Mom's Italian Supper Soup

6 links hot Italian sausage
2 medium onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large can Italian tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 zucchinis, peeled and sliced
1 cup cooked pasta
2 cups red wine
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme


Cut up sausage and brown. Drain fat from pan and remove sausage to another bowl. Add a bit of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic thoroughly. Return sausage to the pan. Add the tomatoes, mash, add herbs-include salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer as long as you have time for...I did about 40 minutes. Then add the bell pepper, zucchini and pasta for another 15 to 20 minutes. I actually cooked the pasta al dente and then added the last 5 minutes of cooking so it would not be over cooked when you reheat it.
Serve with grated parmesan and a nice crusty bread.

Super yummy and comforting during this cold grey weather:)

Thai Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup

2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 ounce lemongrass
2 packages cellophane noodles (2 ounces each)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
3TBS soy sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 TBS nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1/2 tsp sriraja (Thai hot sauce) or Tabasco
3 TBS rice wine or dry sherry
1 TBS cornstarch
3 TBS water
1/2 pound small mushrooms quartered
2 TBS fermented black beans, rinsed
1/2 pound peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup scallions sliced
2 tsp lime juice

Simmer the stock with the lemongrass in a covered saucepan for 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in water to cover for 20-30 minutes, then drain and if desired cut into 2" pieces. Set aside. To the stock, add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce,, red pepper flakes, nam pla, sriraja and rice wine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Strain off the solids. Combine the cornstarch and water. Bring the soup to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and add the noodles and simmer 5 minutes (can be made ahead at this point). Add the mushrooms, black beans, shrimp, and scallions. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the lime juice and serve.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts


(Lemongrass infuses much of Thai cooking giving a lemony edge to soups. Dried lemongrass must be soaked first or cooked in a liquid and then strained.)

Freezer version: Thaw the stock, mushroom mixture and bring to a boil on top of the stove add the soaked noodles and coarsely chopped shrimp for 5 minutes. When shrimp is cooked at the lime juice and serve:)
Enjoy!
Jennifer

From The Frog Commissary Cookbook

Smoked Portobello Soup - Artists' Point, Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge

Ingredients

9 medium Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup sweet onions
1/2 cup Chardonnay
1 1/4 quarts heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 1/4 cup white roux (1 stick butter and 1/2 cup flour, whisked over low heat until golden)
salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes (optional)

toasted croutons
chive oil
roasted Shitake mushrooms
sour cream

Preparation

Clean the Portobellos by wiping them with a damp towel (do not wash!). Remove the mushroom gills (slats on the underside of the caps), scraping with a spoon. Slice three mushrooms in thirds and place slices on a prepared smoker. Leave covered for 1 hour (mushrooms will be chewy, dark and may appear burned). Roughly chop remaining six mushrooms into 1-inch chunks.

While mushrooms are smoking, sauté the onions lightly (to sweat). Add the unsmoked mushrooms to the onions. Add the garlic when the mushrooms are almost cooked. Add the smoked mushrooms. Stir to blend over low heat.

Add the Chardonnay and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Place in a blender or food processor in batches or puree in pan over low heat with an immersion blender. Add the heavy cream slowly and continue to blend. Season to taste. Place the mixture back into the pot. (Unless you are using an immersion blender; then it is already in the pot.)

Whisk in the roux and let simmer for 20 minutes; soup will thicken significantly as soup simmers. Serve hot and garnish with: croutons, roasted Shitake mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream, chive oil, and cut chives.

Croutons

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Toss 1 cup of tiny cubes of French bread (cuts more easily if frozen slightly) with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes.

Chive Oil

1. Place 1 cup of light olive oil in a blender and add to that 1 cup of chives
2. Blend for 30 seconds and let rest for 1 hour
3. Strain through a fine sieve.

Roasted Shitake Mushrooms

Thinly slice 2 cups of Shitake Mushrooms. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375 Fahrenheit until crispy and golden brown, turning as necessary. Cool and set aside.

Black Bean Soup

Simmer:

4 cans black beans, rinsed, drained (15 ounces each)

6 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Puree:

Half the beans and broth

Saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil:

1 cup white onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Pinch each of sugar and salt

Deglaze with; Add:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 can diced tomatoes in juice (15 ounces)

Serve with:

pico de gallo

Simmer beans and broth in a large pot over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and half of the broth mixture.

Puree remaining bean mixture in the pot with a hand-held stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Return reserved beans to the pot; keep warm over low heat.

Saute onion, garlic, and seasonings in oil in a non-stick skillet until soft, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze pan with vinegar, then add tomatoes and their juice. Simmer to reduce slightly, then mash tomatoes lightly. Add to soup and cook another 5 minutes.

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Cream Scones

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Cream Scones

Jill Rockwell (these are a Miller family favorite!)

Ingredients (Makes 10 small or 8 large scones)

3 cups bread flour
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping

Directions

Cut two 10-inch circles of parchment or waxed paper. Use one to line a 10-inch round cake pan. Reserve the second piece. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cream to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened. Place the dough into the lined cake pan and press into an even layer. Cover the dough with the second parchment paper circle. Freeze the dough until very firm, at least 12 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper. Thaw the dough for 5 minutes at room temperature; turn it out of the cake pan onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into 10 equal wedges and place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the scones with milk and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the scones until golden brown, 30–40 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to cooling racks. Serve the scones warm or at room temperature.

Dried Cherry Scones
Omit the coarse sugar. Add one cup of dried cherries to the dry ingredients just before blending in the cream. Follow the remaining method as stated above. Mix the milk and confectioners' sugar together to make a glaze and spoon over the scones while they are still warm.

Ham, Cheddar, and Scallion Scones
Omit the coarse sugar topping, substituting coarse salt and Parmesan cheese. (Note that sugar is still included in dry ingredients). Add one cup of medium-dice ham, one-half cup of medium dice Cheddar cheese, one-half cup of sliced scallions, and 1 teaspoon cayenne to the dry ingredients just before blending in the cream. Follow the remaining method as stated above. Have also substituted mini chocolate chips, toffee chips, blueberries, and cranberries/orange peel.

Corn Bisque

Corn Bisque – serves 8

Jill Rockwell (as adapted from Magnolia Grill’s “Not Afraid of Flavor” and the Junior League of Durham and Orange County’s “Carolina Thyme”)

Ingredients

4 oz thick cut bacon, sliced into ½ inch pieces

¾ cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 roasted yellow peppers (grilled, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced)

4 ears of corn (husked, grilled, and cut off cobs) or 4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

1 Serrano chile (seeded and minced)

1 cup white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

pinch of nutmeg

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preparation

Sauté bacon over medium high heat in heavy stock pot until fully cooked. Remove bacon and reserve for garnish. Remove and discard all but 3 tablespoons of rendered fat. Add onions, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté 5 minutes, or until tender. Add corn and yellow and Serrano peppers, and sauté 3 minutes. Add wine and sauté 5 minutes more, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. With handheld immersion blender, puree soup until texture is smooth and thick. (Or, working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pot.) Mix in half and half, thyme, marjoram, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2 pounds red peppers
1 large onion, cut into hunks
1/4 pound carrots cut into hunks, well washed but not peeled
3-4 celery stalks, cut into hunks
2 TBS olive oil
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp rosemary
1 TBS basil
salt and pepper
Sour cream for garnish

Roast the red peppers in the oven or on the grill (preferable), until the skins just turn brown. They should sweeten considerably. Allow them to steam in a brown paper bag for ten minutes. Then run under cold water and peel, core and deseed. A little charred flesh is okay it adds a nice smokey flavor.

In a large stockpot, put the onions, celery, and carrots with a little olive oil. Saute over low heat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the peppers, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and then add stock to cover the peppers plus 1". Simmer over low heat for roughly 30 minutes. Let stand to cool.

Get a fine strainer (sieve), another pot and a blender. Place the cooled peppers and stock into the blender and puree them. After all the solids have been liquified, pour through the fine sieve into the second pot. The sieve strains out any fibers from the celery, onions etc. (You absolutely want to do this I tried it once and it was not good.) You should use the bottom of a spoon to press the liquid out of the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp. It may take a few batches to get all the soup through.

Check the seasonings and adjust if necessary. Sometimes an extra bouillon cube is better than adding salt and pepper. The soup should be reheated to a simmer and held there for roughly 20 minutes, but NOT ALLOWED TO BOIL. The soup can be cooled and frozen or served.

To serve place in a low, wide brim bowl. Take a dollop of warm sour cream and place in the middle of the bowl. Then using a knife, "slice" through the sour cream and soup. this will give you a marbled pattern. Float a couple of croutons on top and finish with a small sprig of rosemary or a sprinkle of fresh basil which has been "chiffonaded" (rolled up leaves and then sliced.)

Butternut Squash Soup

3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 butternut squashes, about 3 lbs total weight, halved lengthwise and seeded
(I used a combination ratio of 2/3 butternut, 1/3 sweet dumpling squash)
1 large Granny Smith apple or Anjou or Bosc pear, peeled, halved and cored
2 yellow onions, quartered
6 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup half-and-half or ½ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped fresh sage

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil and vinegar. Brush the cut sides of the squash, the apple halves and the onions with the oil mixture. Place the squash and apple halves, cut side-down, and the onions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning the fruit and vegetables twice, until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes for the apple and 45 -50 minutes for the vegetables. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Scoop out the flesh from the squash halves, discarding the peel. Coarsely chop the apple and onions.

Transfer the squash flesh, onions, and apple to a large saucepan and add the stock and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth (or use a hand blender in the pan as I did). Return the soup to the pan, stir in the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper, and heat through over medium heat. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator).

Just before serving, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the sage and sauté until the butter browns lightly and the sage is crisp. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sage butter.

Serves 8-10

Freezer method:

Prepare as directed and freeze flat in gallon freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw completely, either 24+ hrs in refrigerator or in pan of cool water. Poor thawed soup into saucepan and warm over low heat. Once warmed, prepare the sage butter and serve as directed.

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

Delicious Chicken Soup

1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 c. shredded carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
4 T. butter, and butter for sauté
1 pt. half & half (I used fat free half & half)
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. rubbed sage
8 c. chicken broth
3 c. cooked chicken, cut up in bite-size pieces
1 (6-oz) package prepared Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain Wild Rice
1/4 c. flour

Sauté onion, carrot and garlic in butter (not the 4 T. amount). Set aside.

Melt 4 T. butter in a 6 qt. pot. Add flour to make a roux. Add half and half, and cook until thick (stirring with a whisk). Add cheese, curry, white pepper and sage, whisking until smooth. Blend in chicken broth gradually. Stir in 3 c. chicken, the onion/carrot mixture and the rice. Heat. Serves 10.


Directions for freezing

Follow all instructions through adding the chicken broth. Once the soup base is combined, divide between two 1 gallon freezer bags. Add ½ of the chicken and onion/carrot mixture to each bag. Do not prepare rice until ready to warm soup.


To prepare from frozen

Place freezer bag in sink filled with cold water to thaw or thaw in refrigerator for 1-2 days. Prepare rice per package directions. Warm soup in pot over low heat, stirring to combine. Stir in half of the prepared rice per bag of soup. Serve when warmed through.

Vegetable Beef Soup

2 pounds lean stew beef

2 cans (14 oz. each) beef broth

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

32 oz. frozen vegetables for soup

tabasco sauce, to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

a little less than 1/8 teaspoon curry powder (or more, to your taste)

1/4 cup red wine

Dry beef cubes and sear in a hot dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the beef is done, add broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, chili powder, and garlic salt. Stir and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the spices are incorporated. Add vegetables, tabasco sauce, black pepper and curry powder. Stir well and cook over medium heat until soup comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the beef is tender (depending upon how tender you like your beef, this could be anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours). During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the red wine. Stir well. 

Butternut Squash Soup

2 1/2  pounds butternut squash

2 TBS butter

2 carrots sliced

1 onion chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

2 potatoes peeled & cubed

5-6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp curry powder (normally I use 3)

pinch of nutmeg 

pinch of ginger

sour cream for garnish

Cube squash and set aside. Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add carrots, onions, celery and saute till soft. Stir the squash and potatoes into the veggies. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes. Add curry, nutmeg, and ginger. Puree in batches and return to the sauce pan. Add more stock if needed. Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.

Frozen version: Thaw and place in a sauce pan on stove top. Stir to recombine and possibly add more chicken stock if too thick, depends on how you like it. It is better a tad thick. 

Pasta e Fagioli

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbls olive oil

1 and 1/2 carrots, finely chopped

1 and 1/2 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 stems fresh rosemary, left whole

several sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped & chopped (2-3 tbls)

coarse salt and pepper, to taste

4 (14 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

2 (15 oz) cans cannelloni beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 cups ditalini noodles, uncooked or elbow macaroni, uncooked

grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat garlic in olive over medium heat in deep pot. Add vegetable, rosemary stems, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add beans and ditalini. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until noodles are al dente. Serve immediately with a generous amount of cheese and crusty bread. Serves 6.

To Freeze: Prepare recipe according to directions, excluding the ditalini noodles and cheese. Cool veggie-broth mixture completely. Ladle into gallon freezer bag. Remove all air, seal, and freeze. Have on hand ditalini noodles and cheese for serving day.

Serving Day: Thaw veggie-broth mixture. Pour into deep pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add ditalini noodles. Finish according to above directions.

Krista Kett's Taco Soup

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 can Rotel tomatoes

2 cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans corn with liquid

1 can Ranch Pinto Beans with jalapenos (optional) 

1 pack Ranch dressing mix

1 pack taco season mix 

2 1/2 cups water

1 TBS cumin (optional)

Brown and drain the beef, onions and peppers. Add the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips. Serve immediately!

Tuscan Tortellini Stew

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (opt)

1 (8 oz) pkg Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini (dried)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 tbls fresh or 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Capers, to taste

Kalamata Olives, to taste

4 links Andouille sausages, cut into pieces (or other preferred sausage type)

1/4 cup shredded Romano cheese

Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers, to taste

Bring broth, water, and crushed red pepper flakes to boiling. Stir in the tortellini, tomatoes, rosemary, capers, olives, sausage, and bell peppers. Return to boiling.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes until tortellini is tender.  Serve in shallow bowl and top with cheese. Serves 6.

Freezer Method:  In quart size freezer bag, add broth, water, and red pepper flakes. In another quart size freezer bag, add tomatoes, rosemary, capers, olives, sausage, and bell peppers.  Remove all air from bags, seal, and freeze. Have tortellini and cheese on hand for serving day.

Serving Day:  Thaw broth and tomato mixtures.  In dutch oven, bring broth mixture to a boil. Add tomato mixture and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer a few minutes; add uncooked tortellini.  Cover and simmer until pasta is cooked, approx 10 minutes. Serve as directed.

 

Seafood Chowder

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef

4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup chopped onions

1 tbls butter

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup diced red bell pepper

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups Half & Half

3/4 cup flour (can omit if want more brothy type soup)

1 lb frozen bay scallops

1 lb frozen uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined

Snipped fresh parsley

Prep veggies.  Melt butter in dutch oven over medium heat;  add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, bell pepper, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer approx 3 minutes until potatoes are barely tender.  Whisk Half & Half and flour until smooth. Add scallops and shrimp to chowder. Whisk in flour mixture. Return to a boil and cook 2 minutes until thick.  Serves 6-8.

Freezer Method:  Melt butter in dutch oven over medium heat;  add onion and cook 3 minutes.  Add carrots, celery, bell pepper, broth, salt, and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approx 3 minutes.  Add potatoes and just barely cook.  Remove from heat and cool. Pour veggie-broth mixture in gallon freezer bag.  Remove all air, seal, and freeze. Have on hand for serving day:  frozen scallops, frozen shrimp, veggie-broth mixture, Half & Half, and flour (if using). 

Serving Day:  Thaw veggie-broth mixture, scallops, and shrimp. In dutch oven, bring veggie mixture to just boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender.  Whisk Half & Half and flour mixture in bowl until smooth. Add scallops and shrimp to chowder.  Whisk in flour mixture. Return to a boil and cook 2 minutes until thick.    

Chili

2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg chili seasoning

1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 (40 oz) can tomato juice

2-3 tbls brown sugar

Brown beef and onions, draining off excess fat.  Add chili seasoning and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes.  Serves 6-8.

Freezer Method:  Prepare chili according to above instructions.  Let cool completely.  Ladle soup into gallon freezer bags.  Remove all air, seal, and freeze.

Serving Day:  Thaw chili 24 hours before serving.  Pour into dutch oven and heat until hot.

Mexican Chicken Chili

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

1 jar salsa

2 (32 oz) containers chicken broth

1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 (14.5 oz) can whole corn (or equal amount frozen)

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

2 tbls chopped fresh cilantro (opt)

2 tbls fresh lime juice

Garnish: tortilla chips, sour cream, and/or cheddar cheese

In dutch oven bring salsa, broth, beans, chicken, corn, and spices to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serves 6-8.

Freezer Method A: Prepare according to above directions. Let cool completely. Ladle soup into gallon freezer bags. Remove all air, seal, and freeze.

Freezer Method B: Split above soup ingredients evenly between (2) gallon-size baggies. (Do not cook the soup). Shake bags to mix well. Seal, removing all air and freeze.

Serving Day A: Thaw chili and heat in dutch oven until hot.

Serving Day B: Thaw chili. Pour into dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until hot.

Menu Suggestions: Serve with Southwestern Knots or Cornbread Muffins.