Cowboy Soup

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢1 small onion, finely diced
• ▢3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• ▢2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• ▢2 pounds ground beef
• ▢3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢2 teaspoons cumin
• ▢1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, or to taste
• ▢½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• ▢14 ounces canned diced tomatoes, with juice
• ▢14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
• ▢14 ounces canned chili beans, with juice
• ▢14 ounces canned corn, drained and rinsed
• ▢14 ounces canned green beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ▢4 cups beef broth
• ▢cilantro or parsley, for garnish

• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 small onion, 3 carrots, and 2 celery sticks, and cook until tender.
• Add 2 pounds ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
• Next, add 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt,and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper,. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, 14 ounces canned chili beans, 14 ounces canned corn, 14 ounces canned green beans, and 3 Yukon gold potatoes, in the pot, then cover with 4 cups beef broth.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, and enjoy!

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French Onion Soup

▢3 tablespoons unsalted butter

▢10 cups thinly sliced onions

▢¾ teaspoon salt more to taste

▢2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

▢¼ cup sherry

▢½ cup dry white wine sauvignon blanc or pinot Grigio

▢4 cups beef broth

▢5 sprigs thyme

▢4-8 slices baguette 1-inch slices

▢8 ounces Gruyere cheese

1. Melt Butter: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the onions and salt and stir.
2. Sauté Onions: Let the onions sauté for 5-10 minutes or until they begin to turn translucent. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the onions for another 45 minutes, string every 5-10 minutes to prevent them from burning. If they are burning instead of caramelizing, turn the heat to low and stir more frequently. They should be fragrant and turn a deep golden brown. The size will reduce drastically.
3. Add Flour, Sherry, and Wine. Turn the heat back to medium, stir the flour into the onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the broth, sherry, and wine. Then, bring to a simmer. Simmer until the soup begins to thicken and reduce, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the thyme. Adjust the salt as needed.
4. Toast Baguette: While the onions cook, toast the pieces of bread in the oven. Brush both sides with olive oil, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes, flipping the bread halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Broil and Serve: Ladle the soup into four oven-safe bowls. Place a slice or two of toasted bread on top of the soup and cover with cheese. Place the bowls on a large sheet pan and broil until the cheese has melted and starts to turn brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they broil, as some broilers can cook faster than others. Serve immediately.

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FIG AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZAS by Valerie

Pizza dough (can use the soft Greek pita bread also)

Fresh figs, cut in quarters

Plain or herb goat cheese, crumbled (can also use Feta cheese if you don’t like goat)

Honey

Fresh Thyme leaves (or rosemary)

Salt

Balsamic reduction

 

Grill individual pizza rounds with a swirl of olive oil on both sides. (my pizza dough makes 5 pizza rounds)

Remove rounds from grill and put figs, crumbled cheese, thyme leaves and sprinkle of salt on top, then drizzle with honey and balsamic reduction.  YUM!!

Fig butter

 Slow Cooker Fig Butter (from Ive)

 

Ingredients

2 pounds whole figs 

1 cup granulated sugar (IVE USED ½ CUP, I use about ¾ cup)

½ cup brown sugar

¼  cup molasses

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp pumpkin spice

Dash of salt

 

 

Instructions

Cut the stems off the figs & slice them in half. Place figs in the slow cooker.

Add sugar, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pumpkin spice and cover.

Cook on high approx 3-4 hours- stirring occasionally (I have cooked on low for 6 hours). If it looks like the figs are breaking down faster or it is getting too thick, you can reduce the heat, shorten the cooking time or add a splash of water to thin it out.

Once figs are falling apart- use an immersion blender to break up any large pieces. Add vanilla and then taste if you need more cinnamon, sugar or spices.

Transfer to sterilized jars. Allow to cool at room temperature & then store in freezer or up to 3 months in fridge (or leave ½ inch space, hot water bath 10 minutes)

NOTE-  all slow cookers will cook a bit differently, some much hotter than others. So if you need to reduce the time because it is cooking too quickly, or add some water to thin it out, that is okay to reach the desired result.