Top Five Foodie Reasons to Love Winter

Freezing temperatures have returned to the coastal plains of Texas. A rather strange twist, considering I just saw my first bluebonnets on Friday.

But since I appreciate the cold weather, and wither at the thought of summer being just on the horizon, I thought I would celebrate some of my favorite cold weather dishes. Simply click on the names for the recipes.

At the top of my cold-weather comfort food list would be Chicken and Dumplings.

My girls' great grandmother shared this recipe with me when I was a young bride. Not only was it the first homemade chicken and dumplings I'd ever had, it was the first time I'd had dumplings that weren't giant Bisquick biscuits. It was love at first bite. Ever since then, it's been my first go-to whenever cold weather sets in.

Next on my list would be Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

I think this picture pretty much says it all.

Number three has to be good old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup.

Loaded with chicken and veggies, not to mention legendary healing properties, this soup is a delicious treat on any cold day.

Another chart-topper would be Beef Stew.

This is a sorry picture, but the meal is to die for. A bowl of hot beef stew with a slice (or two) of fresh-baked bread... That's the stuff dreams are made of.

Last, but definitely not least, is Southwest Chicken Soup.

This soup is not only flavorful, it's a crockpot meal, meaning you can toss everything together in the morning and work or play right up until dinnertime. 

As I said at the beginning of my post, we are having a late-winter freeze here in Texas. The good thing is that it never lasts for long. We'll be back in the 70s by this weekend and next week we're planning to plant our spring flowers. I know that's hard to imagine when you're still looking at piles of snow. But spring will come.

In the meantime, what are some of your favorite cold-weather meals?

Three-time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com. 

Chicken and Dumplings

Mindy here with a bit of a headache. You see, I've been banging my head against the wall, trying to decide what to share with y'all today. I didn't even have any cool pictures I could share. I finally came up with something, however, I knew I'd shared it before, so I searched the archives to discover that not only had I, indeed, shared this favored recipe with you before, it was my very first post here at the Yankee-Belle Café, six years ago this week. Hard to believe I've been here this long. I thought for sure Ruthy and Missy would get sick of me and kick me out after a couple of months. But here I am. So rather than rework my original post, I thought I'd leave it intact. Just for fun.

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Happy Tuesday, Yankee-Belle faithfuls. Well, the Yank and the Belle have gone and done it now. They've given this Texan--aka Mindy Obenhaus--keys to the cafe. Yep, no telling what you might find jalapenos or chipotle in now.

Ah, but we Texans aren't all about Tex-Mex. We like good ol' down home comfort food too. Actually, I'll let you in on a little secret. I grew up a Yankee. However, I got to Texas as fast as I could. I love everything about Texas. The people, the food, the diversity of this great state, and the heat. Okay, I fibbed on that last one.

Once I got here, though, I latched onto a great-mom and grandmama who knew how to cook. That means I learned from the best. Given my dual heritage, though, I'm just glad Ruthy didn't decide to call this Tuesdays with the Tank.

Today we'll continue Ruthy's fowl comfort food theme with Great-mom's chicken and dumplings. I LOVE this stuff. And if chicken soup is good for the soul, chicken and dumplings must be a double blessing.

First we need to make our chicken stock, which will also provide us with the chicken half of our chicken and dumplings. So, in a large dutch oven or stock pot, add one chicken (I leave mine whole, but remove the skin so there's less fat), two or three carrots cut into thirds, a couple stalks of celery (I left the leaves on mine), one onion, quartered, 1 Tbs. salt (I use kosher), and  3/4 tsp. ground black pepper or 1 1/2 tsp. peppercorns. After I took this picture I found some thyme in the fridge, so I added a couple sprigs of that as well.

Now add three quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour.

Cool slightly, then remove chicken and vegetables. Strain broth, discarding solids.

Once the bird has cooled, remove the meat from the bone and shred. The veggies don't make it into the soup, however they do make a great snack.

Return broth to stove, add chicken, and bring to boiling. *NOTE* I try to skim as much of the fat as possible from the broth. If there's time, I will put it in the fridge and then skim.

While you're waiting for the broth to boil, prepare your dumplings.

Combine:

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil (I use canola)
• Approx. 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups self-rising flour (if the mixture seems too sticky, add more flour in small amounts)

Turn dough onto a floured surface and kneed a handful of times.

From here, it's up to your personal preference. Some like their dumplings big, others like them small. I like a bite of dumpling in every spoonful. My sons want as little dumplings as possible. Personally, I think that's just wrong, but they're brats.

You can roll out the dough and cut it into pieces. That's too much work for me so I flatten a portion of dough on a cutting board, slice into strips, then cut the dumplings into the boiling broth mixture with a scrapper or knife. Remember, you can add as many or as few as you like.

Once you've added all your dumplings, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Then you're ready for a bowlful of pleasure. One sure to warm the cockles of your heart (Does anyone know just where that is?).

Now, if you're intimidated by making the dumplings, here's a secret shortcut--canned biscuits. (Ooo, did y'all hear Ruthy gasp?) Just break or cut them into pieces and drop into boiling broth. Easy-peasy.

Oh, here comes Ruthy again. She's been pacing the kitchen the entire time. She's so protective of the cafe. Missy's at the counter, hiding behind her laptop. Man, her fingers are moving across that keyboard faster than a Texas tornado. Looks like she's got a new story brewing. Speaking of brewing, I think Ruthy's gone through that entire pot of coffee already. Don't worry, gang, I gotcha covered.

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Here we are, back to present day. That was fun, though. You know, Ruthy still paces the kitchen. Except for this past week, because she's been sick. But as we all know, not even the flu can defeat our precious Yank. She might have slowed down a little, but she's too determined to let anything beat her. 

I'm still blown away that I've been here at the Yankee-Belle for six years. It seems like only yesterday. No matter how long it's been, though, I've loved every minute.

Now it's your turn. So what do you want to talk about? Ruthy? Your favorite soup? A special relative who taught you how to cook? The upcoming BIG game? The floor is yours. Have at it.

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

Kale and Farro Stew Revisited

I've been trying to find this recipe to make again, so I'm re-sharing it. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Missy Tippens

I tried a new recipe a couple of weeks ago that I saw in a demo at the grocery store. Publix has a booth where they make recipes and let you taste them. They provide the recipe on a card and have all the ingredients you need nearby in one place so that it makes grabbing dinner items easy!

Click here for the original recipe. The only thing I did differently was use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Just about the whole family had been sick with a cold, so I wanted to use the chicken broth since I long ago heard that it can help with congestion.

I won't share the whole recipe since you can click the link above and see it. But I thought I'd share the photos I took while making it.

Here are all the ingredients and the handy-dandy recipe card. I have a notebook I put them in.

Here are the chopped "trinity" of celery, carrots and onion. I cooked them in oil for the 3 minutes and then added the garlic so it wouldn't burn.

Then sautéing in oil.

Then you add in the broth, tomatoes, faro and spices. Simmer.

And next, stir in the kale (I actually used a bag of baby kale, chard and spinach) and beans. 

At the end, you brighten it up with lemon juice and zest and parsley. It never stated how much lemon juice, so I juiced the whole lemon. It was too much. (Can you say pucker up?!) I'd say only do half (or less).

Look how beautiful it looks! So colorful and healthy looking.

Then you sprinkle on feta cheese, which adds a nice bite and creaminess to it.

Ta-da! A hearty, tasty meal.

www.missytippens.com

Stroganoff Stew For a Cold Day

While spring seems to want to be making an appearance in the Black Hills, it isn't quite here yet.

Warmer weather plays peek-a-boo, giving us spring-like days for a while, but then another storm comes calling. Last week's storm brought high winds and more snow, and I heard it traveled east with a vengeance!

So while it isn't quite time for salads and cook-out meals yet, we can still enjoy our soups!

I love beef stroganoff (do I hear some "Amen's" out there?), so I had to try this recipe idea when I heard about it. I experimented some, and came up with my own savory, flavorful version.

Stroganoff Stew

Serves two to three. Double or triple to serve more.

ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
8 oz. steak, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (or equivalent herby seasoning mix)
2 Tablespoons minced onion
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped (optional for my family)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef or vegetable broth or stock
1 1/2 cups uncooked noodles

1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons flour

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, then add the beef. Season with the Mrs. Dash, and cook until the steak pieces are browned. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic powder, then saute for a couple minutes.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and half the broth. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. This cooks any toughness out of the meat and blends the flavors well.

Add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the uncooked noodles, bring back to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the flour into the sour cream in a small bowl. Whisk in about 1/3 cup of the hot broth, a little at a time, until you have a thick creamy sauce.

When the noodles are cooked, stir this sauce into the soup. Let the soup continue to simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally (3-5 minutes).

My soup turned out golden rather than brown because I
used vegetable broth instead of beef.

Enjoy with some fresh bread and salad. I think Mary Jane's fluffy butter rolls from the weekend's post would be delicious. You can find that recipe here!

Meanwhile, we're in the middle of some reorganization at our house.

Up until last June (a bare nine months ago!), we were a family of six adults sharing a house. Now? We're down to three - the two of us and one son. Between two weddings and the youngest son finding a house to share with friends, the place has emptied out in a hurry!

So not only do we have an extra bedroom (never thought that could be possible...), but we have all kinds of "stuff" that we've been saving, just in case someone needed it when they moved out.

The solution? Sometime in the early summer, we'll have a rummage (that's what they call garage sales around here). It should be a good one, considering all the stuff we have around. Until then, half of the garage will be the staging area as we sort through boxes from our last move nearly six years ago, and decide what will go and what will stay.

Does this sound familiar, Mindy? I know you're packing away as you get ready for your move to the ranch!

I think what we're doing is called downsizing. Are we ready? Will two reformed pack rats be able to pare away the layers? Stay tuned!

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com

Kale and Farro Stew

Missy Tippens

I tried a new recipe a couple of weeks ago that I saw in a demo at the grocery store. Publix has a booth where they make recipes and let you taste them. They provide the recipe on a card and have all the ingredients you need nearby in one place so that it makes grabbing dinner items easy!

Click here for the original recipe. The only thing I did differently was use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Just about the whole family had been sick with a cold, so I wanted to use the chicken broth since I long ago heard that it can help with congestion.

I won't share the whole recipe since you can click the link above and see it. But I thought I'd share the photos I took while making it.

Here are all the ingredients and the handy-dandy recipe card. I have a notebook I put them in.

Here are the chopped "trinity" of celery, carrots and onion. I cooked them in oil for the 3 minutes and then added the garlic so it wouldn't burn.

Then sautéing in oil.

Then you add in the broth, tomatoes, faro and spices. Simmer.

And next, stir in the kale (I actually used a bag of baby kale, chard and spinach) and beans. 

At the end, you brighten it up with lemon juice and zest and parsley. It never stated how much lemon juice, so I juiced the whole lemon. It was too much. (Can you say pucker up?!) I'd say only do half (or less).

Look how beautiful it looks! So colorful and healthy looking.

Then you sprinkle on feta cheese, which adds a nice bite and creaminess to it.

Ta-da! A hearty, tasty meal.

www.missytippens.com

Green salsa citrus stew

Hi, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a delicious recipe for you. It's like stew, but not. If you're like us, you're suffering with this heat wave. We've been eating cold everything. Sandwiches, pasta, cereal. No kidding, I've been letting my kids eat cereal for three meals because it's not ice cream (that's for brunch and midnight snack).  

But every now and then we have to have some real food, so my daughter asked if we could make this recipe she saw in a magazine.

Originally, it had potatoes, pork, green chiles, and chicken broth. But we also like to use what we have and mix it up, so here's the new and updated version!

Ingredients:

 3 cups tomatillos

one onion

3 cops chopped pork

3-4 cups chopped potatoes

5 cups broth

two oranges

four large mint leaves

 Instead of green chiles, we used a jar of home canned tomatillos. You can buy these little green tomato-type things at the store. Easy to boil until they get soft. So, a jar of tomatillos and five cups of broth (what I had stored in the freezer). Bring to a boil. It's tempting to start adding spices and seasoning but just wait because when you add the potatoes, you'll have to start all over.

 Chopped potatoes. We used about ten, but we were cooking for a crowd. I'd say as a rule for this stew to make sure your tomatillos, potatoes, and pork are in equal amounts.

 Fry up some pork chops. Ugh. not attractive before they're cooked but so good after!

 Now, chop the pork into small cubes, add to the potato and tomatillo stew. Adjust the broth if necessary. It should be pretty soupy because it has a while to boil down. After letting it boil until the potatoes are soft, squeeze two large oranges (watch for seeds). The sweet citrus is a great addition to the tangy green salsa. It gives it a balance and keeps it from being overwhelming.

 Last step, add four or five large mint leaves. Mint and pork always go together, but my husband adds mint to his stews because he says it's good for digestion. Not sure if that's true, but I LOVE the smell of mint/citrus stew. He even adds it to chicken soup, and it gives it such an exotic flavor. After the mint has cooked for a few minutes, add salt and pepper and maybe some hot sauce to taste. Depending on what heat level you like, you can leave off the hot sauce altogether, or serve it individually.

 A dollop of sour cream, some tortilla chips and some cilantro completes the dish!

That's all for now! I hope everyone is surviving the heat! I've just passed a deadline and am diving back into another series, so I'm feeling like life is AWESOME. Lol. You can tell I always love starting more than beginning a book. Or maybe both? Anyway, stop by my Mary Jane Hathaway author page, or my Virginia Carmichael page (soon to be resurrected pen name!), or my blog at The Things That Last. Until next time!

Sausage, Kale and Bean Stew

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!

Winter has finally come to the Black Hills with a bit of snow and cold temperatures. But we're ready! The wood pile is full and overflowing, the pantry is stocked, and new soup and stew recipes are lined up for tasting!

This recipe was delicious! The flavors wrapped around each other in a delightful savory blend.

Now, if that description doesn't make you want to try this stew, maybe the easy preparation will...

Sausage, Kale and Bean Stew

ingredients:

2 pounds bulk sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 cup chopped carrots
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-oz. can tomato sauce
8 cups broth (I used 4 cups vegetable broth and 4 cups chicken broth)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin

beans (see below for the explanation of this ingredient)

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen chopped kale

The beans: You can use any bean you like in this stew. I used lentils when I made mine. The only prep was to rinse the lentils and put them in the stew.

For other types of beans, you will need to soak and cook them first, or use canned. Some varieties that would be good are black beans, Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or Small Red beans.

The amount of beans you use depends on the type of bean. You'll want more of the small ones, like lentils or black beans, and fewer of the larger ones, like Great Northerns or the Small Reds. In general, I would use 1 - 2 cups of dried beans or 2 cans of canned beans.

The amount also depends on your own preference. Do you like lots of beans? Add more! Not so much? Keep the beans to a minimum. :)

You could make several batches of this stew, vary the beans you use, and it will turn out different every time!

directions:

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (I used my 8 quart stock pot), cook the sausage, carrots, garlic and onion over medium-high heat until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Drain the fat, if needed. Since I used turkey sausage, there wasn't any extra fat.

Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, bay leaf, cumin, and beans or lentils.

Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for about twenty minutes.

Stir in the kale and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Remove the bay leaf and serve.

This stew freezes well, which is good, because it makes a large batch!

And a bonus: If you're following "Trim, Healthy Mama," this is a hearty "E" meal when you leave out the optional potatoes. That means it's lower fat and filled with healthy carbs. The non-sugar, stick your ribs kind of carbs. And packed with protein. A win/win, right?

How is the weather where you are? Are you ready for soups and stews yet?

Autumn Beef Burgundy Stew

Autumn arrived with a sudden weather change last week. One day the temperatures are in the 90's, and three days later we're putting the wool blankets on the beds!

Over the weekend, a storm blew in from the northwest - nothing like the rain all of you on the east coast are dealing with - but a reminder of the storm that hit us two years ago this weekend.

Do you remember this picture?

In case you missed my post about that storm, or you want to read it again, here's the link.

But this year the temperatures are staying above freezing, and the blustery rain is perfect for a good, hearty stew.

If you've been hanging around the Cafe for awhile, you know how I love to use my crock pot for stews and other long-simmering dishes. But I also love my cast iron.

This recipe is perfect for my everyday skillet -

Beef Burgundy Stew

ingredients:

5 slices bacon, preferably thick sliced, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds beef, cubed

1/2 medium onion, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine, regular or cooking wine
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 Bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste (omit salt if using cooking wine)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon all spice or ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 cups beef broth, divided
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced

Brown the bacon in a cast iron Dutch oven or deep skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon.

In the bacon grease, brown the cubed beef for 10-15 minutes.

Return the bacon to the pot and add: onion, garlic, wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, bay leaves, sugar, all spice/cloves, paprika, and 2 cups of the beef broth.

Cover the pot and put in the oven at 275° for 3-4 hours.

(You can also put the ingredients in your slow cooker for 3-4 hours.)

After it has cooked all morning, it will look like this:

And the aroma is delectable!!!

Now remove the bay leaves and add the potatoes, carrots, and the remaining 2 cups of beef broth. By the way, if you're cooking this stew in the crock pot, you might not need to add as much broth. You can be the judge.

Cover and place back in the oven for another 3-4 hours.

Now, doesn't that look like the perfect soup for a chilly autumn evening? Be sure to serve it with a nice loaf of homemade bread!

What is your favorite way to celebrate this most autumnish of autumn months?