IT'S NATIONAL SOUP MONTH
It should not come as a surprise that Campbell's is responsible for naming January National Soup Month years ago. I watch a lot of people buy canned soups and I buy them to use in casserole dishes but seldom eat as soup (don't be offended Campbell's employees in Napoleon because I drink the V-8 juice you process by the case year-round). I hear that Campbell's fusion V-8 juices (fruit juice added) are selling like hot cakes but I prefer mine unadulterated!
To celebrate National Soup Month, try Southwestern Pork and Bean Soup, a recipe from the National Pork Producers. Made in a Dutch oven, you can make this soup about as fast as you can open a can! I added 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro to the soup just before serving.
SOUTHWESTERN PORK AND BEAN SOUP
- 2 boneless top-loin pork chops, diced (about 3/4 pound)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 14-ounce can fat-free, MSG-free chicken broth (Swanson)
- 1 14.5-ounce can Mexican-style chopped tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (Bush brand preferred)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
In a Dutch oven sprayed with Pam, brown diced pork and onion together; stir in remaining ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro. Recipe makes 4 servings.
In the above soup I recommended Swanson's chicken broth that doesn't contain monosodium glutamate (MSG). Actually, it's the only chicken broth I use now. Both Campbell's and Progresso are making some soups without MSG but neither has eliminated it altogether. To avoid MSG, read labels. If used, food manufacturers must list it on the label. It's the law!
The next soup recipe is from the Cabot cheese people. I really like this broccoli soup because it tastes like fresh broccoli and stays bright green like it should be served, not olive colored! Since it's made with real cheese, not processed, avoid boiling it at all cost! Serve as soon as the cheese has melted. If you do have leftovers, reheat but DON'T BOIL or the cheese will curdle. I kicked it up a notch with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
BROCCOLI-CHEDDAR SOUP
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (2 medium)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 14-ounce can fat-free, MSG-free chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
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- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and thinly sliced stems
- 2 cups shredded Cabot sharp Cheddar cheeses (I use the 50 percent reduced-fat Cabot)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and ground pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add potatoes and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes longer. Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Source: Adapted from Cabot cheese recipe.
CHICKEN SOUP IN A TEST TUBE
There's nothing like chicken soup for a bad cold. Its hot vapors may clear the nasal passages and any fluid is helpful for cold symptoms. Having a caring relative make the soup might add to the effect. It's only common sense. But some scientists have sought a more precise explanation.
A few years ago, in a study from the University of Nebraska Medical center, researchers made a traditional Jewish-style chicken soup, using chicken, carrots, onions, sweet potato, turnips and other vegetables. In the lab they combined samples of the soup with human blood cells and found that the soup inhibited the ability of certain white cells to participate in the body's inflammatory response. They theorized that this anti-inflammatory effect could reduce symptoms such as irritated airways and mucus production and suggested that the chicken and vegetables somehow work together. The recipe is posted online at www.unmc.edu/chickensoup. But if it's too much trouble and grandma isn't around, you'll be glad to know that many commercial soups were found to have a similar effect.
Source: University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, January 2009.
STICK TO PRODUCE TO LOWER HEART ATTACK AND STROKE RISK
Taking supplements of vitamin C or vitamin E does not reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke, according to research published November 12, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers advise getting vitamins from fruits and vegetables, since consuming more plant foods is associated with lower risk of heart disease. The findings are from the Physicians' Health Study II, in which more than 14,000 male physicians, ages 50 and over, participated in for an average of eight years. Participants in the study took either 400 International Units of vitamin E every other day or 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily had comparable outcomes to those who were given the placebo.
Source: Cornell University Food & Fitness Advisor, January 2009. |
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