Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Here's another quick, healthy sandwich favorite my whole family loves (I'm on a sandwich kick lately). These bold and yummy sandwiches are filled with fresh vegetables, kidney beans, and seasonings, and pack such a giant flavor that they don't miss the meat at all.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are fresh staple ingredients many of us always have on hand, and if you cook your own beans from their dried state (and store in the freezer or can them), these sandwiches are incredibly economical, too.  Need I mention the obvious lack of high fructose corn syrup, fillers, and preservatives?

In this post, I list the Vegetarian Sloppy Joe recipe, but it's very easy to turn it into traditional ground beef Sloppy Joes because the sauce is the same.  All you need to do is add 1 lb ground beef to the pan with the vegetables through the garlic (you can eliminate the carrots if you'd like).  When the beef is browned and the vegetables are tender, add everything else (skip the beans), and follow the same instructions.

A few suggestions:  I like mine a little spicy.  If you don't, go ahead and skip the hot sauce.  If you don't have a good Worcestershire sauce, don't sweat it, just skip it; it adds a little extra depth, but not enough to skip making the Joes if you don't have any (and again, read the label - most are just junk, but there are a few decent ones available).  The tomatoes called for can be fresh chopped tomatoes, or purchased chopped tomatoes; just simmer the fresh tomatoes about another five minutes or until the mixture thickens.  And lastly, I love dill pickles on my Sloppy Joes.  If you've never tried it, now's your chance - Yum!

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
Serves 8

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c diced carrots
• 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 c diced celery
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 c diced tomatoes (and their juice)
• 2 Tbs good quality organic ketchup
• 1 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (such as Annie's Naturals Organic Worcestershire Sauce)
• 1 Tbs white or cider vinegar
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4-5 drops hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 1/2 c cooked dark red kidney beans
• 8 whole grain burger buns
• shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• sliced dill pickles (optional)

Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium high heat.  Saute the onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery, and garlic clove for about 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, chili powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the kidney beans.  Heat through.

Arrange the cheddar cheese and sliced pickles (if using) on the bottom half of the bun. Remove some of the bread from the inside of the top half of the bun. Spoon mixture into hollow. Slap it together, and enjoy.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips - Citrus Blog Hop

I've been wanting to incorporate a regular section of the blog where I take premade, commonly used grocery items and demystify them in the hopes of helping readers avoid all of those nasty extra ingredients.  Chicken nuggets, strips, fingers, (or whatever they are called because I'm pretty sure a chicken possesses no parts by those names), was on my list, along with a whole host of other go-to products. I just need a fun name for the series of posts and I'm stumped.  If you've got suggestions, I'll gladly take them.  For  now, I'll keep filing the recipes under "Helpers" in the tabs.

Since citrus is January's blog hop theme, and chicken tastes great with lemon, and lemon works well with thyme, and all three are amazing with garlic, I decided now would be a great time to get started by explaining how to skip the bags of frozen breaded chicken, which are bogged down with a lot of ingredients and oils we don't want or need.  Making your own chicken strips is silly easy.  You can use precut chicken tenderloin or deboned chicken breasts.  If you use the chicken breast, you will need to cut it lengthwise into 3/4" - 1" strips.

Once you have the chicken, you will then need something wet so the breading will stick to the chicken; in this recipe, I used egg and lemon juice and then added other flavorings.  For the wet stage, you can add pretty much any flavors you like, such as garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, or even milk, or mayonnaise and mustard.

The next stage is the breading.  For that, you can use anything from your own  homemade breadcrumbs (which is what I did in this recipe) to flour and cornmeal to crushed crackers or cereals; each will give a different final texture, but all will be crunchy.  However, if you do decide to purchase those things, be sure to read the label - you might be surprised at how many useless ingredients some companies can pack into something as basic as breadcrumbs.  To your breading of choice, add various seasonings that sound good to you, such as Parmesan cheese, dried herbs like Italian seasoning or thyme, or spices such as cayenne, and definitely salt and pepper.  The combinations can be as classic or as unique as you like.

Once all of those things have been decided and arranged in their own separate shallow bowls, simply dip your chicken strips into the wet mixture, shake off any excess so it doesn't sog the breading (remember, the main purpose of the wet ingredients to get the breading to stick to the chicken), dredge in the breading mixture, place them on a baking tray, drizzle them with melted butter or olive oil, and bake them.

Easy.  It's really just a matter of owning two shallow bowls for dredging and then coming up with what sounds good to you.  If you have children, they seem to like the repetition of the preparation a great deal, so it's a great way to teach them how to make their own chicken strips (or "nuggets", if you cut the pieces smaller) and get them involved in making dinner or lunch.

Please don't laugh at my macaroni and cheese in the picture above; I desperately wanted mac & cheese, but found I only had a few ounces of several different types of pasta left over, so I decided I didn't care how it looked, and put them all together.  It still tasted exactly like macaroni and cheese (surprise, surprise), and I was most satisfied.

For more delicious citrus themed recipes, be sure to check below this recipe for a list of all my awesome #citruslove blog hop co-hosts this month, as well as all the recipes listed beneath!

Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing
serves 6

• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 Tbs lemon zest (from an organic lemon)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs organic chicken tenders OR boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" strips
• 2 Tbs olive oil (for drizzling)
• Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, optional (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.

In a shallow bowl whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, water, mustard, and egg.

In another shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, lemon zest, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Dredge chicken in egg mixture, press into bread crumb mixture, turning to coat completely.  Place on prepared sheets.

Drizzle with olive oil.

No judging the state of my baking sheets!

Bake 13-15 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and golden, and the breading does not stick when turned.  Flip them over and bake another 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing

• 1/3 cup homemade (or very good quality) mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs raw honey
• 1 Tbs Dijon or stone ground mustard
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until well mixed.  Serve with chicken strips, or drizzle on salad greens.




Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove.

Citruslove Blog Hop Co-Hosts

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl

Astig Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena ~ @tspcurry
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd  

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers

Whenever I tell my burger-lovin' Midwestern family that we are having veggie burgers for dinner, it inevitably earns me the stink eye and a lot of groaning.  On more than one occasion, my husband has "just remembered" he needed to be somewhere else over the dinner hour.  I'm not kidding.

We have tried all of the frozen veggie burgers available in the grocery store, we have made several different black bean burger recipes, and all have garnered the same response.  The truth is, I have some complaints about the commercially available patties, too.  One problem I have with them is that many of them are soy based, and I'm not really a fan of soy (I know, a former vegetarian who doesn't do soy? Crazy.), and it seems to adversely affect my husband, so we generally avoid it.  Then there are the patties that mostly rely on gluten as a filler or binder, and I'm really not sure I feel gluten, on it's own, should hold such a high position in the main course of a meal (especially if it's going to be on a bun - it seems like overkill to me).  The grain and bean based ones are my favorite, but I really dislike biting into a hard grain of of rice, and most of them taste like, well, grain.

Of the homemade black bean burgers we've tried, several were very tasty, but didn't hold together well enough to be considered "burgers"; they worked much better as "cakes" to be eaten on their own rather than between the bun.  Also, many rely upon using a substantial amount of bread crumbs to bind them, and it doesn't seem logical to me to use something that is half bread already as something that should be eaten in a bun (see my issue with the gluten based veggie burgers above).  And then there is the problem with texture.  Texture, more than anything, is my family's biggest complaint.  On more than one occasion, "cat food" has been used as a description by at least one of them (which are decidedly not words any cook likes to hear about her dinner).  I'm less inclined to choose those types of descriptions because I understand that a veggie burger is simply not a hamburger, therefore it will not taste like one nor will it have the same texture.  However, it's very difficult to erase the psychological connection between bun and hamburger when dealing with burger lovers.

So, after much trial and error, I  have found a veggie burger that my family will not only tolerate, but that they actually like.  Yes, you read that correctly - they like them!  And as an added bonus, they are both soy and potentially gluten free (providing the oats are uncontaminated).

While the burgers have a tender inside, they stay together well enough to remain in the bun after biting into it without needing to cup your hands around the edges to keep the contents from mushing out the sides.  The beaten egg whites, the oats, and the cheese act as primary binders, so I was able to avoid using bread crumbs (which I think is ultimately what leads to the "cat food" texture).  The combination of kidney beans, pinto beans, and walnuts give it a "meaty" texture and flavor. The seasonings are subtle enough to handle mustard, pickles, ketchup and whatever else you would traditionally use to dress your burger.

This recipe makes 8-10 burgers, depending on the size.  They freeze very well, and if stored in individual patties between waxed paper, are very easy to grab and cook from frozen for a quick dinner or lunch.

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers
Makes 8-10 burgers

• 3/4 c walnuts
• 1 medium carrot, chunked
• 1/2 lg red onion, chunked
• 1 large clove of garlic (or 2 small ones)
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 c provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Place the walnuts into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and pulse until well chopped (but not ground).

Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; pulse several times until finely chopped.  Add oats, mushrooms, and cheese.  Pulse until well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients through the beans, and pulse several more times to combine and chop most of the beans (you may need to stir the ingredients a few times between pulses).

In a large bowl, use a wire whisk to beat the egg whites until frothy.

Pour the contents of the processor bowl into the egg whites and mix well.

Shape each patty into the desired size (the size of your bun), keeping them each uniformly 1/2 thick.

Stove top:  Heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season patties with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place as many burgers as will fit without being disturbed when the others are flipped (about 4 in a 12 inch skillet).  Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. *To prevent sticking, be sure there is enough oil for the release in the pan.

Oven:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Generously oil a baking tray with olive oil.  Bake patties 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. *Not putting enough oil on the sheet will cause the patties to stick.  While I have never tried it (I use enough oil to not have a problem), I would think that oiling parchment paper and placing the patties on the paper would also help prevent sticking.

From frozen:  Pour 1-2 Tbs olive oil in cold skillet; swirl around to coat the bottom.  Place frozen patties in cold skillet and heat to medium.  Flip patties when the bottom is golden and releases easily; about 6 or 7 minutes.  Cook the other side 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest about 1 minute.

Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese (shortcut 3)

Eliminating those so called convenience foods can be hard.  We tend to reach for them when we are hungry and short on time, and also because we just don't understand the mystery of how to recreate the food on our own.  If I had to sit down and make a list of all those foods right now, boxed macaroni and cheese would be somewhere near the top of my list.  It's interesting how often we reach for it to make a quick lunch, when in fact, making your own macaroni and cheese is just as quick and cost effective as making the boxed varieties.  It's also easy to customize and adjust the quantity.  So, I'm going to share two recipes; a basic, how-to version, and our favorite stove-top version.  Both can be made in about 12 minutes, and both equal the same amount of servings as the 7-8 oz box.  With the simple measurements, it is very easy to double the recipes.

Basic Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese
serves 2-3

• 4 oz small macaroni shells or elbow noodles
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 c cheese of your choice, shredded (I prefer a combination of sharp cheddar and parmesan)
• salt to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in another small pot over medium heat.  With a wire whisk, stir in flour and cook for about 30 seconds (or until the mixture is bubbly).  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly, until the milk is thickened and bubbles begin to rise to the surface (do not boil) - about 4 minutes. Stir in half the cheese until blended.  Stir in the other half of the cheese until melted.  

Pour the pasta into the cheese sauce and mix well.

                            ___________________________________________________________

Very easy, very quick.  Now, if you want to flavor it further, you can change the cheese flavors, add spices, garlic, peas or broccoli...anything you like in your macaroni and cheese.  The next recipe is one of our favorite ways to eat it.

Easy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese
serves 3

• 3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp stone ground mustard
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch thyme
• few good pinches of salt
• few grinds of freshly ground black peppe
• 4 oz macaroni shells
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 c whole milk

Place the cheeses, mustard, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the frozen peas.  Drain the pasta and peas and return to the pot.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in another small pot over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, cook for about 30 seconds.  With a wire whisk, stir in the flour, and cook for about 30 seconds (or until the mixture is bubbly).  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly, until the milk is thickened and bubbles begin to rise to the surface (do not boil) - about 4 minutes. Stir in half the cheese mixture until blended.  Stir in the other half of the cheese mixture until melted.

Pour the pasta and peas into the cheese sauce and mix well.

Chili Beans - Shortcut #2

Today I'm going to talk beans.  Sure, it's easy and cheap to just buy a can of beans with which to make dinner, but why bother when you can toss a pound of soaked dry beans into the slow cooker with some water for $1-$2 and have about  the equivalent of 5 or 6 cans?  Often with my recipes that call for beans, I put a measurement such as "1 1/2 c cooked beans" because I keep home cooked beans in gallon size Ziploc storage bags in my freezer and scoop out what I need when I need them.  For future reference, though, 1 1/2 c equals about 1 can of beans.

When searching the cans of beans in the grocery aisle, more often than not I found additional ingredients listed on the labels: calcium chloride, disodium EDTA, modified food starch, dextrose, and even high fructose corn syrup. Those additives are mostly stabilizers, sweeteners and "flavor enhancers", and nothing we really need in our beans.  There are, however, some brands that are savvy enough to just put beans, water, and salt into their cans, but you do have to search to find them on the canned bean shelf.  The problem for me with even those isn't so much the beans, but rather the can itself.

Bisphenol-A, or more commonly known as BPA, is a toxic chemical used to make plastics, and it also shows up in cans as a barrier separating our food from the metal.  Numerous scientific studies have indicated that  BPA is linked to negative health issues such as reproductive problems, behavioral and neurological problems, breast cancer (and thyroid and prostate cancers as well), obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many more.  Some countries have already banned the use of BPA in food vessels, but not all.  Here, in the US, the FDA has finally banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups just this year, but to my knowledge, that's as far as they have gotten.  Some larger corporations have "promised" to change the liners of their cans used for tomatoes, beans, vegetables, etc, but since they don't presently "have to", I'm not holding my breath.  I will keep an eye on the progress, though.

In the meanwhile, I think I'll skip the cans and make my own, thank you very much.  And thankfully, Ziploc and Gladware brand plastic bags and containers do not use BPA, so for the freezer, that's what I choose.

(If you are interested in learning more about BPA, a simple google search will turn up more articles than you would have time in this lifetime to read.  Here is a well sited Wiki entry, and here is an article from Science News  titled "Cans Bring BPA to Dinner, FDA Confirms" from May 2011.)


Okay, back to bean basics.  It's so simple, really:
-Inspect your beans for stones (I've only ever found 1 stone in all my years of cooking dried beans, but it's worth a check anyway).
-Soak your beans. You can either soak your beans overnight in water enough to cover by about 2-3 inches or you can do the "quick soak" method by covering the beans with same amount of water, bring them to a low boil, immediately cover, remove from the heat, and let soak for about an hour.
-Drain the soaking water from the beans and give them a rinse.  Many people don't drain the soaking water, and if you don't want to, don't.  I do because I've heard that the beans release into the water some of their indigestible compounds when soaked, and I'd rather be comfortable than sorry later.
-Cook your beans.  There are three ways to do this; refill the pot with water to cover by about an inch and simmer for a couple hours (length of time depends on the bean), put them into a baking dish, add water, cover and bake at 350 for a couple hours, or use a slow cooker (add water to cover).  I prefer the slow cooker method because the beans always turn out perfect with consistent texture every time.

So, today we are making Chili Beans (not to be confused with chili with beans, but rather those flavored beans in the can at the grocery store).  We love chili beans because they are great to grab for nachos and taco salads and even as a chili starter because they are already seasoned.  This recipe makes the equivalent of about 5 cans of  chili beans, so be sure you have containers available in which to freeze them.  About 1 1/2 c of the bean mixture equals one can.

Cooked pinto beans before draining and adding sauce

Homemade Chili Beans

• 1 lb pinto beans, soaked
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, each sliced in half once  
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 c water (enough to cover the beans)

Place everything in a 6 quart slow cooker, cover and cook on high 6-8 hours.  When the beans are tender, drain over a pot or bowl, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid.  Remove and discard the onion chunks and bay leaf. Place the beans back into the slow cooker, stir in the sauce (recipe below), cover and cook on high for 30 minutes more.  Cool, place in them freezer containers and freeze.  Thaw when ready to use.

For the sauce:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 med onion, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (if you want less heat, remove the seeds)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced (about 3-4 cups)
• 2 c reserved cooking liquid from the beans
• 2 Tbs cumin
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a 12" skillet over medium/high heat, saute the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic in the olive oil until tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, stir in the tomatoes, and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.  Add the reserved bean liquid and all the spices.  Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add to the beans in the slow cooker and continue with the directions above.

There are only 3 left for me to freeze because we used 2 for dinner (Taco Salads).

Condensed Cream Soups

Ah, cream of mushroom soup.  That tasty little can of magic that can instantly transform everything from turkey noodle casserole and chicken ala king to scalloped potatoes to skillet chicken and rice to gravy into a masterpiece of deliciousness (and bring smiles to your family as they ooh and aah over your gourmet cooking abilities).  And the holidays just wouldn't be the same without all those lovely vegetable casseroles that sometimes call for not just one, but two cans (cream of celery, cream of chicken, cream of insert-anything-you-want) to make it extra creamy, rich, and delectable.

Gag.

I grew up on processed food.  Squishy white bread, boxed macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, frozen pizzas, and the ever-present casseroles made with cream of something soup and an envelope of some sort of instant seasoning.  As I grew older, I was able to skip a lot of those processed food, but the canned cream soups remained a staple.  I had just really never given it much thought - it was always in my pantry with all the rest of my staples of canned tomatoes, canned beans, and jarred spaghetti sauces.  After all, how in the world could I possibly make my favorite scalloped potatoes (my ideal comfort food) without it?

I bought a can for the first time in over a decade last week just for this entry.  In the aisle, I studied the ingredient labels of two brands, a leading brand and the store brand.  The leading brand sported an ingredient list of 13 things, seven of which I could easily identify.  The store brand's ingredient list was much more impressive; it had 16 ingredients, and I could identify the same 7 ingredients.  I chose the leading brand, even though it was 15 cents more expensive, because there were fewer things in the can.  It was almost painful for me to part with my $1.57 as I paid for it.  Oh, and I didn't even have to go to the grocery store to get it.  I bought it at a department store.  Yes, I did.  I also bought a great summer dress on clearance and some socks for my daughter in the same order.

Here are the ingredients in my tab-top, easy open can of cream of mushroom soup:

Water, Mushrooms, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and/or Soybean), Modified Food Starch, Wheat Flour, contains Less than 2% of: Cream (Milk), Salt, Dried Whey (Milk), Monosodium Glutamate, Soy Protein Concentrate, Yeast Extract, Flavoring, Dehydrated Garlic.

Mushrooms are the second ingredient, so that's good, right?  And vegetable oil I know - but which vegetable oil being used is going to remain a secret; we get to guess.  Wheat flour - good.  Cream and salt - makes sense.  Why the dried milk?  Wasn't cream already added?  Or did you notice that it says "Cream (Milk)"?  Last I checked, cream is the thick liquid that rises to the top, and milk is the liquid beneath it, and they are technically not the same thing, as the listing indicates by placing parenthesis around the word "milk". MSG?  That's a chemical flavor enhancer for those of you who didn't already know.  Gives me migranes.  The ubiquitous "Flavoring" made me laugh right out loud.  Yet another secret of the cream of mushroom soup.

Want to know what's in the condensed version of cream of mushroom soup that I've been using in place of this lovely little can?  Butter, mushrooms, flour, milk, salt and pepper.  That's it.  Sometimes I add a little garlic with the mushrooms, sometimes I add some thyme, because I like those flavors in my cream of mushroom soup, but at least I get to choose.  Not once do I reach for a bottle of mystery oil, a jar of MSG, modified food starch, concentrated soy protein or "flavoring".  And I don't use any water, which is the first ingredient listed.

And guess what.  It tastes better than the canned.  And guess what else.  It costs about the same, maybe less.  And one more thing.  It's easy and quick.  But the coolest thing?  I already had all of those things on hand.  They are all staples in my kitchen.  I didn't spend an extra $1.57 and that's just one more steel can I don't have to recycle.  Oh, and did I mention that my condensed cream of mushroom soup is organic and all natural?  It is because when I shop, I buy organic or all natural ingredients.

• Here is what you do to substitute your own condensed cream soup in your favorite recipes.  
• Heat a sauce pan over medium heat.  
• Melt 3 Tbs of unsalted butter.  
• Toss in one finely chopped portobello mushroom cap (about 1/2 cup) and saute until tender.  
• Stir in 3 Tbs flour* (see note).  Cook for about 30 seconds.
• Gradually add 1 cup of milk, stirring like crazy with a whisk or fork to avoid lumps.  Stir constantly for about 3-5 minutes, or until the soup comes to a very gentle boil and thickens.  
• Add some salt (about 1/2 tsp) and pepper to taste (add a pinch of dried thyme now if you like the flavor). 
• Remove from the heat.  

Saute mushrooms in butter

Stir in flour and cook 30 seconds

Add milk and stir like crazy

Voila!  You now have a condensed cream of mushroom soup.  Use the same as you would use the canned version.

The idea is the same with all condensed cream soups.  If you like cream of celery, cream of onion, cream of broccoli, you add about 1/2 c of the finely chopped vegetable, saute it in the 3Tbs butter (you can use olive oil if you really want to) add an equal amount of flour as fat (in this case, 3Tbs) and pour in 1 cup of milk.  For cream of chicken, you would use about 1/4c finely chopped chicken, the same butter/flour ratio, but  substitute 1/2 c of the milk with 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Click here for the printable Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe.

*NOTE - If you use a dry milled flour with the germ, you will need less than 3 Tbs.  I recently switched to a white flour like this and found I only needed about 2 1/2 Tbs to achieve the desired results.