Winter Recipes in Racheli's Meadow

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Mmmmmmm....nothing better than cuddling up on a sofa with a cup of hot chocolate or hot soup, right? :-) I've gathered here some nice warm winter recipes, to make the cold wintery days warmer!

For your information:
Recipes marked with V are vegeterian.
If I made an error please let me know.

Soups and Stews	Yummies	Other
Chicken Soup Barley Broth Oxtail Stew Cheap Warming Soup V	Chocolate Chips Coffee Cake V Fudge Brownies V Double-Chocolate Brownies V Thunder Cake V	Friendship Forever Fondue V Bean & Mushroom Stroganoff

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© Racheli Sokol.

Chicken Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Jon, who got it from his friend, Xina.
I will let Jon do the talking:

Oh - I don't do soup from recipes, just a good stock and whatever you fancy, really.

For a good chicken soup: boil up the carcass of your Sunday roast chicken, having broken it into bits first, with water - er - some water - er - quite a lot of water. For about 2 hours. Or 4 hours or - a long time. Just simmering once it reaches the boil, VERY gently. You can add any old tired things in the fridge at this stage, like that half a sad onion, old bit of bacon, celery, end of a carrot, anything really, not cabbage or tomatoes, some peppercorns.
Anyway....

Strain it and let it go cold. Get the fat off the top. If you put it in the fridge, the fat is easy to get off. Strip any bits of chicken off the bones and bin the latter, keeping the chicken shreds.

Put the stock in a saucepan, add things - the chicken bits, a couple of chopped leeks, lots of parsley, some rice - not too much. Bring to the boil and simmer till the rice is cooked; season well and eat.

You can leave out the chicken bits and the rice, add a few potatoes, puree it, stir in a little cream and call it vichysoisse.
Or leave out the leek, and after it's cooked, beat a couple of eggs with lemon juice, stir the mixture in and call it avgolemono - my own favourite. Don't let it boil after adding eggs or cream, just warm it through.

Barley Broth

I got this recipe from Sionel, the lovely Snuggle Faery. This is one of the snuggle faery's favourite winter soups. You can change the vegetable contents to whatever is in season or whatever your favourites are!

Ingredients

40g pot barley
2 talbespoons oil
I onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 turnip, chopped
75g French beans, cut into small pieces
1.5 litres vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt & Pepper
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Make it:

Soak the barley in enough cold water to cover for 1 hour. Drain well and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until softened. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and turnip. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
Add the barley, French beans, stock, soy sauce, salt and pepper (to taste). Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until tender.
Add the tomatoes and parsley, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Check the seasoning and add to it if necessary. Pour into a warmed soup tureen and serve. (Serves 6-8)

Oxtail Stew

My friend Jon gave me this recipe too. This is one of Jon's all time favourite recipes!

Ingredients:
1 medium- sized oxtail
1 oz butter
1 large sliced onion
2-3 carrots
half a small turnip - diced

Tied in a muslin bag:
1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 3 cloves, 3 parsley sprigs.

three quarter pint boiling water
salt
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons cold water
1 dessert spoon vinegar
Some par boiled potatoes

Make it:
Wash and dry oxtail, cut into neat pieces, and remove excess fat.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the onion - fry until pale gold.
Add oxtail and rest of veg except the potatoes - stir fry for 5 mins.
Add the herbs, boiling water and salt, bring to boil, lower heat, cover pan, and simmer for 3 hours. (It's faster in a pressure cooker!)
Remove herb bag.
Leave overnight in a cool place.
Remove and discard the ensuing layer of fat, and bring to the boil.
Pour in flour mixed to smooth paste with cold water and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until it boils and thickens. Add the par boiled potatoes, cover, and simmer until they are cooked.
Serve!

Fudge Brownies

I got this recipe from Tuggy Curran-Boonstra.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Make It:
In saucepan, melt butter or margarine and chocolate. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir in flour and mix well. Spread batter in a greased 8x8x2 baking pan. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into bars.
Makes approx. 8-12

Double-Chocolate Brownies

I got this recipe from LOTH sister Sprite.

Filling
1/4 cup purchased chocolate syrup
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Chocolate Batter
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips

For filling:
Combine syrup and 2 ounces chopped chocolate in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Cool. Beat cream cheese and egg in medium bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture. Blend in 1/4 cup chocolate chips and flour. Set aside.

For batter:
Preheat oven to 350�F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom with waxed paper. Butter waxed paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture.
Spoon half of chocolate batter into prepared pan. Top with filling. Spread remaining batter over. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool 5 minutes. Run small sharp knife around edges of pan to loosen. Cool completely in pan.

For glaze:
Melt 6 ounces chocolate with oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
Cut cooled brownies into 16 2-inch squares. Transfer to rack. Spoon warm glaze over brownies. Let stand until glaze sets. Arrange brownies on platter.

Makes 16.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

I got this recipe from Tuggy Curran-Boonstra.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine -- melted
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Make It:
Combine all ingredients except sugar and cinnamon. Beat until creamy. Combine 2 tbsp. sugar & cinnamon. Pour half of batter into greased tube pan. Sprinkle on half of topping mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes

Thunder Cake

I got this recipe from Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Makes a 9x13 inch cake
This recipe was adapted from Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco (Philomel Books, 1990).

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1 fresh tomato, peeled (see Note) and pureed in the blender
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
Powdered sugar, to decorate
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter

Note:
To peel a tomato, dip in boiling water for several seconds, which loosens skin and makes it simple to remove. Cut tomato in half crosswise and squeeze out seeds.

Make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small dish and the whites in a large, grease-free bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the yolks and vanilla, followed by the water and pureed tomato. Sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into the mixing bowl and mix well.
Beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter lightly - it won^�t matter if a few lumps of white still show. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until firm when pressed in the center. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar pressed through a kitchen strainer.

By Patty Hansen
from Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Diana von Welanetz Wentworth.

Friendship Forever Fondue

I got this recipe from Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Makes 12 servings.
Serve this with 1-1/2-inch pieces of toasted French bread, a variety of fresh vegetables cut in bite-size pieces or tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 (10-3/4-ounce) cans of Cheddar cheese soup
1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound shredded Swiss cheese
1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (8-ounce) can tomatoes, crushed (or mild Mexican salsa)
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
1 small onion, minced

Make it:

Combine all fondue ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheeses are melted and all is smooth.
Pour into a bowl and place in the center of a platter surrounded by bread, vegetables or chips for dipping.

By Sharon Civalleri from Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Diana von Welanetz Wentworth

Bean & Mushroom Stroganoff

I got this recipes from my friend Nala.
This dish is almost vegetarion. "Almost", because it has a worcestershire sauce in it.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
10 mushrooms, quartered
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme (optional)
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons dry red wine (I use cooking burgundy from the grocer)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked romano (or red kidney) beans (Nala uses the 19 oz. tin)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Black pepper to taste
3 cups of cooked egg noodles
2 green onions, sliced thinly

Make it:
In a large frying pan, over medium heat, cook onion in the oil until soft (about 4 minutes) and add the mushrooms, continuing to cook until soft (add a little water if you need to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle with paprika and thyme, stir well.

Add stock, wine, worcestershire sauce and stir until well blended. With a fork or potato masher, crush about 1/3 of the beans; add to the skillet along with the rest of the beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until liquid is slightly reduced.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, vinegar and cornstarch, stirring til smooth. Stir into bean mixture, reduce heat, and cook, stirring for two minutes or until thickened. Season to taste with pepper.

Serve over cooked noodles, or, in a small casserole dish, spray the bottom with vegetable spray. Add layers of sauce and noodles, or mix noodles into sauce and place mixture in the casserole dish. Bake uncovered in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes.

Garnish with green onion.

Makes about 4 servings.

Cheap Warming Soup

I got this recipe from James Neil Straker.

Ingredients:
One onion finely chopped.
One stick of celery likewise.
One large carrot grated.
Two pints of vegetable stock.
One cup of red split lentils.
One tsp curry powder.
One tbsp tomato puree.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Make it:
Soften the veg in a tablespoon of sunflower oil for 3 mins then add all the other ingredients.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 90 mins or until thickened.
Serve hot with chunks of crusty bread.