Welcome to My Kitchen

Many delicious soups have been showing up at area soup suppers. Soup is one of the most leisurely meals; though some require elaborate preparation techniques, most are simple. Some of my collection’s easiest recipes start with a spaghetti sauce jar. The sauce is filled with savory seasonings, so salt and pepper are all needed.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 pound ground beef or diced stew meat

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound of potatoes, cubed

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 jar (32 ounces) spaghetti sauce

4 cups beef broth

1 can of green beans, drained

1/4 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large kettle, brown beef and onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables is tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

A variety of crackers often accompanies soup. Sourdough Discard Crackers are easy to make and use up excess sourdough starter. Season with various herbs and spices according to your family’s taste, or make them plain with a sprinkling of salt.

Sourdough Discard Crackers

3/4 cup sourdough starter

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp mixed dried herbs

Extra salt for sprinkling.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 11 x 15 inch or larger baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine sourdough starter, butter, salt, and spices, mixing well. Spread in a thin layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and using a sharp knife, score into squares. Return pan to oven and continue baking for 40-50 minutes or until crackers are golden brown and crisp. Cool completely before breaking into squares. Yield: about 36 crackers.

Note: a mixture of rosemary, basil, cilantro and black pepper is the herb blend I often use.

The ginger cookie recipe we were looking for has been found. Much sleuthing led us to Lynette Schafer of Odessa and her recipe for Spice Dulcies. She has made this recipe for many years for her family. Careful measuring is essential in this recipe.

Spice Dulcies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

4 Tbsp molasses

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Combine flour, baking soda and spices in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses. Stir in dry ingredients, adding nuts if using and mix until well combined—chill dough for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into walnut size balls. Roll balls in extra sugar to coat. Place on a cookie sheet and spritz lightly with water. Bake for 10-15 minutes or a little less. Lynette notes ovens vary, so you should watch closely.

Remove cookies immediately to wire racks to cool—yield: 4 1/2 to 5 dozen.

Note: Lynette uses the Pampered Chef cookie scoop to portion the dough. Walnut size is slightly bigger than 1 inch across. Also, note that the nuts were not included in the cookies that started this search.

Fresh spring asparagus is beginning in the markets, though Washington State has yet to produce crops. Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus are and easy sheet pan dinner. This recipe also does well cook in a large barbeque grill pan.

Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus

1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 count size)

1 pound asparagus

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 ounce freshly grated parmesan cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt

Ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the woody ends of the asparagus by bending each stalk until the end snaps off.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil—season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.Place in oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper and another pinch of red pepper flakes. Allow marinating while asparagus is roasting.

After the asparagus has cooked but is not entirely done, carefully add the shrimp to the pan, arranging them around the asparagus—Roast for about 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately—yield: 4 servings.

Note: a teaspoon of lemon juice may be substituted for the lemon zest in the marinade.

Soon Easter will be here and many meals are planned around the day and other spring events. Do you have a special recipe for lamb or ham to share with your fellow readers? Also, there is still time for soup and bread recipes. Please share your favorites by sending them to Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Also, check the garden and flower beds for early weeds.