Vegetable Potato Chowder

My husband wanted something filling last night, but he didn't want any more protein. So I looked through the fridge, freezer, and cupboards and came up with this tasty dish.

Vegetable Potato Chowder
1 large soup pot
stirring spoon
knife and cutting board
***
1/2 onion, chopped up into little pieces
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1-2 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme or poultry seasoning
1-2 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
water
4 large potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces (with peels or not, the peels are where most of the fiber is)
4 large carrots, in little round slices
1 can green beans
1 cup corn (creamed, canned, or frozen)
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes.
1/2 cup frozen peas
***
1. Wash(rinse and scrub until all the dirt comes off) and chop up the potatoes, carrots, and half an onion.
2. In the soup pot, on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until the onion turns see-through. This is called 'sweating.'
3. Add the chicken stock and the spices. Smell it, does it smell good to you?
4. Add the chopped potatoes and carrots and add just enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat until the pot starts to boil. Then turn down the heat to low. The soup should stay just barely bubbling, or simmering. Simmer the soup for about an hour, or until the potatoes are falling apart. Stir every 15 minutes.
5. When the potatoes are soft, add the green beans and corn. Slowly stir in the instant mashed potatoes- the soup will start to stick to the bottom.
6. When the soup thickens up, add the peas and turn off the heat. Keep stirring until the peas thaw. The soup is ready to eat!

This soup makes enough for 4-6 people. If you want to, you could add some ham with the potatoes and carrots, or garnish the soup bowls with bacon bits. Enjoy!

PS> It tastes even better when it's reheated. Perfect leftover. Make it on Sunday, freeze some and eat the rest a couple of days during the week.

Chicken Pot Pie

My mother in law requested this recipe. Her husband loves to eat Chicken Pot Pie, but her recipe includes lots of milk and cream, which aren't helping his cholesterol levels. I adapted this recipe one day when I was playing around with different chicken casseroles and I had a turnip left over from a lesson at school.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 large soup pot
knife and cutting board
stirring spoon (long wooden handled ones work great)
2 cup liquid measuring cup
1 9x13 pan or equivalent volume in casserole dishes or pie tins
1 hour
***
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped or minced
1-3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces.
3-4 carrots
5-6 cups chopped potatoes, turnips, or other similar root veggies
1 bag of frozen veggies (beans, corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower - your choice)
1-2 cups of chicken broth or stock
**Soup thickener - chicken gravy, a roux of butter and flour, cornstarch, or instant mashed potatoes**
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. curry powder or turmeric (adds yellow color)
Biscuit Dough (to make the crust)

1. In a large soup pot on medium-high, melt 2 Tablespoons butter and saute the onion in it. When the butter has completely melted, add the chicken and cook it until it is about 3/4 done (just a little pink in the middle).
**If you are thickening with a roux (fancy French word for cooked flour and butter used to thicken a sauce or soup)- increase the butter to 4 Tablespoons and add 2 Tablespoons of flour to the pot with the chicken. Cook the flour (you will want to stir it around or turn down the heat) until it becomes golden brown. Then add a little of the chicken broth to keep the roux from burning.**
2. When the chicken is 3/4 done, add the broth and all the spices. Smell and taste it to see if it tastes good, adjust the spices if necessary.
Now add the potatoes and carrots and add water until they are just barely covered. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. While it is cooking is a good time to get your biscuit dough crust ready.

Biscuit Dough Crust
1 mixing bowl
Fork or Pastry cutter
Clean surface to roll it out on
20-30 minutes
***
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift (mix) these ingredients together.
4 Tbsp butter - Cut (squish) the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter.
3/4 milk or orange juice - Add the liquid and stir well. Then on a well-floured board, knead and roll out the dough to a size that will fit your pans. (It will probably be sticky).

3. Grease your pans/pie tins. I like to do this in little casserole dishes because then I can microwave them later.
When the potatoes are soft, check the consistency of your soup/filling. This is the time to add the other thickeners.
**If you are using gravy mix, ladle out 1 cup of the hot liquid. Thoroughly mix the gravy into the hot liquid and then pour it back into the soup.**
**If you are using cornstarch, mix 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch into 1 Tablespoon of cold water, making a slurry. Then ladle out a cup or two of the hot liquid from the soup. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the hot liquid and boil for 2 minutes before returning to the soup.**
**If you are thickening with instant mashed potatoes, add the flakes into the soup and stir well. Add the flakes only a little at a time until the filling is the right consistency.**
4. Now turn off the stove, and turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Pour your soupy innards into the pans until they are 3/4 full. Then sprinkle the frozen veggies (still frozen) on top. If you would like, mix the frozen veggies into the rest of the filling before adding the crust. Fill the dish almost to the top and lay the crust over the top, crimping (pinching) down the edges. Then with a sharp knife, cut some steam holes in the crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and delicious.

This recipe makes a full 9x13 pan of pie, adjust the amount of chicken, potatoes, and carrots to better suit your needs, the rest of the ingredients stay the same. Please comment and let me know the all the variations you try!