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Soups

Easy Slow Cooker Pho with Tofu and Vegetables

pho in the slow cooker| dailywaffle Growing up not far from Little Saigon, pho shops all had numbers -- Pho 79, Pho 84, but somewhere along the line pho went mainstream and so did the names of the shops.  So let's get the jokes and gimmicky names out of the way upfront. "What the Pho?" -- Kids in my class were using this one as far back as junior high -- in the late '80s. Now, it's a noodle shop in Bellevue, WA. "9-0-2-1-Pho" -- This is real. And yes, it's in Beverly Hills. "Jenny Pho"  -- Also real. In Issaquah, WA. And of course, the king of all Pho shops...well, there's an, um, king and he don't serve burgers. Creating a good pho broth takes hours, but there's no reason you can't do it. Put aside your worries about leaving a pot simmering on the stove unattended overnight, because you can make a good traditional pho broth in the slow cooker.  I never would have thought of it, and then a lightbulb flicked on over my head when I saw the recipe on Serious Eats.

Soup, There It Is: Rosemary-Scented Minestrone

minestrone in a ladle |dailywaffle

Sliding in to the second week of January, it’s so-far-so-good on getting more exercise, eating more vegetables and whole grains and less meat and butter. Of course, while the new year always feels like a good time for a fresh start, I had the “benefit” of a blood test in late November that reminded me I needed to get moving and pay more attention to my cholesterol. So yeah, even if you feel like you're doing (most) of the right things, you really should have it checked every five years.  Everything is documented in a food diary, and I’ll tell you, soup has been a savior as a vehicle for extra veg, beans and grains, whether its vegetarian chili, chicken tortilla, or this minestrone.

Meatless Monday: Chunky Vegetarian Chili

I’m a convert to Texas chili, having grown up on a chili powder version with kidney beans.  The upside is when we want a meaty chili, nothing but a bowl of red will do, and I’ll toast and soak the chiles. When the day calls for a vegetarian version, I can go straight for this chili without losing face and without a drop of geographical guilt.
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