Beef Minestrone Soup

This minestrone soup is my favorite. It's different from the first recipe I posted in that it is made with ground beef and a different variety of vegetables. It's just so thick and savory, and a great soup for these cold days of December. The recipe serves a crowd if you might be opening your home for a gathering of friends and family during the holidays.

2 lbs. lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) whole kernel corn with liquid
1 cup celery, sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 2 small zucchini)
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
3 cups beef broth or more
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1. Cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic in Dutch oven or soup kettle until beef is brown and onion is golden. Do not brown garlic or it will get bitter.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except macaroni.
3. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add macaroni and cook for another 5 minutes or until vegetables and macaroni are tender.

Serves 12
232 calories per 1-1/4 cup serving

Oatmeal Raisen Muffins

We love muffins served with a cup of tea and fruit for breakfast. These are a nice change from cereal, but you still get some of the whole grains so necessary for health. I like them with the honey butter recipe that I will also post, but certainly regular butter is wonderful.

Recipe:

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a small bowl, combine oats and buttermilk.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar and oil using a fork; stir in the oat mixture.
3. Combine the dry ingredients; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the raisens and nuts.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Yield:1 dozen
2.6 grams fiber each
These muffins are pictured on the "Chai Tea" post.

Honey Butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons milk
1-1/2 tablespoons honey or to taste
Beat butter until creamy. Add milk and honey and beat on high speed for about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Minestrone Soup

My friend, Cindy, is in need of taking a minestrone soup to her family Christmas celebration this year. The original recipe for this version was made with ground turkey and hot turkey sausage, which I don't care for, so I made a change to my favorite, sweet Italian sausage. You might want to make your own sausage using the recipe posted on 10/20/2014. It is easy and very good. Also, there is a second recipe for Minestrone Soup posted on 11/14/2014. Blessings...

Recipe:
2/3 cup chopped onion
3/4 lb. ground sweet Italian sausage (Turkey sausage works great for less calories)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley or 4 tsps. dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 celery rib, sliced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large soup kettle over medium heat, cook sausage and onion until meat is crumbly and onion is golden brown. You might need to add a bit of olive oil to prohibit sticking if turkey sausage is used.
2. Add spices, tomatoes, broth, celery and mixed vegetables. Stir to combine; cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add beans, macaroni and vinegar; simmer until macaroni is tender, about another 5 minutes.
4. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Yield: about 4 quarts
Note: Use fresh zucchini, carrot or whatever else you might like in place of the frozen vegetables.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

A week ago or so, a friend and I were talking about ham bones, pork hocks and lentil soup recipes. She didn't know where to find some of these ingredients in the market, and since that day I have talked with others who also didn't know about these kinds of ingredients, their uses, and locations in a market. It seems that with our economy in shambles more and more women are looking for ways to cut costs in the kitchen, but aren't real sure about some of the ways to accomplish this goal. Since my husband and I experienced our first unemployment over 30 years ago, I learned early how to cook on a very lean budget, and I have been doing so ever since.

This soup is one of many recipes I have that uses lentils and is one of my husbands favorites. I will share other recipes over the next few weeks so that there will be a variety available to you. Also, ham hocks, salt pork, and ham bones are generally available in the meat section of the market near the hams, rather than the fresh pork. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chopped onion
1-1/4 cups diced green or red pepper
1 cup sliced celery
1 lb. lentils, rinsed
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups peeled sliced carrots
1 tablespoon salt
2 tsp. Bouquet Garni
8 cups water
2-4 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup kettle over low heat. Add onion and green pepper and saute' until soft. Watch carefully so the onion does not burn.
2. Add lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, salt, Bouquet Garni, and water.
3. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Stir soup on occasion so it does not stick.
4. Check soup for doneness by tasting some lentils for softness, and pierce a piece of celery and a carrot with a fork to make sure they are very tender. Also, the soup will get very thick as the lentils cook and soften, so you might want to add a little more water as it cooks. Continue cooking the soup until these ingredients are very tender, up to another hour depending on your stove.

Yield:  3 quarts
156 calories per cup
13 gms. fiber per cup

Tip: I have found that if you do not add the green pepper the taste is not hampered.
Also, lentils can be found with the dried beans

Very Easy Pie Crust

The other day I posted a recipe for a quiche and failed to give the recipe for the pie crust. This recipe is made in a food processor or a bowl with a pastry blender. Either way is easy, and the crust comes out good every time. If you are afraid of making a pie crust and always buy your crusts, try this one. I think you will be pleased.
Blessings...

Pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cube cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons Crisco
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

1. Place the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter and shortening and pulse 6 to 8 times in the food processor or mix with a pastry blender or two forks until pieces are the size of peas.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water and mix until the flour is moistened. If the dough is too crumbly, add additional water a little at a time until the dough holds together. Do not continue mixing until a ball forms, but rather place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and gently form a ball. Now flatten the ball into a disk and wrap in the plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate the dough until cold enough to roll.
5. When the dough is cold and firm, unwrap it and roll it out on a floured pastry cloth, turning the dough 1/4 turn until the pastry is a few inches larger than your pie plate or quiche dish. An easy way to judge this is to gently lay the dish on top of the pastry to see how much overlay you have.
You must make sure that you have enough overlay to fill the pie plate without stretching the pastry and then be able to crimp the edge.
6. When your crust is large enough, gently fold it into fourths and lay it in your pie plate with the point in the center of the plate. Now unfold the pastry and gently smooth it over the plate and up the sides. Use a knife to cut away all but about 1 inch of the crust that overhangs the plate. This remaining pastry can be re-wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a freezer bag and frozen for another use.
7. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edge of the pastry in a decorative fashion. The crust is now ready to be filled with a filling that needs to be baked.

Prebaked Pie Crust:

1. Follow all the steps as above in preparing your crust.
2. In order to prebake the pastry for a pie that is going to be filled with a cooked or chilled filling, or for a quiche, line the pastry with a piece of foil that overlaps the pan and then place pie weights on top of the foil. Place the prepared crust on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove pastry from the oven. Carefully remove the pie weights and the foil and set aside.
4. Prick the crust all over with a fork and return to the oven for about 3 more minutes or until a very light golden brown. Watch carefully as the crust will burn quickly at this point.

Tips:
1. Raw beans can be used as pie weights but then can only be used for this purpose from then on. 2. Cutting a piece of foil into a circle makes the job so much easier. I then fold it into fourths and put it away in a plastic bag until the next time it is needed.
3. Because of the butter in the pastry, if it crumbles and lands on the bottom of your oven it will make a mess, hence the cookie sheet.
4. I save all my leftover pieces of pastry until I have enough for another pie crust, a pot pie or a quiche. Because of the butter, the crust does not get tough like most recipes do.

Mama's Quiche

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you did as well. Our son, Troy, his wife, Kim, and their baby, Peyton, came to visit for the week. It was so wonderful to have this time to get to know the newest member of our family better. Peyton is our fourth granddaughter, and what a blessing she is.

On Friday morning I needed something for breakfast and remembered this quiche recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients so I needed to improvise with what I did have. The quiche turned out very good and was very easy to put together. It helped that I had left-over pie crust in the freezer to use. This recipe is an adaptation of "Mama's Quiche" from my San Francisco a' la Carte cookbook. A terrific cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg

4 teaspoons all-purpose white flour

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup fat-free 1/2 and 1/2

10 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded

1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers ( I used mild)

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

1 prebaked 9" pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg with a wire whisk, blend in the flour, and then blend in mayonnaise. Add the 1/2 and 1/2 and blend well. Fold in the cheese, chilies, and onion. Spread the mixture evenly into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Note: I have not tried this recipe with "lite" mayonnaise, so I do not know if it would work.

Low-Fat Chicken or Turkey Divan

This past Saturday night we had a Newcomer's Dinner in our home. This is a ministry that my husband and I really enjoy doing for the new people that are attending our church. The recipe I'm sharing here is one that I pasted on to a friend so that she could make it and bring it to our dinner. I "trimmed down" the original version of this dish when I was helping my husband lose weight last year. Everyone enjoyed my variation, I hope you do as well. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/4 lbs. chopped fresh broccoli, cooked or 2 - 10 oz. pkgs. frozen broccoli, cooked. (broccoli must be well-drained)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup low-fat (lite) mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt or equivalent in mayonnaise, if the calories don't matter to you
1/8 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup low-fat shredded medium cheddar cheese

1. Arrange broccoli in a 9" x 13" baking pan; sprinkle chicken or turkey evenly over broccoli.
2. Put all remaining ingredients, except cheese, in a medium size bowl. Using a wire whisk, gently whisk until mixture is smooth and well combined.
3. Pour mixture evenly over broccoli and poultry; sprinkle with the cheese.
4. Cover casserole with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce is hot and bubbly.

Tip: When using frozen cooked broccoli, squeeze out extra moisture by wrapping in paper toweling and press gently. Extra moisture always cooks out of broccoli.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

This recipe is a very good and easy meal to prepare when you are short on time. Why not bring the children in to help as you visit about the days events? Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
a little vegetable oil for frying
1 jar (11 oz.) chunky salsa
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
hot cooked rice

1. Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add taco seasoning and toss to coat.
2. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil.
3. Combine the salsa and jam; stir into skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
4. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Hot Christmas Punch

This past weekend seven friends and I got together for lunch and a game of scrabble in my home. I called this time together a "Scrabble Luncheon". I asked each friend to contribute a small part of the lunch menu and I provided the condiments and a hot beverage. This Christmas punch is delicious and makes the kitchen smell so welcoming.

We had deli meat and cheese on croissants, fruit, and cookies. So easy to do and so appreciated by each one of the ladies. This was a great time of fellowship, laughter, and just plain being lazy on a Saturday afternoon! I get great pleasure from opening my home to others in order to give them a break from the everyday work and stress of life. I think this is so important in this crazy world of ours. Blessings...

Hot Christmas Punch:

2-1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
2 quartered orange slices
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons instant tea

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients. Heat just to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in instant tea. Serve hot.

Yield: 6 servings

Tip: recipe can easily be doubled to serve 9-12 people.

The Gift of Welcome

"You can share your heart and life with others, even if the meal is simple and the setting is humble. The most important gift of welcome simply says I care, I love you, and I have prepared a place for you."

The Woman's Study Bible, Second Edition

Copyright 1995, 2006 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

New King James Version, Page 1636

Easy Chocolates

Oh, the joy of chocolate! These chocolates would be a great hostess gift to take if you were invited to someone's home for a meal or time of fellowship. Hostess gifts are a wonderful way of saying, "thank you for inviting us into your home". When we offer a little gift to the hostess for her thoughtfulness we are acknowledging all of her hard work and time in preparing for us. It is a very thoughtful thing to do. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon almond extract, or other flavor of your choice

dash of salt

1/3 cup finely diced maraschino cherries

finely ground pecans to roll chocolates in, about 1 cup.

1. Place chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl; microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir to combine and microwave for another 30 to 60 seconds, or until melted. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Be careful not to burn chocolate.

2. Add extract, salt and cherries and stir well. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.

3. Form mixture in 1" balls and roll in pecans. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tip: You don't have to use cherries. If you choose to add extract only, you may want to roll the chocolate in coconut, or chocolate sprinkles, or something else.

Tip: Please don't refrigerate chocolate unless it is made with a dairy product such as cream cheese or whipping cream. The flavor of chocolate is greatly diminished by being chilled.

Incredibly Tender Beef Stew

This stew recipe is so good, and a little unusual in that it has brewed coffee in it. The coffee acts as a meat tenderizer, with excellent results. We love it, especially on these very cold days of winter. I cut the recipe in half for my husband and I and we can get two meals out of it. This is another wonderful dish from Marcia Adams book, "New Recipes from Quilt Country". Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

3 pounds lean chuck roast, trimmed of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cups canned beef broth

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons ketchup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 medium onions, quartered (I use only one)

6 medium carrots, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

Minced fresh thyme, if desired

1. Place the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the thyme in a paper bag and shake to blend. Add the beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the stockpot and brown each piece on all sides; don't overcrowd the pan or the meat won't brown properly. Work in batches if necessary.

2. When the meat is browned, add the stock, coffee, Worcestershire, paprika, sugar, ketchup, and remaining salt and pepper; stir to combine. Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the peas and continue cooking for 15 to 30 minutes or longer until the meat is very tender. (If a thicker stew is desired, thicken the mixture with 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water.) Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings