SPICY TOMATO SOUP

Difficulty: Easy
Total: 1 hr 15 min 

Servings: 6
Serving Size: 355g
Nutrition per Serving: 145 Calories, 97 Calories from Fat, 10.8g Total Fat, 0.7g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 43mg Sodium, 11.6g Total Carbs, 3.5g Dietary Fiber, 7.5g Sugars, 2.8g Protein
Vitamin A 46% - Vitamin C 58% - Calcium 3% - Iron 5%
Nutrition Grade: A-
Good points:
No cholesterol
Low in sodium
High in potassium
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C

Bad points:
High in sugar

INGREDIENTS :

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 (28oz cans) whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Creme fraiche, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION :

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and very tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, plus the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.

3. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large, heatproof bowl. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam from the hot soup to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off). Pour the blended soup through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula or ladle; discard the solids. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

4. Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat on medium low until hot. If you choose, serve topped with a tablespoon of creme fraiche.


~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
With:

 
6 Tbsp fat free plain yogurt instead of creme fraiche = 1 Tbsp per serving.
Servings: 6
Serving Size: 355g
Nutrition per Serving: 100 Calories, 46 Calories from Fat, 5.1g Total Fat, 0.7g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 53mg Sodium, 12.8g Total Carbs, 3.6g Dietary Fiber, 8.5g Sugars, 3.2g Protein
Vitamin A 46% - Vitamin C 58% - Calcium 6% - Iron 5%
Nutrition Grade: A

Good points: 
No cholesterol
Low in sodium
High in dietary fiber
High in manganese
High in potassium
Very high in vitamin A
High in vitamin B6
Very high in vitamin C

Bad points: 
Very high in sugar

SOUTHERN MARYLAND STUFFED HAM

INGREDIENTS :

1 canned ham (10 to 12 lbs.), or a 12 lb "cured" ham
1 3/4 lbs. onions
2 1/2 lbs. cabbage
4 lbs. kale
2 tbsp. black pepper
2 1/2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. ground red pepper
1 tbsp. dry mustard seed
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

PREPARATION :

With a sharp knife, cut vertically through the top of the ham 8 to 10 pockets. Chop onions, cabbage and kale. Mix vegetables with remaining ingredients. Stuff "pockets" with vegetable mixture. Fill with as much as possible then put remaining stuffing on top of ham. Put ham on a large piece of cheesecloth. Sew or tie the cloth around the ham, tightly, to keep dressing in place. 

Cook 20 minutes per pound of ham.

To cook, place ham in a large covered pan on a rack, covering the ham with water. The rack is so the ham will not stick while cooking. Cover with lid, cook as specified, remove from water to cool. Serve cold.