Knoephla

Check out today's Meatless Friday recipe at CatholicMom.com. It's a German potato dumpling soup called Knoephla -- wonderful for these really cold Friday evening dinners.

Budget soup

I don't like to use the word "budget" because I think it has negative connotations, but I am also one who calls a spade a spade. This is budget soup. The ingredients are inexpensive to buy, and when feeding a large family that's something.

Though it is far from haute cuisine, it is most edible, and, in fact, quite tasty, and I would definitely make it over and over. I found the recipe after a friend told me she had purchased a jar of soup ingredients at a holiday craft sale. She mentioned the name of the woman who put the soups together, and I remembered that I had seen this same person's recipe in a school cookbook. The recipe was originally created to assemble a jar of it and give it someone else. The only thing the jar needs in addition to the ingredients in the jar, is a pound of ground meat and a can of tomatoes. I never assembled it in a jar, just measured the ingredients as listed and dumped them in a pot.

The leftovers were great for lunch on the go.

The recipe gives the option of using chili powder for seasoning or Italian seasoning. I used my own combination of Italian herbs, shown below. I did not have barley or split peas when I made it so I subbed more lentils for the peas and more rice for the barley. I also used all star shaped pasta instead of the recommended ABC pasta and additional shaped pasta. I wouldn't mind using the other ingredients, but it's all grain and I think you would be fine with almost any combination.

I ate the leftovers for lunch several days later (as well as took two jars to my neighbors) and it was a little more like stew left over -- the grains swelled and absorbed the broth. You could add more broth or another can of tomatoes, but it was really very good like that.

Budget Soup

(aka Love Soup -- I guess for when you are giving it away)

1/3 cup beef boullion or soup base (see note)

1 T. chili powder OR 1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning (see note)

1/4 cup onion flakes (see note)

1/2 cup split peas

1/2 cup ABC macaroni

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup lentils

1/2 cup rice

pasta (any shape)

1 pound ground meat (I used ground chuck)

1 can chopped tomatoes (see note) 

salt and pepper

To give away in a jar: Layer ingredients, in order listed, in a 1-quart jar. Use shaped pasta to fill the top. Close jar with a ring and cap. Add preparation instructions on a tag.

To prepare: brown 1 lb ground meat ; drain.

Reserve shaped pasta to add later. Add remaining ingredients to beef and add 12 cups water. Add can of tomatoes with juice. Simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and season. Add reserved pasta and cook until pasta is tender, 10 to 15 minutes, Serve.

Notes: 

If you prefer not to use soup base, you can use beef broth, but that will raise the cost. You'll also have to adjust seasoning. 

For Italian seasoning, use equal amounts of dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and marjoram to equal 1 1/2 tablespoons.

I used 3 T. onion powder instead of onion flakes.

The recipe called for 28 oz. of tomatoes, however to reduce acid I used a 14 oz can with fine results. Use whatever suits your taste.

Meat can be left out for vegetarian soup.

Source: St. Paul School cookbook

Creamy Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup last Sunday and then enjoyed the leftovers for several days' lunch. My husband fussed about it, didn't really enjoy it -- but then, he's really not a soup guy. Steak, potatoes, salad? Yes. Soup? No. Don't pay any attention to his opinion. This soup was wonderful and the kids enjoyed it too, even though it had "green stuff" in it. My son's girlfriend really raved about it, but then she's a college freshman living in a dorm and has a great new appreciation for anything that doesn't come in a can or freezer box. ;-)


It's a super easy recipe, though I can't say it's a particularly healthy with all that half & half. I guess if you're just having a light supper of soup and salad, however, it's not that bad. The recipe came from Taste of Home Cooking (not to be confused with Taste of Home) and I modified quite a bit. First, I did not use gnocchi -- that sounded way too heavy -- hence the new name. Second, I was cooking a whole chicken so I made my own broth, but you could certainly use canned broth and a rotisserie chicken for a short cut. Third, I doubled the butter, flour, chicken broth and parsley for the extra quantity. It stretched nicely. And tasted great leftover.

Creamy Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

 serves 8

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1 1/2 cups ditalini or other smallish pasta

1/2 cup butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups milk
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I shredded mine is small bits and I like that texture instead of chunks)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 T. fresh parsley, minced

salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain pasta. Set aside.

Heat butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the flour and cook for about a minute. Add the half and half and milk. Bring to a simmer, then add the chicken.

Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked  pasta, spinach, and seasonings, then simmer until soup is heated through.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Source: modified from Taste of Home Cooking

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

You might say, after my last post about my family not eating dinner, that you wouldn't eat my dinner either if it was Cauliflower Soup. To that, I say "Pft." ;-)

I saw this soup at Annie's Eats a couple weeks ago and knew I would love it. I have never met a soup I didn't like. In fact, if it was just me here, I'd probably eat soup five nights a week. Even in the summer. Soup is comfort food for me, no matter the flavor. This soup, however, was enjoyed by both of the kids who ate it, and my husband, and that's saying something (he is not a big-on-soup guy).

It's an easy recipe, and I love that the creaminess comes from a potato pureed  in with the cauliflower and onions, instead of real cream. The flavor was just slightly reminiscent of the Dijon included, but you could cut back to 1 teaspoon and I think still benefit without as much mustard flavor. The croutons have Dijon in them as well, but I bet you could cut it out almost entirely and made add some garlic powder to the butter/oil mix for some zest. And speaking of the croutons, I almost skipped them and subbed store-bought, but they are worth the extra effort, which is hardly anything. I used a whole wheat bread and they were really, really yummy. Enjoy, it's soup season!

I modified the recipe only to use the chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.Annie modified it to use vegetable instead of chicken, but I thought chicken would be better. If you are going meat-free, go with veggie! I also baked my croutons longer until they were brown.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

4-6 servings

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About 6 oz. whole grain bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (I used five slices, including the "heel")
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
Kosher or sea salt

2 T. unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Kosher or sea salt
1 medium potato, peeled and diced into ¼-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3½ cups chicken broth
½ head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
2 t. Dijon mustard

To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Add the bread cubes to a medium bowl and toss with the melted butter, olive oil, and mustard until evenly coated.  Spread the bread cubes out in an even layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crunchy.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes.  Season with salt, then mix in the potato, garlic and chicken broth.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer, keep covered, and let cook for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the cauliflower and cook about 5-6 minutes more, until the cauliflower is tender.  Stir in the cheese and mustard.

Puree with an immersion blender (or a food processor, vented to allow the steam to escape).  Mix in additional water or broth if the soup is too thick.  Season with additional salt to taste.  Serve warm topped with additional shredded cheese and the croutons.

Source: Modified from Annie's Eats

Potsticker Soup

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After all those lovely comments you left over the past two days I really feel like I should have some dynamite recipe to give you -- something fabulous that you can just whip up with no effort. Alas, I have no magic, but I will post Jamie Oliver's Wicked Kebobs (pretty close to magic) just as soon as I upload the photographs.

This recipe I wanted to share a while back, but my photos were so lousy I had to wait to make it again. As is, they are still not great, but the recipe is really very good irregardless. Don't judge this book by its cover.

My family loves Asian but I am not always very successful at creating authentic Asian flavors at home. This soup, to me, tasted authentic. Frankly, I was amazed how the addition of a few ingredients to basic broth changed ordinary broth to something really tasty. And such a quick recipe -- you could whip this up in less than a half hour at the end of a busy day.

The first time I made the soup I added the potstickers frozen, as directed. The second time I baked them and added them at the table as we ate the soup -- the kids didn't even add them to their soup, they ate them in-hand. Six of one, half dozen of the other. They do tend to fall apart quickly in the soup, so I guess I liked adding them at the table better. The bok choy was yummy -- something we don't eat often. I don't think I bought baby bok choy -- it was just a head from the grocer -- but I didn't use some of the tougher outer leaves. I received one of these julienne peelers for Christmas, and it works great for this kind of recipe -- you have julienne strips of carrot in the time it takes to peel. If you have a picky child in your crowd, you could ladle out some broth before adding the veggies and prepare a serving in a separate pot, adding only the veggies the picky child will eat -- carrots are usually a safe bet if nothing else.

I served this soup with some prepared frozen egg rolls -- not the healthiest choice, but definitely easy, and tasty.

 

Potsticker Soup

 serves 4 to 5

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6 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth or vegetable broth (I used chicken)

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

2 t. minced garlic

1 to 1 1/4 pounds frozen pork, chicken, or vegetable potstickers (20 to 25)

1 pound baby bok choy

1/2 cup shredded carrot (I used julienne for a more substantial bite of carrot)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. toasted sesame oil

  Combine broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a 5- to 6-quart pan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add potstickers and return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 4 minutes. (Or bake potstickers and add to soup at the table.)

Meanwhile, trim and discard ends from bok choy, then thinly slice crosswise. Wash thoroughly. Add bok choy and carrot to soup and return to a simmer. Cook until potstickers are no longer pink in the center (cut to test) and dough is tender to bite, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

Stir in green onions, cilantro, and sesame oil. Ladle soup into bowls.

Source: Sunset magazine via myrecipes.com

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Colorado White Chili

There are probably almost as many recipes for white chili as there are red, and, like its tomato cousin, I think most of them have the same basic ingredients. Mine uses white beans, white corn, green chilies, chicken breast, chicken broth and spices to make a nice, mildly spicy soup-ish type chili. There is no dairy in this recipe, so it's not as high in fat as recipes with cream or milk included, and since it calls for chicken breast meat, there is little meat fat, either.

Sometimes I top it with a spoonful of sour cream when I serve it, but when I made it last week I just spooned on some chopped avocado -- some good monounsaturated fat. We eat it with plain, warm tortillas or tortilla chips.

This dish is not very photogenic, but it makes up for its visual inadequacies in the taste department. My recipe comes from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer.

Colorado White Chili

1 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4.5 oz can diced green chilies
1 T. cumin
2 t. oregano
½ t. ground cayenne pepper
pinch ground cloves
15.5 oz. great northern beans (do not drain)
15.5 oz. white corn (canned or frozen)
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
5 c. chicken broth


In a large pan, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilies. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in bowls with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Garnish with jalapeño slices if desired.

(To freeze: cool completely. Freeze in a freezer bag. Thaw completely. Simmer until heated through.)

Turkey Noodle Soup

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One fabulous thing about cooking a big turkey, or chicken, is the leftover bones. You can make a big pot of soup from practically nothing, if you just start with some good bones. I didn't even have a whole carcass to start with and I made a wonderful pot of Turkey Noodle Soup for dinner this week.

As soup is often less of a recipe than a process, and I'm sure you've made your own soup before, I will just tell you what I did. I started with four turkey drumsticks that had been fairly well stripped of meat (it looks like the meat is mostly gone, but there is still a lot left -- in between the connecting tissue and small bones). I offered my turkey carcass to my aunt, and so I used the four extra drums that I bought, roasted, and were leftover (I think Peach picked on one of them, but the other three were untouched except except for me stripping the meat for leftovers).

I covered the bones with water in a large soup pot, I placed it on the stove, covered with the lid cocked to release some steam, brought it to a boil and then lowered the heat so the water would simmer for about 90 minutes to two hours.

After the 90 minutes were up, I removed the bones from the water to a platter and strained the broth. I placed the broth back on medium heat and added half an onion, diced, and three carrots, diced. You can add celery here also, but my family balks at celery (puh!). I salted it and peppered it and added 1/2 t. dried thyme. I simmered it until the veggies were tender, about 30 minutes.

While the veggies were simmering, I pulled the rest of the meat of the turkey bones. There is always a little more meat attached that loosens up in the boiling. I diced the meat into little pieces.

After the veggies cooked, I added a couple palmfuls (probably 2 T. total) soup base -- 2:1 chicken to beef (the beef I add for turkey soup, because turkey soup has a deeper flavor than chicken soup). You can also use veggie base for a varied flavor. If you don't have soup base, you can use canned broth, but you may need to salt your broth more. (Sometimes I add a quartered onion, a couple stalks of celery and some garlic cloves to the original cooking water, and then the broth is more flavorful and often doesn't need the base -- I was lazy the day I made this soup.) I added about 1/2 t. onion powder also for a concentrated onion flavor. After the soup base dissolved and I tasted it and adjusted the seasoning (usually just salt and pepper), I added the turkey back to the broth and a cup (or more to taste) of fine noodles, cooking a few more minutes until the noodles were done.

This soup is practically cost-free (what's a half an onion, three carrots and a cup of noodles cost?) since the turkey was leftover from another meal. It's also very low in fat, because the only fat was on the leftover turkey, most of which went into the garbage.


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The Easiest Soup Ever -- Tortellini Soup

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This recipe is certainly not the cooking equivalent of rocket science. In fact, it's so easy it's almost the equivalent of opening a can of Campbell's. But, just because it's easy doesn't mean it's not good. And I wouldn't be much of a girlfriend if I didn't share the easy recipes, would I?

There are many variations on this recipe, but this is the one we like -- and the kids really gobble this soup up. You can add some fresh spinach along with the tortellini, if you like it, or use-meat filled tortellini instead of cheese.

Tortellini Soup
6 to 9 servings

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. olive oil
2 quarts homemade or canned chicken broth
14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
18 oz. fresh or frozen cheese-filled tortellini, half spinach for color
Parmesan cheese

Heat soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and turn heat down to low. Add crushed garlic and let warm for a few minutes, but don't brown it. If the heat is too high move the pot off the burner. After garlic has warmed and become fragrant, add chicken broth and stewed tomatoes. Bring broth to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. When flavor is right, add tortellini and cook until past is done. Serve with Parmesan on each serving.

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Cream of Potato Soup

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When Peach came down with a bad stomach virus over the weekend, Doug and I had to cancel plans to dine out with friends, which left me with a hole in the weekly menu. I had planned to get pizza for the kids, but I was not in the mood for pizza when dinner time rolled around. So I moved the Teriyaki Burgers to Saturday (yum!), and left a hole in my Wednesday menu.

With two sick kids (two different viruses!) I didn't want to go to the store on Wednesday, so I had to use what was on-hand. I also wanted a comforting meal, with everyone feeling tired or sick. I really wanted to try Annie's Zuppa, but with no sausage or kale in the house, I kept thinking. Cream of potato soup just sounded so good, so I hunted (thank goodness for the internet when you need a recipe) and found this one. I had all the ingredients (except my white wine was a Gewürztraminer and not a good choice for soup, so I omitted it) and it was so yummy it will be a regular go-to soup recipe for me.

The boys loved it (Peach was still not on regular food), and Doug and I both enjoyed it too. All I added was a loaf of soft, chewy bread that Doug picked up on his way home. It was easy, inexpensive and very tasty. The taste was zippier than most cream soups and it was a little bit spicy -- use less cayenne if that's not a good thing for you. The recipe came from allrecipes.com and I followed it exactly except for the wine. The recipe states that it serves 6, but we got four good-sized bowls with very little leftovers, so double it if you need to feed more than four adult-sized people.

Cream of Potato Soup

1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
5 T. margarine
4 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk
3 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t. mustard powder
1 pinch ground allspice
3/4 t. celery seed
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. seasoning salt
2 T. dry white wine
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 t. chicken bouillon powder

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, cook onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley in butter until soft but not browned. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth slowly, stirring as you add.

Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, allspice, celery seed, thyme, seasoning salt, dry white wine, cayenne pepper and chicken granules. Allow to simmer and thicken, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. During cooking, break up potatoes with the back of a spoon.

Source: allrecipes.com

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Recipe Review -- Breezie's Clam Chowder

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I've had this recipe for clam chowder on my list of recipes to try for weeks. I really enjoy New England style clam chowder and I have to say that the only things that could have made this soup better were a frosty night and a jar of thyme. Our weather was not exactly perfect soup weather -- it was warm and humid out -- but with the air conditioner on, we could pretend. And the thyme -- I had a jar three days ago, but I have no idea what happened to it! I can't really say, however, that I missed it.

This soup recipe was wonderful. It was not exactly a "breeze" to throw together, and it made an awful lot of dirty dishes, but it was worth the effort. It also made a lot of soup. If you don't have a crowd, or are not prepared to eat leftovers, pare it down. I made the whole batch and will send some home with my in-laws.

The recipe came from Barb's brother "Breezie." The only change I made was in the preparation of the clams. One grain of sand can ruin a whole bowl of chowder for me, so I take extra care to get the sand out. My modifications are in italics.

Breezie's Clam Chowder

1/4 lb. bacon (4 or 5 slices), diced
6 ribs celery, cut thin
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 T. butter
1 qt. chicken stock
black pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
5 or 6 potatoes, diced (I didn't peel them before dicing, just washed them well)
3 cans (6.5 oz each) minced clams
1 package Louis Kemp "crab," sliced
8 T. butter
6 T. flour
1 qt. milk
T.
1/4 c. cold water

Dice and blanch bacon in 2 cups boiling water for about 2 minutes.

Open clam cans and pour them into a mesh sieve, allowing juice to drain into a bowl. Place clams in a colander and rinse them with cool water, discarding any dark bits. Drain.

Saute celery & onions in 2 T. butter for 10 minutes over medium heat. Don't allow to brown.

In large soup pot, add bacon, celery & onions to chicken stock. Add clam juice (pour from bowl very slowly being sure to leave sediment in the bowl), pepper and thyme. Bring to a heavy simmer. Add potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are cooked but still firm.

In another pot, melt the stick of butter and blend with flour. Add 1 qt. hot milk; stir and until thickened to make a bechamel sauce. Add drained clams, crab, and the bechamel to the soup. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Make a slurry with the cornstarch and ice water and add to the soup. Bring to a boil and stir until soup thickens. Lower the heat and simmer until ready to serve.

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Black Bean Soup with Fresh Salsa

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So many recipes, so little time.

Today's dish is a yummy Black Bean Soup that is wonderful for meatless Fridays. We (dare I say?) enjoyed it on Good Friday. Even the children like this soup -- it's pureed, so it's really just great flavor they are getting (along with some good vitamins and fiber) and no yucky vegetable chunks. I serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a spoon of fresh salsa -- and we usually add salsa as we eat -- it really freshens up the tastes. You could enjoy it with corn tortillas chips or warm flour tortillas, but that was little too yummy for Good Friday. I served it with a loaf of Spanish bread. Besides being a great meatless dish, it's also a budget dish.

Black Bean Soup

2 cups dried black beans, washed and picked over
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 T. ground cumin
1 lrg. jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 t. salt
6 cups vegetable stock

fresh salsa
sour cream

In a large saucepan, place black beans and
fill with water to cover beans with about 2 inches extra.
Let soak for 6 to 8 hours.
Drain soaking water.
Fill with fresh water to just cover beans.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beans are soft (one to two hours).

When beans are soft, in another large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Cook onions until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, salt and jalapeño, cooking 3 to 4 minutes (do not burn garlic).
Stir in black beans and their liquid and mix well.
Pour in vegetable stock.
Turn heat up and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered,
stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.
Transfer to blender in batches and puree until smooth.
Return to pot and heat through.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh salsa and sour cream.





Fresh Salsa
4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and finely diced
1/4 c. red onion, finely diced
2 jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and diced finely
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
2 T. lime juice

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Matzo Ball Soup

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Matzo balls (or Matzah balls) are yummy little dumplings made from Matzo meal, cooked in chicken broth to make a delicious kid-friendly soup. Matzo meal are the crumbs of Matzo bread -- really more like a cracker, the unleavened Jewish bread eaten during Passover. My family has been eating Matzo ball soup for several years. I had never even tried it before I saw a recipe in Everyday Food. Really, it's as simple as chicken noodle soup, but I think more fun and more filling because of the Matzo balls. If you think your kids will have issues with the name because it's unfamiliar, just call it Dumpling Soup.

I modified the original recipe because it called for chopped celery in the broth (and certain people in my house have issues with chopped celery in their food) and minced onions in the Matzo balls (issues). It's now about as kid friendly a soup you'll find. I often make my own broth, especially if I am cooking anything with chicken that week, which I did this week. But you can start with canned broth also. Just taste and season.

Matzo Ball Soup

serves 6-8

¼ cup vegetable oil
½ t. onion powder
4 lrg. eggs, lightly beaten
coarse salt and ground pepper
1¼ cups matzo meal
¼ cup seltzer water (aka club soda)
2 - 3 qrts. chicken broth
1 chicken breast cooked and diced
2 celery stalks (leave whole)
3 carrots, diced


In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, onion powder, 1-1/2 t. salt and matzo meal.


Add seltzer; stir to combine.


Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, combine chicken, celery, carrot and broth.


Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.
Remove celery stalks.
Turn heat to low until matzo balls are ready.
With oiled hands, shape matzo mixture into balls, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
Add matzo balls; cover and cook until expanded, 30 to 35 minutes.

(Just after being added -- they expand as they cook)


Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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For printing just this page.

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Chicken Soup with Stars

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Almost everyone in my house has had a bad stomach bug this week. I've discovered that's one way to save money on groceries! Our menu has been limited to oyster crackers, toast, dry rice Chex, chicken noodle soup (sans chicken), and some scrambled eggs for those who are on the way to recovery.

I, fortunately (knock on wood), haven't had the bug. I guess somebody had to stay well enough to run sick trays up and down the stairs.

It's pretty hard to cook when hardly anyone can eat, but I have one recipe that is great for all that ills you, whether it's a tender tummy or a sore throat and runny nose. Since there seems to be all sorts of lovely bugs going around, I thought I post this recipe because it's easy, inexpensive, and, possibly, you have all the ingredients on-hand. I usually use star-shaped pasta in this recipe, but you can use any small pasta, ABCs, acine de pepe, orzo or pastini.

Chicken Soup with Stars

1 med. onion, diced
2 t. vegetable oil
1½ cups carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup diced celery
48 oz. chicken stock
1 cup miniature star pasta, ABCs, or pastini
salt and pepper to taste


In a large stockpot, saute the onions in vegetable oil over medium heat
until soft and translucent.
Add the carrots, celery and chicken stock;
cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the pasta.
Stir and cover the pot for 20 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 7 cups.


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Tortilla Soup

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I created the recipe for this yummy variation on standard chicken soup after having a similar style at a local Mexican restaurant. I'm a sucker for a good soup, and even though this particular restaurant is a chain (which in my opinion don't generally get great marks for quality food), they had a good tortilla soup. Unlike some varieties of this soup at other chains, it is not creamy, nor even thickened. Just broth and veggies and chicken, with crisp tortilla strips thrown in just before serving -- the noodles for my chicken soup.

The heat is determined by the amount of juice you include from the Rotel tomatoes and chilies (as well as the heat of the variety you buy). I use mild or original, and I drain about half of the juice. I think my soup is pretty spicy (and so does six-year-old Peach), but my guys add Tabasco. Use your own heat preference to guide you -- but you might want to start out mild the first time you make it.

My bowl here is missing the cilantro because I forgot to buy fresh. I did, however, squeeze fresh lime in each bowl.

Tortilla Soup
serves 6 to 8

2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 clove garlic, crushed
lrg. can chicken broth
4 cups water
3 t. chicken soup base (or bouillon)
3 carrots, sliced
1 cooked chicken breast, deboned and diced
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chilies
(drain off as much juice as you want -- remember more juice means more heat)
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
½ t. chili powder
salt to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro
fresh lime wedges
baked tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
(use less salt in soup if using chips)


In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat until hot.
Saute onion, celery and garlic in olive oil for several minutes, until tender.
Add broth, water, soup base and carrots.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add chicken, tomatoes with juice, and rice.
Cook until carrots are tender.
Add corn and beans.
Season with chili powder and salt, to taste,
Simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender.
Ladle into bowls.
Top with cilantro, tortilla strips and a squeeze of lime juice.


Tortilla strips

6 to 8 flour tortillas (one medium for each person is about right)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice tortillas with a pizza cutter into noodle-width slices.
Place on a baking sheet, spreading out over entire sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes until crisp and golden -- do not brown.


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Broccoli Cheese Soup and Bread Bowls

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Last week it turned cold in our neck of the woods and cold weather means soup for dinner. There is just nothing so good as a bowl of homemade soup on a cold, wet day. And for a special treat, I made bread bowls to serve it in. The kids thought it was awesome -- as one kid put it, "it's like playing with your food." Creating bowls with my dough was really no more difficult than forming a loaf, but so much more interesting. This soup is thick, so it doesn't soak into the bread too quickly. In fact, several of us went through a few refills before we ate the bowl. The key to getting the bread crisp on the outside is to put a pan of water in the oven beneath the rack where the bread is baking. The resulting bread has a nice crunchy exterior and a soft interior. I used vegetable broth because I made my soup on Friday, and it turned out yummy -- a little more sweet than with chicken broth. I use fresh broccoli for this, but I bet frozen would be fine. And I use milk instead of cream.

Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 cups chopped broccoli
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 - ½ cup milk or cream
1 cup shredded cheddar
freshly ground pepper
pinch cayenne pepper


Cook broccoli in chicken broth until tender.
Puree in food processor or blender.
In a large pot, melt butter.
Whisk in flour and cook 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in broccoli puree.
Cook 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Whisk in cream, cheese, pepper to taste, and cayenne.
Continue cooking until cheese is melted.


French Bread Bowls

1 pkg. yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. light olive oil
1 t. salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Combine water, yeast and sugar.
Let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Add 2 c. flour, oil and salt, and mix with dough hook, or by hand with a spoon,
until dough forms.
Add flour, 1/4 c. at a time, kneading at low speed, or by hand,
until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes, in mixer, about 7 minutes by hand.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once.
Cover and let rise at least one hour, until doubled.
Punch dough down divide into five pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place on baking sheets
greased and sprinkled with cornmeal, leaving enough room that they don't touch.


Cover with a damp towel for 30-50 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425 and place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven
at the lowest position.
Place the bread pan on the rack above the water,
and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Cool a little before cutting, then cut a circle into the bread
and pull out much of the bread,
leaving a shell around the outside.
Fill with soup and serve bread "innards" with soup.

Freezer Meal Festival

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Freezer Meals have caught quite a bit of attention in the past few years, especially among the busy moms who do once-a-month cooking. Admittedly I've never done more than double a recipe and freezing the second half for later. And while that is often very convenient (there's really nothing like pulling your own homemade food from the freezer in the morning and knowing you your dinner is done), sometimes it's just absolutely necessary. As I mentioned last week, I have a major surgery scheduled this summer, and there is just no way to get through the weeks following without a stockpile of meals. If it were just two or even three of us, we could get by on store-bought frozen meals and carry out. But with six people in a family, four of whom are, for all practical purposes, adults, I need to prepare my own meals.

After crying out for help (which isn't easy for us moms, is it?), a few of my favorite online friends answered the call. While I really rather have them pay me a visit with a hot casserole, their tips and recipes are most appreciated.

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Deborah, at the new Tastie, sent me some links to the recipes she recommends for freezing. Deborah says that their freezers in Ireland aren't really large enough for freezer meals, but she assures me that these are good, freezable meals (I can't imagine not having my extra freezer, much less not having one big enough for an extra meal -- so sorry for you Deb).

Lasagna is not only a traditional comfort food (and thus a good recovery food), it is also a traditional freezer food (after all, where do you think Stouffer's made those millions?). Deborah recommends trying her bechamel version, which I fully intend to do. Deborah recommended preparing it up to the last layer of mozzarella, freezing it, and baking it straight from the freezer. To take a page from the once-a-month cooks, I'll put the last layer of mozzarella cheese in a freezer bag and tape it to the frozen lasagna with directions for adding it in the last part of the baking time.

picture from Tastie

Another recipe from Deborah's files is Shepherd Pie. I can't imagine a better person to give me a Shepherd Pie recipe, than someone who is Irish by birth. Again Deborah says prepare it up to the baking step, freeze it, and bake it straight from the freezer.

Thank you Deborah, I'll say a little prayer for you when we these dishes come to the table.

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Herbs pictured by recipes4us.co.uk

My dear friend from Texas, the Waltzing Matilda, dedicated a post yesterday to freezer meals. She offers many great suggestions, but I particularly love the idea of of pre-assembling crock pot meals. I think even my husband can manage a crock pot meal if it's already assembled for him. I also like the sounds of the Teriyaki Tenderloin recipe she links to. I'll definitely get a few of those in the freezer with a few boxes of my favorite Birds Eye packaged vegetables.

Thank you Matilda, for taking pity on me! I will remember you during my recovery and offer up a few prayers.

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Kristine from The Cookin' Sisters & Friends sent me a soup recipe that sounds really good and comforting. The recipe came from www.smittenkitchen.com and Kristine says when you freeze it, the soup gets thicker and heartier when you thaw and reheat it. It's one of her favorite soups and she says it's "so easy you might cry."

Here is the recipe with a few of Kristine's tips:

*Last time instead of using ham, I threw in some leftover bratwurst, which I prefer. Or you could skip the meat all together.

* the notes are Deb's of SmittenKitchen, but I also used the spinach instead of arugula. Believe me you can pack this baby with a LOT of spinach.

picture from the Well-Seasoned Cook

Fast White Bean Stew
Adapted from Gourmet, January 2007

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. plus 1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (14- to 15-oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 3/4 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (19-oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
1 (1/2-lb) piece baked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (5-oz) bag baby romaine (er, what? I used spinach)
or baby arugula (10 cups loosely packed)
8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices baguette

Cook garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Coarsely cut up tomatoes in can with kitchen shears,
then add (with juice) to garlic in oil.
Stir in broth, beans, ham, and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Stir in greens and cook until wilted, 3 minutes for romaine or 1 minute for arugula.

While stew is simmering, preheat broiler.
Put bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil.
Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Serve stew with toasts.

Thanks, Kristine. I'll offer one up for you.

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Lana at Knit and Pray sent me a few recipes she thought my gang could handle. With our recent cooking lessons, she may be right.

photo from whatscookingamerica.net

Crockpot Pasta

8 oz.small shell pasta
1 can mushrooms
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 pint sour cream
8 oz. provolone cheese
1 qt. spaghetti sauce
1 lb. hamburger, cooked

Mix sauce, hamburger, shells and mushrooms together.
Put half in crock pot, sour cream over this and sliced provolone,
now rest of sauce mixture with sliced mozzarella on top.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours.


Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 2/3 c. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 c. biscuit mix
1/2 c. milk
1 egg

Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased 9" pie plate.
Stir remaining ingredients with a fork until blended.
Pour into pie plate. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
(Chicken could be cooked, chopped and frozen ahead of time
and thawed with the vegetables.)


Kentucky Fried Chicken

3 c. flour
1 T. paprika
2 env. Lipton Cup-a-soup (tomato)
2 packages Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1 t. seasoned salt
chicken pieces

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine in a plastic bag.
Coat chicken pieces.
Place on well greased cookie sheet.
Coat with melted butter.
Let bake for 1 hour.
For crisper chicken, baste every 15 minutes with 1 t. oil and 1 t. water per piece.

And a few of Lana's tips:

*Pancakes freeze well as do homemade biscuit and sausage sandwiches.

*Cookies and cookie dough and banana muffins for treats are good to freeze as well.

*Meatballs freeze well and can be used to make sandwiches or with the traditional spaghetti and meatballs.

Thank you so very much, Lana. I'll remember you with a couple decades.

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Barb at SFO Mom and Mom's Fridge did me the huge favor of going through her archives for some great freezer meals. I read Barb's menus every week and I know she serves up a great dinner every night, so I really appreciate the offering.

The first one, Barbecued Chicken, is a marinade that Barb freezes the chicken in. I have done that before, and the meat marinades as it thaws -- it's a foolproof technique. I think this marinade is calling for some chicken legs!

Another chicken recipe link she sends is for Paula's Sesame Chicken Strips. I've not tried this one, but I will, along with this Hawaiian Chicken recipe. Yum!

Barb also sends a recipe for Chicken Divan which I haven't had in a few years. She says if I don't want to put the casserole together, I could freeze the parts. I might just put them in individual bags with directions for the boys to put it together (although if I leave it to the boys they might "lose" the broccoli).

This recipe for Bourbon Chicken Bites is tried and true in my house. It's one of the boys' favorites and it really couldn't be easier (although I suppose just pulling it out of the freezer and popping it in the oven officially makes it easier).

This recipe for Goulash is just dying to be pre-assembled for the Crock Pot. I think after my recovery my guys will be expert crock pot cooks. This Chicken Chili and this Stew look like good candidates, too.

And finally, Barb's Five Cheese Lasagna looks very yummy. Who ever had too much lasagna?

Thanks, Barb, you really came through for me. I owe you one, or two, or three (Hail Marys).


Many thanks to the wonderful ladies who lended me their favorite freezer recipes. I know that they will become regulars in my house, frozen or not.

From my own experience with freezer meals, I would like to add that when you have the need for many frozen meals, like I will, you don't want to tie up all your baking pans, and you don't want to invest bucks in foil pans (I am not a fan of aluminum anyway). One technique I learned from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer is when you are making and freezing a dish, first, line your pan with long pieces of aluminum foil. Then layer the foil with plastic wrap (so the foil is not touching your food the plastic is). Place your food in the dish and fold over the long ends of plastic wrap and then the foil. Freeze until solid. I then wrap it in another layer of foil, or place it in a large freezer bag. Be sure to label it. When you are ready to thaw and bake (or even bake frozen), remove the outer foil layer, then the plastic wrap (rinse briefly with warm water to release if necessary). Place food in the original dish you froze it in and either thaw completely and bake, or bake in its frozen state. By using this method, you save room in the freezer (stacking just the food takes up less room then stacking pans), and you free up your dishes for other freezer meals and baking.

Another tip is to freeze liquids and foods like marinating chicken on a flat pan or in a dish. Then, when frozen, stack them (don't forget to label). They will be easier to stack and access if they are flat (like the picture at Matilda's).

Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts

Onion Soup is a dish that I have frequently enjoyed while dining out. What is it about that salty broth and rich cheesy bread that is such a good combination? It is definitely a dish that I never considered making for myself, but one of the recent editions of Everyday Food had a recipe that seemed very manageable. And since the recipe calls for putting the cheese on the bread instead of on the bowl, I could manage without any special equipment (serving crocks). Though this soup tastes complex, the recipe is not. It's very easily done on a week night, with the total time involved being 1 hour. I altered the recipe a tad, to suit my taste. The original recipe called for1/2 c. Marsala or port wine and I thought that would be too strong for the children. Two out of four enjoyed it -- the other two ate canned tomato soup. Go figure.

Real chefs would likely snub this recipe as no beef bones were involved, and the caramelization of the onions is fairly sped up, but it had a true French Onion Soup taste to me, and that's all that matters, I guess.

Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts

2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
4 pounds onions (about 8), halved and thinly sliced (I mean thin)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 T. Marsala wine
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low-salt beef broth
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low-salt chicken broth

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat butter and oil over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are dark golden brown, about 25 minutes. (If bottom of pot gets too dark, add 1/4 c. water and scrape bottom).
Add wine, and cook until syrupy, several minutes.
Stir in broths, plus 2 c. water.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a simmer.
Serve with Cheese Toasts.

Cheese Toasts

Heat broiler, and set rack four inches from heat.
Place 8 slices French or sourdough baguette on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1 cup grated Swiss cheese evenly among slices.
Broil several minutes, until cheese is golden brown.



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Wedding Soup

Wedding Soup is one of my favorite kinds of soup. It didn't used to be, but making my own makes all the difference. That's the great thing about cooking -- you make things just the way you like them. It's also one of the easiest soups you can make, (and cheap -- I mean, budget friendly).

Wedding Soup

2 qrt. seasoned chicken broth
salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste
1 lb. ground chuck
1 T. parsley
3 T. bread crumbs
1 egg
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup acine de pepe pasta (or more if you like your soup thicker/chunkier)
3-4 cups fresh or 1 cup frozen spinach


In a large soup pot, bring broth to boil.
Season with salt, pepper and onion powder, to taste.
Place meat, 1 egg, 1/4 c. Parmesan, parsley, bread crumbs and desired seasoning
(I use salt, pepper and garlic powder) into food processor.
Pulse for 1 minute. Make into small meatballs (about 1 inch)
and drop one by one into boiling broth
(if you are unsure of your seasoning, cook one meatball until it's done, taste,
adjust seasoning and proceed with remaining meatballs.)
Cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add pasta. Stir occasionally. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
Place spinach in boiling broth. Simmer until meatballs and pasta are done
(about 10 minutes longer).

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Split Pea Soup

Well, yesterday's lunch turned into dinner. It was a rainy day here, and I thought Split Pea Soup sounded good for dinner. I also wanted to try a crock pot recipe, which I couldn't do for lunch. I used a recipe that called for Canadian Bacon and instead added a package of cooked Andouille sausage. I skipped the chicken bouillon because I thought the sausage would add enough flavor, and it did. I also waited on the salt and pepper and added a little salt and some fresh cracked pepper at the end.

Talk about budget-friendly -- a $.69 package of split peas, a large onion, a couple of carrots and a $3.00 package of sausage. Served with a lovely loaf of Hearth Bread and we had a lovely rainy day dinner. And it took me all of about 5 minutes to make the soup. Woohoo!

Two out of four kids ate it and both adults. Well, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Crock Pot Split Pea Soup
serves 6-8

Printer Version


2 cups dry split peas (the contents of a 1# bag)
2 quarts water
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 slices Canadian Bacon, chopped (or leftover ham, sausage or kielbasa - it will get soft in the slow cooking process, but it will also add wonderful flavor to the soup)
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours. (If adding cooked sausage, add meat two hours before serving -- if you want to retain the texture of the sausage.)

Serve with croutons on top, if desired.