HEARTY BEAN & BACON SOUP

With winter in the air down here in Kiwiland, and colds, flu and potential sports injuries lurking around the corners, we are trying to keep our strength and immunity up with warm and hearty nutritious meals that aren’t too difficult to prepare.

This is my slow-cooker crock pot version, but if requested I can also provide the stovetop method for you. (Just let me know, no worries!)

Yesterday I was an ugly day outside, but I had a wonderful birthday. We began the day with our daughter’s hockey game, followed by a movie with a friend (we saw The Reader and I think we both really enjoyed it!), and the grand finale was my wonderful husband preparing dinner for us. I even received text messages from my closest mates, flowers from my friend & neighbour and even a lovely inspirational gift & message from another friend.

I should have photographed my hubby’s gorgeous meal of roasted leg of pork with roasted pumpkin, potatoes, and carrots. He even made broccoli to balance out the colour palate a little. I was only allowed minimal access to the kitchen and the smell was driving me crazy...in a really good way, of course! I was allowed to make a simple white wine gravy to go with his lovely meal, but it certainly could have stood on its own without my sauce.

Anyway, another week begins and I am very happy and grateful for the amazing people in my life. I am happy to be healthy (other than the annoying remnants of a cough/cold) and beginning another year here in paradise.


INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Haricot Beans (White Navy Beans)
1 Cup Milk
30 Gm Butter
8 Rashers Bacon, finely diced
1 Onion, finely diced
3 Stalks Celery, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Corn Kernels
1 Small Handful Parsley, chopped
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Soak beans overnight in cold water.

Drain well and pick out any small stones and/or organic material that may have made their way into the packaging.

Now, place the beans with the chicken stock in a slow cooker/crock pot set on high.

Melt the butter in a pan and quickly sauté the celery & onion with a little salt and cook until they start to soften – do not brown these veggies. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add the softened celery, onion and garlic to the pot and quickly brown the bacon and add that to the pot as well.

Leave to cook on high for about 6-8 hours (I cooked mine from 10am until 6pm and it was perfect). If you work all day and want to set it up to begin cooking at 7 or 8 am then eat around 6pm...you can cook it on the low heat setting instead.

About 30 minutes before dinner time, scoop out about 2-3 cups of beans (drain as much of the liquid from that as possible), and add the milk before pureeing with an immersion/stick blender and returning that puree to the pot.

Now add the corn and stir to combine, allow this to cook another 20-30 minutes before cutting off the heat and stirring in the parsley.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper if needed...I found I didn’t need any additional seasoning at all.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Serves 4

This delicious recipe is one I adapted from one of my Dad’s family favourite dishes. He always made it with Gouda cheese and so this is how I like to make mine. Traditionally, I think Gruyere is the cheese used in most French Onion Soups, but I imagine a mix of these two might even be a nice option. Gruyere is a milder Swiss-style cheese on the slightly sweet & nutty side, whereas Gouda is a tangier and slightly drier/firmer cousin. Either way, choose what you prefer. I found some lovely Gouda this weekend at the Wellington Food Show, so we sampled it on our soup tonight! Mmmmm.... Wish my folks were here already to share in this one with us!

Despite the fact that this is “just a bowl of soup”...and a clear broth-like soup at that, it is actually quite filling. I was prepared to make some venison sausages or a veggie gratin type casserole to “help fill in the gaps” but, as fate would have it, this was our hockey practice and gymnastics day and I ran out of time. It was a good thing too – we were all quite well satisfied after polishing off this lovely rich meal.

Here we go...


INGREDIENTS:

5 Tbsp Butter
4-5 Med Onions (sweet onions, if you can get them), thinly sliced
½ Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Sugar
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Beef Jus, Stock, or Consommé
½ Tsp Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp of Sherry Wine
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Small Handful Parsley, finely chopped
*Sourdough or French Bread, 2 cm thick slices
*Gouda and/or Gruyere Cheese, thinly sliced or grated

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.


DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot, heat butter and sauté onions with salt and sugar over medium heat until they caramelize and begin to go golden brown.

Next, add water, jus/stock/consommé, thyme, bay leaves, sherry and vinegar before bringing this to a boil.

Reduce the heat and allow this to simmer over low-med heat for about 30 minutes (toss in the parsley after you turn the heat off and give it a good stir).

Whilst the pot is still simmering, toast a few slices of bread for the soup topping. One modification I have made, is that I cut the toast into bite-sized pieces to make it easier fit across the entire top of the dish and to make it easier to eat with molten hot cheese on top.

Now, spoon soup evenly into ovenproof bowls, adding the toasted bread on top (pushing it slightly into the soup).

Next, add cheese slices/sprinkle cheese over the toast to cover the tops of the soup bowls, then place them onto a baking tray.

Now you need to place the tray of filled soup bowls under the grill/broiler (med-high heat) to melt & brown the cheese for about 5 minutes or so or, until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown.

Serve immediately, with caution, as the soup bowls will be very hot.

Bon appetite!

CREAMY CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Here’s a twist on the same old chicken & dumplings that will still be fairly easy – especially for anyone who works all day and needs to have a nice meal ready at the end of a hard day of work and perhaps shuttling kids to hockey, soccer, ballet, or gymnastics. Whew, I know I will try all sort of things in the crock pot slow cooker myself. It’s such a wonderful invention and irreplaceable kitchen tool.

As you may have read already, my normal chicken & dumpling recipe is a family favourite with flat noodle-like dumplings rather than lumpy dough balls. I am not a huge fan of gummy, gooey dumplings, so this recipe offers yet another option if you, like me, prefer a “pseudo noodle”.


CHICKEN STEW ~ INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Potatoes, cubed
2 Large carrots, sliced or chopped
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Thyme, dried is fine
1 KG (about 2 Lbs) Chicken Breasts and/or Thighs
3 Bay Leaves
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (I prefer Campbell’s brand)
1½ Cups Chicken Stock
*1 Tbsp Corn Starch/Flour
*¼ Cup Cold Water
*Salt & Pepper to taste

*Amounts vary to individual preferences; these will be added at the end of the cooking process.

DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS

¾ Cup Flour
½ Cup Cornmeal
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 Egg
¼ Cup Milk

DIRECTIONS:

First, spray your crock pot with cooking spray and preheat on high for about 15 minutes.

Next, put all of the chopped veggies into the pot.

Rub the chicken pieces with the garlic and thyme and put them on top of the veggies followed by the bay leaves, soup, and chicken stock. Make sure to move the ingredients around in the pot to ensure some liquid gets to the bottom.

Adjust the heat to low and proceed to cook for 7-8 hours.
Now, about 1 hour before dinnertime, switch the heat to high and mix the water & corn flour together well before adding it to the pot and stirring to combine.

Season to taste with salt & pepper

About 30 minutes later, mix the dry ingredients for the dumplings together in a medium bowl.

In a smaller vessel, mix the wet ingredients together and then add them to the flour mixture and stir just enough to mix.

Drop small flattened spoonfuls of the dough into the pot one at a time, being careful not to allow them to stick together. (Makes about 30 or so small blobs, more or less) You may decide not to use all of the dough, and that's okay. Do NOT stir!

Cover the pot again and leave on high setting for about 25-30 minutes to cook.

This dish can be served up in a number of ways. Since you already have dumplings, rice or noodles might be a little starch overkill, but some nice steamed veggies or fresh salad might be a nicely balanced choice.

Bon appetite!

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

This is a really good one...although, half the family claims this style of dumplings to be German, and the other half say it’s French (Joie, any opinion?). These dumplings are made more like a sort of noodle rather than an American biscuit or doughy spoonful of half-cooked goo. I think this is what I like so much about my dumplings as opposed to anything you can get in a restaurant or at a friend’s house for dinner.

I thought this would be a good down-home comfort-food style recipe to post in honour of my late Aunt Ruth. She passed away this week after an awful struggle with diabetes and associated complications. She was a real countrified lady who knew her way around a kitchen. I remember her house was always full of music, laughter, and usually a pot-luck style feast for about 20 people or so! She was a real biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, deep fried southern-style chicken, Johnny Cash & Loretta Lynn lovin’ woman.

Aunt Ruth raised some great kids with the help of her husband, my late Uncle Lew, despite not having much in the way of money much of the time. They were never short on love. Her family have all had great faith, strength, and now a knowledge that their Mom is in a far greater place...with the man she loved for most of her life, and the daughter she had recently lost to the angels. Aunt Ruth was a kind and thoughtful wife, mother, aunt, and granny.

The weather is chilling down here now...not much like the heavenly warmth of Hawaii over the last couple of weeks...and I am hankerin’ for some real comfort food, so I hope you try and enjoy this family favourite that my folks shared with me and, that I am now passing on to you.

SOUP ~ INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Chicken Pieces, with skin preferred (I use boneless thighs and/or breasts)
*Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, paprika to taste
½ Cup Flour
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
2 Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
1 Med Onion, roughly chopped
1-2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
4 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 – 2 Cups Hot Water - optional

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First lightly season and flour the chicken pieces, and then lightly coat with flour.

Now, in your soup/stock pot, heat oil and quickly brown the coated chicken pieces then move them onto a separate plate to the side for a moment.

Next, add the butter and quickly heat the carrots, celery and onion before adding the garlic and cooking an additional minute.

Return the chicken and add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add hot water if you like more broth in your soup, otherwise this will become quite thick and gravy-like.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer.

Now it’s time to make the dumplings...


DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Chicken Fat, skimmed from soup (or oil)
1 Egg
**1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

**Only add a bit at a time, enough to bring dumpling dough together into non-sticky firm ball for rolling flat.

DIRECTIONS:

Sift all dry ingredients together into a medium bowl and slowly mix in the fat/oil and the egg.

Carefully add the milk in just a bit at a time until the dough is fully combined and the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, but dough is not sticky. (If the dough becomes sticky, just add a spoonful of flour at a time until the consistency is right.)

Now add the parsley and knead gently on a floured surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle only about ½ Cm (¼ In) thick and then, using a sharp knife, slice into ribbons and then again crossways into little squares.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the soup and allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this one – it’s simply delicious.

CARROT, KUMARA & LENTIL SOUP

Last night was one of those where I had been so busy during the day that I had forgotten to properly plan a meal for the evening. I remembered a clever recipe that a new American friend had recently shared with me and I was ready to give it a go.

This was a very healthy option for us and, as it was a tad bit chilly, it turned out to be the perfect solution...but OOOPS!!! Looking at the recipe, I scanned through to make sure I had all of the necessary ingredients and something about "crock-pot" and "6-8 hours" cought my eye!! Oh, crap - what am I going to do now?!?! Well, bugger it - I decided to try it on the stovetop as I have done with my other lentil recipes and WHEW!!! I made the right decision!

So, I have Heather's original method and my stovetop method here for you and I can tell you they are both solid! She has made this for her friends and relatives in the slow cooker and I can fully attest to the stovetop method as we all enjoyed this soup immensely last night!

I have to say that my daughter doesn't normally eat kumara, but disguised in this soup she really enjoyed it (YEA!!). I have to admit that sweet potatoes were always something I hated growing up, but I do enjoy the occasional roasted kumara now. I guess our tastes do change as we get older - so long as that doesn't mean outgrowing chocolate covered cherries, I'm down with that! ;o)

So, without further adieu...here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
1 Lg Onion (red or brown)
2-3 Lg Carrots, peeled and grated
1-2 Stalks of Celery (or 1 Lg Celeriac Bulb), chopped
1 Tsp Coriander
1 Tsp Ground Cumin (adjust for taste)
1 3/4 Cups Lentils (I used red lentils)
2 Lg Kumara (or sweet potato), diced
6-7 Cups Stock (beef, chicken, or veggie)
1 Cup Cream
*Salt and Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.


INSTRUCTIONS:

First, in a large stockpot, lightly sauté the onion and celery/celeriac until the onions begin to soften and go clear.

Next, add cumin and coriander and cook just long enough to bring out the aromas of the spices (about 1-2 minutes).

Now, add the stock, grated carrot, diced kumara and lentils to the sautéed mixture to your stockpot on the stovetop, or combine it all in a crock-pot.

For the stovetop method, bring the contents of your pot to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and leave covered to cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep lentils from sticking to the bottom.

For the crock-pot method, cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Now, approximately 30 minutes before ready to serve, puree the soup carefully using an immersion/stick blender.

And lastly, add the cream, salt & pepper to taste.

Thank you Heather for your contribution to NuKiwiKitchen! Much appreciated – this will become a regular in our house now as well. Also, this is a great vegan/vegetarian meal if you use veggie stock.

Cheers.

BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS

When the weather turns colder and you are looking for a comfort food recipe, this is always a nice one to have handy. One nice thing about this recipe is that you can cut up everything ahead of time the night before, then get everything into the slow cooker (crock pot) first thing in the morning, and let it cook all day while you are out. No worries, mate!

One pot, one pan, healthy veggies, tasty tender beef in a rich Guinness gravy...who could turn that down? Especially if it's served up with some tasty cheese scones or homemade bread? Mmmmm....

Well, this is how I make it, but feel free to make modifications to suit your own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Brown Onions, cut into med-large chunks

1 Lb (500-600 Gms) Lean Chuck Steak, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Beef Stock

1 Can Guinness (Approx 2 Cups)

2 Carrots, chopped

2 Parsnips, chopped

2 Med Potatoes, diced

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

2 Tsp, Oregano

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a large pan and sweat onions with a bit of salt until they begin to soften.

Dump the onions into the crock pot and return the pan to the stovetop to quickly fry the meat off on high heat.

Cook the beef just about 2-3 minutes until browned, then add the flour and stir in for approximately half a minute.

Now put the meat into the crock pot and add the beef stock, Guinness, and all of the rest of the ingredients.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Taste and season with salt & pepper to taste.

I love the traditional American style buttermilk biscuits or even the Kiwi style cheese scones with this stew. The leftovers are always a hit too!

Enjoy.

LENTIL & VEGGIE SOUP

I started making this delicious soup about a year or so ago. I adapted this one from a very basic recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook, of all places. This version makes 6-8 servings, but I usually double it so I can jar some for future lunches & dinners. It lasts in the fridge about a month and in the freezer about 6 months. I have never had any of it go off and it's never lasted any longer than the above recommendations, so it may even freeze longer - I just don't know firsthand.

This is very similar to an Indian Dahl which is a curried lentil and tomato-based stew/soup. To make a Dahl you basically add curry paste, and coconut cream to this recipe.

For a hearty meal, a bowlful of this with a homemeade dinner roll can't really be beat. It's great for cold winter nights for certain.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Oil

2 Crushed Garlic Cloves

1 Chopped Onion

1 Tsp Ground Cumin

1 Tsp Ground Coriander Seed

1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Coriander (or 2 Tbsp Dried Corander Flakes)
3/4 Cup Rinsed & Drained Lentils (red lentils are what I use)
4 Diced Tomatoes (or a 400 gm can of chopped tomatoes)

2 Cups Fresh Spinach

2 Celery Stalks (optional)

2 Shredded (or Diced) Carrots

3 Cups Stock (I use Beef Stock, but Vegetable Stock would make this 100% vegetarian)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in stock pot and fry onions until transparent, then add in the garlic and spices and stir those together and let cook 1-2 minutes on med-low heat.

Now add the lentils, remaining veggies, lentils, and stock and increase heat to medium until soup boils.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are very soft, stirring occasionally.

Serve this soup with a dollop of yoghurt (thick unflavoured Greek style) or sour cream and lemon wedges. I also make homemade dinner rolls to have with the soup. Another lovely option is garlic bread. Mmmmm....

CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

Here is one that really ‘gobsmacked’ me, as they say here. You see, where I come from pumpkin is more of a decoration than an edible veg. There are a few brave souls who bake American pumpkins then try to disguise the taste by adding brown sugar, butter and even marshmallows, but truth be told even the traditional Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie is made from a winter squash more widely known as butternut or longneck because the orange jack-o-lantern variety is a bit stringy and doesn’t have a nice texture (or fragrance).
















Even the American standby ”Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling” in a tin (that claims to use real pumpkin and is what most Yankee Doodles use to make holiday pies) doesn’t actually contain pumpkin! No, technically, its the Dickinson Field Squash. (Save that for your quiz night!) New Zealand Pumpkins (Crown/Crown Prince Pumpkins) are a greyish white outside and have a rich orange middle (with a much less offensive fragrance than their American cousins). When you cut these open, they smell just a bit like a melon, but they cook similarly to potatoes and mash or puree nicely. Let’s not forget this is actually a healthy dish as well.

My hubby introduced me to this soon after I arrived in New Zealand and I was sure I’d hate it and have to suffer through a whole bowlful with a fake smile…however, I was quite pleasantly surprised and I hope anyone who tries this will love it as I do too. So…let’s get started. This recipe makes upwards of 10 servings (depending on how small or large you like your portions).

Ingredients:

1 Kilo (about 2 pounds) of cubed pumpkin cut roughly
300 Grams (10-11 ounces) Streaky American Bacon (lightly fried)
this can also be substituted with ham or chicken bacon for a healthier/lower fat option
1 Large Potato cubed
4 Medium Tomatoes quartered
2 Medium Onions roughly chopped
5 Cups Chicken stock (add more or less to cover veg in crock pot)
1 1/2 Tsp Mild curry powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Sour cream (Lite is great too)


TIP ON CUTTING PUMPKIN: Because it is so tough to cut even with the best kitchen knives, ask your produce clerk to cut it into manageable sizes so you can microwave approx 12-15 minutes in a glass bowl with a centimeter or two of water in it and glad wrap over the top. This softens the pumpkin to make cutting and peeling a breeze!


Directions:

Cut pumpkin into pieces and add to crock pot.

Add diced (semi cooked) bacon, cubed potato, quartered tomatoes, diced onions, chicken stock and salt & pepper.

Cover and cook on low 9-11 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Now puree with immersion/stick blender (or tranfer to a food processor or blender and return puree to crock pot). Make sure the soup does not contain big chunks, and process until you like the consistency.

Add curry powder and sour cream, stir well, and check seasoning. If needed adjust seasoning and cover to cook an additional 20 minutes on low - do not allow to boil.

Voila! Serve with a dollop of sour cream and your favourite crusty bread, croutons or crackers. I don’t even think Campbells could do any better!!!