Baked Potato Soup

I received this recipe from my sister who got it from her friend Becky Kittaka. I will admit that this soup took a long time to make (you have to bake the potatoes-hence the name). The result was a nice soup to enjoy on a cold day. I made a few changes to lighten up the recipe.

Baked Potato Soup
by Becky Kittaka

5 or 6 baked potatoes
1/2 cup celery
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp butter
1 cup water
salt and pepper
chicken bouillon to taste (used 1 small can reduced sodium chicken broth)
1 cup half and half (omitted)
1 cup milk (used 2 cups)
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed (used Velveeta Light)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled (used turkey bacon)

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped scallion

In a large pot, saute celery and onion in butter about 5 minutes.
Chop potatoes (I left the skins on) and add to pot.
Add water, bouillon (chicken broth), and salt and pepper.
Cook on 15 minutes on medium heat.
Reduce heat and add milk (and half and half is using).
Add cheese cubes and cayenne pepper.
Simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes until hot.
Garnish with bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and scallion and serve.

Guinness Beef Stew

With St. Patrick's Day this week, I knew I couldn't go wrong with this beef stew. It has a bottle of Guinness in it!! This recipe was from http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/03/irish-lamb-stew.html but I used beef instead of the lamb.

Guinness Beef Stew
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb beef for stew
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
1 bottle Guinness beer
14 oz can beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
6 redskin potatoes
4 carrots

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven.
Add the beef and brown on each side.
Add onions and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add flour and let the mixture cook for 1 minute.
Add Guinness, beef broth, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 1 & 1/2 hours.
Dice potatoes and carrots and add to the pot.
Bring to a boil, and cook for 30 minutes.

Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Soup

This recipe is from the Weekend Wizards cooking group. The original recipe is to be made in a crock pot. I am afraid to leave mine on when I'm not at home (I had one crack once), so I just made this soup on the stove. This is a great, fast, and flavorful soup. I added some extra spice and some lime juice to give it a nice kick and it was perfect!!
The original recipe can be found here http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/salsa-chicken-and-black-bean-soup.html

Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Soup
with my changes

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb chicken breast
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
16oz jar salsa
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 fresh cilantro, chopped
optional toppings:shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips

Heat dutch oven on medium heat and add oil and chicken.
Cook about 8 minutes, then flip breast over and cook for another 8 minutes.
Remove chicken from the pan.
Add bell pepper and corn and saute for 3 minutes.
Dice chicken and add back to pan.
Add cumin, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and salsa.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

I topped each bowl with cheese and crushed blue tortilla chips.

Vegetable Soup

I wanted to use up some vegetables from my refrigerator, and it is freezing here in Ohio. This vegetable soup recipe sounded like a good fit. The soup was very flavorful. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, did not add the peas, and used red skin potatoes.

Vegetable Soup
from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium russet potatoes (1 pound), scrubbed and chopped medium
14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
pepper

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering.
Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and 3/4 tsp salt.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the broth, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Off the heat, add the peas.
Let the soup stand for 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Chili

Nothing sounds better to me than a warm bowl of chili on a cool night. Chili is one of my staples when the weather turns cold. It also helps get dinner on the table, since I can make a big batch of it and eat it for 2 to 3 nights. It is a great meal served with cornbread, grilled cheese, or just a peanut butter sandwich. Basically anything you can dunk into the bowl!! I like to cook my chili in the crock pot and let it simmer for a few hours.

Chili

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 large red onion

2 green bell peppers

2 15oz cans chili beans

2 15oz cans tomatoes with green chilies

1 9oz can green chilies

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup water

Brown beef in skillet until cooked through.

Dice onion and pepper and saute in skillet until tender.

Add beef, onion, and pepper to crock pot.

Add beans, tomatoes, chilies, spices, and water to crock pot.

Heat on high for 3 hours.

Green Tortilla Soup

I wanted another dish to use up some of the beer can chicken I made, and since it's fall I wanted a fast soup to make on a weeknight. I saw this soup on the Rachael Ray Show. It looked fast, easy, and delicious!!! The soup is "green" from tomatillos. On her show, she said you could use fresh tomatillos or salsa verde. I show salsa verde. Here is a link to the recipe. http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/mean-green-tortilla-soup/

I am submitting this recipe to Joelen's blogging event Tasty Tools-Dutch Oven. Here is a link to her great blog with lots of blogging events to enjoy. http://joelens.blogspot.com/

Green Tortilla Soup

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

15oz can corn

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

cooking spray

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lb precooked shredded chicken

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tsp cumin

2 jalapeno chilies, chopped

16oz jar salsa verde

2 cups cilantro, chopped

zest and juice of 2 limes

2 cups shredded jack cheese

1 avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Bake strips until crispy for about 8 minutes.

Preheat a dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat.

Add oil, onion, garlic, and cumin to pot and cook until soft about 3-4 minutes.

Add corn and jalapenos.

Add salsa verde, stock, water, and chicken to pot.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and add cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice.

To serve place some tortilla strips into bowl, add soup, and top with cheese and avocado.

Fire-Roasted Gazpacho

I have always wanted to make a gazpacho, but for some reason I never have gotten around to it. I saw this on Rachael Ray's talk show and I knew it would be fast, light, and delicious!! My husband used some of the leftovers as salsa.

I am submitting this to the wonderful Joelen's blog event Food Network Chefs. Check out her blog, or even participate in one of her many events!! http://joelens.blogspot.com/

Fire-Roasted Gazpacho

1 small red onion

1/4 seedless cucumber

1 jalapeno pepper

1 clove garlic

1 slice bread

a small handful of cilantro

1 lime

28 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

splash of tomato juice

2 tsp hot sauce

2 roasted red peppers

pepper

Dice onion, cucumber, and jalapeno into large chunks and place in food processor.

Grate in garlic.

Cut the crust off of the bread and tear into large chunks and add to food processor.

Add cilantro, juice of 1 lime, tomatoes, and hot sauce.

Drain the liquid from the red peppers and add to processor.

Add pinch of pepper.

Pulse food processor until the gazpacho reaches the consistency you like.

I served the gazpacho in a martini glass.

Black Bean Soup and Spicy Cornbread Muffins

This recipe comes from Dave Liberman on the food network. This is the best black bean soup I have ever had. It is a little spicy and gets great flavor from the cilantro and crunch from the tortilla chips. I forgot to take a picture of this great soup. I serve the soup with his spicy cornbread muffins. Here are the original recipes with my changes noted.

Black Bean Soup
10 slices bacon, finely chopped (used turkey bacon)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes (canned with added chilies)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (omitted)
Sour cream, for garnish (omitted)
Grated cheddar, for garnish
Blue corn chips, crushed for garnish

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes

Spicy Cornbread Muffins
2 (8 1/2-ounce) boxes corn muffin mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (used 2 peppers)
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly in a 12-portion nonstick muffin tin. (If using a tin that isn't nonstick, spray with cooking spray). Bake in the center of the oven until just golden and muffin springs back when gently pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and serve warm

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Sausage and Lentil Soup

This is a copycat version of Carrabba's sausage and lentil soup that I found on http://www.recipezaar.com/. It is wonderful. I used turkey sausage to lighten it up. It is mildly spicy.

1 large carrot
2 stalks celery
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage
8 cups chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups dried lentils
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
Dice the first four ingredients and saute them in a large pot with the oil. Saute until tender.
Remove vegetables from the pan and add the Italian sausage, removed from the casing, to the pan. Brown then drain off fat.
Pour 8 cups for chicken broth, the vegetables back into the pot.
Add tomatoes and lentils.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer until the lentils are tender, 30-45 minutes.
Remove 1/3 of the soup and puree. then return it to the pot.
Correct the seasonings and remove bay leaf.

I served with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Soup

6 pieces steamed pumpkin
1/3 bowl coconut milk
1/3 bowl water
small handful parsley
small handful cilantro
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tbsp chapped garlic
pinch salt
pinch sugar

Place steamed pumpkin, milk, water, parsley, and cilantro in food processor. In wok, add butter, onion, and garlic. Fry for a few minutes, then add pumpkin mixture. Add salt and sugar. Stir for 3 minutes, or until soup reduces and becomes thicker.

For a variation you can add 1/2 tsp yellow curry.

Cooking Class in Thailand, Tom Yam Soup

I took a cooking class at May Kaidee's on our vacation to Thailand. I had a private lesson. The class starts out with a trip to one of the local markets to buy ingredients for some of our dishes. Then we headed into the kitchen and made 12 different items. When it was finished we had a group of 6 people to eat all of the wonderful food. The recipes make single soup size bowl portions. The restaurant is vegetarian, but she showed me when meat/seafood could be added to the dishes. Also alot of the measurements are to you liking/spice level.

The dish above is Tom Yam Soup

1 bowl water
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 slices galangal
2 inch piece of lemongrass
1 tbsp shredded carrot
1 tbsp sliced onion
1 plum tomato
1 handful of mixed vegetables (any on hand, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, etc)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Tom Yam paste
1/2 tbsp chopped spring onion
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp coconut milk


In a wok, boil on soup bowlful of water. Add 2 crushed kaffir lime leaves, 2 slice galangal and a 2 inch piece of lemongrass(smashed to release flavor). Add carrot, onion, tomato, and mixed vegetables. When boiling again add soy sauces, sugar, and Tom Yam paste. Turn off heat when vegetables are tender. To finish add spring onion, cilantro, lime juice, and coconut milk.


If shrimp are to be added to the soup place in water after water boils, then add the veggies.



I will post more pics/recipes in other posts