Chorizo & Chick Pea Stew

1 pound fresh chorizo, casing removed
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup long grain rice

3 cups water

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon onion powder (or 1/2 onion, finely diced)

salt & pepper to taste

In a stock pot brown chorizo over medium heat, breaking apart sausage with a spoon. Once chorizo is browned, add all ingredients except for the garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil then simmer until rice is soft, approximately 30 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and simmer for 20 minutes.

Refrigerate for 24 hours. Reheat & serve.

Serves 8

Note: If you don't have 24 hours to refrigerate, after adding beans, simmer for 1 hour then serve. I've found that this dish tastes better the second day, after the beans have had time to soak up the flavors from the chorizo.

Brown Bean & Hot Dog Soup

3 tablespoons butter

4 hot dogs cut into 1/4 inch rounds

2 large carrots, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1 pound pinto beans, rinsed & soaked

2 bay leaves

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Worchestire sauce

3 ribs celery with leaves, chopped

1/4 tablespoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup light brown sugar

In a large stock pot saute hot dogs, carrots, celery and onion in butter until onion is translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until beans are soft.

Serves 8

Whichever Vegetable Soup

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

60 ounces chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons italian seasoning

salt

pepper

whichever vegetables are in the fridge or freezer

suggestions (and the way I prepared it)

1 small head cauliflower

1 cup baby carrots

2 small zucchini

1 parsnip (whole & remove when cooking is finished)

In a large pot saute onion, garlic & celery in olive oil until onion is translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add stock, canned tomatoes & spices and vegetables. Bring to a boil then simmer until vegetables are soft. Approximately 30 minutes more.

Tip: Add vegetables in the order of how long they take to cook, for example, cauliflower takes considerably longer than zucchini to cook.

Serves 8-10

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

4 large chicken breasts

2-10 ounce cans Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

1 onion, chopped

4 ribs celery, sliced

3 large carrots, sliced

2 small tubes or 1 large tube bisciuts (for example Pillsbury Grands)

40 ounces water

salt & pepper to taste

In a slow cooker combine all ingredients except for biscuts.

Cook on high for approximately 5 hours, or on low overnight. Once chicken can be broken with a spoon, shred chicken and return to slow cooker. Break biscuts up into small pieces and roll into balls, and add to slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately 30 minutes.

Serves 8.

Note: This recipe freezes really well, so I tend to make it in giant batches.

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons Sriracha

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 sprig fresh mint

1 onion finely sliced

1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks

3 ribs celery, grated

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups shredded carrots

4 tablespoons plum sauce

For Serving:

2 heads boston lettuce for making lettuce wraps

Fresh Mint

Shredded raw carrots

In a sauce pan combine all ingredients except for vegetables, lettuce & plum sauce. Bring liquid to a boil then cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, and add all vegetables to liquid. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, use 2 forks to shred chicken breasts. Return shredded chicken to pot with vegetables. Simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken vegetable mixture from pot, and combine with plum sauce in a serving bowl, coating chicken with sauce. Discard extra liquid in pot.

To assemble:

Top lettuce leaf with spoonful of chicken mixture, carrots & mint leaf.

Note: Plum sauce can be replaced with Duck sauce for a sweeter flavor.

Serves 8

Egg Drop Soup

60 ounces chicken stock, homemade or canned

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 zip lock sandwich bag

In a medium stock pot over medium-high heat combine all ingredients except for the eggs and bring to a boil. Lightly beat eggs, and transfer to a zip lock sandwich bag. Once liquid has boiled, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Cut a very small opening at the tip of the sandwich bag, and while slowly, continuously stirring soup, squeeze egg from the sandwich bag into the soup pot. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings