Split Pea Soup With Ham

 During cold weather, you can't beat a nice hearty soup.

This recipe is a great way to make use of that ham bone you put in the freezer a while back.

I have made this recipe many times, it is just like mom used to make.

I start out with 6 cups of liquid. You can use all broth, or all water. I use a mix of both. If soup is too thick, add more liquid as desired.

 This is written for an Instant Pot cooker.  You can use a Dutch oven or a stockpot, it just takes much longer!

INGREDIENTS:

1 ham bone (with meat)

1 lb. bag split peas

6 cups liquid (chicken broth, water, bouillon)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 celery stalks, 1/4 inch dice

2 carrots, split and chopped 

1 med. onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs butter

Salt, pepper, dried thyme, Italian seasoning for flavor

Chop veggies and sauté in oil until onion is soft. (add garlic last)

Add liquid and seasonings. 

Sort and rinse peas, add into liquid. 

Drop in ham bone, cover and seal

Set pressure to 17 minutes, natural release. 

Remove ham bone, remove any meat, chop and return meat to pot.

If peas are still to intact, return to pressure for 5 more minutes

Cook on slow cook mode, with pressure valve open until served.

I like to drizzle some good olive oil on top when serving into bowls.

Wild Rice Porridge

This makes a wonderful breakfast when camping or at your cabin or at home on a cool morning.
Make the wild rice ahead of time, or used canned, to save time.
Mahnomen Porridge, Originally adapted by the owner of Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis, from a Native American winter diet, is relatively healthy and delicious.

4 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup roasted, chopped hazelnuts or (pecans, walnuts)
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup maple syrup (pure maple syrup preferred)
1 cup heavy whipping cream or, (half & half)

Basic Directions: 
In a heavy nonstick saucepan, add cooked wild rice, hazelnuts, blueberries, cranberries, and maple syrup and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add heavy cream and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately. 

Servings: 4

My Notes:
I substituted a "berry blend" I found at Fleet Farm (cranberries, cherries and blueberries) To prepare, I added 2 Tbsp. butter to a med. saucepan on med. heat and add chopped nuts, stir frequently for a couple minutes. Add dried fruit and stir for a minute. Next, add wild rice, syrup and cream, (I used half and half instead of heavy cream). Stir and heat until heated through and thickened. I like a little brown sugar mixed in at serving !