Beef Stew

1 tablespoon oil, divided

1 pound small white mushrooms

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

*1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth

2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled white potato (about 1 pound)

1 1/2 cups (1-inch) slices carrot (about 12 ounces)

2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

*If doing GF, use 2 Clubhouse GF gravy packets or your choice of GF Flour

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Spoon mushrooms into a large bowl. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to mushroom mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add thyme and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender. Stir in potato and carrot. Simmer, uncovered, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

CROCK POT DIRECTIONS

Omit oil, unless you desire to brown onions and garlic before adding to crock pot. Add all dry ingredients to crock pot and stir to coat vegetables and meat with flour and spices. Add beef broth and stir. Cook low(4-6hrs) or high (2-3hrs). Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

Oriental Shrimp Soup

I have found a new comfort food on cold days!!

1 tsp vegetable oil
8oz roughly shrimp
3 green onions or one small sweet onion
1/2 pkg rice noodles
3-4 cups stock (veg or chicken preferably)
2 cloves garlic, diced
splash soy sauce
drizzle seasame oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz snow peas, cut in half
1 tsp dried or a few slices fresh ginger, diced

In large heavy saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Pour in chicken stock,soy sauce and sesame oil; bring to boil, skimming off any foam. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add noodles; cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add shrimp and snow peas; cook, covered, for 3 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink and snow peas are tender.

Homemade Crackers

2 c Flour
1 t Salt
1/2 t Baking powder
1/4 c Butter
1/2 c Milk
1 ea Large egg

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Cut in the butter until very fine. Add the milk and egg and mix to make a stiff dough.

Knead thoroughly and then roll the dough very thin.Cut into squares or rounds and place on lightly buttered cookie sheets. Prick the crackers with a fork and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned. If desired,crackers may be sprinkled with coarse salt.

SODA CRACKERS.
Follow the basic recipe, but substitute sour milk for sweet milk, omit the baking powder, and add 1/2 teaspoon soda.MMMMM

Pea Soup

This is the best split pea soup recipe I have. It is so delicious!

Split pea is a hearty soup and makes a great lunch or light dinner with just a piece of good bread or a salad.

2 cups split peas, rinsed

6 cups cold water
5 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
dash each of parsley, thyme, marjoram and cayenne pepper

1. In a large pot add peas with 6 cups of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the split peas are tender.
2. Add chicken broth, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, bay leaf and all spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 1/2 hour or until carrots are soft.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Cool slightly. Puree in a blender for a smooth soup or leave as is.

*I often will add cubed leftover ham, or bacon bits to the soup before serving.

*Omit the chicken stock and simmer the soup with a ham bone, for a traditional split pea and ham soup.


*While peas are simmering, in another pot, cook 1/2 cup of barley with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed. Drain and rinse barley with cold water. Add barley to pureed pea mixture. Heat soup and serve.

*Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock for a hearty and healthy vegetarian soup recipe.

This soup freezes well. Put individual servings in the freezer for quick meals on cold days.

Serves 8

Baked French Onion Soup

2 ounces of butter
1 pound of onions, sliced
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon flour
4 cups beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces of Gruyere cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 slices French bread

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions. Slowly brown the onions. It is important to brown the onions VERY slowly. It takes about an hour to do. Just check them every once in a while. They should end up very soft, golden brown and transparent. Add the garlic after the onions have been cooking for about 45 minutes.

After the onions are cooked, turn up the heat to medium, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute or until the flour is golden brown.

Add the stock, and stir until it boils. Season with salt and pepper and simmer the soup for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix the grated cheese with the mustard and pepper. Spread this on the bread slices and put one slice of bread on the bottom of each onion soup bowl, or put all of the bread in a large soup tureen. Pour the soup in. The bread will rise to the top.

Bake the soup in the oven, uncovered until the bread and cheese mixture is well browned and bubbling.

* at our house, we omit the mustard. It still tastes great, and that way everyone will eat it.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Kale Chowder Recipe

This vegetarian chunky soup filled with carrots, sweet potatoes, tomato, corn, and kale is hearty enough to be a main meal. The cashews add extra protein and thickening power. However, they may be omitted for those with nut allergies. The ingredient list may appear daunting, but this soup is extremely simple to make and does not take long. You do not have to be vegetarian to enjoy this one.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
•1 Tablespoon canola oil
•2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
•1 medium red onion, chopped
•1 rib celery, chopped
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
•1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
•3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
•1 medium tomato, chopped
•5 cups vegetable broth or water
•1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
•3 cups stemmed and chopped kale leaves
•Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
•Cayenne pepper, to taste
•1 Tablespoon cornstarch
•1 Tablespoon tepid water
•1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
•1/2 cup cashew pieces, optional

Preparation:


Heat oil in a large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, red onions, celery, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes 3 minutes. Add thyme and turmeric. Combine well with vegetables. Add tomatoes and broth; simmer 20 minutes.

Add corn, kale, salt, and white pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper.

Thicken either of two ways: Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon tepid water. With soup simmering, stir in cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir and simmer 3 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Or, if using cashews, place nuts in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add cornstarch mixture and 3/4 cup warm soup broth; blend or process to combine. Return mixture to simmering soup, continue to simmer, stirring often, 3 minutes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Per serving: (with cashew pieces) 162 calories, 35 percent calories from fat, 4 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 6 grams total fat, .91 gram saturated fat no cholesterol, 35 milligrams sodium.

Per serving (without cashew pieces) 114 calories, 18 percent calories from fat, 3 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 2 grams total fat, .22 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 34 milligrams sodium.

Recipe Source: The Whole Foods Market Cookbook by Steve Petusevsky (Clarkson Potter)

Won ton Soup

Picture to come tonight after I make them again.

1 lb Ground Pork
1/4 lb Fresh Shrimp meat
1 egg
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/5 tsp pepper

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly for 3 minutes.
2. Place 1/2 - 1 tsp of meat filling into one wrapper, then fold wrapper diagonally and squeeze lightly to form a round shaped dumpling. Repeat for all won tons.
3. Fill sauce pan with half pot of water. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and bring to full boil. Place won tons in water, and boil for 5 minutes or until won ton floats on top of water.
4. Spoon out won tons and serve over chicken soup. Add chopped green onions if desired.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

3 - 5 chicken pieces, skinless

3 cups chicken broth or water with 2 pkgs Chicken OXO

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp basil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 - 3 potatoes, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

3 handfuls of broad egg noodles

1. Add broth and all seasonings to crock pot, stir.
2. Chop chicken and add to pot. Add all vegetables.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs, or on high for 2-3 hrs. Chicken should no longer be pink.

Serve and enjoy.

New England Clam Chowder

• 4 - 6 slices bacon
• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 small onion or 3 green onions
• 2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
• 2 cups half and half or milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup clam juice or milk
• 2 x 500 mL Canned Clams, chopped is best

1. Fry bacon until crisp. While cooking bacon chop potatoes, celery and onion(s).


2. When bacon is cooked, remove from pan but leave grease in pan. Fry potatoes, celery and onions for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour to coat. Transfer to soup pot.


3. Add milk to pot contents, and bring to boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Potatoes should be cooked.


4. Add clam juice, salt and pepper to taste, and clams. Keep cooking until warm. DO NOT return to boil, as this will make the clams tough. Serve and enjoy.

If you want to use a garnish, sliced green onions work nice, as will fresh parsley.