Soups and stews to share

Well the Fair is in town and it is time to start thinking about those delicious soups and stews. Here are a few recipes that I think you will enjoy. Some are requests and some are for sharing. Take care and I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes.

Cabbage Beef Soup

1 (28ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups water

1 (16ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

2 celery ribs, chopped

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt

1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

4 beef bouillon cubes

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1⁄2 head cabbage, chopped

Instructions: Put first 7 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cubes.

Brown the ground beef with the onion, drain. Add beef to other ingredients. Add chopped cabbage, bring back to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.

Notes: Can add Rotel tomatoes to give it some heat. Serve with Fritos Scoops. By Ellen Siler Lehman’s Country Life.

Basic Minestrone

6 cups chicken and/or beef stock (3 cups each)

1 cup diced bacon

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced onion

2 cups squash (good choices are: acorn, butternut, and zucchini), peeled, seeded and chopped into roughly 1⁄2 inch pieces

1 clove grated or crushed garlic

1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes – undrained

1 (16 ounce) can of Cannellini beans, drained

1 (16 ounce) can of Kidney beans, drained

1⁄2 cup chopped parsley

1 pound small elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Parmigiano cheese for serving Cook macaroni in boiling salted water. When it is cooked tender; yet not soft, drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside. Sauté bacon in the pan until tender. Remove bacon and set aside. Drizzle olive oil into bacon drippings. Heat the pan on medium heat; add onions, garlic, and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are fork tender (be careful to not overcook). Stir in tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and macaroni and simmer until heated through.

Notes: This soup freezes well, but if you are going to freeze it, do not add the macaroni until re-heating for eating. By Dori Fritzinger

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

(I usually purchase a rotisserie chicken. I skin and de-bone. I put the skin, bones, and 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon glandules in a pot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and cook covered over simmering heat for at least 1and 1⁄2 hours. Strain and reserve the broth for making the soup. I chop the chicken, using the breast in the soup and reserving the legs and thighs for salad or tacos…agnes)

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

Pinch dried thyme

2 quarts chicken broth

4 ounces uncooked egg noodles or broken spaghetti

2 cooked chicken breast halves, cubed

Salt and black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in carrot, onion, celery, and thyme. Stir in chicken fat; cook and stir until the onions turn soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt, if necessary; stir in egg noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken breast meat and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste.

No-Bake or Boiled Cookies

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups one minute oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine: butter, milk, cocoa, and sugar in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Heat till boiling-boil one minute. Remove from heat-stir in vanilla and peanut butter.

Once the peanut butter has melted-stir in oatmeal till thoroughly mixed. Drop by spoonsful onto wax paper or buttered aluminum foil. Remember: “Count your life by smiles, not tears, count your age by friends, not years, and remember we do not quit playing because we grow old…. we grow old because we quit playing.” agnes