Day Fourteen: Autumn Soup in Winter

As usual I bought some Johnsonville smoked sausage on sale. As usual I found a lovely Taste of Home recipe to utilize it. Soups on!

Autumn Sausage Corn Soup

10-12 servings

1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 1/2 cups water
1 pkg frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt, optional
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 In a large skillet, cook, and stir sausage over medium-high eat until browned; set aside.

2 In a dutch oven or soup pot, cook and stir flour in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add the onion, green pepper and green onions; saute until tender.

3 Stir in the water, corn, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, cayenne pepper, ans sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Day Thirteen: Minestrone

Another copycat Olive Garden soup. This is one is from Sparkpeople so feel at ease knowing that its low cal. Enjoy!

Minutes to Prepare: 15
Minutes to Cook: 45
Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced white onions
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup frozen cut italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce)can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained
1 /2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup macaroni

Directions

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings.

Day Twelve: Chicken Fajitas in Soup Form

I love anything with southwestern or tex mex flavors. This recipe is a must try. :)

Fiesta Chicken Chowder

Ingredients

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 envelope fajita seasoning, divided
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can condense nacho cheese soup, undiluted
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour and 2 tbsp fajita seasoning; add chicken. Seal the bag and shake to coat. In a large saucepan, sauté chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same pan, sauté onion until onion is tender; and garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice, chilies, and remaining fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in the soup, cilantro, lime juice and chicken, heat through.

Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 heavy cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion and lemon juice; cook and stir 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add all of the spices except red pepper; cook and stir 1 minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes until well mixed. Stir cream into cornstarch and salt until smooth. Gradually stir into skillet. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; stirring frequently, simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. Serve with cooked rice or naan bread, if desired.

Other Uses for Biscuits

Being single and usually cooking for one, leaves me with a lot of leftovers. Every now and again I like to have biscuits for breakfast. The can comes with 8 and I generally only eat 2; what to do with the rest? I decided to make donut holes and mini pizzas.

Breakfast

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

2-3 Grands flaky layers biscuits
1/2 cup oil for frying
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small saucepan heat the oil. Cut the biscuits into quarters, drop into the oil, and fry until golden; it only takes a couple minutes. Meanwhile, mix the the cinnamon and sugar. Fresh from the fryer toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Eat!

Lunch

Mini Pizzas

2 Grands flaky layers biscuits
4 tbsp pizza or pasta sauce
1/4 mozzarella
Your favorite toppings

*Note: Pillsbury has tons of recipes to try using their products.

Day Eleven: Country Soup

Another country soup. Simple and quick.

Country Sausage Soup

Ingredients

3/4 lb pork sausage
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the beans; heat through.

*Note: Any time you see ground beef, I substitute with ground turkey.

Day Ten: Lentil Soup

Trying something different! I like lentils why not put them in soup?

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

3 cans vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 can spicy hot V8 juice
1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium tomato, cubed
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the potato, tomato, carrot, and celery; cover and simmer 30 minutes longer or until rice and vegetables are tender.

Day Nine: Stuffed Peppers

Running with the theme of deconstructed stuffed vegetables I found a recipe for stuffed pepper soup.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 pkg ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice

1 lb ground beef

2 cups green peppers, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 jar chunky tomato pasta sauce

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can beef broth

Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the beef, green peppers, and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pasta sauce, tomatoes, broth, and prepared rice; simmer until heated through and flavor combine.

Day Eight: Country Cabbage Soup

Next to broccoli, cabbage is my favorite vegetable. I love it in slaw, on tacos, sautéed, boiled, and steamed. I wanted a new way to prepare it and found this recipe. Simple ingredients makes this a nice and easy weeknight soup. It reminds me of a deconstructed stuffed cabbage.

Country Cabbage Soup

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans (28 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 large onions, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, season and cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink;drain. Add the tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Day Seven: White Chili

The temperature hasn't been over 28 degrees all week so it seems like the perfect weather for this hearty chili.

Creamy White Chili
From Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp canola oil
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
2 cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

In a large saucepan, sauté the chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is not longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and cream.

*Note: You could definitely pop this in the crockpot!

Day Six: Fast Fix

I haven't had tomato soup since I was a little kid. Instead of popping open a can of Campbell's I decided to try this recipe from Lanaee O'Neill featured in the latest issue of . . . you guessed it, Taste of Home!

Simple Tomato Soup

2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 carton chicken broth

1. In a blender, process tomatoes with juices until puréed; set aside. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, stir and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in flour until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth. Add tomato purée and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan if desired.

Day Five: Decisions, Decisions

The other day I mentioned I was craving cheeseburgers. Again Taste of Home came to the rescue with not one but two recipes to try. I couldn't decide between the them so I'm making small batches of both! I'll let you know how they come out!

Cheeseburger Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground beef
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup frozen shredded hash browns
1 can chopped green chilies
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp chili powder

Prep

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup, milk, potatoes, chilies, taco seasoning, onion and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until heated brought. Garnish with corn chips, cheese, and green onion if desired.

Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (seeded for less heat)
1 qt beef broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1 pounds ground turkey
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
2 cups milk, divided
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Prep

1 In a Dutch oven, combine the first nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
2 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to soup. Stir in 1 cup of milk; heat through.
3 In a small bowl, combine the flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce hear, stir in cheese until melted and serve garnished with crumbled bacon.

*Note: Season the meat like you would season your hamburger. I use seasoning salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Day Four: Restaurant Quality

My all time favorite restaurant soup is Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden. I order it every time I go. I've always wanted to make it at home but I also know that it's high in calories! Over 700 per serving to be exact; yikes! I found this recipe and modified it to cut the calories.

Ingredients:

Servings:
4-6

1 lb Italian chicken or turkey sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup skim milk w/ cornstarch to thicken if desired

Directions:

1 Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
2 Brown sausage in your soup pot then remove.
3 Add onion and saute until tender.
4 Add garlic.
5 Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
6 Add potatoes
7 Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
8 Return sausage to pot.
9 Simmer for another 10 minutes.
10 Turn to low heat.
11 Add kale and cream.
12 Heat through and serve.


Read more at: http://restaurant.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-copycat-zuppa-toscana-38298?oc=linkback

Day Three: Soup for Dessert

Every girl has that time of the month when she craves sweets, snacks, etc.; pretty much all things junk. Unlike the typical woman I'm not a big fan of chocolate at any time of the month. A lot of the time I want a cheeseburger and Doritos, but lately I've really been wanting sweets. I picked up some Florida (being a California girl I'm partial to ours) strawberries while grocery shopping last week, because they were on sale of course. Later that week browsing Taste of Home recipes, low and behold I found a strawberry soup.

Succulent Strawberry Soup
4 servings

Ingredients

2 quarts fresh strawberries, divided
1/2 cup water
5 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp orange zest
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Fresh mint and additional strawberries for garnish

Directions

1 Mash half the strawberries with a potato masher or fork and set aside
2 In a blender, combine remaining strawberries, water, sugar, flour, and orange zest; process until smooth. Pour into a 2-qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3 Add mashed strawberries. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and chill for at least 1 hour.
4 Stir in cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with mint and strawberries if desired.

Day Two: Chowda

I've never tasted let alone made corn chowder, but as usual I had some extra cans of corn (regular and cream) that I bought on sale and wanted to use them. I looked up some recipes all over the internet but none of them seemed quite right so based on what I found I created my own. Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients

1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans creamed corn
2 small white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 medium onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
Fresh cracked pepper
Two strips bacon, crisped for garnish

Prep

In a large pot, crisp bacon and remove. Leaving the bacon grease, sauté onions and celery. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken. Poach chicken then remove, let cool enough to cube into bite sized pieces. While the chicken cools, add the potatoes and carrots. When tender add all the corn, milk, and the chicken; simmer until whole corn is done. Add cornstarch to thicken if desired and season with cracked pepper. Serve in a bowl topped with crumbled bacon or green onion.

Day One: Inspired by the Motherland

The cinnamon and orange makes this soup unique and delicious! Enjoy!

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
4 cups Chicken Stock or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup uncooked couscous
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook for 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add cumin, cinnamon, and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add butternut squash and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in Chicken Stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in couscous, salt, and zucchini; cook 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chopped basil and orange rind.

A Soup a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

Ok probably not but who doesn't love a hot bowl of soup on cold winters day. It always feels like home when soup's on! I decided this winter to challenge myself to make as many soups, stews, chowders, and chilies as possible. So far I've found about thirty recipes that I can share when I find more I'll add to it! So here goes!

Sweet Ending

Before Thanksgiving I bought cranberries because they were on sale. I had no intention of making cranberry sauce but I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with them so I popped them in the freezer. While browsing Taste of Home magazine I found a recipe that had peaches and blueberries. I decided I could substitute cranberries for this so it was perfect. Not to mention how incredibly easy the recipe is. Easy as pie isn't a saying for no reason!

Peach-Cranberry Crumble Tart
(Adapted from James Schend's submission to Taste of Home Oct-Nov 2012)

Ingredients

Crust
1 9" Frozen Pie Crust

Filling
2 Cups fresh cranberries
2 Cups frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed
1 Tbsp honey

Crumb Topping
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 Cup chopped pecans
1/8 Tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preparation
1. Sprinkle the pie crust with cinnamon and pre-bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl combine the cranberries, peaches, and honey; toss to coat.
3. In a small bowl combine the first 5 topping ingredients; stir in butter.
4. Spoon fruit mixture into crust, sprinkle with topping, and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fillings is bubbly.
5. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

*Note: It's pictured here without the crumble that's just because I forgot to take a picture, but don't leave it out, its the best part!

Curry Comfort

I absolutely love curry! The aroma that fills the house when its cooked makes me feel so warm inside. Curry is comfort food for me. I make it like some people make spaghetti: all the time. Its a go-to meal when I have no idea what else to make. Its delicious, colorful, and like most simmer dishes, tastes better the next day! Enjoy!

Ingredients

4-5 Chicken Thighs
2 Medium Russet or White Potatoes, cubed
1 Large Red Onion, sliced
1 Large Green Bell Pepper, sliced
1 Large Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
3-4 Carrots, sliced
3 Tbsp Curry Powder
1 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cayenne or Crushed Red Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Seasoned Salt
Pepper
2 Cups Chicken Stock or Water
2 Cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice

Preparation

1. Season the chicken thighs (just eyeball it) with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika. Pan sear until skin is crisp and golden brown.
2. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 tbsp of curry powder, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and fork tender.
3. Add the remaining chicken stock, curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, carrots and potatoes. Simmer until veggies are tender.
4. Add peppers and onions. Cook until tender but still colorful.
5. Serve over rice with a side of sauteed cabbage.