Italian pantry soup

I love Olive Garden's zuppa toscana.  It is the only way I think I would have tried kale, initially.  You have to remember I was a picky eater, up until about 7 years ago.  The only cooked vegetables I would eat were corn and potatoes.  Really.  I have come a long way since then, but I still am looking to increase my veggie intake, and really, shouldn't we all increase our vegetable intake?  This soup was born of my love for the zuppa at OG, but I was hampered by what I actually had in house.  And instead of making a special trip to the store to buy ingredients, I decided to bastardize my own version of the soup.  It was a very delicious experiment!

Italian pantry soup
1 can white cannelini beans, well-rinsed
4 Italian (chicken) sausages
1 tsp. oil
1 large russet potato, washed and sliced thin
6 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 large bunch kale, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. better than bouillon soup base

In a high-sided skillet, warm oil and brown sausages on all sides.  Remove to a plate and cut length-wise and return to pan to brown insides.  Remove to a paper plate and cut into bite-sized pieces and allow to drain.  In a crockpot or large stock pot, put beans, sausage pieces, sliced potato, onion, garlic, water, and soup base.  Cook on low in crock for ~6 hrs. or on stove-top in stock pot until potato is fork tender.  When soup is ready, add kale and cover for 5-10 minutes to wilt kale.  Serve hot.

If you like it hot, you could add some crushed red pepper.  If you like it creamy, like OG's, you could add either some heavy cream, a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream, or pureed potatoes to the broth in order to give it that creamy consistency.

A Soup Post

Most of my posts here are recipes.  And I have to tell you that I fully intended this post to be a recipe. But, as usual, I didn't use measuring utensils and I forgot to write anything down, so now, you have yourself here a technique piece.  I hope you enjoy, and I will definitely try to take measurements the next time I make some of my soup :)

You know what I love about soup?  There aren't very many rules.  You don't have a chemical reaction, as in baking.  The only thing you really need is the broth and something to put in it.  I used to be a very picky eater.  Going by my old standard, I'm a positive foodie now.  But others, I know, would still classify me as picky.  That's fine.  I'm happy trying things at my own pace.

What does that information matter to you?  Well, I had never tried parsnips or turnips before my Mother-in-law put them in some homemade chicken noodle soup at Christmastime in 2011.  And she didn't ask me if I would mind if she put them in, she just did.  So I braced myself before tasting that first bite.  And you know what?  The flavor of that broth, that soup, was so much more improved I couldn't believe it was still just your basic chicken noodle soup!  The parsnips and turnips added such a richer flavor note that I loved it.  Truth be told?  I put turnips and parsnips in every pot of chicken soup I make now.  I find that when I leave it out, the flavors are just too lacking for my taste.

Now, this past weekend, both of my boys were down with pink eye (bacterial) and a virus.  And I had just developed an ear infection.  I was tired and just wanted some comforting food.  When I'm sick like that, and it's cold to boot, the only thing that spells comfort food to me is s-o-u-p.

But I really didn't have it in me to boil a whole chicken to get the broth and the meat for my soup.  And I didn't want a whole 4 qt. stock pot full of soup to freeze and keep.  I decided to compromise - I went to the grocery store and picked up a medium parsnip, a large turnip, and deli-counter roast turkey breast (I didn't realize it was turkey until I got home and was opening the package; no matter, it was still delicious) that had been previously shredded.  So that cut a ton of time off the top for me.  I peeled and diced my parsnip and turnip and some carrots I already had on hand.  I tossed in two handfuls of my previously chopped and frozen onion and celery and a couple teaspoons of chopped garlic and sauteed them all in 2 Tbsp. of butter to release the flavors and soften them.  Then I poured in 6 c. of water and 2 Tbsp. of better than bouillon soup base (chicken flavor).  I brought it to a roiling boil for somewhere between 15 minutes and a half hour (I'm not sure on the time because one of my kids pooped his diaper, the other was having a potty crisis, and my husband wasn't home).  Basically, I got my veggies good and cooked in the broth.  But then, instead of adding my herbs, chicken, and pasta, I ladled half of my soup up and put it in a pyrex to cool on the counter a bit before freezing.  You see, now I have a ready-made soup base, to which I will only need to add meat, seasonings, and a starch!  Voila!  After I had the set-aside portion dished out, I added some water (the boiling had reduced the liquid level), my shredded turkey, and a half a box of ditalini.  I brought it back to a boil to cook the pasta and then I was ready to go.  I had my semi-homemade soup and quicker solution for the next time I might want to whip up some soup, semi-homemade style.  And really, setting aside a portion to freeze and use as a soup-base later worked very well, because I had much less soup I felt compelled to eat right away.  And by using just the veggies and the broth, I can add whichever meat and seasonings I want to change the style of the soup.

So now you know that I like soup as comfort food, and that I love turnips and parsnips in my soup.  Seriously, you have to try them.  But I also tend to add both dill and parsley to my homemade chicken noodle soup.  I read an article in a Women's World issue that talked about the different health benefits of all of the components of chicken noodle soup and each had health benefits (I can't remember what they were, but they were good).  I had never thought to add dill to chicken noodle soup before that article.  Parsley was pretty standard (as long as I remembered), but the dill was a new thought.  Well, as with the turnips and the parsnips, I loved it.  You can almost always find dill and parsley in my homemade chicken noodle soup now.  And I really don't feel like I need to add more than that - those simple ingredients combine together to bring such a wonderful, full flavor to my soups that I don't even need to add any other salt and pepper.

What is your favorite addition to chicken noodle soup?  Have you ever had parsnips and turnips before?  Would you try them?

Lazy Day Stew

This is one of the previously mentioned freezer meals as well.  If you want to see any of the meal recipes in their original format, please follow the links in my original freezer meals introductory post. This recipe was very hearty and flavorful; I served it with pasta to soak up some of the juices and my husband said it was even better the next day as leftovers for his lunch.  The original recipe calls for potatoes, but I omitted them from my freezer bags in order to have more versatility.  I figured I could always throw potatoes into the crockpot if I wanted it to be an actual stew.  This recipe makes two freezer meals - divide evenly between two gallon-sized zip-top freezer bags, and lay flat to freeze.

Lazy Day Stew
4 lbs cubed stewing beef
10 oz pkg dried lima beans
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce (one in each bag)
2 Tbs. brown sugar (one in each bag)
4 c. baby carrots, sliced
2 c. onions chopped
2 c. celery chopped
2 t. minced garlic
2 large or 4 md. bay leaves
2 tsp. seasoning salt
2 c. water/broth (1 c. per meal, to be added at time of cooking)

Split between two bags.  Add 1 c. water/broth at time of cooking; cook on low 4-6 hours.  Serve as a soup, over noodles or rice, or with a big hunk of crusty bread for sopping up juices.

For a delicious, non-tomato based stew, check out my oven stew recipe!

Pesto Pork

The original recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  But I had a rolled pork roast (bought as part of a package of pork loin roasts) from Costco, so I decided to give this recipe a try with pork. I also used Costco pesto sauce, bought in the refrigerated section.  I would not recommend using a shelf-stable pesto with this recipe, mostly because those tend to be made from dried basil and consist mostly of oil.  Homemade pesto would be ideal, though I have to tell you that the Kirkland's Signature pesto is a very close second, in my book, to homemade.  If freezer cooking, double the recipe and divide between two gallon-sized freezer zip-top plastic bags.

Crockpot Pesto Pork
1 4-lb pork roast/pork loin
1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce
1/4 t. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. chicken broth (add when putting into crockpot)

Place all ingredients in crockpot (if freezer cooking, no need to thaw ahead of time); cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Pork will shred easily with tongs.

I served ours with steamed broccoli and brown rice, both seasoned with my homemade seasoning salt.  We will definitely be able to get a second meal out of this.  Maybe pesto pork tacos....

Crockpot garlic beer chicken

If you're on pinterest, odds are that you've seen the pins for the garlic chicken (baked in the oven) and the crockpot beer chicken.  I've made each recipe separately, but I decided to mash them together this time, and let me tell you - the results were mouth-watering!

Crockpot garlic beer chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 12-oz. bottle of beer
3 cloves garlic, minced
herbs and salt and pepper to taste
1/2 large onion, cut into chunky rings

Spray crock with non-stick spray.  Place onion on bottom of crockpot and lay chicken on top.  Sprinkle with seasonings, pour beer over top, and top with garlic.  Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

I tossed in some halved baby red potatoes to soak up the goodness and provide a ready starch for the meal.  I served steamed corn on the side.  If you don't serve the broth, ladle it out and freeze it in an ice cube tray to use to flavor other meals :)

Simple French onion soup

Having my boys changed something with my taste buds and I absolutely love the taste of onions now, whereas before I hated them.  This is a recipe that I've adapted a bit from the Leinenkugel's recipe (which, by the way, was phenomenal!).  I made this for my in-laws while they were visiting, and since my father-in-law is lactose intolerant, I didn't carmelize the onions in butter.  What with all the cheese, I figured I could save him a little bit.  It is much easier to slice all the onions if you have a mandolin, but it is not necessary.

4-5 softball-sized sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. (olive) oil
2 quarts beef broth (could sub chicken)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 large slices of French or sourdough bread, toasted
1 c. grated Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese

In a large pan, heat oil over low heat.  Add onions and stir occasionally - the carmelization will take upwards of 45 minutes.  The key is to go low and slow so the onions get a nice brown color to them - they will reduce drastically.  When onions are all carmelized, add broth to pan, as well as thyme, tarragon, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine and then ladle into 4 oven-safe bowls or crocks.  Float bread on top of onions, top with grated cheese, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Hot ham and cheese party sandwiches

I made these for my son's second birthday party and they were a huge hit - everyone was asking me for the recipe.  Hint: make extra - they are a bazillion times more delicious as leftovers!

1 stick butter
2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-12 oz. package of King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1/2 lb. black forest ham, finely sliced
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
2 tsp. poppy seeds
raspberry preserves

In a microwave safe dish, cube butter and add Worchestershire sauce, sugar, and mustard.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring often, until melted and well combined.  Leave rolls connected and slice through entire "loaf" to create a sheet of tops and bottoms.  Generously baste both sides of the rolls with the mustard glaze; layer with ham and cheese.  Place top sheet of rolls on top and baste tops with glaze.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake in 350 degree oven, tightly covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, carefully slice, and serve hot!  Serve with warmed raspberry preserves on the side.

Oven stew

This is one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up.  It is simple and tastes phenomenal.  I usually serve it over cooked egg noodles.  It does take some planning ahead as it has to cook for 3 hours.

1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton's beefy onion soup mix
2 c. water

In a 2-quart greased covered-casserole dish, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, beefy onion soup mix, and water.  When thoroughly combined, add in stew meat, making sure to break up into individual pieces.  Cover with foil and then casserole lid.  Bake at 350 for 3 hours.  Serve hot.

Note: I don't like cream of mushroom soup, so I always make this with cream of chicken soup.  It doesn't taste weird, I promise, lol.