Sunday, December 11, 2011

Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:
6 C Roasted Chicken Stock
1/4 C Rice
2 Carrots, sliced
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 Leaves of Kale, chopped
2 T Fresh Parsley
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Heat up chicken stock.   Add rice and bring to a boil.  Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.
2.  Add onions, parsley and kale.  Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3.  Add carrots and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
4.  Salt to taste.

Serves 4-6

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Celery Root Soup

Celery Root Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 C Butter
2 Celery roots, peeled and chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
1 Leek, chopped
1 Clove of garlic, minced
2 Celery stalks, chopped
8 C Chicken stock
2/3 C Coconut milk
Salt to taste
Parsley to garnish

Directions:
1.  In s soup pot, add butter.  Saute shallots, leeks and celery until soft.  About 7 minutes.
2.  Add garlic for an additional minute.
3.  Add celery root and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
4.  Add chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat.  Simmer for about 45 minutes. 
5.  Puree soup and return to soup pot.  Add coconut milk and additional water if needed for consistency. 
6.  Salt to taste.  Garnish with parsley.

Serves 6-8

Celery Root

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Split Pea Soup (with Parmesan Potato Crisps)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  We had 13 people over and it was a wonderful way to start the season.  We made a 20 pound turkey and this is what I made with the leftover smoked turkey bones.

Split Pea Soup (with Parmesan Potato Crisps)

Ingredients:
Bones from a Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey
12 C Water
1 Pound Split peas
4 T Butter
1 C Carrots, chopped
1/2 C Celery , chopped
1 C Onions, chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t Black pepper
1 Bay leaf
2 t Fresh thyme
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  In soup pot, add smoked turkey bones and water.  Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 1 hour.  Strain.
2.  Saute onions in butter until soft.  Add carrots and celery and continue to saute.   Add garlic and then split peas and pepper.  Saute for 2 more minutes.
3.  Add sauteed mixture to the stock.  Add bay leaf and thyme.  Cook on low for 1 hour or until peas soften. 
4.  Salt to taste.  Make parmesan potato crisps (below) to serve with soup. 



Parmesan Potato Crisps

Ingredients:
2-3 Pounds Russet potatoes, thinly sliced
Frying oil
1/3 C Parmesan, grated

Directions:
1.  Fry potatoes in oil until brown and cooked.
2.  Sprinkle with parmesan.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Gypsy Pot Soup

Gypsy Pot Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Chickpeas, cooked
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced thickly
8 C Vegetable Stock
1 Lb Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
2 C Green Beans, cut in 1 inch
2 Pears, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 T Lemon juice
3 T Olive oil
3 Cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 C Blanched Almonds
1 Slice of bread, torn in pieces
1 Onion, chopped
1 t Sweet Paprika
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 Pinch of Saffron
2 t Red wine vinegar
2 T Fresh mint, chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  In a soup pot, add chickpeas, carrots, and stock.  Bring to a boil.
2.  Add lemon juice, pumpkin, green beans and pears.  Simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
3.  In a skillet, heat oil and add garlic, almonds and bread.  Sauté until golden brown.  Using a slotted spoon, remove everything leaving oil. 
4.  Add onion to oil and sauté until softened.  Add paprika, tomatoes and a few tablespoons of stock and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
5.  Stir the tomato mixture and saffron to soup.  Continue to cook making sure the pumpkin is soft, almost falling apart.
6.  Meanwhile add the fried garlic, almonds and bread into a food processor and process until finely ground. 
7.  Stir garlic mixture and vinegar into soup.   Salt to taste. 
8.  Garnish with mint.

Serves 6-8

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Almond and Broccoli Soup

Almond and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
3/4 C Ground Almonds
2 Lbs Broccoli
5 C Vegetable Stock
1/2 C Heavy Cream
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread ground almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes until golden.  Reserve one quarter of the almonds for garnish.
2.  Cut the broccoli in small florets and steam for about 6 minutes. 
3.  Add the broccoli to the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.
4.  Put the remaining almonds and cream into the soup and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
5.  Season with salt and garnish with sprinkled almonds.

Serves 6-8

Friday, November 4, 2011

Special Announcement

I entered a cookie recipe contest and now am being voted on.   If you have time, please go to:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/latimesfood?sk=app_223493237710735

and VOTE for my cookie.  I am on page 4.....GREEK SNOWBALLS.  You can vote once a day.  It is a family favorite.  

Much Love!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Southwestern Black Bean Soup

Southwestern Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 Shallot, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 Pound of black beans
1 Smoked turkey leg
8 C Chicken Stock
1 C Water
2 T Tabasco sauce
2 T Cilantro, chopped
1 T Oregano
2 t Ground Cumin
14 oz Can of tomatoes
Sour cream, garnish
1 Avocado, sliced, garnish
1 Bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1.  In a soup pot, saute the onions, shallots and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. 
2.  Add black beans, turkey leg, stock, water, Tabasco, cilantro, oregano, cumin and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.   Turn down heat and simmer for 2 - 2 1/2 hours; until beans are soft.
3.  Remove the turkey leg and pull of any remaining meat.  Add any meat back into the soup.
4.  Puree about 2 cups worth of the soup and add it back in.
5.  Serve with sour cream, avocado and cilantro on the side.

Serves 6-8