Recipes from Break the Fast

Italian Wedding Soup (Kim Vanderveen)

by Nancy Ducharme, Detona Florida; in The Taste of  Homes Cookbook

1 egg ¾ Cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

½  Cup dried bread crumbs 1 small onion, chopped

¾ teaspoons salt, divided 1 ¼  teaspoons pepper, divided

1 ¼  teaspoons garlic powder, divided 2 pounds ground beef

2 quarts chicken broth 1/3 Cup chopped fresh spinach         1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 ¼ Cups cooked medium pasta shells

1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, cheese, bread crumbs, onion, ¼ teaspoon salt,       ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls.
2. Brown meatballs in small batches; drain. Add the broth, spinach, onion powder, parsley and remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in pasta; heat through.
3. Changes I made: The meatballs will stick to the bottom of some pans, make sure you have something non-stick on the pan so it won't ruin your meatballs.  The water boils out so add water to taste at the end (about a 1 ½ Cups).  Also it was a little too salty for us so I only put in ½  teaspoon of salt.  (there is salt in the chicken broth)

Mushroom Barely Soup (Deborah Royal)

¼  Cup olive oil 1 Cup chopped onion

¾ Cup diced carrots ½ Cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic   1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

6 Cups chicken broth ¾ Cup barley

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic; cook and stir until onions are tender and transparent. Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and add barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
2. Personal notes from Deborah: this isn't exactly the recipe I used but close. I subbed vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, and used the crockpot, instead of the stove. The one I made was described as "earthy, and needing salt"  ; )   I don't use salt in cooking, btw. I think there is enough salt in food and leave it up to the consumer to add what they want. Oh, I also used Trader Joe's seasoning. That's it! Good luck!

Easy Chili (Michelle Gordon)
2 Cans diced stewed tomatoes 2 Cans Pork and Beans
1 Can Ro*tel  1lb Hamburger (I use ground turkey)
1 pkg. Chilli seasoning

Brown meat add all other ingredients and simmer for 15-20 min.

 New England Clam Chowder (Carlene Adams)

¼ pound salt pork or bacon, diced (I use a bacon, easier to dice when still slightly frozen)

      2 medium onions, sliced

      3 doz. hard shelled clams, shucked, with liquid preserved

(I use 1 can clams per batch, adding water to clam juice.)

      2 Tablespoon all purpose flour 3 large potatoes, diced, about 3 cups

    2 teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoon celery salt

    ¼ teaspoon pepper 3 Cups milk

    1 Tablespoon butter (I use more)

1. In 3 qt. saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon till lightly browned; add onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. (I throw a little honey on them, I always cook with honey.)
2. Add enough water to clam liquid to make 2 cups.
3. Stir flour into onion mixture until blended.
4. Gradually stir in clam-liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in potatoes,salt, celery salt, and pepper; cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. (Or more).
5. If using fresh clams, chop clams, add clams, milk and butter to pan; cover and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes, stirring. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Taco Soup (Marcia Leishman)

1 lb hamburger 1 onion, chopped

1 can kidney beans 1 can black beans

1 can pinto or red beans 1 can corn or 1 package of frozen corn

2 cans stewed tomatoes (one of mine had green chiles)

½ to 1 package of taco seasoning 2 cups water

Cook hamburger and onion; drain fat. Open bean cans and rinse beans.  Put everything in big pot or slow cooker and cook 1 - 3 hours (or simmer as long as needed).

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Heather Chandler)

½ (Costco)Rotisserie Chicken, cut up

3-14.5 oz. cans reduced sodium Chicken Broth add equal parts water

4 tsp. chili powder

1 can of whole kernel corn

3 Cups (to taste) of salsa... (i like chunky with green chiles and other yummy stuff)

3 Cups cooked rice

Cheese 

Tortilla chips

Combine cooked chicken, water, broth, chili powder in stock pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer. Add corn, and salsa, Stir. Heat through. Add cooked rice. Stir. Serve in bowls with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream. 

As you can tell I just dump stuff in a pot. This is the only "recipe" I do this with. This is not a science. Just add what you like/spice level.

Veggie Soup (Hannah Thomas)

My soup recipe is basically potatoes, rutabaga, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and whatever other vegetable you feel like adding, thrown into a pot, covered with vegetable broth, and let cook.  Add whatever spices you want.  I personally like the Italian ones: oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary.  It's nothing special, and I make it up every time I cook it.

Olive Garden Type Chicken and Gnocchi (Geri Chumley)

1/3 Cup Butter 2 Cloves of Minced Garlic
1 lb. Chicken Cubed 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Carrot Shredded
1 Stick of Celery Shredded 1/2 Cup Onion Shredded
1/2 Cup fresh Spinach torn in pieces
2 Cups whole milk 2 Cups half and half
2 chicken bullion Cubes Cracked pepper to taste

Gnocchi
2 potatoes 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 egg

Gnocchi directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Soup directions
On medium heat, melt butter in a soup pot, add in garlic and sauté, add your chicken and cook through out. Add flour and mix well until the flour is cooked into the chicken.
Next add your milk and half and half
Then add veggies.
Add three bouillon cubes
Add your gnocchi last it takes 3-4 min. to cook through out

Mix ingredients well until soup thickens and stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.