Homemade Soup & Bread- the best for warming the soul

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Crusty French Bread

This is a delightful, bread that will be worth every oz of muscle used to prep it. Really not that hard to make. I use King Arthur Flour. I am in the process of purchasing a wheat mill to venture to the healthier side of breads since I am a carbohydrate queen.

via Allrecipes.com By: Deanna Naivar 

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon cold water

 Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf 16 in. long x 2-1/2 in. wide with tapered ends. Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.
4. Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

This is a satisfying, hearty soup that will make you feel you did a good thing eating it. Soup, does a body good. 😉 Instead of Italian Sausage, I used Jennie-O Ground Turkey Sausage. The outcome was lovely. I went to Olive Garden, and I prefer this version.

Via The Pioneer Woman By Ree Drummond

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Kale, Picked Over, Cleaned, And Torn Into Bite Sized Pieces
• 12 whole Red Potatos, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 4 cups Half-and-half
• Splash Of Heavy Cream
• Fresh Or Dried Oregano
• Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Prepare the kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot. boil sliced potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve.

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The soup recipe makes enough to feed twice for a family of four if not more. I froze the leftovers to have quick, hearty, healthy pull out lunches. My husband does not like “unique” soups, so it is just me. Don’t knock it until you try it. 😉