RECIPE: Hot and Sour Soup

This savory soup makes a great lunch, or side dish for a hearty stir fry!

I recently had the opportunity to try Hot and Sour Soup. I am a big fan of Asian cuisine, and especially love spicy foods and sour, vinegar based pickled goods. After one tasting, I immediately set out to try making my own! This recipe has been developed from several across the net, as well as my own trial and error, and to my own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. Chicken Broth
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 c. Diced Mushrooms
1/2 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce
1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper
1/4 c. White Vinegar
1 Egg, beaten
2 Green Onions, chopped

Bring chicken broth to a boil, add soy, mushrooms, sriracha, garlic, cayenne and pepper. Simmer for 5 mins, then add vinegar and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Slowly pour beaten egg into broth, and stir for 30 seconds. Add green onion, remove from heat and serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

*You can make a milder version by omitting the cayenne, and using half white and half rice wine vinegar.

RECIPE: Slow Cooker Pork Loin

This one "pot" meal  is one of the favorites around Lil Raisin Acres! Put it on in the morning, go about your chores, and a hearty dinner awaits you in the evening!

INGREDIENTS:

Pork Loin, medium sized
4-6 Potatoes (depending on size/type), thinly sliced
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
1/2 Medium onion, chopped
1 can Mushrooms, drained
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, undiluted*
1 packet Brown Gravy Mix, unprepared
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Rosemary, Thyme, Salt, Pepper to taste

Layer potatoes, celery, onions, garlic and mushrooms in the bottom of the slow cooker and place loin on top. Pour condensed soup, dry gravy mix, and spices atop of the loin and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until potatoes are tender and loin slices easily. Makes about 4 servings.

*Store bought soup can be substituted for preservative free:
Cream of Soup

DEHYDRATING: Mushrooms

Fresh mushrooms can tend to be expensive. Take advantage of fresh mushroom sales by preserving them through dehydration!

Dehydrating mushrooms is extremely easy. Even more so if you buy the mushrooms already sliced! If you purchase whole mushrooms, depending on type, an egg slicer does a great job. Slices should be 1/4" in thickness. Simply rinse the sliced mushrooms and place a single layer of slices per tray and place in the dehydrator at 135 degrees for about 6-8 hours! That's it!

The mushrooms will darken in color, and will crumble easily when completely dry. Store them in an airtight glass jar, use an oxygen absorber or seal with a vacuum sealer for long-term storage. They should last at least a year in a cool, dry, dark place without an absorber/sealing.

Dried mushrooms are great for adding to soups, sauces and pasta dishes!

RECIPE: Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

Continuing with our tomato theme this week, we'd need to make something from all that tomato puree we've made with our food mill, right? Naturally, homegrown tomatoes make for some excellent pasta sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Yellow Onion, chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 lbs. Mushrooms, sliced
1 Green Pepper, diced
18 c. Tomato Puree
3 Tbsp. Beef Bouillon
3 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Basil
1 tsp. Cayenne
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp. Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Combine ingredients in a large stock pot, simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. Fill sterile pint jars with hot sauce. Process in a pressure cooker for 20 mins at 11 lbs. pressure.

Makes about 6 pints of home canned sauce.

RECIPE: Cream of... Soup Base

I think perhaps it'd be impossible to calculate the number of recipes calling for "Cream of (insert chicken, mushroom, celery, etc. here) Soup". But, what if you don't have any on hand, or wish to avoid the high levels of sodium and food preservatives in store-bought canned soups? By simply using the main ingredient of your choice, the applications for this simple recipe are endless! 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Small Onion, Diced
1/2 c. *Main Ingredient, Diced
1/4 c. Unsalted Butter
1/4 c. White Flour
1 c. Whole Milk
3/4 c. *Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

*Main Ingredient Suggestions: Mushrooms, Celery, Chicken, Asparagus, Broccoli, Potato
*Chicken Broth may be substituted with Vegetable Broth for Vegetarian/Vegan diet.


PREPARATION:

Sautee garlic, onion, and main ingredient in olive oil, set aside. Melt butter in pan over medium heat, whisk in flour until smooth, and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth, milk, and sauteed main ingredient. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*This recipe makes an amount equivalent to one 11.25 oz can of unprepared condensed national brand soup for substitution in recipes. Add an additional 1 1/3 c. milk to prepare soup as a stand-alone meal. May be frozen for later use.