HearthBeats: Recipes from a Kitchen Witch
Soups, Stoups, Stews and Casseroles…
Merry Meet and welcome …
Grab a cuppa tea and lets look for some filling easy recipes. This time of year you are either looking for a nice think warming soup or stoup(really thick soup… like a cross between a stew and a soup.. a stoup.) or a quick and filling meal for when you are running around your yard and garden.. so lets look at some that I have here…
Some of you may have farmers markets and farm stands now(in the summery south) or have a good place to get the staple veggies… so have a blast.. set the stuff in a crock pot and run out and play. Whether in the snow or in the summer sun.. have a blast and know that a great filling meal awaits you at home.
Best Ever Vegetable Beef Soup
1 lb ground beef
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
6 cups water
3 tbsps beef bouillon powder
1 ½ – 2 lbs finely chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
8 oz tomato sauce
½ cup pasta stars or alphabets
2 bay leaves
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
2 pounds green beans, steamed and drained
Brown ground beef in a large heavy saucepan. Drain off excess fat.
Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add all
remaining ingredients, except green beans. Bring to a boil, then
reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Add green beans
and cook until beans are heated through and pasta and vegetables
are tender. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Serves 6-8.
Tortellini soup
3- 10 oz cans of chicken broth
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (here you can remove from casing and cook up crumbled…or like I do brown up small meatball shapes. or slice into coins)
1 handful of fresh spinach or escarole julienned
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 package tortellini (plain or tri colored)
1/8 tsp oregano(or more to taste)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1. Bring broth to a boil
2. Add tortellini…boiling until cooked
3. Add spinach, sausage, diced tomatoes
4. Add oregano and red pepper
5. Bring to a boil and heat thru…
6. You can add other veggies to this….
7. garnish with parmesan cheese
Spicy Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 pound bone-in chicken breasts
2 chopped celery stalks
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 can diced Italian style tomatoes (16 ounces), undrained
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. crushed dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed dried thyme
1/2 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup brown rice
Using a large soup pot add oil, onion, garlic, and 3 tablespoons of chicken stock.
Stir over a medium heat until the onions are transparent.
Add the remaining chicken stock, water, chicken, celery, parsley, tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cayenne, and black pepper.
Mix well.
Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for one hour till chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from soup and separate from the ones.
Remove bay leaves. Skim fat from the surface.
Bring soup back to a boil and add rice.
Reduce heat and simmer for another 45 minutes until rice is tender.
Return chicken meat to the soup and heat for several minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.
Notes: You can use white rice and it will take less time–20 minutes or so.
Summer Vegetable Casserole
1/3 cup uncooked rice
4 small summer squash, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
4 medium tomatoes, cut in sections
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter, slices thin
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, arrange vegetables in layers. Between layers of vegetables make 2 layers of rice. Make sure when layering everything that the rice does not end up as a top layer; a tomato layer would be best. Salt and pepper to taste and place butter slices over the top. Bake cover for 1 1/2 hours.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons — 2 turns
of the pot in a slow stream
3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo peppers (medium to hot heat level),
chopped — available in small cans in Mexican and Spanish food
section of market
1 can stewed tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 can tomato sauce, 8 ounces
3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable paper containers on
soup aisle
4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium high.
Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill.
Add red pepper to grill with corn.
Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally.
Remove to cool, 5 minutes.
Remove charred skin from the pepper.
While vegetables cook, dice chicken.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot.
Add chicken to pot.
Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper.
Lightly brown chicken on each side.
Add zucchini, onions and garlic and chipotle peppers.
Cook vegetables with chicken
5 to 7 minutes to soften.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock.
Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.
Scrape corn off cob and add to soup.
Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup.
Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in.
Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of
sour cream.
Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.
Beef Barley Soup
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 lg parsnip diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 pound beef shin-(or more)
1 3/4 quart water.
2 carrots diced
1 16 ounce can peeled tomatoes – crush
2 stalks celery diced
2 onions chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup pearl barley
1 white turnip diced
Place all ingredients, except barley, in a large pot.
Bring to a boil.
Lower to simmer and cook 2 1/2 hours.
Add barley and cook until tender,
Check package of barley for approximate timing.
The meat can be served as a side dish to the soup with a dressing of mayonnaise and horseradish.
Serve a crusty bread also.
Makes a great one dish meal.
French Market Soup
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
Assorted dried beans and peas
Ham Hock
1 can tomatoes — (28 oz.)
2 Onions — chopped
4 stalks celery — chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Bay leaves
Thyme
Basil
1 pound sausage — sliced
2 boneless Chicken breast
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Wash beans, cover with water and soak overnight.
Drain beans, and add 3 quarts water, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme, and
Basil and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Add tomatoes, onion, celery, salt, pepper and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Add sausage, chicken and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
Before serving add wine and parsley.
NOTE: If refrigerated for at least a day before serving the flavor is enhanced.
Brunswick Stew #1
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 pound chicken
3 quarts water
1 large onion
1/2 pound ham — lean, in small piece
2 pints tomatoes
1 pint lima beans
4 large white potatoes — diced
1 pint corn off the cob
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper
3 ounces butter
Cut up a pound of Chicken and put it in a large pan with three quarts of
water, one large onion, one half pound of lean ham cut into small pieces
and simmer gently for two hours. Add three pints of tomatoes, one pint of
lima beans, four large Irish potatoes diced, one pint of grated corn, one
tablespoon of salt, one fourth teaspoon pepper, a small pod of red pepper.
Cover and simmer gently for one more hour stirring frequently to prevent
scorching. Add three ounces of butter and serve hot. Note: —– This
makes a lot of stew. You will probably want to half or even quarter it,
if want to try it before serving it to a group.
Citrus Seafood Stew
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
8 ounces red snapper fillets — skinless
4 ounces medium shrimp — peeled and deveined
4 ounces small bay scallops
14 1/2 ounces stewed tomatoes — canned
14 1/2 ounces chicken broth — canned
1/2 cup long-grain rice
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic — minced
3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables
Thaw fish and shrimp, if frozen. Rinse fish and shrimp. Cut fish into
1-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large saucepan combine undrained tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring
to boiling. Add uncooked rice, chilli powder, and garlic. Return to
boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until rice is
tender, stirring occasionally.
Add fish, shrimp, concentrate, and frozen pepper mixture. Return to
boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes or
until fish flakes easily and shrimp turn pink. Garnish with Florida
orange slices and sprigs of fresh oregano, if desired.
Irish Stew
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 pound lean mutton pieces
1 pound carrots
1 pound onions
1 pound potatoes
salt & pepper
1 pinch thyme
Place mutton with thyme in sauce pan and add cold water to cover. Bring
slowly to the boil and simmer for one hour. Add onions, potatoes,
carrots, and peeled and roughly chopped. Season. Continue cooking until
vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning. May be served alone or with
cooked green cabbage or salad.
Spicy Kale And Chick-Pea Stew
1 ½ cups chickpeas — dried
10 cups water
2 large onions — chopped coarse
3 large garlic cloves — minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 green bell peppers — chopped coarse
1 ½ pounds kale — stems removed, leave
2 cans plum tomatoes — chopped, undrained
6 ounce tomato paste
2 ½ tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
steamed couscous or rice as an accompaniment
Chickpeas should be soaked overnight in enough water to cover them by 4
inches, drained, and rinsed. In a large saucepan simmer the chickpeas in
the water, covered partially, for 1 1/2 hours, or until they are tender.
In a heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden, add the bell
peppers, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the
chick-peas with the cooking liquid, the kale, the tomatoes with the juice,
the tomato paste, the chili powder, the thyme, the oregano, the red pepper
flakes, the cumin, the sugar, and the bay leaf, bring the liquid to a
boil, and simmer the stew, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Discard the
bay leaf, season the stew with salt, and serve the stew on the couscous or
rice. Makes about 14 cups, serving 8 to 10.
Spicy, Tomato-Based Vegetable Stew
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
2 onions — chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 hot chili pepper
3 pounds carrots — in chunks
3 pounds turnips — in chunks
3 pounds parsnips — in chunks (proportionate to other root veggies)
2 pounds mushrooms — quartered
3 pints chicken stock
6 ounce tomato paste
Saute the following in ‘enough’ vegetable oil adding the ingredients in
the order specified: 2 onions (chopped) 2+ cloves garlic 1/2
hot chilli pepper (don’t go overboard!) 3-4 lbs carrots, turnips,
parsnips in chunks (proportion according to taste) 1-2 lbs mushrooms
(quartered) Once the veg are done, add enough of the following stock to
cover them with a little room to spare: 3 pts chicken/chicken flavor
stock 1 small can of tomato paste Season with oregano, basil, and
whatever you feel like. The important thing with this recipe is to taste
regularly and go with your gut as to what is best. Serve the ‘sauce’ over
a bed of couscous.
Note: To this you can add anything from meatballs to spicy sausages to …
nothing. It freezes really well, so I make it in very large batches.
Winter Vegetable Stew/Pie
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
—–stock—–
1/2 cup dried vegetable soup mix
3 cup slightly aged chopped white mushrooms
3 cup water
—–stew—–
1/2 rutabaga — halved then thinly s
1 cup white mushrooms — slightly aged, halve
6 small shitake — coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
5 garlic cloves — finely chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 medium yellow onion — cut into large piece
1 medium carrot — peeled, 1/2″ slices
2 medium russet potatoes — in 1/2 of 1/2″ slice
1 medium fennel bulb — quartered, in 1/2″ s
2 tablespoon fresh thyme — chopped or 2 tsp dri
2 tablespoon fresh marjoram — chopped or 2 tsp dri
2 tablespoon fresh parsley — chopped or 2 tsp dri
This began last night as an effort to make the Winter Vegetable Pie recipe
in the _Fields of Greens_ cookbook just acquired (and thanks to those who
sent advice on the book last month). As usual, however, we varied a great
deal, so the result is greatly different from the book’s–but was
wonderful. We realized that the recipe started with “Mushroom stock,”
which would take 3 hours to make. Since it was already 7 in the evening,
that was out. The celery root we thought was in the vegetable bin was a
rutabaga; we had six shitake to use up. So we improvised: Stock: Gently
simmer, until reduced to about 2 cups liquid.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet; add the mushrooms,
pinch of salt, 2 or 3 grinds of pepper. Sear the mushrooms over high heat
until golden. Add half the garlic and deglaze the pan with half the
sherry. When the pan is almost dry, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in stew pot and add the onion,
pinch of salt, 2 grinds of pepper; saute until onion is transparent. Add
the remaining garlic, rutabaga, carrot, potatoes, and fennel, saute for 5
minutes. Add the mushrooms, herbs, and the reduced stock. Cover and
simmer until vegetables are soft and flavors melded, about 30 minutes over
medium/medium low heat. Serve over grain, pasta, or polenta (we used a
mixed spiral spinach pasta and basmati rice left over from previous
meals), with crusty bread, bread sticks, or pretzels. The _Fields of
Greens_ book takes its mixture, pours it into a 9 inch round baking dish,
then covers it with a white pastry cover, with an egg wash on it (there
goes the vegan listing!), then bakes in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Our variation worked well; we ate at about 8:45 (which is fairly normal
for us), a rich and warming stew with the temperature outside at -5, wind
chill -37. We’ll try some different root vegetables next time, and
perhaps add tofu slices as well.
So there you go.. have a great time.. enjoy your season and make the most out of your life..
Merry Cooking and Blessed Eating