Archives for May 2007

I couldn’t resist giving you one last soup of the day before we part soupy ways this month.  So here it is, the very last of the soups.  Enjoy this Sweet Potato Soup Recipe on me!

Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, steamed, peeled and puréed
• White pepper to taste
• Curry to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Soy milk to desired thickness
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or to taste
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of turmeric

Blend all ingredients with a whisk. Chill well. Serve cold. Garnish with toasted sunflower seeds or drizzle with soy sour cream.  And that’s all!

Eat well & Laugh often!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well folks, today is the last day of May which means summer is basically here & soups of the day are basically a thing of the past.  It’s been a nice journey & I hope you’re taken some great soup recipes as your own.

On the menu for today we have a goodie for you, a quick & easy soup recipe.  This Tuscan Bean Soup Recipe works well for last minute guests who will keep asking for the recipe until you relent.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup 10% cream
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped & fresh
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• S & P, to taste

 What’s Next: 

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the carrot and onion. Add the chicken stock and the beans and bring to a boil.

Add the cream, baby spinach and thyme, season to taste and serve.  And that’s all folks!

Eat well & Laugh often!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a short week this go-round & we’re already at Wednesday’s door.  You know, one of my favorite things to is to make a large batch of soup & eat it up all throughout the work week so I don’t have to worry about what we’re having for dinner.

And that’s just what the plan is for today.  On the menu we have a fantastic Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe that has just the right amount of hearty & savory for any gumbo lover.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 T vegetable oil
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 1 T Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 T dried parsley
• 2.5-3.5 lbs chicken breast (with skin and bone)
• 1 # smoked sausage, sliced
• 1/2 t Gumbo Filet
• 1 t salt (or more to taste)
• 1/4 t pepper
• Pinch of red pepper (cayenne)
• Dash of worcestershire sauce
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, halved
• 2 celery sticks, halved
• 3 green onion stalks, chop bottoms and save tops to slice and sprinkle over gumbo after cooking
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 t thyme
• 2 qts water
• 3 cups cooked rice (1.5 cups uncooked)

What’s Next:

In a large, deep pot brown chicken in oil (5-10 minutes on each side) and remove to cool.

Fry sausage in oil for 5 minutes or until browned and remove to drain/cool. Add flour to make a “roux” and cook over low to med-low fire stirring once every minute at least until it is golden brown.  Do not burn!  Keep an eye out on the roux, this is what makes your gumbo great.

Next, add onion, green onion bottoms, and garlic. Saute until transparent/soft. Then add water and all remaining ingredients EXCEPT green onion tops, gumbo filet, and parsley. Peel chicken off of bone into bite size chunks and add to pot. Bring to a boil over the highest fire uncovered. Leave uncovered and cook over med-high fire 35 minutes. Turn fire off and add sliced green onion tops, gumbo filet, and parsley. Remove green peppers, celery, and bay leaf.

Serve over rice & enjoy!

Eat well & Laugh often!

A hearty good morning going out to you all!  I trust your Memorial Day was spent with care & good food.

Well, let’s get right to business.  On the menu for today we have a very special treat, an Apricot Soup Recipe.  Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it?  With just the right amount of fruit taste with a dash of cumin, this soup recipe will tantalize!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 10 cups water
• 12 ounces dried apricots, chopped
• Salt, to taste

What’s Next:

Heat the oil in your soup pot over medium heat, then stir in the onions and carrots. Saute for about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and stir well.

Decrease the heat, cover, and let the vegetables sweat for ten minutes.

Add the lentils and pour in enough of the water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for twenty minutes, or until the lentils and carrots are tender. Add more of the water as needed as the lentils soften and expand.

Remove from the heat, stir in the apricots and any remaining water, and season with salt. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth; alternatively working in batches, puree in a regular blender until smooth.

Salt to your liking & enjoy!

Eat well & Laugh often!

Well, we’re finally here.  Friday has snuck up on us & it’s time to get ready for Memorial Day. 

On the menu for today I have an award winning Memorial Day Chili Recipe that’s sure to knock the socks off everyone you meet.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 2 to 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried ground cumin or to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder or to taste (fresh chile peppers may be substituted)
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups tomato puree, tomato sauce, or fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or a combination of all three)
• 2 to 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 cans black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Grated sharp cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Chopped green onions

What’s Next:

In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute ground beef, onion, and garlic until the meat becomes gray in color. Add cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and beef broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, approximately 3 to 4 hours, stirring often. Note: Additional beef broth, water, or wine may be added as needed.

Add molasses to taste to cut down the acidity of the tomatoes. Add beans and continue to simmer another 30 minutes. NOTE: During the last 30 minutes of cooking, do a lot of tasting and adjust seasoning to taste.

For maximum flavor, cool chili and refrigerate overnight so flavors will mellow. When ready to serve, remove top layer of solidified fat, reheat chili over low heat, and serve in large individual bowls.

Set out garnishes for your chili – some chopped green onions, sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar cheese make great toppings

Eat well & Laugh often!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is, Wednesday.  The middle of the week is here & we need some soothing soup to get us through the rest of the week.

On the menu for today I have an Austrian Garlic Soup Recipe that’s sure to win anyone over, especially those with sore throats.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 l milk
• 1/4 l vegetables stock
• Butter
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Parsley
• White bread

What’s Next:

Go ahead & chop onion and garlic and saute on low heat in butter.

Sprinkle with flour and add milk and vegetable stock.

Keep stirring and bring to a boil.

Add chopped parsley.

Make croutons of white bread and garnish soup & you’re ready to chow down.

Eat well & Laugh often!

A fine good morning going out to everyone.  You’re going to love the soup recipe I have on the menu for today!

You know I love my avocados & there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy this fruit in soup, right?  Say hello to this delicious Avocado Soup Recipe.  With just the right amount of Tabasco, this soup will treat you right during the summerime.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 cups (24 fl oz. / 750ml) chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sour cream, optional
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or a few drops Tabasco sauce
• 3 chives, finely chopped

What’s Next:

Combine avocado, garlic, half the chicken stock, lime juice, sour cream, and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree.

Mix in remaining chicken stock until smooth. Stir in hot pepper sauce. Chill the soup for at least 1 hour. Garnish with chopped chives just before serving. 

Eat well & Laugh often!

Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus anymore.  With this amazing Chickpea Soup Recipe, you can convert any deary ole Monday into a tasty experience.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water or a mild vegetable stock
• 2 cups pre-soaked chickpeas
• 6 ounces fresh or dried pappardelle
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt

What’s Next:

Bring the stock and ceci beans to a simmer and cook until the beans are cooked through. Taste and season with salt.

Boil your beans.

While the beans are cooking, boil the pappardelle in well-salted water. Drain and set aside 1/3 of the cooked noodles, you are going to fry these. Also, hang on to a cup (or two) of the pasta water in case you need a bit more liquid for your soup.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the reserved noodles and fry them up until they are nice and crispy, don’t let the oil get overly hot, it should be nicely fragrant and able to do its crisping job. Just remember, you are going to use it later in the recipe, so you don’t want it to get to its smoking point.

Add the boiled-not-fried noodles into the bean pot and taste for seasoning, salt if needed (add in the reserved pasta water here if you want a bit more broth, but I like this soup light on the liquid). Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil from the skillet into the soup and serve with a generous sprinkling of the fried noodles mixed in at the last minute. A drizzle of your favorite table olive oil is a great way to finish the soup.

Eat well & Laugh often!