Egg Drop Soup - Broke Food

Today's installment of broke food is just in time for the cold weather!  It's simple, filling, delicious, and best of all, it's inexpensive.  Have it by itself for a meal that is satisfying, or pair it with last week's broke food fried rice recipe, and you'll have enough to feed several people or have leftovers.  

Someone recently told me that I could make these recipes "richer" or have more ingredients in them.  I could, but that's not the point.  The point is to be able to make a meal with what you have on hand by using simple ingredients with just enough spices, additions, and creativity to make it feel like you're not scraping the bottom of the cupboard.   Egg Drop Soup also has just enough protein, in the form of the egg, to give it some substance and flavor. 

On a side note, I LOVE this soup if I've been sick.  It's wonderful for an upset tummy, and it's also very soothing if you've had a cold or the flu.  It just hits the spot in a satisfying way. 

Egg Drop Soup

16 oz (2 cups) chicken broth or prepared chicken bouillon (2 cubes bouillon to 2 cups water)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

A dash of garlic powder

1 egg, beaten  

2-3 green onions/scallions ( or 1 tablespoon chopped onion or 1 teaspoon dried minced onion)

Wire whisk

Optional: 1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with cold water (to thicken soup)* 

In a medium saucepan, bring broth or bouillon to a rolling boil.   Add soy sauce and dash of garlic powder.  Allow to cook for 1 minute and return to rolling boil.  Begin whisking the broth rapidly while pouring beaten egg into broth.  Whisk rapidly until egg forms cooked "strings."  Stop whisking and allow soup to return to a boil.  Add in onions and allow to cook for another minute or so, to combine flavors.  Thicken with cornstarch, if desired.  Serve hot.  Sample and then salt to taste.  Other seasonings to try are ground black pepper, a bit of ground/fresh ginger, or red pepper flakes. 

*Remember, when adding cornstarch to hot liquids, you must first add cold water to the corn starch and stir it well until it is dissolved.  Then pour it into your hot soup. Stir continuously until soup is desired thickness. 

Freezer to Crock Pot - Pork Green Chili

We love spicy food.  This recipe for pork green chili fits the bill.  It is not a heavy chili but is very flavorful and uses broth and other spices to create interesting and satisfying flavors.  

This works well in the crock pot  and can be cooked straight from the freezer.  It also works equally well when made stove top.  Serve it with tortillas or spoon it over rice.  Top with a dollop of sour cream, and you'll be in heaven. 

Pork Green Chili

2 Tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil

3 lbs. pork, cut into medallions (I used pork tenderloins)

Ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

2 green (bell) peppers, chopped

2  (4 oz.) cans green chiles, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons dried cilantro (If using fresh cilantro, increase to ½ cup).

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube)

Lightly brown meat in oil over medium heat.  Lightly pepper meat and place in the bottom of a 1 gallon zippered freezer bag.  Add remaining ingredients.  Squeeze air out, seal, and massage ingredients to distribute. 

When ready to cook, place in crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for approximately 8 hours.  Serve with rice, tortillas, and sour cream. 

Stovetop version:  Lightly brown meat in oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and peppers and saute until onions are translucent.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1-1/2 hours. Stir periodically and check liquid level.  Add water as needed.