This is definitely my favorite stew recipe. It definitely pays to double it, and it's nice that you don't have to brown the meat first.
2 lbs. stew beef, cubed
2 onions, sliced or diced
2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
6 carrots, cut in chunks
3 potatoes, cubed
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp minute tapioca
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup tomato juice or V8
Place meat in large casserole or medium roaster. Arrange vegetables on top of meat. Combine salt, pepper, tapioca and sugar; sprinkle over vegetables. Drizzle tomato juice over all. Cover tightly with foil so no steam escapes. Bake at 250 F for 5 hours or at 300 F for 4 hours. Don't peek! Yield: 4 to 7 servings.
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tortellini, Spinach and Tomato Soup
My sweet neighbor brought me this soup when she heard I had been struggling with sickness for two months earlier this year. She said this is the soup her family knows will appear the minute someone gets the sniffles or the flu. It has become one of our family's favorites! And the great thing is that it's so very quick and easy to make!
2 Tbsp butter
6-8 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
6 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini
14 oz. canned diced tomatoes, with their juice
10 oz. spinach, washed, stemmed, coarsely chopped
8-10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Parmesan, grated
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add tortellini and cook halfway, about 5 minutes for frozen pasta, less if using fresh. Add tomatoes and juice, reduce heat to simmer and cook just till pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and basil and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan.
2 Tbsp butter
6-8 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
6 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini
14 oz. canned diced tomatoes, with their juice
10 oz. spinach, washed, stemmed, coarsely chopped
8-10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Parmesan, grated
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add tortellini and cook halfway, about 5 minutes for frozen pasta, less if using fresh. Add tomatoes and juice, reduce heat to simmer and cook just till pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and basil and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Harvest Soup
My favorite way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Stock:
1 large turkey legs or one carcass
Water to cover the meat
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 whole cloves garlic
5 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a large soup kettle. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 hours. Let sit until cool. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove fat that has congealed on top. Strain liquid into a clean soup kettle. Place on stove and bring to a simmer. Remove leftover meat from bones, cut into pieces and add to strained liquid. Add any other shopped meat left over from turkey dinner. Discard the remaining bones and vegetables.
Soup:
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
2 tart green apples or hard red apples, cored and diced (leave skin on)
2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, hard ends removed, shredded
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tsp dried, crumbled basil
1 tsp dried, crumbled parsley
Put olive oil in a large pan and place over medium heat. Add all chopped vegetables and saute briskly until soft. Add chopped apples and continue to cook, stirring frequently. When vegetables and apple are cooked al dente, add to broth. Add remaining spices, salt and cider. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Stock:
1 large turkey legs or one carcass
Water to cover the meat
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 whole cloves garlic
5 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a large soup kettle. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 hours. Let sit until cool. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove fat that has congealed on top. Strain liquid into a clean soup kettle. Place on stove and bring to a simmer. Remove leftover meat from bones, cut into pieces and add to strained liquid. Add any other shopped meat left over from turkey dinner. Discard the remaining bones and vegetables.
Soup:
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
2 tart green apples or hard red apples, cored and diced (leave skin on)
2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, hard ends removed, shredded
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tsp dried, crumbled basil
1 tsp dried, crumbled parsley
Put olive oil in a large pan and place over medium heat. Add all chopped vegetables and saute briskly until soft. Add chopped apples and continue to cook, stirring frequently. When vegetables and apple are cooked al dente, add to broth. Add remaining spices, salt and cider. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Taco Soup
1 large onion, chopped
1lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet store-bought or 1/4 cup homemade onion soup mix (optional)
1 packet store-bought or 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning mix (optional)
Two 14oz. cans chili-style beans (or just plain kidney beans)
2 cups corn kernels (if using canned, don’t drain them – the juice adds nice flavor to the soup)
One 28oz can diced or pureed tomatoes, or 3 cups fresh pureed tomatoes (or 1 can condensed tomato soup plus one can of water)
4 cups beef broth (optional, you can also just add enough water until the soup is the consistency you desire)
Salsa (optional, I add approximately 1/2 cup – 1 cup instead of adding other seasonings)
Taco chips and sour cream for serving
Brown ground beef and onion in a soup pot, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in onion soup mix and taco seasoning, if using. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, and broth or water and salsa, if using; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 45 minutes. Serve with taco chips and sour cream.
1lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet store-bought or 1/4 cup homemade onion soup mix (optional)
1 packet store-bought or 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning mix (optional)
Two 14oz. cans chili-style beans (or just plain kidney beans)
2 cups corn kernels (if using canned, don’t drain them – the juice adds nice flavor to the soup)
One 28oz can diced or pureed tomatoes, or 3 cups fresh pureed tomatoes (or 1 can condensed tomato soup plus one can of water)
4 cups beef broth (optional, you can also just add enough water until the soup is the consistency you desire)
Salsa (optional, I add approximately 1/2 cup – 1 cup instead of adding other seasonings)
Taco chips and sour cream for serving
Brown ground beef and onion in a soup pot, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in onion soup mix and taco seasoning, if using. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, and broth or water and salsa, if using; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 45 minutes. Serve with taco chips and sour cream.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Surprise Soup
There are two methods I use to make soup at no extra cost.
1. I keep a large ziplock bag in my fridge. Throughout the week, all vegetable peelings, vegetable ends, etc. get tossed into the bag. The bag usually has a lot of carrot peel, potato peel, celery ends and leaves, onion peels and ends, garlic peel and ends, broccoli stalk peel and ends, etc. I sometimes also have a jar in the fridge that I use to save all the vegetable cooking water from the week. If I cook frozen peas, I drain the cooking water into my “soup jar.”
At the end of the week, dump all your “savings” into a large pot. Cover it all with water and simmer it slowly for a couple of hours. Strain it and save the broth. This is the base of your soup.
Now you have a few options:
-Freeze the broth to use as a base for soups that you have recipes for, or make up your own.
-Turn it into a soup immediately by adding in cooked rice or lentils or beans or WHATEVER, and chop up some fresh veggies and add some seasonings and make a whole new soup.
-Use this liquid for the second Free Soup option below…
2. I have two or three empty ice cream buckets in my freezer. These are the big ones – 4L, I think. One is for chicken, one for beef, and if I have a third, I use it for ham or veggie. Whenever there are leftovers at the end of a meal, I put them into the appropriate bucket. If we have chicken stir fry and there are leftovers, they go into the chicken bucket. If we have shepherd’s pie with ground beef, those leftovers go into the beef bucket. Whenever I add new leftovers, I make sure they are covered with water or broth or leftover cooking liquid from veggies. Then the bucket goes back into the freezer.
When a bucket is full, I let it thaw and pour it into my big soup pot. We reheat it and taste it. Sometimes we need to add some salt or other seasonings to give it more flavor, but usually, it is the most delicious soup ever!
These soups are different every time. But it’s like a taste adventure! And the best part is, it’s FREE! You’re making soup out of things you would have normally thrown away. For us, these soups are usually enough for two meals each. TWO MEALS FOR FREE!
Waste not, want not!
1. I keep a large ziplock bag in my fridge. Throughout the week, all vegetable peelings, vegetable ends, etc. get tossed into the bag. The bag usually has a lot of carrot peel, potato peel, celery ends and leaves, onion peels and ends, garlic peel and ends, broccoli stalk peel and ends, etc. I sometimes also have a jar in the fridge that I use to save all the vegetable cooking water from the week. If I cook frozen peas, I drain the cooking water into my “soup jar.”
At the end of the week, dump all your “savings” into a large pot. Cover it all with water and simmer it slowly for a couple of hours. Strain it and save the broth. This is the base of your soup.
Now you have a few options:
-Freeze the broth to use as a base for soups that you have recipes for, or make up your own.
-Turn it into a soup immediately by adding in cooked rice or lentils or beans or WHATEVER, and chop up some fresh veggies and add some seasonings and make a whole new soup.
-Use this liquid for the second Free Soup option below…
2. I have two or three empty ice cream buckets in my freezer. These are the big ones – 4L, I think. One is for chicken, one for beef, and if I have a third, I use it for ham or veggie. Whenever there are leftovers at the end of a meal, I put them into the appropriate bucket. If we have chicken stir fry and there are leftovers, they go into the chicken bucket. If we have shepherd’s pie with ground beef, those leftovers go into the beef bucket. Whenever I add new leftovers, I make sure they are covered with water or broth or leftover cooking liquid from veggies. Then the bucket goes back into the freezer.
When a bucket is full, I let it thaw and pour it into my big soup pot. We reheat it and taste it. Sometimes we need to add some salt or other seasonings to give it more flavor, but usually, it is the most delicious soup ever!
These soups are different every time. But it’s like a taste adventure! And the best part is, it’s FREE! You’re making soup out of things you would have normally thrown away. For us, these soups are usually enough for two meals each. TWO MEALS FOR FREE!
Waste not, want not!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Mulligatawny Soup
This is one of my favorite soups, partly because it is unique (at least to us), but mostly because it is a perfect balance of spicy, savory, and sweet. It is truly a heartwarming soup.
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
7-1/2oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 to 1-1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
In a large pot, combine all the ingredients, except the chicken. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chicken and heat through.
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
7-1/2oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 to 1-1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
In a large pot, combine all the ingredients, except the chicken. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chicken and heat through.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Minestrone Soup
This soup tastes like good restaurant fare to me. I double this recipe every time I make it.
14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth (or just use approximately that amount of homemade broth – either veggie or chicken)
14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-1/4 cups water
15 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I frequently substitute my own cooked red kidney beans and the soup is just as good)
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 of a 9 oz. package frozen green beans (I just use about 1 cup)
2 oz. spaghetti or linguine, broken up
2 Tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese
In pot, mix broth, undrained tomatoes, onion, cabbage, tomato juice, carrot, celery, basil, garlic powder, and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in beans, zucchini, and spaghetti. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 10-15 minutes more or till vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.
14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth (or just use approximately that amount of homemade broth – either veggie or chicken)
14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-1/4 cups water
15 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I frequently substitute my own cooked red kidney beans and the soup is just as good)
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 of a 9 oz. package frozen green beans (I just use about 1 cup)
2 oz. spaghetti or linguine, broken up
2 Tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese
In pot, mix broth, undrained tomatoes, onion, cabbage, tomato juice, carrot, celery, basil, garlic powder, and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in beans, zucchini, and spaghetti. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 10-15 minutes more or till vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
French Onion Soup
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups onion, chopped
4 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp wine vinegar, optional
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
pepper, to taste
2/4 cup mozzarella cheese
4 slices French bread
Saute onions in butter for 8-10 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place soup in 4 ovenproof bowls. Add a slice of toasted French bread to each. Then top with cheese. Broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
Variation: Instead of putting soup in ovenproof bowls, just heat it on the stove and put into individual serving bowls. Place toasted bread slices on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil in the oven. Then place the bread into the soup bowls.
Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.
2 cups onion, chopped
4 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp wine vinegar, optional
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
pepper, to taste
2/4 cup mozzarella cheese
4 slices French bread
Saute onions in butter for 8-10 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place soup in 4 ovenproof bowls. Add a slice of toasted French bread to each. Then top with cheese. Broil in oven until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
Variation: Instead of putting soup in ovenproof bowls, just heat it on the stove and put into individual serving bowls. Place toasted bread slices on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil in the oven. Then place the bread into the soup bowls.
Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Ravioli Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan
3.4 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 finely chopped onion
1 28-oz. can Italian style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 14-1/2-oz. can beef broth or bouillon
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 12-oz. package of ravioli or tortellini (If you can find MINI ravioli or tortellini, it's even better!)
Parmesan to sprinkle on top
Add everything together except the pasta. Cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the broth after broth has cooked 30 minutes.
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan
3.4 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 finely chopped onion
1 28-oz. can Italian style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 14-1/2-oz. can beef broth or bouillon
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 12-oz. package of ravioli or tortellini (If you can find MINI ravioli or tortellini, it's even better!)
Parmesan to sprinkle on top
Add everything together except the pasta. Cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the broth after broth has cooked 30 minutes.
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