White Bean Soup

I am always looking to cut down on meat-laden soups and other main dishes. I experimented with this one recently and it came up a winner in my book! You can cut the bacon if you want to go totally vegetarian (and add a few drops of Liquid Smoke at the end, or use turkey bacon for that smoked flavor. This one is easy and tastey.

Directions:

1 14 oz. can white beans (Great Northern is fine)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 bacon slices, minced
1 tsp Liquid Smoke (if skipping the bacon)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fine chopped onions (about the size of the beans)
1 cup fine chopped celery
1 cup fine chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Chop vegetables and bacon. Heat old in a medium stockpot over medium flame. Add bacon and saute until rendered. You can pour off some of this oil if you are looking to cut fat, otherwise dump in the vegetables and cook until the onions are clear. Add the beans, with the liquid and the stock and season with the spices. Bring this mixture to a boil and then simmer covered over low flame for thirty minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Test for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Drizzle in the Liquid Smoke at the end if meatless.

Pull out the bay leaves and serve with a sprinkle of the Parmesan cheese.

EASY BEEF ROAST

One of my favorite comfort meals is a good beef roast. It’s hearty and flavorful, and afterwards you can use the leftovers (if there are any) to make a nice soup. The problem with this dish lies in the cut and method of preparation.

In terms of the cut, I prefer the boneless crosscut rib roast. It’s a little more expensive than the eye of round, but the extra fat marbling will ensure tenderness and flavor. I’ve found that in order for round roast to be as tender you have to either slow cook it eight hours or use a pressure cooker. Those methods can turn the meat into a stringy mess, to me unpleasant result.

Rib roast usually comes with a bit of a fat cap; trim off as much as you can, but I do like to retain a little on the meat for flavor. The key is low and slow oven cooking. I set the oven temperature to 275 degrees - and I don't peek!

INGREDIENTS

4-5 lb. beef crosscut rib roast
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow, onion, chopped not too fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups water
(You can substitute 2 cups low sodium beef stock for the bouillon)
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large stockpot heat the oil over medium heat. Season the trimmed beef with the spices, pressing into the meat and brown on all sides in the hot oil. Add the chopped vegetables, water and bouillon to the pot, season with Worcestershire sauce and cover tightly with the lid.

Place the meat the oven and roast for three hours and thirty minutes. Avoid opening the door of the oven during this time to ensure heat does not escape. At the end of the cooking time, carefully remove meat from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. A serving size would be three to four ounces, with a nice side salad!