nstructed Lasagna Soup {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

I made mine in my pressure cooker, and this recipe will be for a pressure cooker.  It would be very easy to make this on a stovetop.  Just remember to cook accordingly.

2 Lbs. Spicy Italian Sausage (You can also use lean ground beef or even ground turkey)

2 16oz. Cans of Chopped Tomatoes (Omit one can if you want less calories)

1 8oz. Can of Tomato Paste (Omit completely if you want less sodium and calories)

1 Whole Yellow Onion, chopped

3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

4 Cups of Chicken Broth ( Omit completely and just use water, or use vegetable stock if you want less sodium)

Package of Mafalda Pasta, which look like cute little pieces of lasagna (You can use broken pieces of lasagna as well, which is what I did. Or fusili pasta)

Cheese Balls:

• Shredded Mozzarella
• Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

In your handy dandy pressure cooker’s inner cooking pan/pot, put a bit of olive oil and heat up the browning feature if your model has it.  Otherwise you can do it on the stove in a saucepan.
Crumble the sausage or whatever meat you are using and brown the meat in the pot.  Add the Italian Seasoning and lightly saute everything together.  Turn off the browning feature.

Add in the minced garlic and chopped onions.  Also the cans of chopped tomato and tomato paste.

Give everything a good stir.

Now pour in the Chicken Broth or water.  I did a mix of broth and water until my pot was at the MAX line full capacity.  Make sure not to over fill pass this line or you’re going to have a mess.

DO NOT ADD THE PASTA YET!  We’ll do that later.

Close the lid and lock it.  Set the pressure valve to Airtight.  Program your pressure cooker to cook for 10-minutes.  Or if it has a pre-set SOUP function, go ahead and press that.
That’s it.  It’s all ready to go.

Now, I want to make sure everyone knows that when you’re making a large pot of soup that has a high liquid content, the pressure cooker will take longer to come to pressure because it has to take time to heat up the liquid inside it.  Once it is all heated and the pressure has been reached, the cook time will then begin and count down.

While the pressure cooker is doing its thing, you can make the cheese balls!  Lasagna is known for all its cheesy goodness.  And I know cheese is really not the way to go if you’re trying to watch your calorie count.  But it’s okay, you’re just using a little bit of cheese.  It’s nothing compared to the baked lasagna that’s loaded with gallons and gallons of thick fattening cheese in layers and layers.

To avoid making a mess, use a clean plate and put some shredded mozzarella cheese onto the plate.  Then scoop out about 2-3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese and mash it onto the plate and mix it with the mozzarella.  Mash and roll until both cheeses are incorporated and roll it into a nice tight ball.  You can choose to add some dry parsley and dry basil to the cheese balls too.  Make however many balls you want and cover with saran wrap.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the soup.

 

Whenever the pressure cooker has finished pressure cooking, adjust the pressure valve to Exhaust to release all the pressure.  For a big pot of soup, it may take almost 2-minutes for it all too release completely.  Once all the pressure is released, open the lid.  The unit should also have gone to the Keep Warm setting automatically.

Give everything a good stir.

Add about 1-2 cups of pasta to the soup.  Don’t add too much because the pasta have the tendency to soak up a lot of the liquid and get really bloated looking.  Add just enough for the amount of servings you want.  Season with salt but don’t go overboard.  I always leave salting my food towards the end or when I’m actually serving it.  Shut the lid to the pressure cooker again and program it to cook for just ONE more minute.

Once that has completed, go through the usual cycle to release the pressure and unlock the lid.

Black Bean Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey works too!)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
1 (16 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
2 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis

Directions:
Brown meat and onion, drain. Let meat cool for a minute, then dump into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag.

Dump the remaining ingredients into the bag, mix together, and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or LOW for 2-3 1/2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

Italian-Style Soup with Turkey Sausage

**I used Italian Hot and Mild Sausage mixed because that is what I had at home.  I also used a different noodle, Rigatoni to make it. The point is, you can use what you have in your home most cases and it will turn out just as delicious, if not better!

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces sweet or hot Italian-style turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (32 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon Oregano Leaves
1 teaspoon Rosemary Leaves, finely crushed
1 teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup uncooked small pasta, such as mini bowties or elbows

1. Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until onion is tender and sausage is browned.

2. Pour chicken broth, beans and tomatoes into saucepan. Stir in oregano, rosemary and thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach and pasta. Return to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

This is how mine turned out:

Fully Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle light-bodied beer
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 8 ounces)
• Dash hot sauce
• Dash Worcestershire
• Sour cream, for topping
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, for topping
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for topping

*I made mine without the beer and it was just as tasty!

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute in butter until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and continue to stir for 2 minutes to toast the flour. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the stock, then the milk and the beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potato is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Season the soup, to taste, with hot sauce, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper.
Divide the soup among bowls and top with sour cream, crisp bacon and chopped chives.

Chicken Noodle Soup

 

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 3/4 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 large Russet Baking Potatoes sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 can. Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits (these are less fatty than real bacon)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 C. Kale or Swiss chard chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Chicken Broth
1 qt. Water
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

Cook sausage in a 300-degree oven. Bake approximately 1/2 hour, drain on paper towels and cut into slices.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat, add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Arugula and Crispy Serrano Ham

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (portobello, cremini, shiitake, oyster, porcini), wiped clean and chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 12 cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 cups homemade Rich Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or low-sodium canned chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon porcini powder*
• 2 cups canola oil
• 8 slices serrano ham
• 1/4 pound wild or regular arugula
• White truffle oil, for drizzling

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add the wild mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the cremini mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and porcini powder and cook for 20 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Strain the stock through a strainer into the stockpot that you sauteed the wild mushrooms in and discard the onion and mushrooms.

Cook stock over medium heat until thickened slightly and then stir in the sauteed wild mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

While the soup is cooking, heat the canola oil in a high sided saute pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Carefully add the ham, in batches, and cook until crispy, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Ladle the soup into bowls, add a handful of arugula, top with a slice of the crispy ham, and drizzle with a teaspoon of white truffle oil.

Rich Chicken Stock:

• 4 pounds chicken bones, chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions, quartered (skin left on)
• 1/2 head celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems only
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, add 12 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the scum that rises to the top with a ladle every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pot. Place back on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Yield: about 6 cups

Rich Chicken Stock

• 4 pounds chicken bones, chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions, quartered (skin left on)
• 1/2 head celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems only
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, add 12 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the scum that rises to the top with a ladle every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pot. Place back on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Yield: about 6 cups

Chicken-Posole Soup

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Rich Chicken Stock, recipe follows
• 2 ancho chiles, soaked in water to soften
• 1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in water until soft, drained, and chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can hominy
• 2 roasted chicken breasts, skin removed and meat shredded
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded white Cheddar
• Fried Blue and White Corn Tortillas, for garnish, recipe follows, or store bought tortilla chips, crumbled

Directions

Place stock in a medium saucepan, reserving 1/4 cup, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, place remaining 1/4 cup stock and the rehydrated ancho chiles in a blender and puree until combined. Add pureed anchos, porcini, and hominy and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cilantro and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese and some fried tortillas.

Rich Chicken Stock:

• 4 pounds chicken bones, chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions, quartered (skin left on)
• 1/2 head celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup whole peppercorns
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems only
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, add 12 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the scum that rises to the top with a ladle every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pot. Place back on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Yield: about 6 cups

Fried Blue and White Corn Tortillas:

2 cups peanut oil

2 blue corn tortillas, julienned

2 white corn tortillas, julienned

Kosher salt

Heat oil in a high sided large saute pan until it reaches 350 degrees F. Add the tortillas in 2 batches and cook until just crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt immediately.

Quick Chicken and Dumplings

4 C water
3 C chopped cooked chicken
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp seasoned pepper
1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits


Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often. Separate biscuits in half, forming 2 rounds; cut each round in half. Drop biscuit pieces, 1 at a time, into boiling mixture, stir gently. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Not Your Momma's Chili... (so much better)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground chuck
1/4 lb chorizo
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pack mild chili mix
1/2 c water (you may want more)
1 can diced tomatoes with chipotle chilies (or rotel with spicy chilies)- not drained
1 can kidney beans- not drained
1 TB brown sugar

Directions:

Brown meats and add onions over medium heat. Stir in seasoning mix. Add remaining ingredients and cook for at least 6 minutes. (I like to add all my ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for a few hours.)

Roasted Squash Soup with Sage

Ingredients

• 8 medium acorn squash (roundish)
• 4 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage, plus several leaves for garnish
• About 1 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut top third off each squash. Scoop out seeds from squash bottoms and tops; discard. Trim just enough off bottom of each squash so that it sits straight.

2. Set squash bottoms and tops on 2 large baking sheets and drizzle with about 2 tbsp. oil, rubbing it all over insides and rims. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and golden brown, but before squash start collapsing.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onion, paprika, sage, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

4. Scoop cooked flesh from squash into pot, leaving enough flesh so that squash keep their shape. Pave over any holes in squash "bowls" with some cooked squash and keep them warm.

5. To pot add 5 cups stock, remaining 1 tsp. salt, and the pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

6. Purée soup in batches in a blender, adding more stock if soup is too thick (cover top with a towel to keep hot soup from spurting out). Reheat in pot. Stir in crème fraîche and more stock if necessary.

7. Ladle soup into squash bowls and top with

Chunky Gazpacho with Sautéed Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chilled low-sodium vegetable juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds red tomatoes, cored, chopped, and divided
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup chopped English cucumber, divided
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 12 ounces yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/2 cup fat-free Greek-style plain yogurt

Preparation

1. Place vegetable juice, salt, ground red pepper, half of red tomatoes, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed tomato mixture into a large bowl. Place the remaining red tomatoes, 2/3 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1 tablespoon basil, and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth. Add to pureed tomato mixture in bowl. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup bell pepper, and yellow tomatoes. Cover and chill.

2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat.

3. Ladle about 1 3/4 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 4 ounces shrimp, 2 tablespoons yogurt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil.

Sunny's Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 whole (5 to 6-pound) chicken, skin on, cut into 8 pieces, including neck
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 5 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus
• 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
• Small bunch parsley stems, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
• 2 fresh sage sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 stalk celery, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus
• 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• Special equipment: Kitchen twine

Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, melt 1/4 cup butter and lightly saute the onions and garlic, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, water, and stock, making sure liquid covers meat. Tie the thyme sprigs, parsley stems, and sage sprigs together and add to the pot along with the peppercorns, and celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chicken until it is "fall of the bone" tender, about 30 minutes, skimming off scum as it simmers. Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board and let cool. Remove the herb bundle and the celery and discard. Reserve the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull it from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour with the remaining chopped herbs and the tablespoon of salt. Make a well in the middle and pour 1 cup of the reserved chicken stock, including fat, into the well. Using a fork, slowly stir the stock into the flour. Repeat, adding more flour and/or stock until a soft, doughy consistency is reached. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if it gets too sticky. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the dough into 2-inch squares, then cut the squares in half on the diagonal into triangles.

Return the stock to a simmer and slowly add the dumplings, allowing some excess flour to remain on the dumplings to increase the body of the broth. Be careful not to let the dumplings touch as they are added to the pot. Cook until the dumplings rise to the surface. If the broth does not thicken to your liking, mix together 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl with a fork. Slowly add the mixture into the broth to help thicken the soup. Stir in the reserved chicken and ladle into serving bowls.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 small yellow onions, sliced
• Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.

Turkey and Black Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried black beans, soaked in cold water for 24 hours
1 batch homemade vegetable stock, see recipe
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small dry chili, ground
4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon safflower oil
2 pounds ground turkey meat
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 bulb of fennel, small dice
2 red bell peppers, small dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
4 large vine ripe tomatoes, medium dice
1 large acorn squash (about 2 ¼ pounds, top cut off and seed cavity hollowed out
1 large butternut squash (about 4 ½ pounds), cut in half, seed cavity hollowed out
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 orange bell peppers
3 zucchini, split in half lengthwise and hollowed out slightly
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
2 cups cilantro, chopped semi fine
Juice of 1 lime

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 500F, and grill or indoor grill pan on medium high heat.
• Drain the soaked black beans and rinse with fresh cold water.
• In a large saucepot, add beans and vegetable stock, cover and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until beans are soft and tender.
• Remove from heat and keep covered in a warm place.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat.
• Toast each type of seed separately for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant and color slightly darkens.
• Remove from heat and in a mortar and pestle, grind spices and dry chili into a fine powder.
• Add paprika to ground spices and mix well.
• Return pan to heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook ½ of the ground turkey
• Season with half the spices and black pepper and stir to break up any extra large chunks.
• Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until turkey turns light golden brown.
• Remove to a mixing bowl, wipe out pan, and repeat with remaining turkey meat and spices.
• Drain off any excess liquid from turkey meat and reserve.
• In a separate large saucepot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.
• Once hot, add onions and sweat for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
• Add fennel and sweat for an additional 3 minutes.
• Add peppers and garlic and cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes and gently stir to mix.
• Bring to the simmer, add turkey, and reduce heat to low.
• Cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes, after which the tomatoes will begin to release their liquid.
• Drain the beans from their cooking liquid but reserve ½ cup of the bean broth.
• Add beans and reserved broth to the turkey mixture and gently simmer covered for an hour.
• At this point, brush each squash, the peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with remaining 1 teaspoon of oil.
• Roast each squash uncovered on a sheet pan for 1 hour or until flesh is just barely soft but not mushy.
• When squash is halfway done, place peppers in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until skin starts to color and peels away from the flesh.
• Add zucchini to oven when squash and peppers have 10 minutes of cook time left and grill portobellos for 5 minutes on each side.
• Remove all vegetables from oven and grill and reserve.
• Once peppers have cooled slightly, peel skin away from flesh, cut top off pepper and discard seeds.
• Stuff each roasted vegetable with chili and arrange on a platter.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves, squeeze lime juice over chili, and serve.

Olive Garden Soup and Bread sticks

1 lb. cooked Hamburger
1 clove minced garlic
1 sm green pepper chopped
1 rib celery chopped
1 med onion chopped
1T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. Oregano
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 15 oz. can great northern white beans
1 can cambell's tomato soup with water

Simmer in heavy pan 1 hour

Bread sticks

Combine:

1 1/2 C warm water
1 scant T. yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar

Let set 5-10 min. until foamy film forms on top. Beat in 2 C. then add 1 1/2 c. more flour until it is kneadable. Knead for 3 min. Roll into a rectangle, cut up the middle with a pizza cutter. Then cut at a diagonal into 1 inch strips. Melt 1/4 lb. butter on a large cookie sheet. Roll strips in water and twist. Lay out on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with

Garlic and Parmesan

or

Sugar and cinnamon

Bake for 15-20 min @ 375

Chicken and Dumplings

1 hen, cut up

5 to 6 cups water

1 onion, chopped

5 celery stalks, cut up

1 carrot, cut up

2 sprigs parsley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup bell pepper

1 tablespoon roux

1-1/2 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Fresh chives, chopped

Boil hen, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf, parsley, bell pepper, salt, roux, and black pepper in 6 cups water for 1 hour. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove 2 cups of liquid and set aside. Remove chicken and place in a platter. Mix 1-1/2 cups flour, 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, fresh chives should be sticky. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot gravy. Do not stir. When cooked, teaspoon gravy over chicken.

Serves 10.

Crab and Corn Bisque

4 oz. butter

2 med. onions, chopped

2 cup flour

1 lb. white crab meat

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can cream style corn

1/4 gal. milk

2 cup water

1 qt. cream

1 1/2 tbsp. chicken base

1/2 tbsp. white pepper

2 cans milk

2 tbsp. accent

cornstarch roux (2 tbsp. cornstarch and 3/4 cup water)

1/8 cup parsley flakes

1/8 cup green onions, chopped green tops

Method: Saute onions in butter, add flour and mix well, letting simmer for 5 minutes. Add corn, crabmeat, milk, cream, chicken base, white pepper and accent. Let cook for 15 minutes. Add cornstarch roux and simmer for 10 minutes. Add parsley flakes, onion tops and 2 cups water. Cook an additional 5 minutes and serve.