Soup & Salad Recipe

Here are a couple of simple go-to recipes that get made quite often around here. They both accompany a variety of meal plans, adding both nutrition and simple deliciousness.


What I especially love about these recipes is that we quite often find the produce on sale- cucumbers & tomatoes, often mushrooms on the reduced rack. I am surprised at how long mushrooms will keep in a brown paper bag in the fridge. Buying bulk when on sale is a cost effective way to make a batch of salad or soup that will last all week for side dishes. Go-to recipes like these provide inspiration on the spot when I spy deals in the grocery.


A website like All Recipes is a great resource for finding ways to prepare produce, especially on sale when you can buy a bulk. It has proven to be pretty simple and tasty, as far as we have found. The recipes are easily adaptable, and it includes a search where you can type in the ingredients you have to find a recipe that will work- handy!


I brought a few servings of both of these dishes to my AM client for a post workout meal. Enjoy.


Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad
This salad can be mixed up in a variety of ways to keep it interesting. There are many ways to make this dish your own- try combinations of olives, onion, celery, cilantro, and vinaigrettes to suit your pallet.



Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers, sliced
• 4 pickles, diced
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 3 tablespoon plain yoghurt
• 3 tablespoon mayonaise or sour cream
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 4 tablespoon of fresh parsley
• 
  

Directions

1. In a large serving bowl, combine cucumbers, pickles, tomatoes and dill. 
2. In a medium size bowl combine sugar, vinegar, and pickle juice; stir until the sugar dissolves. 
3. Add the yoghurt and or sour cream. Pour the liquid mixture over the cucumber mixture. 
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (the longer this dish marinates the tastier it is!). 

• Basic Mushroom Soup- The best ever
• 
  
• 1 400 gram package of  fresh cremini mushrooms
• 1 400 gram package of  fresh white mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups boiled soup stock (fresh, canned, or cubed.)
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1.3L  bag of milk
• Optional: 1 tablespoon sherry, or 2 tablespoons of wine

Directions

1. In a large heavy saucepan add butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and onions. Cook on medium for 7 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium high.  Cook until the onions turn a darker brown colour- about two minutes.
2. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms for 7 minutes until most of the water has cooked off. 
3. Lower the heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms stirring constantly to cook the flour for two minutes. A bit of cooked flour will be stuck to your pot and that is where the flavour of the charred onion comes from.
4. Add 1/4 of the hot broth slowly and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the flavour. Add the rest of the stock and thyme. The mixture will thicken immediately so stir quickly. Add your milk 1 cup at a time Keeping at a simmer.  
5. Remove 1/3 of the veggies and set them aside.
6. Use a hand blender to puree the 2/3 mixture, leaving some chunks of vegetable in it. Add the the course veggies back to the puree and the soup is done.