Fresh Garden Tomato Soup

Here is then general idea of what I did.  Unfortunately I did not measure anything.

About 4 cups of cherry, grape or Sunburst tomatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper
organic oregano
organic thyme
organic marjoram
organic summer savoy

Heat olive oil in saute pan.  Add tomatoes to pan.  Keep heating on high which will allow the tomatoes to blister and pop.  Using a potato masher, mash the tomatoes once they have plumbed up and some have begun to pop.  Add the minced garlic.   Stir in the herbs to taste.  Using a emulsifier blender, blend until smooth.  Serve warm.

When I made this, I froze the tomatoes once they were cooked as we were leaving out of town.  Today I reheated the tomatoes and then blended the soup to make it creamy.

Shredded Pork

1 pound boneless pork shoulder
1 tomato, rough chopped
1 small onion, cut into fourths
1 carrot. cut into 1 inch chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin seed OR 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in to a large stockpot with enough water to just cover.  Bring to a boil and reduce.  Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes until pork is tender.  Remove from broth.  Cool.  Shred when cooled.  If pork becomes dry add a little of the reserved liquid.
NOTE:  I use the other reserved liquid to make Rice-Lulu-Roni.  This meat can be used for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.  It freezes well too.  I put some of the reserved liquid into the meat when I freeze it so that it is not too dry when thawed.

Bombay Chicken

This is a very yummy dish but requires a considerable amount of taste testing along the way to acquire the taste that your family will enjoy.  Please read the entire recipe before beginning as I have personally screwed this recipe up more times than I care to tell you.  :)

3 T olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 pounds shrimp
1/2 c red onion (sweet yellow will also work)
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t slat
2 T fresh ginger root, minced
1/8 t chili powder or Tabasco sauce
1/8 t cayenne or 1/2 t paprika
1 t curry powder
1 c fresh tomatoes or peaches, chopped
1/2 c chicken broth, gluten free
1/4 c dry white wine or gluten free beer or apple cider vinegar
1/3 c milk
2 - 3 t cornstarch or arrowroot
Cooked rice or Coconut Rice


Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces.  Preheat cast iron skillet.  Add olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  Brown chicken pieces.  Remove from skillet. Cook onion for 3 minutes.   Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.  Return chicken to pan along with broth, salt, ginger, chili powder, cayenne, curry, peaches and wine.  Simmer covered for 15 minutes on low heat.   Combine milk and arrowroot in small cup making sure to remove all clumps of arrowroot.  Stir into chicken mixture while bringing it to a boil.  Thicken sauce which should take about 1 - 3 minutes.  Serve over rice with garnish.

Garnish:

2 green onions, chopped including green stems
1/4 c chopped almonds, cashews or peg almonds (salted peanuts work too although not as good)
1/4 c shredded coconut (toasted coconut is really yummy)

While chicken is cooking mix onions, nuts and coconut.  Allow ingredients to sit for at least 20 minutes.

NOTES:

(1)  If using shrimp, do not add it with the broth, salt, ginger, spices, peaches and wine as shrimp does not need as long to cook.  You will over cook it.  Add it after 10 minutes.  Also I marinade the shrimp in the mixture of the broth, salt, ginger, spices and wine.  When it is time to add this mixture, add the liquid and then add the shrimp after cooking the liquid for 10 minutes.


(2) To keep this recipe dairy free, gluten free and soy free the following substitutions are made:  gluten free chicken broth for regular chicken broth, rice or coconut milk or Mimicreme for the milk, AND arrowroot for the cornstarch. 

Mom's Lentil Soup

This recipe is compliments of my mother, Esther Ruth (Hostetler) Zook who would often make this in the fall when the Midwest weather would turn crisp and cold or would become cold and rainy. "Good soup day!" would be my mom's comment as she began to pull the ingredients out of the cupboards. I think of her every time I make this soup.

Mom's Lentil Soup


1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2 T olive oil
3 -4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
6 cups boiling, gf chicken broth
1 c lentils
1 pinch thyme
1 large can stewed tomatoes (minimum 14.5 ounces) *Personally I like to use Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because of the flavor that it adds to the soup.

Directions:

(1) Put chicken broth on to boil.
(2) Saute onion and garlic in oil.
(3) Add carrots and celery, saute 2-3 minutes more.
(4) Add chili powder, boiling chicken broth, lentils and thyme.
(5) Cook covered for 35 minutes.
(6) Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Make sure to use boiling water. This decreases that amount of time needed to cook the lentils.

Notes:

This is the basic recipe. There are many things that you can add to make even more yummier soups.

Crock pot Version:   Do NOT use hot water as this will quick cook the lentils.  Use room temperature water or chicken broth.  This should be done in about 4 hours in the crock pot on high.


Lentil and Lamb Stew
Add 1 - 2 cups lamb meat, cooked (Or ground beef, stew meat or sausage.  Even chicken apple sausage is good with this.)
Decrease the water by 2 cups
Add some oregano...Greek oregano if you have it


Today we added cooked chicken, leftover rice and some browned turkey meat. So yummy.


Enjoy!