Cooking With Rick

Chicken soup is one of my favorite recipes and one of my favorite ones to eat. It’s simple to make, it tastes good, and it’s good for you. And the ingredients are inexpensive. What’s not to like?

This recipe is flexible, accepts a number of different ingredients, and still turns out well. For instance, the vegetables can be fresh or frozen, you can choose between potatoes or beans – you can choose between white beans, black beans, or chickpeas, and you can opt for uncooked wide noodles, long-grain rice, or barley.

I like lots of vegetables and chicken, so my soup sometimes turns into a stew, which can be nice, too.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 pound of vegetables

32 ounces chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 14 ounce can of beans (white beans, black beans, or chickpeas) / or three potatoes diced

1/3 cup barley / or 4 ounces wide egg noodles / or 1/2 cup long grain rice

4 chicken thighs (or 2 thighs and 2 legs)

Ground black pepper & salt to taste

Directions

1) Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

2) Chop and cook the onion for two minutes until softened.

3) Add a pound of assorted diced vegetables to the pot.

4) Cover the vegetables with broth.

5) Add the diced tomatoes and beans, stir and cover with broth.

6) Mix in the barley.

7) Add the chicken and cover with broth.

Turn the heat down to halfway, and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes.

9) Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, and remove the meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones.

10) Return the chicken to the pot, and let it simmer another 15 minutes.

I’ve always liked a roast with a lot of potatoes and carrots and onions. It never seems like there is quite enough. When I make this roast, I use a lot. I like this recipe also because of the dijon mustard, horseradish, and garlic; there’s a lot of taste to be had here. The wine, too, adds a lot to the taste. I use an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvingnon.

There is a little bit of prep for this recipe, but it’s not horrible. Just some peeling and dicing the potatoes and carrots, cutting up the onions and celery, and slathering the roast with Dijon mustard and horseradish, and sprinkling Panko bread crumbs. Easy-peasy.

Ingredients
Beef Chuck or Pot Roast, 2-3 pounds
3 cloves of garlic
Dijon mustard
Horseradish
4 large potatoes
1 pound of carrots
3 medium-size sweet onions
2 celery stalks
1/2 bottle red wine (Cabernet Sauvingnon)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2) Cut about 16 thin slices from garlic,  cut an equal amount of slices in the roast about 1/2 inches deep, and put the garlic slices in the slits.

3) Cover the top and sides of the roast with Dijon mustard. Do the same with the horseradish. Sprinkle the top with the Panko breadcrumbs.

4) Spray the pan with cooking spray, put the roast inside, and cook uncovered for 25 minutes.

5) While the roast is cooking, peel the potatoes and carrots, and dice into one inch pieces. Peel and quarter the onions, and cut each in half. Wash and cut the celery into 1/2 inch pieces.

6) Pull the roast from the oven after 25 minutes, add the vegetables to the pan distributing evenly, add the wine, and cover the roast.

7) Set the temperature at 375 degrees, and return the roast to the oven to cook for 2 hours.

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Finely grate potatoes with onion into a large bowl. Drain off any excess liquid.
2. Mix in egg, salt, and black pepper. Add enough flour to make mixture thick, about 2 to 4 tablespoons all together.
3. Turn oven to low, about 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
4. Heat 1/4 inch oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Drop two or three 1/4 cup mounds into hot oil, and flatten to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plates to drain, and keep warm in low oven until serving time. Repeat until all potato mixture is used.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cubed or shredded cheese
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) In a bowl, mix turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan and top with the barbecue sauce.

3) Bake for 1 hour until the meat loaf reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees (85 degrees centigrade)

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
1 (15 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 fresh medium jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 small onion, cut into small dice
1/2 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions
1) Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate two hours or up to two days. Before serving, adjust seasonings to taste, adding extra vinegar, salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Ingredients

2 cup flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cubed
2 cup medium cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup milk
2 tbsp salted butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper then set it aside.

2) In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Mix in the cheese and green onion.

3) Add half of the milk at first then, after that’s mixed in, add a little bit more milk at a time making sure not to make the dough too wet and sticky since you may or may not need all the milk. The consistency should be that of a soft dough.

4) Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it 10 – 12 times until it’s smooth and not crumbly. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a rectangular log 9 inches long. With a sharp knife cut 6 squares out of each log of dough and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet making sure to leave enough room for them to double in size.

5) Bake for 10 minutes then, just before they’re done baking, mix the melted butter and garlic powder and brush it on top of each biscuit. Bake them for 1 – 2 minutes more until they’re golden brown. Serve them hot or cooled.

This is a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of BBQ sauce. Just mix a cup of catsup, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and three or four splashes of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of cider vinegar, and couple of dashes of hot sauce.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 can hot chili beans
1 can lima beans
1 can green beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can tomato soup
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Open Pit barbecue sauce

Directions (for slow cooker)

1) Cook and drain sausage.
2) Add beans, soup,  tomato sauce, brown sugar, and barbeque sauce to slow cooker.
3) When sausage is drained, add to slow cooker. Combine thoroughly.
4) Cook on high setting for 4-5 hours.

Directions (for casserole)

1) Cook and drain sausage. Put in large bowl
2) Add beans, soup,  tomato sauce, brown sugar, and barbeque sauce to slow cooker.
3) Combine thoroughly and transfer to 9×13 baking dish.
4) Bake at 400 degrees for one and a half  hours.