ACE'S RED CABBAGE SOUP with WHITE BEANS and SAUSAGE

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of beef broth*
2 cups water
1 large onion (we used red)
1-inch of grated ginger
1 can (14-15 oz.) of white beans (or more, and/or your own choice of beans)
1 pkg. Trader Joe's beets (http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1225)
                      (or canned beets drained)
2 TBSP cooking oil
1 - 10 oz bag of shredded red cabbage (or cut up your own)
1 tsp cinnamon
14 oz. kielbasa or sausage of choice(
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

(To make this all veggie....- you can exchange the beef broth with veggie broth and omit the sausage...or add a veggie sausage)

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a soup pan, bring the broth and water to a boil.
2) Chop the onion and peel and rate the ginger.
3) Cut up the beets to nice small bite-size pieces (add their juice to your broth)
4) Heat the oil and add onions, ginger and cinnamon. Add the beef stock and simmer for
10 minutes.
5) Drain and rinse the beans.
6) Slice up the kielbasa/sausage into small soup-bite size pieces. Add beans and sausage to soup.
Cook for 5 minutes.
7) Add red pepper flakes.
8) Serve in a soup bowl .... add sour cream or Greek yogurt if you'd like.

Italian Sausage Soup with White Beans and Spinach

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 large vidalia onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup small cut pasta, like shells or ditallini
• 2 cups baby spinach
• grated parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a large pot or dutch oven over med-high heat and add the sausage, breaking it up in to small pieces with a fork as it browns. Continue cooking until the sausage is no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
2. Return the pot to the stove and add the onions. Cook the onions until translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, cooking for one minute until fragrant.
3. Stir in the Italian seasoning and ¼ cup of chicken stock to deglaze the pan being sure to scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, sausage and remaining stock. Add the pasta and bring the soup to a boil. Cook for 6-7 minute or until the pasta is al dente.
5. Stir in the spinach. Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese.
6. FROM - 
The Suburban Soapbox

QUICK and HEALTHY VEGGIE NOODLE SOUP

2 quarts water
1 cup Broccoli florets, in small pieces
1-2 cups Sugar snap or Snow peas
2 Carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 Shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchsticks or finely diced
2 Chinese napa cabbage and/or bok choy, finely shredded
handful Bean sprouts, well rinsed

2 tbsp Sesame oil
2 Garlic cloves, pressed or cut to small dice
1 Small piece ginger, cut to small dice
1/2 Onion, finely diced
2 Scallions, sliced lengthwise, very thinly

2 1/2 cups vegetable or miso broth (or 2 1/2 cup Water + 1 tsp stock granules)
2 cups Udon, soba or rice noodles – cooked ahead/separately, or with the soup, per the below

Optional add-ins
Tamari or soy sauce
Asian Hot pepper sauce
Lime (wedges)
Cilantro

Put water on to boil, and prep the broccoli, peas, and carrots. Toss into the water and cook for 5 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, prep the mushrooms and cabbage. With a strainer, remove the vegetables (leaving water boiling) and rinse in cold water, and set aside. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, and bean sprouts to the boiling water, cook for one minute, then rinse in cold water, and add them to the rest of the veggies.

In a large pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, and add the garlic, ginger, onion, and scallions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from heat, and carefully (so it doesn’t splatter) add the broth and 1/2 to all of the cooking water from the veggies. If you want the soup brothy, add more; if not, add less.

Add the noodles to the soup (using rice noodles will keep the broth nice and thin, as they’re less starchy), and cook until the noodles are ready. Add the veggies back in, top with sauces as desired, and serve.

Jennifer Silverberg - http://eatyourselfwell.com/

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN PHở Gà

Serves 8

BROTH

2 yellow onions, about 1 pound total, unpeeled 

Chubby 4-inch section fresh ginger, unpeeled 

1 chicken, 4 pounds, excess fat and tail removed  

3 pounds chicken backs, necks, or other bony chicken parts 

5 quarts water 

1 1/2 tablespoons salt 

3 tablespoons fish sauce 

1-inch chunk rock sugar* (about 1 ounce) 

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 1 minute until fragrant 

4 whole cloves 

1 small or 1/2 large bunch cilantro (bound stems about 1 inch in diameter)

BOWLS

1 1/2–2 pounds small flat rice noodles (bánh phở), dried or fresh 

Cooked chicken, at room temperature 

1 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained 

3 or 4 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced 

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only 

Black pepper

Optional garnishes 

3 cups bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound) 

10 to 12 sprigs mint (húng) 10 to 12 sprigs Thai basil* (húng quế) 

12 to 15 fresh culantro* (ngò gai) leaves 

2 or 3 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced 

2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

MAKE THE PHO BROTH:

1. Place the onions and ginger directly on the cooking grate of a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill (as pictured, to the right) or a gas stove with a medium flame, or on a medium-hot burner of an electric stove. Let the skin burn (if you’re working indoors, turn on the exhaust fan and open a window), using tongs to rotate onion and ginger occasionally and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin.

After 15 minutes, the onions and ginger will have softened slightly and become sweetly fragrant. There may even be some bubbling. You do not have to blacken the entire surface. When amply charred, remove from the heat and let cool.

2. RINSE the cooled onions under warm running water, rubbing off the charred skin. Trim off and discard the blackened root and stem ends. Use a vegetable peeler, paring knife, or the edge of a teaspoon to remove the ginger skin. Hold it under warm water to wash off any blackened bits. Halve the ginger lengthwise and bruise lightly with the broad side of a cleaver or chef’s knife.  Set the onions and ginger aside.

3.RINSE the chicken under cool water. Detach each wing by bending it back and cutting it off at the shoulder joint. Add the wings and neck, if included, to the chicken parts. If the heart, gizzard, and liver have been included, discard them or save for another use. (Some cooks like to simmer the heart and gizzard in water and slice them for adding to the noodle bowls.) Set the wingless chicken aside.

4. Remove and discard any loose pieces of fat from the chicken parts. Wielding a heavy cleaver designed for chopping bones, whack the bones to break them partway or all the way through, making the cuts at 1- to 2-inch intervals, depending on the size of the part. This exposes the marrow, which enriches the broth. :)

5. To achieve a clear broth, you must first parboil and rinse the chicken parts. Put them in a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and add cold water just to cover.BRING to a BOIL over high heat and boil vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes to release the impurities. Dump the chicken parts and water into the sink (make sure it is clean), and then rinse the parts with water to wash off any clinging residue. Quickly scrub the stockpot clean and return the chicken parts to the pot. Put the chicken into the pot, breast side up.

6. Pour in the water and snuggle the chicken in between the parts so that it is covered with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Add the onions, ginger, salt, fish sauce, rock sugar, coriander seeds, cloves, and cilantro and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

At this point, the chicken is cooked; its flesh should feel firm yet still yield a bit to the touch. Use a pair of tongs to grab the chicken and transfer it to a large bowl. Flush the chicken with cold water and drain well, then it set aside for 15 to 20 minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, keep the broth at a steady simmer.

7. When chicken can be handled, use a knife to remove each breast half and the whole legs (thigh and drumstick). Don’t cut these pieces further, or they’ll lose their succulence. Set aside on a plate to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before assembling the bowls.

8. Return the leftover carcass to the stockpot and adjust the heat to simmer the broth gently for another 11/2 hours. Avoid a hard boil, or the broth will turn cloudy.

9. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a pot. Discard the solids. Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.) Taste and adjust the flavor with additional salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. There should be about 4 quarts (16 cups) broth.

ASSEMBLE the PHO BOWLS:

10. If using dried noodles, cover them with hot tap water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are pliable and opaque. Drain in a colander. If using fresh rice noodles, untangle them, place in a colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.

11. Cut the cooked chicken into slices about 1/4 inch thick, cutting the meat off the bone as necessary. If you don’t want to eat the skin, discard it first. Set the chicken aside. Ready the yellow onion, scallions, cilantro, and pepper for adding to the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate and put on the table.

12. To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. (For an extra treat, drop in any unused white scallion sections and let them poach in the broth. Add the poached white scallion sections (called hành chần) to a few lucky bowls when ladling out the broth.) At the same time, fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.

For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. As soon as they have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10 to 20 seconds), pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl. If you like, once you have finished blanching the noodles, you can blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds. They should wilt slightly but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnishes.

13. Top each bowl of noodles with chicken, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of yellow onion in the center and then shower some scallion and cilantro on top. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper.

14. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Do a final tasting and make any last-minute flavor adjustments. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with the garnishes.

- See more at: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/chicken_pho_noo.html#sthash.J6xQVthM.dpuf

JANET'S EASY-PEASY HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP (with a little help from Trader Joe's)

INGREDIENTS

minced onion (1-2 cups)
chopped carrots and celery (1-2 cups total)
Olive oil
grilled chicken tenders - cut into small soup-size pieces
2 - 32 oz. containers of Chicken Stock

2-3 cups brown rice (already made)

DIRECTIONS:

In a big soup pot -
Saute the onions, carrots and celery in the olive oil until tender
ADD in the chicken tenders
STIR
ADD the 2 containers of Chicken Stock
ADD in (already cooked) brown rice

SEASON with salt and pepper, Mrs. Dash, seasonings of your choice

OPTIONAL:
Feel free to add in a package of frozen chopped spinach, or chop up a zucchini, or other green vegetable of your choice.

Keep cooking on low for a couple of hours for flavors to mingle together nicely

SERVE in your favorite soup bowl and ENJOY!

You can make this soup in less than 15 minutes with all of these ingredients which can be purchased at Trader Joe's  (the chicken already grilled, e.g.) They even have already cut up celery, carrots, and onions if you want to make things even quicker! And, I think they even have an already cooked brown rice that you can use, though I cook up a batch weekly and just add it in to my pot of "Soup of the Week" (in the cold weather season!).

EASY-PEASY!

Of course, you can make you own chicken broth easily enough, too. After finishing with a roasted chicken you can always take the carcass and put it into a soup pot - covered with water. Add salt and pepper, bring to a boil. (you can also add carrots, celery and onions for flavoring) Keep cooking it until the meat is falling off the bone and the room smells nice!
POUR through a strainer and separate all the broth from the bones, skin, meat, veggies, etc.
Put the broth in freezer container for future use (or pour into an ice cube tray to get small servings to add to meals), or use it right away as a base to make your own soup - if chicken - add in new pieces, not the "tired" roasted/boiled pieces!" Same with carrots, onion, celery...cut and saute fresh ones for the soup.

SLOW COOKER MAC AND CHEESE

SLOW COOKER - 3 hours and 25 minutes on LOW

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray

8 ounces cooked elbow macaroni

One 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick ) of butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

Two 10-ounce bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)

Paprika (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large 4-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, 

evaporated milk, milk, butter, salt, pepper, eggs and all but 1/2 cup of the

grated cheese. 

Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with 

paprika. 

Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Turn off the slow cooker, stir the mixture and serve hot.

Cook's Note: If you don't have a slow cooker, grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan 

with butter;

add the mixture and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

VARIATIONS: 

Add chopped ham, cut up hot dogs, veggies, different cheese flavors....adjust

the moisture level if need be

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

HEARTY VEGETABLE LENTIL SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup white onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1-2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 – 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups water
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 teaspoons cumin (or other desired herbs/seasonings)
salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL -

1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime 

DIRECTIONS:

ADD a tablespoon of olive oil to a large heavy SOUP POT and heat to medium. ADD diced carrot, zucchini, onion, celery and red bell pepper to the pot and SAUTE until onions are softened and zucchini have just started to turn golden, about 10 minutes. ADD garlic. 

ADD cans of tomatoes and sauce and stir. ADD the lentils and combine. ADD water and broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to cook and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are of desired tenderness. Stir in desired seasonings, herbs. Serve hot and enjoy! When served, some enjoy a dollop of sour cream on top.

I usually double this for left-overs or for the freezer for another time.

JANET'S WINTER SQUASH CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 cups diced onion
7-8 cups cubed squash (I often get the frozen butternut cubes - ready to go!)
1 large ham hock
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup lima beans
Salt and Pepper
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a LARGE SOUP POT -

SAUTE onion in oil.
ADD squash, ham hock, Chicken stock, bay leaves

SIMMER
ADD carrots, celery, beans and the half cup of water

When veggies are TENDER pull out the ham hock and bay leaves.
Pick any meat off of the ham hock.

PUREE soup in a blender (or with a blender stick)

ADD in the meat pieces

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Some people don't bother with the ham hocks

Some top with a dollop of sour cream

BEEF and GUINNESS STEW

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP cooking oil
1/4 cup Flour
2 lbs. stew meat
1 tsp. salt
5 cups chopped onion
1 TBSP tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
1 (11.2 oz) bottle of Guinness Stout, or Imperial Stout
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1-2 Bay Leaves
Potatoes - skinned, chopped into nice bite-size pieces (3 cups, or so, as you like)
or.....
(some people add in parsnips and/or turnips - same amount 1 1/2 cups each)

DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT 1 1/2 TBSP oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; DREDGE beef in flour. ADD half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 TBSP oil and beef.

2. ADD onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. 

3. Return meat to pan. STIR in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; add Bay leaves; bring to a boil. 

4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

5. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

REMOVE Bay leaves

Nice and thick stew gravy goes great dipped with a hunk of French bread.

*Some prefer dredging and cooking the meat on the stovetop then adding everything to a slow-cook crockpot.

LOBSTER STEW

INGREDIENTS
1LB Lobster meat, cooked, roughly chopped
1/2 LB Butter, unsalted
2 QT Half & half
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt - to your taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. MELT butter in a medium-large pot over medium heat.
2. ADD in the lobster meat and saute until it becomes a brighter red color and the
butter starts to take on a pinkish hue.
3. Slowly stir in half & half until fully incorporated and heat over medium heat until
hot. Don’t bring to a boil because this will hammer(overcook) the lobster meat
and break the emulsion.
4. SIMMER for 5 minutes and season with cayenne and salt.
5. Serve in bowls with a few cracks of fresh black pepper

ACE'S BEAN MEDLEY

Not really a chili...

Not really a soup or stew...

Could be vegetarian or not...

A nice warm side of beans for whatever meal of the day

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of small red beans (15 oz) 

1 can of black beans

(or, whatever beans of your choice)

small onion - minced

celery minced

yellow or red pepper minced

carrot minced 

1 tsp. or more of garlic

1 Small can of petite diced tomatoes (without the juice for starters)

Small bit of meat (optional)...leftovers are good for this (pork roast, bacon, steak)

DIRECTIONS:

Mince up meat pieces - cook them in a splash of olive oil

Remove from pan, quickly cook down the remains with wine or stock

Saute onions, celery, carrots...add in pepper and garlic 'til tender

Drain and add in beans

Add whatever spices work for your palate

Chipotle

Cumin

Cayenne

Bay Leaf

Salt and Pepper

Can add in chopped spinach, chard or kale

Slowly cook it all down, if you want it juicier add in more stock/liquid from tomatoes

Serve over brown rice, under your morning eggs, with a dollop of sour cream....

as you like it!

MIKE'S AMAZING CREAMY CLAM CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS:

2 - 16 oz. bags of frozen clam meat

1 small bottle of clam juice

4 oz. slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch pieces

2 tender interior celery ribs, very finely chopped

1 bunch (about 5), scallions, trimmed, the white bulbs and light green stems cut in thin rounds

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups of heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 TBSP. unsalted butter, cut into 4 even pieces

1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced

Paprika, for garnish (optional)

1) Thaw out clam meat

2) Render the bacon in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium/high heat until crisp and golden. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Add celery, scallions, and potatoes to the bacon fat and saute just until the scallions and celery begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the clam juice and one cup of water. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

3) Add the heavy cream, stirring occasionally and making sure the chowder doesn't boil, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add the clams and cook until they are heated through, 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

4) Ladle into bowls and serve with parsley and paprika (optional)

This makes 4 - 6 large servings....
so, for Mike's Holiday Season BIG batch - triple the ingredients and share with everyone who stops in!

JANET'S BIG POT O' CHILI

JANET'S BIG POT O' CHILI

1 LB ground beef (and/or turkey)
1 medium size onion
some garlic (to your taste)
Salt/pepper

Cayenne
Paprika
Chili powder
Cumin

In a BIG cooking pot - -
SAUTE onion in some olive oil until nice
Add in garlic at the end
Take it out of the pot, set it to the side

CRUMBLE in burger/turkey combo
If you'd like, can add sausage (take off casing before) when cooking up the meat

Salt and pepper when browning

When burger looks browned scoop out excess drippings

ADD SPICES -
About 2 TBS each of PAPRIKA and CHILI POWDER
About 1 TBS each of CUMIN and CAYENNE
MIX all into the burger mixture
ADD - onion/garlic into the meat mixture
ADD - one BIG can of Petite Diced tomatoes, plus another small can

DRAIN and RINSE in cold water -
      1 can of Red Kidney Beans
      1 can of Black Beans
       1 can of White Beans
(You can add more of all of these - tomatoes and beans - to your taste and consistency)

MIX everything together
Let it SIMMER for however long you can wait

ENJOY!