Soup and Salad

I don't have a lot to say today so I just stopped by to post a recipe and a salad idea. This salad will be in regular rotation for me once summer hits (which it kind of feels like it has.)

It's arugula tossed with a quality olive oil and some apricot-infused balsamic vinegar. Then, I added in some toasted pecans, sliced strawberries and goat cheese.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp of minced garlic
2- 2 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 chicken boullion cube
4 cups water
8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into small pieces
cheddar cheese, shredded
chives
bacon (optional)

Steps:


Put garlic, potatoes, pepper, salt, boullion, and water into the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  Thirty minutes before the time is up, mix the cream cheese into the soup and let it blend together. Serve in bowls and garnish.
 

Ribollita - Tuscan Minestrone

I love that this is a really healthy version on minestrone that includes a lot of good vegetables. It's an excellent way to "sneak" those in. Since it includes so many fresh veggies, it can be a little pricey if you buy organic. But it makes enough for dinner and then some so that you could have subsequent lunches or frozen leftovers. The unhealthy part: I bought some crostini from the Whole Foods Bakery to dip in the soup. But hey, this minestrone doesn't have pasta so I have to sneak those carbs in somewhere. Also, this is a soup that is meant to be prepared a day ahead so that all the flavors can soak in.

Ribollita
Source: inspired by Sunday Soup

 
Ingredients:





8 oz. Cannellini beans
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup leek (white and light green parts), chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
14.5 oz. - diced tomato and juices
8 oz. Savoy cabbage or black kale
1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
8 oz. Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz. zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 oz. swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
Parmesan
Crostini or Toasted Italian Bread

Steps:

1. Drain beans and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook leeks, onions, carrot, and celery for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and rosemary. Stir.
3. Add 8 cups of water, beans, tomatoes, cabbage/kale, and the salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour.
4. Add chard, potatoes, and zucchini. Simmer, covered for 23 minutes. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.
5. Reheat over medium-high heat. Garnish with parmesan and crostini.  
 

Comfort Soup

Okay, I can admit that the picture of this soup doesn't look super appetizing. But it does taste good and feels wonderfully comforting going down. So if you are in the mood for some creamy comfort soup, give this one a try, Hey, and there weren't any disasters with this one. Win! FYI: I left out the fennel seeds and parsley. Also, I found it easier to pick up some already cooked chicken from the rotisserie section at Whole Foods and just take the skin off and chop it up.

Cream of Chicken and Fennel Soup
Makes 4 servings
Source: Sunday Soup

Ingredients:

2 medium fennel bulbs
4 cups chicken stock 
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 cup fresh snow peas
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped



Steps:


1. Cut off stalks from fennel (if attached) and reserve feathery tops for garnish. Halve bulbs lengthwise; cut out and discard tough cores. Chop enough fennel to yield 1 1/2 cups.

2. Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add fennel and carrots, and cook until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, about 12 minutes.

3. Drain the fennel and carrots, setting aside about 1 1/2 cups of stock. Put the fennel, carrots and diced chicken in a bowl and set aside.

4. Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or less. Gradually whisk in cream and reserved stock. Whisk until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, for 4 minutes or longer. Stir in lemon juice, fennel seeds and salt. Stir in chicken, fennel and carrots. If the soup is too thick, thin it with additional stock as needed. The soup can be prepared to this point a day ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat.

5. When ready to serve the soup, trim and discard ends from snow peas. Cut the snow peas on the diagonal into thirds. Add them to the soup and cook just until tender, about 2 minutes. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed.

6. To serve, ladle soup into 4 soup bowls. Garnish each with a sprig of fennel or the parsley.

Cauliflower Soup and Vino

I'm back at it with the soups even though we still aren't experiencing winter weather here (not complaining). I really enjoyed this soup because it was comforting but not too heavy. Even though it was cauliflower, I liked that it reminded me of a potato soup which I love but don't need the extra starchy carbs. You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. The original recipe from Sunday Soup included prosciutto. But I was trying to make the recipe a little healthier and cheaper so I left that out. But that might be a necessary ingredient for some. If it is, you basically want to cut the prosciutto into thin strips and then heat it in a pan with a little olive oil until crisp and browned. After draining it, you would use it to garnish this lovely soup. 

I served it with olive rolls which I didn't bake but the lovely Publix bakery did. And course there was wine and a really good one at that.  My David Coffaro futures arrived and I didn't hesitate to break that package open. I realized that they probably intended to sit for awhile more but I just couldn't wait. The 2010 "Neighbors' Zin" Zinfandel was everything I hoped for. This was one of our favorite wineries when we went barrel tasting in Sonoma per the recommendation of my aunt and uncle. Lovely, lovely wines!

Cauliflower Soup
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cups leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
1 large cauliflower head cut into florets
4 cups chicken stock
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus more for garnish
1/4 cup creme fraiche
kosher salt
italian parsley (for garnish)


Steps:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook for 4 minutes. Add florets, stock, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in batches using a food processor or blender. Whisk in the creme fraiche and cheese. Add salt to taste.

Serve in bowls with extra parmesan cheese, parsley, and prosciutto (if you wish) as garnish.

Not Your Average Tomato Soup

I am a tomato soup fan especially with a grilled cheese sandwich.  But this time, I tried a different version that was a little more interesting in my opinion. If you are a tomato soup fan and could use a little more variety, I highly recommend giving this one a try! It was also exciting for me because I got to use my new immersion blender for the first time! Let me tell you, this is a must if you like to make soups. It makes it so much easier since you no longer have to take the soup out in batches to puree. With the immersion blender,  you just blend within the pot. FYI: I made half the recipe.

Tomato and Fennel Soup with Pernod Cream
Source: Sunday Soup
Serves 6

 
Ingredients:

4 medium fennel bulbs
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup diced carrot
2 T. chopped fresh tarragon, plus 6 sprigs for garnish
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained well
4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup creme fraiche (divided )
¾ tsp. Pernod/ Anise (optional) 


Steps:

Cut off and discard stalks  from fennel. Halve the bulbs lengthwise, and cut out and discard the tough inner cores. Chop enough fennel to yield 3 cups.

Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chopped fennel, onion and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and starting to brown, for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped tarragon, 1 tsp. salt and the red-pepper flakes.

Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock and continue to cook at a gentle simmer (reducing heat slightly, if necessary) until the vegetables are tender, for about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender or food mill and return the soup to the pot. (Or use an immersion blender to puree soup in the pot.) Ladle a little of the warm soup into a small bowl and whisk in 1/3 cup of the creme fraiche. Then whisk this mixture into the soup. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed. (The soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat.) 

To serve, ladle 1 cup of soup into each of 6 bowls. If desired, whisk Pernod with the remaining 1/3 cup creme fraiche in a small bowl. Garnish the center of each serving with a dollop of creme fraiche (with or without the Pernod) and a fresh tarragon sprig.

Potato Chowder For Those Cold Nights

I say cold nights because it's January and all. But it's been t-shirt weather here the past few days in Georgia. I guess that shouldn't really surprise me anymore. Here in Georgia, we can can be bundled up one day and sunbathing the next. We all like to act annoyed by this but really it's kind of special. There aren't a lot of places where you get such variety. But in case you are someplace cold, I have a comforting soup for you. Caraway Cheese can be a tad tricky to find. I was able to locate some at Whole Foods. FYI: Publix doesn't carry it.

Cold Weather Potato Chowder with Caraway Cheese
Makes 4 servings. Source: Sunday Soup

 
Ingredients:
4 slices (4 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 pound red-skin potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
1 cup (4 ounces) Havarti cheese with caraway seeds, coarsely grated
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish


Steps:

Sauté bacon in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat until browned and crisp, for 3 to 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out and discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.

Add onion and celery to the bacon drippings in the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add diced potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add chicken stock and milk to pot and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook soup at a simmer until the potatoes are tender, for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let soup come to a boil. (Soup can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat and proceed with recipe.)

When ready to serve, add the cheese, a little at a time, to the hot soup, stirring until melted after each addition. In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour with a fork to make a paste. Whisk this mixture into the soup, a little at a time, and cook until completely blended, for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed, and with freshly ground pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into 4 bowls and sprinkle each serving with chopped bacon and chives.

White Bean Soup with Chorizo and Kale

This soup was a big hit in my house. However, I couldn't really give you my own opinion on it since I didn't really eat it. It looked and smelled good so I wish I had. It was one of those nights where you are fixated on something like pizza and nothing else (like soup) sounds appealing. I'm still kind of beating myself up for this. I spent all the time and money to make this soup that I hear was awesome and I didn't even enjoy it. Oh well, there is always next time! Sorry for the messy picture, you know I don't edit mine.

White Bean Soup with Chorizo and Kale
Keep in mind that you need about 2 hr 40 mins for this with the prep involved. Source: Sunday Soup

 
Ingredients:
 1 lb. dried great Northern or Navy beans
One 4-oz. piece salt pork
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups chopped celery
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
10 cups chicken stock
8 oz. Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
5 cups of chopped kale, loosely packed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Steps:

Rinse and sort through the beans to remove any pebbles. Put beans in a pot of boiling water. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Cut salt pork into 4 pieces.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Stir and let veggies soften (about 6 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

After beans have softened, drain and rinse them and add to the pot. Then add salt pork, Stir in thyme, pepper flakes, salt, 2 grinds of pepper, and stock.

Set pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover pot and let cook for 1 hour. Add chorizo, and cook covered for another 30 minutes. Remove salt pork pieces and discard.

Season soup as needed. Add kale and cook about 3 minutes until just wilted. Sprinkle Parmesan over each ladled bowl of soup.

Tequila in My Salad?

So I made another awesome soup. And this one definitely had a kick to it so I was glad I made the pepper salad. I think the zestiness of the salad complimented the spice factor nicely. It was an unusual salad but excited me for the use of tequila alone!

"Cool Nights" Chili with Chicken, Corn, and Chipotles

Source: Sunday Soup

Ingredients:

5 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 5 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon grd cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock
1 (28 ounce) can italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
3 1/2-4 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen corn kernels, thawed)
2 (19 ounce) cans dark  kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

 Steps:
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large, deep-sided pot (with a lid) set over med-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and saute until light golden, for 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and drain on paper towels.

Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan; when the oil is very hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, for 3-4 minutes. Return sauteed chicken to the pan.

 

Stir together the flour, chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; sprinkle the mixture over the onions and chicken, and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add in stock, tomatoes, and chipotles; bring mixture to a simmer. Decrease heat, cover, and cook until chicken is fork-tender and mixture has thickened slightly, for 25-30 minutes. Add in corn and beans; cook for 10 minutes. Taste chili and season with salt, if needed.

 

Garnish each serving with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top.

 

Red, Yellow, and Orange Pepper Salad with Tequila-Lime Dressing

Source: Sunday Soup

 

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

1 1/2 tablespoons tequila

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

 

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium yellow bell pepper

1 medium orange bell pepper

mixed greens

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

 

 

 

Steps: 

 

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, tequila, salt and red pepper flakes in a small, non-reactive bowl. Add the smashed garlic clov.

 

Stem the peppers and halve them lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Cut halves into 1/4 inch thick julienne strips. Put peppers in a large nonreactive bowl and toss with the dressing. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

When ready to serve, remove and discard the smashed garlic clove from the marinated peppers. Add the lettuce and cilantro to the bowl and toss to combine. Season salad generously with salt and pepper.

 

 

A Decadent Soup

If you don't love blue cheese, you can stop reading right here. Seriously, don't waste your time on this post because yes it is a good recipe but only for those cheese lovers. I suppose you could always substitute a different cheese more to your liking if you so desired. Some people may have noticed that I tag things as vegetarian even when they contain chicken broth. I'm going with the assumption that a vegetarian would just use vegetable broth instead. Though, I could be totally wrong on this line of thought.

Creamy Cheese Soup with Apple Slices
Makes 3-4 servings

I promise it doesn't look greenish in real life. Don't forget that I take my pictures with a cell phone and don't edit them. I realize that most bloggers edit their photos to make them prettier or more appealing. But I kind of think that's cheating. Besides, do people really have that much time on their hands?!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 cup leeks, chopped (only the white and light green parts)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp dried rosemary or 3/4 tsp fresh rosemary
5 oz. blue-veined cheese (Stilton would work)
1/4 cup half-and-half
kosher salt
1 granny smith apple or bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and cut into slices
a pinch of sugar


Steps:

In a large pot, cook 2 1/2 Tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Next, throw in the leeks and celery. Cook until soft about 4 minutes.  Throw in the potatoes with the chicken stock and rosemary.  Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and cook 25 more minutes (uncovered.)

Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the soup and then return to the pot. Whisk in the cheese until fully combined. Then whisk in the half and half until smooth. Salt to taste.

For the garnish:
Heat remaining butter over medium heat and add the apple or pear slices. Cook for 3 minutes and sprinkle sugar over the top. Flip the slices and cook another 3-4 minutes and finish off with another small pinch of sugar. Serve over the soup.

More Soup

You can expect to see a lot of soups this season on my blog. I'm quite excited to try all the recipes in my soup cookbooks. I'd like to say I keep making soup "because it's the perfect weather for it." But, that's not exactly true as it's 70 degrees in December here. However, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some yummy soup and this one was indeed yummy. It's not difficult to make if you buy the squash pre-cut and cubed instead of taking that task upon yourself. I served it with a simple salad and croissants with honey.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Cider Cream
Source: Sunday Soup
Serves 6

 
Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed (about 6 cups)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage 
5 cups chicken stock 
1 1/2 cups apple cider, divided
2/3 cup sour cream
kosher salt
5 crisp bacon slices, crumbled


Steps:

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until  softened, about 12 minutes. Add in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. 

 Puree the soup in batches using either a blender, food processor (or immersion blender.) Return soup to pot and season with salt.

Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.) 

For garnish, thinly slice remaining apple and place over ladled soup in bowl. Drizzle the cider cream over the top and add the bacon. 

French Lentil Soup with Garlic Sausage plus Salad

Sometimes the best dinners are the simple ones. One of my favorite things to have for dinner is a simple (or fancy) grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato bisque. While we didn't have that last night, we did have a pretty simple meal consisting of soup, salad and a Black Pepper Parmesan roll from the Whole Foods bakery (yum.) Somehow I clicked delete when transferring my pictures over so I don't have any today. And my salad looked so pretty but for whatever reason my soup didn't look like the picture in the cookbook. There's had a black base which I couldn't quite figure out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

French Lentil Soup with Sausage 
Makes 6 full cups
taken from Sunday Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup carrots diced (1/4" dice)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery diced 1/4" dice)
3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
6 ounces kielbasa or garlic sausage -- cut into 1/4" dice
2 teaspoons thyme dried
9 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 pound Puy lentils (these are green lentils that can be found in the bulk section of WF)
kosher salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


  Steps:

Heat oil in a large pot (with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook stirring often, until the vegetables are just softened, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage, and thyme, and cook 1 minute more.

Add the stock and bay leaves, and bring mixture to a simmer over high heat. Stir in the lentils, then reduce heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, for about 50 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the garlic pieces and transfer to food processor. Using a slotted spoon, strain 1/2 cup solids (vegetables and sausage) from the soup and puree them with garlic pieces in a food processor or combine them with garlic pieces in a small bowl and smash with the back of a fork. Stir the pureed mixture into the pot; this will thicken the soup slightly. Taste the soup and season with salt, as needed.

To serve, ladle the soup into soup bowls and sprinkle with some parsley over each serving. 






Simple Salad Dressing Recipe for Mixed Greens

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine vinegar,  mustard, salt and several grinds of pepper in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Next whisk in the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate or serve right away.

Time for Soup Once Again

The other thing I get more excited about in the fall is soup. With soups, there are so many options to choose from. Besides, I need to work on making dinners that aren't so heavy right now. This means that you can expect to see soup recipes here a little more often starting with this one:

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Makes 6-8 bowls

Ingredients:


2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (should amount to about 2 cups)
2 onions, diced and then divided
8 hard taco shells, broken into little pieces
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp green chilies, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup canola oil
Optional: hot sauce, cilantro, fresh lime juice

Steps:

1. Cook chicken and then shred with a fork. Set aside
2. Using a blender or food processor, pulse half of the onions with all of the taco pieces, egg, milk, water, and garlic. Make sure it's fairly well blended. Pour it into a bowl and let sit at room temp for 10 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan and cook the rest of the onions for about 4 minutes. Add the chicken, chilies, and broth. Simmer.
4. While the broth is simmering, heat the canola oil in another pan. Form patties with the tortilla mixture and cook in the oil for 3 minutes on each side. You will need to do this in batches. When each batch is done, set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. 
5. Add tortilla patties to soup as you serve. I like to squeeze some fresh lime juice and plenty of hot sauce over the top.

Sweet Onions

Now that the temperatures are cooling down (barely, but I'll take it), it seemed like the right time to bring soups back into my life. I love a good soup especially when I can use my slow cooker since it's so easy. This soup was no exception. For those that do not like your onion soup on the sweeter side, you can use red onions instead. As far as the crostini goes, you can slice a french baguette and broil it with a little olive oil and butter or you can buy it already made like I did. I found them in the bread/bakery area of Whole Foods. They look like this:

Slow Cooker Vidalia Onion Soup
Makes about 4 bowls

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp Port
Crostini
Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved


Steps
1. Place sliced onions, butter, oil and salt in the slow cooker.  Cook for one hour on high. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 more hours. Stir every once in awhile.
2. Mix sugar and flour into the onions. Cook for 20 more minutes on low.
3. Pour stocks into the pot and cook on high for 45 mins-1 hour.
4. Cook on low for 1- 1 1/2 hours before stirring in the Port
5. Serve in bowls with crostini and cheese over the top.

Taco Soup

The following recipe is great for when you need a healthy, weeknight meal. It definitely looks and tastes like chili but it's called a soup. This might be because it's not a slow-cooking type dish.

Taco Soup
Source: www.sparkpeople.com 

Ingredients:
16 oz grass-fed ground sirloin
1/2 C yellow onion, chopped
1 recipe taco seasoning (I made my own using this recipe)
14 oz tomato sauce
14 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies
14 oz kidney beans, dark, drained
1 C water
1 C corn, frozen
4 oz green chilies, chopped
1/2 C garbanzo beans, smashed

Steps:

Brown ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add seasoning cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook additional minute while stirring. Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn, green chilies, and mashed garbanzo beans, simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, chips, cheese, or sour cream.

Number of Servings: 6

Another Chicken Soup But Easier

Healthy Chicken Soup With Pasta

 Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Vegetable/Canola Oil
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
1 cup water
4- 5 oz. uncooked whole grain elbows (I used Barilla Plus Whole Grain)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped


Steps:


1.  Heat half of the oil over high heat in a large pot.  Throw in the chicken and cook until it's browned. Remove chicken from the pot.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pot and lower heat to medium-high. Add the onions and cook for one minute. Next, add the carrot and cook one minute. Then, add the celery and garlic and cook for another minute. 
3. Add the broth, water, and soup. Stir until it starts to boil. Then, stir in the elbow noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender. Stir in the chicken and parsley. Let simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Chicken Soup and Knife Skills

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a cooking class on knife skills. It was both informative and fun. I was hoping to come back with all kinds of tips to share on my blog but realized that with knives it's much easier to share by demonstration.  Here are just a few tidbits:

1) When chopping vegetables, (we practiced with carrots, celery, and onions) you must take a thin slice off of one side of the veggie in order to create a flat, stable surface to work with.
2) Keep your knives sharp. A dull blade is more dangerous since you are using more force meaning you are more likely to slip. Using the store-bought knife sharpeners will only ruin the metal on your knives. If you use a whetstone instead, your knives will last a lot longer.
3) You should never hear a "thud" sound when chopping something. You need to find the spot that you want to cut from and work your knife down and through it. You shouldn't hear much of a sound if you are doing it correctly.
4) When dicing veggies like carrots and celery, you start with a long, skinny Batonnet cut and then line up what you've got.  You can then start dicing down the line from there.
5) For chopping and dicing, a Chef's Knife is preferable.
6) You can easily de-bone a chicken using a boning knife. Chickens are actually very easy to take apart alleviating the need to spend more money by purchasing the parts separately.
7) Your hand should form a claw on the item you are cutting as to both hold your item in place and not to chop off any fingers! You will move your "claw" back accordingly as you keep cutting.  Watch out for something really important...your thumb!

We learned other things like how to properly season and taste a dish you are cooking. I liked the way they did the classes here. They start you off with a drink and appetizers to prompt the mingling and then you separate into groups and each work with a chef who will make sure you are using proper technique. The end result will be a dish that you get to eat at the end.

If you are interested in taking cooking classes, you might like the one that I went to, Bradford's On Bishop. I happened to get an awesome deal on the class through Living Social a site that sends you daily deals. Sign up, I've gotten all kinds of cool stuff through them!

And of course, the recipe for what we made...Yum and perfect for those of you suffering through the spring allergies like me.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

2 quarts roasted chicken stock (recipe below)
1 chicken breast
1 bunch celery small dice
2 yellow onion small dice
3 large carrots small dice
flat noodles (optional)
1 T thyme fresh chopped
1 head garlic
2 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325F, and cut top of garlic head off. Put on small square aluminum foil. Drizzle with a little oil and wrap garlic into a "pouch" with the foil, put into oven to roast. Bring water in a pot to boil, add a pinch of salt and cook noodles to al dente. Strain and run cold water over noodles to stop cooking. While water is coming to a boil, in your soup pot turn to medium high heat and add veg. oil. Once hot, add your chopped vegetables and a pinch of salt. Sautee for 20 minutes or until vegetables have gotten a good golden brown color. Add your chicken stock and simmer. Once garlic is roasted, push from bottom to pop garlic out of skin. Rough chop and add to soup. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, season and add to soup to poach. Add noodles and fresh thyme. Season to taste.

Roasted Chicken Stock
Bones from 3 chickens
2 large onion
1 bunch celery
4 large carrots
2 stems thyme leaves

Roast chicken bones until golden brown, pour off all fat that has been rendered out. Place in stockpot and cover with cool water. Turn on Med high heat and bring up to low simmer. While the water is coming up, proteins will coagulate on top, skim these off. Let go for an hour or two, always skimming. Add vegetables and herbs in the last hour. Turn heat off, strain and allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating.   

Goin' Coastal

A seafood restaurant somewhat recently opened up in Virginia-Highlands, Goin' Coastal. I haven't had the chance to dine there just yet but I thought I'd "borrow" their recipe for delicious shrimp chowder. And it was indeed delicious. I will have to pay them a visit in the near future.  Eating the soup made me feel like I was somewhere in Savannah enjoying hot soup and a beautiful view of the river. But in reality, it was more like the rain gushing down outside my window. Uh, hello sunshine, where did you go? I may need to have a talk with the weather gods because two weeks ago we were snowed in, last weekend it was in the 70's and I was enjoying a cold beer on a patio and now it's cold and rainy again. Anyways, the soup was yummy and I made corn muffins to go with it. We also enjoyed a Chardonnay from Three Sisters Winery. More on that later...

From the menu of Goin' Coastal
Shrimp Chowder 
Makes 13 cups (I didn't make this much, don't you worry)

Ingredients:
3 cups seafood stock
3 bay leaves
1 pound, peeled shrimp, cut in thirds
3 tablespoons  olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
3/4 cup finely diced celery
3/4 shredded carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pound unpeeled red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup minced parsley
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, bring seafood stock and bay leaves to a boil. Turn off heat and add shrimp. Cover pan and allow shrimp to poach while you start the chowder.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute for  3 minutes. Add seafood seasoning and cook for another 3 minutes. 

Drain seafood stock into saucepan with vegetables. Set shrimp aside. Discard bay leaves.

Add tomato sauce, potatoes, and hot sauce to the stock mixture and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn heat to low, add cream and corn; stir to combine. When soup is heated through, remove pan from heat and stir in shrimp and parsley. Taste for seasoning and serve.


Okay, so back to the wine...Georgia is the last place you probably think of when you imagine wine. I know it was for me until I spent a weekend in Georgia Wine Country. No, that's not a typo there actually is one.  Now, a lot of the places here are known for their sweet wines and I am NOT a fan of sweet wine.  It's unfortunate that not many places serve Georgia wine and that most people turn their noses up at the thought of it. On my visit, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found (and I have visited Napa and Sonoma.) My favorite Georgia winery is Three Sisters Vineyards. It is probably the most causal, laid-back winery but don't be fooled. They make some damn good wines. If you do visit, they do a free tasting and also a premium tasting for a fee. (The premium tasting is not to be missed!) My favorites are the Cynthiana, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Vidal Blanc, and Pinot Blanc. The Fat Boy line is also quite good if you are looking for a less expensive bottle. Other honorable mentions for Georgia wineries are: Wolf Mountain Winery, Frogtown, and Montaluce Winery (I love to look at the estates around this one.)

Soup For A Good Cause

Today I am sharing two soup recipes to support a good cause. Another blogger, Branny Boils Over has generously decided to host a Charity Souper Bowl. For every blogged soup recipe submitted, she will be donating $1 to the ASPCA. You don't have to be a blogger to participate!  I'm sure you have seen the commercials with Sarah McLachlan and all the sad animals. It makes me cry Every.Single.Time.  Since I'm blogging two soup recipes, I'm going to dedicate them to my two fur-babies.

Finnegan & Fargo

Creamy Potato and Asparagus Soup
Originally published in Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 and 1/4 lb. potatoes, peeled and chopped (1/2 in pieces)

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk

6 slices bacon

1 Tbsp. honey

Shredded lemon peel, Italian parsley, coarse salt and/or freshly ground pepper (optional)

1. Reserve about 1/3 asparagus. Combine remaining asparagus, the potatoes, evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper (if you don't like a kick to your soup, use less pepper), and 1 and 1/4 cup water in saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.   Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Cool slightly. In blender or food processor, blend or process soup, half at a time, until smooth.

2. Meanwhile, in skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside. Reserve 1 Tbsp of bacon drippings in skillet. Add reserved asparagus. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender., stirring occasionally.  

3. Coarsely chop bacon and place in microwave-safe pie plate. Drizzle with honey; cover with vented plastic wrap. (Skip previous step if using Maple cured bacon to avoid too much sweetness.) Just before serving, microwave bacon 30 seconds. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, asparagus, and desired toppings.

Serves 4.

The following recipe has been passed around in my family a few times and is always delicious. Unfortunately, I did not remember to take a picture of this one. 

Mexican Soup

Originally published in Women's Day Magazine

Serves 4 (6-1/2 cups)

Active: 6 minutes   Total: 26 minutes

2  tsp. oil

1  small onion, chopped

1  large sweet potato (12 oz.) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2  cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (11 oz.) corn niblets, drained

1 cup mild or medium salsa

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (15 oz.) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

Garnish: sour cream and cilantro (optional)

1. Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion for 3 minutes or until softened and translucent.

2. Add sweet potato, chicken broth and cumin; cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. With immersion blender, process soup until smooth. (If using counter-top blender, cool sweet potato mixture 10 minutes, then blend)

3. Stir in corn salsa, tomato sauce and black beans. Simmer, covered 5 minutes to blend flavors. Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if using.

Comfort Food

It may sound a bit "manly" but I love a good chili. Of course, chili is even better when served with some homemade cornbread. Every time I make chili, I like to do something a little different since there are so many versions out there. What's your favorite chili recipe?

Crock Pot Beef Chili
Servings: about 8 cups

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1.5 lbs local grass-fed grd. sirloin
1/4 cup red chili powder
3/4 Tbsp oregano
3/4 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2  yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
3 oz. tomato paste
1.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 15 oz. cans of red kidney beans


Steps:



Spray bottom of crock pot. 
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil,; saute onions and garlic until tender.  Mix in 1/8 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper.  Place in crock pot.


In the same skillet, heat remaining olive oil; cook beef until browned (break up the meat as it cooks.) Stir in remaining salt and pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, and chili powder. Transfer meat to crock pot. Add chopped peppers and tomatoes. Stir in vinegar and tomato paste.


Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 hours. One hour before serving, turn setting to High and add beans.


Cornbread 

Cornbread is traditionally made using a cast iron skillet. Because I don't have one, I use an 8 x 8 inch pan in the oven. I've played around with a recipe that I found in a cookbook but never came out right to my liking. With a few tweaks to the ingredients and measurements, I think I've finally found my formula.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 cups yellow or white stone-ground cornmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp sugar (if you like your cornbread on the sweeter side, use more)
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp melted better
1 cup milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease pan with butter. Place pan in oven to heat. Mix the first five ingredients at room temperature with a few strokes. Then, whisk in the last three ingredients.  Pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 17 minutes or until nicely browned.







 

The Cure For A Cold Winter's Day...Soup!

When the temperatures drop and the sky is gloomy, I love a good soup. You know what I also love? My slow cooker. I highly recommend the Cuisinart 6.5 qt. Slow Cooker if you don't already have one.  I am in love with the fact that I can throw a bunch of things in this huge dish and leave it all day only to come home to a great smelling (and tasting meal.) Most recently, I used it to make this soup which was hearty and delicious.


Potato & Spinach Soup with Gouda

Ingredients:
6 cups cubed peeled  Yukon Gold potatoes (about 9)
2 cans (14 oz) vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 small red onion, finely chopped
5 oz. baby spinach
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2.5 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
Chopped fresh parsley


1. Combine potatoes, broth, water, onion, spinach, salt, red pepper, and black pepper in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low 10 hours.  My slow cooker only goes up to 8 hours so I had to remember to come back and add 2 additional hours later.
2. Turn slow cooker to High.  Slightly mash potatoes in slow cooker; add 2 cups cheese and evaporated milk. Cover; cook on High 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
3. Heat oil in small pan over low heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle soup with garlic, remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, and parsley.