Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 medium to large baking potatoes

3 cups reserved potato water

2 Tbsp. Wildtree beef or chicken bouillon

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

dash of celery seed

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

8 oz. light sour cream

1 serving prepared Wildtree Kids Cheez Blend (1/4 cup blend with 1/4 cup milk)

Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon, green onions

How to Make It:

1. Wash and chop unpeeled potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Boil in a large pot until tender. Drain, reserving 3 cups of the water.

2. Mix 2 Tbsp. bouillon with the reserved potato water.

3. In a deep saucepan melt butter and then add chopped onions and celery. Cook until tender. Add flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed and stir to combine. Add milk; stirring well.

4. Pour sauce into the large pot. Add the potatoes and bouillon. Add more milk, if necessary, to desired thickness (will thicken upon cooking). Add sour cream and the prepared Kids Cheese Blend. Stir well.

5. Simmer for 2 hours, making sure everything is tender. Serve. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and/or green onions.

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Butternut and bacon soup

Last week, my mother-in-law sent me home with a gorgeous box of vegetables from her garden. There were peppers and eggplants, those staples of late summer from which my husband made the most wonderful ratatouille. And below those purple and green gems lay the hardier, firmer fruits of autumn: squash.

Acorn and butternut, we have been waiting for you all summer.

Last night, I officially welcomed fall into our home with a dinner of butternut and bacon soup (and grilled cheese on the side). You can, too! As long as the winter squash purée is already prepared, you can whip up this soup in less than 30 minutes.

Butternut and bacon soup

8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large onion, minced

4 cups butternut squash purée (canned is fine here, but you may need to add more stock)

3 cups chicken broth (or more, as needed)

8-10 ounces chopped frozen kale (use lots of fresh kale if you have it; I only had frozen kale)

1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and torn or chopped roughly

In a saucepan or dutch oven (it doesn't need to be huge, but something with a heavy bottom is preferable), fry the bacon until crispy. This usually takes 5 minutes.

While the bacon is frying, mince the onion. Remove the crispy bacon bits and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the onions to the pot. Sauté until softened, 4-5 minutes. [Note: if you're using fresh kale, you'll want to add it here and make sure it's wilted before you continue.]

Add butternut purée and chicken stock. If soup is too thick, add additional stock until you reach the desired consistency. Bring to a boil, then add frozen kale. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and serve this steamy soup topped with bacon bits.

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Santa Fe Chicken Soup

This simple recipe is one of my favorites...and when I say simple, I mean really simple. After all, you don't even have to drain the canned goods! That is taking simple to a whole new level. :)

Everyone for whom I've made this has pronounced it delicious, and it's certainly a soup that I'm always glad to see pop up in my menu rotation. At the moment, I'm happy to know that there is, in my refrigerator, a bowl of this that was left-over from lunch I made for friends today; I'm looking forward to having it tomorrow!

What You Need

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 onion, diced

15 1/4 oz. can whole-kernel corn, undrained

24 oz. can pinto beans, undrained

10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 lb. Velveeta cheese

1/4 c. milk

What You Do

Put everything in the crockpot. Cover. Turn on. :) Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until cheese is melted. Try not to let soup boil. (I've also made this soup in a pot on the stove, especially when I was running out of time, and that works fine, too. But the crockpot is even more convenient.)

* Depending on the spice tolerance of those for whom I make this, I sometimes omit the diced tomatoes and green chilies, and add plain diced tomatoes instead. I personally like the extra zing that comes from the green chilies (and it's not a very spicy zing, just a little tiny one), but at times, it seems best to omit the spice and let each person add it individually to their own comfort level.

Happy soup-serving!

To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night,

all you really need is soup.

~ Laurie Colwin

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Blue Ribbon Chili

It seems there are numerous ways to prepare chili — various meats, red chili or green chili, or adding kidney beans or no beans at all — the combinations are endless. I have to say that with this recipe I have conquered the world of chili. And since the weather can't decide whether it wants to be warm or cold...it's still, at least in my kitchen,  OK to make a winter time soup.

Everyone has their favorite chili recipe. This is mine, what's is yours??



What You'll Need

2 1/2 lb. lean chuck, ground

1 lb. lean pork, ground

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped onion

8 oz. hunt's tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 can beer (12 oz.)

3 Tablespoons chili powder 

2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)
2 Tablespoons cumin, ground

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons oregano leaves 

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa 

1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce 

1 teaspoon cornmeal

1 teaspoon flour

1 teaspoon warm water

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese shredded for topping.



What To Do

1. In a large saucepan brown 1 1/4 pounds of the ground meat (the beef and the pork), drain the fat.
2. Remove meat (the beef and the pork). Brown the rest of the ground meat, drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
3. Add the garlic and onion, cook and stir until tender.
4. Add the other half of the meat and the tomato sauce, water, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, cocoa, and hot sauce. Mix well.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
6. In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well.
7. Stir into chili and cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes.


**My changes: add 2 additional cups of water, petite diced tomatoes, 1 can kidney beans. Nothing else. If you want to cut some of the heat, don't add the hot sauce and add only half of the chili powder.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

There are a lot of reasons to make chicken noodle soup. Maybe you're cold and your tummy needs some warming up?  Or possibly your family has had a bad stomach bug — the kind that makes you not want to eat for-evver. (a recent memory at my house) The one thing that always hits the spot is chicken noodle soup — here's an awesome twist — Thai Coconut Chicken Soup. One alteration I made to this recipe was to add Pad Thai noodles — so necessary and so good!

Oh, and one of the most flavorful parts of this soup is the homemade broth.

What You'll Need

1 quart chicken stock, recipe follows
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried, hand torn (optional)
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
4 limes, juiced (I cut this back to 3 limes)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves



Chicken Stock

1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/4 bunch fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1. Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
2. Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
3. Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

What To Do

1. Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.
2. Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. 
3. To serve, place a generous mound of noodles in each bowl, then top with the hot soup.
4. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.

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Potato and Ham Soup

It was time to come up with some creative uses for our leftover Easter ham. We were out of all the other yummy Easter dinner side dishes that accompany the ham, and you can only eat so many ham sandwiches, right?

So, I, being the soup lover that I am, was eager to try this Potato and Ham Soup recipe. We were not disappointed!

What you need:
5 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I think I used four medium-sized potatoes)
1 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrot
2 tsps. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup heavy cream (I used light cream)
(I was distracted by feeding my baby in the midst of making this or I probably would have added some fresh herbs too.)

Bring the potatoes, onions, celery, carrot, salt, pepper, and water to a boil in a large pot. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. (All my veggies were wonderfully tender...except the celery. Might have need just a few more than 15 minutes.) Add the ham, cream of celery soup, and heavy cream; return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Delicious!

Recipe from Tabitha King at allrecipes.com.

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love making soup. I love chopping the vegetables and stirring the simmering pot. I love the leftovers. So, even though spring is just around the corner, I'm still busy making and enjoying pots of soup!

What you need:
3/4 c. onion, finely chopped
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
3 c. chicken broth (I used fat-free)
4 1/2 c. milk (I used 1%)
3 c. fresh broccoli, chopped and cooked (I steamed ours for about 10 minutes)
3/4 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth and bubbly (Mine never got smooth or bubbly at this stage!) Add broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Add broccoli. Simmer, stirring constantly until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Recipe from the Gooseberry Patch collection, "A Pinch of This, A Dash of That," attributed to Donna Nowicki.

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Irish Beef Stew

My husband and I were having a culinary discussion the other evening that centered around traditional Irish Stew (who does that?? he's cute!).  Anyway, so began my search for the perfect Irish Stew...because after you talk about it long enough you have to make it.  And given my fixation with both my crock-pot and quick & easy recipes, I took this recipe, which has great reviews by the way, and turned it into a slow cooker meal.




What You'll Need

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley




What to Do

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.) Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 **my changes: really, I just threw everything into the crock pot and cooked it on high for 1hr and then on low for 8hrs.


Adapted from Epicurious.com

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French lamb stew

Spring is on its way. I know it doesn't feel like it yet, but that's exactly why we need nourishing soups with a touch of spring-y freshness — to remind us spring is coming (and to keep us warm while we wait).

Sadly, I don't have a photo of the finished soup, but it's really the ingredients that I want to focus on here. Shallots, dill, and crème fraiche really make this dish. Lamb, to me, is a spring thing. Growing up, we always had it at Easter (my mom's really into symbolism). But with its strong flavor and texture, it's also hearty enough for a cold, cruel March evening.

If you can't get crème fraiche — and I realize it's not available everywhere — I am sorry. Truly, truly sorry. It is wonderfully light and creamy, with a slight tanginess to it, and it's oh-so-worth-it if you can find it. If not, try making a substitute from heavy cream and sour cream or buttermilk.

Here's the full cast of characters:

6 shallots (3 whole, 3, chopped)

3 whole cloves, stuck into shallots

2 celery stalks

1-2 whole carrots, washed, ends trimmed and left unpeeled (optional)

6 peppercorns

3 bay leaves

3 cups chicken stock

2 lbs. lamb, cubed

1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup crème fraiche

Fresh dill — as much as you want!

1 cup frozen corn or peas (optional)

Here's how it plays out:

1. Place three clove-studded shallots, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, and stock in heavy saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes, add the lamb, and cook for two hours. (I start this dish during naptime!)

2. Reserve lamb and stock. In a saucepan on low heat, sauté three chopped shallots in butter. Stir in sugar and flour. Remove from heat, add reserved stock and stir.

3. Return to heat and stir constantly while adding crème fraiche. Fold in lamb cubes and chopped dill, along with corn or peas. Cook gently, just until the corn or peas are hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with remaining sprigs of dill (and, if you're feeling really depressed about the weather, a dollop of crème fraiche) and enjoy!

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Friendship Soup in a Jar

This is a great one to give as teacher gifts.  We gave it to both of my daughters teachers for Christmas. 

1/2 c. Dry Split Peas
1/3 c. Beef Bouillon Granules
1/4 c. Pearl Barley
1/2 c. Dry Lentils
1/4 c. Dried Onion Flakes
2 tsp. Dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 c. uncooked long grain white rice
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 c. uncooked alphabet pasta

If you want to layer it in a jar, do it in order from top to bottom.  Wrap the pasta in plastic wrap and place in the jar.  Attach the following to the jar:

Friendship Soup Additional Ingredients:  1 lb. browned ground beef, black pepper to taste, garlic powder to taste, 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes-undrained, 1 (16 oz.) can tomato paste, & 3 quarts of water.  To prepare soup: Remove pasta from top of the jar and set aside.  In a large pot over medium heat, brown beef with pepper & garlic; drain excess fat.  Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, & Soup mix.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover & simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir in pasta, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta, peas, lentils, & barley are tender.

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Taco Soup

 

This was a recipe that was given to me by my cousin.  She had all of the cousins over one night and had each person bring an ingredient for the soup.  It simmered while we socialized.  I thought that was a neat idea for everyone to bring an ingredient.  It is a very good soup for a cold winter's day.

1 lb Hamburger

1 Onion, chopped

3-16 oz. Dark Kidney Beans, undrained

1-16 oz. Can of Whole Corn, undrained

1-16 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes, undrained

1-15oz. can Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 c. Water

1-4 1/2 oz can chopped chilies

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix (dry)

Brown hamburger and onion together, then add the rest of the ingredients.  Boil & let simmer for 15 minutes.

Top with anything you would put on your taco salad: cheese, lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, olives, etc.

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Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  My family has really enjoyed this, even my meat lovin' hubby.  I will post some alterations below.

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 oz.-chopped Green Chile Peppers
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, ground
2 (14.5) cans of Chicken Broth
3 c. chopped/cooked Chicken breasts
3 (15 oz.) cans of White Beans
Shredded Monterey Jack/Cheddar Cheese

Take olive oil and oil and cook till onions are tender.  Then add garlic, chile peppers, cumin, oregano, & cayenne pepper.  Cook till tender.  Then mix in the broth, chicken, and white beans and simmer 15 or more minutes.  Right before serving, top each person's bowl with cheese.

Ceci's alterations:  My family does not care for how spicy the cayenne makes it.  I just put a pinch in, which is just the right amount for our family.  So use the cayenne pepper according to the tastes of your family.  Overall a VERY GOOD soup!!!

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