LOVIN’ SPOONFULS RECIPES
READER SHOPPING
Soup on a budget
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TURN LEFTOVERS INTO SOUP
Keepa“For Soup” container or bag in the
freezer for leftover vegetables. When the
container is full, use the leftovers to make
vegetable soup. Be sure to mark the date on
the container whenyou begin collecting
vegetables and use within 3 months.
LEFTOVER SOUP SUGGESTIONS
■ Combine rice, roasted chicken,onion,
peas, and carrots with chicken broth and a
little lemon juice and dried oregano.
■ Heat leftover mashed potatoes with
broth; whisk togetherforthick,creamy
^
potato soup. Top with cheese and
chopped green onions.
■ Stir leftover pasta, crumbled cooked sausage, sweet peppers,and
wilted greens into hot broth.
PUT FRESH FOODS TO USE
When vegetables begin to wilt or meat or canned goods near use-by
dates, it's time to make soup. If usingground meat, such as ground
beef or sausage, brown the meat and drain off fat before adding other
ingredients. Use these for flavorful soups: cooked ham; bite-size
ravioli or tortellini; hearty greens such as spinach, kale, or chard;
tomatoes; onions; peppers; carrots; celery; broccoli; and cauliflower.
MAKE STOCK
Save bones, skin, wings, and drippings from roasted or deli-roasted
chicken in a freezer bag. When you have bones from 2 to 3 chickens,
put them in a pot,cover with water and simmerfor 1 hour. Strain the
stock and refrigerate overnight or for 6 to 8 hours. With chilling, fat
rises to the top and becomes solid, making it easy to spoon off and
discard. Freeze the stock in 1
3
/4-cup portions,equal to one 14-oz.
can of broth.
SUBSTITUTE BOUILLON
When broth is called for in recipes,you can substitute a bouillon cube
or granules prepared according to package directions. Bouillon cubes
and granules can be high in sodium, so taste the soup for saltiness
before adding salt. Use 1
3
/ 4cups prepared bouillon in place of one
14-oz. can of broth.
SHOP THE FRIDGE
Before shopping to make soups, check to see what you have on hand
that can be used or substituted. Use leftover rice in place of pasta, or
leftover pot roast in place of ground beef in vegetable-beef soup.
Exclusively for
our readers—the
BHG
Biscuit Kit.
Hone your biscuit-making skills with the
BH G
Biscuit Kit. The kit contains a set of
four stainless-steel biscuit cutters, a
stainless-steel bench scraper, and a
special pebbleware-surface biscuit pan.
To get started, see American cooking
guru Scott Peacock’s biscuit recipe and
tips starting on
page 154.
The
BH G
Biscuit Kit cost is $25.95.
TO ORDER
call 800/678-5752
or visit
readershopping.com.
To create the Valentine-shape toppers
for the Valentine cupcakes shown on the
cover (see recipe on
page 132);
we used a
special Valentine Mini Cutter set. Made
of tin plate, the set of 6 cutters includes
a crinkle heart, a heart, an “X,” an “O,” a
double heart (not shown), and a heart
with an arrow (not shown). Each cutter
measures approximately 1
'/2
inches tall.
The set costs $5.00 plus shipping and
handling.
Please specify item
#BHGM VCS.
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FEBRUARY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
TO ORDER
call 8ОО/678-5752
or visit
readershopping.com.
