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Beef Bone-broth with Cream of Wheat Dumplings

March 18, 2018 By Caroline 7 Comments

Rich and savoury beef broth with fluffy cream of wheat dumplings add up to pure comfort in a bowl. This recipe packs a two-for-one punch: make the broth recipe, use part of it for the dumpling soup, and then freeze the rest to use later as your very own personal stash of beef stock. It will do wonders for pan sauce, add body to gravy and is so much better than using canned broth.

Beef Bone Broth Soup with Cream-of-Wheat Dumpings

There is something very satisfying about taking a cheap bag of bones from the butcher shop and turning them into a delicious, healthy broth. Making bone-broth changed me. Now I look at bones from roasts, steaks, etc as possible additions to my next bone broth—I simply carve off most of the meat (leaving a bit on helps flavour the broth) and freeze the bones, saving them up until my next batch.

While bone broth has been trending these days as a source of collagen and minerals, Grandmothers everywhere have been making it for decades, and for good reason. The nice thing is you really don’t have to worry too much about exact measurements when it comes to making homemade broth. Work with as many bones as you can fit into your stock pot, top with water, add a few veggies and flavourings and let it all simmer for hours.

To extract maximum flavour from the bones, roast them in the oven first. This will provide crisp, darkened bits of flavouring to enhance your broth. I add the carrots and onions to bring out their sweetness as well. The roasting pan will emerge an hour later, crackling, sizzling and full of lots of browned bits.


Beef bones in a roasting pan with a few veggies

Beef bones roasted for bone-broth

While the bones are roasting, grab a few herbs (don’t overdo it, you don’t want to overly flavour the stock but just add a few subtle notes). Wrap them in a cheesecloth bundle and tie with kitchen twine, so they won’t fall apart during the hours of simmering to follow. This little package is also known as a “bouquet garni.”

Prep a bundle of herbs in cheesecloth to flavour broth

Once you’ve roasted the bones, remove them from the roasting pan and place them in a large stockpot. Add water to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan (this process is similar to the early steps of making gravy). The water will take on a lovely deep golden hue as you pull up all the flavour from the roasted bones and veggies. Once you’ve scraped it all up, transfer the water and any browned bits to the stockpot. Add the bouquet garni, celery, and top with water to fully cover the bones.

Deglazing Extracts Flavour from Bone-Broth

At this point, you can pretty much walk away, simmering the pot for hours, checking on it every hour or so to stir things up a bit. I simmer my broth uncovered to condense the flavours. It saves space in the freezer and I just add water back in as needed when I’m ready to cook with it.

Everything in the stockpot

Once done (five hours should be plenty of time but you can simmer a bit longer if you like) remove the bones and meat from the pot. (if you have a dog, they will go crazy for the soup meat (which you should remove from the bone before giving to them so they don’t choke on any bone pieces). Otherwise, it tends to be pretty flavourless after all that cooking and can be discarded.) Strain the stock into a separate container to remove any small bones or pieces so you are left with simply the pure, clear broth. Ideally, allow this to cool and place in the fridge overnight. This step will cause the fat to solidify at the top of the broth so you can easily lift it out in one piece and discard it. Otherwise, if you don’t want to wait, skim the fat from the top by hand before adding to any recipes.

With the fat skimmed off of the broth, one trick to freeze it is to use an ice-cube tray to freeze into 1-2 tablespoon cubes. You can freeze these in a ziplock baggie to drop into sauces, gravies etc. You can also use larger ziplock containers depending on how you plan to use it later. Remember to add a label with what it is and the date you made it!

Now, on to the Cream of Wheat Dumplings! These are based on a classic style of dumpling originating in Austria, known as Griessnockerl. Traditionally, I believe these were made with Semolina flour, however I use Cream of Wheat which is more readily available and makes for a nice, fluffy dumpling.

These are super easy. Start with room temperature butter, an egg, and some salt. Mix with a fork until the mixture is lumpy and looks like the photo below.

Make Dumplings Mix Egg Butter Salt

Next, add the cream of wheat and combine well with a fork, stirring and pressing for about one to two minutes. The mixture will be smooth and fairly firm. It should sit for ten minutes before you cook it. I once left it out for an hour causing it to get too soft. Then when I went to add it to the soup, it all fell apart. So don’t leave it for too long. Ten minutes is perfect. While it’s resting, heat up your beef bone broth and water. Add a bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Do a taste test for salt and flavour levels—usually I find more salt is needed. When the broth tastes right, and the dumpling batter is ready to go, it’s time to shape those dumplings!

Make Dumplings add Cream-of-wheat

This step takes a bit of practice. Use two spoons (very small spoons, ideally, as these dumplings will easily double in size while they cook). Pick up about 1/2 teaspoon of the dumpling batter in one spoon. Use the second spoon to shape into an oval shape, pressing the dumpling together. Drop into the soup, and keep going until all of the dumplings are done.

A few notes to avoid any issues with the dumplings falling apart (which so far has only happened to me once!)

  • Use room temperature, not melted, butter for your batter
  • Allow the batter to rest for ten minutes before you start to shape the dumplings—but not much more than fifteen minutes, to avoid the batter becoming too soft.
  • Don’t have the broth at a rolling boil when dropping the dumplings in, keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • Shape the dumplings fairly tightly so they hold together well. If they are too loose they might fall apart in the broth.

Depending on how large you made them, the dumplings usually take about ten to fifteen minutes to cook. They will float to the top when they are close to being done. Test one first, by cutting through it. The inside should be a uniform consistency. If the centre is still hard, you need to cook them a bit longer.

Use two small spoons to shape dumplings

Serve sprinkled with freshly chopped chives. Some Maggi (seasoning sauce) at the table is always a good idea too in case anyone wants a bit more flavouring in their soup. A nice appetizer before a meal, or as a light lunch, this soup is both comforting and delicious!

Beef Bone-Broth Soup with Cream of Wheat Dumplings

Beef Bone Broth Soup with-Cream-of-Wheat Dumpings
4.5 from 2 votes
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Beef Bone-broth with Cream of Wheat Dumplings

A beautiful savoury beef broth full of natural collagens with fluffy cream of wheat dumplings. A traditional Austrian soup often served as a first course.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Austrian
Servings 4

Ingredients

Beef Bone Broth

  • 2-3 fresh parsley sprigs
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 4-5 lb meaty beef shanks/bones
  • 1 meaty veal shank
  • 2 onions: peels on, quartered
  • 1 large carrot, quartered
  • 2 ribs celery, quartered
  • water to cover bones
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Cream of Wheat Dumplings with Beef Bone Broth

  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 beef boullion cube
  • 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cream of wheat
  • chopped chives to taste

Instructions

Beef Bone Broth

  1. Preheat oven to 450°. Spread bones, veal shank, onion and carrot in a roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until dark brown in places, about one hour.

  2. Make bouquet garni: wrap herbs, Bay leaf and peppercorns in a cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine.

  3. Transfer the roasted bones and veggies into a large stockpot. Add approximately two cups of water to the roasting pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. If you roasting pan is stovetop-safe, heating it on the stove may help loosen more bits. Add to stockpot with celery pieces. Top pot with water until bones are covered, and bring to a boil. Add salt. 

  4. Froth will develop at the top of the stock, especially during the first hour. Skim and discard the foam. Simmer gently uncovered for five to seven hours. Remove large bones and pieces from the pot and discard. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Cool and refrigerate overnight to allow the fat to solidify at the top, remove. Transfer to storage containers and freeze/use as needed.

Cream of Wheat Dumplings with Beef Bone Broth

  1. Heat beef broth and water, add bouillon and taste and adjust seasoning as required. Bring to a gentle simmer.

  2. In a small to medium bowl beat egg. Add butter and salt, and combine well with a fork. Add cream of wheat and mix well with a fork, pressing to combine ingredients. Allow to rest for ten minutes.

  3. Using a very small teaspoon, take 1/2 tsp of batter and use a second spoon to shape it into an oval dumpling, pressing together. Drop into the broth. Continue with the rest of the batter. If your spoons get sticky, drop into the broth between shaping.

  4. Keeping the broth at a light simmer, cook the dumplings until they float to the top, about ten minutes. Check to see if they are done: cut one if half and see if the centre is consistent. Taste—if the middle is hard, cook for an additional five minutes or so. Serve topped with finely chopped fresh chives.

Rich and savoury beef broth with fluffy cream of wheat dumplings add up to pure comfort in a bowl.

Filed Under: Pleb Feasts, Recipe, Soup Tagged With: austrian, beef, Bone-Broth, Bones, Cream of Wheat, dumplings, German, Griessnockerl, soup

Italian Potato-Sausage Soup

March 11, 2018 By Caroline 5 Comments

A hearty meal with a healthy dose of veggies, this Italian Potato-Sausage Soup is one of the first recipes I ever made. I remember the first time I tried it, I confused a clove of garlic with a head of garlic, so I used 2 whole heads of garlic by mistake! The result, while rather pungent, actually wasn’t half bad 🙂 I learned my lesson for next time and it’s been a favourite dish for over twenty years now! The sausages give the broth a wonderful spicy flavour complimented by the fresh red peppers. Topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and some chives, it comes together quickly for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Italian Potato Sausage Soup with Red Peppers

The original recipe came from a book I had picked up, 30-minute Meals from the Academy. An oldie but a goodie, this book has lots of simple recipes that are easy to pull together and taste great. The book put an emphasis on the mise-en-place method of prepping and cutting all of your ingredients before beginning to cook anything. This was an important lesson to learn when I first starting out—I still remember frantically trying to keep up with prepping ingredients while cooking because I hadn’t thought through how long the prep work would take (and being a newbie in the kitchen, I wasn’t exactly sous chef material!) True to the book, I still prep and chop everything for this recipe before getting started on the stove.

Mise en place - prep all your veggies in advance

It’s worth noting that the quality of sausages you buy will greatly affect the final dish. Rather than the basic grocery store sausages that can be very fatty and overly salted, I go to a good quality butcher offering house made, smaller-batch sausages instead. I find they tend to be much leaner and the spices and overall flavour is so much better. They freeze well, so you can always buy enough for several recipes to avoid too many special trips to the meat shop. I adapted the recipe to include the extra step of removing the sausage casings. It only takes a couple of extra minutes and makes the sausage pieces more meatball like. I also found that while the larger piece sizes recommended for the veggies look quite gourmet, they are hard to manage and not very user-friendly while eating. Instead I go with bite-size pieces that fit easily into a spoon—no extra cutting/wrangling required while eating!

Remove italian sausage casings and cut into meatballs

The sausages start off steaming in a small amount of water, then the water is drained and they are browned on all sides. Once brown, the sausages are removed from the pot and set aside. Olive oil is added, and the veggies are sautéed. I start with the onion, followed by garlic, seasoning and potatoes. I add the red peppers near the end as I like them to remain just a tiny bit crisp. Once the veggies are just slightly golden in places, it’s time to add the broth and tomato paste. The reserved sausages go back in, too.

Saute Garlic, Onions and Vegetables

At this point you just need to cook everything for about 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Do a taste check for salt and pepper, adding more if needed. A nice crusty baguette with butter on the side round this out for a tasty dinner or hearty lunch.

Add broth and tomato paste and cook soup

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with shaved parmesan pieces and some chives or green onions. Twenty years later, I still make this regularly and it’s a real crowd pleaser. This recipe is a keeper and I hope to make it for another twenty years.

Italian Potato Sausage Soup Topped with Parmesan Cheese

Hearty and delicious, a tomato broth with lot of fresh vegetables and sausage
5 from 1 vote
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Italian Potato Sausage Soup

A hearty soup loaded with bright red peppers, garlic, potatoes and sausage that is quick and easy to make.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  • 3 Italian Sausages
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, quartered and sliced
  • 550 g baby potatoes, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 2 red peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 156 ml tomato paste (5.5 oz)
  • 900 ml chicken broth (30 oz or 4 cups)
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • handful of chives, diced
  • Parmesan cheese, shaved

Instructions

  1. Trim, chop and prep all ingredients. Remove casings from sausages and cut into 1" pieces, forming little sausage meatballs.

  2. In a large covered pot over medium-high heat, simmer sausages in 1/4 cup water for four minutes. Drain water, increase heat, and brown sausages on all sides (for about five minutes). Remove sausages and set aside.

  3. Heat olive oil in pot. Add onions and sauté for four minutes. Add garlic, potatoes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another five minutes. Add red peppers and cook for two minutes.

  4. Add tomato paste, broth and reserved sausages. Bring to a boil and simmer for fifteen minutes, until potatoes are softened and cooked through. Test for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

  5. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with shaved Parmesan, freshly ground pepper and diced chives.

Zesty tomato broth with red peppers, potatoes and sausages

Filed Under: Main, Recipe Tagged With: Garlic, Italian, Parmesan Cheese, potato, Red peppers, Sausage, soup, Tomato

Butternut Ginger Soup with Parsnip Chips

October 3, 2017 By Caroline 5 Comments

Nothing says autumn like a crisp chill in the air, the distant smell of wood burning from someone’s chimney, and the warming comfort of a bowl of butternut squash soup. With its brilliant orange colour, warm gingery notes and earthy parsnip, this soup was made for fall. A simple recipe that comes together quickly, I make this often during the cooler months, in part by taking advantage of a time-saving tip: buying the squash pre-peeled and cut at the grocery store. Then again if you have the time, there is something really satisfying when you select a perfect, smooth and plump butternut squash like the one pictured below, and take the time to peel and and chop it yourself. This particular squash was so large, just the top half provided enough for this soup recipe. If you do cut your own, set the seeds aside and toast them with some salt at about 375° for 15–20 minutes until deep golden, they are such a tasty snack!

A beautiful, smooth and creamy coloured butternut squash on a deep red cloth

Once you’ve prepped all your veggies, start by gently cooking the leeks and garlic over low heat.

Leeks and garlic gently cooking in a red pot

Next add the ginger, turning up the heat to medium high and stirring that ginger around to draw out the flavour. Add the butternut and parsnip. Sauté in the pot until a slight brown crust develops on the bottom of the pan—these brown bits add a lovely depth of flavour to your soup when you add the chicken stock and scrape them up (for a vegetarian option you can go with vegetable broth instead).

saute butternut, ginger and parsnip until a golden crust forms at the bottom of the pot

Bring to a boil and simmer gently with the stock and some water for about 20 minutes (covered). When the squash and parsnip are soft, its ready to be puréed. I like to use an immersion blender as it saves the mess of having to transfer the hot soup into a blender (and avoids having to clean all those extra dishes!)

Chicken stock simmers with the vegetables

How gorgeous does that incredible orange soup look in that red enamelware pot?!

thick swirls of rich orange butternut squash soup in a red pot

Now you could stop here and serve the soup with some thin strips of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and enjoy. However, if you want to really turn this into a show-stopper, fry up some parsnip chips to use as garnish. I use a vegetable peeler to slice a parsnip into ultra thin strips, heat a small frying pan with oil and fry until golden and crisp. Toss with a bit of Malden Salt and they are divine earthy treasures that really lift the parsnip notes from the soup to elevate the dish.

Parsnip strips sizzle in vegetable oil

The colourful soup takes on a lovely modern style with the addition of the parsnip chips. The perfect bowl to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season!

The earthy sweetness of parsnip chips offset the gingery squash soup

Plated butternut soup with parsnip chip garnish on a deep red cloth

 

Earthy parsnip and warming ginger make this soup
Plated butternut soup with parsnip chip garnish on a deep red cloth
5 from 3 votes
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Butternut Ginger Soup with Parsnip Chips

A rich soup with the warming heat of ginger and a hint of earthy sweetness from parsnips. With no added cream, there is no guilt in treating yourself to this autumn favourite! The parsnip chips make for great presentation and add to the flavour, but If you don't have time, it is still a great dish without them.

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 cups Butternut squash, cut into 1/2" pieces (2.5 lbs)
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 cups Medium leeks, white and green parts, cut into 1/4" pieces (approx 2 leeks, 7 oz)
  • 3 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 tsp Fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 cup Parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 parsnip, sliced into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Cut and prep all of the ingredients. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add garlic and leeks and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until the leeks have wilted and softened. Add ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring well. 

  2. Increase heat to medium high and add squash, parsnip, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until a golden crust forms on the bottom of the pot. This will help develop a rich flavour for your soup. Add the chicken stock and water, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

  3. Bring stock to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Test the squash and parsnips to ensure they are soft and cooked through. Once ready, blend the vegetables and stock into a puree using an immersion blender. Do a taste check to ensure the salt levels are good, and keep on low heat while you make the parsnip chips.

  4. In a small sauté pan, heat the canola oil on medium high. Test the oil to see if it's hot enough by placing a single piece of parsnip in the oil—if it sizzles you can add enough to loosely fill the pan as shown, two batches worked well for my 6" pan. Don't overfill or the oil temperature will get too low. Fry the chips until they are a nice golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt to taste (Malden works nicely if you have it).

  5. Once all the chips are ready, serve the soup into bowls, add slices of Parmigiano Reggiano and top with a bundle of parsnip chips.

Filed Under: Recipe, Soup Tagged With: autumn, butternut, butternut squash, comfort food, fall, ginger, parsnip, soup, squash

Split Pea Soup with Smokey Ham

April 8, 2017 By Caroline 2 Comments

colourful bowls of soup

I have a confession. I hate spring. At least, I hate spring in Toronto. Here we are, into April, positively dying for some warmth and sunshine but instead experience snow, rain and freezing winds. Meanwhile, citizens of Vancouver and New York are enjoying cherry blossoms while wearing light spring jackets, admiring retail windows full of short sleeves and strappy shoes that actually make sense for the time of year! Ok, it could be worse, at least it’s not quite as bad as Montreal in March! But I digress.

What our Toronto springs do allow is the ability to enjoy those hearty, wintery dishes just a little while longer before the barbecues are opened up for the season and gelato cravings begin to take hold. This Split Pea Soup is a classic—yellow peas and leeks, brightened with the brilliant addition of celery root. For me, to simmer split pea soup with anything other than a ham hock would be sacrilege. The meat on the bone and the smokey flavours a good ham hock imparts are worlds apart from a boneless ham you might pickup at a supermarket.

This recipe is based on one from Epicurious. I did make a few modifications to boost the flavours a bit, however. You’ll find my version below. Enjoy while dreaming of buds on trees, the smell of wet springtime earth and imagining the warm glow of sun on your face.

Celery Root, Carrots, Leeks, and a Ham Hock, with yellow peas in foreground

Rosemary and Thyme tied with kitchen twine

Pot with peas, leeks, herbs and ham hock

Pink and green bowls with soup topped with parsley, rye bread served on the side

 

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Split Pea Soup with Smokey Ham

Comforting soup flavoured with a smokey, salty ham hock, with celery root and carrots to brighten up the flavours. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried yellow split peas picked over
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 leeks white & light green parts only, chopped coarsely
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1/2 pound celery root approx half of an average sized celery root
  • 4 large carrots
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, soak peas overnight with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches, and drain.

  2. In a 7 quart heavy pot heat olive oil over medium heat, and add leeks. Cover and sweat leeks for 5 minutes until translucent. Avoid browning, they should still be white.

  3. Tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine.

  4. Add the sprigs to the pot, together with water, stock, ham hock, bay leaves and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming the foam from the top of the pot as it cooks. Once the peas are tender, remove the ham hock and reserve on a plate. Discard herb bundle and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, puree the peas until smooth.

  5. Peel the celery root and cut into 1/4" dice. Add to pureed soup and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Peel and dice carrots into 1/4" dice, add to pot and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

  6. Remove meat from ham hock and discard skin and bones. Chop meat and add to soup. Give it a final taste check for salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley and some freshly ground pepper.

Filed Under: Soup Tagged With: celery root, ham, ham hock, soup, split pea

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Welcome to my kitchen journal, a place where I will share my favourite heritage recipes honed over the years, as well as document new evolutions and experiments along the way. Great feasts become vehicles for fond memories—the best meals are the ones someone made with love, for you. Follow me to explore traditions, document stories and experience the joy of the feast. Read More…

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