We make this soup all the time. We always use red lentils, give it a good whirl with an immersion blender when done and put some grated cheddar on top.
My Favorite Lentil Soup
Jane Brody’s Good Food Book
Jane Brody
2 T olive or vegetable oil
2 c chopped onions
3 carrots, coarsely grated
3/4 t marjoram, crumbled
3/4 t thyme leaves, crumbled
1 28-oz can tomatoes with their juice, coarsely chopped
7 c broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 1/2 c dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 t salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 oz dry white wine
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley or 2 T dried parsley flakes
4 oz Cheddar, grated
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and saute the onions, carrots, marjoram, and thyme, stirring the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, broth, and lentils. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer the soup for about 1 hour or until the lentils are tender.
Add the salt, pepper, wine, and parsley, and simmer the soup for a few minutes. Serve with cheese sprinkled on each portion.
Perfect, flavorful and moist chickens every time. We always do two chickens with one recipe of brine and one recipe of fruit/veg on our Weber smokey mountain smoker for 4ish hours at 250 degrees (and throw some sausages on the second shelf for last two hours). Definitely do the overnight brine. The trimmings and carcass make great smokey stock for soup.
Mix all of the ingredients together in whatever container is needed for the amount of meat you have. (PJH: two Costco chickens brined in big huge stock pot)
Add your meat and don’t forget it MUST be refrigerated. You can brine for a few hours, overnight, or for several days!
When you remove your meat from the brine, thoroughly rinse with cool water. Pat dry and your meat is ready for spices/rubs and off you go!
chicken instructions
1. Brine the chicken – overnight if possible.
2. Chop the lemon, onion, apple and garlic cloves. Throw them in a bowl and mix together with salt, pepper and olive oil. Set aside.
3. Take your chicken out of the brine and rinse with cool water. Set on a tray. Now take the mixture you just made and stuff it inside the chicken.
4. Rub olive oil all over your bird. This will help give it a nice golden brown color. Then sprinkle salt and pepper all over, and a light dusting of paprika for color.
5. Set up your grill for indirect cooking (or use your smoker).
6. Place your bird away from the heat, and throw a bunch of wood on your coals. Stick with fruit wood – apple is a good pairing with chicken. Assuming your grill holds its temp around 250, and depending on the weight, your chicken will cook for 3 – 5 hours. You want an internal temperature in the leg of 170. If the bird is bigger or your heat is lower, it will take longer to reach this temperature.
7. Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before pulling apart or slicing.
Nothing better with good fresh corn. I like this recipe that we made recently with some local Ohio Corn
Corn Chowder
recipetineats.com
4ears of corn(or 4 cups / 750g / 1.5 lb frozen or canned corn, drained)
1tspbutter(or oil)
250 g / 8 oz bacon, chopped
2 tbsp / 30 g butter(use 3 tbsp if bacon is lean)
1garlic clove, minced
1small onion, diced (or half large onion) (yellow, brown or white)
5 tbsp / 60gflour
2cupschicken broth, low sodium preferred
3cupsmilk(I used skim milk and it was fine)
600 g / 1.2 lb potatoes, cut into 1 cm / 2/5″ cubes (about 2 large)
2sprigs of thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup / 185 mlcream
3/4 cupshallots, green part finely sliced (green onions / scallions)
Salt and finely ground pepper to taste
Cut the corn off the cob. Place a small ramekin in a large bowl. Place corn on the ramekin then cut the corn off. Keep naked cobs.
Place 1 tsp butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Leave fat in pot.
Lower heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp butter, once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
Add flour and mix it in. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add broth, milk, potatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Break naked cobs into 2 or 3 and add into the liquid. Put the lid on and simmer for 25 minutes (adjust heat so it’s simmering energetically but not bubbling like crazy or super gently).
Remove lid, remove corn cobs. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked to your taste.
Stir through cream and 3/4 of the bacon and shallots. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and shallots.
French onion soup is definitely the perfect solution for being holed up on a snowy weekend. This soup is so easy to make and tastes so good when you use good ingredients. I followed Deb’s recipe on smittenkitchen.com, which is pretty much similar to other recipes but with a few extra details like most of her recipes. Caramelizing the onions for a long time and using Gruyere cheese produces a first rate product.
five cups of onions. about 2 1/2 of the big ones.the onions after 15 minutesthe onions after 1 hour just before adding the liquid. I probably could have done them a little longer to get them just a bit darker but they were getting very sticky and I didn’t want to burn them.I toasted the bread in a 400 degree oven, turning them every five minutes until they were very hard. Don’t use un-toasted bread or it will turn to mush.ridiculously expensive… but so worth it.into the oven they goOlivia Newton John enjoying her soup.
I pretty much followed the recipe below except I didn’t add the raw onion and the cognac at the end. It turned out perfectly.
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams or 24 ounces or about 5 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
3 tablespoons (42 grams or 1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt, plus additional to taste
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) granulated sugar (helps the onions to brown)
3 tablespoons (24 grams or 7/8 ounce) all-purpose flour
2 quarts (8 cups or 1.9 liters) beef or other brown stock*
1/2 cup (118 ml) dry white wine or dry white vermouth
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (45 ml) cognac or brandy (optional)
To finish [Gratinée] (Optional)
1 tablespoon grated raw onion
1 to 2 cups (to taste) grated Swiss (I often use Gruyere) or a mixture of Swiss and Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
12 to 16 1-inch thick rounds French bread, toasted until hard
Melt the butter and oil together in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes. They don’t need your attention; you can even go check your email.
After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes until they have turned an even, deep golden brown. Don’t skimp on this step, as it will build the complex and intense flavor base that will carry the rest of the soup. Plus, from here on out, it will be a cinch.
After the onions are fully caramelized, sprinkle them with flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the wine in full, then stock, a little at a time, stirring between additions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 more minutes, skimming if needed. Correct seasonings if needed but go easy on the salt as the cheese will add a bit more saltiness and I often accidentally overdo it. Stir in the cognac, if using. I think you should.
Set aside until needed. I find that homemade onion soup is so deeply fragrant and flavor-rich that it can stand alone, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the graitinéed top once in a while. Here’s how to pull it off:
Preheat oven to 325. Arrange six ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Bring the soup back to a boil and divide among six bowls. To each bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon grated raw onion and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Stir to combine. Dab your croutons with a tiny bit of butter and float a few on top of your soup bowls, attempting to cover it. Mound grated cheese on top of it; how much you use will be up to you. [Julia Child, in another era, felt that 1/2 cup of grated cheese could be divided among 6 bowls. I can assure you that if you’d like your gooey bubbling cheese lid to be anything like what you get at your local French restaurant, you are looking to use more, such as a generous 1/4 cup.]
Bake soups on tray for 20 minutes, then preheat broiler. Finish for a minute or two under the broiler to brown the top lightly. Grab pot holders, and serve immediately.
* Porcini or mushroom stock are a robust vegetarian substitution.
Potato pancake with homemade applesauce and sour cream. The way they should be.
We celebrated my Dad’s birthday on Sunday with his favorite meal of roast pork, potato pancakes – Kartoffelpuffers to be precise – and sauerkraut.
Kirsten has always been the head kartoffelpuffmisteress in the house.Dad is always chef #2. (Mom always smartly stays out of the kitchen 🙂 )Vince: der kartofflepuffer-bursche in training.
German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) – makes 16
Betty Crocker International Cookbook
4 medium potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 t. salt
1/4 butter or oil
Shred enough potatoes to measure 4 cups; drain. Mix potatoes, eggs, onion, flour and salt. Heat 2 T. of fat in skillet on medium heat until hot. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Flatten each with spatula into pancake about 4 inches in diameter.
Cook pancakes until gold brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Add more oil/butter if needed.
I like mine with applesauce and sour cream.
Kids table. Penalty points for A-1 sauce with pork. Come on!Owen fulfilling his duties as official present opener.Happy Birthday Dad! Connor: bonus points for the sweet mustache.
We have been making this soup for years whenever we have left over ham and a ham bone. It always tastes better the next day.
Senate Bean Soup
Soup Suppers, Arthur Schwartz
1 lb. dried white beans, rinsed and picked over
1 small ham hock (we usually use the left over bone from a ham)
3 quarts water
1 large onion
6 to 8 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Soak the rinsed beans overnight in cold water to cover by several inches. (we usually skip this as we aren’t thinking that much ahead. Just a couple of hours soak helps though if you have time).
In a 5 to 6 quart pot, combine the drained beans, ham hock, and water. Cover and bring to a boil; adjust the heat, partially cover, and simmer briskly until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the onion, celery, garlic, potato, salt and pepper. Keep at a steady simmer another hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender and the soup is very thick.
Remove the ham hock and, if desired, strip the meat off the bones and put into soup. (we usually add more left over ham if we have it)
2 pounds lean top round, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large sweet onions, diced
2 cups large chunks of celery
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large rounds
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups dry red wine
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (such as Red Bliss), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 quart beef stock
2 cups tomato sauce
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in batches in hot oil until browned completely, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef cubes to a plate lined with paper towels, keeping skillet over heat and retaining the beef drippings.
Cook and stir onion, celery, and carrots in the retained beef drippings until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir mushrooms and garlic into the onion mixture.
Pour red wine into the pan; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the mixture until the wine evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes into the mixture.
Return beef to skillet with potatoes, basil, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Pour beef stock and tomato sauce over the mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick, 4 to 6 hours.
This was my third attempt at making dolmades over the past year or so and I am happy to report success at last. I have always loved these ever since Uncle Tom and Aunt Evie introduced them to us, but could never quite get it right. We were at the West Side Market on Saturday and they were charging $7.00 for a half dozen of them so I said… sam hell… I can make those for much less and much better to boot.
Fennel….our new favorite vegetable that makes everything taste good: (made a risotto on Saturday w fennel, shitakes, cremini and sausage… awesome).
pine nuts. an essential ingredient in dolmades:
The slightly cooked mixture of onion, fennel, rice, parsley, dill and mint:
rolling them up…
Not the most beautiful things… and they are a lot of work…but they sure taste good.
Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
Recipe 99% from Tyler Florence on FoodNetwork.com after looking at lots of recipes. I also learned from watching quite a few YouTube videos of Greek Grandmas dolmades techniques.
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored and diced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 T. finely chopped dill leaves
1 T. finely chopped mint (or 1 t. dried)
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 jar grape leaves, rinsed and drained – the big jar
2 lemons, juiced
Directions
To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill, mint and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool.
Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels. The leaves are all really packed tight in the jar. I found it easiest to separate them by submerging them in water.
To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar – it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.
Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.
Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 2 – 2.5 hours at 325-350.
In stock pot, place
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
4 – 6 large celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Braise slowly, stirring often for 15-20 minutes.
Cool roasted vegetables slightly, scoop from their shells and add to pot along with cooking liquid, leeks, etc. Add about 10 cups of chicken broth, 1+ cups of white wine, ginger and pepper and cumin to taste. Cook slowly for 30-45 minutes to blend flavors. Puree in batches and add
We have tried different versions throughout the years and this one is good. The Campbell’s condensed beef broth is good. If you are feeling flush use gruyere cheese instead of swiss – it makes a big difference.
4 medium onions, sliced
2 T. margarine or butter
2 cans CONDENSED beef broth
1 ½ cup water
1 bay leaf
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. thyme
4 slices French bread, ¾ – 1 inch thick
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Cover and cook onion in margarine in 3 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20 – 30 minutes or longer until brown and cooked way way down. Add beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Set oven to broil. Place bread slices on cookie sheet and broil until golden brown. Repeat for other side. Place bread in oven proof bowls. Add broth; top with Swiss cheese, sprinkle with parmesan. Place bowls on cookie sheet. Broil w/cheese 5 inches from heat until golden brown. 1-2 minutes
Eat On Edgecliff 