One, misty, moisty, morning when cloudy was the weather.. well no actually Sissy was in for Christmas this past year and she brought in tow with her a ham bone and a recipe for Senate Bean Soup. Apparently she had it at a restaurant while on vacation, and wanted to have it again. I guessed that her having the ham bone and recipe in hand from the restaurant was my hint to get into the kitchen. Well, I did not tell Sissy this at first, i looked at the recipe and said... I can do better!!! (Muhahahahaaa) So I went about doing some quick research on Senate Bean Soup, thought it through and came up with this recipe that was REALLY, very nice! You can soak the beans overnight or use the quick soak method listed below.
Quick Soak Method
For One (32 ounce/2 pound) Bag of Great Northern Beans:
Use 3 cups of water per 1 cup of dried beans ( so for one bag it would be 12 cups of water)
Bring water to a boil add beans, cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and a lid for 1 hour, drain afterwards.
Senate Bean Soup
1 Bay Leaf
4 whole Cloves
3 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
1 large ham bone with meat on it
1/2 stick of butter (salted or unsalted)
1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, rough chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Potato Peeled and Finely Chopped
In a soup pot melt the butter, saute onion until soft and tender, ad garlic and saute for about 1 minute, being careful not to brown or burn. Add pepper, bay leaf, 3 cloves, the beans along with the ham bone and 12 cups of water. (Water should cover the beans plus be an inch or 2 over them. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
After 1 hour add the other vegetables, cover and simmer for 40 more minutes. Then take out 2 cups of the soup with a lot of beans and liquid (no meat, veggies are okay) Puree in a blender or food processor and add back to the soup. Remove the bone from the soup, take the meat off the bone, chop up that ham into bite sized chunks and return the meat to the pot, discard the bone. Simmer the soup UNCOVERED for 10-20 minutes until it thickens.
**Add extra water during the cooking process if need be. Also, if I have chicken or ham stock laying around, I add that in place of the water, but i would do no more than 6 cups of stock total.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Kidney Bean Salad
I remember my mother going on a quest for this recipe. When my mom had it in her head that she wanted a specific recipe for something or finding out how something was done in a recipe a certain way, there was no holding her back. I think the one thing we could not figure out was whether or not you had to drain the kidney beans. I remember her emailing people and talking to people about finding the "correct" recipe for this... and in my mother's eyes... this is it:
1 can Kidney Beans, drained
1 stem of Celery, chopped fine
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 T. sweet relish
1 tsp. vinegar
2 T. Mayo
Mix, refrigerate, serve.
1 can Kidney Beans, drained
1 stem of Celery, chopped fine
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 T. sweet relish
1 tsp. vinegar
2 T. Mayo
Mix, refrigerate, serve.
7 Layer Salad
This recipe comes from the kitchen of my Aunt Marilyn. This salad has always been a big hit at every family gathering, as I am sure it will be at yours!
Lettuce (cut into bite sized pieces)
Red onion, sliced thin
4- to 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas (thawed and drained)
1 pound bacon, fried and chopped
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1 cup Mayonnaise
Place lettuce in the bottom of the bowl. Then eggs, then onions, peas. bacon. mayo and top with cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Of course if you can do this in a glass bowl, all the better.. it looks really pretty when its done.
Lettuce (cut into bite sized pieces)
Red onion, sliced thin
4- to 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas (thawed and drained)
1 pound bacon, fried and chopped
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1 cup Mayonnaise
Place lettuce in the bottom of the bowl. Then eggs, then onions, peas. bacon. mayo and top with cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Of course if you can do this in a glass bowl, all the better.. it looks really pretty when its done.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Vermicelli Salad
Oh sweet yummy pasta salad of my youth! It has been too long since I have had an opportunity to make this, but its so good, even the next day. I could eat this all by itself as a meal! But, its perfect with Mom's Grilled Italian Chicken. I know she got this recipe from a co-worker at the hospital. One time she was sick before we had to go to a party and she asked me to take over to make it. Ever since then I was in charge!
1 box Vermicelli, cooked to al dente, and cooled
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 diced tomatoes, seeds removed
2 green peppers, diced
1 bunch of green onions cut up
1 large bottle, Wishbone Italian Dressing
1/2 bottle of Salad Supreme
simple.. you mix all the ingredients together, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. How easy is that?
1 box Vermicelli, cooked to al dente, and cooled
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 diced tomatoes, seeds removed
2 green peppers, diced
1 bunch of green onions cut up
1 large bottle, Wishbone Italian Dressing
1/2 bottle of Salad Supreme
simple.. you mix all the ingredients together, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. How easy is that?
Mom's Creamed Cucumbers
Another dish I did not appreciate until closer to being an adult. This recipe goes as far back as I can remember and then some. If you want a more creamier cucumber recipe, I will be posting one that involves yogurt, that is just as nice! A good, old time salad recipe that is just as good today as it was 20 years ago!
3 large cucumbers
1 large onion, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
1 T. Vinegar
1 tsp Milk (to thin, if needed)
1T. Salt
a pinch to 1 T. of sugar (to taste)
Rinse cucumbers off, cut ends off, and cut into slices. slice the onion. Place cucumbers and onion in bowl, add the salt, put ice cubes and water over the cucumber/onion mixture to cover, let sit for a couple of hours, then drain. Add sour cream vinegar and a pinch of sugar, mix, if thick add milk. add drained cucumbers to mixture, taste and adjust seasonings, cover and refrigerate.
3 large cucumbers
1 large onion, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
1 T. Vinegar
1 tsp Milk (to thin, if needed)
1T. Salt
a pinch to 1 T. of sugar (to taste)
Rinse cucumbers off, cut ends off, and cut into slices. slice the onion. Place cucumbers and onion in bowl, add the salt, put ice cubes and water over the cucumber/onion mixture to cover, let sit for a couple of hours, then drain. Add sour cream vinegar and a pinch of sugar, mix, if thick add milk. add drained cucumbers to mixture, taste and adjust seasonings, cover and refrigerate.
Grandma Otten's Chutney Tomatoes
Again, this really is not a salad, its not a soup, but, its a great condiment and can be used in a variety of ways! This is a pickling and canning project, so role up your sleeves and be careful!
Peel and scald 10 pounds of tomatoes
Rough chop the tomatoes*(?)
Take off about 1 quart of juice
3 sweet red peppers
3 green peppers
1 stalk of celery with leaves
4-5 mild onions
Finely chop or grind all veggies and add to the tomatoes.
Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of white sugar.
Add salt to your own taste.
Put in a pickling spice bag with pickling spices in it, bag should be about the size of a walnut. Add some Cinnamon some cloves, a bay leaf.. cook for one hour.
Sterilize Jars, rims and lids. Pour hot liquid into jars, wipe rims.
Water bath- bring water to a boil, just enough to cover the jars. bring back to a boil.. simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Take jars out and place on clean, dry towel away from draft. Jars will start to pop, it means they are sealed. If not sealed, place in refrigerator. if sealed, store on a pantry shelf. Do not tighten the jar ring, real , real tight. Grandma did not give proportions for spice ball.. tie in cheese cloth with string.
Peel and scald 10 pounds of tomatoes
Rough chop the tomatoes*(?)
Take off about 1 quart of juice
3 sweet red peppers
3 green peppers
1 stalk of celery with leaves
4-5 mild onions
Finely chop or grind all veggies and add to the tomatoes.
Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of white sugar.
Add salt to your own taste.
Put in a pickling spice bag with pickling spices in it, bag should be about the size of a walnut. Add some Cinnamon some cloves, a bay leaf.. cook for one hour.
Sterilize Jars, rims and lids. Pour hot liquid into jars, wipe rims.
Water bath- bring water to a boil, just enough to cover the jars. bring back to a boil.. simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Take jars out and place on clean, dry towel away from draft. Jars will start to pop, it means they are sealed. If not sealed, place in refrigerator. if sealed, store on a pantry shelf. Do not tighten the jar ring, real , real tight. Grandma did not give proportions for spice ball.. tie in cheese cloth with string.
Summer Salad
This salad made by my Grandma Otten is readily devoured, especially if served with fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy. Even having it with a nice BBQ/Grill item is good!
2 Green peppers
2 Tomatoes
2 cucumbers
2 onions
Cut these up for the salad. Sprinkle with Season Salt.
1/8 cup of Oil
1/8 cup of Vinegar
(look at your 1/4 cup, fill it half way with oil then vinegar, whisk together) Pour dressing over veggies, cover and refrigerate. I would let this refrigerate at least 1-2 hours minimum. No more than 4 hours for the initial serving. Or, if your like me, this salad the next day, even though the vegetables are beyond their prime , is even more good. Doing this in summer with vegetables right out of your garden is the best!
2 Green peppers
2 Tomatoes
2 cucumbers
2 onions
Cut these up for the salad. Sprinkle with Season Salt.
1/8 cup of Oil
1/8 cup of Vinegar
(look at your 1/4 cup, fill it half way with oil then vinegar, whisk together) Pour dressing over veggies, cover and refrigerate. I would let this refrigerate at least 1-2 hours minimum. No more than 4 hours for the initial serving. Or, if your like me, this salad the next day, even though the vegetables are beyond their prime , is even more good. Doing this in summer with vegetables right out of your garden is the best!
Mom's Potato Salad
Here is my mom's potato salad recipe. I must say this salad is legendary in certain circles. I will also say, despite that i am giving you a recipe, the main difference would be my mom tasted this salad every step of the way and would adjust seasonings even if she would add more relish or sour cream, etc, just depend on your taste buds on this one. And for everyone who ever wondered how she made it... here's the recipe...
5 lbs of potatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
6 hard boiled eggs
1 tsp. Relish
1/2 tsp. of Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
Boil potatoes with skin on till tender, cook eggs till hard boiled. Let potatoes cool. Take the shins off and dice, place in a very large bowl. In another bowl dice 4 eggs , add the rest of the ingredients till a little soupy. add to potatoes. Make sure there is enough dressing, the potatoes will absorb it. Garnish with sliced eggs and sprinkle paprika on top. Cover and refrigerate.
5 lbs of potatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
6 hard boiled eggs
1 tsp. Relish
1/2 tsp. of Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
Boil potatoes with skin on till tender, cook eggs till hard boiled. Let potatoes cool. Take the shins off and dice, place in a very large bowl. In another bowl dice 4 eggs , add the rest of the ingredients till a little soupy. add to potatoes. Make sure there is enough dressing, the potatoes will absorb it. Garnish with sliced eggs and sprinkle paprika on top. Cover and refrigerate.
Green Salad Vinaigrette
Finally a salad dressing recipe, This recipe comes from Ina Garten's " Barefoot In Paris"
Garten, Ina. "Green Salad Vinaigrette" Barefoot in Paris. (New York): Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2004, pp. 102
now this is my idea of a good salad, if you are weary of the raw egg, just omit it.
Cleaned mesclun mix or a mixed green salad of lettuces works well for this recipe. Ina suggest arugula, endive and red radicchio as some options.
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar (champagne works really well, and its surprisingly affordable!)
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 extra large egg yolk at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper. While whisking SLOWLY add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Toss the greens with enough dressing to moisten and serve immediately. when you're serving a salad for a dinner party, put the vinaigrette in the bottom of a serving bowl and place the greens on top. This can sit for an hour or two until you are ready to toss it. To prepare the salad greens early, wash and spin them dry in a salad spinner and store refrigerated in a plastic bag lined with a paper towel.
Garten, Ina. "Green Salad Vinaigrette" Barefoot in Paris. (New York): Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2004, pp. 102
now this is my idea of a good salad, if you are weary of the raw egg, just omit it.
Cleaned mesclun mix or a mixed green salad of lettuces works well for this recipe. Ina suggest arugula, endive and red radicchio as some options.
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar (champagne works really well, and its surprisingly affordable!)
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 extra large egg yolk at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper. While whisking SLOWLY add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Toss the greens with enough dressing to moisten and serve immediately. when you're serving a salad for a dinner party, put the vinaigrette in the bottom of a serving bowl and place the greens on top. This can sit for an hour or two until you are ready to toss it. To prepare the salad greens early, wash and spin them dry in a salad spinner and store refrigerated in a plastic bag lined with a paper towel.
A cure for a cold
This soup i got from one of the ladies I used to work with at Earth and Beyond one time when I was sick. Unfortunately with the flu virus becoming stronger every year, this soup does not work the magic it once did, but, its still a great supplement towards helping you along back to health.
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, shredded (optional)
5 - 7 Garlic Cloves minced or more if you can take it
the juice of one whole lemon (or half if your not a lemon fan)
Salt and Pepper to taste... with more emphasis on the pepper.
1 shot of Scotch or Whiskey
Heat the broth in a pan, add the garlic, lemon juice and chicken, boil till the chicken is cooked, put in your carrot if you wish cook, till heated through and eat. Carrot is good for the vitamin C, but lets face it, when you have the flu, you really don't feel like doing a whole lot. Follow this up with a shot of scotch and tuck yourself in for a nap. The scotch actually does help medicinally!!
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, shredded (optional)
5 - 7 Garlic Cloves minced or more if you can take it
the juice of one whole lemon (or half if your not a lemon fan)
Salt and Pepper to taste... with more emphasis on the pepper.
1 shot of Scotch or Whiskey
Heat the broth in a pan, add the garlic, lemon juice and chicken, boil till the chicken is cooked, put in your carrot if you wish cook, till heated through and eat. Carrot is good for the vitamin C, but lets face it, when you have the flu, you really don't feel like doing a whole lot. Follow this up with a shot of scotch and tuck yourself in for a nap. The scotch actually does help medicinally!!
Mom's Beef Stew and Dumplings
I hemmed and hawed about whether to put this under soups and salads or a main dish... since my mother has it under soups in her cookbook, I'm just following suit. Although, I will be posting another Beef Stew recipe that I make from time to time. This is my moms, its what I grew up on, and yes, the secret is in the McCormicks Beef Stew Seasoning Packets!! Not to mention the dumplings really make this dish special!
3-4 lb pot roast cut up or beef stew meat
2 McCormick Seasoning Beef Stew Packets
4-5 celery stalks cut up
4-5 carrots peeled and cut up
4-5 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
Flour (1-2 cups)
Season Salt ( 1 tablespoon)
Vegetable Shortening
Cut up your beef. Mix together the flour and season salt. Dredge the beef in this mixture till all pieces are coated. Melt vegetable shortening in the bottom of your stew pot, brown the beef in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. The beef should be a rich dark brown, do not under brown it. Pour off excess grease, leaving a little bit in the bottom of the pot for the next step. Okay, here's a trick i learned in culinary school... take the 2 seasoning packets and dump them into the bottom of the pan and stir them around until they change color, this "wakens" up the seasonings in the packets and adds to the flavor of the stew, careful not to burn the seasonings. Add the beef and onions, bay leaves, cover with water (the back of the seasoning packages give an amount of water to put in, I think it comes out to be 6 - 8 cups) Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At the end of that add all of your vegetables and potatoes, cover and simmer for another 40 to 45 minutes. Take Bay leaves out. you can add frozen or drained canned green beans at this point or even frozen peas. Then moving on to make the dumplings that cook right on top of the stew..
Dumplings (Sinkers)
2 cups of Flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 heaping tablespoon of Baking Powder
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp Pepper (optional)
enough warm water to absorb flour, about 1/4 cup.
Mix all ingredients to combine. Mom's directions say to a paste consistency.. I think that might be misleading, i add water till all the flour is just absorbed and when i stir it, it comes together in the center of the bowl. Take this and drop it by the spoonful on to boiling stew mixture. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The dumplings will initially 'sink' to the bottom but float on top near the end. Floating dumplings though in this recipe are NOT an indication of doneness, make sure you cook it for the full 12- 15 minutes and even test one just to make sure. You will want to make plenty of these dumplings!
3-4 lb pot roast cut up or beef stew meat
2 McCormick Seasoning Beef Stew Packets
4-5 celery stalks cut up
4-5 carrots peeled and cut up
4-5 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
Flour (1-2 cups)
Season Salt ( 1 tablespoon)
Vegetable Shortening
Cut up your beef. Mix together the flour and season salt. Dredge the beef in this mixture till all pieces are coated. Melt vegetable shortening in the bottom of your stew pot, brown the beef in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. The beef should be a rich dark brown, do not under brown it. Pour off excess grease, leaving a little bit in the bottom of the pot for the next step. Okay, here's a trick i learned in culinary school... take the 2 seasoning packets and dump them into the bottom of the pan and stir them around until they change color, this "wakens" up the seasonings in the packets and adds to the flavor of the stew, careful not to burn the seasonings. Add the beef and onions, bay leaves, cover with water (the back of the seasoning packages give an amount of water to put in, I think it comes out to be 6 - 8 cups) Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At the end of that add all of your vegetables and potatoes, cover and simmer for another 40 to 45 minutes. Take Bay leaves out. you can add frozen or drained canned green beans at this point or even frozen peas. Then moving on to make the dumplings that cook right on top of the stew..
Dumplings (Sinkers)
2 cups of Flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 heaping tablespoon of Baking Powder
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp Pepper (optional)
enough warm water to absorb flour, about 1/4 cup.
Mix all ingredients to combine. Mom's directions say to a paste consistency.. I think that might be misleading, i add water till all the flour is just absorbed and when i stir it, it comes together in the center of the bowl. Take this and drop it by the spoonful on to boiling stew mixture. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The dumplings will initially 'sink' to the bottom but float on top near the end. Floating dumplings though in this recipe are NOT an indication of doneness, make sure you cook it for the full 12- 15 minutes and even test one just to make sure. You will want to make plenty of these dumplings!
Oxtail Soup
Oxtail soup, or as I affectionately call it now a days, the Million Dollar soup. It deeply saddens me that the 5 star chefs discovered Oxtails and made it into a gourmet item, causing this delicious cut of meat's price to sky rocket up there with oxygen and indeed some forms of Caviar. This soup once upon a time was one of thee most delicious and affordable soups to make, now, its a treat! Finding GOOD looking, reasonably priced Oxtails is a daunting task. For those of you sitting there going, but , but Bob, do you realize where an Oxtail comes from? Yes I do! And its still delicious.. if you have never tried oxtails, please give this a go. I introduce people to oxtails this way, and no one is the wiser. Its simply a cut of beef with a lot of bone, that adds a tremendous amount of flavor. And do not be ashamed of grabbing the oxtail out of the soup and sinking your teeth into it and getting every bit of meat away from the bone!!
The Ingredients:
1-2 trays of Oxtails
Vegetable Shortening or Lard
Beef broth or Bouillon
parsley
3-4 Carrots
3-4 stalks of Celery
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup barley
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 can mixed vegetables (optional)
In your soup pot melt the lard or shortening and sear/brown your oxtails on all sides. Remove the excess grease, leaving a little bit in the pot. Saute your onion. Add the oxtails back and cover with water or beef broth ( I know, I cheat!). Add parsley at this point too, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. Come back and add the raw vegetables and barley you desire cover again and simmer for 45 minutes. Come back and add the tomatoes with their juice and the can of mixed vegetables. Simmer until heated through. Now I feel i have to give an explanation on my instructions.. when I say cover with water.. you want to cover the oxtails, but you also want to make sure you have enough water in there to cover your vegetables later on, it depends on the pot your cooking in. I could sit here and say adding water until your about a 1/2 an inch from the top of the pot is a good rule of thumb. Also with the veggies, you can add more or less, the reason why i do 3-4 it depends if your going to add the canned vegetables or not, if your like me the more veggies in a soup the merrier!
The Ingredients:
1-2 trays of Oxtails
Vegetable Shortening or Lard
Beef broth or Bouillon
parsley
3-4 Carrots
3-4 stalks of Celery
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup barley
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 can mixed vegetables (optional)
In your soup pot melt the lard or shortening and sear/brown your oxtails on all sides. Remove the excess grease, leaving a little bit in the pot. Saute your onion. Add the oxtails back and cover with water or beef broth ( I know, I cheat!). Add parsley at this point too, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. Come back and add the raw vegetables and barley you desire cover again and simmer for 45 minutes. Come back and add the tomatoes with their juice and the can of mixed vegetables. Simmer until heated through. Now I feel i have to give an explanation on my instructions.. when I say cover with water.. you want to cover the oxtails, but you also want to make sure you have enough water in there to cover your vegetables later on, it depends on the pot your cooking in. I could sit here and say adding water until your about a 1/2 an inch from the top of the pot is a good rule of thumb. Also with the veggies, you can add more or less, the reason why i do 3-4 it depends if your going to add the canned vegetables or not, if your like me the more veggies in a soup the merrier!
Hamburger Florentine Soup
This is a soup recipe my mom received from a fellow x-ray tech at Ingalls, Maria. It is a very hearty, filling soup that I love making. And it is "souper" easy to make! All you need is a good piece of crusty warm bread to go with this soup and you are good to go my friend!!
2 lbs. Hamburger
5 cups of Water
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup diced onion
1 cup celery
1/3 cup uncooked barley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can green beans, drained ( or i usually use frozen, probably about a cup and a half)
One 9 ounce package chopped spinach
Brown meat, drain grease, add the rest of the ingredients except spinach, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes Add spinach, simmer another 30 minutes. Before serving, remove Bay Leaf. How easy does it get?
2 lbs. Hamburger
5 cups of Water
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup diced onion
1 cup celery
1/3 cup uncooked barley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can green beans, drained ( or i usually use frozen, probably about a cup and a half)
One 9 ounce package chopped spinach
Brown meat, drain grease, add the rest of the ingredients except spinach, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes Add spinach, simmer another 30 minutes. Before serving, remove Bay Leaf. How easy does it get?
Joe's Cream of Potato Soup
WARNING: This soup is not for the faint of heart, nor is it good if you are dieting or watching you cholesterol intake! But I relish this soup... its rich creamy goodness and every ounce of fat that is within... who knew sauteing bacon in a stick of butter ( yes you heard me right) could create culinary cardiac arrest that will leave you grinning from ear to ear after one spoonful!
1 tea kettle plus 2 cups of water
2-3 pounds of potatoes with skins left on, cut into cubes, medium dice, somewhere around there.
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of Garlic
7 strips of bacon, cut up
1 stick of butter or margarine
2 cups chopped celery
3 Tablespoons Chicken Base
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, but, try it, it just adds a nice little bit of heat in the background)
1 tsp. Dill
Flour (to make a roux)
3 cups Milk, half and half or heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes and celery with the chicken base till potatoes are just tender. Meanwhile in another pan, melt your butter, put in the bacon and onion till bacon is crispy. During the last minute or 2 add your garlic and cook it, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add flour to this mixture to turn it into a roux for the soup. Temper some of the hot soup broth in with the roux mixture, then mix it into the soup. Add all the other spices at this point. then add in Milk, half and half or heavy cream one cup at the time, simmer till heated through and serve. Sprinkling cheddar cheese on top of this is pretty tasty, but honestly this soup on its own is just ... yum!
1 tea kettle plus 2 cups of water
2-3 pounds of potatoes with skins left on, cut into cubes, medium dice, somewhere around there.
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of Garlic
7 strips of bacon, cut up
1 stick of butter or margarine
2 cups chopped celery
3 Tablespoons Chicken Base
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, but, try it, it just adds a nice little bit of heat in the background)
1 tsp. Dill
Flour (to make a roux)
3 cups Milk, half and half or heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes and celery with the chicken base till potatoes are just tender. Meanwhile in another pan, melt your butter, put in the bacon and onion till bacon is crispy. During the last minute or 2 add your garlic and cook it, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add flour to this mixture to turn it into a roux for the soup. Temper some of the hot soup broth in with the roux mixture, then mix it into the soup. Add all the other spices at this point. then add in Milk, half and half or heavy cream one cup at the time, simmer till heated through and serve. Sprinkling cheddar cheese on top of this is pretty tasty, but honestly this soup on its own is just ... yum!
Beef and Barley Soup.. or.. Toto, I don't think were in Kansas anymore!
After Mom passed away I moved to Kansas for a few years where I met one of thee most extraordinary women on the planet.. my friend Kim's mom, Ginny! Ginny blows my mind away. I don't see how this woman does it, but she does. She comes from a very large family, so cooking in large quantities for her, I suspect is nothing new, but OMG! Ginny was the lead person at the Church's community dinners which were held in the parish hall. The woman would make ALL the desserts herself for one thing. And there were somewhere between 8-12 desserts to choose from!! Not to mention, organizing, cooking, setting up and taking down the event, with the help of other women in the parish of course. Whatever she made, it was always, always good!! Then back at her house, when she would have the family over for Sunday dinner (remember the family being somewhere around 20 people plus) She would whip up a dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, a vegetable, a salad and usually there were 2 desserts on the counter! One event that happens is on Halloween Night, you can find Ginny in her kitchen waiting for the family children to drop by in all of their lovely Halloween costumes ( 2 or 3 of them she sewed together personally)! And in the background on the stove was a HUGE simmering pot of this Vegetable Beef Soup. Kim and I were always invited over Halloween night to come see the kids costumes, I remember just looking forward to having this soup......
1 pot roast bone in (more flavor) cut into bite size pieces
3 tsp beef bouillon or to taste
1 medium onion cut up
1 tablespoon dried parsley(optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Put all this together in a pot covered with water and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Now, if you are adventurous, and want a little extra richness and depth to your soup.. you can brown the pot roast in some oil, then remove the excess grease, leaving a little left, and saute the onion for a little bit, although, Ginny never did, it was something my mom did.
Cut up the following
3 carrots, peeled
2 potatoes, peeled and medium dice
3 stalks of celery
1/2 - 1 cup of Barley (depending on how much you like or you don't have to add the barley at all if you wish)
Simmer the above for 45 minutes... then....
Add in....
1 - 2 Cans of Mixed Vegetables, drained
1- 2 cans of cut up stewed tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes, adding the juice to the soup
simmer till heated through and serve with Club Crackers and Butter. (Yes Kimmy, I remember the Crackers!)
1 pot roast bone in (more flavor) cut into bite size pieces
3 tsp beef bouillon or to taste
1 medium onion cut up
1 tablespoon dried parsley(optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Put all this together in a pot covered with water and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Now, if you are adventurous, and want a little extra richness and depth to your soup.. you can brown the pot roast in some oil, then remove the excess grease, leaving a little left, and saute the onion for a little bit, although, Ginny never did, it was something my mom did.
Cut up the following
3 carrots, peeled
2 potatoes, peeled and medium dice
3 stalks of celery
1/2 - 1 cup of Barley (depending on how much you like or you don't have to add the barley at all if you wish)
Simmer the above for 45 minutes... then....
Add in....
1 - 2 Cans of Mixed Vegetables, drained
1- 2 cans of cut up stewed tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes, adding the juice to the soup
simmer till heated through and serve with Club Crackers and Butter. (Yes Kimmy, I remember the Crackers!)
My Chicken Soup
Somewhere between Mom, Grandma Millas and Culinary School, this is the recipe I have come up with for Chicken Soup.
The Broth
1 Whole Chicken, cut into parts
2 Carrots cut in half, skin left on
2 stalks of celery cut in half
1 large onion cut in half, skin removed
12 whole peppercorns
2 T. Kosher Salt
Large handful of Fresh Parsley (either Curly or Flat Leaf Italian will do)
4-6 Garlic cloves left whole, skin off
Cold Water to Cover
*Note* Here is the strange thing about my broth.. its never the same. It is, but it is not. One of the wonderful things in the restaurant world is when you start seeing produce and other things on the verge of starting to go bad... what do you do with them? You make a soup! Or at least a base for a soup! The day I make this soup, i fling open the refrigerator and see what is going on. I've put old green onions and cilantro in my broth. One time there was a whole bulb of garlic that was just starting to go, I used the whole bulb of garlic. One time i had a bay leaf left in a container, i threw that in. I've thrown in dill, thyme, tarragon that was on the verge. I've even followed in Paula Deen's footsteps and I have sprinkled in Italian seasoning at this point to cover the top of the broth and mixed it in. It gets strained anyway, and no one is the wiser. Pssst.. if i have a box of chicken broth sitting in the refrigerator... in it goes!
Okay so, making sure your chicken is cut up put that, all the vegetables into a large pot. Chicken on the bottom, the rest on top, put in cold water to cover up to the top of the pot. Add your parsley, salt and peppercorns, bring this mixture to a boil, then turn it down to low, put a lid on it, and walk away for about 2-4 hours. When you come back, you will have the broth for your soup. Find a large strainer, and over another pot, strain your broth. Remove the chicken pieces from the strainer and discard the rest. Remove the skin from the chicken, and with a fork or your fingers, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
The Rest of the Ingredients
4 stalks of Celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, small dice
another large handful of Fresh Parsley
Add the vegetables to the broth, bring to a boil, reduce to medium low heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. As far as the parsley goes, granny used to put it in stem and all... it depends on my mood, sometimes i do that, other times i rip the leaves off, give it a quick rough chop and toss it in. Serve with egg noodles, Kluski noodles, Acini Di Pepi or Orzo. I cook the noodles by themselves per the package directions. As soon as I can get it out of my brother, I will be posting HIS version of Chicken Soup, which is almost IDENTICAL to Grandma Millas's soup!!
The Broth
1 Whole Chicken, cut into parts
2 Carrots cut in half, skin left on
2 stalks of celery cut in half
1 large onion cut in half, skin removed
12 whole peppercorns
2 T. Kosher Salt
Large handful of Fresh Parsley (either Curly or Flat Leaf Italian will do)
4-6 Garlic cloves left whole, skin off
Cold Water to Cover
*Note* Here is the strange thing about my broth.. its never the same. It is, but it is not. One of the wonderful things in the restaurant world is when you start seeing produce and other things on the verge of starting to go bad... what do you do with them? You make a soup! Or at least a base for a soup! The day I make this soup, i fling open the refrigerator and see what is going on. I've put old green onions and cilantro in my broth. One time there was a whole bulb of garlic that was just starting to go, I used the whole bulb of garlic. One time i had a bay leaf left in a container, i threw that in. I've thrown in dill, thyme, tarragon that was on the verge. I've even followed in Paula Deen's footsteps and I have sprinkled in Italian seasoning at this point to cover the top of the broth and mixed it in. It gets strained anyway, and no one is the wiser. Pssst.. if i have a box of chicken broth sitting in the refrigerator... in it goes!
Okay so, making sure your chicken is cut up put that, all the vegetables into a large pot. Chicken on the bottom, the rest on top, put in cold water to cover up to the top of the pot. Add your parsley, salt and peppercorns, bring this mixture to a boil, then turn it down to low, put a lid on it, and walk away for about 2-4 hours. When you come back, you will have the broth for your soup. Find a large strainer, and over another pot, strain your broth. Remove the chicken pieces from the strainer and discard the rest. Remove the skin from the chicken, and with a fork or your fingers, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
The Rest of the Ingredients
4 stalks of Celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, small dice
another large handful of Fresh Parsley
Add the vegetables to the broth, bring to a boil, reduce to medium low heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. As far as the parsley goes, granny used to put it in stem and all... it depends on my mood, sometimes i do that, other times i rip the leaves off, give it a quick rough chop and toss it in. Serve with egg noodles, Kluski noodles, Acini Di Pepi or Orzo. I cook the noodles by themselves per the package directions. As soon as I can get it out of my brother, I will be posting HIS version of Chicken Soup, which is almost IDENTICAL to Grandma Millas's soup!!
Soups and Salads, The Foods of Nightmares
Okay so, in an effort to make this more organized, I will be linking several blogs off to the side with different categories of food. The main blog will still be dedicated to family members, friends and recipes and any of my thoughts that jump into my head that need expressing. So yes we have the Soup and Salad category, there will be an appetizer, main dish, side dish and of course, dessert!
Now.. Soups and Salads.... 2 words that were NOT part of my childhood vocabulary. I admit it now, I hated soup, I hated salad even more! Whereas my brother was quite the opposite... the man was a bunny! He could of made a whole meal out of a salad and/or soup. Me.. no... I would be found making a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or a TV dinner is soup was the main meal on the menu that evening. I don't know when the transition happened, One day at Grandma's house out in Indiana, she was making Chicken Soup. I love my grandmother dearly but I would of rather wanted to hear that she was making Chop Suey! Anyway, somehow in my mind I remember thinking, maybe if Granny showed me how she made her soup, I understood the process, maybe.. just maybe mind you... I would at least appreciate it. After all for years people raved on and on about her soup. Now that im sitting here thinking about soup, I will say, the only person on the planet at the time who could get me to eat soup was Grandma Otten, she made Chicken Noodle Soup with homemade noodles... yum! And I still remember her Beef Soup to this day as well. Sadly, I never got a recipe off of her due to my parents getting divorced, and our relationship faltered into nothingness, que sera sera. The only recipes I have from Grandma Otten are her Chop Suey, A delectable Pistachio Pudding Dessert, that i always requested for my birthday along with her fried chicken. I also have her Summer Salad and homemade Chili Sauce recipe. OKay I seriously have to laugh here, the other night i was racking my brain as to what meals I would request from my mother for my birthday. You know what... I hardly ever did.. she either took me out to dinner, we ordered out, or we would be by one of the grandparents!! But I digress, back to that fateful day at the ranch... well she showed me how she made soup, and i tried it that evening, and voila.. I started to like soup! Now, I have a slight confession to make, up until I went to culinary school, despite my best efforts, I COULD NOT MAKE SOUP!! OMG!! The Nightmares!! My broth kept vanishing, the vegetables got overcooked and then I had to dump more water in and well, most of the soups I made were a disaster. Well somehow going through an entire unit in culinary school healed me of all that. After making Cream of Broccoli Soup, Consomme( which I failed at miserably, dont make consomme unless you really want to.. damn egg white raft... grrr) and a Chilled Melon Soup, plus a few others over the next few lab days, my soups now in general turn out quite good. As for Chicken Soup turning out, mom dragged me into the kitchen one day and said Son, you are making this way too difficult! Here... and again.. presto! Recently, I've seen my brother Joe make soup and he has seen me make soup. Its 2 different things! Its 2 different styles. He does not like my way of doing it because some veggies get sacrificed to the garbage gods in the name of making the broth first. In my eyes, his soup needs to be less chunkier and could the vegetables be a little less over cooked, but we both enjoy the final products of both,,, so....
Now Salad, still not a word that is in my vocabulary. I hate potato salad, macaroni salad, in fact almost any mayo based salad, unless I've made it, and there is usually a spin on it like Blue Cheese Coleslaw, I despise Salad Nicoise, the concept of having cold fish, let alone any cold meat in a salad never appealed to my senses, and a hard boiled egg... forget it! Canned or cold chicken in a salad... Gag me, gag me quickly! Im a little brat when it comes to salads now a days,I still enjoy your typical Garden Salad (no tomatoes please), or making a simple vinaigrette and tossing some nice greens with it. One of my favorite Salad recipes comes from Barefoot Contessa that has a Champagne Vinaigrette in it. I will be posting my mother's famous potato salad recipe, that several humans have gone absolutely nuts over, over the years. Sorry mom, mayo, relish, mustard and hard boiled eggs in the same bowl.. yuck! I really did miss the family's genetics when it comes to Salads and Sandwiches.
In my opinion, having a salad as a main course for a luncheon is a dangerous move. Especially if you plan to serve meat in it, eggs, nuts or what have you... unless you know the people REALLY well, do not assume everyone is going to think your Chicken Cesar Salad is delightful. I've seen many luncheon/dinner parties go to wreck and ruin because of this. And I guess what I mean by that, I remember one in particular, the well intentioned hostess wanted to serve a Salad Nicoise.. okay... its french... being adults we sat there , ate what was on the plate ( I kept looking for a dog or creature to give the Salmon to) It was one of those grin and bear it experiences for me, and to find out later, for several other people at the table. We complimented the hostess on her well thought out salad and how good the dressing was... she did not even serve dessert, strike 2 in my book, LOL!!! Anyway at the end of the night we all left together and after the hostess closed the door and we were several steps away from it, we all sorta looked at each other like, is anyone still hungry? We all wound up at the Irish Pub downing beers and ordering multiple appetizers! Now THAT was fun! But Case in point, do not make a salad your center star of a dinner/lunch party. If you know the people, and you know they will enjoy it by all means go right ahead. If you do not know everyone, serve something that first of all you have made several times with great success , now is not the time to be testing out new recipes. ( Yes, I myself need to follow my own words of wisdom on that one!) And now enough ranting, and on to the recipes starting with some soup du jour's with extra jour on the side! =P
Now.. Soups and Salads.... 2 words that were NOT part of my childhood vocabulary. I admit it now, I hated soup, I hated salad even more! Whereas my brother was quite the opposite... the man was a bunny! He could of made a whole meal out of a salad and/or soup. Me.. no... I would be found making a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or a TV dinner is soup was the main meal on the menu that evening. I don't know when the transition happened, One day at Grandma's house out in Indiana, she was making Chicken Soup. I love my grandmother dearly but I would of rather wanted to hear that she was making Chop Suey! Anyway, somehow in my mind I remember thinking, maybe if Granny showed me how she made her soup, I understood the process, maybe.. just maybe mind you... I would at least appreciate it. After all for years people raved on and on about her soup. Now that im sitting here thinking about soup, I will say, the only person on the planet at the time who could get me to eat soup was Grandma Otten, she made Chicken Noodle Soup with homemade noodles... yum! And I still remember her Beef Soup to this day as well. Sadly, I never got a recipe off of her due to my parents getting divorced, and our relationship faltered into nothingness, que sera sera. The only recipes I have from Grandma Otten are her Chop Suey, A delectable Pistachio Pudding Dessert, that i always requested for my birthday along with her fried chicken. I also have her Summer Salad and homemade Chili Sauce recipe. OKay I seriously have to laugh here, the other night i was racking my brain as to what meals I would request from my mother for my birthday. You know what... I hardly ever did.. she either took me out to dinner, we ordered out, or we would be by one of the grandparents!! But I digress, back to that fateful day at the ranch... well she showed me how she made soup, and i tried it that evening, and voila.. I started to like soup! Now, I have a slight confession to make, up until I went to culinary school, despite my best efforts, I COULD NOT MAKE SOUP!! OMG!! The Nightmares!! My broth kept vanishing, the vegetables got overcooked and then I had to dump more water in and well, most of the soups I made were a disaster. Well somehow going through an entire unit in culinary school healed me of all that. After making Cream of Broccoli Soup, Consomme( which I failed at miserably, dont make consomme unless you really want to.. damn egg white raft... grrr) and a Chilled Melon Soup, plus a few others over the next few lab days, my soups now in general turn out quite good. As for Chicken Soup turning out, mom dragged me into the kitchen one day and said Son, you are making this way too difficult! Here... and again.. presto! Recently, I've seen my brother Joe make soup and he has seen me make soup. Its 2 different things! Its 2 different styles. He does not like my way of doing it because some veggies get sacrificed to the garbage gods in the name of making the broth first. In my eyes, his soup needs to be less chunkier and could the vegetables be a little less over cooked, but we both enjoy the final products of both,,, so....
Now Salad, still not a word that is in my vocabulary. I hate potato salad, macaroni salad, in fact almost any mayo based salad, unless I've made it, and there is usually a spin on it like Blue Cheese Coleslaw, I despise Salad Nicoise, the concept of having cold fish, let alone any cold meat in a salad never appealed to my senses, and a hard boiled egg... forget it! Canned or cold chicken in a salad... Gag me, gag me quickly! Im a little brat when it comes to salads now a days,I still enjoy your typical Garden Salad (no tomatoes please), or making a simple vinaigrette and tossing some nice greens with it. One of my favorite Salad recipes comes from Barefoot Contessa that has a Champagne Vinaigrette in it. I will be posting my mother's famous potato salad recipe, that several humans have gone absolutely nuts over, over the years. Sorry mom, mayo, relish, mustard and hard boiled eggs in the same bowl.. yuck! I really did miss the family's genetics when it comes to Salads and Sandwiches.
In my opinion, having a salad as a main course for a luncheon is a dangerous move. Especially if you plan to serve meat in it, eggs, nuts or what have you... unless you know the people REALLY well, do not assume everyone is going to think your Chicken Cesar Salad is delightful. I've seen many luncheon/dinner parties go to wreck and ruin because of this. And I guess what I mean by that, I remember one in particular, the well intentioned hostess wanted to serve a Salad Nicoise.. okay... its french... being adults we sat there , ate what was on the plate ( I kept looking for a dog or creature to give the Salmon to) It was one of those grin and bear it experiences for me, and to find out later, for several other people at the table. We complimented the hostess on her well thought out salad and how good the dressing was... she did not even serve dessert, strike 2 in my book, LOL!!! Anyway at the end of the night we all left together and after the hostess closed the door and we were several steps away from it, we all sorta looked at each other like, is anyone still hungry? We all wound up at the Irish Pub downing beers and ordering multiple appetizers! Now THAT was fun! But Case in point, do not make a salad your center star of a dinner/lunch party. If you know the people, and you know they will enjoy it by all means go right ahead. If you do not know everyone, serve something that first of all you have made several times with great success , now is not the time to be testing out new recipes. ( Yes, I myself need to follow my own words of wisdom on that one!) And now enough ranting, and on to the recipes starting with some soup du jour's with extra jour on the side! =P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)