Mennonite Girls Can Cook (9 page)

.......................................................Serves 6

• 8 cups / 2 L water
  
• 1½ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 6 medium fresh potatoes, diced
  
• 1 large bay leaf
  
• 5 whole cloves
  
• 8 peppercorns
  
• 1 star anise
  
• Handful of fresh parsley
  

1. Bring water to boil. Add salt, onion and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
   
2. Tie the spices, except for parsley, into a square piece of cheesecloth and add to the soup.
   
3. Let simmer while you make the noodles.
   
4. Add the chopped parsley to the soup and simmer another 15 minutes.
   

• 1 large farm fresh egg
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml water
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml flour
  
• ½ teaspoon / 2 ml salt
  

1. Stir together the egg, water, and salt. Stir in half the flour, turn it onto a floured surface, and knead in the rest of the flour. You may need a little more flour to make the dough firm.
   
2. Roll out the dough. Cut 2-inch / 5-cm strips across the length of the dough.
   
3. Dust excess flour off the noodle dough; using a clean pair of kitchen scissors, cut ½-inch / 1-cm noodles directly over the pot, into the soup.
   
4. Boil several minutes until the noodles float.
   
5. Ladle it into bowls, and add a dollop of butter and a bit of cream.
   

—
Lovella

Lovella says

Lovella says

...............................................Serves 8

• 1 chicken or 8 chicken thighs
  (with bone)
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 10 peppercorns
  
• 1 star anise
  
• 5 cloves
  
• Small handful parsley, chopped
  
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
  
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
  
• 12 cups / 125 ml water
  

1. Place chicken in a soup pot; cover with the water and bring to a boil.
   
2. Tie the spices, except for the parsley, into a small piece of cheesecloth and add to the soup.
   
3. Simmer 2-3 hours.
   
4. Remove from heat; remove chicken from the bones when cool enough to handle.
   
5. If you have used a whole chicken, remove the breasts and refrigerate for another use.
   
6. Add the remaining meat from the bones to the broth.
   
7. Add the salt, bouillon cube, and parsley.
   
8. Simmer for ½ hour, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
   
9. Serve the broth over cooked fine egg noodles.
   

• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml water
  
• 2 cups / 500 ml flour, approximately
  
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
  

1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add flour and salt, stirring well.
   
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until the dough rolls easily and does not stick to the surface.
   
3. Roll out very thinly and cut into 2-inch / 5-cm wide strips or use a hand-cranked pasta roller to create fine noodles.
   
4. Dust liberally with flour and stack the strips; then cut through all the layers to form very thin noodles.
   
5. Scatter the noodles on a floured surface to dry.
   
6. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add 1 tablespoon / 15 ml salt. Cook the noodles just a few minutes, until they float to the surface.
   
7. Strain the noodles in a colander and serve with the hot broth.
   

Tip:
Do not store leftover soup with noodles, as the noodles will continue to swell in the broth.

—Lovella

Lovella says

...............................................Serves 8

• 1 pound / 500 g smoked ham hock
  
• ½ dried red hot pepper
  
• 10 black peppercorns
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1½ teaspoon / 7 ml salt
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
  
• 2 medium potatoes
  
• 6 cups / 1400 ml chopped green beans (frozen or fresh)
  
• Small handful summer savory
  
• 1 bouillon cube (chicken or beef) if needed, for extra flavor
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml sweet or sour cream
  

1. Cover ham bone with about 8 cups / 2 L water in large pot.
   
2. Tie spices into cheesecloth and add to pot.
   
3. Bring to a boil, skim off the scum, and simmer about 1 hour.
   
4. Remove the bone; add vegetables, and cook for another hour.
   
5. While vegetables are cooking and after ham has cooled slightly, remove the meat from the bone, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the pot.
   
6. About 30 minutes before serving add summer savory, tied together for easy removal and bouillon if needed for flavor.
   
7. Just before serving, add sweet or sour cream.
   

—Anneliese

Anneliese says

...............................................Serves 8

• 12 cups / 2.5 L cold water
  
• 1½ cup / 375 ml dried, split peas (yellow or green)
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml baby lima beans, navy beans or pot barley
  
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
  
• ½ package / 20 g dry onion soup mix (optional)
  
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (if not using ham hock)
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 10 whole black peppercorns
  
• ½ dried red hot pepper
  
• 1 small ham hock (1 pound / 500 gm), 6 European wieners, or half a farmer sausage
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• ½ green or red pepper, chopped
  
• 3 carrots, sliced
  
• 2 small potatoes, diced
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml summer savory
  

1. Begin by putting water, rinsed peas, beans or barley, salt, and spices into a large pot.
   
2. If using a ham hock, add it at this time, omitting the bouillon cubes.
   
3. Bring the uncovered pot to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the scum from the surface. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1-1½ hours. Keep lid open a crack during the cooking time.
   
4. Remove the ham and allow it to cool while you prepare and add the vegetables. If not using ham, add wieners or cut up sausage and bouillon cubes at this time.
   
5. Remove ham from the bone; add it to the pot along with summer savory.
   
6. Simmer for another hour until done, stirring/scraping occasionally to prevent the cooked peas from settling at the bottom and burning.
   

Tip:
When reheating the soup, frequently scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat utensil. If the soup gets too thick, just add a little water.

—
Anneliese

Anneliese says