies –Loaves and Fishes Contra Costa. We are tremendously thankful he volunteers to make this crowd favorite at our sell-out events.

This is a hearty and flexible soup which is great for filling bellies on a budget. To make it vgetarian, leave out the meat. The quantities listed below feed 15-20 people!

Ingredients:

Bag of 15-bean soup (or other available beans)
2 Cups diced ham (optional)
2 Cups diced mild sausage links (optional)
2 Cups diced chicken (optional)
2 Cups diced onions
2 Cups diced bell peppers
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Cook beans until tender according to directions. Save the liquid the beans were cooked in.
Combine rest of ingredients-saute until ham, chicken, and mild links are done and veggies are tender
Combine meat/veggies with beans
Warm together and enjoy!

Egg-cellent nutrition for life on the run

We get it. Fall is a busy time of year. These on-the-go omelettes can be made in advance and warmed up for a quick meal or snack. And yes, you can freeze them too.

It’s hard to even call this a recipe because both the ingredients and the measurements are flexible. You can switch up the meat, the cheese, and the vegetables–your taste buds won’t get bored with so many flavor combinations.

Pro tip: these are great to make when it’s time to clean out the refrigerator to avoid food waste!

INGREDIENTS:

9 eggs
¼ cup milk or water
Salt and pepper
Meat, cheese, vegetables. Here are just a few examples:
- Chopped Meats: Bacon, Sausage, Ham
- Shredded Cheese: Cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere
- Chopped Veggies: tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, spinach, bell pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease muffin tins.
Loosely place approximately 2 TBSP of your desired combined meat, cheese, vegetable ingredients in each muffin cup.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs.
Stir in ¼ cup of milk or water to eggs (helps make eggs “fluffy”).
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour egg mixture in each filled cup to about about 2/3 full.
Bake about 20 minutes

Cool before placing in refrigerator or freezer for storage. When ready to reheat, pop a couple in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Best Carrot Soup by Haley Lindberg

Best Carrot Soup by Haley Lindberg was created as part of her Girl Scout Gold Project.

Ingredients:
12 large carrots, peeled, chopped
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
4 C. water or chicken broth
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 C. orange juice
1 Tbsp. ginger powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Melt butter/oil in saucepan; add onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Place chopped carrots, sautéed onions, garlic and water (or broth) in large pot. Bring to boil, then simmer until carrots are tender (about 30 minutes).
Add orange juice and stir off heat.
Blend in a blender in batches. If needed, add additional water/broth.
Add ginger powder, salt and pepper seasoning to taste.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:
• 3 C. reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes.
• 1 (15 ounce) can beans, drained
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stock, chopped
• Bay leaves, sage, thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 2 C. cooked whole wheat pasta
• 1 medium squash, chopped
• 1 C.cauliflower, chopped
• Examples of other vegetables you can add: broccoli, green beans, potato, bell pepper.

Directions:
In a pot, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, cauliflower, bay leaves and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add pasta and squash. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season to taste. Serves 4.

Microwave Broccoli Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 2 tablespoons chopped Roasted walnuts or other nut
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Slices bread

Directions:
Finely chop the broccoli and place in a microwave-safe baking dish with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high (power level 10) until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Uncover immediately. Let cool and drain. In a medium bowl, add the nuts, 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently. Spread the Greek yogurt or mayonnaise on the bread. Divide the broccoli filling between the two sandwiches.

Grilled Cheese with Pears

Ingredients:
• 4 slices of bread
• 4 slices of cheese
• 1 medium pear, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons of butter or no-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Butter two slices of bread on one side; place buttered side down onto the pan. Top the bread with 1 slice of cheese, 3-4 pear slices, and another slice of cheese. Cook until bottom of sandwich is browned, 3-5 minutes. Flip over and cook 3-5 more minutes.

Tuna Pasta Salad (Pasta de Ajo y Mantequilla)

Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound pasta, cooked and drained
• 2 cups broccoli or zucchini, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1 can tuna, drained

Directions:
Combine pasta and vegetables in a bowl. Add dressing and stir until well combined. Tip: add protein with 2-3 sliced hard boiled eggs, or 1 can of drained beans

Ingredientes:
• 1/2 libra de pasta cocida, enjuagada y escurrida
• 2 tazas de brócoli o calabazas, picado
• 1 tomate, picado
• 1/4 taza de aderezo Italiano
• 1 lata de atún, escurrido

Direcciones:
Combine la pasta y verduras en un tazón. Agregue el aderezo y revuelva hasta que estén bien combinados. Sugerencia: Añada proteína con 2-3 huevos duros, o una lata de frijoles escurridos.

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound of pasta, cooked, drained
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic, vegetables, sauté 5-7 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, Combine pasta with vegetables.

Ingredientes:
• 1/2 libra de pasta, cocida, enjuagada y escurrida
• 4 cucharadas de aceite
• 1 zanahoria, picada
• 1 calabacita, picada
• 1-2 dientes de ajo, picado
• Sal y pimienta al gusto

Direcciones:
Caliente el aceite en un sartén a fuego medio. Agregue ajo, verduras y saltée 5-7 minutes. Sazone con sal y pimienta al gusto. Combine las verduras con la pasta.

Grilled Cheese (Sándwich de Queso Fundido)

Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 slices of bread
• 2 slices of cheese
• 3 thin slices of apple or pear

Directions:
Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.

Once the pan is warm, add one slice of bread, buttered side down, then top with half of the cheese, add the apple slices, and the remaining cheese. Close the sandwich with the second slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Ingredientes:
• 1 cucharada de mantequilla, suavizada
• 2 rebanadas de pan
• 2 rebanadas de queso
• 3 rodajas finas de manzana o pera

Direcciones:
Unta mantequilla en las partes exteriores del pan. Dentro del sandwich pon una rebanada de queso, las rodajas de manzana o pera, y el queso restante.

En un sartén precalentada a una temperatura media-baja pon el sandwich, cocínalo lentamente (asegurando que no se queme) y cuando esté bien dorado dale la vuelta. Estará hecho cuando el queso esté derretido.

Classic Carrot Salad (Ensalada Clásica de Zanahoria)

Ingredients:
• 3-4 cups of grated carrots
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1 large apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise or plain yogurt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Ingredientes:
• 3-4 tazas de zanahoria rallada
• 1/2 taza de pasitas
• 1 manzana, picada en trocitos
• 1/4 taza de mayonesa baja en grasa o yogur sin sabor

Direcciones:
Combine todos los ingredientes en un sartén.

Meal Type: Lunch

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