Plugging along ...

Vegan stir fry with rice noodles, tofu, greens, and cashews

Minestrone Soup with Rice

Minestrone Soup with Rice

New pic.  Seems like time.

Chicken Soup ingredients

Roasting chicken for soup, originally uploaded by The Baker's Dozen.

Just add water and chicken

Hearty Steak and Lima Bean Stew with Rice

Hearty Steak and Lima Bean Stew with Rice, originally uploaded by The Baker's Dozen.

Leftover grilled steak, sliced thin and tossed with a few staples is a great cold-day dinner. This pan is about midway to done; 2 cups of water to make the gravy, and then a ladleful of leftover premium rice. Everybody went back for seconds and thirds until it was gone.

Crustless Quiche II

Crustless Quiche II, originally uploaded by The Baker's Dozen.

Who needs pie crust? You can't improve on perfect.

Baked Chicken

Baked Chicken, originally uploaded by The Baker's Dozen.

Ten pounds of chicken leg quarters trimmed and separated into thighs and drumsticks. Trimmings in the soup pot but what to do with the rest of it? This time I baked it.

Baker's Dozen Challenge Gallery of Ingredients

To see the gallery, click on the following link.  It will open in a new tab (or window).



Baker's Dozen Challenge Gallery of Ingredients

(Trying out this workaround ...)

4. Dinner Salad with Potatoes

Dinner Salad with Potatoes recipe and photographs

3. Tuscan Style Soup

recipe and photographs

One version of this sausage, potato, and kale soup is served at the Olive Garden restaurants, where it is very popular.  I've seen several clone recipes online, which are similar but not all the same.  Mine is modified to use beef sausage rather than standard Italian sausage, which is pork.  If you add cream it won't be kosher, but it's also good without the cream.  A hearty soup, it makes a fine entree, especially if accompanied by a good chef salad. 

2. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

More than you ever wanted to know about gumbo

This is a cajun-style gumbo, made with the "trinity" of sauteed onions, bell pepper, and celery; garlic, carrots, and parsley.  No tomato because I like it better without!  The sausage is smoked beef, and the chicken is salvaged from stock-making.  Also in this gumbo is okra and a gluten-free roux.  Gumbo is flavored with bay leaf and at least a bit of red pepper.

People in California go to Trader Joe's and spend a hundred dollars on seafood for gumbo. That's not in the spirit of the dish, which should be made from whatever the cook can gather from the garden and dip from the bayou!  Most recipes begin this way:  "First, make roux."  After that it's all the creativity of the cook! 

Recipe and more photographs

Gluten-free roux

1. Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice

In December I will be
A baubled, bangled Christmas tree
With soup bowls draped all over me
Merry once, merry twice
Merry chicken soup with rice

I told you once, I told you twice
All seasons of the year are nice
For eating chicken soup with rice

-- Maurice Sendak

Best Chicken Soup Recipe 

Lemons