Kristen's Recipes

9 cups well-flavored chicken broth
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 C. fine dry bread crumbs (Use freshly made bread crumbs for best results)
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 lemon, zested and juiced (optional)
3 large eggs
1 T. minced fresh marjoram
2 tsp. minced fresh oregano

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a slow boil. In a bowl, combine 1 C. of the Parmesan cheese, the bread crumbs, nutmeg and lemon zest and juice and make a well in the center. Add the eggs to the well and slowly incorporate into the dry ingredients, until it comes together and resembles cooked polenta. (If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more grated cheese and bread crumbs.) Transfer the cheese mixture to a food mill or ricer fitted with the large die. Hold the food mill as high above the steaming broth as possible, and turn the handle so that the Parmesan mixture is forced through the mill into the slowly boiling broth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and top each with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and the remaining grated cheese. Serve immediately.

To make dumplings instead of noodles: Scoop up a lump of the dough and roll it into a small ball. Place the dumplings as you make them on a plate that has been sprayed with Pam. Drop the dumplings into gently boiling water. The dumplings will drop to the bottom of the pan and rise to the top when they are done. If any of the dumplings stick to the bottom of the pan, gently nudging with a butter knife will let them rise. Cook about 1-2 minutes, and then scoop out with a strainer. Place dumplings in bowls and ladle hot broth over them. Sprinkle with minced herbs and more parmesan.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
Celery Bunch
3 large white onions, peeled and halved
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
8 cups water
2 cubes vegetable bouillon

In a large saucepan or soup kettle over medium-low heat, place the olive oil, leeks, celery, onions, fennel, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook and stir until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften, about 10 minutes. Pour 8 cups of water over the vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and drop in the vegetable bouillon cubes. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the cubes, until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes have begun to thicken the soup, about 30 minutes.

2 T. butter
1 C chopped yellow onion
1/2 C chopped celery
2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
4 C chicken broth
4 ears white or yellow corn on the cob
1/2 C half-and-half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 10.75oz can cream of celery soup
1/4 C chopped red bell pepper

In a heavy-bottomed 4qt stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and potatoes and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and boil the vegetables over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft. Meanwhile, cut the corn from the cob with a sharp knife; place each corn cob in the middle of a large bowl to catch the kernels and juice. Add the corn to the soup and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the half-and-half, salt, pepper and the cream of celery soup. Stir well to combine. Simmer until hot Serve immediately. Garnish with the bell pepper.

2 T. Butter
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp. Salt
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 pound mushrooms, roughly sliced or chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
6 cups mushroom stock – recipe follows
2 slices bread, any kind
1/2 C. light cream
Pepper
Chopped chives, parsley, or tarragon, sliced sautéed mushrooms for garnish

Heat the butter in a soup pot until it foams; then add the onion and salt. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes to soften the onion, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, parsley, and cook 2 minutes more. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and reduce it for another 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stew them with the onion over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, giving them a stir partway through the cooking. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bread, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the soup cool slightly; then either briefly puree it in a blender, leaving small pieces of mushroom, or puree it longer, making a smooth, creamy soup. Heat the soup again and stir in the cream. Taste it and season with more salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the fresh herbs or crème fraîche in each bowl. I saute some sliced fresh mushrooms and add them to the soup just before serving.

Wild Mushroom Stock

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1-1/2 Tbsp. Olive oil
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped (optional)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 C. leek greens, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces (optional)
4-6 thyme branches or 1/4 tsp. Dried thyme
2 bay leaves
6 branches parsley, roughly chopped
3 sage leaves or large pinch dried sage
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. Salt
9 cups cold water

Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 C. hot water and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, add the vegetables, herbs, garlic, salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Next add the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid plus the 9 cups cold water, and bring to a boil; then simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. Use it as is or return it the stove and reduce it further to intensify the flavor as much as desired. Generally it takes about 15 minutes at a slow boil to reduce the volume of liquid by 1 cup.

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2½ cups half and half (half and half is a half cream, half milk mixture found next to the heavy cream)
2½ cups milk
1 Tablespoon chicken base, or two chicken bouillon cubes crushed
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken (cooked chicken breast will work)
½ cup cooked and chopped bacon
1 cup cubed ham
2 cups grated Swiss cheese

In a large sauce pan melt butter and then add the flour to make a roux. Cook for about a minute. Add the half and half, milk and the chicken base. Heat for a few minutes and then add the cream cheese. While continuously stirring, bring to a boil and add chicken, bacon. and ham. Take off heat and stir in Swiss cheese. Bring back to the stove on low heat and stir until cheese is melted.

2 T. sesame seed
2 tsp. salad oil
1/2 lb. ground lean turkey or ground lean pork
1/4 C. finely chopped sour pickles (cornichons or dills)
Peanut sauce (recipe follows)
6 C. fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 package (8 to 9 oz.) fresh fettuccine
2 C. chopped green onions (including green tops)
1/4 C. finely chopped roasted, salted peanuts
Thin green onion slivers, including tops (optional)

In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir sesame seed until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. Add oil and ground turkey to pan; stir over high heat until meat is crumbled and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Mix pickles and peanut sauce with meat; add broth and cover pan. When mixture is boiling, uncover, add fettuccine, and stir to separate pasta; when boil resumes, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender to bite, about 3 minutes total. Stir in chopped green onions. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with sesame seed, peanuts, and green onion slivers. Eat with chopsticks or a fork and spoon.

Peanut sauce: In a bowl, stir to blend 3 T. each peanut butter, soy sauce, Asian (toasted) sesame oil, and sugar; 2 T. rice vinegar; and 1 tsp. (or to taste) hot chili flakes.

1/4 C. (1/8 lb.) butter
1 C. minced white onion
1 C. diced (about 1/4 in.) celery
1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and minced
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 red thin-skinned potato (about 8 oz.), peeled and diced
3 C. fat-skinned chicken broth
1 pint half-and-half
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Salt
Bacon, Croutons or Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

In a 4- to 6-quart pan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery, and garlic and stir frequently until vegetables are very soft but not brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add diced potato and chicken broth and stir over medium-high heat until boiling; reduce heat and simmer until potato pieces are very tender when pierced, about 20 minutes. Add the half-and-half and stir until hot. Add white pepper and salt to taste.

4 tsp. olive oil
2 pounds bottom round beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (12 oz.) bottle dark beer
2 tsp. finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 large red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 poblano, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. seeded and chopped habanero
1 Thai bird chile, seeded and chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. chipotle pepper puree
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
1 tsp. pasilla chile powder
1 tsp. cascabel chile powder
1 tsp. New Mexican chile powder
5 C. homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
1 (16-oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained and pureed
2 tsp. maple syrup, or more, to taste
Toasted Cumin Crema, recipe follows

Heat 3 tsp. the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and sauté until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with the cumin and stir well. Deglaze the pan with the beer and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate and cook until beer is almost completely reduced. In a separate pot, add 1 tsp. the oil and add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the poblano, habanero, Thai bird, jand alapeno peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle puree, ancho powder, pasilla powder, cascabel and New Mexican chile powders and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Puree with an immersion blender. Add the beef mixture back to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 1 hour, or until thick and beef is tender. Remove from the heat, add the maple syrup, and adjust seasonings. Serve with a dollop of Toasted Cumin Crema.

Toasted Cumin Crema:

1 tsp. cumin seed 1 C. Mexican crema or creme fraiche Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the cumin in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in a small bowl. Stir in the crema and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle.