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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Portuguese Soup

This is a great recipe. My mom used to make it all the time. Despite the name, this is a very inexpensive, delicious and filling soup that is VERY easy to make. You can make it on the stove top or in the crock pot. Matter of fact, I have a batch in the crock pot right now.


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb ground beef (Substitute other ground protein if you wish)
  • 2 C. chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (I used 80/20 ground beef and omitted the extra oil)
  • 1 lg can whole stewed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper (I also added some cayenne for some heat)
  • 2 qt. water
  •  1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
  • 1 C. broken vermicelli
  • 1 pkg keilbasa (chorizo would also be very very good if you have it)
CROCKPOT: Dump it all in, turn onto highest setting, let cook for at least 4 hours. (Or until you get home)

STOVE TOP: brown mean, onion and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sausage and water. Bring to boil. Cover, Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add thyme, basil, cabbage and pasta. Bring to boil. Cook until cabbage and pasta are soft.

YEP that's it. It freezes well and is even better eaten the next day, if it sticks around that long. 

Try it out. Let me know what you think and how you changed it to your liking.

My recipes are merely guidelines. I change stuff all the time depending on what's in season and/or on sale, and to my taste. I like more heat than my mom, so I add cayenne. You can too. Try it as is, then change it up :D

Have fun with it. Yum Yum.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Little Homestead in the City - the Urban Homestead Journal

Little Homestead in the City - the Urban Homestead Journal

This really is a great website, full of killer info. This family is amazing. They grow 99% of their own produce, which comes to about 6,000 lbs of food year round, including animals for eggs and manure. They have workshops and lectures as well. They share their stories of their day to day living and homesteading. On a 1/10th of an acre urban lot, they have created a little paradise in the city. It truly is mind blowing and inspiring.

   The Kitchen Witch Of The South