Vegetarian Mexican Tortilla Soup

This soup is terrific, filling and healthy. It is adapted from "The Food Babe's" recipe. Just like most recipes I take a recipe and then make it my own to suit our tastes. I will give you options in making it healthier if you choose. I also used all organic ingredients where I could.


Here's what I did: (I doubled the recipe)

2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 Cups onion, chopped (I used two small white onions)
1/2 Cup diced cerely
1 Cup diced carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 cup green lentils, rinsed (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup but I wanted more so I used 1 Cup to make it heartier)
6 Cups vegetable stock
1 (14oz) can or jar crushed tomatoes (mine were chopped not crushed and they broke down just fine)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2- 1 tsp. salt (you will taste and adjust seasoning at the end)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 sprouted corn tortillas **( I did not use sprouted corn tortillas as I couldn't find them. I bought a bag of organic white corn tortilla chips and crushed up a hand full to add to the soup. It is important to use organic corn products as almost all corn and corn products are GMO's. If I can find sprouted corn tortillas next time I make the soup I will give it a try. The organic chips worked great though)

In a large pot heat the olive oil up over med heat and add the onions, celery and carrots. Stir and cook till the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Next add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, lentils, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover and simmer 30 minutes or so till lentils are tender. When lentils are tender add a hand full of crushed corn tortilla chips(or the sprouted corn tortillas.) Cover and continue to simmer another ten minutes. The chips should break up and dissolve into the soup and thicken it up some. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with optional toppings of :
tortillas chips
monterey jack cheese (I use pepper jack cheese. Organic or course.)
cubed avacado
additional cilantro

Enjoy!

Potato Soup

This is easy and delicious. I searched a lot of recipes before I came up with my own version of this soup. I took the best ideas and put them together for my version. It is pretty yummy.

6 med. size potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 - 1 1/2 inch cubes
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery , chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 slices of bacon cut into thin little pieces
4 Tbl. unsalted butter
8 Cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup half and half mixed with 1 Tbl.all purpose flour
1-2 tsp. salt
 1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cajun seasoning
2 Tbl. minced parsley

Put soup pot over med-high heat and add the cut up bacon to the pan and fry till crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a bowl and set aside. Drain the rest of the bacon grease out of the pan and place back on the burner. Add the butter to pan and when it has melted throw in the onion, celery, and carrots and fry for 5 minutes  or till the veggies start to get tender. Add in the cubed potatoes, salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. stir. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till potatoes are very tender. Taste for seasoning. You can add more salt, pepper or cajun seasoning to your taste. I know that I adjust it every time I make it. Using an immersion blender, blend till about half the potatoes and veggies are blended up. Next pour in the 1 cup of half and half and continue to cook and bring back to a boil and mix in the half and half blended with flour. Stir to thicken the soup slightly. Add the parsley and stir. How much flour and milk you use is really dependent on how thick you liken your soup. Always adjust seasoning at the end as needed.
Enjoy!

Beef Guinness Stew

This is a really good stew anytime but perfect for one of those Irish holidays. It is adapted from a few recipes that I researched. Heres what I did: You can half this if you want.


Guinness Beef Stew:
 5 lbs. bonelss beef chuck. Trimmed and cut into chunks. (chuck roast in my opinion makes the best stew meat.)
8 strips of bacon, cut or sliced into small pieces
4 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (the salt and pepper is really to taste)
8 cloves of garlic minced
2 (14oz. Guinness beer. I actually used a little less. I probably used about 20oz.)
1/2 cup tomato paste
8-10 sprigs thyme
6 carrots, cleaned and cut into one inch slices
4 ribs of celery cut into one inch slices
5 Cups of chicken stock (enough to just cover ingredients in cooking pot
1-2 tsp. sugar (to offset the bitterness of the guinness)

In large stew pot add bacon and fry till crisp. remove to a bowl with slotted spoon. Leave bacon grease in pan. Liberally salt and pepper your beef chunks. On med-high brown the beef chunks and remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon (you can add the browned beef to the same bowl with the bacon.) Add chopped onions and saute till they start to get some color. You should have a nice brown glaze stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is where a lot of flavor is and will impart good flavor to the stew. Add the minced garlic to the onions and stir for a minute. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Pour beer into the pot to de-glaze the pot. Stir and scrape all the brown off the bottom. Add the beef and onions and any juice that has collected in the bowl. Add tomato paste,thyme, sliced carrots and celery. Stir. Add enough chicken stock to just cover ingredients. Add 1 tsp sugar and stir. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a mild simmer. Cover and cook one hour. Skim fat and foam off top and give it a good stir. Cover and cook another hour and skim fat and foam again. Cover and continue to cook till beef is very tender. Once meat is tender remove lid and stir and remove thyme stems. Turn heat up and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook till liquid cooks down some and thickens. Stir regularly. Test and adjust for seasoning.
Serve on mashed potatoes, colcannon, or buttered noodles.

Pasta e Fagioli

So in my lame attempt to bring the cool weather on (it was 93 degrees today. BRRRRR) I decided to make a soup. I found my way to doing some research into Pasta e Fagioli. Took a bunch of recipes and took what I liked about each and put my own together. It turned out terrific. Very good. My husband Sasquatch loved this. I served it with garlic toast and Chianti wine. YUMMO.

Here's what I did: I make a big pot for my large family. Half it if you want for less.

4 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 pound pancetta, cubed
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves removed from stem. Leaves lightly chopped.
2 sprigs of Thyme (with lots of sprigs on it) or 4 long single stems Thyme, leaves removed and stem discarded.
4 bay leaves
2 med. onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
5 quarts chicken broth
salt and pepper
4 cans cannellini beans
1 loose pack Cup of fresh basil, chopped
3 Cups Ditalini pasta cooked separately in well salted water. To be added when soup in done cooking.
Extra olive oil for drizzling at serving
Parmesan cheese for serving (this is a must for the end flavor)


Heat oil in large 8-10 quart pot. Add pancetta and cook for 3 -4 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery. Stir and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add garlic and stir to cook for a couple minutes. Add herbs and stir a minute. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and stir. Bring to a strong simmer. Cook for 10 minutes (lid off.) Add drained beans. Stir and continue to simmer for another hour. You want to cook down the liquid some. The soup will cook down about an inch. Add salt and pepper, and basil. Stir and continue to simmer. Start pasta water. Cook the Ditalini for about 8 minutes and then drain and put in pot of soup. If the pasta is a little underdone it will finish cooking. Continue to simmer another 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.
Serve in bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a couple of spoons of parmesan cheese.

Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho

You know I never really got the whole Gazpacho thing. To me traditional Gazpacho tastes to much like eating salsa with a spoon. Not my thing. However I have a recipe book that is nothing but Raw vegan recipes. I found this and made it. OMG! this is delish. My mother will make herself sick eating it. She loves, loves, loves this version of Gazpacho. I just can't tell you how good this is. Give it a try. Enjoy! From Raw Food Real World.


Here's what I do:
4 cups chopped peeled cucumber (I like the long English cucumbers.)
4 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 green onion, white and 1 inch green part, chopped
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. sea salt (If this seems like a lot of salt it isn't. This is raw food eating and there is not salt. So more salt it needed than you would use if you were cooking with canned products. Trust the salt level.)
1 handful of cilantro leaves
3 Tbl. avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, or cold pressed olive oil (I have always used the avocado oil. You can find this at any health store or Whole Foods, Sprouts etc...) DONT ADD 3 TB. OF EACH OF THESE OILS. PICK ONE TO USE AND USE 3 TBL. OF THAT OIL. THANK YOU, THE END.
1 handful of finely chopped raw macadamia nuts

In a blender add 3 cups cucumber and 3 cups pineapple, pineapple juice, jalapeno, green onion, lime juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. add the remaining 1 cup of pineapple and cucumber, the cilantro, and 1 1/2 Tbl. oil. Pulse a few quick times. The Gazpacho should remain chunky. Taste for seasoning. Place in fridge to chill.
Before serving, add the mad nuts to the soup and stir. Serve in bowl with a drizzle of the remaining oil on top.

Shrimp Etouffee

Shrimp Etouffee.............what can I say......YUM! I lived down in the New Orleans area for a few years 21 or so years ago. My first son was born down there. Louisiana is an experience like none. You truly feel like you have left the country in many ways. The deep history and culture that exists down there is amazing. I will be honest with you I'm glad I don't live there anymore (the heat and humidity are terrible) but I'm also glad I got to spend a few years there to experience what Louisiana (New Orleans in particular) had to offer.
The food is a culinary dream. It is the best southern eating to be had. The fresh fish and shrimp (crawfish too) are amazing. I will be honest I was never able to make myself suck the head off a boiled crawfish.....just couldn't do it folks. I did however have wonderful food and experiences. Etouffee was one of my favorite foods. I was never much on the Gumbo or sucking the crawfish heads but give me a good bowl of Shrimp (or Crawfish) Etouffee and I was very content.
Basically Etouffee roughly translates to smothered, stewed, or braised. Etouffee translates to wonderful to me. I can't give direct credit for my recipe to any one person as I spent many hours reading recipes and putting together what appeared to be the best from them all. There are going to be some loyal Etouffee lovers who will not like some of what I put in mine as it breaks with tradition but adds up to wonderful. As you can imagine any one culture with deep roots in cooking and recipes might not appreciate having them altered. But good is good. Now I am going to try a couple of different things the next time I make this. Not because this wasn't great because it was GREAT! Just because I want to see what adding a couple of different ingredients I read about will do. For instance the "to add tomatoes" or not is a debate. I read a few recipes with Worcestershire sauce in them but I didn't use it. I also used clam juice. Horror of horrors for any native Louisianan. They aren't big into clams down there but they love a good oyster. The reason for the clam juice is I didn't want to hassle with making shrimp stock and so I used clam juice. Guess what it worked great. So if you are from Louisiana and I have irritated your sense of cooking loyalty I humbly apologize for that but I don't apologize for this great dish. Here's what I did......

THE SECRET TO A GOOD ETOUFFEE IS A GOOD ROUX. VERY IMPORTANT!

Shrimp Etouffee- Serves 10-12 generous (don't forget I feed a family of Sasquatches. Plus we like leftovers.)
Before I start cooking the etouffee I put my rice in my rice cooker and get it cooking. You want plenty of white rice to pour you shrimp etouffee over.

2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 red bell pepper, diced (how small is a personal thing. I prefer my pieces really small.)
1 orange (whatever color you want. I'm not a big green bell pepper person so I never use them.) bell pepper,diced.
2 Cups celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped (I will probably add more next time. But this amount was good.)
4 Cups onion, diced.
1 Cup bacon, chopped
1/2 Cup chopped parsley
1 1/2-2 Cups beer (I used Coors light because that is what I had.)
4 Cups clam juice
4 Cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 1/2 Tbl. Cajun Seasoning (I used Ragin' Cajun brand)
2 Cap fulls of crab/shrimp boil (this is spicy. Add more to taste. I used Zatarain's boil)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp. salt (to taste. check for seasoning at the end and then add this.)
good pinch of cayenne pepper
2 pounds shrimp (I purchased fresh caught never frozen shrimp. I had to clean and devein them.)

In a heavy stock pot placed over med-high heat add the bacon and cook till just done. Remove bacon and leave bacon drippings in pan. Turn heat down to med. and add both sticks of butter. After butter has melted add the flour and stir. It will seem thick and weird for a while as it cooks and starts to loosen up the bacon residue on bottom of the pan. After all that lifts it will thin out some. Stir constantly while the roux cooks and browns. This is very important to how your etouffee comes out. You don't want to cook your roux too quickly or under cook it or burn it. If you under cook it you lose a lot of flavor. If you over cook it your etouffee will taste burnt. So low and slow. This can take 15-30 minutes depending on your stove and pot etc... Stir constantly till it is a rich caramel color (or little darker than the color of peanut butter.) Once it hits the stage of browing it will go quickly so be alert. Once it hits this stage add in your bells peppers, onion, celery (this is considered the "Holy Trinity" in Louisiana cooking.) Add the garlic, cooked bacon and parsley. Stir this all around in the roux and cook for a couple of minutes. Then deglaze your pan with the beer and add all the clam juice and chicken broth. Stir to get roux dissolved and then add bay leaves, cajun seasoning, shrimp boil, white pepper, ceyanne and stir. Save the salt for later. Right now it will taste highly seasoned but the flavors mellow a lot during cooking. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer slowly for about 30 minutes stirring often as the veggies will have a tendency to sink to the bottom and you don't want them to stick. While this is simmering clean your shrimp and I cut each one up into a bite size peice. Your sauce will thicken to a wonderful gravy consistency. Once your there throw in the raw cleaned shrimp and allow to cook another 10 minutes or so. Then taste for salt. I did add 1 tsp. of salt and ended up salting it again after if was on my rice. Just follow your taste buds here.
Thats it kids. Shrimp Etouffe. I'm going to play around with it some by adding the tomatoes (very little) and maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce (my sister-in-law would be proud. She loves her some Worcestershire sauce. Sending the love to Sandra.)
Anyway serve over cooked white rice. We had this with some fresh baked artisan bread with a great Wisconsin butter and cold beer. Was a great meal.

Beef Barley Soup

It's a rainy and cool Sunday morning and I decided to make some soup. Just felt like a good meal to go with the day. So I decided some Beef Barley Soup would be just the thing. It was pretty good and made our tummies happy. As summer comes our way we have less and less days that feel like soup days. So I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to make this great pot of soup.


Beef Barley Soup:
2 Tbl. evoo
4 lbs. stew mean (I usually buy a lean roast and cut my own. But whatever works for you is ok.)
Salt and Pepper
4 Cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only. Make sure to clean them well. You don't want sand in your soup)
2 Cups chopped onions
4 Cups sliced carrots
2 Cups sliced celery
4-6 garlic cloves minced
4-6 springs fresh thyme (you can tie them together for ease of removing later if you want.)
5-6 bay leaves
4-5 (32oz.) boxes of beef stock or broth (msg. free)
1-2 Tbl. kitchen bouquet (optional)
2 Cups pearl barley

Heat 1 Tbl. evoo in big pot. When oil is good and hot add half the meat and 1/2 tsp. salt and a good pinch of pepper. You want to brown your meat. You want to get a good sear on the meat (this is where you get good flavor.) Once this is done pour the meat and any juice from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Now add another 1 Tbl. evoo and the rest of the meat and another 1/2 tsp. salt and a good pinch of pepper cook the rest of the meat the same way. Pour the meat and all juice into the same bowl as your first batch of meat and set aside. Now let pan heat up and add leeks,carrots,onion,celery, and garlic to pan. Stir and cook for about 5-10 minutes till veggies have cooked down some. Add the meat back in with all the juice, 4 of the boxes of stock (save the other one for adding to the soup if you need it later. I didn't end up needing but 4 boxes.) Add the thyme and bay leaves. cover and bring to a boil and turn down to a hard simmer till the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. When the meat is tender add the kitchen bouquet. In another stock pan bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add 2 cups of barley and a good pinch of salt to the boiling water. Cook barley for 30 minutes and drain. At this point remove the thyme stems and the bay leaves from the soup. Add the drained barley (barley will not be completely done yet) to the soup and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Lentil Soup

This is my tried and true recipe. I use to make it with meat stock. Now I use vegetable stock. I will give it to you both ways. It is very good and makes a huge amount. We will eat on it for days.
Though this recipe has curry in it it doesn't taste like a curry dish. There isn't enough in there to really make it a curry dish. Just enough to give it that little something extra. It is an important flavor component.

3 large onions, or two large onions and one leek. Doesn't matter. Chopped
4-6 carrots peeled and sliced
2 Tbl. butter (I don't use this in my vegetarian version)
2 Tbl. olive oil. ( use 4 Tbl. in my vegetarian version)
3 (32oz. boxes beef stock.)(I use vegetable stock)
8 cups water (you can use all stock if you prefer
4 Cups dried green lentils, rinsed
4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Herbamare vegetable salt (optional)(most grocery stores have this on their spice isle.)
1-2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 cup sour cream (I don't use this in my vegetarian version)
juice of half a lemon (optional)

Place oil and butter (if using) into large stock pot over med-high heat. Add chopped onions/leeks. Cook till the onions start to soften and add the carrots. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add dried lentils and stir. Add stock and water. Then add the dried thyme, pepper, salt, Herbamare seasoning, and curry powder. Stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cover. Cook till lentils bust open and are tender. Stir frequently as lentils will sink to the bottom of the pan and you don't want them to burn. When they are tender (30-40 minutes) take off the heat and add the sour cream (if using) and add the juice of half a lemon (this is optional. It just brightens the flavors. It isn't necessary though.) Also, season to taste with salt and pepper or more Herbamare.
NOTE: Watch for broth content. Add extra broth or water as necessary. It should be thick but still have a good amount of liquid. You want it like a soup or stew not like a thick mash.
Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili

We are trying to eat better after a culinary overload during the holidays. This is a good way to do it. I never miss the meat in chili when we have this. It is very low in fat and high in fiber. It tastes great too. 

Black Bean Chili

4-5 Cups dry uncooked black beans. (Two of the small bags of black beans is what I used.) Rinse and put in large pot and cover with water. Allow them to soak for 4 hours or longer. 

After they have soaked. Pour the beans in a colander and drain the soaking water. Place the drained beans back into large pot and add 8-10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a hard simmer and cook till beans are soft. This should take 1-2 hours. When the beans are tender add:

2 Cans chopped Rotel tomatoes

2 Tbl. Cumin

2 Tbl. Chili Powder

2 tsp. Smoked Paprika

2-3 tsp. salt (to taste.)

Allow to simmer while you cook the veggies.

Chop the following:

2 onions

2 bell peppers (I like yellow)

 3 Carrots

2 Tbl. Olive oil

20 garlic cloves, minced

2 Cups frozen corn

To a skillet add 2 Tbl. olive oil and add the onions, carrots and peppers and fry till almost done and add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the corn and cook till corn is thawed and heated through. Add everything scraping the skillet well into the beans. Allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes. When done add:

1/4 or more chopped Cilantro. Stir well and taste for seasoning.

Roasted Garlic and Beet Soup

Ok, We are on this 21 day, post crazy holiday eating for two months cleanse. Meaning we are eating very restricted and healthy vegetarian foods. It has gone well and we have had many benefits from the process. One benefit was this soup. I have never made anything with fresh beets. I can kill some jarred pickled beets off, but never have I used fresh. This has been a learning process. I like regular cooked beets ok, I will eat  them if they are in front of me but have never gone out of my way for plain cooked beets. I was not looking forward to this soup. It was on the menu for our healthy cleanse, so I took the plunge. 

This is sooooo good. Not only is it super healthy but it tastes really rich and yummy. I think it is reminiscent of potato soup. I think mine turned out a little thinner than it was suppose to but I was working with having more beets than the recipe called for but not exact amounts. It was still wonderful. So here it is kids if your looking for a healthy, rich, very tasty soup. I think it would be killer with a great kicked up grilled cheese sandwich sitting next to it. But alas we can't do that right now. But I will!

Also, beet greens are DELICIOUS! I removed those the day before making the soup and cleaned them. Tore them from the center vain and chopped them up for a salad. They are sweet. Not bitter at all. They are very good. Try them out.

Roasted Garlic and Beet Soup: This is suppose to serve 4. On our cleanse it did. Real people may want more.

Makes 4 cups

3 med. beets, washed and ends trimmed.

2 Tbl. olive oil, plus more for drizzling to roast

6 unpeeled garlic cloves

1 large leek, thinly sliced and rinsed of all sand and dirt

1 tsp. fresh chopped thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

3 Cups water

Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400

tear off big enough piece of foil and parchment paper to encase the beets. Place them on the parchment paper lined foil and drizzle with olive oil. Fold up into a tight package. Bake one hour. Place the garlic cloves on another piece of foil and drizzle with oil. Fold up tight. Put the garlic in the oven 30 minutes after the beets. When done open the packets and let cool. Remove the skin from the beets and cut into fourths and set aside. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin and set aside the garlic. Throw the skins away.

In pot heat 2 Tbl. of olive oil over med. heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often till tender, 6-8 minutes. Add beets, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Add 3 Cups of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 10 min. Discard bay leaf. Remove from heat and either ladle into blender and blend till smooth or use an immersion blender and blend till smooth. Season with lots of salt and pepper to taste. 

Three way chili, Frito chili pie!!!! Either way its a great pot of Chili

I love chili. I love Cincinnati Chili or 3 way chili or Frito chili pie. Its all good. This is my fairly new and staple chili recipe. I use it for frito chili pie. I use it over spaghetti (if you have never done this you must. You will thank me.0 We have Pioneer Woman to thank for the inspiration. I have ate my chili on spaghetti noodles for years and years. Try it you wont be sorry. Add some cheddar cheese and onions if you like on top. Very good. I promise.
Before we go on lets tackle the "to bean or not to bean" issue. I don't care if it means I'm not a true Texan, or Southerner, or human being. I like beans. I like beans in my chili. So I put them in my chili. Feel free to leave them out if it insults your chili sensibilities. I'm ok with that. I want everyone to just get along and eat this good chili.
Chili

• 2 pounds Ground Chuck
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced (optional)
• 1 can (12 To 14 Ounce) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (10 Ounce) Ro-tel tomatoes (as spicy as suits your buds)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 can (14-ounce) Kidney Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 1 can (14-ounce) Pinto Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 1/4 cup Masa (corn Flour) This is a very important flavor component. 
• 1/2 cup Warm Water
• package cooked spaghetti noodles
• Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Diced Red Onion (Optional)

How do I cook the chili Kathy?

Brown ground chuck with garlic in a pot over medium-high heat. Add tomato sauce, Rotel, salt, oregano, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Add drained and rinsed beans. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
Mix masa with water, then add to the chili. Stir to combine and simmer for a final 5 minutes or so. 
To serve place a mound of pasta on plate and top with chili and cheese and anything else your using. YUM YUM!

Zuppa di Gnocchi e Pesto/Soup with Gnocchi and Pesto

It's the time of year that all I can think about is warm fires in the fireplace and soups and stews. Of course here in Texas the state of the Bi-Polar weather system its hard to know how to feel from one day to the next. Keeps us on our toes and in the doctors office with cold symptoms. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a cold weather person, always have been. So Texas and I struggle a lot. But Texas does take pity on me and hands out a few cold days to brighten my fall mood. Now this weekend it is suppose to be 80 degrees! Texas has to remind me who's boss. 

Yesterday was a nice chilly day. My built in winter instincts started screaming for soup. So having seen this on another blog I thought it looked good. I also thought "I'm tired and lazy." Not a good combo if your planning soups and home made breads to soothe your need to feel arctic. This soup was fairly simple. I'm a cook from scratch kinda gal but every now and again when I have "one of those days" (and I'm having them more and more as I age) I try and choose easy peasy stuff. 

This soup was pretty easy peasy. I made cheddar/chive/garlic biscuits to go with the soup. The biscuits are made from the boxed biscuit mixes (I know, I know......shame on me. My Grandmother is rolling over in her grave.) But when your tired and lazy it works in a pinch. Last night was a pinch. However, what I put on the table in my tired and lazy mood was simply wonderful and filling. My family loved it. As shameful as it is I will also list my biscuit mix cheddar cheese biscuits for those of you who also feel tired and lazy from time to time. The soup was a winner for us. I was a little afraid of the pesto being too strong, but don't worry yourself. It wasn't. The broth was delicious. I served it with the biscuits and a Ceasar salad. We also popped open a few bottles (yes, I said a few) of Chianti to wash it down. Then warm coffee and a little dessert cake (I purchased at the store. Oh how the truth hurts.) We sat and ate our meal and drank our wine as we watched the fired dance its dance in the fire place. The soup was warm. The family time was warm. The fire was warm. It was a wonderful family time to be had. We had a guest and I think he didn't want to leave. Who could blame him. We are pretty wonderful.  The meal and company was wonderful from beginning to end.

 

Soup (I double this for my family)

3 chicken breasts on the bone

1 yellow onion, quartered

8 garlic cloves, skins still on

3 Tbl. olive oil

3 pinches of salt

3 pinches of pepper

2 (32oz) cartons chicken stock or broth

1 (6-8oz) jar prepared pesto

1 (16oz.) package Gnocchi

 (the Gnocchi and pesto can be made from scratch but remember I was tired and lazy. I have good recipes for both. I will post them on here one of these days.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on sheet pan or roasting pan. Place garlic (with skins on. We are basically roasting the garlic while the chicken cooks. It wont flavor the chicken, but is used in the soup. Two birds, one stone kinda thing.)around the chicken but not on the chicken. Break apart the quartered onion and place on and around the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil and salt and pepper the chicken. Roast the chicken in the oven till just cooked. My chicken breasts were large so it took 45 min or a little more. 35-45 minutes should do it. Just check the chicken. Once baked allow the chicken breasts to cool. Take the onions and put into a blender. Peel the garlic and place in the blender as well. Pour one box of stock in the blender and one box of stock in pot for the soup. Heat the stock pot of broth up. When it comes to a boil add the Gnocchi. Gnocchi are done when they rise to the top. Just follow package directions for cooking the Gnocchi. Now back to the blender. Add  about 3 Tbl. of the pesto to the blender of onion, garlic, and broth. Blend till completely smooth. Pour this into the soup pot and go ahead and add the rest of the Pesto also. Shred the chicken and add to the pot. We found the soup did not need salt or pepper but you decide about the seasoning at this point. Make sure everything is heated through. Serve with some good bread, or biscuits (even the tired and lazy kind.)

You can find the recipe for the cheddar cheese biscuits under breads on my blog. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Made Broccoli Cheese soup for the first time tonight. It was very good. We just had it with ham and turkey cheese croissant sandwiches. I will tell you what I did and what I might change next time. The flavor was great. I liked it just like it was. My husband thought more cheese would have been good. So you can decide for yourself and adjust it to your personal tastes.

This made a bunch. It filled a 6 1/2 quart cast iron dutch oven. But remember I feed a small army at my house.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Sticks butter

2 onions, chopped 

1 Cup chicken stock, plus more if needed to thin out soup

2 quarts half and half

5 Cups whole milk

2 good size pinches of ground nutmeg

2-4 tsp. salt, to taste

1-2 tsp. pepper, to taste

4 (16oz.) bags frozen broccoli florets, semi thawed and chopped into small pieces

4 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 Cup instant mash potato flakes

Melt butter in large dutch oven. Add onions and fry till tender. Pour chicken broth, milk, half and half into pan and bring to a simmer. Add nutmeg and chopped broccoli. Add half of the salt and pepper. Cook till broccoli is tender. Stir in potato flakes and shredded cheese a little at a time. Stir till cheese is melted and then add more cheese. Don't cook at too high a temperature so the cheese melts evenly. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Now here is the personalizing part of it. If it is too thin add more potato flakes. If it is not cheesey enough add more cheese. If it is to thick add more chicken broth. You can also put half in a blender and blend the broccoli up finer if you prefer.

My Grandma Doris's Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys (Beef stew with noodles)

My Grandma Doris

This recipe came from my Grandma Doris. Who made the most wonderful food. I was a picky eater when I was a kid, unless we were eating at Grandma Doris's house. I think she could have served me dirt and I would have thought it was delicious.I have actually googled the name and can't find it anywhere. So I don't know the origins of  the name "Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys." What I do know is that it brings back fond memories and is simple and tasty. I love to make it for my Daddy (Grandma Doris is my Daddy's mother). He doesn't get it unless I make it for him and it brings me great joy to do that for him once in a while.

We lost Grandma Doris last year so this is my tribute to her memory. This brings her back to us every time we eat it. Ohhhhh her house always smelled so good. She was the best cook. Plus she always let us kids go bang on her organ she had in a back bedroom, and play pool on the pool table down in the basement. Oh and yard darts (before they were on the "most dangerous" list. Too bad it was lots of fun) oh and horse shoes that were way back behind her huge garden in the back yard. AAAWWWW, don't get me started on what Christmas was like at her house.  So here's to Grandma Doris and her ever lovin Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys.

Do I need to say it? You know I make more than this. This is just the recipe as she gave it to me. 

Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys

2-3 pounds beef (cut up into stew size pieces.)

flour for dredging the beef in.

salt and pepper

1 large onion, diced

2-3 potatoes, cut up into bite size pieces

1 can drained yellow wax beans (this is the only time I have ever used these beans. They look just like green beans but they are yellow.)

2 Boxes good beef stock or more. You want enough to cover the meat by 4-6 inches. Remember you will be adding other stuff to the stew. Plus an extra box or two if the broth boils away. (she never did this. Grandma Doris always used water. I just like the deep flavor it gives. The beef doesn't have to work as hard.)

1 can stewed tomatoes (Grandma Doris always served her home canned stewed tomatoes. Since I don't can, I buy the canned stewed tomatoes at the store. I know shame on me. She also never added them to the stew. She served them on the side and you just added them to your bowl if you wanted them in your stew.)

Kniffleys (recipe follows)

Salt and pepper the beef and dredge it in flour. In stock pot add a little canola oil and sear the beef over a high heat. Do this in batches if need be. After all the beef has been browned add the stock and onions. Cover and turn the heat down to a soft boil and cook till the beef is tender. I always keep extra beef stock on hand. If the stock level gets too low add more stock. 

Once the beef is tender remove it from the stock and  add the potatoes and cook till they are just tender. Start cutting the kniffleys into the broth (how many kniffleys you make is a decision you make based on how many noodles you want. We like lots of kniffleys.) Kniffleys are done when they rise to the surface. Once you have all the kniffleys you want in your stew add back in the beef and the drained yellow wax beans. Test for seasoning for salt and pepper. Cook to heat through. Serve with stewed tomatoes and crusty bread. 

I think Kniffleys are really just a form of Spaetzle. I don't know how they got the name "Kniffleys" but that is what we grew up calling them. So that is what I call them in the recipe. I can remember standing behind my Grandma Doris and watching her cut these into the boiling stew broth. I don't know I thought it was just a great thing to watch them fall into the boiling broth and then pop up all plump and yummy.


My Grandma Doris's Kniffleys


2 Cups all purpose flour
good pinch of salt (if you don't salt these well enough they will be flavorless and also make the stew work hard to have flavor.)
2 eggs
enough water to make it a loose dough. This is hard to describe in writing. I will do my best. The dough has to be thick and sticky yet not like a bread dough. It should be soft and pliable, not dry at all. If you get it too loose it will disintegrate in the broth. Too dry and they can be tough. Sorry this is the best I got.

Put 2 cups flour in a bowl and add a good pinch of salt (sorry I have never measured this. Next time I make this I will measure everything and come back and edit this recipe for you all.) then crack both eggs into the flour. I then go to the sink and turn on the cold water.  I add a little bit and stir (with a fork) like crazy to incorporate the eggs and water. I keep adding water a little at a time till I get a sticky dough that holds together. Then back at at the stew pot I take a small spoon (the small silverware spoon.) and dip it in the hot broth and then scoop the spoon half full of dough and dip it back into the simmering broth. The dough should drop off the spoon and start cooking. I continue this till all the dough is used. Then I decide if it is enough Kniffleys (for us it is never enough kniffleys. Don't be deceived by the top being covered with kniffleys. Stir the stew well to get a better idea of how many kniffleys you really have in the stew.) and then I make another batch using the same method above. I do this till my pot is full of kniffleys. You want to stir the pot after each addition of kniffleys to keep the new kniffleys that sank to the bottom of the pot from sticking till they cook and rise. The stew will not be a deep color as we don't add the stewed tomatoes to the stew instead serving it to those who want to help themselves.

Note: I use the same recipe for dumplings in my chicken and dumplings. I just add Poultry seasoning to the recipe and makes great chicken and dumplings. That recipe will be in a future post.

Chicken-n-Noodles

ho hum, yet again had to take a picture from Pioneer Woman. I didn't want to wait till I made this again. When I do I will add my own pic. Please forgive me Pioneer Woman. 

Now this to me and most of my family tasted just like the canned chicken noodle soup we all grew up eating and loving, but better. I guess I would say the flavors were reminiscent of the soup, you know the can "C"'s Chicken Noodle Soup. If you love that soup you will love this chicken and noodles. I made just a couple small changes. Nothing that would alter the flavor just easier prep. Adapted from Pioneer Woman's Chicken and Noodles.

Now you know I doubled this.

Chicken-n-Noodles

1 whole chicken (whole or cut up.)

4 quarts chicken stock (I buy the  organic brands of chicken stock in the boxes at the store. I'm just to lazy to make my own.)

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 med. onion, diced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. Turmeric

1/4 tsp. white pepper (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. ground Thyme

2 tsp. parsley flakes (I used fresh flat leaf parsley)

16 oz. frozen egg noodles. I used Reames homestyle egg noodles. Walmart carries them as do other stores. I can and do make my own noodles. But these are good and makes for a simpler meal, besides it is what Pioneer Woman uses and I love her.

3 Tbl. all purpose flour

Put chicken in pot and cover with 4 quarts chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce and simmer covered till chicken is tender. Remove chicken from stock pot and strain stock to remove any debris and return stock to pot. Cool chicken slightly and pick all the meat off the bones. While your picking your chicken add the carrots, celery, onion and spices (salt, Turmeric, pepper, Thyme, parsley) to pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat and add noodles and chicken. Cook for about 10 more minutes. Mix the 3 Tbl. flour with a little water till smooth and put it into the pot. Cook another 5 minutes or so to thicken the broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust with Salt and Pepper if needed.

Note: Now I know that I am at the head of my class when it comes to the "run on sentences." My husband has a Journalism degree and I drive him crazy. Oh well. To know me is to over look my run on sentences.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tried and True Recipe #1

picture taken by "ME"

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves: A bunch (made a big 8 quart stock pot full of soup)

1 whole chicken (I used a cut up fryer. Either will do.)	1 small bunch cilantro chopped and divided
4 or 5 (32oz.) boxes of chicken stock (I’m just not organized enough to make my own.)	2 cans Rotel tomatoes (chopped. I used mild. But whatever works for you)
6 carrots diced	1 (16oz.) bag frozen corn
1 bunch of celery cleaned and sliced	1 Tbl. (or more to taste) tomato paste
1 large and 1 small onion diced 6 cloves of garlic chopped	1 bag corn tortillas (will be used twice so bag is split in half.)
1 Tbl. (or to taste.) salt  Black Pepper 1 tsp. cayenne (optional) 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder	½ pint heavy cream  (Whip the other half and eat it with a spoon. Or make butter with it. I will blog about that soon. I'm pretty sure its one of the deadly sins to let cream go to waste. Even if you have to sacrifice yourself by eating it with a spoon. Or make butter out of it and spread it on home made biscuits. I know, I know it is a lot to ask of anyone. But you can do it.)

Toppings for serving soup: Monterey jack cheese, Diced avocado, Lime wedges, Fried corn tortillas,

Chopped cilantro

Instructions: Put chicken in pot and add just enough stock to cover chicken. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down burner till you have a hard simmer. Don't want to lose too much stock to evaporation and cook till chicken is tender and falls off the bone. Remove and strain broth. Put stock back into pot and add more stock to fill the pot ¾ full. Bring the broth to a simmer and add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook till veggies are just tender. Add cayenne (if using), cumin and chili powder while veggies are cooking. While veggies are cooking remove chicken from bones and add to the pot. When veggies are done add the two cans of Rotel, tomato paste, about ½ cup or so of cilantro, frozen corn and take half the corn tortillas and slice into thin strips and add to the soup. We will fry up the rest for a crispy garnish. Let this cook for another 5 minutes or so on simmer and then add the heavy cream. Stir and season to taste. Take what is left of the tortillas and cut into strips and fry in oil till crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside for garnish. Serve soup in bowls with avocado, squirt of lime, fried tortilla strips, cheese and a little cilantro. Enjoy!