Celery and Yogurt Soup

Toward the end of the week we get very creative about meals. Recently I remembered a head of celery that had been pushed to the back of the veggie drawer and needed to be used – fast. Not realizing we were out of cow’s milk until I was ready to add it, I had to think quick. The large tub of plain yogurt seems to always be the last to disappear from the ‘fridge. I remembered tasting a delightful yogurt-cucumber sauce over the summer, so I went for it.

The result was so good that Opal, who doesn’t especially care for celery ate half of the batch. If you aren’t fond of dill, be daring and try another herb that suits you. Take a spoonful to the side and try your alternate herb separately first and avoid risking a potful of soup you don’t like! ; )

Celery and Yogurt Soup
4-6 servings

1 large head celery, cleaned & chopped
1 small or ½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
4 cups chicken stock (or 8 teaspoons soup base dissolved in 4 c hot water)

Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer till celery is tender, about 20 minutes. Pour stock into bowl, celery into separate bowl.

Add to pan:

2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons unbleached flour

On medium heat melt butter, add flour, stir with wire whip. Add stock gradually, stirring constantly till smooth & thickened but don’t boil.
Add:

¾ – 1 cup room temp plain unflavored yogurt,
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Blend together yogurt, dill, salt and pepper (to taste) until smooth. Add celery and onion to soup and stir. Garnish with a sprig of dill & serve.

 

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Bomb Diggity Baked Spring Rolls

In our household, dietary restrictions from salt, oil, etc. aside, we can’t get enough Chinese food. Aside from pot stickers and that amazing green onioney-ginger-soy dipping sauces we also relish spring rolls. Neither are ideal on a low-fat diet. One late spring evening an on-going craving form something crispy-gooey-steamy got the best of me. I set about experimenting, pulling everything from the ‘fridge that was left over from a lumpia* party the weekend before.

As typically happens, Opal arrived home from work as I mixed and tasted. Between the two of us, we brainstormed through to some crispy, tasty satisfying rolls that are very forgiving of experimentation and well worth trying. It’s become a thing at our house.

Bomb-Baked Spring Rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Ingredients:

Grate:
1 large carrot
1 Tablespoon fresh, peeled ginger root
Finely mince:
1/2 cup Cabbage
¼ cup Red, yellow or orange sweet peppers
¼ cup Celery
1 – 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
Approximately 12 Egg roll wrappers
Can of canola oil or coconut oil spray**

In mixing bowl mix 1 – 2 t. teriyaki sauce and grated ginger together well. Add and mix all remaining ingredients well, being sure to distribute ginger evenly (consider using ground, dry ginger according to taste).

Liberally spray a baking sheet with oil. Lay egg roll wrapper on sheet, fill with vegetable mixture, tuck ends in first and then roll. Set aside on tray setting rolls 1 inch apart until sheet is full. Lightly spray oil over all rolls.

Place in center of preheated oven, bake 8 minutes. Turn rolls. Bake another 4 minutes until wrappers are completely golden brown. Be careful to not let bottoms scorch.

Remove from oven, serve immediately with prepared hot Chinese mustard and duck sauce. Leftover packets from previous Chinese take-outs are never wasted in our house. Consider adding more ingredients according to your personal taste, like shrimp, crab, minced leftover chicken, etc. and more wrappers, of course.

*A Filipino spin on the asian classic

**Refillable aerosol or pump cans from a restaurant supply stretch the food budget farther and are well, worth the initial expense.

 

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