Steakhouse Soup

Sorry I have been absent for a while. With the heat and smoke in the air this summer I just couldn't get into the mood to cook. It was horrid. Thankfully, all that is over and the weather is wonderful now.

Speaking of the weather I love fall weather. The days are cooler and the leaves are just beginning to turn to their beautiful colors.

With the cooler weather I have been in the mood for soup. I did a thorough search through my cookbook collection (yes, I literally collect cookbooks and have hundreds of them)

I came across a recipe for Steakhouse Soup and decided to give it a try. It was lacking in vegetables though and I was in the mood for a filling bowl of soup that I didn't need to add anything other than some kind of bread to make a hearty dinner. So I checked my fridge and picked out some of my favorites. Then after a read of the original recipe I made lots of notes of what I felt it needed and the following recipe is the result. I love this recipe and it is definitely going to be served a lot in the coming months.

As for vegetables I used the sliced carrots and some frozen spinach. Feel free to use your favorites in their place.

Steakhouse Soup

¼ lb of steak, I used a petite sirloin, a tenderloin would work well too.

¼ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons oil

¾ tsp chili powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cumin

1 ½ cups cubed, peeled potato

1 cup sliced carrot

2 cups beef broth

¼ cup steak sauce

1/8 tsp Tabasco Sauce (or to taste)

½ package frozen chopped spinach (optional)

Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

In small Dutch Oven or large saucepan saute the steak, onion and garlic in the oil about 4 or 5 minutes (until the meat is cooked and onion is starting to soften) Add the seasonings and give it a good stir to combine and allow to cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then add the potato, carrot, beef broth, steak sauce and Tabasco. Mix well. Add the frozen spinach and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook at a simmer for about 30 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Garnish with fresh parsley

Makes 2 big bowls of soup.

Potato Salad for Two

I love potato salad and just being a single dinner isn't going to stop me from enjoying one of my summer favorites. I have been playing around with the potato salad recipe I have been making for years and I it scaled down to give just two servings. Perfect for a couple or for just me with leftovers to enjoy at lunch the next day.

I have to admit that although the basic recipe stays the same I do vary it from time to time depending both on mood and what is on hand. If I don't have celery I can leave it out, any onion will do (you'll want just tablespoon or 2). If I have radishes in the fridge I slice up one or two and throw those in too. Olives are another yummy addition too. So look in your fridge and see what you want to add.

If you don't have hard boiled eggs on hand you can just put the egg into the pan along with the potato cubes and cook it at the same time. This is what I do when I don't have any already boiled.

Potato Salad

½ pound of potatoes (russets are best) peeled and cubed (about 1 cup cubed

1 egg hard boiled, diced

6 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

¼ cup sliced celery

1 or 2 green onions

4 slices of dill pickle, diced

Cook the potato chunks until they are fork tender then drain and cool. Be careful not to over cook them, remember you want chunks of potato not mashed.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix together well.

Add the celery, onion, and pickle and stir well.

Add the potatoes and egg and mix carefully.

Cover and chill until dinner time.