Navy Bean Lentil Soup

 

White Beans and Lentil Soup

About 2 lbs pork rib bones
2 boneless chicken breast
1/2 bag lentils
1/2 bag white beans (Navy Beans)
Chicken Stock
1/2 sliced onion
1 sliced shallot
1/2 pound cubed bacon
1/4 pound sliced bacon
Coarse Roasted Garlic Seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cilantro
3 tbsp white wine


Directions:

Beans and Lentils:
Remove from bags and wash.  Place in cool water and cover and allow to soak over night.
Pour soaked beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly.

Risotto:
Rinse under hot water for about 2 minutes in wire strainer.

Pork Rib Bones:

Rinse under cool water, place in pot and cover with chicken stock.  Cook till meat is tender.  Remove from pot to cool.

Remove meat from bones.
Let pulled meat rest in a bowl while preparing more of the soup.

Chicken Breast:

Lightly pound with meat beater to flatten. Season with Coarse garlic and then coat with flour.

Place seasoned and floured chicken breast in melted hot butter/olive oil mixture (50/50)

Brown breast in butter on both sides.
Remove and place in plate until needed.

Thin slice breast when ready to add to pot.

Cubed Bacon and sliced Bacon:

Fry cubed bacon till tender.

Cut bacon in half, separate and place in hot fry pan.  Fry on both sides till crispy.

Remove from fry pan.  Set crispy bacon aside. Add cubed bacon to cooking stock and crushed sliced bacon into pot.  Gently boil for a few minutes.

Onion and Shallot:

Saute both in small amount of butter till both are nice and tender.

Add white wine and allow to cook till most of the wine has dissipated.

Add vegetables to stock in pot.

Directions for the rest of the soup:

Pour beans into stock and bring to boil.  Add Risotto as well.  Cook gently for awhile till the water starts to slightly thicken.  Add the pork back into pot.  Add cooked chicken breast to pot.
Crush bacon and add to pot.

Keep extra chicken stock in a cup due to the water cooking down as the beans cook just in case more water is needed.

Cook bean soup has thickened and beans are tender. (Simmer about 2 hours or more) Serve with croutons or crackers or garlic bread.

Kathy's Flickr Photographs

Sophie's Universe 2015 CAL Week 8

 

Sophie's Universe 2015 CAL Week 8

I have to say that there are parts of this assignment that were straight forward and easy to accomplish.

The Cable stitch was a little of a challenge.  Mostly because I didn't like how it would look everytime I did it.  I crochet tight and because of that the cable part just wasn't looking right so I had to loosen up my grip and let it come out the way it would come out.

One thing I am not real happy with at the moment is the fact that my puff stitches has turned out to look bad.  The first set of puff stitches came out mostly okay.  It's the second row of puff stitches that has turned out to be such a nightmare.

I personally think all of them look terrible.  As soon as I added those back post single crochet stitches, it ruined how they looked.  I'm not clear as to if it's because I crochet tight or if it's something else.  I refuse to rip out several rows to start it again though.  It takes entirely to long for me to rip it out.

Another thing I noticed is that the long sides are not as stiff and thick as the short sides.I think that is because there is stitches open with no secondary stitching behind it or on it.

So when I stretch the work out for blocking, there is buckling at the places where it begins to stop having additional stitches behind other stitches or in front of stitches.

I had a little bit of fun with my "Heart Light" in that I volunteered him to model my Sophie's Universe being we had an assignment to get a pic with our husbands and SU.  So It was fun.

So much fun in fact that we added a Lego Bull Dozer into a photo or two because my husband is an avid Lego fan and has so many.  He loves trains the best I think.

It was a good day.  When we were outside it was even snowing while we were taking the pics relating to Sophie and Lego.

My happy go lucky heart light.  I love him so much!

This is how the short side looks as of Week 8!

Sophie's Universe 2015 CAL Week 8

Kathryn Joelsen's Photographs

Pan-fried Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Pan-fried Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

1 1/2 cup buttermilk
12 chicken drumsticks
Coarse roasted Garlic Seasoning
1/2 cup plain flour
Thin sliced red bell pepper
Thin sliced small onion
Thin sliced shallot
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
12 tbsp butter
12 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup spinach
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups broccoli florets

(Note:  I used 9 drumsticks instead of 12)

Rinse drumsticks in cool water.  Place in a bowl or plastic bag.

 




Marinade in buttermilk for at least 1/2 hour. Can marinade longer if the time is available.

Drain chicken drumsticks in colander.

Season with coarse Garlic Salt or Coarse Roasted Garlic Seasoning mix

Place flour in small plastic bag.  Put 2 or 3 drumsticks in the flour and shake till covered, 

remove and continue with more until all drumsticks are covered in flour.

Slice onions, bell pepper & shallot along with mushrooms (I'm lazy, I just use premium sliced mushrooms from a jar) Drain the juice if using canned mushrooms.

Add butter and olive oil to a fry pan.  Heat butter and oil.  Add 6 drumsticks to hot fry pan and lightly brown on one side.

Once chicken is browned on one side, turn chicken to brown other side.  Make sure to brown all sides.

Remove once browned and drain on a wire rack or paper towels to rest while browning the remaining legs. 

Let lightly browned chicken legs rest for a few minutes

Using the drippings and oil/butter left in pan, saute the onion, shallots, bell pepper, and mushrooms till tender. (Note:  If the butter/oil mixture seems to be over brown, you could drain off most of it and add fresh butter and allow pan to heat up the butter again and then add the vegetables) 

When vegetables have reached being tender, Add dry white wine, let it cook till most of the alcohol has cooked out (there should be a brown liquid with the vegetables at this stage)

and then add the chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a boil.  Test for taste, add salt if needed.  

Return all chicken legs to the pan, cover with a lid and cook on medium heat till meat starts pulling from the bone.


While the chicken is simmering, add 2 cups of water to a 2 quart pot.  Bring to boil.  Add 1 cup rice.  DO NOT STIR!  When water returns to boiling, turn heat down to lowest simmering setting, cover with a bamboo sheet and then the lid or use chopsticks to keep the lid slightly open.  Let it cook till all water has been soaked up.  Check it about 15 minutes in to see if water has left pot.

In mean time, steam the broccoli.

Feeds 4 people.

Recipe by © Kathryn Joelsen 

Kathryn Joelsen's photographs

Joelsen's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Joelsen's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

                          

 2 whole tenderloin's
1/2 small red bell pepper
1/2 small onion
1 shallot
3 small cloves garlic
1 cup of fresh or thawed frozen spinach
2 tbsp chopped parsley
olive oil
slicked mushrooms
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup havarti cheese grated
1/4 pound of thin sliced bacon

Directions

Turn oven on to 375 Degrees F or 190 Degrees C. (preheat at least fifteen minutes)

Butterfly slice pork tenderloins.  Place each one in a plastic bag and use a meat beater to pound it till it's thin in nature but not to thin.  The meat needs to hold up to being rolled. Rinse both and then turn each one onto a cutting board so that outside if meat is facing down and inside of meat is facing up. Season inside of meat with coarse roasted season. (I used Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning) Any will do from the store. Set aside

In a small frypan pour olive oil till it just covers the pan and put on medium high heat.  

Chop 1/2 small onion in small pieces

Chop 1 small shallot in small pieces.

Slice and dice 1/2 small red bell pepper

Take 3 small closes, remove skin, smash and then finely shop garlic.

Add the shallot, onion, and bell peppers into the oil once the oil is hot enough.  Season with coarse ground roasted seasonings. Saute' till tender. Drain and place cooked vegetables in a small bowl and set aside.  Take the drained oil and set aside, may need that later possibly.

Fry bacon till crisp. Drain on paper towels.  Pour bacon grease out or store in tight jar for later use in other cooked entreas.

Pour the olive oil back into fry pan and saute' the sliced mushrooms. (season with coarse roasted seasoning)







Wash the spinach in a collander and then chop in small pieces.

Chop parsley and put in small bowl and set aside.

Shred both cheeses and mix together in a bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, pour the already cooked vegetables,

spinach, chopped up bacon, sliced mushrooms, mix together.

Take and spoon equal amounts of mixture onto each tenderloin.

Spread cheese over the top of each mixture.

Season with coarse roasted seasoning. Take cooking string and put around tenderloin after it is rolled. Make sure to fasten snuggly.

Season outside of both tenderloins and place in long baking dish.  Take any remainder of olive oil and cheese and lightly spread all over the top of both tenderloins.

Place in oven and cook 1 hour - 1.15 hours till tender.  Don't over cook or it will dry the meat on outside. Serve with rice and steamed vegetable of choice.

Take the juices and pieces and use it to make a tasty sauce to pour over it or just spoon the juices on top of the roast after it has been sliced.



Recipe and photographs are by © Kathryn Joelsen
Kathryn Joelsen's photographs