Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup
Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving. Growing up, Turkey Noodle Soup was the go to remedy for anything that ailed you. My mother would use the leftover Thanksgiving turkey to make a mixture of both broth and meat that she would then freeze, making sure that we always had the start to soup, year round. Below is my take on her recipe, including her instructions on how she makes her stock.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mom's turkey stock
• 6 stalks celery, diced
• 5 carrots, diced
• 1 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 small onion chopped)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbs of fresh parsley, chopped
• 64 oz chicken broth
• 6 oz extra wide egg noodles
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. For the stock: (according to mom!) Take the leftover turkey, with any extra meat added in (she says that it can even have stuffing still in turkey cavity, it just adds more flavor) and put it in a large pot. Fill the pot with water, up to about half way up the turkey. Cook it on medium heat until it begins to simmer. Turn down heat and let it just simmer. As it cooks pick out the bones and skin and any flotsam or jetsam that rises to the top. Mom claims just to keep doing this, constantly cooking it down, for several hours. After you are done, let it cool and then put into freezer containers to save for later.
2. In a slow cooker combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the egg noodles.
3. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
4. One hour before serving add the egg noodles, give the soup a good stir and then cover and let it cook on low. After 1/2 hour check the soup, you may need to add more chicken broth (those noodles really suck it up!).
5. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! This makes 10 servings... leftovers for plenty of nights!

For next time:
I'm going to be watching my mother like a hawk this Thanksgiving to see exactly how she makes her stock. I may even steal the turkey away from her this year (I'm the one who cooks it anyway) and try this out for myself. I also may try adding corn to this next time.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Brown Sugar Cookies
This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book (with a few little tweaks from me!). I listen to their radio show every week on NPR, but this is my first time making any of their recipes. The cookies turned out crisp and flavorful. Rolling them in the brown sugar mixture is a must. I tried this recipe two different ways; with semi-sweet chocolate chips and without. I actually preferred them without (I know, shocking!). While the cookie was good (not great) I have to say that this was the best dough that I have ever had. Yes, I know, it has eggs in it and there is always the dreaded risk of salmonella, but who can possibly resist the sight of unbaked cookie dough? And I have to say, cookie dough with browned butter is AMAZING. I will be trying some SAFE cookie dough recipes soon with browned butter, so stay tuned!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup granulate sugar
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 cups plus 2 tbs (10.66 oz) all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 16 tbs unsalted butter (2 sticks, chopped into pieces)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla extract

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of  the brown sugar together in a shallow dish for rolling the cookies in, set aside. 
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. In a medium skillet (preferably light colored), melt 12 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Use a heat-resistant silcone spatula to wipe down the sides as it cooks. You will want to swirl the butter in the pan or stir it with the spatula almost constantly to make sure that the milk solids do not burn. Once the solids turn a deep golden color (you will see tiny little brown flakes, this is okay!), remove from heat and immediately put it into a different bowl (this makes the butter stop cooking and keeps it from burning). Mix in the remaining butter and stir until all the butter is melted. Allow the butter mixture to cool for at least 15 minutes
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. In a large mixing bowl (or in your stand mixer) combine the cooled butter with the remaining brown sugar. Add the salt and vanilla and mix until just combined (about 1 minute in a mixer on medium). In a small bowl, beat the two eggs together and add to the mixture. Combine on medium speed until combined (30 seconds).
7. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar/butter mixture until flour is completely incorporated. (On low speed about 1 to 2 minutes)
8. Let the dough rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator (up to overnight).
9. With a 1 tbs measure (or with a cookie scoop) scoop up dough and form into 1 inch balls. It works best to do this with your hands wet... I know it sounds odd, but it really works well!
10. Roll the balls in the brown sugar/white sugar mixture and place on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
11. Cook for 12 minutes, turning the pans 180 degrees at the 6 minute mark. They should be golden brown and just starting to crack on top. The cookies will be crisp on the edges, but still have a soft center.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks and let cool completely.
13. These will store quite nicely in an airtight container for 1 week.

Things I'll try next time
 The recipe called for baking these cookies 12 to 14 minutes and that was just too long for my gas oven. Even cooking them for 10 minutes (and rotating the sheet after 5 minutes) was too long. I think I will try cooling the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before baking. I may also try using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. As for browning the butter: I will be adding a post soon about my adventures in butter-browning so stay tuned!

Italian Sausage Soup

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Soup

I came up with this slow cooker recipe after trying to find the secret to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed so I improvised with whatever I had in my refrigerator. What came out was a delicious and hearty soup that has just enough spice and great flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground Italian (or breakfast) pork sausage
• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 32 oz chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 small onion chopped)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 tbs minced garlic)
• 2 heaping tsps flaked parsley
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a non-stick skillet brown ground sausage. I ten to roll mine into small balls, about 1/3 inch in diameter.
2. In a slow cooker combine drained sausage, potatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and chicken broth. Stir ingredients together and turn on low for 5 to 6 hours or until potatoes are tender.
3. A half hour before serving add cream, stir to combine. Add the shredded Parmesan and stir in, make sure not to stir too vigorously. Let cook for 30 minutes and then add salt and white pepper to taste.

Note: This recipe really calls for a leafy green to be added like kale or spinach, but isn't something I can try that Aaron would actually eat! I would add chopped kale or spinach at the last 20 minutes of cooking and if you are using fresh garlic and onion it may be best to cook those up in the skillet along with the sausage to fully bring out their flavor.

For next time:
Everything is better with bacon, and I'm thinking that garnishing this with bacon and parmesan would be an extra special treat. 

Fudgy Mint Cookies

Fudgy Mint Cookies
The reason I call these cookies "Fudgy" is due to the consistency of the cookie after baking. It really is like a yummy mint brownie that stays soft and chewy, long after cooling.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tbs water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 eggs
2 boxes Andes mints
2 1/2 (11.3 oz) cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

In a double boiler add butter, sugar and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until completely melted.

Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and blended into the butter/sugar mixture.

Let the mixture cool for at least 10 minutes (I put mine in the refrigerator for 15 minutes).

While waiting for this to cool:
Mix flour, soda and salt in separate bowl. Set aside. Unwrap 1 box of mints and chop coarsely.

Transfer the chocolate mixture into a mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Slowly add the flour mixture until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add the pieces of chopped Andes mints and mix for 1 additional minute.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until dough is firm.

When ready to bake:

Cut the remaining Andes Mints in half.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, place 1/2  of an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. Let it sit on the sheet for 2 minutes. With the back of a teaspoon, gently spread the melted chocolate on top of the cookie. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely before storing.

Things I'll try next time
I may try to do without the Andes Mints in the cookie dough itself and may try some other chip like milk chocolate... maybe even add some pecans? The mint was just the perfect amount so I would substitute any of the chips that I take out with an additional 1/4 tsp of extract.

Chocolate Chip and Toffee Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Toffee Cookies

This recipe turns out soft, chewy cookies with chocolate in every bite. The toffee just adds a bit of sweetness and crunch to an already delicious cookie. The combination of butter and shortening is my secret trick to getting a perfect cookie every time. No need to worry about the butter being too cold or warm!

Ingredients

3/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, at room temp

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 package semi-sweet morsels (I use Ghirardelli brand semi-sweet chips)

1 package Hershey's Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Baking Bits

Directions

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together sugars, butter, shortening and vanilla until creamy. Add egg and blend well.

In another bowl mix together flour, salt and baking soda.

In the mixer slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, scraping down the sides as necessary until flour is well combined.

Add in semi-sweet morsels and toffee and mix until evenly distributed.

This dough can rest, covered in the refrigerator for several hours, or even over night.

When ready, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a teaspoon, or even better a cookie scoop, place 1 inch round scoops onto the cookie sheet roughly 2 inches apart. Do not flatten! These cookies should be nice and round on the sheet, they will spread during cooking.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and slightly firm in the center.

These keep for up to 5 days in an air tight container.

Things I'll try next time
Next time I will try letting the dough rest over night to see how it effects the overall result. I also added a handful of milk chocolate chips because you can never have enough chocolate.

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies!

I have always associated spring as a time of baking. The light and airy texture of my grandma's angel food cake makes me think of spring on the farm, with the grape hyacinth blooming wildly in the yard and the light scent of lilacs just starting to come into bloom. This year instead of angel food cake or upside down cake (another grandma specialty!) I will be immersing myself in the baking of cookies.

In June I will be co-hosting a cookie recipe exchange program at my library. In preparation for this event I will be exploring some new recipes and re-imagining some old favorites. My plan is to try one new cookie recipe a week and I will be posting my results here on this blog. Grandma Winnie had quite a few cookie recipes in her recipe box and I will be making them as well.

The Cheapest Meal You'll Ever Eat

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Bacon ends are one of those magical foods that are relatively inexpensive, but oh so full of deliciousness. My husband refers to this soup as "bacon soup" because it will make the entire house smell like bacon by the time you are done cooking it. Bacon ends or ham-hock can be found at any butcher's. If it is not in the case, ask the butcher, they may have it in the back or in the freezer cases.
 
Ingredients
1 lb bacon ends (or ham-hock or any ham you have lying around!)

14 oz great white northern beans (dried)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 small onion diced)
1 tsp garlic powder
ground white pepper to taste
kosher salt to taste

Directions

The night before rinse the beans, discarding any stones. Put the beans into the slow cooker and cover with 1 inch over the beans of water. Cover and let sit overnight.

The next morning the beans should have soaked up all of the water. Turn your slow cooker to low and add the meat, onion and garlic to the cooker. Give it a quick stir with a spoon and cover completely with water, about 1 inch over the ham and beans.

Let cook on low for at least 7 hours. Taste before adding salt, bacon ends tend to have a lot of sodium on them already.

Give the beans a good stir and they are ready to serve!


A note to the wise:
The center of a spiral cut honey ham adds a flavor that is out of this world. Try serving this with homemade cornbread or experiment with different dried beans. This simple meal is cheap, easy to make and ripe for experimentation.