ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP (Page 16)

(Known in our house as THE soup)
by Rita Heikenfeld
3 cans Progresso cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. Olive oil (enough to cover bottom
of stock pot)
1-lb. fresh Italian sausage
3 leeks chopped (don’t use bulb or area where it begins to leaf out)
1/4 tsp. thyme
2-3 tsp. garlic, minced
8 c. chicken broth
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (pref. no salt)
1 sprig fresh rosemary or ½ tsp. dried
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (leave skin on)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Parmesan cheese rind can be added (opt.)
1 Bay leaf great extra flavor
1 bunch of kale –stemmed and coarsely
Fill bottom of stock pot with oil over medium heat. Add sausage, leeks, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Saute until sausage is cooked. Add tomatoes, beans and broth. Simmer about 45 min. Add more broth if necessary. During last 15 min. add rosemary (it can overpower dish). Remove the bay leaf. Add kale and cook 5 minutes.
Garnish with generous amounts of Parmesan and an optional swirl of olive oil.

Freezes well. Serves 10-12 bowls. My kids loved this so much they even ate it for
breakfast!
Note: This is our number one favorite soup. I have had people ask for this recipe more
than any other recipe.

Asian Braised Short Ribs (pg 31)

This dish would be awesome in a crockpot. Just do your prep the night before, and make the slurry right before you eat it. Great with rice.

ASIAN BRAISED SHORT RIBS
4 lbs. boneless beef short ribs (~$20, and very lean and we got 2 meals out of it) OR
boneless chuck roast cut into pieces (much cheaper/ ?fatty)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice wine or dry sherry
2 T. olive oil
2 15.5 oz. beef broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger root, finely grated (peel with a spoon,freezes,whole,great)
2 tsp. Toasted sesame seed oil (keep refrigerated)$3.50 at Whole foods
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 T. cornstarch mixed with 3 T. water
4 green onions, chopped
Preheat to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the ribs or chuck a
few pieces at a time and set aside. When all the meat is cooked, add garlic, ginger and onion to the pan. Saute 5-7 min. until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the meat back to the pan and slowly add the soy sauce, sherry and broth. (You can cool,cover, and refrigerate 3 days or freeze for 2 months at this point. Bring to room temp.
before proceeding.) Bake in a Dutch oven, covered, for TWO hours. Remove from oven. In a separate bowl, mix a corn starch slurry with the water and pour around meat. Cover and bake 10 more minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the oven and stir sesame seed oil into the sauce. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice or
noodles.
Note: Versatile dish that can be made ahead, can be done in a Dutch oven or a crock
pot (low 8 hours, high 4 hours). Thicken sauce in a small pan on the stove.