Linda's Favourite Vegetable Stock

This is a versatile stock for a wide variety of dishes, especially homemade soup. Homemade stock is far superior to store-bought, as you can adjust the sodium levels and use the freshest ingredients. Unless I am using chicken stock made from a roasted chicken, this is my main stock for soup. This stock recipe was given to me by an English friend years ago, and it is so easy to make.


Ingredients:


2 leeks, cut into pieces
2 sliced onions
3 celery sticks, chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, if you like that flavor
1 tsp. dried parsley
black pepper to taste
salt to taste, but no more than 1 tsp.
2 litres water
20 grams butter


Melt the butter in your stock pot and add all the vegetables. Cover and sweat the vegetables on low heat for 20 minutes . Add the herbs, pepper and salt and stir in the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Strain and use immediately, or store in a container or in ice cube trays and freeze as soon as cold. Ice cube-size portions are wonderful for when you just need a little stock for a recipe.


Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Eat Out...At Home

One of my favorite places to eat is Olive Garden. I know, I know ... the carbs, the fat, the (cough, cough) price tag. In my defense of the price tag, I usually order the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. Have you ever had the Zuppa Toscana? Oh.my.goodness.


Considering the prices of everything else on the menu, this is an economical choice. 


Or is it?


Well, it's not if you know how to make Zuppa Toscana. Which I do, and am happy to share with you!

So, it's like this:

Brown some Italian sausage in a skillet. Make sure it's Italian. Not breakfast sausage. Much, much different flavor. You'll thank me later.

And, if you can do two things at once, go ahead and saute some finely chopped yellow onion with a bit of butter in a large pot.

Once your onions are looking translucent (translation: soft. I'm not a fan of crunchy onions.), add in 3 cloves of minced garlic, some thinly sliced potatoes, and chicken broth.

And about a quart of water. Remember, 4 cups = 1 quart. I always, always forget this mathematical fact.

Then you just want it to boil until the taters are soft. 30 minutes, more or less.

While all this was going on, my sausage was looking something like this:

Once the sausage is totally browned, let it de-grease on a paper towel-lined plate.

Now you're ready to get the rest of the goodness. You'll need kale. I used one whole bunch with the stems removed.

And bacon bits. I thought I had a package of bacon bits in my fridge. I was mistaken. Thankfully, I keep a pretty good supply of bacon on-hand anyway, so I just fried up 4 slices. And my delightful sous chef, David (a.k.a. the hubby), made it into bits for me.

Voila. Instant bacon bits.

At this point I was still waiting on those spuds to get soft. It seemed to be taking for.e.ver. I used my time wisely and grated an entire wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese. Every good soup has great toppings.

Finally, the potatoes were soft enough for me to add about half a bottle of heavy cream. Say that with me. "Heavy. Cream." Don't you go substituting milk or half-and-half to cut fat and calories. It wouldn't be right to the Olive Garden people.

And this is what it looks like post-cream:

Add in the bacon and sausage too. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring all that to a boil, then add the chopped kale.

Stir and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so. You want the kale just slightly soft, not the consistency of canned spinach.

Hello, Gorgeous.

Serve it up, top it with generous amounts of that grated Romano cheese, and rest easy knowing you saved yourself $8.95 x (the number of people in your family).

Ok, here's the shortened version:

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned and drained
2-3 large Russet potatoes, sliced in half, then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil or butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (or 3 cups) chicken broth
1 quart water
1/3 cup bacon bits (make your own or use store-bought)
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch kale, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste

Saute potatoes, onion, and garlic in olive oil or butter for 5-7 minutes in a large pot. Meanwhile, brown sausage and drain. Add broth and water to the potatoes, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Add cream and kale. Let sit five minutes before serving. We love to grate fresh Pecorino Romano cheese.

You're going to love this soup!

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Turkey/Chicken Noodle Soup

Need another way to utilize those holiday turkey leftovers? Try this healthy and comforting classic.

Ingredients:

up to 2 lbs. chicken or turkey, cubed and cooked (or less - I only use a few handfuls)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced or a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
several quarts of turkey/chicken stock OR 3 to 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. or so frozen peas
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rosemary
pepper to taste
pasta (I like to use egg noodles)

Fill a 6 quart pot about 3/4 full of water (or turkey/chicken stock). Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the spices and bouillon cubes (if not using stock). Simmer an hour or so. Bring to a boil and add the turkey/chicken and pasta. Cook on a low boil for 20 minutes or until the pasta is done. A few minutes before you turn it off, add the peas.

Variations:

• Substitute potatoes or barley for the pasta to turn this soup into a stew.
• Leave the pasta out altogether or use rice pasta for a gluten-free soup.
• Increase the amount of veggies used to make it less soup-y.
• Beef or sausage would be a great variation. Just use beef broth instead of chicken broth.
• This soup freezes well. Don't add the pasta before freezing, though.

And don't wait until you've got leftover holiday chicken or turkey to make this soup. Any time chicken goes on sale, stock up. Use it to replenish your supply of homemade broth and cooked chicken. This soup just gets better with age, so make enough to have leftovers for a few days.

This Holiday's Leftover Turkey

If you're having turkey (or chicken) for Christmas dinner this year, chances are good that you'll have lots of leftovers. You know we all get tired of leftover turkey for days and days after Christmas, so why not re-purpose all that meat and bones?


Done correctly, you can have broth and meat for several meals just by treating your leftover turkey with some TLC.

First, remove all the meat you can find from the carcass. All that should remain are skin, bones, and fat. If there's enough, dice up the meat and freeze it in 1-2 cup portions. If not, use what's left to make a turkey noodle soup or turkey pot pie. That meat can be used later for casseroles, salads, and soups.

Then, jam all those bones, fat, and skin into a large stock pot. At this point you can break it up if needed.

Take two or three onions and peel them, then cut into four to eight chunks. Add them to the pot.

Scrub several large carrots (no need to peel) and cut them into two or three pieces each. Add them to the pot with the turkey and the onions.

Next grab four or five stalks of celery and wash them up. Cut into two or three large pieces (leave the leaves on) and add to the pot.

Now, fill the pot with enough water to cover everything if possible.  If your turkey is still sticking out over the top, fill it to within 6 inches of the top.

Add a few tablespoons vinegar to help draw out the calcium and a few tablespoons of salt.  We like sea salt. You can also add a couple of bay leaves, some ground sage and thyme, a little black pepper, and some garlic powder, if you like. 

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and  let it simmer for several hours. If your turkey fits into the pot, cover with a lid while simmering. If not, it will slowly get soft and cook down and after a while you should be able to get the lid on. You may need to add a little water as it simmers to keep everything covered.

I typically start this the morning after Christmas (or Thanksgiving) and let it cook all day. If we want, we can have turkey noodle soup for dinner. 

Pour everything through a large strainer (or colander) into a massive bowl or pot. Pick through the bones to find any remaining meat, and add that meat to what you stored before boiling.  

After the broth is cool, package it in one cup to 1 ½ cup portions in Ziploc bags (or glass pint jars). Most recipes call for “a can of broth” which is about 1 ½ cups; but others say “a cup”, so I package them both ways. Freeze the freezer bags flat, like CDs, and when I need them I pull them out the night before or run it under hot water for a few seconds before adding it to a recipe. 

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

Addendum: I (Lindsey) did this exact process just last week with some chicken breasts.  I had four, uncooked, bone-in-skin-on chicken breasts. I boiled them, adding the onions, celery, carrots and spices. After straining that initial batch of broth and de-boning the chicken, I put the bones and skins back in the pot, added more veggies, spices, and water and did it all over again. From those four chicken breasts, I yielded 7 cups of meat and 15 cups of homemade broth. It really is worth it to take the time to go through this process!

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

1 ½ Tbsp. Olive Oil

½ Onion, Chopped

1 Carrot, sliced (add other vegetables as desired)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 quarts chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste, plus bay leaf and thyme

1 small cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

Rice

Diced tomatoes with juice

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in veggies and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then stir in cabbage and rice.  Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, and then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often.

Here's a healthy, meat-free recipe to add to your collection! Enjoy!

Submitted by Cheryl, adapted from Hillbilly Housewife

Two Great (& Gluten-free) Soups

Our friend Sonya writes, "Here are two soup recipes that our family has made numerous times--for company and for our own family meals. They have three great benefits. First, they are soups you can put in the crock pot in the morning and let them simmer all day while you do schoolwork and life. Second, they are gluten-free. Third, they are also casein-free (no dairy). And I guess, you could add that they are quite delicious!

"They are from a wonderful blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, where you can access the recipes for free or purchase them printed in a convenient book. I have the book and use it a lot, because all of the recipes in it are gluten-free. Enjoy!"

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetables (your choice; I've used carrots, broccoli, and onion)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup raw brown rice
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
salt
pepper

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The longer this soup simmers, the thicker it gets.


Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
4 cups beef broth (Make sure it's gluten-free)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce
salt
pepper
1/2 cup dried rice pasta

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. One hour before serving, stir in pasta and cook on low until it is tender. The rice pasta will swell quite a bit.

Submitted by Sonya