Ken Szulczyk's Website

Baked Potato Soup

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14.5 fl. oz.) chicken broth
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.)
• Evaporated milk
• 4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes

Directions

1. You can either microwave or bake the potatoes until soft. Then dice the potatoes. You can also clean, dice raw potatoes and fry in oil. If you choose the frying method, make sure you brown the potatoes. The caramelizing adds flavor to the soup.
2. Melt butter In large saucepan over medium heat and add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Add the diced potatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil.
4. Soup is ready when potatoes are soft. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle each with toppings.

Tip: Spinkle cooked crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, or sliced green onions on top.

Tip: You may add sliced carrots.

Tip: I leave the skin on the potatoes.

Beef Vegetable Barley Soup

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (1/4 kg) beef soup bones
• 1 lb. lean beef stew meat, cut in small pieces
• 1 to 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. marjoram
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 2 bouillon beef cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (include some leaves)
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup of pearl barley

Directions

1. Brown both sides of beef. Simmer beef bones, beef, bouillon cubes, pepper corns, seasonings, and bay leaves for an hour in a pot of water.
2. Remove beef bones. Cut steak into pieces and add to broth. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Simmer until carrots are slightly firm.
3. Add barley and tomatoes and continue simmering,. Soup is ready when barley is soft.

Tip: Add fresh parsley towards the end for extra flavor.

Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Rice

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Ingredients

Stew

• 1 lb (1/2 kg) chicken sausage, sliced diagonally
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 cup dried black beans
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
• 2 cups orange juice
• Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste
• Thin orange slices for garnish (optional)

Rice

• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups of water

Directions

This recipe is loosely based on feijoada, the Brazilian national dish.

1. Many cooks suggest the best way to soften beans. For this dish, I put one cup of dried black beans into a pot with an orange rind. I covered and simmered for 3 hours. Always add water to cover the beans. Rinse the beans and remove the orange rind.
2. Add rice and water to a pot. Cover and simmer until all water has evaporated.
3. Cover the bottom of a large saucepan or pot with water. Over a high flame, saute the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, sausage, and peppers until they become soft, about 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce, cumin, and coriander, and stir to mix thoroughly. Add water as necessary to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Reduce the heat and add the beans, cilantro, and orange juice. Simmer at a very low heat for an additional 15 minutes.
5. I normally do not puree, but the original recipe recommends it. If you have a hand-held immersion blender, puree 1/4 of the stew in the pot. Otherwise, remove 1/4 of the stew from the pot and puree in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the pot and mix thoroughly. (You can puree more of the stew if you prefer a thinner texture, but do not puree more than half.) Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
6. On a platter, arrange rice into a ring shape and spoon beans into the center, or serve individual portions with the beans spooned over the rice. Garnish with orange slices and cilantro.

Chicken Gumbo

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Ingredients

Chicken Gumbo

• 1 whole chicken body with the meat and skin intact.
• 1 pound of chicken sausage, cut diagonally
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves of finely diced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons of hot sauce

La Roux

• 3/4 cup of flour
• 3/4 cup of oil

Rice

• 2 cups of a high quality rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter, oil, or margarine

Directions

1. Add the water, rice, salt, and butter to a pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and allow rice to cook under low heat until all the water disappears.
2. Rinse the chicken under cold water. Add chicken to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of oil. Brown all sides of the chicken until golden brown. We are caramelizing the sugars, which gives the stew a beautiful brown hue.
3. Remove the chicken and saute the sausage. After stirring once, add the onion, celery, and green pepper. Again, we want to caramelize the sugars, but you do not need to brown everything. Towards the end, add the garlic.
4. Add about two liters of water and carefully place the whole chicken in the water. Add the Creole seasoning, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Simmer for an hour. Occasionally taste the broth. Add a half or full teaspoon of salt if the broth needs it.
5. If the liver, neck, and gizzards came with the chicken, add them to the broth too.
6. Place the oil and flour into a frying pan and blend together under low heat. Occasionally stir the roux until it is brown. You must make sure you brown under low heat. If you burn it, you must start over. Then I add cold water and blend with the roux. That way, the roux does not clump when I add it to the broth.
7. Remove the chicken and the neck, gizzard, and liver. Add the roux a little at a time. Stir and mix in the roux well. Simmer for another hour.
8. Once the chicken cools, remove the skin and the meat. Dice the meat and add to the gumbo. Then discard the skin, bones, neck, gizzard, and liver.
9. Make a bed of rice in a bowl and add ladles of gumbo on top.

Tip: I am not a big fan of celery, so I buy celery, clean and dice it, and freeze it by two stalk portions in small plastic bags. When I need the celery in a dish, I rinse it and let it thaw.

Tip: I also add sliced okra or ladies' fingers.

Chili con Carne

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 diced onion
• 1 large can tomato paste
• 1 large diced tomato
• 4 (16-ounce) cans of beans (kidney, navy, pinto, etc.)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

1. Crumble and brown beef; drain. Add onions and garlic, and saute until soften.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer a few hours.

Tip: May add a can of corn for different texture.

Tip: I usually add three types of beans.

Crock-Pot Soup

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 green chili or jalapeño peppers, sliced
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Brown ground beef with onions. Drain, place in crock-pot.
2. Add all ingredients except cheese to crock pot and simmer for an hour.
3. Before serving, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of soup in center.

Mexican Bean Soup

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Ingredients

• 4 bacon slices
• 1 diced onion chopped
• 30 ounces of pinto beans undrained
• 1 can of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1/3 cup picante sauce

Directions

1. In a 3 quart saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and placed to the side.
2. Cook the onion in drippings until tender but not brown. Return bacon to saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Variation:

• Brown 1 pound ground beef with the bacon.
• Also, add a can of whole tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chile powder and 3 small cloves garlic (crushed and sautéed with onion).

Mexican Bean Soup

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Ingredients

• 1 pound minced beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can kernel corn
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• Crushed tortilla chips for the topping (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, brown beef with onion. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer about 30 minutes.
2. Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream.

Tip: Sprinkle hot pepper sauce to "heat it up."

Tip: Replace the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken for a healthier choice.

Minestrone Soup

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Ingredients

• 1/2 kg (1 lb) beef bones
• 2 bouillon cubes
• 1 & 1/2 cups sliced celery
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 & 1/2 cups cubed zucchini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup small shell macaroni
• 1/2 tsp. oregano, rosemary or basil
• 2 cans kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

Directions

1. Boil beef bones with two bay leaves, and two beef bouillon cubes in a pot of water and simmer for two hours. Add water if necessary.
2. Once the broth is done, remove the bones. Add the carrots, onions, and potatoes and simmer for five minutes. Then add the macaroni and simmer another five minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

Tip: Minestrone is a flexible recipe. You can add or remove vegetables to suit your tastes.

Pea Soup

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Ingredients

• 2 cups dried split peas
• 10 cups cold water
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 pound salted pork, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup celery leaves and stalks, chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teapoons salt

Directions

1. Soak the peas overnight in 6 cups of cold water. Drain and put in a heavy soup kettle with the ham bone, 10 cups of water, bay leaves, onions, and celery. Cover and simmer 1 hour. You can add salted pork. Keep adding water if soup becomes dry.
2. Simmer another hour longer and continue adding water if soup dries.
3. Remove bones, salted pork, and bay leaves. Use a blender or food processor to puree soup. Blend with ham or add ham back into soup after blending.
4. I like to blend or mash part of my pea soup and leave some texture. If the soup is not thick enough, add 1/2 cup of light cream.
5. Top with sour cream, sliced green onions, bacon bits, or other favorite topping.

Tip: I used four back bones of a pig to flavor the soup.

Pea Soup (Vegetarian)

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Ingredients

• 2 cups dried split peas
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium stalks celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 quarts vegetable broth (low-sodium, if desired)
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 bay leaf, whole
• 2 (19 ounce) cans cooked yellow split peas
• Black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak the peas overnight in 6 cups of cold water. Drain and put in a heavy soup kettle and 10 cups of water. Cover and simmer 2 hours.
2. Sautee onions in olive oil. After cooking onions for several minutes, add onions to pea broth.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer approximately one hour until peas are soft.
4. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Pumpkin Soup

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Ingredients

• One finely diced onion
• 4 gloves of crushed garlic
• 2 bullion cubes of chicken stock
• Fresh pumpkin or butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 can or cup of coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin

Directions

1. Clean the pumpkin or squash and add to a pot. Just add enough water to cover the pumpkin. Add the remaining ingredients except the coconut milk, cover, and simmer until pumpkin is soft.
2. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup. Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Sprinkle croutons, cheese, diced green onions, etc. on top and enjoy.

Note: Roasted squash or pumpkin seeds are delicious.

Shit on a Shingle

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Ingredients

• Body of a chicken
• 3 bouillon cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt as needed
• Flour
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 3 carrots, diced
• 5 potatoes, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup of peas
• Corn starch (optional)

Directions

Broth

1. Wash chicken and brown sides in a pot. Then boil chicken in a pot of water for 60 minutes with bouillon cubes, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
2. Strain mixture through a wire mesh.
3. Clean and dice chicken when it cools and discard bones, skin, and organs

The Roux

1. Heat butter and add flour until it forms clumps.
2. Continue stirring and add a little broth. Keep adding broth until the roux has the consistency of mash potatoes. It is mush easier to blend in the stew.

Stew

1. Sauté the carrots, potatoes, and onions. Add a little oil. Then add the broth and boil until carrots and potatoes are sigthly firm.
2. Add the roux until completely mixed.
3. Simmer covered for five minutes.
4. If you want to thicken the stew more, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a glass of cold water and stir Then add to stew. Be careful. Corn starch has twice the thickening power of flour. Wait couple minutes before adding more corn starch.
5. Add peas and chicken meat.
6. Serve on toast, biscuits, or rice.

Tip: You can use a can of chicken stock. You may have to adjust the salt.

Tip: You can switch to beef and make a comparable beef stew.

Tip: You may add your favorite vegatables.

Tomato Soup

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes - cut into 1" pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 whole clove
• 6 peppercorns
• 2 - 1/4 inch slices of onion
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, simmer tomatoes, onions, bay leaf, clove, and one cup of water for 20 minutes.
2. Remove bay leaf and clove, and puree tomatoes throughly. You may want to filter the soup through a sieve to remove tomato pulp.
3. Add two cups of milk, sugar, hot sauce, and salt.
4. Add cornstarch to half cup of milk and blend thoroughly. Then add to soup.