I've got the flu!

Yes, it's true. I'm 3 days deep into the flu and I am miserable. I know that one day (probably in about 3 weeks) I will regret saying this, but I am beyond tired of resting. I managed to get myself off the couch today and cook some dinner. Prior to doing so, I did a little recipe hunting. I think that finding a decent recipe that includes ingredients I like and either have or can easily get (read: Steven picks up on his way home), is half the battle. Once I found something that fits all of these requirements, I think about recipe alterations: what substitutions I'll make, what ingredients I'll omit, what procedures I'll skip/add.

Today I wanted to make a soup... like soul food for the flu-ridden gal. With this congestion, I knew it couldn't be anything creamy. I've yet to make a Paula Deen recipe that disappoints, so I generally start there. If I want to make something that she doesn't have, I move to the Food Network website, and from there, just to the general internet-google search, if I can't find anything there, I make it up! I headed to www.pauladeen.com and typed in soup in her recipe search. I weeded through the creamy and weird sounding soups and came across one that I had most of the ingredients for - I decided to give it a shot. I picked Tastes Like Lasagna Soup - the Bobby lightens up version. In all honesty, it's been Christina Lightens Up for years. Anyone who knows me in the kitchen, knows I always take little shortcuts to lighten things up.. low fat here, light there.. it all adds up to a lot of saved calories, so I'm on board with Bobby's versions of Paula's dishes. The recipe is as follows (the asterisks and numbers will indicate changes I made):

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed *1
1 onion, chopped *2
1 green bell pepper, chopped *3
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles) *4
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil *5
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional) *6
additions *7

1. I had ground turkey, so I used that instead. I actually liked being in control of the seasoning, instead of at the mercy of whatever was added to the sausage.
2. I used 2 shallots. I love 'em and they're basically the only onion I use!
3. I (even we) dislike how overpowering green peppers are. I used a yellow one for this recipe.
4. I didn't have lasagna noodles.. what I did have was manicotti, so I crushed those up and used them instead!
5. My basil plant is still recovering from my last batch of pesto - worth it! I have an Italian seasoning mixture from good ole Publix. I substituted a couple shakes of this for the basil. Would fresh basil have been nice? Probably. Did Steven eat this and say, "Hmm could use some fresh basil"? No.
6. Whole wheat breadsticks aren't something I want to spend money on. What we do have is a sourdough french bread loaf. We used a couple thin slices with a little butter.
7. What I added in was a zucchini, some banana peppers (from the jar) chopped, and about a tbl of lemon juice. I had a zucc and I knew it wouldn't be good for much longer, so I decided to add it in - what could it hurt? We could use the extra veggies anyways. I chopped it the same size as the shallots and bell pepper and cooked it right along with those guys, since they were all cut the same size, they cooked nice and evenly. I threw the banana peppers and lemon juice in after I sampled it and thought it was missing a little zing. They gave it the perfect little tang.

Here's the directions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

I followed these directions, minus the breadstick stuff.

Here's how mine came out, ooey-gooey melty cheese topping and all:




The original recipe, in its entirety, can be found here: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/bobbys_lighter_tastes_like_lasagna_soup/



Quite a few of my friends have been expressing how hesitant they are to cook. I wanted to break down this recipe in a way that reflected the things I modified. Recipes are nothing more than starting points.. and if you mess up, there's always take-out!

I have recently really dreaded writing recipes, which is the reason for my lack of posting. It's difficult for me to keep track while I cook and the anxiety of someone preparing a dish based off a recipe I created and having it be unsuccessful because I forgot something was too much, so I've decided to try out a new format. I'm going to review places we eat and recipes I (we) try. Along the way, I'll post some of the things I've made up on my own and if you'd like the recipe, I'd be more than happy to type it up for you. So, expect more blogs, but in a new format. Yay!