Hearty 8-Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup pinto beans
  • ¼ cup black beans
  • ¼ cup kidney beans
  • ¼ cup black eyed peas
  • ¼ cup green split peas
  • ¼ cup barley
  • ¼ cup yellow split peas
  • ¼ cup lentils
  • 2 tbsp dried onion
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 32oz can stewed tomatoes
  • Optional
    • Hamburger
    • Diced vegetables

Directions

  1. Rinse & soak beans, peas, barley overnight (or microwave covered in water for 30 minutes)
  2. Drain water
  3. Bring 7 cups water, beans, and spices to a boil; cover and simmer for 2½ hours stirring occasionally
  4. Add stewed tomatoes and any optional ingredients; cook 30 minutes more. Add water as needed to keep beans covered.

Homemade Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 C potatoes chopped
  • 2 C water
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 C milk
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • ½ tap salt
  • 1 C cheese

Directions

  1. Combine potatoes, water, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
  2. In a separate pan melt butter.
  3. Add flour and salt to melted butter.
  4. Stir milk into butter mixture with wire whisk.
  5. Cook milk mixture on medium heat for 1½ minutes storing constantly.
  6. Add milk mixture to potato mixture.
  7. Add cheese and great to serving temperature.

Eggnog

Ingredients

  • 6 Eggs
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • ⅔ cup Sugar for yolks
  • 6 tbsp Sugar for whites
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla
  • 1 drop Lemon Extract?
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • Nutmeg (sprinkle on top at the end)

Directions

Separate the yolks and egg whites. Mix the yolks vigorously with the wire whisk for about a minute – they will turn much lighter yellow.
Whisk in ⅔ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla, whisking steadily. Add cinnamon, salt, and lemon extract while mixing then add 2 cups cream and 3 cups milk and whisk a bit more.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. (It will take ~3-5 minutes, even longer if you’re crazy enough to try whisking it by hand.

Add 6T sugar, one tablespoon at a time, as the mixer runs. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks, but still looks moist.

Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/cream mixture. (If you whisk them in all of that nice fluffiness will be lost.) Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Serve promptly.

Alternatively, you can mix up all the ingredients for rice pudding minus the rice to have a different spin on eggnog.

Wassail

Basic

  • ¾ gallon Apple juice
  • ¼ gallon Orange juice
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp cloves

Substitutes/Additions

  • Pineapple juice
  • Cranberry juice
  • Orange slices
  • Whole orange
  • Apple slices
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Whole cloves
  • Allspice
  • Nutmeg
  • Carmel sauce

Directions

Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors blend. Keep warm over very low heat to let the aroma fill the house.

Wassail allows for a good dose of personalization. Cinnamon sticks or whole cloves can be substituted. Some of the orange juice can be replaced with other juices. Other spices can be added as desired such as Allspice or Nutmeg. If using carmel sauce it should be added in individual cups at the end, not in the main pot.

One festive version which presents very well uses only 1 cup of orange juice, cinnamon sticks, allspice and whole cloves stuck into a whole orange floating in the wassail as it simmers for 60 minutes before adding carmel sauce to the individual servings.

Box-Free Macoroni & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried pasta
  • 3¼ cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp salt

Optional (any combination that sounds good to you)

  • dijon mustard
  • nutmeg
  • cayenne pepper

    Directions

    In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk.  Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.

    Turn heat off, add cheese and salt, then stir to combine.  Stir in any optional ingredients a little at a time, to taste. Cover and let stand for a couple of minutes, then stir again and serve.

    Homemade Cheese Sauce

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 3 cups milk
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 2½ tbsp. flour
    • 2 tbsp. butter

    DIRECTIONS

    In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick.

    Persian Zucchini Frittata

    This frittata, the time-stressed cook’s best friend, gets its flair from Middle Eastern touches. A little brown rice bulks it up to make it a stand-alone meal for two, and pomegranate seeds add pops of color, acidity and crunch. Serve with a green salad, if you’d like.

    INGREDIENTS

    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
    • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
    • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • Two 6-inch zucchini, coarsely grated
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¾ cup cooked brown rice
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
    • Pomegranate seeds (for garnish; optional)

    DIRECTIONS

    1. Preheat the oven to broil, and set an oven rack in the second-highest position.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the water and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
    3. Heat a 10-to-12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and pour in the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, 2 minutes.
    4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion browns, 6 minutes.
    5. Stir in the ginger, garlic and turmeric and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.
    6. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini (if using a 10-inch skillet, add just half of the zucchini), the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 3 minutes, and repeat if needed with the other half of the zucchini.
    7. Stir in the rice until well combined. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
    8. Spread the vegetable-rice mixture evenly in the skillet. Pour the eggs evenly over it. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
    9. Uncover and transfer the pan to the broiler. Broil the frittata until the top is lightly browned and puffed and the center is firm to the touch, about 3 minutes.
    10. Remove the frittata from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. (It will be puffy when it comes out but will deflate as it cools.)
    11. Garnish with the parsley and pomegranate seeds, if using. Cut it into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature

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