January: Soups, Stew & Rolls

Tresha's Potato Rolls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C warm water
3/4 C sugar
1 pkg dry yeast (1 tbls loose yeast)
2/3 C mashed potatoes
2/3 C hot water
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C shortening, margarine or butter
3 eggs
6-8 C flour

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine 3/4 C water with 1/2 C sugar in a small bowl add yeast and stir let bloom while mixing other ingredients. Mix leftover warm water, sugar, potatoes, hot water, salt, shortening, and eggs. Mix together shortening will be lumpy. Add yeast mixture. Add 3 C of flour and mix on med high to high for 8 minutes. Add remaining flour until dough pulls off the sides of the bowl. Cover (with greased plastic wrap or clean towel) and let rise in greased bowl in warm area (I usually turn on oven and set the bowl on the stove another great place is the dryer while you're doing laundry as long as it's clean :} ) for about 45 minutes to an hour if you're not sure how long watch it and let it rise until it doubles. When it is done rising punch the dough down and form into rolls and cover on pan and let rise 30 minutes. Put in oven 20-30 minutes. Brush with butter, margarine on top while still warm.

*For wheat variation everything is the same you'll usually just add less flour at the end about 6-7 C total. If you want to do it sugar free just add 1 tbls sugar to yeast and water instead of adding 3/4 C sugar the 1 tbls is just to feed the yeast and the amount doesn't make you're blood sugar rise.

Beef Stew with Vegetables

(from Fix It and Forget it Cook Book)

Ingredients:

3 lbs Stewing beef
2 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 .2oz envelope mushroom onion soup mix
2 C potatoes
1 C sliced carrots
10 oz pkg frozen peas and onions

Directions:

Layer all ingredients in order in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Add 1tbls cornstarch to 1/2 C water last 1-2 hours of cooking to thicken stew.

Tresha's Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

12 oz pkg of bacon
8 C potatoes
1 onion chopped
6 beef bouillon cubes
3 C water
4 C milk
1 C heavy cream
2 tbls cornstarch
1/2 C milk

Directions:

Chop potatoes into cubes cover with water. Chop bacon into pieces (better to have a little frozen before cutting and use a straight edged knife not serrated) add to pot that has been preheating on Medium heat when bacon is crisp remove bacon and drain all but 1 tbls bacon grease. Add chopped onion to pot and cook until translucent do not brown onions. Drain water off of potatoes and add to poy add water and bouillon bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are fork tender about 20 min. Add milk and cream . Mix cornstarch and 1/2 C milk add to soup and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once boiling remove from heat. Serve warm with shredded cheese, sour cream and bacon bits that you cooked earlier.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

(Any veggie can be used to make this soup)

Ingredients:

8-10 C broccoli (about 4 large bunches)
4 C water
5 chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon cubes
1 onion chopped
1tbls garlic
3 C milk, half and half or Cream (depends on how thick you want the soup milk will make it thin, half and half will make it thicker and cream will make it the thickest)
1 tbls butter or oil

Directions:

Chop broccoli including stems (peel off outer skin it's really tough). Heat oil or butter and cook garlic and onion until translucent do not brown because garlic will get bitter. Add broccoli, water and bouillon. Boil on high until broccoli is tender. Add broccoli and liquid to blender and puree. Return puree back to pot and add 3 C dairy and heat up until warm. Serve. You can serve this with shredded cheese. If you want your soup a little thicker add 1 tbls cornstarch to 1/4 C milk and boil.

*Vegetable variations: mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, peas, or mix them all together