White Bean and Ham Soup

White Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb of white beans, Cannellini or Great Northern, about 2 1/2 cups
2 quarts water
3 to 4 lbs of smoked ham hocks or shanks
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of diced onions (about 1 small onion)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 to 3 ribs)
2/3 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco sauce
Fresh parsley

Directions:

Soak the dry beans in hot water.  Fill a pot large enough to hold the beans with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the beans and soak the beans for about 2 hours. Drain the water.

Make the ham broth.  While the beans are soaking, put the ham shanks or ham hocks in a separate large pot and cover them with 2 quarts of water.  Add the herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning.  Heat on high heat until the water comes to a simmer, then lower the heat, partially cover and maintain the simmer for about 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours. Add water if needed.

Saute the onions.  Heat olive oil in a small saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more.

Add vegetables and beans to the ham broth.  Once the ham hocks or shanks have been simmering for an hour, add the drained soaked beans, the onions, garlic, and the chopped celery and carrots.  Cook for another 40  minutes or so, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft and the ham meat easily pulls away from the bone.  Remove the ham bones from the soup and pull off any meat and return it to the soup.  Discard the bones.

Season to taste.  Add several drops of Tabasco to taste.

Serve with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley.

Serves 8

Sausage and Kale Soup

Sausage and Kale Soup
Recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded
12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch half moons.

Directions:

In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium.  Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In a blender, puree half the soup.  Return to pot; add kale and sausage.  Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Spicy Chili

Slow-Cooker Spicy Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredder Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef.  Cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 7 minutes.  Drain and discard any excess grease.

Combine ground beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Garnish each serving with Cheddar cheese.

10 servings

Blueberry Scones

Blueberry Scones
Recipe by Nordic Ware

I make scones all the time by hand, so it was time that I tried making scones with a pan.  I bought the Nordic Ware Scone pan this weekend and made my first batch of scones this morning.   I am very pleased!  This pan is made of heavyweight cast aluminum.  It can be used to make scones or cornbread, and it's designed to cook your meal evenly and thoroughly.  It features a non-stick interior coating for easy release and clean up.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease scone pan and set aside.

Beat egg with buttermilk and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add butter, cutting with a pastry blender or rubbing with your fingers, until mixture resembles coars meal.

Lightly stir in blueberries and sugar. Stir in buttermilk mixture with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 times.  Separate dough into eight equal pieces and press into each cavity of the pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until medium brown.  Let cool 20 minutes in pan.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

8 scones

Nordic Ware Scone Pan

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Healthy Broccoli Salad

This reduced fat salad is great for a large gathering!

Ingredients:

2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green olives
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup reduced fat ranch dressing

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with reduced fat ranch dressing.

Refrigerate until serving.

Candy Cane Biscotti

Candy Cane Biscotti
Recipe submitted by David Gaimari

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes

Coating:

1 (14-ounce) package vanilla candy coating (almond bark)
2 drops red food color
1/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and sugar in bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed.  Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.  Stir in crushed candy.

Divide dough into fourths on lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands.  shape each into 9x1 1/2-inch logs.  Place logs 3 inches apart onto lightly greased large cookie sheet.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown.  Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.

Carefully remove logs to cutting surface.  Cut into 1/2-inch slices with sharp serrated knife.  (Discard ends). Arrange pieces on same cookie sheet, cut-side down.  Continue baking 12-14 minutes, turning once, or until cookies are lightly browned and crisp on both sides.  Remove to cooking rack; cool completely.

Place candy coating in 2-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes, or until melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in food color and peppermint flavoring.

Dip each biscotti half way into warm coating; shake off excess.  Place onto waxed paper.  Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Let set at room temperature until coating is hardened.

48 cookies

Pizza Soup

Pizza Soup
Recipe submitted by Lisa VanMansum

Lisa VanMansum writes, . . . I had a soup like this at the restaurant Paprika.  It was the perfect soup for a chilly day! Great warm, satisfying flavor and a snap to make.  Serve along with some chewy bread.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz)  sweet or hot Italian sausage - loose or remove casings.
1 yellow onion - diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 can of diced tomatoes, including juice
1 can chicken broth
1 can white Cannellini beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh basil - minced
Fresh Parmesan cheese - finely grated

Directions:

Using a large pot - brown sausage until fully cooked; drain off grease and remove from pan.  Saute onion, garlic and fennel seed, until onion is softened 3 - 4 minutes.  Add cooked sausage back into pot, along with diced tomatoes and chicken broth.  Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.  Add beans and fresh basil - just warm through for about 5 minutes.

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan on top of each serving.

Recipe submitted by Lisa VanMansum