Egg Drop Soup

Something so delicious shouldn't be this easy to make! I was surprised when it came out in just a few minutes. This is definitely my new "go to" soup that is quick, easy and something I will always have the ingredients for!

Basically you use 1 cup of broth and 1/2 an egg and 1/2 an egg yolk per person. The recipe below is what I came up with for just me and my hunny and had no leftovers. Check out the original recipe over at AllRecipes.com.

(I was almost finished with my bowl before I realized I forgot to take a picture!)

2 cup Chicken Broth (low sodium), divided
1/8 tsp ground Ginger
2 tbsp frozen Peas & Carrots (or 1 tbsp chives)
2 1/4-3 tsp Corn Starch
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
Soy Sauce to taste

1) Pour into pot your chicken broth, reserving 3/4 cup. Into the pot add the ginger and veggies and give it a good stir. Turn heat to medium high to bring to boil.

2) In small bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk. Using fork, drizzle egg mixture into soup while it is boiling. This should cook the egg immediately. Continue until all the egg is added. then lower heat to medium low.

3) In small bowl, whisk together the reserved chicken broth and corn starch until smooth. Add to soup and stir to incorporate. Simmer on low until you get the proper consistency.

4) Serve with soy sauce so each person can season it to their own taste.

Almost Ina's Wedding Soup

A couple of weeks ago one of the only good places to eat at in my area closed it's doors. Not for lack of customers, the owners were just tired and had no buyers (it had been up for sale a couple of years). Now, I do not often eat out but when I do, I always loved going there just for their Wedding Soup. It was simply delish!

You know what I had to do then... hit the internet for a recipe to make this soup at home. I finally found something that came close when I was watching Food Networks Barefoot Contessa last week. Of course, I was unable to purchase the chicken sausage in my neck of the woods, as well as decent fresh herbs. But I think it still came out really well. It must be nice to have a butcher near by. Since I was unable to buy my meats in the amount she called for, I had to improvise just a bit. Same with the cheese. Although I was able to find the cheese, I was not about to pay their asking price. Remember, things out here cost 2-3 times as much as in a big city. But it came out great with all the extras after all!

The recipe below serves about 8 but with the extra meatballs, you will have your next Italian meal half way finished!

12 oz Pork Sausage
12 oz Ground Chicken
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
4 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 cup White Onion, chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
5 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup White Wine
1/2 cup small Pasta (stars, orzo or any other type of small/tiny pastas)
3 tsp Dill, dried
2 cup Spinach, fresh

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line  two cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2) In large bowl using a fork, mix together the pork and chicken. Add bread crumbs, garlic, parsley and parmesan; mix well. Next, add the egg, salt and pepper and mix to incorporate all.

3) Using melon baller or teaspoon measuring spoon, make small, rounded meatballs and place on prepared cookie sheets.

(Make 1 sheet small and the second sheet half small and half use a tablespoon measure to make larger meatballs to freeze for later speghetti dishes.) Bake for 30 minutes. Check larger meatballs at 30 minutes to make sure they are cooked in the middle.

4) Meanwhile, In soup pot add oil and heat over medium. Add onion, celery and carrots and saute for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently until crisp tender. Add broth, wine and pasta and stir to combine. Let cook until meatballs come out of oven, then add about 30-40 meatballs to soup. Let simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dill and simmer another 5 minutes. Add spinach, stir and serve.

Kielbasa Soup

Every Tuesday is the day I clean out my fridge... it's the day before we go into town for our weekly shopping. Without a big freezer, I have to make a lot of room in my fridge to accommodate the new foods. So basically I try to throw everything I can into a big pot of soup or a casserole. This week I came up with a Kielbasa Soup that was outstanding! It serves about 4 regular sized bowls or 6-8 small bowls (if your using it in a course meal). I didn't have to use a lot of seasonings since everything already had it. Give it a shot and let me know how you changed it up to fit what was in YOUR fridge!

2 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Olive Oil

3 Carrots, peeled and sliced

1 Potato, peeled and diced

4 Garlic Cloves, sliced

1/4 tsp Celery Salt

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 can White Beans, undrained

1 lb Kielbasa, sliced

1 can Tomatoes, diced with garlic and olive oil

2 1/2 cup Beef Broth (+-)

1) In large pot melt the butter in oil. Add in the carrots and potato and let saute 10 minutes until carrots are crisp-tender. Add in the celery salt, garlic, cayenne, beans, kielbasa and tomatoes, stir well. Add in enough of the beef broth to cover.

2) Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer 30 minutes until the meat has puffed and veggies are tender.

Hearty Italian Chicken & Veggie Soup

Here's another soup recipe made just for snowy weather. I was so surprised to find such pretty veggies here in West Texas that I had to through them all together in one pot! As it is, this recipe makes a thin broth. But if you like it to be a bit thicker all you have to do is mix 2 tsp corn starch in about 1/4 cup of water and pour it into the soup about 10 minutes before you serve it.

2 tbsp Olive OIl
1 lb Chicken breast, cut up
1 cup Fresh Green Beans, cut into 1" pieces
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Celery Stalks, sliced
1 cup Broccoli Florretts
1 Zucchini, halved then sliced into half moons
4-6 Mushrooms, sliced
1 can Itallian DIced Tomatoes (with garlic and olive oil)
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
1 tbsp Oregano, dried
1 tsp Basil, dried
2 tbsp Chalula Sauce (or Tabasco)
1 box (32oz) Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Boullion Cubes
Water

1) Heat oil in large pot. Add chicken and brown pieces on all sides.

2) Add in remaining ingredients except water. Stir well.

3) Fill empty broth box with water, shake to get all flavor out and pour in pot to cover veggies.

4) Cook for 30 - 40 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender.

Split Pea Soup

Yeah, not a soup a lot of folks like just from the word Pea. Personally, I love it. Nice and creamy, warm and soothing on a cold winter's day. This makes a good size concentration of soup. Enough for either a party of 8 or just scoop it into freezer bags, lay flat and freeze. This is what I do so I can have pea soup whenever the urge occurs! The best part is this can be a dairy free soup!

I have it paired with my Carrot Sticks.

16oz Dried Peas

2 Carrots, diced

2 cup Ham, chopped

3 tbsp Garlic, minced

2 Bay Leaves

2 tsp Parsley, dried

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup Spinach, fresh

1 tsp Worestershire Sauce

6 cup Chicken Broth

1 cup Milk or Water

Sour Cream (Optional)

Carrot Sticks

1) In crock pot, layer each ingredient as listed except for the milk/water. Set on low and let cook 8-10 hours. 

2) Remove about half and whip in blender. Return to pot and add the milk/water. Use as much as you like depending on how thick you want your soup. Bring back to heat and serve warm with a dollup of Sour Cream on top and Carrot Sticks on the side.

Steak & Potato Soup

It's definitely soup weather around here. Yesterday we had an early shower of snow and this morning we work to find the bird bath frozen over. You know what that means... SOUPER WEATHER! hehe Yes, I went there.

This recipe is a hearty, stick to your ribs soup that uses left over steak. If your man (or woman) is a steak and potato kind of person, this is the perfect recipe for them. We had some steak we grilled and it was pretty tough so I turned it into a tender soup that melts in your mouth. This recipe makes about 2 servings (depending on your appetite of course).

4 T butter, cubed

1 T Olive Oil

1 T minced Garlic

1 T minced Onion

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 C Carrots, diced

1 Celery Stalk, diced

1 1/2 - 2 cups Pre-Cooked Steak, chopped (or you can always use cube steak)

2 T Flour

3 C Water (or Chicken Stock)

2 Cup Milk

2-4 Potatoes, diced, skin is optional

1/4 C Green Beans, diced (frozen or can prefered)

1 T Cream Cheese

1-4 Bacon strips (Precooked), diced

Dollop Sour Cream (Optional)

Cheddar Cheese, grated (about 1 tbsp per serving) (Optional)

1) Melt butter and oil in large saucepan.  Add first 5 ingredents and let simmer until veggies are getting tender, about 10 minutes. After the first 5, add in the steak.  Stir in flour and let cook about 2 minutes while stirring.

2) Slowly add in water and milk while stirring, Then drop in potatoes. Bring to slow simmer and reduce heat to med low. Slow cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours until potatoes and tender. Using large ladle, put about half soup mix in a blender and puree about 10 seconds. Pour back in pot. Add diced green beans, cream cheese and bacon and stir. Cook another 10 minutes until cream cheese is melted into soup.

3) Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with grated cheddar on top just before serving.