~Rice Was Nice~

Rice really was nice!  Actually, it was great!  This past week our local weathermen did indicate in their forecasts that we could get temps in the 90°F range and it could stay around for a heat wave.  The first day our thermometer read 98°F, so we spent as little time as possible outside.  The next two 90°F + days also brought an appreciation of our A/C during our first heat wave of the summer!  My kitchen remained as cool as possible.  It was the time to locate a container of Chicken Florentine a la Slow Cooker in the freezer and defrost it overnight in the fridge.  An easy dinner for one hot evening!

Any season of the year we always enjoy this Slow Cooker/Crock Pot dinner.  Extra portions are placed in our freezer for busy days... Usually,  I serve the defrosted & reheated Chicken Florentine over No Yolk Noodles, but for some reason Rice sounded delicious.  Yum!  It was! The extra cooked Rice?  It was used in another tasty dinner over the weekend.  :) 

Rice

Ingredients:

1 Cup White Rice - I use Uncle Ben's.
1 can (14.5 oz.)  College Inn Chicken Broth Light & Fat Free
1.5 oz. Cold Water
3/4 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Dried Parsley

***Use 2 Qt. saucepan with lid.

Method:

1. Add 1 Cup Rice to 2 qt. saucepan.
2. Add Chicken Broth + Cold Water to equal 16 oz.
3. Add 3/4 teaspoon Salt and Parsley.
4. Stir all.
5. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid.
6. Simmer 14 Minutes.
7. Remove from heat + burner.
8. Do not remove lid.
9. Let stand 20 Minutes.
10. Fluff with fork and serve.

This is a very easy method to cook Rice.  However, do not let it over boil on the stove top while covered and is simmering.

Chicken Broth + Parsley add delicious flavorings to Rice! 
Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

~Sausage Soup~

Sausage Soup Simmering - Mmm!

This afternoon a steady rain is falling.  It's the perfect kind of day to enjoy a large bowl of hot hearty colorful soup filled with veggies at dinner.  Tonight, it's Sausage Soup for us.  Two days ago my large Revereware covered pot was put to use.  A batch of this delicious soup simmered along.  We sure did enjoy it for dinner that evening!  After our evening meal and the soup had cooled four labelled portions were placed in Ziploc Freezer containers and two portions were saved to enjoy again a bit later in the week. 

It's just the best to have a hearty soup ready to defrost waiting in the freezer!  Yes, Bertucci's does offer this soup on its menu, but I find their soup consists mostly of broth.  Nothing beats a hearty Sausage Soup.  And the cook controls the salt content!

Now, whenever I make this, I add about 12 oz. of defrosted Green Beans.  Green Beans are a fave in my fam, so I add them in whenever and in whatever meal I can.




Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian Sweet Sausage - removed from casings
4 cans (14.5 oz. each) College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 can (14 - 20 oz.) Diced or Whole Tomatoes, drained
1 box chopped frozen Spinach, thawed
1 Cup White Rice, uncooked
1 lb. Baby Carrots (rinsed)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 pkg. (10 - 14 oz.) defrosted Green Beans - optional

Method:

1. Remove Sausage from casings and brown in skillet.
2. Break Sausage into pieces while it is browning.
3. Place all remaining ingredients into large pot or Dutch Oven.
4. Add browned Sausage.
5. Bring all ingredients to a simmer.
6. Simmer about 45-60 minutes until Rice has cooked.

*Extra portions can be placed in the fridge or stored in the freezer.  This makes one delicious meal on a very busy evening.  It's always a welcome sight to find a container in my freezer. 

*When reheating, a 14.5 oz. can of College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth is added to the defrosted contents while the soup reheats on my stove.  The Rice has absorbed the liquid.

*Update: Our neighborhood is lookin' good after this welcome sight yesterday!


Thank you, FEMA!

Sausage Soup makes a very tasty meal on a very busy night, like tonight!  

Do you also Enjoy it?!
Yummy!

    

Where is...

... that 5 lb. bag of all purpose Flour that's always waiting in the wings in my pantry???  A 5 lb. bag of King Arthur Unbleached Flour was the only flour to be found.  That was totally surprising to me!  My plan for breakfast Friday AM was Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes and everything was good to go.  Well, maybe with the exception of locating flour.  We've had an HHH summer and I have not heated the oven too often, so my recollection of my flour quantity is a bit hazy.  After staring into my empty flour canister, I usually just walk down the hall to my pantry and the needed ingredient is located.  I always purchase an extra when on special.

Not on Friday.  One makes due with what one has, so the King Arthur bag was opened.  I learned that King Arthur Unbleached Flour makes some mighty tasty pancakes!  I will be using this again.  Could not even taste a difference.  WooHoo!

So the day continued along on a very bright note!  In the afternoon my other plan was to use my West Bend Slow Cooker.  Chicken Florentine a la Slow Cooker would be bubbling along on my counter top.  Once again, the pantry door was opened.  No Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup to be found!   There always is a Plan B in my kitchen.  Using 12 oz. of Light & Fat Free College Inn Chicken Broth along with 3 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour as a substitute for the condensed soup, my West Bend bubbled along as planned.  The Chicken Florentine tasted soo good!

***First the Flour was combined with about 4 oz. of the broth before adding in the remaining amount of broth. 

You might be wondering just how 3 Tablespoons of all purpose flour suddenly appeared.  Years ago I took a suggestion from my younger son:  Fill a 2 Cup container with all purpose flour, so whenever a small amount of flour is needed, the heavier canister does not need to be taken down from the shelf in my cabinet.  From the day he made that suggestion, I heeded it.  I find that my sons have wonderful ideas very often!   

I was 2 for 2 on Friday!  Now that made my day!  I also have two more tips to add to the "Thoughtful Tips" page located at the top of my blog.  WooHoo!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Sausage Soup!

It is another bone chilling January day.  Large piles of snow at the corners of many streets make for using extreme caution whenever driving around a corner.  Now, this is a winter that we have not experienced for some time!  A perfect day to reach into my freezer for a previously made dinner ready to reheat.  This past Saturday a pot of hearty Sausage Soup had simmered on my stove.  Not the variety of soup that has a few veggies swimming in lots of broth, but the type of soup that makes a meal in itself.  Rice, Spinach, Carrots & Sausage along with Tomatoes - Yum! 

We enjoyed a large warm bowl, along with Rye Bread, for dinner on Saturday.  The remaining cooled Sausage Soup was placed into Ziploc containers, labelled and then stored in my freezer.  Yesterday, after a busy day, it was so easy to reach into my freezer before dinner for a container of this hearty soup.  It was defrosted and reheated along with 1 (14.5 ounce) can of College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth.  

Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage (removed from casings)

3 cans 14.5 ounces each Chicken Broth

     (I use College Inn Light & Fat Free.)

1 bag Baby Carrots (16 ounces)

1 can 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes, undrained 

1 box frozen Spinach, (thawed & drained)

1 Cup Rice (uncooked)

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Method:

1. Brown Sausage in skillet after removing from casings.  Break into pieces as meat browns.
2. Place cooked meat in large pot or Dutch Oven.  Add Chicken Broth and heat.
3. Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

**As this soup cools, the Rice absorbs the liquid.  When reheating I add 1 can broth.  

Does your family enjoy easy to make hearty homemade soup in the winter?  After listening to our local forecast, I'll be making more soups/stews for dinner in the weeks ahead. Brrr!  Tomorrow, Beef Stew will be bubbling away in my Slow Cooker.  :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                   

Great Minestrone

On a damp, chilly day a bowl of homemade soup that has been simmering on the stove tastes so good! Yesterday, the overcast sky brought showers, so it was definitely a day to make Great Minestrone. Great Minestrone (click for recipe) is filled with colorful, nutritious vegetables. Three 14.5 oz. cans of College Inn Light and Fat Free Chicken Broth were added to the combination of veggies along with some herbs. In my pantry was a box of Orzo, so I used 1 Cup of Orzo rather than Macaroni. Everything simmered in my 4-quart pot for 45 – 60 minutes.

The wonderful aroma in my kitchen helped erase the gloomy weather outdoors. Oh, the soup smelled so good while it was bubbling. I stirred it occasionally while it was simmering. Before serving, I noticed that it was a little thick, so I added one additional 14.5 oz. can of Chicken Broth and heated the Minestrone for a few additional minutes. It simmered once again. The Orzo had absorbed liquid while cooking.

After enjoying a warm bowl of Great Minestrone with dinner, as usual, there were extra portions. After cooling, the extra soup was placed in labeled/dated Ziploc Freezer containers and stored in my freezer. On another chilly day a warm bowl of soup will taste scrumptious!

This soup can be defrosted overnight in the fridge. To prepare place in a pot along with an additional 14.5 oz. can of Light and Fat Free Chicken Broth. More bowls of delicious, homemade soup await.

At this time of year grocery stores offer specials on College Inn Chicken Broth. Yes, I do stock up on the 14.5 oz. cans. It is great to use when making Great Minestrone, Stuffing and also preparing Rice.

Yummy!

Enjoy!