Hearty Italian Soup

This is a recipe that I married into.  My husband's Mom has made this as far back as I can remember, at least 24 years. I loved it then and I love it now.  The soup is so easy and quick to make.  It is perfect the next day.  

This soup is hearty, warm and a perfect blend of flavors.

Recipe: Italian Soup

I usually double this recipe for my family of 5...we love it for leftovers the next day.

Brown together:

1 lb sausage (use can mix and match types and flavors to create a dynamic flavor)

1 med green pepper, diced

1 med onion, diced

Add and bring to a boil:

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

2 cups of water

3 cubes chicken bullion

¾ tsp salt

**If you don't have bullion,  you can use boxed or canned chicken broth (2 cups)

Add and let noodles cook:

¾ cup elbow macaroni (for GF I used Schar Fusilli Noodles)

Serve with :

shredded jack cheese or mozzarella cheese

Brown meat.  Sauté onion and pepper together; add to browned meat.  

Add remaining ingredients (except pasta, for gluten-free see note below) and bring to a boil, add macaroni and cook until macaroni is done about 20 minutes.  Serve with warm bread and shredded jack cheese or mozzarella cheese.

Gluten-Free Note:  I do not cook the noodles in the broth.  I find that some of the noodles will change the flavor of the soup.  I cook my GF noodles in a separate bowl until they are almost done, then I drain and add to soup to finish cooking.  This does make your soup a little bit runnier but the flavor is still amazing.

Written by Sherron Watson

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Clam Chowder

I can't remember a time that I did not like fish.  I have always loved it.  I grew up in a very small town, for most of my childhood, by a huge lake.  We fished in it all the time.  I remember my grandpa taking me out, helping me bait my hook and then showing me how to clean the stinky fish.

Fish is wonderful in my opinion.  Oysters, clams, and squid are little pieces of happiness to me too.  I love fried oysters!  I made them, at home, a few years ago and my son and I devoured them.  I ate my first raw oysters last summer.  I started with one, and then another and another.  My husband was surprised I ate 6 with no problem.  YUMMY!

Fish is so abundant where I now live.  LOVE, LOVE this.  We were in UT before and fish was available but not like here...right off the boat!  When I decided to make clam chowder this time, I picked up the can of clams and then my hubby suggested we try fresh clams.  I have never done that before.  I wasn't sure what to expect..sand, taste, texture...would it ruin the soup?

I am here to say that it did not ruin the soup and it was so much better.  I found that the canned clams were sweet and added an artificial flavor to the soup.  The fresh clams gave you that pure clam taste.  I can't explain the taste other than, for me, it was wonderful.  I bought 40 clams at 45cents a piece...GASP...it was spendy but well worth the money. 

Clam Chowder

This will make enough for 6-8 adults.  It is wonderful the next day warmed up.

2 cups of Chicken Broth ( You can use water if you want, I just like the flavor of the broth in the soup.)

2 cups of water

clam juice (The juice should come from the can or in the container with the fresh clams)

1 cup of fresh clams or 2 small cans of clams  (Fresh is about 40-50 clams, shucked)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup of celery, diced

4 potatoes, cubed

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of flour (gluten-free- use brown rice flour)

2 cups of milk

2 cups of cream

pepper and salt to taste

2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

2 T. Fresh Parsley, minced  (optional)

Chop your clams if they are fresh.  I usually don't have to chop the clams from the can.  If using fresh, let your clams sit overnight so the sand has a chance to sink to the bottom of the container.  I was surprised at how much was there the next day compared to the first.  Gently remove the clams from the container.  Save the juice to add to the water/broth.  If you want a stronger clam flavor you can always add purchased clam juice to the broth.

In a large stockpot, add the broth, clam juice, and water or 6 cups of water and clam juice.  Turn heat to medium-high.

In the pot, add your diced celery and onion.  Add your cubed potatoes.  Bring the pot to a boil and cook until potatoes are done.  Depending on the size of your potatoes, plan on 15-20 minutes.

In a separate pot, add the stick of butter and melt.  Stir in your flour.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the milk and cream.  This should get thick after a few minutes of cooking on medium-high.  Turn heat off and set aside until the potatoes are done. If it is not thick after 5 minutes, you may need to add more flour.

Meanwhile, you can mince the parsley if you are using it in the soup.  

When your potatoes are done, add the flour/milk/cream mixture to the soup.  Add your chopped clams.  The clams do not take long to cook, 5-10 minutes.  They should be firm to the touch.

You will need to add pepper and salt to you soup.  I find that I use a lot of salt but everyone is different.  So you will need to salt, taste, salt, etc...to find what is best for your family.  We also love a few dashes of hot sauce..this is optional of course.  The fresh parsley adds more flavor to the soup.  We love this addition.  

Written by Sherron Watson

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Beef Stew

When I think of back to school and all of the running around, late nights, carpooling and daily errands, it makes me overwhelmed on some days to also think about making a meal with lots of steps, instructions, and prep work.

Sometimes I need an easy meal.  A meal that tastes good.  I also love to have leftovers.  This stew recipe is perfect for all of those desires. 

The thing I like about making a stew, are the combinations are endless.  For us, it is based on what we have in the fridge.  What meat I have thawed for the day.  I have called this beef stew, but you could easily change out the beef for chicken or pork.  In fact, you could add no meat or beef broth and use vegetable broth and still have a yummy meal.

Fall is one of my favorite holidays.  I love the leaves and their changing colors, the cooler weather and the holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving..YES, I am a kid at heart).  Although we eat soup all year long, we don't really eat this type of stew until the weather starts changing.  This happened this week.  I was told that the east coast is pretty "by the calendar" with their season's.  I was impressed when spring hit with rain and warmer weather in March and here we are with September a week away and the change is in the air again.  I welcome Fall/Autumn with open arms and a big hug.  LOVE IT!

Beef Stew

1 package of stew meat  (a pound in a half works well).

3 T. flour (Gluten Free-use brown rice flour)

2 T. oil (for browning the meat)

1 whole onion, diced or sliced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 potatoes, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup of fresh herbs ( I used Thyme, Basil and Oregano...it's in my garden)

1/2 bottle of beer (optional)  I would choose a strong flavor, it adds a wonderful undertone to the stew.

5 cups of beef broth

1 tsp. of salt

pepper to taste

* NOTE:  To make this Gluten-Free, you must use Gluten-Free Beer or omit this step.

1.  In a large bowl add flour and meat.  Toss until well coated.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add floured meat.  Brown each side.

2.  Prepare vegetables.

3.  Plug your crockpot in and add all of the ingredients: meat, veggies, beer, broth, herbs, and spices.  

4.  You can cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.  

5.  Before you serve the stew, check the flavor and adjust the salt and pepper.

You can used dried herbs too.  We just love fresh and this is what I have on hand.

This gives you an idea of what the stew will look like right before it starts to cook.

Written by Sherron Watson