Category — Difficulty: Intermediate

This is another one of my favorite soup recipes. I saw Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network) make this a few years ago and knew that it would be awesome. So I made it for my parents and it was a huge success. I tried variations of this recipe as well, but none of them were as good as this recipe. Follow this recipe exactly, down to the endive or escarole and I promise you will not be disappointed. This soup with warm your soul!

1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

This is by far my favorite soup ever. When I was watching Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa), make this on the Food Network, I knew I had to make this, STAT! And I did…and it was delicious. This recipe does involve more time than most soups, but if you follow the direction below, you should not have any problems at all. Wild mushrooms make this dish. They are much easier to find in the grocery store now. But if you are unable to find them, you can substitute baby portabello and white button mushrooms. Serve with a loaf of crusty sour dough bread and you will be in heaven. Enjoy!

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

This recipe by far is the best cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had.  It is not my recipe, it’s actually Ina Garten from the Food Network’s recipe.  She is one of my favorite chef’s on the Food Network.  Follow this recipe exactly and you’ll wow your friends and family.  It pairs well with some lightly toasted sour dough bread.  Please comment back and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
(or just get the best variety you can find at the local super market)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

(video)

So some of you were asking for a chicken and dumpling recipe.  Well above is a clip from Chef Scott Peacock showing you how to make a delicious, decadant chicken and dumpling.  I originally asked my mom for the family recipe, but once I saw this, I realized our recipe was no secret.   Check it out!

Ingredients  (Serves 6)

1 large chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds), cut into quarters
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups Scott’s Chicken Stock (or regular chicken stock)
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise
2 ribs celery, preferably inner ribs with leaves attached
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Generously season chicken with salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
In a large Dutch oven, combine chicken stock, 4 cups water, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat Add the leg portions and the backbone of the chicken to the Dutch oven. Place the breasts, skin side down, on top of the legs. Reduce heat to just below a simmer. Cover partially, and cook, making sure the stock mixture does not come to a simmer, until breasts are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove breasts, and set aside. Continue cooking legs until very tender and meat begins to pull away from the bone, 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove chicken and vegetables, reserving liquid. Discard vegetables and set chicken aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg, oil, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in flour until well combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
When chicken has cooled, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones and tear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces; set aside.

Turn dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Roll out dough until it is about 1/16-inch thick. Cut dough into 1 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles. Bring reserved stock mixture to a boil over high heat, and season with salt. Add dough rectangles to boiling liquid, shaking pot as necessary, but not stirring. Cook until, dough is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved chicken and reduce to a simmer. Add sliced egg, butter, and heavy cream; season with pepper. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and cover; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving in shallow bowl.

2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut

1 pound leeks, washed and chopped

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

5 cups chicken stock or broth

2 ½ cups of milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt & pepper to taste

½ cup of half & half

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables (including potatoes), cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock or broth, ½ cup of milk, the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and let the soup cool for 10 – 15 minutes before blending. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth. Heat the puree in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of milk. Turn the heat off and stir in the heavy cream. Sprinkle with the chives once bowled.

1 Medium to large onion (yellow or white), diced very fine
4-6 Cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 Green pepper, small dice
1 Poblano pepper, small dice
1 Serrano pepper, small dice
1 Jalapeno pepper, small dice
2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1-teaspoon cumin
½ to 1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 large cans of fire roasted tomatoes, whole (if you can find fire roasted get regular, not seasoned canned tomatoes)
1 can tomato sauce or juice
Juice of 1 lime
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound of ground turkey

Don’t be afraid to use a food processor/ mini chopper for the onions, garlic and peppers.

So this chili is all about texture. Start this off like any normal chili, on medium to high heat throw the ground turkey into a large enough pot. You must stir the meat constantly. You want the meat to be all broken up. Gradually stir in the fresh garlic, onions, all the peppers, the chili powder, onion and garlic powder, the cumin, salt and pepper, cilantro and the limejuice. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, then add 1 cup of chicken stock/broth. You want the texture of the tomatoes to be sort of torn up, so what I do is squish them into the pot with my hands. Do that, then cook for about 5 minutes covered, then add the other cup of the chicken stock/broth. Cook for another 5 minutes, and then add the tomato sauce/ juice. Finally, put in the beans; turn down to a simmer and let cook for at least 1 hour. You may need to add more salt or heat (you can add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce). Do this to taste, then finally…. ENJOY with some crusty bread, or a tamale, or my favorite, elbow macaroni! A sharp cheddar pairs well as far as a choice of cheese! Never put sour cream on this chili.

The Balls:
1 medium Vidalia onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large egg
3 cloves finely minced garlic
1-teaspoon salt
1 slice white bread, no crust, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
½ lb ounces ground beef
½ lb ounces ground pork
Fresh black pepper

The Broth:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 head of endive or escarole, cut into ribbons
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and fresh black pepper

To make the meatballs: Stir the above ingredients in a large bowl, folding the meat in with the rest of the ingredients.  Shape the meatballs into bite size balls; place meatballs to the side.
To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and endive or escarole and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the greens are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese together in a small bowl. Gradually drizzle the egg and cheese mixture into the soup; season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of the soup as a garnish makes this meal just lovely!  Serve with a crusty Italian or Artisan loaf of bread.  Mmmmmm……..

                                                           

1-cup rice- cook according to package directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes stirring with a spoon. Add chicken, along with the salt and pepper and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Add thyme and bay leaves and cook for about 2 minutes. The herbs will become very fragrant. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add Parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves and stir in chives. Salt and pepper if necessary, or add more Parmesan is desired thickness is not reached.  Serve immediately over rice.  I would serve this with asparagus, peas or broccoli as my veggie. This is a meal that is guaranteed to impress!