Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups vegetable stock

4 cups whole kernel corn

1 Tablespoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

4 Tablespoons minced fresh dill

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I use Greek)

1 Tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, saute onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add sweet potatoes and cook five minutes. Add garlic and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer just until potatoes are done. Puree potatoes, onion and garlic and return to the stock. Add corn, salt, hot sauce, pepper, sugar and dill. Turn off heat. Mix yogurt and corn starch together - if too thick add a few tablespoons of broth from the pot - and add to stock, mixing well. Return to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with Cheddar Biscuits. Yields 8 servings. 

Lasagna Soup

We saw this recipe in Cooking Light and thought it might be a good option for when we want to do something different on pasta Wednesday. 

It turned out delicious!

Ingredients: 

8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (about 10 noodles)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (we used Johnsonville sweet Italian)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus thinly sliced leaves for topping
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling, optional)
1/4 cup half-and-half
Ricotta cheese, for topping

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain; drizzle with olive oil and toss.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the sausage, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened.

Add the broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles, basil, parmesan and heavy cream; simmer 2 more minutes.

Divide the soup among bowls. Top with ricotta and sliced basil.

Quick White Chicken Chili

I discovered our favorite White Chicken Chili recipe after having white chili for the first time on a visit to Louisville in the 1990s. While I love that version, it's a big project - starting with dry beans and ending hours later in a satisfying, rich bowl of goodness.

When I saw this quicker recipe, it had been years since we'd had white chili. This version is a lot faster and lighter but delicious and modern - and definitely worth sharing!

Adapted from this recipe found via pinterest. (Check it out - her photos are much better than mine!)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 can (4 ounces) green chiles
1/2-3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2-3/4 teaspoon oregano
4 cups chicken broth

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)
Juice of one lime (ours was very juicy so we only used 1/2)

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:
In a large pot, saute the onion in olive oil over medium high until translucent.

Add chicken, beans, corn, green chilies (with juice from can), cumin and oregano. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper (to taste), lime juice and cilantro.
Leave simmering on stove until ready to serve.

Serve with sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, avocado and tortilla chips. (The Pepper Jack cheese on top really complements it - yum! Also I added the leftover avocado right into the leftover soup.)

Mushroom White Bean Soup

We tried this warm and toasty soup last week and loved it! Definitely check out the original recipe because her photos are much better than mine. Visit it here.

Ingredients
16 oz. mushrooms, quartered (I used 8 oz. button mushrooms and 8 oz. baby bella)
2 large sweet onions, quartered
3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
8-10 fresh sage leaves
8-10 stems + 1 tablespoon leaves fresh thyme, divided
48 oz. chicken broth (I use the vegetarian "no chicken" chicken broth)
3 - 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, including liquid

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss mushrooms, garlic and onion in olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You may want to keep mushrooms separate on baking sheet for roasting, because you'll have to separate later. So, separate now, or later.) Spread on baking sheet. Add sage leaves and stems of thyme. Roast in 450° F oven for 10 minutes, toss and roast for additional 15 minutes. [Right now you'll want to eat all the mushrooms because they look and smell delicious, but you'll have to resist!]
While vegetables are roasting, add broth, beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves to a large stock pot over medium heat and simmer.
When vegetables are done roasting, let cool slightly. Separate mushrooms from other roasted vegetables.
Retrieve 2 cups of the white beans, and 1 cup of broth from the stock pot, add to a blender along with the roasted onions, garlic and herbs. Cover and blend until smooth.
Add pureed bean mixture back to stock pot, whisking in until smooth. Add roasted mushrooms to soup. Salt and pepper to taste.
Warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Bean and Barley Soup

The finished product.

We really enjoyed this super healthy soup which I found on daily meal via pinterest. I doubled it and didn't regret it - yummm!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, chopped2 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup barley
1/3 cup lentils
2 red or white creamer potatoes, cut into chunks
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Soup in process

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium to large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Season with the dried marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring so the flavors meld and the spices are evenly distributed.

Add the barley, lentils, potatoes, and kidney beans and stir to combine. Pour in enough water to cover the soup contents by about 2 inches. Stir to combine, cover partially, and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove the soup from the heat and let sit a few minutes before serving.

4 servings (Calories: 121; Total fat: 3.7 g; Saturated fat: 0.5 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 1,265 mg; Total carbohydrate: 18 g; Dietary fiber: 6.9g; Sugars: 4.2 g; Protein: 5.2 g.)

Mulligatawny Soup

Another family favorite!

Ingredients
1 broiler-fryer chicken - cut up
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tomatoes - chopped (medium)
1 apple - coarsely chopped (large)
1 carrot - thinly sliced (medium)
1 green bell pepper - cut into 1/2-inch pieces (medium)

Instructions
1. Heat chicken, giblets (except liver), neck, water, salt, curry powder, lemon juice, cloves and mace to boiling in Dutch oven.

2. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.

3. Remove chicken from broth. Cool chicken about 10 minutes or just until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

4. Skim fat from broth. Add enough water to broth, if necessary, to measure 4 cups.

5. Heat margarine in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion in margarine about 2 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in flour.

6. Gradually stir in broth. Add chicken, tomatoes and remaining ingredients.

7. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until carrot is tender. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Originally from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (ours is missing this page - did we wear it out?)... after much searching, I found online here. 

Fresh Vegetable Soup

Slightly adapted from the original recipe, we enjoyed this tasty and very healthy soup for lunch on Sunday. The only changes we made were to up the amount of broth (6 cups was not enough for the 8+ cups of veggies involved) and to increase the Swiss chard (T enjoyed chopping it a lot!). 

2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced
2 medium uncooked carrot(s), diced
2 small uncooked zucchini, diced
2 cup(s) uncooked savoy cabbage, or other variety, shredded
2 cup(s) uncooked Swiss chard, chopped
2 cup(s) uncooked cauliflower, small florets
2 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, small florets
1 medium uncooked onion(s), diced
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 rib(s) uncooked celery, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
10 cup(s) vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, or chives, fresh, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional

Directions
Put garlic, vegetables, thyme and broth into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in parsley or chives; season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

PointsPlus value 1
Servings 12

Seafood Stew

Over the holiday break I wanted to attempt to make a seafood stew. T had a lot of opinions about what kinds of seafood should go into it! After reading a lot of recipe options, we settled on one from Ina Garten, with a few alterations. Here is the adapted recipe which was delicious and definitely a keeper:

Ingredients
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good white wine (we used Toasted Head chardonnay)
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 quart (=32 ounces) Seafood Stock
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
4 large Atlantic sea scallops
1 pound tilapia, cut in large chunks
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded

a dozen Alligator Point clams
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Toasted baguette slices

Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the scallops, fish, clams and mussels, bring to a boil (this is important as adding everything will really bring the temperature down), then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and scallops should be cooked and the mussels and clams opened. Discard any mussels or clams that didn't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.

Ham & Bean Soup

Yesterday we made a big pot of ham and bean soup, using the bone from our Christmas ham. The recipe came to us from my Dad. It's hearty, warming, delicious and easy.

Ingredients
1 ham bone (leave some meat on it)
1 pound navy beans
4-5 quarts of water
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced
6 whole allspice
1 cup ketchup

Directions
Soak the navy beans overnight the day before you want to make the soup (or use the quick soak method on the bean package).

Put all the ingredients (except ketchup) in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for two hours. Add 1 cup ketchup and simmer another hour. Remove bone (shake off any meat that hasn't fallen off on its own into the soup) and allspice. Season to taste.

Enjoy!

Sundried Tomato Parmesan Broth with Chickpeas and Collards

We tried this quick and easy recipe Saturday night as a way to get a big dose of greens and use the big bunch of Collard greens that came in our veggies this week.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about this one - it seemed a little too easy - but it's delicious. We served it with toasted sliced of 5-grain bagette.

Ingredients
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus one 2-inch Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
1 bunch Collard greens (3/4 pound), stems discarded and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons store-bought sun-dried-tomato pesto*

Directions
In a medium soup pot, bring the broth to a simmer with the cheese rind and the chickpeas. Cook over low heat until the broth is flavorful, about 10 minutes; discard the rind. Add the greens and simmer until wilted, about 10 minutes. (Other greens like chard and kale will cook much faster.)
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the sun-dried-tomato pesto. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of the remaining pesto and serve.

*I found the pesto in the spaghetti sauce section at Publix, our local grocery store, after looking in the produce and ethnic food aisle first. 

This could easily be made vegetarian by using a meat-free broth. It would be a great meatless Monday dinner!

Dumpling Soup

Another Napa cabbage recipe we enjoyed, this one is light, quick and easy. I used some vegetarian potstickers from the freezer section at Publix for the dumplings.

Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 pound thick-sliced ham, diced
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 3-inch strips orange zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 to 3 napa cabbage leaves, thinly sliced
24 frozen chicken or vegetable dumplings or pot stickers Soy sauce, for drizzling (optional)

Directions
Combine 2 cups water, the broth, ham, sherry, sugar, ginger, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the scallion whites, mushrooms and carrots. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the cabbage, dumplings and scallion greens. Cover and cook until the dumplings are soft and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the dumplings and soup among bowls. Drizzle with soy sauce, if desired.

Our favorite Black Bean Soup

We love this soup because it's easy to make, tasty, full of texture, and satisfying, even though it's completely vegetarian.

20 sun-dried tomoatoes (not packed in oil)
2 cups boiling water

3 cups finely chopped onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2/3 cup water
2 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (I usually get 1 can petite diced and one regular)
4 16-ounce cans cooked black beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

sour cream or yogurt for garnish

In a small bowl, rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes by covering them with the boiling water and setting aside.

In a big pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent. It's important to cook them pretty thoroughly at this point, otherwise they'll be crunchy later. Add the cumin, 2/3 cup water and the tomatoes (including their juice - do not drain first). Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the black beans and their liquid, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Drain and chop the softened sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the liquid in case the soup becomes a little dry. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the soup and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the onions are tender. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro. Puree half the soup in the blender and return it to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add some of the reserved water from the sun-dried tomatoes or tomato juice.

Serve each both with about a teaspoonful of sour cream or yogurt on top. We like low-fat sour cream.

Adapted only slightly from

Soup with Squash and Greens

I adapted this recipe from one for Tuscan-Kale-and-Squash Minestra from Food & Wine December 2011. My theory is you can use whatever hardy greens you have (kale, chard, collards, spinach even) and the hard squash of your choice (Hubbard, butternut, acorn, etc.)

wilting the greens

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3-4 pounds of your favorite hard squash for 5 cups peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes. - we used butternut, neck only, as the original recipe indicated.
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried)
12 ounces of greens of your choice (by weight) - we used Collards. Original recipe called for kale. If you use that or spinach you might double or even triple as it will shrink more than some other greens.
9 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 cup ditalini or tubettini pasta
1 15-ounce can navy beans, drained

In a large pot, heat 2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened. If it's dry, either cover or add a little more oil. Add the squash, stirring until lightly browned in spots but not tender. Stir in garlic and rosemary for a minute then add the greens and stir them in until wilted. Add the broth, cover and simmer just until the vegetables are all tender. Season with salt and pepper.

While the vegetables are cooking, boil the pasta until it's al dente. Drain.

Add the pasta and beans to the soup and simmer until it's slightly thickened. As the greens and pasta absorb liquid, at this point you may need to add a little extra stock.

The original recipe calls for adding 1/4 cup of olive oil to the soup before serving but I left it out as the soup already tasted amazing.

Serve with shaved Parmesan and garlic toasts.

finished product - yum!

Cheddar Chicken Chowder

We'll serve this yummy soup Friday night as a counterpoint to all the delicious sweetness of the cookies and frosting. It's from Cooking Light but we came across it when it was printed in the Houston Chronicle in November 2001. The best part is kids love it as much as grown-ups, which is good, because it's hard to compete with cookies and frosting. :)

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 3 /4 cups diced peeled red potato
2 1/4 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2 percent low-fat milk
3 /4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; cool and crumble. Set aside. Add chicken , onion, bell pepper and garlic to drippings in pan; saute 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Add corn; stir well. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to soup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, simmer 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheddar cheese, salt and black pepper. Top with bacon.

Makes 7 servings, each 306 calories, 7.5 grams fat, 25 grams protein, 33.7 grams carbohydrates, 2.9 grams fiber, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 1.6 milligrams iron, 376 milligrams sodium, 193 milligrams calcium.

[Note (12/19/10): when making this in large volumes, be sure to minimize the amount of liquid you add. For the 2 double batches I made this week I used 7 cups each of chicken broth (rather than the 9 cups the recipe listed) and 3 cups of milk rather than 4.]

[Note (12/15/11): a 3-pound bag of red potatoes yields just over 7 cups of peeled diced potato. And a 2-pound bag of frozen whole kernel corn is just about 7 cups so you'll need 2.]

[Updated 12/15/13 to add photo.]

Mushroom Barley Soup

From The Clueless Vegetarian

3 tbsp. butter (or vegetable oil)
2 small onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, squished
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3 quarts vegetable broth (12 cups)
1 cup barley
1 tsp. crumbled dried thyme
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add the sliced mushrooms and let cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the mushrooms have let out their juices and the liquid is beginning to evaporate.

Now add the vegetable broth, barley and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, lower the heat to a simmer, and let the soup cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. If it is becoming too thick, add more water. Add the chopped parsley and dill, simmer for another 15 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Taco Soup

This is a quick easy delicious recipe that we really enjoy at our house. My friend (and former co-worker) Wanda shared it with me. (With a shout out to Mandy who might enjoy it!)

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 packages taco seasoning mix
2 large cans (15 ounces each) hominy
2 small cans Rotel chopped tomatoes
4 regular cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

Dump everything in a big pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 30-60 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese.

Any even easier variation: omit meat and onion. Also works well to substitute ground turkey. Generally, we use 1 pound of meat instead of 2. Also you can easily halve the recipe if it makes too much, though we like it for leftovers and it freezes well.

Enjoy!

Update 11/8/11: I made this for meatless Monday yesterday by substituting one pack of Lightlife Smart Ground for the ground beef. Tasted great!

Christening the New Stock Pot!

After much discussion, we decided to make a family favorite last Friday night for the first meal prepared in the new stock pot: 

Hearty Italian Soup

½ pound Italian-style sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces

¾ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced (can use powder)

3 (14 ½ oz) cans beef broth

1 (14 ½ oz) can stewed tomatoes

½ cup dry white wine (optional)

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon marjoram

2 oz fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti, broken into 2 inch lengths

1 (16 oz) package Italian-style frozen vegetables

freshly ground black pepper (optional)

chopped parsley (optional)

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large pot, sauté sausage, onion and garlic. Drain and return to pot. Add beef broth, tomatoes, wine, sugar, oregano, basil and marjoram. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 6 minutes. Add vegetables and continue to simmer until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper and parsley to garnish. Serve with parmesan cheese. Makes 6 to 8 servings (for small people… in our house this is about one meal!)

My notes: I generally make a double batch of this since sausage comes in 1 pound rolls/packages. If we are not planning to eat it all at one sitting, I put in the vegetables and wait on the pasta. It tends to break down and get starchy if reheated a lot. So once the veggies are about where we like them I move one meals’ worth into a smaller pot and add pasta to that pot. Then I refrigerate or freeze the rest and add the pasta in while reheating it – after it has come to a boil. We also tend to double or triple the amount of pasta.