in food as in marriage....compromise is good!!

The other day my husband and I went shopping at a local Asian Market, Han Ah Reum. He rarely goes grocery shopping with me, but when he does it definitely alters the contents of our cart. The case in point on this last trip was a Nakiri (a Japanese Vegetable Knife). I felt we didn't need it, but my DH insisted I would love it... I compromised and wouldn't you know he was right! I love the new knife and used today's vegetable soup as an excuse to chop and chop and chop.


Eventually, my DH saw just how much fun I was having in the kitchen and came to join me in the soup-making. Before I knew it, he had the knife and was adding stuff to the soup....stuff I wouldn't have added. Stuff like the basil, oregano and marjoram. It wasn't the spices themselves that I objected to but the quantities. Nor did I object to the rice in principal, but I was thinking pasta... Since I wouldn't even have my lovely new knife if it weren't for following his earlier suggestion, I decided to try to compromise on the soup ingredients as well.



Well... Surprise Suprise this was a delicious soup!! And easy too!! In honor of our joint efforts I am naming it : Marriage Is About Compromise Soup or MIAC Soup for short. I suggest you try it at home and see if you don't love it too!!

MIAC Soup

Ingredients:
1 rib celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 head baby napa cabbage, finely chopped
1/2 cup green beans, chopped into small pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup minced fresh chives
1/4 cup minced fresh oregano
1/4 cup minced fresh marjoram
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1 tofurky italian sausage, chopped into small pieces
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup wine (I used rice wine, white would work just as well)
4 cups hot water
2 Vegan Not Beef Bouillon cubes
red pepper flakes, to taste

1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1 additional cup water (if necessary)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Put everything except cooked rice and water in crock pot and cook on low 7-8 hours.
2. One hour before serving, stir in rice and additional water, if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning.


We were able to throw this together and simply leave it, while we went to a recital for one of my husband's students and then socialized with some friends. When we returned home the soup was ready to eat. How easy is that?