From Redding Mountain

The life and times of the Redding family.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Andalusian Christmas Soup

I received this in Seattle in the early 80's. I was recently telling someone about this recipe and then came across my original recipe while in WV. I hope you like it as much as I do! This works well for vegetarians as well as meat eaters.

Andalusian Christmas Soup

The south of Spain is the home of this inexpensive make-ahead soup. When served with condiments that include meats like miniature meatballs and sausage,fresh vegetables, and substantial garnishes, it makes a full meal especially well suited to informal entertaining.

The soup base is a blend of tomato puree, chicken broth, herbs and lots of sweet, slow cooked onions. Serve it hot in a soup tureen or casserole, surrounded by choice of condiments.

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced onions
3 Tablespoons flour
1 can (1 lb.) tomato puree
2 quarts chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
1 Tablespoon each red wine vinegar, Worchestershire
1/4 teaspoon each pepper, oregano, tarragon leaves and liquid hot pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed crushed

Condiments (suggestions below)

In a 4 or 5 quart pan, over medium low heat, melt the butter; add the olive oil and onions. Slowly cook the onions stirring occasionally, until they are limp and slightly golden; it takes about 45 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over onions and blend; gradually stir in tomato puree and broth. Add the garlic and vinegar, Worcestershire,pepper,oregano,tarragon,hot pepper seasoninng,and cumin; stir until well blended. Bring to boiling over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Condiments:

Meats (choose 2 or 3)

About 30 meatballs: combine 1/2 lb. lean ground beef; 1 Tablespoon chopped green onions; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/8 teaspoon each ground cumin, crushed oregano leaves, and pepper; form into bite sized balls and bake in a shallow pan in a 500 degree oven for 5 minutes.

About 10 ounces linguica, chorizo, or kielbasa sausages: slice about 1/4 inch thick and in a dry frying pan over medium heat, turn until browned.

1/4 to 1/3 pound tiny cooked shelled shrimp

About 3/4 pound cooked ham: cut into 1/2 inch cubes and saute in 2 Tablespoons butter until slightly browned.

Fresh Vegetables: (choose 3 or 4)
About 1 cup cubed red or green bell pepper or a mixture of the two
About 1 cup diced peeled cucumber
About 1 cup diced fresh tomato
About 1 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms: sliced and sauted in 2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 pound fresh carrots: slice and cook in a small amount of water until fork tender, drain.

Garnishes (choose 3 or 4)
3 or 4 hard cooked boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 pound grated cheddar cheese, shredded
2 or 3 small limes cut into wedges
1 small can garbanzos drained
1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained
About 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Friday, September 25, 2009

Revisiting Burien, Washington







We stopped on our way through Burien to see where we used to live. The picture of the side of the house:) where the boys used to have a tree house 20+ years ago. Also, a park near the library that we played in a lot and even cleaned up just to be good citizens. Sometimes we found a homeless person's sleeping quarters. Those were good times! And so are these:)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Family Encampment Pictoral Highlights 2009














We had a great time at the family encampment. There were group encounters. We were divided into 4 teams to work on encounters and crazy games. Ever wondered how many people can stand inside a hula hoop? We even had our Lakeview version of Idol:) We had evening praise sessions and devotionals usually around a fire by the water. Unfortunately, we had a big rainstorm on Sunday morning and had to have our worship time in the lodge. It was wonderful but I missed having it outside. It was a nice 4 day break from routines if we ever have those:) It was really nice to have my husband off for the long weekend. He had a great time and did a wonderful rendition of I Saw Her Standing There:) at the Lakeview Idol Show. We stayed in the 1920's cottage at the water's edge. The weekend was great except having to retrieve runaways who were raiding the camp kitchen at 2am.