Veggie Soup I Like

With my fear of all cooked vegetables growing up I didn't eat a lot of vegetable soups. In fact, most I wouldn't even try. I'm enjoy fresh produce in my soups now though - and the more unusual ingredients seem to win me over more! Usually, they are pretty quick to make too which is an added bonus.

Zucchini & Tomatillo Soup

Ingredients:

For the zucchini:    2 c. chopped zucchini       1 c. vegetable stock      2 garlic cloves, minced

                              4 sprigs fresh thyme

For the tomatillos:  1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and cleaned         1/2 small red onion, cut in half

                               2 tbsp. olive oil                                            salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. In a medium pot, combine the zucchini, stock, garlic, thyme.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. R
4. Remove thyme and discard.
5. Place the tomatillos and onion on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Toss with your hands to coat all sides.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Roast until golden but not charred, 20-24 minutes.
9. Put the tomatillos and onion along with any remaining oil in a blender.
10. Add a spoonful from the cooked zucchini mixture and blend until smooth.
11. Keep doing this until everything is blended.
12. Pour everything back into the pot and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Can be served warm or chilled.
14. Garnish with cilantro if you want.

I've only tried it warm. I haven't been too adventurous with cold soup but it seems like it would be a perfect summer dish. Fresh from the garden produce into a cool soup to stay cool in the hot summer sun. Win win!

As always, have fun!

Weather Changes....Sick?

In the dead of winter, I don't get sick. I traipse through snow in negative temperatures and don't get sick. It was in the teens and twenties yesterday and thirties and forties today. I wake up with a cold. With my throat on fire and my nose completely stuffed up, I wondered what the best cure would be...soup!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup

Ingredients:
6 cups milk                   3 cans cream of chicken soup            1 lb. shredded chicken           
1 cup sour cream          1/4 c. - 1/2 c. hot pepper sauce (depending on taste)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Even better, a recipe without a lot of prep work when you have no energy or patience to deal with it. A cup of hot soup always makes me feel better when I'm sick and the heat in this one could potentially clear anyone's sinuses!

As always, have fun!

Cold Days...Warm Crockpots

Ok so this lovely cold "snap" doesn't seem to be ending, so let's embrace it. What's better than a hot cup of soup to warm you up? One you can make in the crock-pot, filling your house with yummy smells all day long of course!

I am not a huge soup fan because it often conjures the image of some weenie vegetables and noodles floating in a thin broth. But, I've learned that is far from the only soup out there. In fact, a nice thick chowder is even better. I have some recipes for seafood ones, which are very tasty. But today I'm going with something a bit more well liked across the board.

Chicken Bacon Crock pot Chowder

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves          1 shallot          1 leek             6 oz. mushrooms         1 sweet onion
4 tbsp. butter            2 c. chicken stock                 1 lb. chicken                 8 oz cream cheese
1 c. heavy cream     1 lb. bacon, crumbled            1 tsp. salt                     1 tsp. pepper        
1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. thyme

Directions:

1. On low, add garlic, shallot, leek, mushrooms, onion, 2 tbsp. butter, 1 c. chicken stock, salt and pepper to crock pot.
2. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
3. While vegetables are cooking, in a large skillet, pan sear the chicken breasts in the remaining 2 tbsp. butter until brown on both sides (app. 5 min. per side).
4. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. De-glaze the pan with the remaining chicken broth. 
6. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up any bits of chicken stuck to the pan.
7. Add chicken stock to crock pot.
8. Add heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic powder and thyme.
9. Stir until well combined, with no visible chunks of cream cheese.
10. Once the chicken is cool, cube it and add to the crock pot along with bacon.
11. Stir until well combined. 
12. Cover and let cook 6-8 hours. 

It might be miserable to walk outside, but everyone will want to come over for the smell of this permeating your house and oh of course to eat it too!

As always, have fun!

Like French Onion Soup?

I always check out the soup section on any restaurant menu to see if they have french onion soup. I love it and it always struck me as something that would be difficult to replicate at home. Besides, Jeremy's not a huge onion fan so why cook it just for myself anyway?

I found this recipe for a pot pie that tastes pretty close and an added bonus - Jeremy liked it!

Beefy French Onion Potpie

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef          1 small onion, chopped          1 can french onion soup       
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese                                         1 tube buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

1. Cook beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until beef is no longer pink.
2. Drain the meat and add the soup. 
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Transfer to an ungreased 9 inch pie plate.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
7. Top with biscuits and bake 15-20 minutes longer (biscuits golden brown).

Do you have a favorite thing you when you are out at a restaurant? Chances are that you can find the recipe online or a twist on the recipe like this. You just have to look around. As you get more confident in your cooking, you'll find yourself tweaking recipes based on how they taste and creating your own versions of family favorites.

As always, have fun!

Another Lite Night

Another Lite Night


Soup and salad are a perfect combo when you aren’t sure what you want, but don’t want to get into a heavy casserole or worry about getting a roast in the oven. They also usually guarantee leftovers as you are doing two decent sized recipes.


Fiesta Pork Soup


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground pork     1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth     1 8 oz. jar picante sauce
1/8 tsp. cumin     1/8 tsp. ground pepper    1 c. tortilla chips, broken
1 11 oz. condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup     1/4 c. sour cream


Directions:
1. In medium saucepan, cook and stir pork until browned. Drain.
2. Add chicken broth, picante sauce, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Stir in cheese soup and simmer until heated through. Do not boil.
5. Pour in serving bowls – garnish with tortilla chips and sour cream.


Summer Corn Salad


Ingredients:
5 tbsp. olive oil, divided     1 tbsp. lime juice        1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn, thawed     1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. finely chopped cucumber     1/4 c. red onion
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil     1/4 c. feta cheese


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk 4 tsp. oil, lime juice and pepper sauce. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook and stir corn in remaining oil over medium high heat until tender.
3. Transfer to salad bowl and cool slightly.
4. Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil.
5. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
6. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled.
7. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.


I had a fairly difficult time picking the “right combo” of recipes for this one. Soup and salad is almost cliche as a pair. What immediately comes to mind for me is your regular garden variety salad and either a tomato soup or a french onion soup. I’m not sure why this is the image in my head, but I just feel like there are far more possibilities. It’s yet another chance for you to get creative. What are your favorite veggies? Do you have a salad dressing you can’t live without? How about your soup? Does it need meat? Is it chock full of ingredients or is it simple bisque?


As always, have fun.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful!

That snow is pretty – don’t get me wrong. I could even live with it for a few days. It’s the bone chilling cold that has got me up in arms. Meanwhile, what better food to fix than soup on a cold winter’s day?

Some of you may say – sure Alyson – soup. I can get that from a can and, wait, don’t I need to fix something else with it? I’ve got your 40 minute solution. This hearty soup doesn't need a sandwich with it – you make biscuit dumplings to go in it!

Tomato Soup with Cheese Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil     1/2 medium onion     2 garlic cloves, minced 3 c. chicken broth     

2 14.5 oz cans chopped tomatoes 1 tsp. light brown sugar     1 tsp salt     3/4 c. bisquick baking mix

1/3 c. parmesan  cheese     1/4 tsp. oregano     6 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. In a large pot, over medium low heat, combine oil, onion and garlic.
2. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.
3. Raise heat to medium and stir in broth, tomatoes, brown sugar and salt.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes
5. Use an immersion blender to puree slightly, leaving in some tomato chunks.*
6. Cover and return soup to a simmer.
7. In a bowl, combine Bisquick, Parmesan and oregano.
8. Add milk and stir til dough forms.
9. Roll dough into 12 balls.
10. Add dumplings to soup – cover.
11. Simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

*If you do not own an immersion blender, first, I would say invest in one. But in the meantime, you can use a bullet or a blender to achieve the same effect. You are just adding dirty dishes to your workload.

This makes about 10 cups and is extremely filling. It’s a quick equivalent to the good old fashioned tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.

As always, have fun!