Cheesy Chorizo Soup

When we processed our hogs we got quite a bit of Chorizo sausage. I made a dish the other night with a pack but only used 2 so that left me with 2. I have been on a soup craze for the last week and tonight's creation may have trumped them all! Hubby could not get enough of it. Super simple but oh so good!

Cheesy Chorizo soup

1/2 lb chorizo sausage, casings removed
1/2 large onion
2 cloves garlic
5-6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. colby jack cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Place chorizo in a pan and fry while braking it up with a spoon. Drain well. Add onion and garlic and cook about 5 more minutes. Add potatoes and chicken stock and simmer until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese. Slowly stirring to melt. Add shredded cheese allowing to melt. Enjoy!

Baked Lamb Meatballs

My original plan was to have lamb burgers for supper tonight but hubby had a sandwich at lunch and most days he prefers not to eat bread that much in a day. So, with lamb already thawed I decided to make these meatballs. They were light and delicious and when served along side of roasted veggies fresh from the garden were a hit!

1 lb. ground lamb
1 large spring onion finely diced
1 egg
1/3 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp.salt
1 tsp. cumin
1-2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
 Mix all ingredients. form into 12 meatballs and place in a greased muffin pan. Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes.

Tonight's roasted veggie medley was beets, fresh onion, new potatoes and broccoli, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and topped with fresh thyme sprigs!

Squash Tots

Another zucchini recipe this week since our refrigerator runs over with it! These are quick, easy and delicious. Yellow squash works just as well.

Grate 2 medium zucchini in a bowl. Pat dry with a paper towel. Add about 1/4 cup of grated onion (or more to taste). Toss in a handful of Parmesan cheese, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well and put into 2 greased mini muffin pans. Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes or until nice and brown. Makes 24 tots.

Zucchini Bread

Haven't posted in a while but it's not because we aren't cooking around here. Summer is upon us and with that comes zucchini. Lots of zucchini! We have been eating it almost daily off the grill, in stir fries and today I made this bread. Slightly sweet and delicious, it will be a perfect snack or breakfast for the week.

                                                                          Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. white flour
2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. melted butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Grease 2 8 x 4 inch pans. preheat oven to 350*. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into pans and bake about an hour. Cool for 10 minutes and turn out of pans. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies

We are not gluten free around here but I had heard so much about using black beans instead of flour I just had to give it a try. Oh my! Awesome. And so easy! I used duck eggs because I have them and I love baking with them. However, regular work as well.

You will need:
1 15 oz. can of black beans rinsed and drained
3 duck eggs or 4 large chicken eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Toss all of these in a food processor or blender. I have a Vita-Mix and it mixed in a jiffy. Scrape down as needed and make sure well blended.
Then add:
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 /8 tsp salt
Blend it up and pour in a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I iced them with a cream cheese-peanut butter glaze. I didn't measure too much here but it was about 3 oz. cream cheese, a tbsp or so of vanilla extract, a big dollop of peanut butter whipped together and powdered sugar to taste, probably 1/2 cup or so. Spread on brownies while still warm. Store tightly wrapped in the fridge. Enjoy!

Kamut Banana Muffins

My oldest son dropped a huge bag of over ripe bananas yesterday. Today was a nasty,cold, rainy day so I spent a few hours turning those bananas into yummy goods. Of course, the first was a loaf of bread but the second was an experimental muffin.
A few days ago I had mistakenly ground some kamut flour and had tucked it in the fridge thinking I might make pancakes this weekend but after tasting the first batch of these muffins I made 3 more to freeze and share. They are awesome. Hope you think so as well!  

2 cups kamut flour
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted
2-3 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients until moistened. Divide evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes.
The last two batches I sprinkled with a small amount of cinnamon and sugar. Oh my! Even better-

Easy Beef and Broccoli

This is so easy and so delicious! Because cube steak is always plentiful around here it is what I use. If the steak seems a bit tough I just pound it with a mallet before marinating.

You will need:
1 - 1 1/2  lb. cube steak cut into bite size pieces
6 cups of broccoli florets
Cooked rice

Marinate meat for about an hour in:
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. oil

For the sauce mix together:
3/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. water or beef stock

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add broccoli and saute for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan. Add meat and half the sauce and cook until done. Add broccoli and the rest of the sauce cook a couple more minutes. Serve over rice.
(If you find the sauce too salty you may use half soy sauce and half beef broth.)

Homemade Rotel

We rarely ever use store bought canned goods. One of the few is Rotel tomatoes. One day, pondering why I couldn't make my own, I called my sister and said read me the Rotel label. Very simply it said tomatoes, peppers and salt. So after perusing the Internet and checking a few recipes, I came up with this one. Some had way too much sugar and others had unnecessary ingredients. Of course, once made, it had to be family tested. Success! Enjoy~

10 lbs. tomatoes, cored, peeled and diced
1 large bell pepper, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
4 jalapenos w/ seeds, finely diced
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. vinegar
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together and simmer for 30 minutes. Fill sterilized jars with mixture . I used jelly jars- closer to the store bought size. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Super Simple Fruit Cobbler

Lots of fruit and berries to be enjoyed this time of year. Here on the homestead we are picking blueberries daily. Our neighbor is harvesting gallons of blackberries. Today, Mom gifted me with some local peaches. Dessert tonight will be this yummy super, simple cobbler made with blueberries and peaches. Use any fruit you have and any combination that sounds good.

1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
1- 1 1/2 quarts fruit

Place butter in a 13x 9 inch pan. Melt in a 350* oven. Meanwhile mix batter and prepare fruit. When butter has melted pour batter over top of butter. Lay fruit on top. Return to oven and bake 45 minutes or deep brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

It's blueberry picking time here on the homestead. That means it is also time for homemade muffins chocked full of fresh tasty berries! These muffins are very moist and dense. Let cool completely before removing from pan. If there are any leftover, wrap individually in saran wrap, toss in the freezer for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.

Rinse 2 cups fresh blueberries. Drain well and toss with 2 tbsp. flour. Set aside. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Preheat oven to 350*.

Blueberry Muffins:
Stir together:
2 rounded cups of flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
Add:
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk
Mix by hand. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly between cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture if desired. Bake for 25 minutes or until brown and firm to the touch. Enjoy!

Garlic Scape Pesto

I harvested lots of garlic scapes today. For supper tonight I made a pesto and tossed it with pasta that will serve to be a bed for the lovely piece of grouper that I picked up at our local fish store today.

To make the pesto you will need:
1/2 cup of scapes diced
1/2 cup walnut pieces
a large handful of Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
olive oil
Toss all ingredients in a blender except olive oil. Blend and scrape down several times. Scapes can be a bit stringy, so do this several times to ensure a nice texture. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a creamy pesto.

I also harvested the first of our spring onions. With these I made a spring onion relish to top the grouper we grilled. I sliced onions, sauteed in a bit of butter, salt, pepper and some fresh thyme.

To grill the fish lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook to desired degree of doneness, top with spring onion relish and a slice of aged white cheddar or farmer's cheese. Close grill lid and allow cheese to melt. Serve over top of pasta tossed with garlic scape pesto. Enjoy!

The "Chicken " Dish

I am not real sure what to call this. I tossed it together from on hand ingredients a couple of weeks ago when Luke was in from school and when he came back this week he requested it again! I kinda crossed my eyes and he said... Don't tell me you didn't write it down! Truth be known I didn't but I kinda remembered what I did and this time wrote it down. It was rich and creamy, a wonderful "comfort" food!

2 large chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian herbs
2 -3 cups mushrooms, sliced or cubed
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp.flour
2 cups milk or cream
1 cup canned tomatoes
2-3 cups torn spinach
2 cups cooked pasta ( I used bow tie)
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese

Saute chicken in a pan with olive oil and butter. Remove. Toss in mushrooms and onion. Saute until soft. Add garlic cook a minute or so more. Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk or cream. When mixture begins to thicken add chicken and tomatoes. Continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add spinach and allow to wilt. If dish gets too thick add more milk, too thin add a bit of a flour sludge (water, flour mixed together). Toss in a couple of large hand fulls of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Fold in pasta. Serve with a salad and french bread. Enjoy!

Homemade Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Luke is home this weekend and he requested his favorite breakfast, biscuits and gravy. No need to go to a fast food restaurant when you can have this whipped in in 30 minutes. I call that fast food!

Homemade Biscuits:
2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
1/3 c.cold butter
buttermilk
Cut butter into dry ingredients. Add enough buttermilk to hold together. A cup or so.( I like my biscuits on the wetter side.) Pat out on a floured  board. Don't knead or your biscuits will be tough. Cut out and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400* until nice and brown. 20-25 minutes.
While the biscuits are baking, brown sausage in a pan. If  sausage is fatty, drain off fat. Slowly add about 1/4 c. of flour and stir well to coat sausage. Cook for a minute or so. Slowly add a couple of cups of milk. Cook over low heat until thick. Add a couple of heavy dashes of  
Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper to taste.

Luke's plate....

Homemade English Muffins

These were very easy and delicious! They froze very well. I just pull out a couple and reheat in a low temp oven while preparing breakfast or split and toast.

4 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. yeast
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp. butter
1 2/3 c. milk , scalded
Cornmeal for dusting
Scald milk. Stir in butter, salt and honey. Let cool to 105*. In a bowl with a dough hook, Place whole wheat flour, 2 cups white flour, yeast, egg and milk mixture. Stir to combine. Slowly add remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides. Knead for 5 minutes .Cover and let rise an hour or so, until doubled. Turn dough onto floured board and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. (Any thicker and they won't cook all the way through before burning.) Cut out circles using a three inch biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Let rest 20 minutes. Heat a cast iron skillet over low heat. Cook a few muffins at a time for 5-7 minutes on each side. Watch carefully and don't allow to burn. Enjoy! Makes about 18.

Turnip Slaw

Lots of turnips are still coming out of the garden. Carrots are quite plentiful as well. Tonight's homestead meal is baked chicken with turnip slaw and baked sweet potatoes.

You will need:
2 or 3 large turnips
2 large carrots
purple onion
mayonnaise
fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

To make the slaw I used a mandolin to make fine julienne strips out of the turnip and carrots. To that I added a couple of tablespoons of purple onion, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and some fresh parsley. Toss and enjoy!

Goat Tenderloin

Well, we said our New Year's resolution was to eat from our pantry and freezer and spend little to nothing at the grocery store! Looks like we are off to a good start. Tonight's homestead meal is a roasted goat tenderloin, kale risotto and fresh carrot sticks.

 The tenderloin was whole so I cut it in half. I placed thinly sliced garlic cloves in the fold of the meat. Then I drizzled it with olive oil and a heavy sprinkle of Greek seasoning. I placed it in the fridge for an hour or so to marinate. I baked it at 350 for about 40 minutes.Goat has a very pork like flavor and it can be eaten on the rare side like lamb.

Turnip Au Gratin

Lots of delicious turnips are being harvested now. Wanting something a little different, I created this recipe for turnip au gratin. It is fantastic!
Thinly slice turnips. I used a mandolin.

Layer turnips in a baking dish, overlapping a bit. Next lay slices of cheese. I use swiss and think the flavor is great, but use what you have (and like.)

Repeat with turnips and cheese, ending with turnips. Next make a white sauce
Melt 3 tbsp. butter. Whisk in about 3 tbsp. flour until smooth and cook for a couple of minutes. Slowly stir in about 1- 1 1/2 cups of milk. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until thick and bubbly. Pour over turnips. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350* for about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Mini Blue Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Tonight's homestead meal is mini meatloaves stuffed with blue cheese, roasted potatoes and a salad fresh from the garden. The blue cheese was the only store purchased item on the menu.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 small onion
1 large clove garlic
1 large handful of kale~ spinach would work too, but kale is what we have right now
2 tbsp. minced parsley
4 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled
Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft, Add kale and cook until wilted. Let cool. In a bowl combine all ingredients.

 Shape into 4 mini meatloaves. In the center of each meatloaf make a hole. Fill each hole with cheese and carefully close meat back around it.

 Drizzle with ketchup if desired. Bake 350* about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

The boys are so used to eating these they won't eat cookies from white flour. This is an everything but the kitchen sink cookie. Feel free to add or take away ingredients that you don't care for but do use the whole wheat flour!!

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 sugar
3/4 brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups oatmeal, we prefer old fashioned, not instant
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts, any kind
1 package dark chocolate chips

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and blend. Add dry ingredients and vanilla. Mix in nuts, raisins and chips. Bake at 350* 10-12 minutes.

Grilled Vegetable Soup

As a side the other night I made grilled veggie skewers to toss on the grill.  They were made with the last of the garden vegetables that we are still harvesting. Red and yellow bell peppers, onions and okra along with some small eggplant and zucchini from a local market. Tossed with olive oil and a variety of herbs they were quite tasty. However, we did not finish them all and I had about a quart of veggies left. I am not big on these reheated so I pondered what to do with them. I hate to waste anything! Today they became an awesome soup.
I put all the vegetables in my vita mix blender along with some leftover chicken stock, about 2 cups, just enough to make a smooth creamy soup. I then transferred the soup to a pot, added about 1/2 cup of half 'n half and heated gently. Once nice and warm I topped with fresh basil and a handful of cheese. The soup was absolutely wonderful with a smokey depth from the grilling. I am sure this would be really good with roasted veggies as well.  Maybe beets, carrots and rutabaga? Topped with goat cheese...yum.