My Chicken Soup kosher chicken pullet water to cover 8-10 carrots -- sliced thin 2 leeks -- white part only 1 large onion 2 turnip 2 parsnip kosher salt and pepper -- to taste 3 celery ribs 2 shallots bunch of fresh Italian parsley bunch of fresh dill Peel and wash the vegetables. Rinse and clean the chickens. Put the chickens in a stock pot with the vegetables, and add enough cold water to cover it all. Bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the top. Lower the heat to medium. Keep it on medium for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer soup for three hours or more on low heat. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the soup. Keep the carrots and chicken meat. Discard the other vegetables. Pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer. Put the carrots and chicken in a separate container. Skim the fat when it cools. To serve, heat the soup with the carrots and chicken and add egg noodles or matzo balls. This soup freezes well. ========================================= Sausage Lentil Soup (Stephanie's) 1/4 cup olive oil 4 ounces prosciutto, cut into tiny cubes 6 sweet Italian sausage, casings removed then broken into small pieces 1 large Spanish onion, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced, 3 celery ribs, chopped 3 large carrots, peeled then chopped 1 red pepper, diced 1 green pepper, diced 2 1/2 cups mixed red and green lentils 10 cups chicken broth 2 cups tomato puree 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste) 3 drops Tabasco sauce (to taste) 20 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped Salt and pepper In a 5-quart pot, heat the oil, and then add the proscuitto and sausage. Cook over medium heat until well browned. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots and peppers. Stir well to combine, then lower heat and allow vegetables to cook until onions are tender and translucent. Add the lentils, broth, tomato puree, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, paprika, cayenne and Tabasco. Bring contents of the pot to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender. Add the parsley, season well with salt and pepper. ======================================================= This is really delicious, I froze it without adding the cream. Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence -- posted by Maggie 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes) 6 cloves garlic, peeled 2 small yellow onions, sliced Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 quart chicken stock 2 bay leaves 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third. Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream. ============================================= Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Marilyn's??) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion; chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 4 corn tortillas (regular or fried) 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies 4 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese(optional) 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro juice from 1/2 fresh lime 1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa Sour cream for garnish Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot. Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. MY NOTES : I didn't use tumeric or cilantro, I didn't have any. I used frozen roasted corn kernels, Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies. and fresh corn tortilla from Trader Joe's.

C&Ped the recipe: Apple Crisp Recipe This recipe was taken from The Vegetarian Epicure, with revisions by Megan Curtes (2005). 2 lbs tart green apples (or Macintosh), about 5 to 5 1/2 cups sliced 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup flour (1/2 c white flour, 1/4 c whole wheat flour) 1/2 cup butter  Peel apples and slice thinly. Put them in shallow 1-quart casserole dish and sprinkle with water and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Put dish aside and prepare crust. Sift together dry ingredients and cut them into the butter until well combined. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the apples. (DonÂt mix together.) Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, then uncover and bake about another 1/2 hour. The crust will be crisp on top and seep down through the apples slightly binding them together. Serve hot or cold, alone or with vanilla ice cream, half & half, or milk!  This is a deliciously warm Fall favorite, especially when paired with a visit to your local orchard, farm, or co-op! Thomas, Anna. (1972). The Vegetarian Epicure. New York, NY. Vintage Books.  Â

Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't been here in a while! Work has been keeping me busy! Yes!...you will be keeping me busy, but I'm more than happy to share recipes. I'll write recipes bit by bit so that you guys don't get completely inundated with recipes all over the page!! I actually don't make my own garam masala...I find it too be too much extra work! (so sue me I'm lazy!!)...but here is a good recipe you can use.. Garam Masala Cumin Seeds - 7 tablespoons Cardamom - 3 1/2 tablespoons Black Pepper - 3 1/2 tablespoons Fennel (Saunf) Seeds - 2 tablespoons Black Cumin Seeds - 2 tablespoons Coriander Seeds - 2 tablespoons Cloves - 1 tablespoon 1" cinnamon stick Bay Leaf - 1 tablespoon, crushed...about 2 leaves Ginger Powder - 3/4 tablespoon (crushed dry root) Mace - 1 tablespoon Nutmegs - 2 (broken) Procedure Dry grind all ingredients except (if using) powdered ginger. Do not roast. Mix in the ginger powder well. Store as general. Makes: 1 1/2 Cups. Hope this helps guys! I think if you were to use garam masala bought in the Indian grocery stores, it would be just as authentic and would save you gobs of time! I'll be writing more recipes later! Next...aloo mattar...by the way, do you want these recipes to be vegan? or lacto-vegetarian...I can give substitutes for dairy for those who are vegan! Happy eating for now!! Savita

Ellendi, I've thought about your vegetarian gravy and here's what I would do. I used to use the Better Than Bouillon bases, but had to stop because they began to taste too salty for me. I'm so used to barely using any salt that most purchased things like soups, sauces, gravies, and bouillon taste bitterly salty to me now. Mind you I used to like BTB! I'd make my own stock by simmering onions, garlic, carrots, celery (including leaves), fresh parsley , sage, and thyme in a pot of water. S&P at this time to your taste. In a skillet, heat some veggie oil, not olive oil, and saute chopped onions until caramelized, set aside. If using dried oyster mushrooms , reconstitute and chop. Slice cremini and saute the mushrooms until they give up their liquid. Adding a tiny bit of soy sauce imparts a very rich flavor. Combine the onions and mushrooms in the pan, add flour to make a darkish roux. Strain your homemade stock. You could use a hand blender to mash them and incorporate that into your gravy or not. Anyway, add the stock to the roux to make your thickened gravy. Simmer until fully cooked. I've never made this, but I'll betcha that it will be deelicious! What do you think?