Vegetable Soup and Easy Yeast Rolls

 It's hard to believe it is January 1st, 2020...but it is!!  I'm all caught up in reminiscing over what an eventful year 2019 was and looking hopefully forward into 2020 and all the promise that this year holds...

So, yes...if you came here looking for a vegetable soup

 recipe and easy yeast rolls...this is the place...

I just need a quick second to wrap my mind around the holidays that 

certainly flashed across my busy calendar and then vanished...

I was there... I remember it...

it just seems like the years are moving more swiftly...

the kids are getting older and I am barely keeping up with it all...

Here is a quick peek at our holidays and a 

few flashbulb memories from 2019...

The recipes follow.

And...back to the soup...

You'll need a cooked brisket...and the directions are super easy.  Be sure to ask the butcher ...sometimes they are not in the meat area...but in the back 

and they can sometimes cut you the size that you need...

After the brisket cooks... reserve the liquid.  I like to refrigerate mine, to easily separate out the fat...just skim it off the top and discard.

 Use a bay leaf or three...just discard before serving...

 This recipe only calls for 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste...so this option is great...tomato paste in a tube....refrigerate what you don't use and keep it refrigerated... so clever!

Beef Vegetable Soup

Karri Perry; Blue Ribbon Kitchen

Ingredients:

4-6 lb. beef brisket- cooked (see below)

1- 32 ounce container beef broth

5-6 garlic cloves-peeled and sliced

½ teaspoon each: salt, pepper and garlic powder

Bake brisket at 300 degree oven, with 5-6 peeled and sliced cloves of garlic, and  one 32-ounce container of beef broth.  Use a roaster or deep sided casserole dish.  Place half the garlic gloves on the bottom, place the brisket (fat side up), top brisket with ½ teaspoon each of salt, pepper and garlic powder, and remaining garlic cloves. Pour the broth around the brisket.  Tightly seal with foil and bake for 4 hours or until fork tender.  Remove the fatty top layer-discard.  Reserve the broth and the leftover brisket for soup.

Vegetable Soup Ingredients:

2-3 cups chopped-cooked beef brisket

2 cups reserved beef broth

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

2 Tablespoons chopped celery

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon flour

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Worcester sauce

1 -32 ounce container beef broth

1- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 -15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained

1-12 ounce bag frozen mixed soup vegetables

2 cups diced frozen potatoes

1 -15 ounce can lima beans

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

3 bay leaves

Add 1-2 cups of V8 juice to thin as the soup simmers.

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy bottomed pot, on medium heat, add the butter, chopped onion and celery.  After 5 minutes, when the onion and celery are softened, add the flour, stir.  Add the tomato paste and stir.  Quickly add the beef broth, scraping the bottom and sides to loosen any cooked on bits.  Add the cooked chopped brisket and reserved broth.  Heat until simmering.  Add the crushed tomatoes, drained diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables, peas, corn, potatoes, Worcester sauce, lima beans and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Skim and discard any foam (impurities) that may develop on the surface of the soup.  Continue to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  The longer the soup simmers; a deeper/richer flavor develops.  As the soup cooks down, add 1-2 cups of V8 juice to thin.  Remove bay leaves before serving and add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

This soup freezes beautifully.  Enjoy!

Easy Yeast Rolls

Karri Perry; Blue Ribbon Kitchen

Ingredients:

½ cup warm water – not hotter than 110 degrees

2 Tablespoon honey

2 Tablespoons dry active yeast

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

2 cups warm milk- not hotter than 110 degrees

4 Tablespoons melted butter + 2 Tablespoons softened butter

2 teaspoons salt

5-6 cups all purpose flour

Measure the warm water, add, honey, sugar and yeast, stir and set aside.

 In a bowl warm 2 cups of milk and the 4 Tablespoons of butter, add the salt.  Add the warmed butter and milk mixture to the yeast/water/honey mixture.

Pour into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the standard blade attachment. Add the flour one cup at a time as the mixture is combined on low (or stirred if making by hand)

Continue to add the flour until the dough comes together.  Do not over mix.  Dough may be slightly sticky to the touch.  Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.  Dough will puff up and rise.

After twenty minutes, gently push the dough down, deflating the dough slightly.  Form dough into smooth two-inch dough balls and place two-three inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Once all of the dough has been formed into rolls, brush with the remaining softened butter, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On middle rack, bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of lightly golden.  Remove from oven, let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.  Leftover rolls can kept in an airtight container for three days.

To make ahead:  Make rolls to the point of placing formed rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet, add the butter, tightly cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate if planning to use later in the same day, simply remove from the refrigerator, remove wrap and allow the dough to rise a second time on the counter before going into the oven…or, freeze the rolls on a baking sheet (covered well with plastic wrap) and remove frozen rolls from the freezer and allow to rise before baking.

I'm super proud to continue to bring you award winning recipes the first Thursday of every month on Fox 19 here in Cincinnati!!  Tune in at 9:45 and 10:45 and I'll share everything I know!!

  Best,

Karri Xo