Hi everyone and welcome to a very special edition of Soupin It Up W/Sped because tonight not only will we be talking soups but we'll also be raising money for Netroots for the Troops.
Tonight's theme is Stew as voted on in last week's poll....AND for EVERY soup or stew recipe posted in tonight's diary I will donate 50 cents to Netroots for the Troops...and I urge you to (if you can afford to) to chime in w/a similiar pledge or other fun pledges you think up. And if you can't afford to, well surely you can at least poke the REC button over there so others will see this and donate too!
UPDATE: Andsarahtoo AND StrandedWind AND it really is that important have graciously offered to match my pledge so now every recipe is worth $2 for Netroots for the Troops!...anyone else? (g)
And don't forget to vote in tonight's poll for next week's theme. On with the show...
Classic Beef Stew
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Servings: 8
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 Pound Beef Chuck (cubed)
6 Small Boiling Onions
3 Large Potatoes (peeled and diced)
3 Carrot (sliced)
1-1/2 Celery Stalks (sliced)
2 cups beef stock
1 Tablespoon and 1-1/2 Teaspoons All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 Teaspoons Cold Water
Preparation:
- In a large pot heat oil over medium high heat.
- In a resealable plastic bag mix together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Add a small amount of meat at a time and mix until well coated.
- Brown in hot oil, about 1 minute per side.
- Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned.
- Lower heat to medium and add the onions.
- For about 3 minutes brown the onions on both sides on each side.
- Remove them from pot and set aside.
- Drain the excess fat from pot.
- To the pot add the potatoes, carrots, celery, reserved onions, browned meat and broth.
- Stir all together and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
- Stir occasionally.
- For a thicker broth: 1/2 hour before stew is done, combine 3 tablespoons flour and water in a small bowl and mix well.
- Then slowly stir mixture into stew.
Shrimp & Feta Stew
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients -
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
3 Cups Diced Tomatoes (save the liquid)
2/3 Cups Dry White Wine
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 3/4 Pounds Large Shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Pound Feta Cheese (cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
4 Tablespoons Italian Parsley (chopped)
Preparation:
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat.
- Add the onion and cook.
- Stir occasionally.
- Cook until translucent which is usually about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.
- Raise the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and liquid, wine, oregano, and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil partially covered until thickened which usually takes about 20 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and pepper and bring back to a simmer.
- Simmer, covered, until the shrimp are just done which takes about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese and 3 tablespoons of the parsley.
- Serve topped with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
Curried Vegetable Stew
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 6
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion (finely chopped)
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
1/2 Cup Carrot (chopped)
1/2 Cup Celery (chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger (peeled and minced)
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
2 Large Tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped) or 1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Bay Leaf
4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 Cups Pinto Beans or Black Beans (cooked)
3 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1/2 Pound Baby Spinach Leaves (torn into bite size pieces**don’t chop**)
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan.
- For approximately 5 minute’s sauté the following ingredients until soft: carrot, celery, bell pepper and onion.
- Add the curry powder, ginger, garlic, and sauté until fragrant.
- Do not brown the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and cook uncovered.
- The tomatoes will slightly reduced in about 3 minutes.
- Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the pinto or black beans and the creamy peanut butter.
- Cook for about 2 minutes or until it is all heated through.
- Stir in the cilantro and spinach.
- Serve immediately.
Chicken with White Bean Stew
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Servings: 6
2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package pearl onions, peeled and halved
3 carrots, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Canadian bacon, diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
2 (15-ounce) cans great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups chicken stock
- In a large, heavy pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and brown on all sides.
- Add pearl onions, carrots, garlic and Canadian bacon; sauté until onions are lightly browned.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and white wine; bring to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is reduced by about one third.
- Stir in beans, rosemary and chicken broth.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring back to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.
Adobo
Prep: 3 hours
Cook: 2 hours
Servings: 6
1 whole chicken
3 Tbsp white vinegar
3 1⁄3 fl oz soy sauce
black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 bay leaves
salt to taste
2 cups chicken stock
Directions:
- Cut the whole chicken into serving pieces of thighs, breasts and wings.
- Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a bowl except for the chicken and stock. When it is mixed together well, place the chicken pieces in it. Cover the bowl and allow this to marinate for 1-3 hours.
- Put the stove on a high heat. Then place the chicken with all the marinade and the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and allow it to simmer very gently for an additional 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is lightly brown.
Lamb Stew
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 6
1 1/2 pounds boneless, lean lamb stew meat, cut in 1 in. cubes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 cups water
1 cup baby carrots
2 cups diced rutabaga or turnips
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
PREPARATION:
- Sprinkle lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Coat with flour.
- Heat oil in a 2 to 3 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown lamb a few pieces at a time in the hot oil.
- Remove to Crock Pot with slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
- Stir in the water, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot. Transfer onion mixture to the Crock Pot; add carrots and rutabaga.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, adding peas during the last 30 to 45 minutes.
Sped's Super Easy Jambalaya (I call this my Cajun Stew so it's fits LOL)
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. andouille sausage, cut into small chunks and lightly browned
1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 lb. medium shrimp, deshelled, deveined and detailed- cooked
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
5 roma tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped small
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup fish stock
2 green chilis, diced small IF you like spicy, if not you can leave them out
Hot sauce to taste
Garlic salt, black pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste
2 cups white rice, cooked
Directions:
- Place all ingredients except rice in crockpot. Turn on high for 1 hour, then low for another hour. Stir frequently.
- When ready to serve, put helping of rice in bowl and ladle the stew on top.
Our goal for Netroots For The Troops 2010 is $100,000.00 (cash or in-kind donations).
Our primary goal with NFTT is assembling Care Packages at Netroots Nation. However, occasionally there arises a need beyond those deployed. Maybe a veteran and his family caught between a need and red tape. llbear et al has shown us several times this year. So as we rises funds this year keep in mind that your donation may very well be helping a veteran in need here at home or help those deployed feel they're remembered here at home.
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. We will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
- Please contact TexDem if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below* for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
- We are accepting cash from individuals and
beg ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops. This year your donations will be tax deductible, thanks to Netroots Nation and their partner Netroots Arts and Education Initiative, a California 501(c)3 corporation.
- Sign up for a diary! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction telling us why you are donating, sharing a story of someone you know who has served or is serving, or any other thing you want to share that might help motivate others to donate.
- Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: NFTT.request@gmail.com before June 30 2010.
Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
- Write letters to be included in the packages! If you need some ideas, rbutters wrote an excellent diary with tips on how to write letters to troops and why it’s so important to them.
- Help us assemble the packages in Las Vegas. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Las Vegas and would like to help there.
- Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
_____________________
The goal for 2010 is 600 Care Packages assembled in Las Vegas, that equates to approximately $100,000.00. Again this was decided upon after seeing we could assemble 300 in 45 minutes in Pittsburgh. The items we'll be sending will be comparable to what was sent last year. However, that list is subject to modification based on suggestions, request and needs. Last year's boxes had a retail value of about $210.00. Btw, check out the NFTT website.
*The following list contains some of the things we have included in packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Las Vegas.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanix gloves
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
Important Note about Successful Online Donations
When you make your online donation, the screen indicates that you are donating to Netroots Nation. This is the right screen! Rest assured all donations WILL go to NFTT. If you wish, feel free to use the comment area provided to note that your donation is intended for Netroots For The Troops. It isn’t necessary to do this however, as this is the only fundraising activity being conducted for Netroots Nation at this time. For further information about online donations, please read TexDem's diary on the subject.
The NFTT diaries are a way for the Daily Kos community to support the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq by sending them packages of items they might not otherwise receive through the normal military process but that they find useful.
This is a non-political diary. While we understand there are differing views on the wars and the warriors, the site gives plenty of opportunity to express those views elsewhere. Furthermore, we would hope that users do not engage with those that attempt to hijack or otherwise disrupt these diaries.
We appreciate your understanding and support. Thanks!