First Entry! Soupy Goodness

AN INTRODUCTION!

I don't mean for this to be a huge time commitment; just a place to log and share my successful recipes. The following post is a brief introduction so as to orient everybody and provide some basics.

The point of this blog is to provide me & you with recipes that are:
1) Fast!
2) Easy!
3) Delicious!

You may not agree, but I do, and it's my blog. So go somewhere else if you have yet hunger!

So since many of us are a combination of busy, not rich, students, and/or HUNGRY, most of these will probably be soup recipes, as soup is indeed a most convenient food which can be modified & stored easily. It is a great way to stretch out your provisions to the max.

***The actual total time to make the recipe may not be very small, but you can study, clean things, or do other work while things simmer. Multitask! But always remember to set an alarm so you don't leave the stove dangerously unattended!

HEALTH:
It's also important to note that almost all my recipes are ORGANIC, because I think that's healthier. I find ways to make this almost as cheap or sometimes even cheaper! This is mostly done by making things from scratch & shopping around for the best prices.
So far, Trader Joe's is the cheapest and the most organic. Where else can you get a dozen large brown eggs for $2.50, fusilli pasta for $.99, or a can of organic chicken chili for $1.99? Also, ALL SPICES are $1.99!

EQUIPMENT:
Most of my recipes are designed for a 1-quart pot, preferably the kind where the lid has side holes to vent air or to drain pasta water. NOT the kind with a hole on top. This is because I often boil something with the lid on and then leave it on the stove, COVERED, reboiling every day to prevent spoilage. You don't want air getting in! Otherwise, put it in a container and refrigerate/freeze.
Soup freezes very well! You can make several kinds, freeze them, and never feel the boredom of the same soup day after day!
I also use this kind of pot because, unless you are making soup in bulk and freezing most of it, you will get REALLY TIRED of the same soup. This way you will probably finish it in two days.
If you are cooking for two, you can always double the recipe and use a large pot.

Remember that seasonings & ingredients can be modified according to your personal taste! If I made this again, I could add garlic power, some chopped tomato, and a pinch of freshly grated black pepper.

Here is a recipe I came up with today:

VEGGIE EGG-DROP SOUP WITH BACON BITS
Serves 3
Total time: 40-45 mins
Without simmer time: 20-25 mins

=Ingredients=
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced ~1/4" (3/4cm)

4 cups (1 qt) cold water
1 T vegetable soup base powder*
1 cube chicken bouillon*
1/2 tsp dried oregano

4 slices bacon, cooked & drained on paper towels
(you can pour the clean grease into a little jar & use it for delicious fixins!)

=Instructions (with approximate times)=
1. Chop the onions and slice the carrots. Throw them into the pot & add water. Bring to a boil on high heat. (5 mins to chop, 5-10 mins to boil)
2. When the water boils, reduce to med-low heat (simmer) & add the vegetable powder, bouillon cube. Stir to dissolve. Add the oregano & cover. (2 mins)
3. While the soup is getting flavorful, put paper towel on a plate & set it by the stove. Heat up a frying pan on med-high and fry the bacon (no need to add grease). When the bacon gets crinkled up and turns slightly brown on the edges, flip & fry briefly. Transfer to the plate to drain the fat. (10-12 mins)
4. While the bacon cools and the soup simmers, beat two eggs in a small bowl or cup. (2 mins)
5. Let the soup simmer another 10 minutes so the veggies are tender. Then, remove the lid and pour a thin stream of egg into the soup, pouring a spiral shape to evenly distribute egg. DO NOT MIX. Replace lid & let sit for 1 minute. (12 mins including simmer)
6. With kitchen scissors, cut the bacon into bits ~1/2-1" long directly into the soup. Mix very gently & cover. (3 mins)

Serve it with something like baked potatoes, cornbread*, couscous, or whatever else!

*Notes:
1. Vegetable Stock Power - I use Vogue organic instant VegeBase powder. It is really natural and no MSG. Also much cheaper than buying cartons/cans of veggie stock. HOWEVER, it may be cheaper yet to buy herbs & spices in bulk make the powder yourself. Google a recipe!
2. Chicken Bouillon Cubes - I use HerbOx chicken bouillon cubes. It's pretty natural although it DOES have "autolyzed yeast extract" which is a sneaky way to say MSG. IDEALLY, I would use 1 packet of Trader Joe's chicken broth reduced sodium liquid concentrate -- this is pretty cheap, very portable & DELICIOUS!
3. Cornbread - Usually I fry up a whole pound of bacon, cut it all up, put most of the bacon bits into my cornbread recipe & make delicious bacon cornbread (Thanks, Talvar!). Then, today, I threw the leftover bacon into the egg-drop soup as an afterthought and reboiled it.