African Peanut Stew

1 tsp extra-virgin olive

1 sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, if desired, and diced (optional)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces

1 x 793g can diced tomatoes, with their juices

Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

85g natural peanut butter

1l vegetable broth, plus more as needed

1½ tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 x 425g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 handfuls baby spinach or destemmed, torn kale leaves

Fresh coriander or parsley leaves, for serving

Roasted peanuts, for serving

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add the bell pepper, jalapeno (if using), sweet potato, and tomatoes with their juices. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and 250ml of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir the mixture into the vegetables along with the remaining 750ml broth, chilli powder, and the cayenne (if using).

Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork-tender.

Stir in the chickpeas and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with coriander or parsley and roasted peanuts.

Comments: Have some leftover cooked rice? This soup is fabulous with some stirred in.

Stew

3 lbs meat (beef or venison), cubed, floured

Salt & Pepper      3 T. Olive oil

1 tsp. thyme      1 tsp. rosemary

2 cups beef broth      1 cup red wine

2 medium onions, quartered

6 carrots, cut in 1’ pieces

4 potatoes, cut in chunks

3 cloves garlic, minced

20 button mushrooms

2 T. butter

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. lemon juice

Directions: Dust the meat with flour, salt and pepper. In a hot skillet, heat the oil

and brown the meat. Transfer it to a large pot with the herbs, broth, and wine. Cover

and simmer for 2 hours or until fork tender. In a skillet, sauté onion, carrots,

potatoes, and garlic. Add them to the pot. Simmer for 40 minutes. Brown the

mushrooms in better, add them to the stew, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the

lemon juice and brown sugar, and remove from the heat.

If desire a thicker gravy, stir in a flour/milk mixture to thicken before serving. Serve

with warm bread.

Comment: Fantastic stew. Eric’s favorite.

Chicken & Noodle Dumplings

10-12 cups water

1 whole chicken, cut up with bones

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 bay leaves

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

6 parsley leaves, chopped

1 T. lemon juice

Dumplings

2 ½ cups flour                     1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 T. baking powder             1 cup + 2T. milk                        

Directions:  Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the chicken, ensuring that the chicken is fully covered.  Add salt, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley to the pot.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours.  The liquid will reduce by one-third.

When the chicken has cooked, remove from stock.  Debone.  Try to keep chicken in larger pieces and return to stock.  Add lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Begin dumplings.  Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in a medium bowl.  Stir well until smooth.  Sometimes needs more flour.  Let the dough rest 10 minutes.  Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about ½” thickness.

Cut the dough into small squares (use pizza cutter) or use a biscuit cookie cutter for small round dumplings.  Drop the dough into the simmer stock.  Use all of the dough.  Dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock.  Simmer for 30 minutes until thick. Stir often.  Remove bay leaves.  Serve.

Comment:  From Cracker Barrel.  If you want thicker stock, add milk/flour combination to the broth ..

Lobster Bisque

6 ½ oz. lobster meat

1/3 cup sherry

¼ cup butter

3 T. flour

3 cups milk (at least 2%)

1 tsp. steak sauce

Dash seasoned salt

Dash salt

Dash pepper

Directions:  Separate meat into small pieces, put in bowl and cover with sherry.  Let 

stand for 20 minutes.  In top part of double boiler, over simmering water, melt butter.  

Blend in flour.  Gradually add milk and cook, stirring until thick.  Season with steak 

sauce, seasoned salt, salt, and pepper.  Add soaked lobster with sherry.  Simmer 

covered for 10 minutes.

Comment:

Baked Potato Soup

2 T. butter ½ large onion, chopped

5 baking potatoes 1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup flour 6 cups 2% or whole milk

1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

¾ cup chopped green onions

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions:  Bake potatoes.  Cool. Peel potatoes, coarsely mash.

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add flour 

into the vegetables; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook 

over medium heat until think and bubbly. Add mashed potatoes, ¾ cup cheese, salt 

and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and ½ 

cup green onions.  Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated; do not 

boil. Garnish with remaining green onions and crumbled bacon.

Comment:  This soup is also good with chunks of ham. Add diced ham to heat with 

sautéing onions and garlic. If adding ham, eliminate addition of 1 tsp. salt. 

Great winter soup…heart attack in a bowl!