Monday, December 10, 2012

Frugal Soup Course Suggestions Frugally Speaking Ramen Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette


Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon
baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin


Frugal Soup course suggestions are

Amy’s Soup (from HEB $2.00 or less,) a favorite of Janet’s, Hearty Spanish Rice with Red Beans, “So good you can eat it right out of the can.” You may have

Chili

Chile with Beans

Clam chowder

or New England clam chowder, (red color)

You could have

Cheese and Broccoli

Consommé

Cream of Chicken

Cream of Cream

Cream of Mushroom, or

Cream of Tomato. Get Tabatchnick Creamy Tomato Soup when you are entertaining.

Lentil soup can be your best frugal bang for the buck.


Become familiar with pre-made box soups. Keep soups in a box. If you feel hungry, have a bowl as a first course cold or hot. It you are still hungry, add some more food to the fire, why not.

Remove the First Course and serve the Next Course.
Frugally speaking soup suggestions may include wheat grain noodles by Ramen. Each Top Ramen soup can be the soup of the day when you have little time, money, and just a hair of cooking skills. For spices, you can use the packet of ingredients that came with it. You may use your own medley of spices.

Containers are your friend. Get Zip-loc microwaveable glass containers with snap on tops. Ramen can be prepared in a four inch plastic container or the equivalent ceramic bowl. It may be crushed or left whole. Small shelled pasta or organic Ramen type noodles can be used instead of Ramen. Ramen is to be cooked for nine to twelve minutes. It becomes a whole new dish. You can use two packages and have built in leftovers in half the time. What to do:

1) Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices, ingredients, and EVVO to taste. Cover the contents with water. Nuke it for nine to twelve minutes. You can test it at ten minutes. It may be covered with water and allowed to rise, then cooked, and it becomes a side dish.

2) You can use an electric or non-electric tea pot and boil water. Placed ramen in a microwavable bowl. Add water, and add spices and other ingredients to taste, and let it steep (cook) for nine to twelve minutes.

3) You can boil the noodles, drain them, and then add the other stuff.


Ramen and Cheese Soup

What to do

1) Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Cover the contents with water.

2) Add Squeeze Cheese in a plastic bottle or Nacho cheese from a snack cup. Add Jalapeño juice and chopped jalapeno if you want.

As an alternate cheese soup, place Ramen in a microwavable bowl. Add a capful of Kens Blue Cheese dressing to it.

3) Nuke it for twelve minutes. You can test it at ten minutes. It may be covered with water and allowed to rise, then cooked, and rested, and it becomes a side dish.

As Alternate Cheese Soup, get Maruchan Cheddar Cheese soup. Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add Kens Blue Cheese dressing to the style noodle mix. Nuke it for twelve minutes. You might want you use a tad less water and serve this as a side dish.

 Ramen and Condensed Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Cover the contents with water. Cook noodles for seven minutes. Do not drain. Add condensed soup to taste. Let steep or cook for five to eight minutes.

You can cook soup as instructed on each package or can. Mix together and season to taste. This can be done with

Cream of Chicken or you can use

Cream of Chicken instant soup packets, (Campbell’s or Lipton.) (Add pickled Jalapeño juice and chopped jalapeno if you want. This is a comfort food (Thanks Janet.) You may

serve

Cream of Cheese and Broccoli

Cream of Mushroom

Cream of Shrimp, or

Cream of Tomato (to which I add small shrimp, especially at Halloween; Add sour cream, and call it ‘mattos and maggots, and watch it disappear. You could omit the Raman. Thanks Autie.)

Ramen Consommé

When you have got some time, you could cook this soup.

What to do

Bring all ingredients to boil. Reduce and simmer for thirty minutes. Strain and save liquid. Add noodles and steep for five to eight minutes.

This is added as it could be a first dish, for people who really cook in something other than a microwave oven.

Ramen and Meat Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Buy meats and divide it into individual portions sliced or diced and put it in containers. You can use

Chicken rotisserie leftovers,

Chile w/o beans,

Clams, not for everyone,

Salmon, shrimp or Tuna (canned) may be added with the Holy Trinity of ingredients.

Shrimp, but can be added to Cream of Tomato Soup.

Wieners could be added but why? Place a portion of selected meat in the bowl. Cover the contents with water.

What to do: Cook noodles and meat together.

Optional: Add Worcestershire sauce.

Add Chicken stock or Beef stock; buy some, you can use each a lot.

Ramen and Peanut Butter Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl.

Add one (or two tablespoons of peanut butter creamy or chunky

with or without a dab of olive oil (if you have some.) Cover with water. Cook for twelve minutes. Check it at ten minutes, ymmm.

Try it. You may like it a lot.

A variation of the theme

Ramen and Baked Beans, Refried Beans, or peas.

Each provides fiber and makes a complete protein. To each you can add picante.


Ramen Salad Dressing Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Cover the contents with water.
1) You can add a capful of Italian Dressing. Ken’s makes a Zesty Italian.

2) Nuke it for twelve minutes. You can test it at ten minutes.

It may be covered with water and allowed to rise, cooked, and then rest and it becomes a side dish.

As an alternate to step

1) You may add one or two capfuls of Kens Blue Cheese dressing. It is divine. (I repeat myself.)

2) Parmesan cheese can be used as a Step 1, or as a soup topping.


Ramen Salsa and or Picante Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Cover the contents with water. Add some Salsa or Picante and stir it in. You could add freshly snipped sun dried tomatoes.

What to do: Cook noodles and the tomato based sauce together. Yes you may use a sauce Marinara.

You can add other vegetables to this mix.


Ramen and Vegetable Soup

What to do

Place it in a microwavable bowl. Add spices and ingredients to taste. Cover the contents with water.

You can omit the package spices. Buy large bags or frozen vegetable and use portions as needed.

Buy soup starter kits, as needed, you can microwave the bits.

Canned vegetables keep fresh until opened. Each can be containerized and reopened when needed, a portioned used and the rest sealed back.

Peas, Corn, Carrots, Celery, and Onion can be bought. You can buy celery one stalk at a time. The Cooking Spice Holy Trinity: makes all things taste better.

What to do:

Cook noodles and vegetable together.

Vegetables Soup w/o Ramen

What to do

You could make a signature Salmon Bisque or Vichyssoise (Potato) Tuber soup. Each can be nutrient dense.

You can become the soup baron, and become beloved for just occasionally mastering and sharing a soup or crock pot. This too is cooking so I will speak only little of it.

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