Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, December 22, 2008
Soups
Baked Potato Soup
Mud SoupWe eat a lot of soup! Especially during the Fall and Winter months. I really love soup - I feel it is the perfect food. This is because you can be full without feeling sick. That seems to be the flaw with so many other meals; you eat and eat and eat and then rather than feel satisfied, you feel stuffed and sick.
So lately I have had a lot requests for some of my soup recipes. I thought this would be the best place to put them all. Some of these may be repeats of other recipes that I have put on before (but alas, I am too lazy to go back and see what I have already posted; sorry). So here goes, in no particular order...
Mud Soup (a.k.a. Potato Lentil Soup)
2 strips cooked bacon
1 onion, chopped and sauteed
1 cup uncooked lentils
1/4 cup flour
Stir the above ingredients together and add:
6 cups beef broth
2 carrots, chopped or sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped or sliced (I prefer sliced for both the carrots and celery)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Simmer until lentils and veggies are cooked; at least 2 hours. Water may need to be added occasionally to keep it from burning.
After it is cooked, add:
1/4 cup fresh parsley OR 2 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
a pinch of nutmeg (1/4 - 1/2 tsp.)
* The bacon is optional. Renee (the real owner of this blog) likes it without the bacon. I like it with the bacon.
** My mother, from whom the recipe came (she got it from a French chef at a restaraunt in Portland, but that is another story) takes a potato masher and mashes it up at the end. That is why we all called it Mud Soup when we were kids - after she mashed it, it looked like mud. I prefer it chunkier and that is why I choose to not mash it. Either way it is good.
Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
add a small diced onion
add 1 package Taco seasoning
Put in a crockpot or pan and add:
1 can of corn, undrained
1 can blackbeans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup (optional, although I have always added it, so I have no idea how it would without it)
Mix together and cook for however long you want - just needs to be warm. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, black olives, and whatever else Mexicany that you want.
* I hardly ever make this anymore because I have found so many other soups that I love more. But this is a great last minute meal and it is pretty healthy and hearty.
Vegatable Beef Soup
3/4 - 1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I always use ground turkey and no one knows the difference, and turkey is cheaper and healthier)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups water
4 beef boullion cubes
1/3 - 1/2 cup pearl barley or brown rice
Quart of canned tomatoes OR 2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Brown meat and saute onion together. Add water and boullion. Add barley and cook for 20 minutes. Add vegatables and simmer 1-2 hours.
* I don't usually like chunks of tomatoes in things, so I puree the tomatoes before I add them. My mom likes it chunky so she just puts them in. Either way is great!
Hearty Black Bean Soup
1 cup tomato salsa
1 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. lime juice
2 T. fresh chopped cilantro
Heat salsa in saucepan to heat through. Stir in beans and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Let soup cool slightly and ladle half of it into a blender. Puree it. Return to pot, stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream.
* This is Scott's favorite soup! He loves it!
Southwestern Chicken Soup
1 12-oz. jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (such as a small rotisserie chicken from the deli or leftover chicken from another meal)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
2 green onions, chopped
Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Then add chicken, beans, broth, and cumin. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream (seems to be a popular topping for my soups...). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.
Chicken and Rice Soup
6 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 small carrots, sliced thinly
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup baby peas
1 cup cooked rice
5 1/2 oz. cooked chicken meat, sliced
2 tsp. chopped, fresh tarragon
1 T. chopped, fresh parsley
salt and pepper
Put chicken stock in a large pan and add the carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the peas, rice, and chicken and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Add tarragon and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Baked Potato Soup
Remove the skins, mash, and set aside: 4 medium baked potatoes
Cook and remove: 2 slices of bacon
Add to pan with dripping:
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thinly
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pressed garlic clove
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
the mashed potatoes
Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Then stir in:
1 cup light sour cream
cumbled bacon
*I only partially mash the potatoes, becuase I like it lumpy. I also add a little more boullion (about 1/2 - 1 tsp.) to bulk up the flavor. This is by far the most fattening soup I make, but it is really good.
Fancy Tortilla Soup
Brown: 3/4 lb. regular pork or Italian sausage (I prefer Italian)
Season with salt and pepper and brown:
4 chicken breasts
Remove chicken and set aside.
Saute:
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Add:
1 can Northern white beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups frozen corn
Add chicken and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream.
* This is my favorite soup. There are so many flavors.
White Chili
Combine in a crockpot:
3 15-oz. Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped red, yellow, or green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1-2 4 1/2-oz. cans diced green chilies
Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours, high 4-5 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream (optional).
Butternut Squash Soup
3 T. butter
3 cups peeled, diced butternut
2 tsp. curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
2 medium onions, chopped
3 T. flour
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups milk
Saute onion in butter. Add butternut squash and stir fry until butter is absorbed. Add flour, curry powder, and nutmeg and stir. Add milk and chicken broth. Simmer until it is cooked (about 1 hour). When cool, puree it and season with salt and pepper. Reheat to serve, or serve cold if summertime.
* This is a very soupy-soup; meaning, you would want to serve it with a hearty salad and some artisan rolls.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cook broccoli and puree (as much broccoli as you want depending how strong you want the soup)
Melt 1/4 cup butter in saucepan
Add:
1 chopped onion and 2 celery stalks and saute.
Add:
1 cup flour
Add:
5 cups milk/chicken broth combination (any proportions you want ie: 2 c. milk/3 c. broth...)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
broccoli
Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.
These are the soups we eat the most. I know there are some I am missing, but I would have to dig around for the recipes. When I find them I will add them on the page. Obviously I really like tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream - to be honest I didn't realize we have these types of soups so often. It might be time for me to look around for some other types... Anyway, enjoy!!!
So lately I have had a lot requests for some of my soup recipes. I thought this would be the best place to put them all. Some of these may be repeats of other recipes that I have put on before (but alas, I am too lazy to go back and see what I have already posted; sorry). So here goes, in no particular order...
Mud Soup (a.k.a. Potato Lentil Soup)
2 strips cooked bacon
1 onion, chopped and sauteed
1 cup uncooked lentils
1/4 cup flour
Stir the above ingredients together and add:
6 cups beef broth
2 carrots, chopped or sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped or sliced (I prefer sliced for both the carrots and celery)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Simmer until lentils and veggies are cooked; at least 2 hours. Water may need to be added occasionally to keep it from burning.
After it is cooked, add:
1/4 cup fresh parsley OR 2 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
a pinch of nutmeg (1/4 - 1/2 tsp.)
* The bacon is optional. Renee (the real owner of this blog) likes it without the bacon. I like it with the bacon.
** My mother, from whom the recipe came (she got it from a French chef at a restaraunt in Portland, but that is another story) takes a potato masher and mashes it up at the end. That is why we all called it Mud Soup when we were kids - after she mashed it, it looked like mud. I prefer it chunkier and that is why I choose to not mash it. Either way it is good.
Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
add a small diced onion
add 1 package Taco seasoning
Put in a crockpot or pan and add:
1 can of corn, undrained
1 can blackbeans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup (optional, although I have always added it, so I have no idea how it would without it)
Mix together and cook for however long you want - just needs to be warm. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, black olives, and whatever else Mexicany that you want.
* I hardly ever make this anymore because I have found so many other soups that I love more. But this is a great last minute meal and it is pretty healthy and hearty.
Vegatable Beef Soup
3/4 - 1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I always use ground turkey and no one knows the difference, and turkey is cheaper and healthier)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups water
4 beef boullion cubes
1/3 - 1/2 cup pearl barley or brown rice
Quart of canned tomatoes OR 2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Brown meat and saute onion together. Add water and boullion. Add barley and cook for 20 minutes. Add vegatables and simmer 1-2 hours.
* I don't usually like chunks of tomatoes in things, so I puree the tomatoes before I add them. My mom likes it chunky so she just puts them in. Either way is great!
Hearty Black Bean Soup
1 cup tomato salsa
1 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. lime juice
2 T. fresh chopped cilantro
Heat salsa in saucepan to heat through. Stir in beans and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Let soup cool slightly and ladle half of it into a blender. Puree it. Return to pot, stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream.
* This is Scott's favorite soup! He loves it!
Southwestern Chicken Soup
1 12-oz. jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (such as a small rotisserie chicken from the deli or leftover chicken from another meal)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
2 green onions, chopped
Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Then add chicken, beans, broth, and cumin. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream (seems to be a popular topping for my soups...). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.
Chicken and Rice Soup
6 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 small carrots, sliced thinly
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup baby peas
1 cup cooked rice
5 1/2 oz. cooked chicken meat, sliced
2 tsp. chopped, fresh tarragon
1 T. chopped, fresh parsley
salt and pepper
Put chicken stock in a large pan and add the carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the peas, rice, and chicken and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Add tarragon and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Baked Potato Soup
Remove the skins, mash, and set aside: 4 medium baked potatoes
Cook and remove: 2 slices of bacon
Add to pan with dripping:
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thinly
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pressed garlic clove
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
the mashed potatoes
Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Then stir in:
1 cup light sour cream
cumbled bacon
*I only partially mash the potatoes, becuase I like it lumpy. I also add a little more boullion (about 1/2 - 1 tsp.) to bulk up the flavor. This is by far the most fattening soup I make, but it is really good.
Fancy Tortilla Soup
Brown: 3/4 lb. regular pork or Italian sausage (I prefer Italian)
Season with salt and pepper and brown:
4 chicken breasts
Remove chicken and set aside.
Saute:
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Add:
1 can Northern white beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups frozen corn
Add chicken and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream.
* This is my favorite soup. There are so many flavors.
White Chili
Combine in a crockpot:
3 15-oz. Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped red, yellow, or green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1-2 4 1/2-oz. cans diced green chilies
Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours, high 4-5 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream (optional).
Butternut Squash Soup
3 T. butter
3 cups peeled, diced butternut
2 tsp. curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
2 medium onions, chopped
3 T. flour
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups milk
Saute onion in butter. Add butternut squash and stir fry until butter is absorbed. Add flour, curry powder, and nutmeg and stir. Add milk and chicken broth. Simmer until it is cooked (about 1 hour). When cool, puree it and season with salt and pepper. Reheat to serve, or serve cold if summertime.
* This is a very soupy-soup; meaning, you would want to serve it with a hearty salad and some artisan rolls.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cook broccoli and puree (as much broccoli as you want depending how strong you want the soup)
Melt 1/4 cup butter in saucepan
Add:
1 chopped onion and 2 celery stalks and saute.
Add:
1 cup flour
Add:
5 cups milk/chicken broth combination (any proportions you want ie: 2 c. milk/3 c. broth...)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
broccoli
Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.
These are the soups we eat the most. I know there are some I am missing, but I would have to dig around for the recipes. When I find them I will add them on the page. Obviously I really like tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream - to be honest I didn't realize we have these types of soups so often. It might be time for me to look around for some other types... Anyway, enjoy!!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Black Bean Soup with Homemade Salsa
Salsa:2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stems discarded, leaves coarsley chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 Jalapeno, diced
Soup:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 med. carrot (I used 5 baby carrots)
1-2 celery stalks, sliced
3 jalapenos, diced (I used one can on green chilis)
1 lb. dried black beans (I used 2 cans, drained)
2 Tbs. salt
pepper to taste
water
To make the Salsa: combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
To make the Soup: In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over med. heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and jalapenos. Saute until tender. Add black bean and cover them completely with cold water. Simmer until black beans are tender (if you use canned, drain them, cover with water, and simmer for at lest 30 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Let it cool comewhat. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Either refrigerate until ready to use (up to one week) or return to pot and heat over low heat until warm. Ladle into bowls and top with salsa.
Renee's thoughts: This was really good. We ate it with corn tortilla chips. It was almost like a dip. It had a really good flavor and was very healthy. I did not make the salsa however, I used Jack's Salsa from Costco instead. The salsa sounds good, I just didn't feel like making it. This was a good soup, we liked it!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
75 Cent Soup
Before I give the recipe, I need to tell you briefly about this soup. This recipe comes straight from the depression. It's very authentic and very cheap to make. It's one of those no frills, nutritious, cheap meals. While we were eating it, we both mentioned how we could see the poor people of the depression eating this soup.
1/2 onion, chopped small
olive oil
2 bay leaves
water
3-6 egss (I'll explain)
salt and pepper
Directions: place potato, onion, oil, bay leaves and some salt and pepper into a pot. Cook over medium high heat. You will cook until potatoes just start to brown. Add water until the pot is half full or until the potatoes are cover by about 1 inch of water. Boil water for about 10 minutes. Take at least 2 eggs and crack them into the boiling soup. Scramble them in the pot. Then crack and drop whole eggs into the soup for those who like whole eggs. Do not stir until eggs have cooked (otherwise you'll break them and scramble them too). Allow to cook until everything is cooked. Add more salt and pepper as desired.
Ryan's Review: pretty good. Not something I want all the time, but good.
Renee's thoughts: I really liked it. It was strange, but good. At least I know I can fix a meal when all I have it a potato, an onion, and a couple of eggs.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Lazy
I have to apologize to everyone. I have been so busy with the building of our house and life in general that I've been lazy and have not posted. I am making a goal though to knock it off and get back on the wagon. On the plus side though, I have been cooking, just not blogging. So, look forward to recipes coming your way. I promise. (and thanks for being patient)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Spicy Coconut Chicken
Menu: Spicy Coconut Chicken, Pot Stickers, PeachesChicken:
1 T. olive oil4 whole chicken legs (breasts work too)
salt and pepper
1 can (15 oz) light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth (or made from boullion)
1-2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1 cup jasmine rice
2 bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lemon for serving
1. In large pot, heat oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. cook chicken in pot until browned - about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to plate (it will cook more in the next step)
2. In the pot, add coconut milk, broth, 1/2 cup water, and curry paste. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Add chicken, arranging pieces in a single layer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook without stirring, for 15 minutes.
3. Scatter bell peppers and beans on top of chicken. Cover, and cook until veggies are tender; about 8 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on side.
NOTE: This was really good. I added 2 tsp. of the curry paste and it was too spicy for the kids. Scott and I both really liked it.
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