Potage - Suit Yourself!

You will see that this post does not sound "easy" for "lazy" people.  There is nothing "difficult", but it is time-consuming on the day it is prepared.  When you have wonderful meals later, you will understand that "lazy" people who like it "easy" can really appreciate the benefits of spending some time making meals for many later days!

I make a thick, rich concoction my husband calls "potage".  You could call it soup, but it's really thick.  You could call it stew, but that conjurs up in my mind a watery consistency that it never has, so I like his word for it.

You will see that my "Potage" is very flexible.  The ideas below are really suggestions as to things you might consider.

I make mine in very large quantity so I can freeze a bunch to thaw and heat later.  These directions cover that, but I also make variants of it in small and medium quantities--I just pick and choose what I want to add in each case.

In this post I promised I would document some guidelines for making your own:  http://lazycooks-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/09/make-it-simple-streamlining-food-prep.html

Basically you are now going to use up all those leftover bits of meat and au jus you have put in your freezer (see post above for details).  So it's time to browse your freezer!

Ingredients are endlessly variable, but I often start with something like the following from the freezer:

• Note on ingredients:  There are many ways to vary what you do.  For instance, if you are reducing your fat consumption, use lean meats only and brown everything in sprays.
• I personally use only coconut or other high-heat oils for browning. 
• I try not to over-use any oils because I do not want my food to be "greasy".
• I always DRAIN browned meats before adding them to anything.
• Olive oil is very good for you but is not stable at high temperatures and should only be used for low-temperature cooking.
• I do not use fat-free sprays.  
• I use coconut oil spray now. 
• Before I found it at Trader Joe's, I used olive oil I put into a Misto.  But coconut oil is MUCH better for your cooking, so I use it now wherever possible.
• Avocado oil is also a high-heat oil--just check your oils' temperature susceptibility.  

• Overheating low-temperature oils can turn them into something you seriously want to avoid!

Au jus 

• I am cautious about mixing various au jus 
• I take into consideration how the flavors will be together.  
• For instance, I am very cautious with lamb au jus; only using it with lamb because of it's strong flavor.
• It often tastes much stronger than the lamb itself did.
• I do NOT use the liquids from fish in my potage.
• I mix beef and poultry au jus all the time.

Meats from the freezer

• Several kinds of meat make it tastier than only one
• Even frozen sandwich meats can add flavor 
• When my children were small I even froze chopped up hot dog leftovers, with amazing results). 
•  I do make it with only beef or only chicken in smaller quantites.

• Beef -- all sorts, including ground if I have some
• Chicken 
• Turkey
• Buffalo  (I rarely have any of this leftover)
• Venison  
• I would use it if we didn't eat it ALL up every time
• I would also use caution, venison is a delicate and unique flavor
• NOTE:  Fish is a big NO NO -- it should be made into it's own dish.
•  The flavor is too strong and overwhelms everything else--even for mild fish. 
•  We never have many leftovers anyway.
• If some is left for a day or two, I sometimes make fish chowder.

• Of course you do not "have" to use stuff from the freezer.  
• I sometimes start with a big slab of beef which I cut into pieces and brown, especially if I don't have enough stuff in the freezer.
• You can do the same with chicken, etc.

• It will taste so much better if you have a variety of meats!  
• I would not call it "potage" if there is only one kind of meat.

• Bits of spaghetti sauce or spaghetti and meatballs (chopped to bite size before freezing)

• Bits of frozen marina sauces and or tomato sauces that were left when I made other meals.

Vegetables, fresh and frozen - any or all of the following

• Onions, always
• Peas
• Green beans
• Niblets corn
• Spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed, drained, and squeezed hard)
• I prefer fresh, chopped
• Use caution with frozen; it can sometimes produce a bitter taste.
• Tomatoes if you like 
• mine usually goes in as sauces or soup bases, but putting them in directly is great, too
• canned whole or chopped, or diced, or smushed--everything is better with tomatoes in it!
• If I am going for broth based flavor, I do not put in any tomato products 
• Carrots 
• I do not like hard carrots (or mushy), so I always steam them for about 10 minutes before adding them.
• I use them with caution as freezing can leave them mushy. 
• Somtimes I add steamed ones when I thaw potage.

Starches:

• Potatoes
• I never put potatoes into anything I am freezing; I do not like watery, grainy potatoes
• If I want them in, I cook and add them when we are going to eat
• Pasta
• I do not put pasta in if I am going to freeze it; I add it when cooking.  
• A little bit may creep in from time to time and that's ok; it will require more liquid when you thaw it
• Rice
• Rice works pretty well, you just have to add a LOT more broth.
• Beans (canned, or cooked previously -- drained)
• Use with caution for freezing.
• I add them later when I get it out to use.
• I do however freeze chili with good success, so it's up to your preference--I just don't like mushy broken up beans.  Perhaps the vegetables and meat chunks here tend to break them up.
• Squash - winter
• Butternut squash can be a truly delicious addition.
• I do not freeze it; I add it later.

Bases:

• I often use Tomato-Basil soup, or other tomato-based soups 
• and/or the sauces and marinas mentioned above.
• Meat broths (chicken or beef)
• If I want to, I put concentrated broth cubes into a little boiling water from the microwave and break them up to add more flavor
• ALWAYS add au jus if you have it--it does more for the base than any other single thing you can do.  
• It melds beautifully with other liquids.  
• It is very good for you.
• I explain how I freeze it here:  http://lazycooks-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/09/make-it-simple-streamlining-food-prep.html
• I usually hoard it in the freezer until I have enough to make a gigantic potage.

Spices:

• Add as desired.
• I often add more basil, salt (if needed), pepper (if desired), or cumin or cayenne--just use things you like.
• Taste, so you do not overdo them.
• Add chopped garlic if you like.
• You can cook it with the onions by adding it toward the end of the onion-browning time.
• Many spices get stronger as they "meld" with the food, so use caution.
• Others tend to get "lost" 
• Taste, taste, taste!  (Something I never used to do.)

Guidelines for Prep:

• Get everything out to thaw.
• If you want to hurry it along and didn't think to get it out the night before, carefully use your microwave to thaw it at least enough to break it up (or cook, if it's raw).
• Please see the following post for guidelines on freezing meats:  http://lazycooks-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/09/make-it-simple-streamlining-food-prep.html

• Put the base or bases from above into any of the following:
• Stock pot (for large quantities)  
• For cooking on the stove-top 
• with a diffuser to keep it from sticking
• I sometimes use a 16-quart stock pot when making enough to freeze, or a 12-quart, or an 8-quart
• Yes!  I love my huge pots!  :-)
• Crock pot 
• Large oven-compatible Dutch Oven 
• I use a large Lodge Dutch Oven sometimes if it's going into the oven
• cast iron can create a wonderful flavor for some combinations
• You will add more later to get the quantity right, so do not begin with a huge amount.
• Put on the heat to begin the warming process.  
• The temperature you set will be determined by how long it will take you to do the remaining jobs and how big a hurry you are in.
• For stovetop, use a trivet to help avoid sticking!  
• And stir.

• In a skillet, chop and brown onions
• You could do this in the stockpot or the Dutch Oven if it is suitable, but I always drain the onions to get rid of excess oil.  (It's a taste thing with me.)

• Chop (and brown if needed) all the meats.
• Add to the base

• Add bunches of vegetables to the base
• I add a whole bag of each vegetable for large quantities.
• I lightly steam carrots before adding them, as noted above.
• I don't usually put carrots in large quantities to freeze.  As noted, I add them to what we are about to eat.  But they can be added with care.
• As it begins to go together, I add more of whatever I want.
• Just add vegetables that you actually like eating.
• I would never put brussels sprouts in, for instance.
• When using tomato-basil soup in the base, I sometimes chop up lots of fresh spinach to add during the final cooking time.
• But I add it to what we are about to eat--not the large quantity going into the freezer.

• Add more of any of the bases above until you have it the thickness you desire, plus a tad because it will reduce a little while cooking.
• You can always add more as it cooks and you see that it is needed.

• Add spices as desired, see recommendations above.

Cooking times:

Lid Hint:  Because I am "at home" most of the time,when using the stove-top or a crock pot (once begins to steam, I do NOT put the lid on tight.  I off-set it by about a half an inch so the food does not taste "steamed" and large puddles of liquid do not accumulate on the top.

• If I am cooking in the oven and use a lid, I also off-set that lid.

• Recent crockpot lid-propping invention:  three toothpicks inserted around the edges under the lid.  
• I would NOT leave the lid off-set while leaving the house.
• I do not leave it offset until it is gently steaming.
• Leaving it on all the time is fine; just stir the liquid on the top into the rest of it.
• When you get home after being gone for hours, take the lid off entirely, stir, and let some of the liquid cook off if you have time.

• If you have several hours, put only on "medium heat" until it gets warmed through, then reduce heat and let it simmer very gently--barely even bubbling, if at all.  
• This will "meld the flavors together".  

• If you are using a crockpot and it does not automatically cook at a high temperature for the first hour or so (many of the newer ones do this) and you want to speed it along, then put it on "high" until it's steaming after being stirred, then reduce to "low".
• The FDA would likely disagree, but if all the meat is cooked before it goes into the crockpot, I would put it on low and leave it all day with no problem.  
• [I take NO responsibility for the outcome of anyone using any ideas I post on this blog, as stated at the top of the page.  These are simply a record of what I do.  Anyone experimenting with my ideas must use their own judgment and common sense while taking responsibility for anything they do.]

• If you are short on time, put it on "medium-high" until it is hot. 

• Remember, when cooking on the stove top, it will be less likely to stick if you have it on a trivet.  
• If you do not have a trivet, use caution, common sense, and a spoon!

• If all the meat is cooked before adding it, and you are in a hurry, you can thaw and cook the vegetables in the microwave (do not OVERDO), add them to the mixture, get it hot and eat basically immediately, although I would gently heat it for 15 minutes to meld the flavors.  
• They always say to put a little water in the microwave dish, but I never do.  There is a great deal of moisture on the outsides of frozen vegetables.
• I use one of those plastic "lids" designed for a microwave, which helps it cook.

• Occasionally stir gently

• If you are not in a hurry, you can put the vegies in frozen and let the heat cook them as it simmers.
• I would not put solid-frozen anything into a cockpot, although small amounts of peas, corn, and green beans might be ok if you have the right size crockpot and are putting it on all day long.  Just use caution.
• In modern crockpot cooking, it is apparently important to have it filled the correct amount.  
• I have had no problems with this in my old fashioned crockpot, so I am only repeating the guidelines I am reading on new crockpots which sound very complicated.
• If you are not in a hurry, whether you do it on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a crockpot, use the lowest possible temperature to keep it hot, but not bubbling.

Preparing it for use after being frozen

• Thaw and heat and enjoy!
• You may sometimes want to add more broth or soup once it is thawed.  I go by how it thick it seems compared to how I want to eat it.  Normally I do not need to add more broth because I get it close to the way I want it when I make it.

• If potatoes, pasta, canned beans (drained), or other starches are desired, cook and add them at this time.

• As mentioned above, you may freeze it with rice, but I never do that for the large quantities I am going to freeze.  I add it when I get it out of the freezer.
• Then if there are leftovers, I might freeze a small quantity that has rice in it.
• I will need to add more broth to potage with rice.
• Favorite "shortcut" -- use the rice from leftover take-out or restaurant meals.

Serving suggestions:

• For thick tomato-based potage, you can serve with grated cheese on top.
• If it is "spicy", try a dollop of sour cream on top (as well as the grated cheese, if you like).  
• This makes a nice "presentation if you have guests.
• Definitely NOT low-fat!
• You can use bread or toast on the side as well.
• Increases carbs significantly.  The way I normally make my potage is pretty low-carb.
• Salad on the side is good, but you are getting a lot of vegetables in this by itself.
• Because I eat of LOT of salads, I often put my salad in a large dish, and put spoonfuls of potage on top--delicious!

Comments:

By adding and subtracting ingredients, and by adding things once I thaw it out, I can change the flavor significantly so it doesn't become boring.

Have fun with your own variations and eat healthy!