Minestrone

Ingredients
2 slices pancetta or bacon
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
28 oz. canned whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups peeled diced potatoes
8 cups water or broth
1 bunch swiss chard
38 oz. canned cannellini beans
1 zucchini sliced and quartered
3/4 cup ditalini pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. olive oil


Instructions
In a soup pot, heat pancetta over medium heat. Once it is cooked, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, onions, salt and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Crush the tomatoes and add with their liquid and water or broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  


Separate the stems and leaves of the swiss chard.  Chop the stems, similar to the celery, and cut the leaves into 1 inch wide strips.  Lay on top of the soup, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to simmering.  Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add beans and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes.  

15 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, bring the soup to a rolling boil and add the pasta. 

While the pasta is cooking, combine the basil, grated cheese and oil in a small food processor or blender. Processes until you have a rough paste, adding a little more oil if necessary. Season to taste with salt and add to the soup just before serving.

Baked Potato Soup (serves 6)

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 c butter/margarine
2/3 c flour
6 c milk
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 oz chopped bacon
4 chopped green onions
1.5 c shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz sour cream
Bake/microwave potatoes until done. Let it cool.  Scoop out pulp, discard skins.
Melt butter on low heat, add flour and stir until smooth.  Cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk. Cook until thick and bubbly over medium heat.  Add potatoes, salt, pepper, onions, bacon, cheese.  Cook all until heated.  Stir in sour cream.  Add extra milk if too thick.

Johan

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie

We had baked a whole chicken the night before, so used the half of the chicken we didn't eat, and then made stock from the carcass.  If you want to do that, here is a nice instructional video.  There are lots of shortcuts that could make this recipe easier, such as using a store bought cornbread mix, chicken gravy instead of the sauce, and canned vegetables.  

Ingredients

½ chicken (about 2 lbs.)

½ butternut squash

1 Yukon Gold potato

6 baby red potatoes

12 oz. frozen corn

4 carrots

5 celery spears

1 medium onion

6 tbsp. Butter

6 tbsp. Flour

6 cups Chicken stock

Cornbread (double recipe below)

Instructions

1.       Cut chicken into small pieces, about ½ inch cubes.

2.       Cut butternut squash in half.  Remove seeds and inner membranes and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.  After it cools cut into ¼ inch cubes and set aside in a baking dish.  Add corn.

3.       Cut potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions into similar size chunks, about ¼ inch, and mix together in baking dish with squash and corn.  Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, until potatoes and squash are soft but not mushy.

4.       Make a roux by melting butter in a sauce pan, and adding flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.  Add chicken stock one cup at a time and stir until even.  Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt to taste.

5.       Mix cornbread batter, and grease a large baking dish (corningware works well).  Pour about half an inch of batter into the bottom of the dish, and bake for 10 minutes or until it is solid enough to hold the filling.

6.       Mix chicken, vegetables, and sauce together, and pour onto baked cornbread bottom.  Leave some room along the sides of the dish, and then pour cornbread batter on top of filling so that everything is covered.

7.       Bake for about 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden.