Christmas Eve with Friends....

Our usual fare for this day is a Sausage and Tortellini soup that we love but we have loved it for the last 5 or 6 years so it is time to move on. Normally the Orthodox fast this time of year but sadly we do not participate that much. We have a family and friend tradition which we have done for many years that involves our oldest and dearest friends, Jeff and Michale as well as Bob and Kim and whatever child is not working that day. In this case Mackenize, Nick and Jill will be present we hope.

So this year I searched my soul and Pintrest and found a Chicken and Mushroom soup that looked tasty so I made atrial run last weekend and it was delicious! Onward and upward. So here is the recipe we will be making this weekend:

 Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup

by DamnDelicious blog....link below.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup half and half, or more, as needed*
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
2. Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
   Coupons
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken thighs, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and rosemary, if desired.

Original link here:   http://damndelicious.net/2015/01/10/creamy-chicken-mushroom-soup/

French Onion Soup

Nice day yesterday cool and breezy. Mackenzie was coming over with a pal I have several very large onions from Brenda's folks that were getting soft so I made French Onion Soup. The hardest part is cooking the onions so I got an early start.

I had 3 large and 1 medium onion, halved and chopped. I used every bit leaving only the root end.

I began the cooking on the stove top to soften them up a bit before a long stint in a hot oven to caramelize them to a soupy brown syrup. To this I added the rest of the ingredients and some fresh herbs from my yard. Topped with toasted croutons and Gruyere it made for a satisfying meal. I had made some chicken wings also so I served them on the side. Delish!

French Onion Soup

There are a lot of variations out there but the premise is always the same. A savory broth with falling apart onions in it.

3 very large or 6 medium onions, sliced in half moons about 1/4 inch thick.
3 tbs butter
1 tbs Salt
3 tbs flour
1 quart or more of Chicken  Broth
1 cup white wine or red your choice
1 can Beef Consume
4 sprigs fresh thyme

I used a cast iron pot and melted the butter. I cooked the onions with the salt till they became soft and had a lot of liquid, about 20-30 minutes. I let these simmer covered for an hour covered.

I heated the oven to 400 and placed the pot in the over with the lid ajar to let some of the steam escape for another hour, stirred them then let them cook till they were very golden brown another 20 minute to an hour.

Back on the stove top I added the wine and reduced it then added the flour and cooked the raw taste from it. In went the chicken broth and thyme. Once it came to a simmer I grated 1 large clove of garlic into the mix,  let it go for an hour, tasting to adjust the seasoning, adding pepper and more salt, fishing out the thyme and discarding.  Ready to serve.

Soup of the French Onion

So we had a craving or at least I did and so did Mackenzie. So she agreed to join us for dinner last night as I put the finishing touches on the French Onion Soup. Brenda had a late lunch so we ate a bit later than usual and we had a visitor who should have stayed and had soup with us but did not. Sorry Mvi,  but you missed a good meal, you should have stayed.

The soup is not really that big of a deal to make. It's hard to screw up really. I did a little research and while most of the recipes called for beef or chicken broth as a base, I was intrigued and found a highly recommended stock made by Swanson. I used the low salt variety as I like to control my saltiness.  Sam's Club had a large bag of even larger sweet onions and I peeled about 4 or 5 of them.

I have a nice 5 quart cast iron that sauteed the onions for me till they were golden and it took a good hour, so don't be in such a rush.  The variety of onion really makes a difference. I thought this might be too sweet but it calmed down after a bit.

French Onion Soup

4-5 large sweet onions but use what you like, red, yellow.
2 cloves minced garlic
4 T butter
1 cup red wine
2 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T beef bouillon before I add the salt and I get a little flavor boost in addition.  I use the Better Than Bouillon brand.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 t Fish sauce
1 t apple cider vinegar

2 cartons no salt Beef Stock, chicken stock or vegetable stock.

Toasted bread
Swiss, provolone or whatever melt-y cheese you love
White Truffle butter (op) I just happen to have a tub and used it to butter the toast before broiling.  Yes please, there are no rules here.

I used my trusty mandolin and had my way with the onions in short order. I added the butter to the dutch oven and then the onions with a generous dose of salt and then let the onions cook down for about an hour keeping a close watch and very low flame, I added the garlic after a few minutes. They were golden and a nice fond on the pan came up with the addition of the wine. I added the herbs, bouillon and then the broth and allowed it to come to a boil then lowered to a simmer until the onions were good and soft, about 45 minutes. I was in no hurry.  Checked the seasoning, added salt as needed and the cider vinegar and fish sauce. Remove the bay leaf.

Spoon a good dose of soup into a heat proof bowl and top with the buttered toast and a healthy dose of your favorite cheese. Broil till the cheese is bubbly.  How is that for decadence? I read a recipe where they dosed the soup with cheese then added the crouton and more cheese on top. Too much to hope for? I think not. Great warming no meat meal.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ben had talked about making Chicken and Dumplings in the crock pot. I started thinking about it and found a recipe for the dumplings I wanted to try. In the past dumplings have been gut bombs, dense and chewy or like wet biscuits and unappealing. I founds something a little different to try but first I have to make the stock.
I know that canned stock is readily available but I had none and I did have a lot of frozen parts in the freezer so that's what I used.

To 8 quarts of water in a large marmite I added one large onion, unpeeled and cut in half, 2 carrots chopped, a celery bottom trimmed from the package we bought, a teaspoon of cracked pepper, thyme and a bay leaf. I also added 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken base and 2 tablespoons of salt.

Dumplings are about ready, steamed and light

I had 4 chicken breast bones with some meat attached and a chicken back.

All in the pot and simmer, not boil, for about 2 hours. Taste for seasoning, filter and set aside.

To make the Chicken and Dumplings:

Dumplings

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 egg mixed with
1/2 c buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients then add egg and milk mixture. Do not over mix, set aside for a few minutes.

Soup:

2 carrots chopped 1/4 inch
1 onion chopped 1/4 inch
2 stalks celery 1/4  inch
1/2 cup or less flour
2 T butter

4 Quarts of broth

Saute veggies in butter till onions sweat and add flour.  Pour in broth and allow to come to a boil. Drop dumpling batter by teaspoonful as they will expand x 3 or so. Cover pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes to steam dumplings. Needed a bit more salt but overall very tasty. Dumplings were light as pillows and a perfect texture.

Using What You've Got..

Last night Brenda was late and I had a way too long of a nap after work. Groggy and knowing dinner would be expected regardless, I was searching for anything I could whip up considering I had take nothing out and it was meatless day so I took inventory:

3-4 cups corn off the cob, cooked
1 pound frozen shrimps, med
3 hamburger buns, getting stale

I searched one of those website for a recipe but Corn Chowder came to mind so I set out to turn these disparate ingredients into dinner.

Corn Chowder

2 T butter
2 T flour
3-4 cups skim milk
3-4 c corn
1 t thyme
1 t chipotle powder
1/2 c cream
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 t tumeric for extra color
Salt and pepper

I made a roux with the butter and flour, cooking it till pale gold then adding the corn to give it a bit of color. To this add the milk and allow to thicken. I used the immersion blender to make a smooth soup with some rough cut corn and added the rest of the spices.


Croutons

I cubed the hamburger buns and placed them in a skillet with 1 T butter and a good glug of olive oil. Sprinkled the whole thing with Garlic salt and Parmesan and allowed them to toast, shaking the skillet frequently.

I added the shrimp to boiling water, peeled them and chilled.

Serve the chowder with croutons and float a few shrimp on top. 

Chicken Soup for heart and soul

Nothing says love and comfort like chicken soup. I started the broth days ago and skimmed most of the chilled fat leaving a bit for flavor. I dropped in a quart of chopped carrots and celery and a handful of parsley. I let it simmer and added back the boned,  chopped chicken. The veggies are crisp tender and time to turn off the heat and get packing. I cooked the noodles separately to make sure they didn't steal any of my broth and added them last. The bread is in the oven as we speak and we have dinner fort 2 wonderful families who could use a little special attention as they face life's challenges. Brenda made some fabulous bars for dessert. Its going to be quite a meal.

PS

Dinner was pretty good and delivered on time. The Kenkels kindly invited us to join them for dinner so we did and had a lovely evening as we always do with them.  Brenda was jokingly mocking me because I was trying to explain the 'art' of creating a flavorful yet clear broth for soups and everyone joined in. Really in cook's circles, this is a big deal (only to cooks apparently) to make something that is visually appealing as well as balanced in color and flavor. I am not ashamed to have fussed at all. It's become my middle name and I am known to be very fussy about things (things that matter, like chicken broth) so sue me. In the end we made about 12 quarts of soup and brought most it to the families and left us about a quart at home.

Roasted Tomato Soup and Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese

Yes, I made tomato soup again but this time all red tomatoes, roasted with garlic and frozen in their juice late in the summer
I nuked them to thaw slightly and added them to a chopped sauteed onion. I used my trusty immersion blender to pulverize the veggies then added a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of cream and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
I thinned it down with some skim milk and added 1 teaspoon of habanero sauce. Mix it all and give a final whir of the blender then leave it on low heat while you make the sandwiches.

For the grilled cheese I melted 2 teaspoons of butter in a skillet and placed 2 slices of bread. Top the bread with a slice of American and a slice of Muenster then the second slice of bread. Turn the sandwich after sneaking more butter in the pan and top with grated Parmesan. Turn again and top the last side and turn to melt. Serve along side the soup. Great dipping!

Texas Rising Chili Con Carne From Jeff Mauro

courtesy Food Channel

I spotted a segment on the Food Channel for  Jeff Mauro's chili con carne and decided to give it a go. I am not normally a chili fan but the Mrs. is although I think she longs for a more traditional approach and if you know me at all....I am not traditional sometimes to my detriment.

3 dried Ancho Chile's
1 dried New Mexico Chile
1 Chile d'arbol
1 TB ground cumin
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into lardons
1 tsp oregano
4 pound chuck roast trimmed cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper
1 medium onion diced
4 jalapenos ribs and seeds removed diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
4 cups beef stock
14 ounce can tomatoes
2 TB corn meal
juice 2 limes

Toast the dried Chile's till they puff about 5-7 minutes. Remove stems and seeds.
In a food processor or spice grinder, process the chiles to a powder and add the cumin and oregano with enough hot water to form a paste.

Heat a large Dutch oven and add the bacon, render the fat and cook crispy. Remove from pan and reserve. Keep the fat.
Sprinkle the beef with a bit of flour, salt and pepper then cook in the fat in batches till browned. Remove the beef and add the Chile paste then the onions. Cook till translucent then add the garlic and jalapenos. Careful here as the paste can get a bit overdone if you let it.

Add the beef back with the tomatoes and cornmeal. Cook till thick and rich adding beef stock to thin.* Adjust the seasoning.

* Here I differed, adding some of the stock to scrape up the bits from the pan, then adding the beef and tomatoes with  stock to cover. I covered the whole thing and placed in a 325 degree oven for 3 hours till the beef fell apart. I skimmed the fat and the sauce was plenty thick without the addition of cornmeal. We also added a can of drained, rinsed black beans for the Mrs. I also added a tablespoon of my homemade Habanero sauce for a little heat.

Served with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream, I thought this was pretty good and even better the next day at lunch.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Jill stopped by the office the other morning bearing the fruits from her brother's farm in Iowa. a box of assorted goodies included some bright yellow tomatoes that were getting past their prime so had to be processed quickly to preserve their integrity.

 

I started by selecting a few reds of our own, halving them and pulping them over a strainer to catch the juices. About 16 tomatoes yielded about 1 1/2 cups of tomato juice in a peachy color due to the mix of yellows and reds. I set this aside for later and proceeded to sprinkle the rest with olive oil and salt, throw in a few cloves of garlic and roast at 400 degrees for about an hour.

I threw everything including the reserved juice into the processor and whizzed away. In a large sauce pan I heated some butter and olive oil and sauteed a medium onion, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 teaspoon  of dried thyme. Normally I would use fresh basil but with the temperature dipping my basil is gone for the season. I added 1 tub of Knorr's Chicken broth with a cup of water and the pureed tomato mix. Still needing a little something to push it over the edge I added a 1/4 c grated Parmesan. That seemed to do the trick. The yellow tomatoes are very sweet so a little salt mellowed it out a bit.

Roasted Tomato Soup

2 pound ripe tomatoes halved and pulped, juice reserved
Olive oil for tomatoes and later for making soup
butter
1 medium onion chopped
6 cloves of garlic, 3 roasted, 3 plain and minced
1 teas dried thyme
1 tub Knorr's Homestyle Stock (chicken)
1-2 cups water
1/4 c cream
1/4 c Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Squash Soup

I know I am pushing the season but its dreary and rainy outside and you could almost believe its fall except for the temperature.

Normally I would use Butternut squash and Granny Smith apples but a lovely lady, Diane, from work has been bringing in these Harlequin squash of the Acorn variety and I took several but feared they would not last till frost so I cleaned 3 and roasted them on non stick foil planning to freeze them for later.  They smelled incredible roasting so when Brenda called from work I offered her soup instead. So...here we are:

3 baseball sized acorn squash roasted and flesh removed
1  good sized onion chopped
1T olive oil and 1T butter
1 carton of broth chicken or veggie 32 ounce
1/2 cup cream
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 T curry powder (hot)
I used a Swanson vegetable flavor packet also

Scoop the soft flesh from the squash and set aside. In a large pot melt butter and oil then saute the onion till soft. You could add a clove of minced garlic here but I used garlic salt (lazy). Add the squash and then the broth. Buzz with a hand blender till smooth. Check your seasoning adding what's needed then add the curry and cream. Allow the soup to return to as simmer then serve hot.

Chili thats not really Chili at all....

Not a huge fan of Chili but a long time ago in a place far, far away my friend, Gaylene made this side dish and we make it occasionally in our house and call it chili.  Now, yes, I know how to make the real deal and have posted a recipe for Chili Colorado that uses reconstituted peppers even but this is definitely not that.  Just a nice mellow  mix of beans and burger that comforts and allows me to consume mass quantities of yellow corn bread.

So this recipe (originally called Calico Beans) is our house "Chili" recipe.

1 pound of ground beef browned
1 onion chopped (added to the pan after the beef till translucent)
garlic cloves minced (I used a lot) added the last few minutes of the onions
1 can of butter beans (drained, reserve if you need more liquid though)
2 cans of Mixed Beans (black, pinto, navy etc.) not drained
1 can of Pork and Beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 T vinegar

1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t Chipotle Chili powder (heat)
S & P to taste

I just threw everything in the crock pot and walked away for 6 hours or so. If its too thin I use a bit of corn meal to thicken it up. 

A dollop of sour cream and a slice of corn bread makes this a tasty meal.  I asked the kids to come over but they did not so their loss.

A Broth to Remember, Take Stock

Ok so I am no poet but I have a huge stash of chicken wing tips and trimmings from whole birds. Our friend Lori's mom, Annette,  had surgery and I wanted to bring something over so I made a batch of Chicken stock for a base for some soup or something. Annette is recouping at Lori's house. I cannot imagine a more comfortable place to recover or a more gracious hostess.

So...on to the Stock, so easy but really delish.

I went out and picked a bunch of thyme from the herb pot and threw it in a large Marmite (stockpot). To this I added a whole unpeeled onion, halved, 3 cloves of garlic crushed, 3 large carrots washed and chopped, the top of Brenda's celery with leaves attached, about 10 peppercorns and all my wings (about 3 pounds). I filled the pot to an inch of the top and set it to simmer.

After it came to a good strong simmer, I skimmed it and added some salt and a scant teaspoon of turmeric. Instantly the already fragrant stock had a nice chicken golden color. It needed a bit of bouillon (about 2 good tablespoons) before I added any more salt  but the end result was chicken heaven. About 6 quarts or so.

So now...what to do with all?

Corn Chowder

For Sunday's dinner I picked up some Argent Corn from the grocer.  Argent is a white sweet corn variety and for some reason I am enamored with white sweet corn this season.  I bought a dozen ears and cooked them all.

I had seven ears left over so I cleaned the corn for the cobs and planned to just refrigerate the corn for later but those cobs looked so inviting I decided to make a vegetable broth out of them. I filled a stock pot with 2 quarts of water and added the cobs, unpeeled onion,  halved, unpeeled carrots, a few garlic clove smashed and a bit of celery. I had a tub of vegetable broth (Knorr Stockpot) I also added with a few peppercorn, some salt and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. I let that simmer away for a bit then strianed it all and put it the fridge till last night.

Corn Chowder

2 quarts of vegetable broth
2 cups of corn off the cob
1 red pepper chopped
1 jalapeno chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 med onion chopped
2 T butter
2 T flour
thyme to taste (about 1 teaspoon for me)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 4 slices
Swiss Cheese, 3 slices
salt and pepper
1/4 c cream

I started with the onions and sauteed them in the butter. I added the peppers then garlic. The flour went in next and I cooked it for a few minutes then added the broth. Once it started to thicken I added the corn and thyme (about a teaspoon) and the cheeses. I didn't add a lot of cheese. I had slices that were getting along so 4 slices of sharp cheddar and 3 slices of Swiss but you can adjust this or leave it out. A quarter cup of cream at the finish topped it off. It had a nice light yellow color and a deep corn taste. If you need it thicker I am a big fan of Wondra but you could also make a buerre blanc (2 T butter mixed with 2 T flour).

Taxi's Cabbage and Blue Cheese Soup

Aww...c'mon keep an open mind.  It sounds weird but this is some soup. Velvety with tender-crisp cabbage and the added twang of Bleu Cheese. So easy to make and filling as well as satisfying. I paired it with toast points of marbled rye to compliment the flavors. I used the basic recipe from Taxi's but you knew I couldn't stop there so I added a few touches to make sure this was the real deal. The soup at the restaurant was delicious but loaded with fat from all the cream. I love thick and creamy soups so I use a little flour to thicken the base and then add a touch of cream to add the richness but not all the fat. I think it worked well here. This stuff was excellent.  I figured about 6 servings here at 275 calories per serving. Not bad for a low carb, very high flavor meal.

Ingredients

1/4 butter
1 onion chopped
bay leaf
1 head of shredded cabbage
1/2 tbl caraway seed  (I left this out, not a fan)
3 1/2 c broth ( I used Vegetable, the recipe called for chicken)
4 ounces bleu cheese
2 cups heavy cream ( I used about a 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup of half and half)
white pepper
1/2 tbl dry sherry

Personal additions

2 slices of processed Swiss, 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c bleu cheese dressing. The dressing really upped the flavor.

Saute the onion and bay leaf in the butter till the onion is translucent. Add the cabbage , caraway.  Add a bit of salt here. Cook till the cabbage wilts. (At this point I would add about a 1/4 c of flour and mix it in and mix it in well to the cabbage) Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors and allow the broth to thicken. Add the Swiss cheese, blue cheese and the blue cheese dressing. Stir well till melted. Stir in cream (do not boil at this point). Season with sherry and white pepper.

Top with bleu cheese crumbles and toast points.

Swiss Tomato Soup

This soup, quick and easy and great with a good old grilled chesse is better than just tomato soup.

Swiss Tomato Soup

1 can of diced tomatoes and juice
1 can cream of mushroom
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 c sour cream
pepper to taste
chopped chives
5-6 slices of processed swiss cheese

In a sauce pan, mix the tomatoes and soup, sugar and pepper. Heat till boiling, turn down heat, add the chesse and sour cream. Do not boil but after the cheese melts, use you immersion blender and make the soup smooth. Add chives and serve.

Shrimp Bisque

We love shrimp and eat plenty of it during Lent but we still have Wednesdays and Fridays to contend with as fasting days. I saw Ina Garten making this super simple recipe the other day and posted it here for myself to remember to make it. I love the fact it has leeks in it and its wasy less fussy than my usual recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer. Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed.
In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and

P.S. A few notes after making this tonight. I do not have nor do I have access to fish or seafood stock. I did this instead:
 Bring a quart of water, a whole unpeeled onion halved, 2 cloves of garlic crushed (papers and all)  3 stalks of celery and the shells from the shrimps. Salt and pepper. Simmer till the onion is tender then strain the broth. It should have a nice pinkish color and taste like heaven. Viola! Seafood broth. I buzzed the remaining stuff before adding the half and half. I did not like the stringy quality of the leeks but it buzzed into liquid velvet.

Beef and Barley Vegetable soup

Another soup supper Sunday at our house. I like cooking this stuff all day and melding flavors into a savory warm treat on a Winter's day even though it was temperate out today.

1 to 1 1/2 pounds stew beef
1 T oil
1/2 c flour
3 medium carrots
3 leeks
2 cloves of garlic chopped
8 ounces mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 pkg frozen pearl onions or 1 jar
1 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth
1 T Thyme
1/2 to 2/3 c barley

I dredged the beef in flour and browned in hot oil in batches. I deglazed the pan with the wine, scraping all the brown bits then added the onions, pearl onions,  carrots, mushrooms, leeks and garlic. To this I added the broth which covered the ingredients. After it came to a boil, I simmered it covered for several ours till the meat was tender. During the last hour, I added the barley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Served with some crusty bread you just can't go wrong.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Eve is the time for close personal friends. Every year we celebrate with Jeff and Michale and each year I make Sausage and Tortellini soup. No one has said they are tired of it yet so I continue to make it without change but only for Christmas Eve.  I picked up the recipe years ago from Cooks website and it has always been a big hit.

The soup is redolent blend of flavors seasoned with traditional Italian herbs, basil and oregano. The sausage is browned well then the addition of red wine simply pushes the whole thing over the edge.

From Cooks.com:

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

1 lb of sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 c shopped onion
5 c beef broth
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 c dry red wine
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 c chopped or sliced carrots
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c zucchini sliced
8 oz package frozen tortellini
3 T chopped parsley
1 medium green pepper diced
Parmesan Cheese for grating

I used cased sausage and cut it into 1/2 inch slices and brown casing and all but you can remove the casing. Brown well then remove and keep 1 T drippings. Saute onions and garlic until onions are tender. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and add sausage back to the pot. Bring to a simmer and skim excess fat after 30 minutes.
Stir in zucchini, tortellini, parsley and peppers. Simmer till tortellini are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Today is a blustery day in the Big O so soup is the order of the day. I am exhausted from shopping, the tile guy here installing a new shower and just in general. Although I have been off the last 2 days for a four day weekend, I haven't gotten a proper amount of rest and fall asleep each night around 9-ish. I painted a canvas for Nick while Brenda was showering yesterday and he seems to be pleased with it but has only seen it in photos. He and Brooke will come over tonight to take a look.



So the soup is your basic Chicken Noodle. No meatballs or tortellini in this one. So to start:

1 Quart of water
1 med onion, unpeeled and cut in half
1 head of garlic cut in half
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 bay leaves
1 tbs Thyme leaves
1 tub of Knorr's chicken stock concentrate
a palm full of peppercorns
3-4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on ( I used the saved wing tips also)
1 carton of chicken stock
1 package Reame's Frozen Egg Noodles
2 carrots diced
1 med onion diced
3 stalks celery diced

Bring the first 9 ingredients to a simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked through. About 30-40 minutes. This was good time to use up some of the wings tips I have been saving from the glut of chicken wings I had been making.

Strain the broth and set aside. I put a little butter in the stock pot and added my diced veggies for a few minutes, then added the strained broth back to the pot. I added an extra carton of chicken stock since I had a few extra mouths to feed. Taste now to add some salt. I like to wait since there is so much salt in the concentrate and pre -packaged stock. Shred to chicken and add it to the pot. Simmer till veggies are tender then bring to a boil and add the noodles. Cook till they float. Now, it's soup.

Curried Squash Soup

Firstly, Happy Name Day to all you Spyridon's out there! χρόνια πολλά!
We have a few assorted squash in the basement getting ready for the next phase of their existence. For Christmas dinner this year we are having that great Prosciutto wrapped Stuffed Pork Roast I made earlier so I thought it would be  nice if we started with this soup. Quick and easy, I love the warmth of the curry and the slight sweetness of the apples. Low calorie, low carb and low fat too!

1 peeled butternut squash, chunked  (Since these are so hard to peel, I am cutting mine in half and baking it so I can just scoop the flesh out.)
2-3 Granny Smith apples chopped (not peeled)
1-2 quarts of vegetable stock (or chicken if you prefer)
1/4 cup or more of cream
1 T hot curry powder ot to taste. I use more.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

I place the squash and apples in a large sauce pan and cover with the stock. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer till the apples and squash are soft. (about 15 minutes)  Add your curry powder and use your immersion blender to make a smooth soup. Adjust the seasoning. Add the cream just before serving.