Cold Remedy

• 1 oz. sliced fresh ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 lemon slice
• 1 pint water

Simmer 15 minutes; strain.

VERDICT:  Super astringent.  It probably works, but I did not enjoy it.  Toss.

Classic From the Vault: Strawberry Banana Jello Salad

• 1 box of strawberry Jello
• 1 10 oz pkg frozen strawberries 
• 1 c. boiling water
• sliced bananas

Add boiling water to jello.  Stir until dissolved.  Add strawberries and stir to break up.  Chill.

VERDICT:  This is the best Jello salad ever.  Despite being made of largely processed and frozen foods, it manages to taste fresh and refreshing.  For future reference--use the small box of Jello, don't thaw the strawberries, and add the bananas after slightly set.  I doubled the recipe to serve eight and used three bananas.  Keep!

Split Pea, Barley, and Rutabaga Stew

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 c. diced celery
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle pepper or other dried chile pepper, soaked, seeded, and minced
• 10 cups water
• 1 c. dried split peas
• 2 cups peeled, diced rutabaga or turnip
• 1/2 c. barley
• 1 T. ground coriander
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 T. dried oregano
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. ground black pepper
• 1/2 t. salt

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and dried chile pepper.  Saute over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the water, peas, rutabaga, barley, and seasonings (except the salt) and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 hour or more.  Stir the soup occasionally.

When the soup reaches the desired thickness, season with salt and ladle into soup bowls.  Serve hot.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I used turnips, which were the best part of the soup, silky and sweet.  I didn't bother soaking and mincing the pepper--I just floated it in the soup as it cooked and fished it out in the end.  Sadly, the best part of the soup was its description, which includes this sentence: "Even though the rutabaga looks like a prehistoric tuber transported through a time machine, it really can swing with today's hip beans and vegetables if given a chance."  Toss.

Vegetable, Tortellini, and Kidney Bean Soup

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 c. diced celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 large tomato, cored and diced
• 8-12 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 c. cooked or canned red kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 4 c. water or vegetable stock
• 2 T. fresh minced parsley
• 2 T. dried basil
• 1 T. dried oregano
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• 1/2 t. salt
• 4 oz. cheese tortellini, refrigerated or frozen

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, fresh tomato, and mushrooms.  Cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, water, and seasonings, reduce the heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tortellini and cook for 15 to 25 minutes longer.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.

Variations:
Top with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Stir in shredded kale or mustard greens along with the beans.
Add corn kernels or green peas.

Serves 8; 179 calories.

VERDICT:  I left out the bell pepper and added extra zucchini.  I had slightly fewer beans than called for--one can is a bit shy, and I didn't want to open another.  I compensated by adding nearly twice as many tortellini as indicated.  I though the end result was excessively seasoned, but John liked it, so keep.