Chicken and Dumplings

Can I tell you, I feel so decadent posting all this meat.  We were never really major meat eaters.  Well, at least I wasnt,.  And then we were Vegan for a year, well mostly.  More vegetarian for half the year.  And then even when we started eating meat again it was maybe one to four times per month.  Now with this whole COVID thing, we bought meat.  Was it primal, I dont know.  But suddenly we were buying meat and eating meat a few times per week... maybe five times per week.  I feel kind of bad about it.  I need to stop.  Tonight, as I write this we had stir fry with tofu and really it felt good.  Not heavy.  All those vegetables with tofu.  It was delicious. I have to say though you could easily turn this meal into a vegan or vegetarian one.  Have you ever tried that chicken base that is meat free.  Its pretty amazing.  And I bet TVP or chicken seitan would be equally delicious.

This recipe for me, is a two day affair.  The second day being pretty easy peasy.  So it is nice if you can roast on the weekend and do on Monday or Tuesday for dinner.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

6 tablespoons butter, or chicken fat reserved from broth or oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 ounces cream cheese (I was using it as a substitute and really liked it )
32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
salt, to taste

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
3/4 cup (6 oz) whole milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Long verbose version
Place four leg quarters in a baking dish. Place in oven, no cover and bake at 350°F.  Roast until the kin is golden.  Remove from oven and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Take all the meat off the bone and place in refrigerator until you are ready to make your chicken and dumplings.  Take bones and skin and place in stock pot.  Place 3-4 celery ribs in pot, along with 2-4 cloves of garlic; a large onion, quartered with skin on, 2 bay leaves and parsley, if you have it.  Sprinkle in a generous dose of pepper and a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Pour in water, enough to cover. Bring to a boil, and gently simmer for at least 2 hours.  The longer the better.  Four hours if you can.  Just make sure the simmer is slow. Strain the broth out and also place in fridge.

Next day. Skim the fat of your beautiful bone broth.  Keep the fat, as it is delicious to use for cooking.  We also shared with dog, about a tablespoon on her dog food in the morning was met with much appreciation.

Saute onion, celery and carrots in chicken fat or the butter.  Or oil, whatever you prefer, until translucent.  Add in garlic and flour.  Saute until flour is turning golden.  Add in stock and cream cheese, along with pepper and thyme. Add salt to taste.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  While that is cooking, it is time to mix up your dough for your yum-plings.  Okay, dumplings.  And take my advice, if you have kids dont use the thyme in the biscuits cause it probably wont go over well.  Just leave it out.  But if it you and your significant other, by all means use the thyme.  And it will pair well with a nice glass of white wine if you so desire.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it.  Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk.

Using a large sized ice cream scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Now, put the lid on and turn down heat on low, the spot you know where it will gently simmer.  And do not open the lid for 20 minutes.  Those dumplings are gently tucked away, simmering in happiness steam bath.  And when the time is done, you will rewarded with some fluffy, puffy dumplings. Scrumptious!

Kale and Cannelini Bean Soup with a Ham Hock

I got into making soup with ham hocks when I lived in AZ in the mid 90's.  It all started with a recipe for posole.  I couldn't find oxtails at the time so it could have been oxtails that I got into.  I did find ham hocks and it was a great discovery for me.  I have been using them ever since.  Recently, my friend Sandy (from Quilting For The Rest Of Us), turned me on to the ham hocks at an Amish (or should I say, Mennonite) store near where we live.  Great discovery!  Best ham hocks ever!

Soup Tip:  If you make soup a lot you probably already know this.  Most soups are way better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to marry. This comes in handy when you are having a large gathering.  Its something you can do ahead of time.

KALE, CANNELINI AND HAM HOCK SOUP

1 large ham hock
2 large bay leaves
1 large onion (about a cup and a half), chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large potatoes (about 2 cups), peeled and chopped
1/2 to 1 pound of kale, cleaned and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cannelini beans
2-3 quarts chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

In a soup pot, soak beans overnight.  Drain in the morning and add a ham hock and chicken stock to the beans, cover and cook on low heat (just barely simmering) until beans are nearly tender.  Add in carrots, potatoes, garlic, kale, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook until carrots and potatoes are tender.

Calabacita Soup

One of my favorite Mexican dishes to make in the summer is calabacitas when the vegetables are fresh.  This soup works great in the winter with my frozen vegetables and still packs a powerful flavor punch.

Epazote will give your dish a very authentic taste, but you dont have to have it.  Epazote is actually stink weed.  It has a lot of flavor, but you cant add too much.  You can find it in any Mexican Market or order is online.

Calabacita Soup

2 quarts chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 medium zucchinis
1 teaspoon epazote
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup roasted pablano peppers (canned chilis work too)
2 cups corn
s and p

Saute onions and zucchini in oilve oil and butter and cook until onions are transluscent.  Add garlic, cook one minute more.  Add remainder of ingredients except corn. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add corn, cook a few minutes more.  Serve.  Add a dollop of sour cream if you like.  I was going light here.

Tomato Soup

We love tomato soup.  I have to say that even though my kids have only had Campbell's Tomato soup once, it is the expectation they want my tomato soup to live up to.  Sigh.  All that sugar!  Forget it! Don't eat it!  I just throw my hands up in the air.  Of course I really want them to eat all that tomatoey goodness I make from scratch.

I saw a recipe on Serious Eats for tomato soup with carrots and the secret ingredient... baking soda. Yup!  My Mom knew straight away what it was used for because she used to use it all the time in her tomato soup but she had forgot about it.  What other secrets is my Mom keeping from me?  Mom?

Tomato Soup
Creamy and delicious.  I based it off the one from Serious Eats, link above.

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter
2 onions
4 large carrots
4 cups chicken broth
8 cups fresh tomatoes from the garden/market
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
pepper to taste
cream (optional)

Saute onions and carrots in butter. until the onions are translucent.  Add in the remainder of ingredients (except cream) and cook until the tomatoes are falling apart and then cook 15 minutes more.  Blend and strain if desired. Serve with cream stirred in if desired.  Its totally not necessary though, its creamy without it.

Mr. Hedgehog's Stew

I found this recipe years ago in a magazine put out by Tops Supermarket.  I made it in my new house (about 18 years ago), insert pride here, for my parents.  We all loved it.  I have made it many times since.  I am pretty sure I like it best because of the name.  Who is Mr. Hedgehog anyway?  Does he live in the forest?

Just a little tip about wine.  When we have had wine around here and there is some leftover, it always seems to be in 1/4 cup increments, I freeze it. Red wine, white wine whatever.  I always end up using it.  I throw red wine in sauce often and I throw white wine in risotto when I make it.  It's so handy!

Mr. Hedgehog's Stew
Slightly adapted from Lifestyle magazine, 2001, Volume 4 Issue 11.  Just so you know, I make this with beer sometimes.  It is different but equally delicious.

½ pound bacon
1 large onion
2 ribs celery
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 pounds boneless beef, trimmed and cut into cubes 

½ cup flour 

2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

4 cups beef stock or broth 

2 bay leaves 

1 tablespoon sugar 

½ C red wine 

1 teaspoon dried powdered thyme 

1/4 cup fresh parsley 

1 teaspoon dried dill 

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder 

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes (or baby carrots) 

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed 

2 cups frozen peas 

Saute bacon in large frying pan until very crisp. Remove from pan, and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons of bacon grease into a 6 quart soup pot. Add chopped onion, celery and garlic. Saute until well cooked, but not browned. Add fried bacon pieces, and remove from heat. Place beef cubes, flour, salt and pepper in a paper or plastic bag, and shake well to coat the meat. Brown the beef cubes in batches in the frying pan with the bacon grease. If there is not enough drippings then add more oil. When the meat is browned well on all sides, add it to the soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients (except the vegetables) to the soup pot and stir often over medium heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and stir well. Simmer 15 minutes. Add potatoes and stir well cooking for another 15 minutes. Add peas, stir well and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

If the soup does not have the thickness you desire you can either add instant potato flakes or make a slurry of flour (about 1/4 cup) and water.

Tip:  Making it the day before you want to serve it gives the flavors a chance to marry.

Riboletta

Riboletta is a soup that is made the day before it is to be served.  At least a day.  Riboletta means reboiled in Italian.  I have made this soup before but a different list of ingredients.  I did really enjoy the Savoy cabbage in it.  You can use regular cabbage so dont be put off by that.  You can put your bread in to soak over night with the soup or you can serve it on top, as I did.  I have made it both ways.

I spent the better part of this morning shopping at two local farm markets, wahoo.  So after I have my tea, finish this post, I am going to get up and can some plums as my supply was low... well, gone.

Riboletta

1 1/2 cups dried lima beans
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste
4 slices bacon

6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 head of Savoy cabbage, cut into 1-inch dice
6 cups cubed day-old Italian Bread, toasted
1 cup grated Asiago, shaved


Cook bacon in the soup pot.  After bacon is fried up to crispy, take it out and leave all but two tablespoons of fat in the pot.  If there is not enough grease add olive oil.  Saute the chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, celery, and carrot and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the red wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Break the bacon up into pieces and add that to the pot. Then add the bay leaves, basil, oregano and the beans, as well as their cooking liquid. Bring it up to a boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cabbage, cover again, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Serve the next day in soup bowls warmed in the oven with the bread and cheese sprinkled over top or from the soup pot directly into the bowl with toppings.

Gingered Carrot Soup with Lemon

Carrots around here are pretty good all year round.  But there is something special about getting a bunch of fresh carrots, with their tops still on and a little dirt still on them.  Lovely!

There are recipes for the carrot tops if you are so inclined.

Gingered Carrot Soup with Lemon

Adapted from this recipe at Epicurious

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled, fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons sour cream

Saute onions in butter until translucent.  Add in ginger and garlic.  Cook another minute.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, except for sour cream.  Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.  Carrots should be nice and soft.  Blend with an immersion blender.  If you blend it in a blender, cool it a little, make sure you have a towel over the top of the blender.  It can spurt out.

Transfer to serving bowls and add a dollop of sour cream.  I added some fresh dill and garlic to my sour cream.

FAUX SAUSAGE AND SPLIT YELLOW PEA SOUP

I love going to Amish stores.  Some are more expensive than others but I like the deals, I like looking at the different things they have.  Recently I found this mix, it's  a spice mix for sweet sausage.  I bought because I want to make my own sausage.  I was making soup yesterday and decided to add it in.  Pow! Sausage flavor in the soup without the sausage.  Perfect for my vegetarian daughter.

I realize that you may or may not be able to find this mix so I listed out the ingredients for you to add to the soup., so there will be a similar effect.

As for me.  I will use it again.

Just a note, when cooking dry beans, don't be afraid to add in flavors while you are plumping them up.  I usually do the customary soak overnight.  I drain in the morning and add the seasoning and cook until plumped.  I often times put Montreal Seasoning in with mine.  The flavor goes into the bean and helps the over flavor of whatever you are using it for.

Faux Sausage and Split Yellow Pea Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery
2 whole carrots, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups yellow split peas
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon sausage seasoning (see below if you dont have it)

Saute onion, celery and carrot in butter in a soup pot.  Cook until lightly golden.  Add in water, seasoning and yellow split peas.  At the end of the cooking time, about 50 minutes, add in spinach.  Cook until spinach has wilted and the yellow split peas are soft.

Sausage Seasoning Mix

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel, crushed
1 tablespoon cane sugar or brown sugar if you dont have it
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, crushed
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid or fresh lemon juice if you dont have it

Mix all ingredients together.  If you are using lemon juice instead of ascorbic acid.

CREAMY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Its still soup weather here in Western NY.  It hints sometimes of warming up but it is only a tease at this point.  I love winter but I am ready now for the weather to turn warm.  I'm ready for stuff to grow.  Ready for the Farmers Market and ready to get my own garden growing.

CREAMY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

1 cup French Green Lentils or Black Beluga
2 pounds mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons thyme
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1 quart beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
a couple grinds of black pepper

Bring a medium saucepan of water (about 2 1/2 cups) to a boil. Add the lentils to the water along with a fat pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils until they’re just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and stir. Cook the onions until slightly softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Saute mushrooms until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the white wine, broth and soy sauce to the pan. Add the lentils. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Just before serving add in the milk to soup.  Heat until just warmed and serve.

Kabocha Peanut Soup

The other day I had one kabocha squash left over from the market in October.  Yes, you read that right.  This is the first time it has lasted so long!  I cut it in half and roasted it in the oven.  The taste was still very good.  Apparently, someone had taken the time to wax it or at least it seemed that way since it lasted so long.

Anyway,  I gave the dog a little of it because she really likes squash and I heard that squash settles their stomach.  So I thought what the heck and threw in a spoonful of peanut butter for good measure. I tasted it just because I am a little crazy like that.  It was delicious.  I thought I need to experiment with this later.

It definitely needed some type of acid to balance it out.  I thought the limes would be perfect with it. Kind of reminds me of an African Yam and Peanut soup.  Its a little simpler.  I thought of throwing in some coconut milk but wanted to keep it more light.  The peanut butter in it was already adding a few calories.

I am recording it on the blog because we liked it that much and I want to remember what I did. It really didn't need any more flavor.  It had enough just like this but I imagine some cumin or if you like cilantro, it would be a welcome addition.

Kabocha Peanut Soup

4 cups kabocha or butternut squash puree,
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
juice of 4 limes
3- 4 cups chicken broth, depending on the thickness you desire
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more if you like a little more heat)

Mix everything but the peanut butter and bring to a boil.  Add the peanut butter, it wont take long to melt once the mixture is hot.  Simmer 20 minutes and serve.

Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My daughter LOVES Panera.  She absolutely loves their broccoli cheddar soup. I had to make this soup. The only thing I would change next time is to omit the cayenne.  I liked it but it was a little too hot for her.

While your making this soup listen to this blues song by Martin Harley.  He was featured on the Blue Plate Special, WDVX, in Knoxville, TN.  I loved it.

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Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Use a good cheddar for maximum flavor.

⅓ cup butter
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
3 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
8 cups chopped broccoli
4 medium carrots, grated
3 cups cheddar cheese (I used Cabot's Sharp)
¼ tsp. cayenne powder (it will be a little spicy- next time I would reduce it by half or omit)
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Saute the onions in the butter until lightly golden.  Add the flour and  cook until the flour is golden. This is what gives the soup more flavor so don't be hasty.  Add in garlic, salt and pepper as it browns. After it is golden, add the broth, white wine. broccoli, carrots, nutmeg and cayenne powder. Once it is tender add in milk and cream.  Make sure it is heated through then add in cheese, heat until melted. Serve.

Yellow Lentil Squash Soup

Have you ever heard of alternate day fasting?  Well, you know I was doing the 5:2 Program.  Which worked really well for me, I lost 24 pounds.  It was totally doable for me.  But then I hit a plateau.  A three month plateau.  Then the Holidays were here.  I had to cook meals for company, entertaining, stuff like that made the 5:2 very challenging for me.  I decided to give it up in December.  I gained 15 pounds back.  Ugh!  Not surprising.

Considering the oh, so many diets I have tried before, this si the thing that worked best for me so I am doing it again.  This time I am not doing the 5:2, I am doing Alternate Day Fasting.  If you know about the 5:2, Dr. Mosley did some research on the whole fasting thing.  Not real hard core research but rather asking around kind of research.  He came up with the idea of five days of eating and two days of fasting as a way that he could lose weight,.  Dr. Varady, who he interviewed, has been scientifically researching the Alternate Day Fasting idea.  You can read more about it in this interesting article by Healthista.

Dr. Varady has written a book about Alternate Day Fasting called The Every Other Day Diet.  She hosts a Facebook website as well.  Dr. Varady has been doing some serious research with alternate day fasting in Chicago.  She has studied many obese adults and followed the alternate day fasting routine.

Anyway, long story short I am switching to the Alternate Day Fasting routine.  My husband has been doing it since the summer.  He has lost about 35 pounds.  It works.  The nice thing about it is that you can pretty much east what you want to every other day.

On his fasting days my husband prefers to eat beans.  Which is great because I love beans.  Here is a fabulous lentil soup recipe.

Yellow Lentil Squash Soup

1 tablespoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 cups yellow lentils or red lentils
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ginger
6 curry leaves
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 onion
1 can lite coconut milk
6 cups water
4 cups chopped squash, I used kabocha here but you could use butternut, acorn, etc
1/2 jalapeno chopped tiny, seeds and rib removed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped

Saute onions and bell pepper in oil. Add ginger, turmeric, mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Cook one minute.  Add in the remainder of ingredients.  Cook with gentle simmer until lentils are tender and falling apart. With the back of my wooden smooth I smashed most of the pieces of squash.  I like it because the squash melting into the soup gives it a more creamier texture.

Speaking of creamier texture.  A dollop of yogurt would be great in this soup.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup like a certain beloved restaurant.  Ah hem, Panera's.  While I love Panera, it is one of the few chain restaurants I frequent, I do like to use local food and cook at home.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
If you have never had Garam Masala, it is one of the more milder curry blends.  You can easily make your own Garam Masala*.

1 large butternut squash, diced in large chunks and roasted
1 small pie pumpkin 

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
8 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
freshly ground black pepper

Roast squash and pumpkin at 400 F for about 30 minutes.
Sauté onions in butter.  When tender add in garlic.  Cook one minute more.  Add in broth, garam masala, apples, pumpkin, butternut squash, salt and black pepper. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.  Stir in yogurt and serve.

*For a small amount of garam masala: In a grinder blend 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds.  Grind.  Add in pinch of ground cloves and 2 teaspoons turmeric. Done

Savory Red Lentil and Rhubarb Soup

I know it does not look like much.  It really is good.  If you are a lover of beans then this is your dish.  The rhubarb really picks things up with its tartness.  It makes the beans come alive.

I know mine doesn't look like soup.  I decided on leaving out the broth because I had none.  My daughter is vegetarian so throwing in some chicken broth was not an option.  I like to make my own vegetable broth- it has lots of flavor.

Besides, the kids used it like taco meat and put on some sour cream and cheese. 

Savory Red Lentil and Rhubarb Soup

1 cup red lentils
1 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, or water

Cook lentils in water with garlic powder and bay leaf until just tender.

In a larger pot sauté onion, celery and carrots until tender.  Add in rhubarb, broth, honey, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley.  (If you don't want soup then skip the broth and just add your lentils to the mix).    Let cook until rhubarb is tender.  Add in tomato paste.  Heat  one minute more.  Serve.

French Pumpkin Soup

I love my pumpkin soup with gouda- its by far one of the best pumpkin soups I have ever had. But I like to try new things and branch out a little into different tastes and such.  I decided to try this pumpkin soup to change it up a little.  I found it here on this blog, Bunky Cooks. A great food blog to be sure.
 

 Looks like some kind of agate, doesn't it?

French Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from this recipe at The (ex)Expatriates Kitchen

1 5-6 pound pumpkin (Galeux D’Eyesines)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
3 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
grated fresh nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

First, get a sharp knife. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds. Cut the halves into manageable chunks, then cut away the outer rind. Dice the flesh into 1-inch cubes. It's really not so hard if you have a good chef's knife.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot, medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and herbs and sweat the aromatics until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin cubes and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Puree using an immersion blender. Swirl in the butter and the half and half. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Use the sugar if you like a slight sweetness to your soups.

If you can, make this soup a day in advance.  It is much better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to marry.

Beef Pho

We had the good fortune of meeting a farmer that raises steer for slaughter.  She is a very knowledgeable person who is very conscientious about her cows. A friend and I decided to go half and half on a cow.  Not sure what the correct word should be here- cow or steer.  Anyway. With all those nice soup bones. I grabbed a few, including a knuckle bone which is especially good for good wholesome bone broth.  I simmered them away.  I simmered them away in the crock pot for 16 hours.  I read that it can be simmered away for 48 hours.  Don't know if that is completely necessary.  I think I need to do a bit more research on that one.

There it is in the crock pot with all of its Pho seasonings.  I have star anice, cinnamon, fish sauce, ginger, cardamom, cloves.... The smell was intoxicating.  It really smelled like that Pho restaurant my husband and I went to  a few weeks ago.

I thought it was delicious.  I used it with some other veggies and such for a lunch during my fasting day as well.  Very nourishing.


BEEF PHO

For the stock:

2 onions, halved4" nub of ginger, halved lengthwise5-6 pounds of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle

water to cover the bones and onions by about an inch1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

5 whole star anise

1 cardamom pod

6 whole cloves

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons fish sauce (can add more later to taste)

1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) - or 1oz of regular sugar

Pho Accompaniments

rice noodles (dried or fresh)Cooked beef thinly sliced ( cuts such as flank, London broil, sirloin or eye of round)big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil2 limes, cut into wedges2-3 chili peppers, slicedfresh bean sproutsHoisin sauceSriracha hot sauce

Cook bones and all the ingredients listed under the stock above.  Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for an entire day. Or you can put it all in a crock pot and let it simmer away for 16 hours or more.

Once stock is done you can serve it heated in bowls.  Guests or family can addin noodles and other accompaniments as desired.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

I have been making a lot of vegetable broth lately.  My oldest daughter has gone to a vegetarian diet for the last few months.  My most favorite recipe for vegetable broth can be found here.  I cange it up a bit depending on what I have on hand.  But the constant for the broth is fennel.  I have to be honest- I am not a fan of fennel but I do very much like it in my vegetable broth. Actually it is a preferred part of the soup!

We don't eat a ton of meat so this whole turned Vegetarian thing has not been a total challenge.  But it is difficult coming up with protein sources when the girls doesn't necessarily like beans.  My husband teasingly calls her a carbatarian because that seems to be her diet staple since she isnt a total fan of vegetables either.  She will eat a few and claim she seriously likes vegetables but it is not sufficient.   For these reasons, the traditional vegetarian type dishes I have always made are not her thing either.  Sigh.  Hopefully her tastes will start changing.


Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

1 sweet potato, peeled
5 turnips, peeled
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 quarts of vegetable broth
salt to your taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Cut sweet potato and turnip into cubes and place ona  cookie sheet  Roast in a 400F oven until they are lightly browned.  Place in soup pot with the remainder of the ingredients and let cook for about 30 minutes.  Blend in the blender (or use an immersion blender) until smooth and return to pot. Add in cream if desired.

Scolipasta Soup

That's what it was called in our house growing up.  What it literally means in Italian is strainer soup.  What does that mean?  Well, it is whatever is leftover in your fridge that you feel like using up and making soup with.  Obviously, I can't really tell you how to make it because that would mean I was at your house, looking in your fridge and saying, oh, this and this and this would be good.

Instead, I will tell you my formula for making it.  I start with a broth.  It could be store bought or homemade.  For the soup above I used my vegetable broth.

Next, I almost always add onion and garlic.  They are major flavor boosters.

Then some vegetables or meat or both.  Whatever is in my fridge that I feel like adding. Sometimes I feel like adding a starch sometimes not (rice, potatoes...).

Then some seasoning.  Now, this is the part where your soup will really come alive.  For instance, if you are making a soup and decide to go the dill seasoning type route, you could use pickle juice.  Or if you were making a Mexican style soup maybe add some jalapeno juice.

For example, I will give you an idea of where my head usually goes with soup.

Italian:

Italian seasonings : oregano, basil, garlic, little bit thyme and/or rosemary.  Then I might use some hard cheeses like peccorino romano or parmesan.

I made through in some pesto at the end to brighten the soup.

Mexican:

Mexican seasonings: oregano, cumin, garlic, chili powder... Then I would add some heat (because I like it- not that it is necessarily Mexican).  If I wanted to thicken the soup I might add masa.  I might add corn chips at the end.  My absolute favorite thing to add in to Mexican type soups is fresh veggies such as cabbage, radishes, avocadoes...  

To brighten up the soup I might add lime or lemon juice.

I don't know if that helps anyone.  It really is about learning what goes with what and tailoring things to your and family's taste buds.  Or as my youngest daughter calls them, taste bugs.  You also have to experiment and have a little confidence.  Its not rocket science.

For this soup I will tell you what I did. I had some vegetable broth in the fridge and I had some spinach that was starting to wilt.  I heated up the broth, added in the spinach and let that cook a little until I had a  moment on another day to finish it.  Today I added the rest of the ingredients.  I did add some leftover coconut milk.  Really it was not a lot but it needed to be used up.  So it kind of looks like dish water.  I was very tempted to add more coconut milk but the last thing I need right now is another opened can of something.

Yellow Lentil Soup

1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
1/4 cup coconut milk (more if you have it)
1 cup yellow lentils
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sriracha salt (my new favorite "spice")
4 cups fresh spinach
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Cook lentils in about 3 cups water with salt, cumin, sriracha salt, garlic, onion and salt and pepper. Cook until the yellow lentils become tender.  Add in the remainder of ingredients; spinach, vegetable broth and coconut milk.  Cook for twenty more minutes.

Cream of Vegetable Soup, No cream necessary

I usually have my shopping done by October.  Ah, not this year.  Just started today.  But hey I am not going to be shopping on Christmas Eve that is for sure.

Matter of fact I need to go shopping now... gotta run.


Cream of Vegetable Soup

3 cups of chopped celery root
1 potato, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup onion, diced
3 big cloves of garlic, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
10 cups vegetable broth

Saute onion and celery in a soup pot.  Add in the remainder of the ingredients and let simmer until everything is falling apart.  Blend and return to pot.  Add a little cream if you like but honestly it is creamy all on its own.

Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Today, while my brother was visiting, we took a ride over in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  I like to go to a few Mennonite stores there.  I buy a few things there that are hard to find in other places.  Like a 50 pound bag of flour.  Yes, I know, you are thinking that is HUGE.  You are right it is, but if you bake bread, you go through it quite quickly.

Since I hear this is going to be a rather cold winter again, I am thinking I will be making bread on a regular basis and may not get back there for a while.  I don't know, I say that, and then I always end up going back in a couple months anyway when there is a break in the weather.  

This pasta is delicious.  A but sweet so it is totally a good idea to sprinkle some Asiago over top to offset the sweetness. We also enjoyed the pasta mixed with tomatoes as the acid offset the sweetness of the pepper sauce as well. 

If you have two components, which I did, this recipe is stinking easy to whip up.  I suppose tomato soup would work in a pinch.  Combined with roasted red peppers.

I roast some peppers every year around this time.  I stash them in the freezer.  Boy, are they good on a sandwich! In the winter time that sure is appreciated by me. I had a jar of them in the refrigerator.

roasted peppers
tomato sauce

You could totally make this with store bought stuff.

If you want to get all domestic though, do this:

Tomato Soup

2 quarts tomatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 large onion, diced

Core and peel some tomatoes.  Place them quartered, in a large soup pot.  Cook them down until they are pretty soft.

In a frying pan fry onions in butter.  Continue to saute for about five minutes, just until the onions are transluscent.  Add in flour.  Be patient.  You want the flour to begin to brown.  This is what gives a nice rich flavor.  Once your flour clumps are golden, whisk in milk. Continue to whisk until all the clumps melt.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for one minute.

Meanwhile puree the soup, either in the blender or with an immersion blender. 

Pour the milk mixture into the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Done!

Roasted Peppers

On a cookie sheet.  Place in oven and broil.  You want the pepper skin charred all the way around.  Check and turn often.  It gets real hot so you have to watch this process pretty close. 

As soon as one pepper gets done place immediately in a pot with a cover or a bowl with a cover.  The steam will help the pepper seperate from the skin.

Once you are all done roasting then you have to peel the skin off.

Yes, it is an exhausting process but worth evey little effort later on.  The flavor is WAY better than the jarred kind in the store.  By the way, do not run it under any water when peeling.  You will lose flavor.  Yes, the little seeds will drive you crazy.

Once you peel it all, cut in strips, season with salt and pepper, a little olive oil and a little red wine vinegar.  Let sit overnight for maximum flavor.  If you can stand waiting that long.