CREAM OF TOMATO CHICKEN with RICE

CREAM OF TOMATO CHICKEN with RICE
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Large shallot, finally chopped
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped basil
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 cup long grain rice
Bacon Crumbles (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

  • Bring broth and shallot to a SLOW boil.
  • Add tomato puree, brown sugar, rice, celery salt, garlic powder and basil.
  • Simmer 25 minutes until rice is tender.
  • Stir in buttermilk and chicken pieces until well blended.
  • Season to taste and simmer 10 minutes more.
  • Serve in a toasted bread bowl or with toasted croutons.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon if desired.

VEGGIE CHEDDAR BISQUE SOUP

While this started as a traditional Broccoli Cheddar soup, like so many other recipes it morphed into something more, Veggie Cheddar Bisque or soup – your choice.  I just love the word bisque 😀

Now to be clear the definition of soup is “a liquid food especially with a meat, fish, or vegetable stock as a base and often containing pieces of solid food” while the definition of bisque is “ a cream soup of pureed vegetables“.  So, to be a true bisque you really need to puree ALL the vegetables.

VEGGIE CHEDDAR SOUP/BISQUE
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrots
1 bunch green onions, minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons FRESH ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

  • Bring broth to a boil.
  • Add sea salt, celery salt, black pepper and red pepper if using.
  • Add broccoli, carrots and onions.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • Remove vegetables and puree with food processor if bisque is your ultimate goal.
  • Stir in whipping cream and cheese until smooth.
  • Add vegetable puree back in, blending until mixed well.
  • Simmer another 30 minutes.

HEARTY BEEF SOUP

HEARTY BEEF SOUP
1 pound chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons Wondra flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend (see below)
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
FRESH ground sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, halved, sliced and chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 carrots, chopped
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup pasta

  • Heat butter and avocado oil in a skillet over a medium high heat.
  • Combine flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a ziploc bag.
  • Dredge beef pieces in flour mixture, shaking off the excess before adding to the hot oil. Sear beef on all sides.
  • Using a slotted spoon add beef to dutch oven.
  • Add celery, carrots and shallots to skillet and quickly saute before adding to the dutch oven.
  • Add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and wine, stirring to combine.
  • Simmer on low 2 hours.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Add pasta and simmer 1 hour more.
  • Enjoy!

ITALIAN SEASONING BLEND
1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried sage

  • Blend together and store in an air tight bottle.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE

Making this recipe as individual pies you can taste the homemade pastry and rich cheddar flavored sauce in EVERY bite. You can make this as rustic or as elegant as you’d like by cutting the crust into cute little decorative shapes or leave it as a single layer. We like to invert the individual pies so the crust is on the bottom absorbing all the yummy gravy.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE – serves 6
CRUST
1 cup soft flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold vodka

  • 5 minutes before you begin the crust place the vodka and butter cubes in the freezer.
  • Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Cut in butter until crumbly.
  • Gradually add vodka, mixing until forms a ball.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate AT LEAST 30 minutes.

FILLING
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 can petite peas, drained WELL
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups diced rotisserie chicken
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Bring the broth to a SLOW boil over medium high heat in a large saucepan.
  • Add vegetable and simmer 10-15 minutes until tender.
  • Whisk together the milk and Wondra flour.
  • Stir milk mixture into broth mixture and simmer 10 minutes more or until desired thickness.
  • Stir in cheese and chicken.
  • Fold in peas.
  • Season to taste.

ASSEMBLY

  • Spoon filling into baking dish(es). Set aside.
  • On a floured pastry mat roll crust 1 inch larger than baking dish.
  • Ease crust over dish, sealing the edges to the side of the dish.
  • Make several slits in the dough for steam to escape through.
  • Bake uncovered, for 40 minutes or until golden.

NOTE: DO NOT forget to cut slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.

HORSERADISH POTATO CRUSTED BEEF STEW

Another RECIPE SCRAP recipe wins!  The horseradish and cheddar cheese combo is AWESOME! and really elevates a basic stew to the next level.

HORSERADISH POTATO CRUSTED BEEF STEW

STEW
1 1/2 pounds lean stew meat, diced small bite sized
1 cup blended red wine
1/2 cup Moscato white wine
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 orange, sliced
1/3 cup Wondra
1 large Vidalia onion, quartered and sliced
4 carrots, sliced into thick chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup beef bone broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Place half the orange slices the bottom of a non-metallic bowl.
  • Top with beef pieces.
  • Generously season with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Top with the remaining orange slices.
  • Whisk together the wines and caraway seeds.
  • Pour over beef, cover and marinade over night or at least 4 hours.

 

  • Preheat oven 325°.
  • Drain the beef WELL, discard oranges, but reserve the marinade.
  • Heat the oil over medium high heat in dutch oven.
  • Generously season the beef with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Dredge the beef in the Wondra.
  • Sear the beef pieces.
  • Add the onions, garlic and carrots and simmer 5 minutes or so.
  • Add mushrooms.
  • Whisk together the cornstarch with the beef stock and marinade, whisking until blended. Stir into stew.
  • Season to taste.
  • Cover and cook in oven 45 minutes.

CRUST – prepare potato crust so it is ready at the 45 minute mark
1 1/2 pounds YUKON potatoes, grated
1 tablespoon Avocado oil or 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
2/3 cup grated SHARP cheddar cheese
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste

  • Blanch the grated potatoes for 5 minutes in boiling water.
  • Drain well.
  • Use a cheesecloth to squeeze any remaining liquid from the potatoes.
  • Stir in avocado oil, horseradish, cheese and season to taste.
  • Layer potatoes evenly over the stew.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 400°.
  • Cook 30 minutes more until the potato crust is crisp and golden brown.

COWBOY BEANS ala SLOW COOKER and GREEN CHILE CORN BEER BREAD

It’s cold, wet and windy up here in the Pacific Northwest as a series of winter storms have been moving through one after another.  It’s the kind of weather that wants to make you turn over, pull the covers over your head and go back to sleep – the kind of weather that makes me crave serious comfort food.  One of our favorite comfort foods for this weather is Cowboy Beans. The best thing about this recipe is that it cooks ALL day in the slow cooker and the aroma makes the house smell cozy and homey. BE SURE AND SOAK YOUR BEANS OVERNIGHT THE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE.

As this recipe cooks your beans will start absorbing the flavor AND the color.  They actually become more and more tasty in the days that follow.  I usually make BEER Bread with this and it’s a HUGE hit.

COWBOY BEANS serves 6
1 pound navy beans
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 pound ground beef
4 slices thick bacon, chopped
1 cup water
3 cups beef broth
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos

  • Rinse your beans and drain.
  • In a large skillet brown bacon pieces over a medium heat until browned and ALMOST crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon to drain on paper toweling.
  • Add beef to bacon grease browning and crumbling to small pieces until cooked through. This adds are flavor! Drain well of excess grease.
  • In slow cooker whisk together the water, molasses, apple cider vinegar, liquid aminos, brown sugar and beef broth with garlic powder.
  • Stir in beans, ground beef and bacon pieces until well blended.
  • Cook covered on high 6 hours.
  • Stir in BBQ sauce,
  • Cover and cook another 2 hours or until beans are tender.

NOTE: BE SURE AND SOAK YOUR BEANS OVERNIGHT THE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!

These beans make for wonderful leftovers too.  We really like them over hamburger patties like the old chili sizes from Bob’s Big Boy.

GREEN CHILE CORN BEER BREAD

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained WELL
1 can Green Giant white shoepeg corn, drained WELL
12 ounces Beer
1 stick butter, divided 6 + 2, melted

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
  • Add 6 ounces melted butter and beer.
  • Add green chiles and corn.
  • Knead together uniformly, but DO NOT OVERWORK.
  • Form into a well oiled loaf pan.
  • Pour remaining 2 ounces of butter over top.
  • Bake 50-60 minutes until cooked through.

CHICKEN DUMPLING STEW

This recipe is rich tasting, but is actually light and delicate. It makes a WONDERFUL dish for serving to company.  Tastes like your worked on it ALL day. I used to make this stew from my great grandmother’s ALL day recipe, but have streamlined it for a quick meal.  I also added the dumplings to replace the noodles she would use.

CHICKEN DUMPLING STEW
4 strips bacon, diced small
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into fourths
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced fairly thin or diced
1 small Vidalia onion, halved and sliced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons Wondra flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped parsley

  • In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp.
  • Remove bacon with a slotted spoon.
  • Generously season chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
  • Add chicken pieces to bacon drippings and saute until cooked through.
  • Remove chicken pieces with slotted spoon.
  • Add veggies and saute until starting to soften.
  • Add chicken broth and bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce heat, add chicken pieces back into broth and simmer 20-30 minutes until veggies are tender.
  • Melt butter, whisk in flour and then add to stew. Cook another few minutes until thickens.
  • Stir in bacon pieces and adjust seasoning to taste,
  • While stew is simmering prepare dumplings.

BISCUITS
1 cup baking mix
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Mix the baking mix and milk together to form a soft dough.
  • Drop dough by mounds into stew during the last 15 minutes.
  • The dumplings are ready when a toothpick comes out clean.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

When I went to bed last night it was a balmy 73 degrees.  As I lay there watching the news I was astounded that the weatherman said today’s high would be 46 with wind and rain.  Actually I didn’t believe him, but lo and behold I woke to thunder, rain, wind and 46 degrees.

That’s when I decided it was time to pull the Honey Baked Ham bone out of the freezer and make some split pea soup for dinner.  We’ll probably split a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it.

I’ve been making this recipe exactly the same way for over 20 years.  It’s that good – needs no updating. It’s smooth, creamy, chunky, slightly sweet and savory too! The beer gives it a pungent punch too.

I wrote and prepped this recipe and then forgot to post it so last night refers to last Sunday LOL 🙂

SPLIT PEA SOUP
1 Honey Baked Ham Bone
2 cups ham pieces
3 quarts water
1 small bag baby carrots, chopped
5 large stalk celery, leaves included, chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups split green peas
2 cups split yellow peas
1/4 cup barley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper & white pepper mix
1 bottle beer – Mystery ingredient – choose your favorite flavor
crispy bacon pieces for garnish

  • In a large stock pot, bring ham bone* & water to a boil. Boil until the meat is falling off the bone, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours)
  • Remove the bone and let cool enough so you can cut the meat off the bone. You should have about 8 cups water left.
  • In the mean time add the carrots, celery, onion (4 cups total) and seasonings to the water and return to a SLOW boil for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • While the vegetables are boiling, rinse the peas and pick out any bad ones.
  • Cut the ham pieces off the bone. Refrigerate the ham pieces and discard the bone.
  • After the vegetables have cooked 45 minutes or until tender, add the peas and barley, cooking for another 1-1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.
  • Add the beer and ham pieces back in and cook another 30-45 minutes.

NOTE*: I always save my honey baked ham bones after the meat is all cut off. I then freeze them and save them for future soups. I always get at least 2 cups of meat off when I boil the bone.

This makes a huge batch and I always freeze it in several batches (3-4) for future easy weeknight meals.  We usually pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich.

TODAY’S TRIVIA as heard by hubby on an old game show – Campbell’s soup used to fill the bottom of the bowl with marbles so the vegetables would be at the top giving the appearance of more vegetables in each bowl of soup. That trick was not done here – what you see is what you get.

Linking to SOUPER SUNDAY at Kahakai Kitchen and FULL PLATE THURSDAY at Miz Helen’s Cottage.

CABBAGE ROLL SOUP

CABBAGE ROLL SOUP
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 cup cooked rice or uncooked pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups V-8 juice
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cans original Rotel tomatoes with juice
+/- 8 ounces beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 small head cabbage, chopped

  • In a large dutch oven, brown hamburger.
  • Drain hamburger in colander over a paper plate and paper toweling to catch grease.
  • Add onion and garlic to dutch oven, sautéing until soft and fragrant.
  • Add V-8, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and broth, stirring to blend.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Simmer over low heat 1-2 hours.
  • Add cabbage and simmer 1 hour more.
  • Add  pasta and simmer 20 minutes more until pasta is tender or add cooked rice and simmer 5 minutes until rice is heated through.

NOTE: If you like it thinner like soup, add more broth.

Linking up to FULL Plate Thursday.

TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP

It’s finally turned cold here and all thoughts are on soup. While I can’t have the meatballs yet, hubby can and I will do the broth only.


TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP
MEATBALLS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 Jumbo Egg
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
SOUP
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small sprigs of cilantro, minced fine
1/2 small Vidalia onion, diced
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups chicken stock
1 avocado, sliced
white cheese or sour cream for garnish

MEATBALLS

  • In a small food processor grind together the garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and onion until well blended.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, rice and seasoning mixture until well blended.
  • Roll into 1 – 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.

SOUP

  • In a sauce pan heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. Saute’ until fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes and sea salt, cooking for 5 minutes until soft and tender.
  • With a slotted spoon remove the tomatoes to a blender and puree with chicken stock.
  • Return the tomato and chicken stock to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce to a slow simmer and add the meatballs, cooking for 30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
  • To serve, place a few meatballs in each bowl and cover with ladles of soup.
  • Garnish with avocado and a sprinkle of white cheese or sour cream.

Linking up to FULL Plate Thursday.

SWEET CORN SOUP

Chilis restaurant USE TO have a sweet corn soup that was fantastic! Then, they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it! I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized red onions – YUMMY!

SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime

  • In a large stock pot saute’ the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
  • Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
  • Add stock and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
  • Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
  • Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
  • Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
  • Puree and strain.
  • Enjoy.

Linking up to FULL Plate Thursday.

NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP with GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

1 ham bone with meat on it
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

  • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
  • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
  • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
  • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.