Saffron white bean tomato soup

1lb bag Northern white beans

8 - 10 cups Filtered water 

1 box Vegetable broth 

1 Onion

4-5 cloves Garlic

2 & 1/2 lbs Chicken sausage (hot & sweet) 

16oz Tomato purée 

1 cup White Rioja wine (Muga)

Pinch Saffron strands

4-5 Kale leaves shredded 

Aged, cultured goat cheese (hard) shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse beans and discard any bad ones. Rice beans thoroughly under cold water and then soak in cool water in bowl. Add plenty of water to keep beans covered during entire night covered. In morning rinse beans in colinder and place into slow cooker with enough fresh filtered water to cover beans, then add 1 box vegetable broth. Add salt and pepper, then cook on low for about 2 hours. Then add the chicken sausage to the soup add keep cooking the soup for 2 or 3 more hours on low. Then add the onions, garlic and tomato purée to the soup and continue simmering the soup on low in the crock pot. In the last hour add the wine, saffron and kale, stirring the soup and adding more salt and pepper to taste if needed. Keep the soup on low, this dish requires patience. The entire cooking time will be at least 8 to 10 hours on low in the crock pot, remember slow and low. Serve on low with fresh shredded goat cheese on top.

Chichen and dumplings from scratch (small pot)

Soup ingredients:
1 whole chicken breast with bone
1 box chicken broth
several grinds of fresh cracked Salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoonThyme
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon Herbs du Provence
4 celery stalks
2-3 inside celery stalks with leaves
1 large yellow onion
6-8 small thin jr. carrots
3 cloves of garlic

In a large pot cook chicken breast with bone over water, box of chicken broth with salt and pepper for about an hour and twenty minutes. When chicken starts to come off the bone add thyme, bay leaves, herbs and a few more cracks of pepper and salt. Continue cooking down until the chicken come off the bone easily another 20 minutes to forty minutes, then remove the chicken from the bone and discard the bone. Add the remaining ingredients for soup to the pot and continue cooking for another 30 - 40 minutes until carrots are soft.

To make the dumpling mix, in a large bowl add shortening to dry ingredients and stir, then being careful with the 1/2 & 1/2 so you don't add too much, slowly poor the milk into the dry mixture while mixing. Form the dough into balls and refrigerate until needed.

Dumplings:
1 cup buttermilk baking mix
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup 1/2 & 1/2

After the soup is nearly done, you will take the dumpling balls and add them into the soup while it is at a full boil and cook for 15-20 more minutes.

Serve HOT