Cabbage, Onions, and Garlic, Oh My!

Recently a friend gave me several cabbages. "Several" would be an understatement. One can only eat so much coleslaw and you can't can cabbage. So, since my favorite soup begins with cabbage, onion and garlic sauted in butter I did just that, in large quantity then froze it in 2 cup portions.

Begin by chopping the cabbage and onion, put them in a large pot with a couple tablespoons of butter or olive oil.

Press the garlic into the pot.

Cook and stir until tender.

Add salt and pepper if desired. I added hot peppers to some of it.

Let cool, bag, freeze. Don't forget to clearly mark the contents on the bag or you will wonder what it is and never actually pull it out and use it.

Use this to start vegetable soup or minestrone. I'm sure you will come up with many other uses for such a base, do share your ideas, I am always on the look out for simple, healthy dinners.

Rich, Hot Chicken Stew

It was a cold rainy autumn day, all I can think about on a day like this is hot soup...or artichoke dip, but soup was the more responsible choice for dinner. I had a lot going on so I did this in the crock pot but you can make it in a large sauce pan on the stove too. I don't have a "finished" photo because it really was that kind of day but here it is in the pot. Boy, did it smell good!

Recipe:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped chicken
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 carrots, sliced
12 oz. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2 or cream or whole milk
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
Saute the onion and mushroom in the butter until lightly browned. If using a crock pot put them in now, other wise start with a large sauce pan and do everything else in the same pan.

Deglaze the pan by pouring the wine in while hot, this burns off the alcohol and frees the browned bits from the bottom of the pan which will add great flavor to the rest of the soup.
Add the broth, chicken, carrots, potatoes, tarragon, and bay leaves. Let simmer on the stove top for 30-40 minutes or in the crock pot on high for 4 hours, low for 6 hours.
My chicken broth was frozen so I just added it to the pot as it was.

Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and stir together the 1/2 & 1/2 with the flour and salt in a small sauce pan, stir until thickened. Add to the pot.

 Mmmmm....

By the time it was ready we had this gorgeous rainbow in the front yard.

Hot soup and a reminder of the promise!

Savory White Bean Soup, Perfect for a Chilly Evening

I love soup, I may have mentioned this a time or two. It doesn't matter to me if it is cold outside or not, soup is always good.

1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
2 -15oz. cans Great Northern beans or Cannellini beans
2 tablespoons olive oil plus a couple more for the broth
1 quart vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 teaspoon each of parsley, marjoram, oregano
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
Saute the onion in the olive oil

until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic, stir and remove from heat.

I did this in a small fry pan but would have started in the soup pot had I engaged my brain first. So, despite the photo, use a 4 quart pot, or what ever you have so you don't have more pans to wash than necessary.
Into the pot put all the ingredients except the cheese. I added a couple tablespoons of the olive oil to the broth to increase flavor and make the texture smoother, it made a big difference.

 Give it a stir and allow to simmer for 10-20 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and some rolls, a salad or cut veggies.

Creamy Corn Chowder 2

My daughter-in-law, Sara, loved this last time she was here so I told her I'd post it so she could have the recipe. When I made it this week , to take photos, Samuel got all excited, turns out it's his favorite too.
It is very tasty with the added kick of a touch of cayenne and garlic (of course) against the sweetness of corn and smoky turkey bacon.
1/2 pound smoky turkey bacon
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
4 cups chicken broth
4 large potatoes, peeled, and diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne
1teaspoon parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon savory
salt +pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup 1/2 +1/2
Into a 4 quart heavy bottom pot snip the bacon into 1/2 inch bits with clean kitchen scissors.

Cook on medium high until it starts to brown on the edges then add the onion and butter.

Cook until the onion is tender.
Add the potato,

broth, garlic,

 corn, cayenne, parsley,

 savory, salt and pepper.

Let this simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in the sour cream until there are no lumps and it's all melted into the broth then add the 1/2 & 1/2. Stir on medium heat until hot throughout.

Hot, creamy, hearty, perfect for a cold night or any time.

Enjoy!

Creamy Corn Chowder

So creamy, loaded with sweet corn, with a hint of cayenne and the best of all it's quick and easy. Can be prepared in about 20 minutes on the stove or cook on low in the crock pot for 4-6 hours.

6 ears of corn or 16 oz. frozen
1 large onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
3 small golden yukon potatoes, cut in cubes (about 3 cups)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup yogurt or sour cream
3/4 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
Chop onion coarsely.

Saute in the butter until tender.

Add broth, potatoes, spices and corn. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in yogurt or sour cream until it melts into the broth. Add the cream stirring until all is warm throughout.

 My favorite cream, yum.

This would be even better with some chopped red pepper added to the onions but, alas, I had none today.

Enjoy!

Savory Mushroom Soup

This soup was so good, absolutely nothing like that stuff in a can.

This will assemble in a jiffy, is rich enough for company and homey enough for a casual dinner.
Loaded with mushrooms, rich with butter and cream, flecks of parsley for color. Beautiful.
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 # fresh white button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon dry parsley or 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup (or more) cream
Saute the onion in the butter, when translucent,

add the garlic and mushrooms and saute for another couple minutes.

Add the wine, loosening the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, add broth and seasonings, cook until the mushrooms are tender.

 Add cream.

Serve.

 Served as a first course or as a meal with a salad and bread, so good you can't go wrong.
For those of you who are looking for lower fat content, it was delicious before adding the cream too!