Kudzuslipper
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31915
posted
RC1's post on Pho made me think we could share our soup and stew recipes... They usually freeze so well and can be made in bulk. Share your recipes or secret touch!
I kind of improvise but am always looking for yummy recipes.
My secret for stews is I roast the veggies first. Usually just carrots and parsnips. This keeps them from turning to mush. Green veggies I add when serving.
My secret for turkey chili is I add unsweetened cocoa and a tad of cinnamon. The cocoa adds a richness and darker color... The cinnamon adds a surprise but don't overdue it.
I have never made a soup from scratch so I am eager for your recipes.
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Keebler
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- BONE BROTH
The next time you bake a chicken, be sure to get the whole chicken (or half or even parts, WITH bones -- the breast will not provide much broth but some of the gel matter. That flavor comes from the leg, neck and back bones).
After removing cooked chicken from bone, just put in small to medium substantial pot (a cast iron one is nice) and SIMMER. No need to boil away and no need for tons of water. Just cover the bones by about an inch and once it reaches boiling turn down and simmer for hours.
Add a little bit of organic rice wine vinegar to help pull the minerals out of the bones, but not so much as you would taste it in your soups.
Later, cool enough to strain the bones out with a pierced skimmer into a small to medium colander positioned over another small pot. After bones are mostly out, pour the rest of the liquid thorugh -- and when the strained broth cools put in fridge overnight.
Do NOT use any plastic or silicone strainer or colander. Use stainless steel. You don't want petroleum melting into your food.
You can also use a whole baked chicken you might buy from the market but too often those just sit in hot plastic for up to two hours and plastic and hot food is never good idea.
Organically fed hens are best, free range.
I often put the strained pot of broth onto a blue ice block so it can speed readiness for fridge. It will still need to cool about 40 minutes, even sitting on blue ice before you can put in the fridge.
The next day, skim off the fat and discard in trash (or into freezer until you take the trash out).
Divide the cold gelatin broth into small sturdy glass jars and freeze most, saving out what you want for soup or stew you may make that day.
From one chicken, simmering bones in a 2-Qt soup pot, I get enough gel broth for 4 small jars.
Obviously, you'd use a bigger pot for turkey broth.
Beef bones are hard to find, I find as I don't eat cuts of beef large enough to have bones. Butchers used to just sell bones but not around here any longer.
Some beef "knuckle" bones or "Ox Tail" can be found but the knuckles don't give a rich broth. Ox Tail will provide a tasty broth and there is some meat on it but also a pain in the, uh, neck, to separate the meat from the small bone bits and ligaments & fat. -
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Keebler
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Mushrooms provide excellent protein and great flavor. -
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Keebler
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posted
- Note about meat broths in packages. The lining of the package is often plastic. That contain endocrine disruptors and who knows what else, even if BPA-free.
Also, many will say they are "gluten-free" on the label but they are not. Trader Joe's is one such. Looking at the back, under the ingredients it states "made in facility or on equipment that is shared by wheat . . . "
That means it is NOT gluten free. The package should be CERTIFIED gluten free, with the organization that has certified such, usually a Tilth. -
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Keebler
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- Kudzuslipper,
Your suggestions will enrich my life . . . I just starting roasting the veggies first, too, and do find much more flavor.
And cocoa to turkey chili, very nice touch. South American Indians & Mexicans have used cocoa in cooking for centuries for richness & depth of flavor. Goes very nicely with chili powder but I just never thought about it in chili.
My father always added a little MADRAS CURRY powder to his pasta sauces. A wonderful note to add, too. -
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Keebler
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- SOFRITO
search web for variations - how to make and freeze so the sautéed onion / garlic base is all ready to go.
Do not season too specifically when cooking so you will have leeway with your recipe when it comes time to make your stew or soup.
I also freeze in small glass jars. Sometimes, I'll sauté mushrooms with the onions. Do not freeze in plastic, again, the endocrine disruptors from the plastic. Even frozen, the petroleum can leech into to the food, especially with onions and garlic.
Cool first in fridge (overnight is best) before putting jars into freezer. -
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Keebler
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- CHIA SEEDS can be a nice way to thicken a stew near the end of cooking.
MILLET & QUINOA, too.
BUCKWHEAT GROATS (gluten-free) can be a wonderful substitute for barley (which has gluten). -
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Keebler
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- let's pull the link for RC1's post on Pho so it's here, too.
later -
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Kudzuslipper
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posted
Keebs, what did I do wrong with my bone broth? I got no gel! I used the remains of a roast chicken from whole foods. I used apple cider vinegar. Once strained it was very clear but didn't gel when refrigerated. Not much fat either.
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MannaMe
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posted
I like to put chicken in the crockpot and let it simmer away in there. Add enough water to cover and whatever spices you like.
I add salt, tumeric or saffron, and parsley flakes. Sometimes after I pick the chicken off the bones, I'll put the bone back into the broth to simmer some more.
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Keebler
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- Kudzuslipper,
Maybe too much liquid to really gel much? Not simmered long enough?
Not chilled long enough for it to gel?
Was the skin included? It should be as it contributes to the gel.
The apple cider vinegar is a better flavor idea than my rice vinegar, I think, and should be no difference with the gel density.
Still, you know it's good, maybe just not as rich as you might have liked.
A rotisserie chicken will have much fat when stewing the bones, it all dripped off in the rotisserie.
Now, it may be that the parts that provide the gel (the joints and cartilage) also melted off in the rotisserie?
I've used cooked rotisserie chickens from the market, too, and don't recall much difference other than not much fat to skim off after cooled. -
[ 01-11-2014, 04:52 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
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Kudzuslipper
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posted
Here's RC1's Vegetarian Pho Recipe:
Whether you tend to approach cold and flu season by crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, or by stocking your cupboards with an arsenal of natural immunity-boosters, I’ve got a recipe for you that I think could revolutionize your approach to staying healthy this winter. It’s a delicious version of pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup that’s chock full of health-promoting aromatic spices.
As an enthusiastic vegan cook and an herbalist, I just had to play with the classic recipe a little bit to see if I could make an animal-friendly version that's even more effective and delicious than the original. I’ve added burdock root (Arctium lappa) to support liver function and to increase the mineral content. The astragalus in the recipe is prized as an immunomodulator. It will help to make your immune response more effective without causing your immune system to become overactive. Finally, eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it helps your body to respond more healthfully to physical and mental stress.
In many traditions, tonic herbs like these are considered to be most effective when cooked into food, but it's the taste of this soup that will keep you coming back for more. I can’t think of anything more comforting than cozying up with a bowl of this healing pho on a wintry day. Enjoy it as a meal or make a big batch of the broth and drink a bit each day as a delicious tonic for your immune system this winter.
Ingredients:
**Tip: you may be able to purchase the medicinal herbs for this recipe in the bulk section of your natural food store. If you can't find them there, you can order bulk herbs online.
For the broth:
2 unpeeled organic onions, cut into quarters 8-12 garlic cloves, smashed a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, cut into thick slices 2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches long) 2 star anise pods 4 cloves 1 cup dried burdock (Arctium lappa) root 1 Tbsp. dried (Astragalus membranaceus) root 1 Tbsp. dried Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) root 3 Tbsp. tamari, or Coconut Aminos To make it a meal:
1 pound rice noodles 8 ounces fried or baked tofu (or seitan), sliced 6 scallions, sliced thinly 1 cup mung bean sprouts Handful of fresh basil or cilantro leaves 1 lime Optional sauces for serving: hoisin or sriracha To make the broth:
Start by dry-roasting the broth ingredients to bring out their flavor. Heat a very large soup pot over medium-high heat. Do not add any oil or water to the pot. When the pot is heated, add the quartered onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anist, and cloves. Stir occasionally, allowing the veggies to char slightly and the spices to start to give off their aromas. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
Next, add 4-6 quarts of filtered water until your pot is a little bit more than ¾ of the way full. Add the medicinal roots (burdock, astragalus, and eleuthero) and give the pot a good stir. Bring the broth up to the boil, uncovered. Then, turn the heat down to low, partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add more water as needed to keep the pot about ¾ of the way full. If you have more time, let the broth simmer longer.
Once you’re finished simmering the broth, allow it to cool enough to handle. Strain the veggies, spices, and herbs from the broth using a strainer lined with cheesecloth and make sure to wring out your herbs and veggies by wrapping the cheesecloth around them and squeezing it with your hands. This helps to make sure you get to enjoy every last drop of the broth. (You can snack on the cooked onions, garlic, and ginger for an extra immune-boost.) Finish the broth by adding 3 Tbsp. of tamari or coconut aminos.
You can enjoy a cup of the broth each day as an immune tonic. It will keep in the fridge for about a week, or you can freeze it in small batches to use throughout the winter. Or, if you’d like to enjoy the Pho as a meal, cook your rice noodles according to package directions and place them in serving bowls with your tofu/seitan and mung bean sprouts. Cover each portion of noodles with a generous serving of broth and garnish with hand-torn basil leaves. Bring a small bowl of lime wedges to the table along with hot sauce and/or hoisin sauce so that everyone can serve themselves.
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Kudzuslipper
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To get this going... Want to share my families recipe for unstuffed cabbage meatballs... This is a sweet and sour dish.. Calls for sugar and brown sugar.... Bet you can modify with honey (yumm) or stevia, or date or coconut sugar. I never use as much sugar as the recipe calls for. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup bisquick I just leave it out. The original recipe uses beef. I use turkey. I don't think you would miss the rice either. This is a recipe for a crowd or for freezing. Some prep, but then it just stews. You need a very very large pot, like a lobster pot. Or cut the recipe down.
5-6 lbs Lean ground meat or ground turkey 1/2 cup cooked rice. 1/2 cup water 1-2 heads of cabbage 1 large can tomato sauce 1 squirt of ketchup 1 cup of sugar or alternative (I usually use just a 1/2 cup) I sliced onion I/2 apple I small box raisins Juice of two lemons (about 1/2 cup) Salt & pepper to taste.
In very large pot place the onion, apple, raisins and tomato sauce and sugar or alternative.
Combine meat, rice, water, sale and pepper and form meatballs.
Slice/shred the cabbage.
Starting with cabbage layer cabbage and meatballs . Use the cabbage layer to keep the meatballs from sticking to each other. Keep alternating meatballs and cabbage til done.
At the end squeeze the juice of two lemons on top..... Simmer for a long time... It will reduce in size by half. You can shake the pan, but wait til the meatballs firm before you stir.
The cabbage should be translucent.
Taste and add more lemon, sweetener, salt and pepper to taste. If I have used very lean meet I May add a bit of organic butter at this point.
This is better the next day... Freezes well.
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posted
Mine has never really produced very much gel either by that many hours. I know some cook theirs for 24-36 hours.
I'm not that patient!
It's still good for you, though! You could try buying more necks and small bones the next time. Maybe a whole chicken plus several necks.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Keebler
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- The more condensed and the colder it is (in fridge probably at least 8 hours), the more you will see it gel. There is nothing wrong with it if if cools less of a gel, just add less water when you use it for soup.
Leave more room in the top of a glass jar when freezing it, too, as with more water, less dense, it may expand more when freezing. -
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glm1111
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posted
For thick gel, you need 5 1/2 to 6 pounds of chicken. I use legs, and thighs and if they have backs I throw that in. I also add in a bag of small organic carrots for a sweet broth, salt. pepper and garlic.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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Kudzu--this is a wonderful warming thread for January! Can't wait to try the Pho.
Especially as my husband and I just had the driver's side window fall out of its mechanism and into the door while driving to his LLMD. Driving on the highway with no window in 25 degrees was not fun!
Anyway, here is my absolute favorite winter soup:
Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Sumac or Za’atar (this is an beautiful Moroccan spice mixture containing sumac. It tastes like nothing I've ever had before. I found it in Penzey's Spices)
5. 1 cup red lentils, washed and picked over 6. 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste 7. 6 cups water or stock, or more if the soup thickens too much
8. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 9. 1.5 tablespoons dried mint leaves, crumbled 10. 1 tablespoon sumac or za’atar 11. 1 carrot, chopped
Garnish: a few mint leaves (optional), sumac To serve: lemon/lime wedges and bread
Preparation: Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions (& carrots if you are using them) over low heat until they are light golden–about 5 minutes.
Stir in the paprika, cumin, the tomato paste, and hot pepper flakes; cover and cook for another 5-7b minutes.
Add the lentils and stir everything together so the tomato and the spices combine with the lentils. Add the water/stock and cover and cook till everything is mushy for about 30-40 minutes.
When the lentils are cooked, use a hand blender to blend the soup is to a smooth consistency, or leave it the way it is if you do not want it like a puree.
Crumble the mint leaves and add into the soup. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Sprinkle some of the sumac or za'atar (save the rest to garnish). Stir to combine.
Ladle into bowls, serving lemon wedges/or squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh mint leaves (if available) or crushed dried mint.
NOTE: This soup will thicken a lot as it stands. Loosen with some hot water and re heat, if you are not serving immediately.
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Kudzuslipper
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That sounds yummy anthropologists! I recently tried a recipe that called for sumac. It said that if you couldn't find it you could use roasted coriander. Since I've never tried sumac I can't say if the roasted coriander tasted like sumac but it was good.
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