‘Soup’
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Serves 4
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½ cup dry barley
½ tsp salt
Water
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Place in a saucepan, rinse with water to wash away any ‘floaters’ or debris. Cover with 2” of water. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Tilt the lid and simmer gently over medium heat for 45-60 minutes. Add water if needed.
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2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
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Place in a medium pot, rinse with water to wash away any ‘floaters’ or debris. Add water, salt & pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Tilt the lid and simmer gently over low heat for 20-30 minutes.
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2 medium potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes (I prefer the light yellow sweet potatoes, but the orange are fine.)
1 tsp salt
Bowl of water
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While the barley & lentils cook, peel and chop the potatoes into 1” pieces. Place them immediately into a bowl of cold water with the salt. This keeps them from turning brown. Set aside.
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3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion
6 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp Provence herbs
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
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Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot. Chop the onion and celery into ½” pieces. Crush the garlic cloves, peel and chop. Add to pot with spices. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
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½ gram Spanish saffron (or more to taste)
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
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Drain the sweet potatoes and add to the stew along with the saffron and 3 cups broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove about 2 cups of the vegetables and mash or process with a mixer to form a paste. Return the paste to the pot to thicken the stew.
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When the barley is tender, drain and add to the stew. Add more broth if desired.
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12 stalks asparagus
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Chop the asparagus into 1” pieces and steam for 10 minutes or so until crisp tender. If you are not serving immediately, rinse in cold water to cool, and reheat later.
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Serve the stew in a shallow bowl along side the lentils. Top with asparagus.
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Optional:
Spicy Sautéed Shrimp
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Prepare the shrimp (click for recipe) and serve in the same bowl as the stew.
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I suggest serving the stew with warm pita bread, hummus and olive tapanade.
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I was craving saffron-infused paella and did not have all of the ingredients, so I invented this dish. I am sure it is not authentic Moroccan, but it is what I imagine Moroccan to be!
Posted in Mediterranean Style, Soup, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Serves: 8
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4 cups dry white navy beans
Water
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Boil and soak method for prepping the beans: Wash the beans and discard any floaters or debris. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 2” of water. Bring the pot to a gentle boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature 6-20 hours.
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Fresh water
Optional:
2 cans (15 oz) Swansons chicken broth
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Drain the beans, rinse with fresh water and drain again. Add chicken broth or water to cover the beans with 1” of water. Bring just to a boil and cook on med-low for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender. Add additional water if the level falls below the top of the beans.
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1 medium sweet yellow onion
5 celery stalks with leaves
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Chop the onion and celery. Process in a food processor or blender until very fine.
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2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Italian or Provence herb mix
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
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Place the onion, celery, oil, butter and spices in a small skillet. Stir and sauté over medium heat for 15 minutes.
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2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
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Drain off and reserve some of the broth from the beans if the level is above the top of the beans. Add the onion mixture and the tomatoes to the bean pot. Mix well. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add back the broth or additional water to the desired consistency.
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I have found that the boil and soak method eliminates the digestive problems and gas which many people have with beans. Make sure the beans are done before adding tomatoes to the soup. The acid in tomatoes increases the cooking time of beans.
Posted in Soup, Vegetarian | No Comments »
This is my favorite way to turn one soup into three different meals.
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Serves 4-5 people for 3 days
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| Day 1: Chicken Soup |
Prepare the basic chicken soup recipe below. Don’t overcook- just until the potatoes are tender. I suggest serving it the first day without pasta. Refrigerate the left-over soup immediately in an airtight plastic or glass container.
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| Day 2: Minestrone
1 or more cans (4 oz) tomato paste
1 can (12 oz) V-8 or tomato juice
1 or more cans (15 oz) kidney or white beans
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Small pasta such as penne, bowties or spirals
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Reheat the chicken soup over low heat. Don’t overcook. Add 1 can of tomato paste, juice and 1 can of beans. Add additional tomato paste and beans depending on how much left over soup you are using.
Prepare the pasta separately. Serve the soup over the pasta. Refrigerate the left-over soup(without the pasta) immediately in an airtight plastic or glass container.
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| Day 3: Chicken Chili
1 or more cans (15 oz) pinto or black beans
1 or more cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (4 oz) diced green chilies
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp pepper
Or substitute 1 pkg Taco Seasoning for the spices
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Reheat the minestrone soup over low heat. Don’t overcook. Start with one can of beans, tomatoes, chilies and the spices. Add additional tomatoes and beans depending on how much left over soup you are using.
If the chili is too thin, add 2 Tbsp or more tomato paste. If it is too thick, add canned chicken broth.
If the chili is too wimpy, add additional chili powder or cayenne pepper as desired.
No more left-overs!
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Posted in Chicken, Main Dishes, Soup | No Comments »
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Serves 8
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1 large sweet onion
6 stalks celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Provence or Italian Herb mix
¼ cup olive oil
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Chop the onion and celery into ½” bits. Add to a large pot with the herbs and oil. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Move most of the mixture into a small bowl and set aside, leaving ½ cup of the onion mixture in the pan.
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4 half chicken breasts with bone and skin
3 cups water
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Add the chicken and water to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to med-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool. Save the broth in the pot.
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2 cans (14 oz) Swansons chicken broth
2 cups chopped carrots
4 medium potatoes
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Optional:
Any fresh or frozen veggies such as chopped green beans, broccoli, corn, peas
Barley option:
Cook separately one cup of pearl barley and three cups of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to low and cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes until tender. Add to the soup just before serving.
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Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes. Add canned broth and the veggies to the pot. Bring to a boil on med-high heat. Turn down to low heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the cooked chicken. Cut the chicken into 1” chunks. Add the chicken to the pot.
Add the onion & celery mixture from above. Salt and pepper.
At this point, you could refrigerate the soup overnight if you are making a day ahead.
Bring to a boil. Turn down to low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes just until the potatoes & veggies are tender. Don’t overcook.
Serve the soup as is, or over noodles or pasta. Don’t add pasta to the pot because it does not hold up well for left-overs.
Use the left-overs to make Three Day Soup!
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Our traditional Christmas eve dinner features this simple soup over Spaetzle.
Posted in Chicken, Christmas, Main Dishes, Soup | No Comments »
<< Spaetzle Maker
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Yields about 5 cups Spaetzle
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2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
½ cup warm water
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Combine all ingredients and beat with a spoon to form a thick batter.
Place at least 2 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a hard boil. Lay the spaetzle maker horizontally over the pan, resting on the edges. Fill the well half full with batter and move it back and forth. Work quickly to run small batches of dough through the spaetzle maker directly into the boiling water. Stir the boiling noodles with a wooden spoon. Boil hard for about 5 minutes until done. To test for doneness, remove a large noodle and taste it. It should be almost dryish on the inside. Immediately drain the noodles into a colander and rinse with a little cold water. Pour the drained noodles back into the warm pot and serve immediately.
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While living in southern Germany, the Swabian “national noodle”, spaetzle fast became our favorite local dish. Our German language tutor taught me the traditional way to scrape the noodles off a cutting board directly into the boiling water. Now, I usually use a spaetzle maker, which forces the soft dough through holes, forming noodles as it hits the water.
Posted in Christmas, German Style, Sides, Soup | No Comments »
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Serves 8
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1 large sweet onion
6 stalks celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Provence or Italian Herb mix
¼ cup olive oil
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Chop the onion and celery into ½” bits. Add to a large pot with the herbs and oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
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2 cans (14 oz) Swansons chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cans (12 oz) V-8 juice
2 cups chopped carrots
4 medium potatoes
½ cup dry lentils
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Any fresh or frozen veggies such as chopped green beans, broccoli, corn, peas, edamamme, asparagus, sweet potatoes
Barley option:
Cook separately one cup of pearl barley and three cups of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to low and cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes until tender. Add to the soup just before serving.
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Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes. Add everything. Bring to a boil on med-high heat. Turn down to low heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes just until the potatoes & veggies are tender. Don’t overcook.
Serve the soup as is, or over noodles or pasta. Don’t add pasta to the pot because it does not hold up well for left-overs.
Use the left-overs to make Three Day Soup!
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Posted in Soup, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Serves 6
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1 large sweet onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey or beef
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground oregano
2 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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Chop the onion into ½“ bits. Pour the olive oil into a large pot. Add the onion. Turn on med-high heat. Add the meat, crumble and stir. Add the spices and stir frequently until the meat is cooked.
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2 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes
3 cans (4 oz) green chilies
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Do not drain the tomatoes or chilies. Add to pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down to low heat.
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4 cups cooked pinto beans or 2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans, drained
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
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Add rest. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Taste the chili. Add more chili powder or cayenne pepper if you like it hot.
Serve with tortilla chips.
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Posted in Main Dishes, Soup | No Comments »
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4 Servings
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3 sweet potatoes
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Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 2 “ pieces. Place the sweet potatoes in a heavy sauce pan, cover with water and boil about 20 minutes until tender. Transfer the potatoes into a food mill and drain excess water. If you don’t have a food mill or processor, drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside.
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1 cup raw frozen shrimp
(peeled and deveined)
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Wash and roughly chop the shrimp.
Set aside.
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½ onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
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Return the empty potato pan to the stove; melt the butter and sauté onions over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté 1-2 minutes just until the shrimp becomes slightly opaque. Don’t overcook.
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2 Tbsp flour
Approx. 3 cups milk
Salt & Pepper
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Quickly sprinkle the flour and stir to form a thick roux. Add 1 cup of milk, stir and heat thoroughly. Add additional milk to form a gravy consistency. Add the mashed potatoes. Stir well and add milk to the desired consistency of a thick soup. Sprinkle to taste with salt & pepper.
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Nutmeg
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Ladle into warm bowls. Sprinkle nutmeg on top of each serving.
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I improvised this soup because I wanted to make shrimp bisque for guests, but did not have enough shrimp. I added the sweet potato as a filler because the color reminded me of shrimp! It turns out that the sweet potato is the best part- try it without the shrimp!
Posted in Fish and Seafood, Soup | No Comments »