Cauliflower Soup with Dumplings

WHAT???? I know. Because everything is better with dumplin's.

For the soup...

3-4 strips bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3-4 carrots, diced
2 heads cauliflower, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth

Brown the diced bacon in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onion and carrots and cook until tender.
Stir in flour, and then slowly stir in chicken broth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken, and then add cauliflower. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

At this point I took about a third of the mixture and pureed it in the food processor, then stirred it back in. I think you could get away with skipping this step, but the soup wouldn't be as creamy.

For the dumplings...

1 cup flour (whole wheat is fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 T coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup milk (really a little shy of 1/2 cup works best for me)

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Cut in the fat with a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Stir in the milk. This is just your basic biscuit dough. Form the dough into mini balls and drop into the simmering soup. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste-test a sweet little dumplin' to make sure it is done.

We didn't have a drop of leftovers from this meal. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

Enjoy!

Sausage, Lentil and Rice Casserole

Another scrumptious way to enjoy our favorite little lentil friends...

1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups lentils, uncooked
6 cups chicken broth (or combination of chicken broth and water, depending on what you have on hand)
1 pound sausage
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt, pepper, cumin, and italian seasoning to taste

Place rice and lentils in a large casserole dish and cover with the broth/water.
Brown sausage in a pan, then add onion and cook until onion starts to brown. Add garlic and stir for just a minute. Add mixture to rice/lentils and stir.
Add seasonings to taste, and then place in 300 oven for 2 hours or until liquid is absorbed and everything is tender.

This one was a hit in our house! Enjoy!

Beef and Barley Stew

This warm, comforting meal is super simple. Brown one pound of ground beef or venison. Add one sweet onion, 3-4 carrots, and 3-4 ribs of celery, all chopped, and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms, 2/3 cup pearled barley, 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, 4 cups beef broth, and 1 cup water, as well as salt, pepper, and any italian herbs on hand. Cover and simmer for at least an hour. Serve with fresh cornbread and enjoy!