"souper" simple French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
5 medium sweet onions, sliced
2 cartons Beef Stock (not broth!) *I used one salted and one unsalted
2 tablespoons dry Sherry 
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
French Baguette (sliced and toasted)
Grated Cheese!  (any or all of these!)
--Provolone
--Swiss
--Parmesan
(I used all three and LOTS of them!)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stock pot over low heat.
Add onions and cook slowly, stirring often, until softened.  Don't brown!
Add the beef stock, sherry, thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer at least 45 minutes. (the longer the better!)

Preheat the broiler.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Using oven safe bowls, put some shredded cheese into bottom of bowl.
Fill bowl with soup, leaving room for the bread and more cheese on top.
Lay the bread on top of the soup and cover with more cheese--lots!!!
Put baking sheet with soup bowls under the broiler until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Enjoy!!!

Hearty Split Pea Soup--a PERFECT Winter meal!

What's better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day?  

Staying home--simmer it on your stovetop.

Need to go out--put it in the crock pot and come home to a delicious meal!



OLD FASHIONED SPLIT PEA SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. bag dried split peas
1 32 oz. carton All Natural Chicken Stock, or 4 cups homemade stock
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 ham steak, cut into cubes
2 bay leaves
3 cups water
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large pot, OR crock pot add split peas.

Pour Chicken Stock over peas.

Turn crock pot on HIGH, or stove top on MEDIUM-HIGH heat.

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, ham and bay leaves.

Add 3 cups of water to cover everything.

Stove top: bring to a boil then turn to very low/simmer for about 3 hours.
Crockpot:  3 hours on high.

After 3 hours of cooking, stir everything together.   Remove the bay leaves.

Cook another half an hour, stir again.  Leave the lid off and the soup will thicken.

Add salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

tired of the same old chicken noodle soup? Try this one instead!

This cold and flu season, when you get tired of traditional chicken noodle soup, remember this recipe!  What cold or flu could stand up to a BIG BOWL of steaming chicken noodle soup filled with garlic and ginger and hot peppers?!!     

It took me a few tries to acquire a taste for Pho, and then, I couldn't get enough of it!    

This recipe (even though it's cheating, and is SO simple!) tastes very much like the Pho Ga you get in Vietnamese Restaurants where they spend all day long cooking that delicious broth!  But, who feels like going out when they're sick?  Not me!  Grab a pot and get cooking...you'll feel better in no time!  

SUPER SIMPLE PHO GA
(Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg. Rice Noodles
1 1/2 lbs. Chicken Breast
3 tbsp. Peanut Oil
2 tbsp. Garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
10 cups All Natural Chicken Stock
1/3 cup Fish Sauce

TOPPINGS:
Fresh Cilantro leaves
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Basil leaves
Bean Sprouts
Sliced Jalapeño peppers
lime wedges
Sriracha sauce
Hoisin sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook rice noodles according to package directions.  Set aside.

Slice the chicken into very thin strips.

Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.

Stir fry for 1 minute, then add chicken stock and fish sauce.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through.  (serve now, or simmer until needed.  Extra simmering just makes it better!)

In large bowls, ladle the soup over a big pile of noodles.

Arrange cilantro, green onions, basil leaves, bean sprouts, jalapeno slices and lime wedges on a large platter for the center of the table so everyone can choose their own toppings.

Add Sriracha and Hoisin sauce to taste.

Enjoy!!

simple soup for a quick dinner!

The weather is changing!  Cold and Flu season has started!  When you don't feel well, Chicken soup is what's for dinner!  Don't eat that canned stuff (YUCK!  read the label!). Instead make this super quick, super simple, super delicious chicken soup!

My kids love noodles & dumplings!  Can you tell from those pictures?!  Add as many or as little as you like!

Simple Chicken Noodle (or Dumpling) Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 large rotisserie chicken, meat removed--watch for bones!!!

1 cup carrots, chopped or baby carrots, whole 

1 cup celery, chopped 

1 cup onion, chopped

3, 32 oz. containers of all natural unsalted chicken stock or 12 cups homemade stock

(remember!  stock has more flavor than broth!)

dried parsley

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

cooked egg noodles or dumplings (recipe below)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Put chicken meat, carrots, celery, onions and stock in a large dutch oven or pot.

Bring to a boil.

Stir in parsley, about a tablespoon (I just sprinkle it over the top without measuring).

Cover pot, turn heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. (sometimes I simmer it for hours, do what works for you!)

Add salt & pepper to taste.

When vegetables are soft, add the noodles to the soup and serve, or add dumplings (recipe below).

Dumplings 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup very warm water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix everything together to form a thick batter.

Dip a teaspoon into the soup (keeps batter from sticking to the spoon!). 

Drop teaspoon sized dumplings into the soup.  (be sure to drop them evenly around the pot.  I drop the whole bowl of dumpling batter into the pot.  Add as many or as little as you like!)

DO NOT STIR!!!!  DO NOT STIR!!!  DO NOT STIR!!!  (or you will have a BIG mess!)

Put the lid on the pot and let dumplings simmer gently in the soup for at least 20-25 minutes until they are cooked all the way through.  (Remember, the first ones you put in have been cooking longer, so be sure to give them ALL enough time to cook!)

Enjoy!  

hello October!

here's my dinner from last night...chicken enchilada soup!  it was delicious!  nice that I was able to pull a big bowl of it out of my freezer, thaw it, add toppings, and dinner was done!  probably shouldn't call this soup, it's more like a thick, yummy stew!

chicken enchilada soup (or sauce!)

ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 extra large tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste if you don’t want it so spicy.)
2 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. rosemary leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half and half
2 jars black beans 14 oz. (I used Randall’s), drained
1 medium sweet yellow chile pepper, seeds removed and diced
2 ears corn, cooked and kernels removed
1 medium green pepper, chopped into bite size pieces
4 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
corn tortilla chips, approximately 2 handfuls

Toppings:
monterrey jack cheese, shredded
corn tortilla chips
sour cream
green onions
jalepenos, sliced

instructions:
In dutch oven (or large pot) heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onions and cook until browned.  Add garlic, cook 1 more minute.

Let onions & garlic cool for a few minutes then pour into blender.

Add all of the spices and lemon juice to the blender, then add a few pieces of tomato at a time pulsing until all tomatoes are incorporated, puree until completely smooth.

Wipe out pot to remove any leftover onions.  Pour sauce back into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.   

(IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ENCHILADAS--STOP HERE AND POUR THIS SAUCE OVER YOUR FAVORITE CHICKEN, BEEF, OR CHEESE ENCHILADAS!  or, continue to make soup...)

Stir in half & half, chicken stock, green pepper, yellow chile pepper, corn, chicken and a couple handfuls of crushed corn tortilla chips.

Simmer until soup is heated through (tortilla chips are soft and green pepper is softened but, still crunchy.)

Serve with shredded cheese, corn tortilla chips, sour cream and diced jalepenos!  

enjoy!!

yes, it freezes well!  I put it in a big glass bowl.  Freezer bags would work well too!