You are probably asking yourself, “what is goop?” Goop is my family’s word for a stewy, ragu-like concoction. Basically, the kind of dish that you need bread or biscuits with because you have to dip the juices up. I am the butt of jokes when it comes to goop dishes because I will load my plate up, and still dip in the main dish. I like to call it a self-preservation technique…basically, I just love to eat

The great thing about goop is you can make it with anything really. For example, we altered this edition by adding our leftover potato leek soup from a couple nights ago. We are a big leftover family. Make enough for a few nights, then you always have something to munch on, or add to the next nights meal somehow!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 small Roasting Chickens
• 5 medium Potatoes
• 1 large Onion
• 1 15oz can of Sylvia’s Specially-Seasoned Field Peas with Snaps
• 1 15oz can of Sweet Peas
• 1 15oz can of or 2 cups of Baby Carrots
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Olive Oil
• 2 1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1-2 cups Leftover Potato Leek Soup (Optional)

Preheat the oven (on bake) to 350°F.

Chop the onion(s) and potatoes. In a large roasting pan, saute the chopped onions and potatoes in some olive oil with salt and pepper on medium heat. We used the roast pan on the bridge burner of our stove.

Add the carrots, peas and seasoned Sylvia’s Beans. You don’t have to drain the liquid in the cans, add it right in!

Saute this mixture until the onions begin to soften.

While the onions etc are sauteing, season the small roasting chickens with salt, pepper and paprika.

Add the chicken broth and, if you’re using it, the leftover potato leek soup.

Once the oven reaches 350° insert a meat thermometer into the chicken and bake the chicken and goop until the inside of the chicken reaches 150°.

This recipe is great with biscuits or fresh bread! Slice some chicken and dredge it through the delicious stew with biscuits and mmmmm.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium-large Potatoes (white)
• 3-4 large Leeks
• 1 Ham Steak
• Bulb of Roasted Garlic
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley
• 4 cups (1 quart) Chicken Stock/Broth
• 4 cups (1 quart) Water
• 3 tbsp Butter (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

The first step is to roast the garlic, and this takes a good hour, so make sure you either do this earlier in the day or at least before you start anything else.

Chop the potatoes, keeping the skin on, into small chunks about 1/2-1″ thick. Put to the side.

To prepare the leeks, chop off the root ends. Then chop off the greener top stalks.

I like to chop the leeks first, and then soak them to get out the sand. Mom on the other hand, she’s a little more anal. She likes to scrub the leeks before AND after they’re chopped. Whatever you have time for or prefer…

Chop the leeks in even rings.

Put them all in a bowl of water and agitate, separating the rings to get all the sand out. Strain out the water, and repeat if you like. Leeks tend to be fairly sandy. Put the leeks to the side.

Roughly chop the parsley and set aside.

Place a tbsp of olive oil in either a skillet, or roasting/soup pan and heat it up. We use an oblong deep pan so we can keep all the ingredients in one pan and not lose ANY flavor.

Once the oil is hot (medium heat), put the ham steak in and brown on each side. You don’t want to burn the ham steak, just brown each side and reserve some of the fat in the pan.

Once the ham steak is cooked, take it out and put it to the side to cool a bit. De-glaze your pan with the white wine and scrape up the ham bits to incorporate into the mixture.

Then add the leaks and coat with a little olive oil.

Chop the ham steak and return it to the pan with the leeks.

Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and water.

Turn the heat up to high and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.

While this is simmering, whip up the flour and butter into a little paste.

About 20 minutes into the soup simmer, add this paste a little at a time, making sure it dissolves. Add the roasted garlic paste.

Continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Take the soup off the heat and mash together with a stick blender. If you don’t have this magical appliance, you can use a potato masher or a slotted spoon…OR you could buy a stick blender below…

Add the chopped parsley as a garnish, and enjoy! MMMM.

Delicious!!