Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

A week long jury trial calls for something AWESOME for dinner. And so I made Cooking Light's Summer Squash and Corn Chowder. The only thing I may tweak next time is the thyme amount. It definitely enhances the soup but I am not a huge fan of the herb. We're getting to know each-other more... :) I did leave out the bacon but listened to their veggie option but omitting the bacon and substituting the drippings for 2 tsp. olive oil.

Great soup and I made a similar side dish to their recommended Tomato Bruschetta. I just made a simple cucumber, tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad with toasted bread.

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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Spent some time in a coffee shop where they offered Tomato Basil Soup. I didn't want to spend 5 bucks for a cup but it did inspire me to make my own! I looked for a recipe online and found a good one from Ina Garten. 140+ positive comments- so I went for it. The only thing I couldn't do was puree. I wish I had an immersion blender or a Cuisinart that actually holds liquids (it seeps!) so I used a masher instead to break it up. It turned into a hearty meal. I also added a little cream at the end and reduced the amt. of salt, Ina is a sodium freak! I cut a fresh mozzarella ball in slices and garnished the soup with it.

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Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu

I had a HORRENDOUS day of substitute teaching today. I'd say the highlight was when a 7th grader spat a lugie at the blackboard I was standing near....oy to the vey. I brought my new Cooking Light magazine with me and during my greatly anticipated lunch break I decided to pick out a do-able dinner I could whip up when I arrived home. I found a Hot and Sour Soup with only 110 calories for 1 1/4 cups! It was a completely easy process to make and I felt good eating it.

I substituted Bok Choy for the canned bamboo shoots they called for. One thing I would do differently would be to not use a Thai Culinary Stock next time. It added way too much flavor from the beginning and then when it came to adding all of the garlic/ginger/pepper/soy-sauce it became a little overpowering. I actually did the egg drop part with no screw ups (for my first time egg-dropping)! Wa hoo. This meal made today kinda okay.

Original recipe to follow...

Cooking Light's Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu

1 (14 oz.) pkg. firm water packed tofu/drained

1 3/4 C. water, divided

1 (1/2-oz.) pkg. dried sliced shiitake mushroom caps

4 C. fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

1/4 C. white vinegar

2 T. less sodium soy sauce

1 T. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

2 tsp. sugar

3/4 t. white pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

1/2 C. canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained and cut into julienne strips

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 C. thinly diagonally slice green onion tops

1) Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or another heavy pan. Let stand 30min. Discard paper towels. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.

2) Bring 1 1/2 C. water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms; let stand 30min. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 min, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1/4 C. water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, tofu, and bamboo shoots into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Slowly drizzle egg into broth mixture (DO NOT STIR). Place pan over low heat; cook 1 minute. Stir soup gently to combine. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 C.)