All In Chili

This chili recipe is a combination of many and has all the ingredients I love and feel should be in a chili. A true chili is robust, rich and deep and a labor of love. To me, there's nothing like listening to some music on a cool morning while laying out all the ingredients to make assembling that much easier. 

If you're able, make this a day ahead. Letting it sit overnight really takes the marriage of flavors to another level. I highly recommend a full bodied cabernet like this Earthquake. My husband says this is the best chili he has ever had and right after we had it for lunch, he was on his way to deliver some to both of our parents who live 25 minutes away. I wasn't a chili fan until I had this one! 

You can use any meats you'd like, I just suggest sticking to 3 lbs as this was perfect. Terry doesn't usually like sausage in his chili but we compromised with a chicken sausage we usually grill and love! I thought it'd be a great idea to use it for this chili. It comes in a package of 5 links so I just took the casing off and crumbled the meat. This chili has a kick but it's not too spicy by any means.  

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• 2 lbs grass fed lean ground beef 
• 1 lb chicken sausage, mild (I used Greenwise by Publix)
• 3 (15oz) cans kidney chili beans in a mild sauce, drained
• 1 (15oz) can chili beans in spicy sauce
• 2 (28oz) cans Rotel, original (not drained)
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, diced (I seed only one)
• 2 tablespoon bacon bits from real bacon
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 Corona Extra or Modelo

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tblsp plus 1 tsp white sugar
• 2 1/2 tblsp chili powder
• 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tblsp minced garlic
• 1 tblsp dried oregano

1. Take chicken sausage out of casing & saute in one pan. Saute beef in another. Drain off excess grease. Then add both to the biggest soup pot you have where you will add in all the rest of the ingredients. Add in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, Rotel & tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green & red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, bacon bits, beef broth & beer. Season with cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic & oregano.  
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3. Stir to blend, then cover & simmer over low heat for at least 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. I simmered mine for 4 hours. Let it cool, then refrigerate. If you're able to make this the day before serving, it's actually better! I served it with shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend, sour cream, scallions & oyster soup crackers. 

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New England Clam Chowder

This is not the best picture but that's because this chowder was so good I didn't have the patience to snap a few more and position a nice lump of clams in the middle or sprinkle with fresh parsley, let's say. But delicious it was and that's all that matters.

{ Printable Recipe Here }

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock
4 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 4 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Serves 2-4. I doubled for 6 people and had a nice amount leftover.

Soup's On: Asian Seafood Soup

For previous bowls of soup in my series of Soup's On, click:

Soup's On: Mamma Leone's Chicken Soup

Soup's On: Tuscan Spinach, Bean & Sausage Soup

“Soup is to the meal, what the hostess' smile of welcome is to the party. A prelude to the goodness to come.” ~ Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)

I am excited for the weekend!!!! It's my Dad's birthday so I'm cooking my parents a big special dinner with some of his favorite foods. I can't wait to show you the menu next week & if all goes well, there will be 4 new recipes to share!!!!!!

Until then...I made this soup Monday evening for dinner & continued to have it the next 3 days for lunch! Since I've made a life change by going on the treadmill on my lunch hour, leaving my evenings free for family time, this healthy but filling soup was exactly what I wanted & needed. Not only was my frequent seafood urge met but so was my desire for pasta, but without the guilt, since I used whole grain spaghetti. I really enjoyed this!

 

ASIAN SEAFOOD SOUP from EatingWell.com

{ Click Here to Print Recipe }

1 tsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups thinly sliced Napa (Chinese) cabbage
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
6 oz small shrimp, peeled & deveined
6 oz bay or sea scallops
3 tblsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tblsp rice-wine vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
8 oz Chinese wheat noodles, or linguine
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
*See notes for additional ingredients

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic & stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add cabbage & 1/4 cup of the broth.

Bring to a simmer & cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 1 minute. Add the remaining broth, shrimp, scallops, soy sauce & vinegar. Return to a simmer & cook until the shrimp & scallops are opaque in the center, about 1 minute. This is where I added the chili garlic sauce & some red pepper flakes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water just until tender, 2 to 5 minutes. If using linguine, cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander & divide among 4 large soup bowls.

Ladle the soup over the noodles & sprinkle with scallions.

 

{ Food for Thought }

While this was simmering I took a taste & thought it needed something. I added a couple of swirls of Asian garlic chili sauce, as well as some red pepper flakes. The chili sauce added the flavor it needed along with a hint of sweetness to bring it all together. It was like night & day so I highly recommend this. I also used whole grain spaghetti to keep this healthy. Have all your ingredients ready so that the shrimp & scallops do not overcook. Take this off the heat as soon as it's done.

This will give you about 6 good bowls of soup. At first I was concerned about my noodles soaking up too much liquid if I added them to the leftover soup. I took a chance anyway & it was more than fine. I had this as lunch for 3 days straight & it tasted as good as the day before. I only recommend adding the scallions right before serving.

{ Have a Great Weekend Everyone }

Soup's On: Tuscan Spinach, Bean & Sausage

For the 1st bowl of 12 in the series of Soup's On, click:

Soup's On: Mama Leone's Chicken Soup

“Good manners: The noise you don't make when you're eating soup.” ~ Bennett Cerf, humorist, publisher

This soup was easy to make for a weeknight meal after a long day of work. And it was not only hearty but fairly healthy! I looked at a few sausage packages to compare calories & fat & the one below was what I went with. Next time I will try the freshly prepared chicken sausage but they didn't have any available.

TUSCAN SPINACH, BEAN & SAUSAGE SOUP

{ Click Here to Print Recipe }

1 link hot Italian-style turkey sausage
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14 oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz frozen cut-leaf spinach or fresh
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tblsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring sausage & 1/4 inch water to a simmer in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, until water evaporates, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to cook until the sausage is browned on all sides, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board; when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine the sausage, beans, broth, garlic, spinach & marjoram in a medium saucepan.

Cover & cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in cheese just before serving.

{ Food for Thought }

I used the fresh spinach I had on hand instead of frozen & just added it in along with the broth & garlic. You can substitute any kind of sausage you prefer from the many variations on the market. Just be sure to look at the calories if you want to keep this soup healthy. I opted for a chicken sausage because it was half the fat of the turkey sausage freshly prepared at my grocer.

Although better than the traditional, the turkey sausage was still very high in cals & fat. 

And if you can't make soup to keep warm, blanket yourself with one tired little boy & one sweet large bulldog.

 {  Linking Deliciously to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  }

Soup's On: Mamma Leone's Chicken Soup

Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished & stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance & cheer? Who warms you in the winter & cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table & impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor & sick, do you?  ~ Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

It's finally cold here in FL & I need a change, a reason to commit to a delicious project. So, welcome to the 1st bowl of Soup's On.

In the weeks of Winter to come, I will be posting 12 delicious, heart warming soups that will not only feed  you but soothe you from the inside out.

This first one is very special. It's Chronicle of a Mommy's Dad's favorite soup. It originated from a popular 1906 NY (my hometown) restaurant called Mamma Leone's in the theatre district. It's no longer open but one of their coveted recipes was this Italian soup. A deli in Oregon was serving it up one day to Kacey's Dad. He loved it so much they told him he could find it online. He did & has been making it ever since.

What I LOVE most about this soup, aside from it being delicious, is that it tastes like it would be bad for you with all the lovely creaminess, but it's not. The fat free evaporated milk & flour make it thick & creamy without the guilt. I dined on this for 3 days straight. And I wasn't even a soup person. Until now!!!!

MAMMA LEONE'S CHICKEN SOUP

{ Click Here for Printable Recipe }

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp kosher salt plus extra for chicken breasts
1/2 tsp black pepper plus extra for chicken breasts
1 tblsp vegetable oil
4 tsp butter
1 medium onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 tblsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 heaping tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tblsp
8 cups fat free chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 cup fat free evaporated milk

2 cups thinly sliced spinach

Preheat oven to 375. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper to taste & place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven & cool. Dice & set aside.

While chicken is cooking, heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add butter & melt. Sauté the onions & celery until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, oregano, paprika & remaining 2 tsps salt & ½ tsp pepper.

Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the flour & stir until well combined. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth & bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes & evaporated milk. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken & simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in spinach just before you’re ready to serve.

{ Food for Thought }

I don’t recommend substituting regular paprika for the sweet Hungarian as it really contributes to the overall taste of this soup. I loved the diced tomatoes in this & recommend increasing by 50% but no more than that. I also shredded my chicken out of personal preference. Lastly, I left the baby spinach whole & didn’t bother slicing it.

A little tip: to keep the top layer from becoming gelatinous while in the fridge, place a piece of saran wrap directly on top of the soup before covering as you normally would. This also works on gravies, puddings, etc.

Chicken Chili with Black Beans

As excited as I am to be starting a job next Monday after a 3 month layoff, especially in a time when most people are desperate for work, I have been a little bummed this week knowing it's my last few days of a long vacation! Some of the advantages were:

• Being caught up on all my shows
• Buying a bulldog & being able to potty train him
• Picking Tristan up early from school
• Going to bed later
• Having the time to work out each morning
• Eating dinner by 6

So, here's to a new journey. And here is to my last Not So Fat Friday as an unemployed. 

This recipe comes from one of my healthy books on power foods. Everything in this is sooo super good for you. It's a hearty one dish meal that's simple to make & with a lot of flavor!!!!! 

3/4 to 1 lb ground chicken
3 garlic cloves, mined
1 28oz can tomatoes, cut up or diced
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup green peppers, diced
4 tsp mild chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
8 oz yellow squash, diced
Nonfat yogurt for garnish (optional)

Coat a pot with nonstick spray & warm it over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add chicken & garlic & saute until chicken is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, onions, celery, peppers, chili powder & oregano. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes*. Add squash. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Dollop with 1 tblsp of nonfat yogurt.

{My Thoughts}

To make things go quicker I cut all the veggies into a small chop rather than a dice. *Also, if you like your squash a bit more tender, I suggest adding it in after 10 minutes. The yogurt is not in the original recipe but I have garnished other healthy chilis with it like this one here & it really does add a nice touch. You should really try it if you never have before. 

Have a great weekend everyone! And Happy Easter. I hope it's an Egg-citing one!!!!!!!!!

Tortellini Florentine Soup

I made this a couple months ago & it dawned on me I'd better post it before it got too warm for anyone to care about soup. I am at that point here in sunny Florida but I wanted to catalog this for future reference simply because it was tasty enough & extremely easy to throw together. While I found it in my BHG mag, I did make some tiny modifications. 

(1) 9oz pkg refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
(2) 14oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
(1) 10oz container light Alfredo pasta sauce
(2) cups shredded rotisserie chicken
(1/2) cup sun dried tomato strips, packed in water & drained
(3) cups fresh baby spinach
(1) oz parmesan cheese

In a 4 quart pot, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain & set aside. In the same pot, combine broth & pasta sauce. Stir in chicken & tomato strips. Heat just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Ad cooked tortellini & spinach to chicken mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through & wilt spinach. Ladle into bowls & sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

{My Thoughts}

While Alfredo sauce is heavy, it's really lightened up by being combined with the broth. I imagine this is a forgiving recipe & you could also use just about any other sauce you like. Just combine it with the broth for a light meal. 

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Chicken & White Bean Chili - Not So Fat Fridays

I found this in Good Housekeeping & thought it was perfect for Not So Fat Fridays. I enjoyed it even more than the Turkey & White Bean Chili I made back in December because this has salsa verde as well as cinnamon in it. The turkey chili has more of a tomato base to it & lots of chili powder. Both are easy, simple & tasty so you can't go wrong. I absolutely love this topped with yogurt & some avocado!!!!!

4 tsp olive oil
2 lb ground chicken (we used to do ground, now we always do shredded. Up to you)
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 16 oz jar mild salsa verde
2 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed & drained
1 can (14 to 14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp dried cilantro for garnish (optional)

Sour cream for garnish or yogurt (optional)
Sliced avocado for garnish

In large saucepan, heat a tblspn oil on medium-high until hot. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper & garlic powder. Add chicken & cook 4-5 minutes per side or until chicken is no longer pink. Shred chicken & set aside.

Using same pan, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil with onion & garlic to pan. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin, oregano, cinnamon & ground red pepper; cook 1 minute. Add salsa verde, beans, broth & chicken; heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium; cover & cook chili 15 minutes to blend flavors. To serve, garnish with cilantro & sour cream or yogurt and avocado. Makes about 8 1/2 cups.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Well, it was an eventful week. Since my medical insurance terminates today from being laid off we were able to fit in 6 doctor appointments, including my 1st mammogram & Tristan's 1st trip to the dentist. While I really didn't mind my boobs being served like a souffle, we didn't fair as well at Tristan's appt. We had to abort mission before we even took x-rays. However, we came home, watched some you tube videos of what a child can expect & then tried it again the next day with better success.

I do recommend going as early as 4 since the doctor was able to see a spot on Tristan's tooth that we can prevent from turning into a cavity with a little extra effort. Have a great weekend all!!!!!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup - Not So Fat Fridays

I found this recipe in Cooking Light & it was love at first sight & I loved it even more when I tasted it. Thai has become one of my favorite foods & I find that I enjoy the curry flavor in Thai food more than any other cuisine. Even if you don't enjoy curry I highly recommend this soup. 

The red curry paste adds such an amazing flavor & is different from the yellow powder. Also, don't be taken back by the fish sauce. It's not something you taste in the soup but I am sure contributes to the overall excellence!!!!!!!

This is perfect for lunch, dinner, weeknight family or special occasion for company!!!!!

{Picture taken from Cooking Light. My picture will not load right now}

4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed & cut in half crosswise
1 (5 3/4-ounce) package pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7 lime wedges

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach & peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.

2. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots & the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, & bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, & simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar & fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro & chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

{My Thoughts}

You can find the red curry paste & fish sauce in the ethnic section of your market. The red curry has such an excellent taste. I could not find the pad thai noodles individually so I had to buy an 8oz package which had a sauce packet in it (in ethnic section as well) & reserved the sauce for another use. 

I used rotisserie chicken, dried cilantro instead of fresh & used the red pepper flakes instead of red chiles. I also didn't serve with the lime wedges. This was not a spicy soup but did have a nice subtle kick. I wouldn't change a thing.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!!

Turkey & White Bean Chili

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LULA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go give her some birthday love

and try this chili. So healthy yet delicious.

1 tblsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
½ tsp salt
1 medium onion chopped
4 tsp chili powder
1 tblsp ground cumin
1 28oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed & drained
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add turkey & 1/2 teaspoon salt, & cook 6 to 8 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color throughout, stirring to break it up with side of spoon. Add onion & cook 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder & cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes with their juice, beans & 1/2 cup water; heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium & cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle chili into serving bowls & top with a dollop of yogurt.

My Thoughts:

Yogurt may seem odd on top of this but it works. Feel free to sub low-fat sour cream instead to keep this healthy.

Click Here to Print Recipe

And here is the newest addition to the fam, Makayla. We haven't met her yet so hopefully we'll be getting to Arizona soon to do just that.

Monday's Ménage à Trois

What an awesome weekend! My sister was in town with her beau Duane. They didn't even put their bags down before they were playing with Tristan. It's so much fun watching him enjoy the company of others.

The weather was gorgeous so I had the patio doors open for most of the weekend.

I also cooked quite a bit & wanted to share a few things with you today. Now, I hope you know by now that when I post a recipe, it's because I believe in it 100%. I not only post it to share with you but I want to catalog it for my own use again. While the broccoli is a tried & true old family favorite, I am sharing the 2 pumpkin recipes today with slight reservations. I believe they can be awesome but with some modifications. So, here they are for you to check out. Please see notes.

GARLIC BREADED BROCCOLI

Italian Style Breadcrumbs / Panko Breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
Pepper

2 pkgs of frozen broccoli spears, thawed & dried

Flour for dredging

4 eggs, whisked

Vegetable or olive oil enough for a shallow fry
Salt
Parmesan cheese

Add some garlic, pepper & whatever other spices you like to your breadcrumbs. I have used a combo of both style crumbs. The panko adds a little more texture but go with what you like best. You will have your pans lined up ~ flour, eggs, breadcrumb mixture.

Dredge the broccoli spears in the flour & make sure to shake off excess. Place in eggs. Then roll in breadcrumbs covering completely. Place on wax paper & continue with the rest.  Refrigerate if able for 1/2 hour. This will allow the breading to stay on better.

Heat oil about 3/4 inch deep for a shallow fry.

Fry until golden brown for 2-3 minutes, turn over for 2 minutes more. When it's golden brown the broccoli will be perfect on the inside. Drain on paper towel &amp. Lightly salt & dust with some freshly grated parmesan, immediately.

Food for Thought


May sound crazy but this leftover broccoli is amazing the next day smashed on an egg sandwich. Also, you can use fresh broccoli but you'd want to blanch it first before continuing on. I have used fresh baby broccoli and didn't need to blanch since the pieces were small enough to cook within the time frame needed for the breading to turn golden. I have used olive oil for frying instead of vegetable oil. Again, use what you like.

Click Here to Print Broccoli Recipe

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE PIE

 If you are interested in making this recipe, I would recommend a couple of things. Double the chocolate amount or at least increase by 50%. Also, make sure your chocolate is very small. I used little morsels & still felt they should have been smaller so they could've melted better & formed a nicer layer. FYI, there wasn't enough room left for the entire pumpkin mixture on top so you'll have some leftover. I was fine with that as more would not have been better!

Click Here to See & Print Pie Recipe


CURRY PUMPKIN SOUP

If you are interested in making this soup, I would highly recommend doubling up on the curry powder & pumpkin pie spice. You may even need to triple it, depending on your taste. And while I did not make the orange-cranberry topper I suggest you do because this could be bland without it. I also only pureed just half of this soup as I like it chunky. Tammy came over to do some taste testing. She suggested & I agree that this also could be nice as a curry sauce over some rice.

Click Here to See & Print Soup Recipe

Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup

Weekend was awesome, the weather continuing to cool off more & more. There was quality time with family, dinner sidewalk-cafe style in our quaint little town, running around on a Sunday afternoon, getting fun stuff for the house, indulging in wings & beer, & some sampling of more of Giada's goodies from her new cookbook I am loving.

I also got a lot done around the house which just felt incredible - Fall cleaning, organizing......

This soup was excellent for lunch with my parents, served with some fresh Ciabatta bread. I will definitely be making this again with just one change. See my thoughts below. And aside from the cream, this was very healthy!

See those little things to the left of the pumpkin? Those were little linguine fritattas from Giada but one of many things that just don't come out right some time. They're from her new cookbook & while they have potential there are so many things I would change if I were to make them again.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 sage leaves
2 15-oz cans cannelloni beans, drained & rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil & shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage, beans & garlic & stir to combine. Add the stock & bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook gently for about 15 minutes. Pour half of the the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender & puree until smooth.

Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Puree the soup remaining in bowl. Once all the soup is blended & back in the soup pan, add the cream & the pepper.

Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

My Thoughts

Per the instructions I only blended half of the soup but I am starting to think I should have blended all of it. Although I do like having the beans whole in the soup I would have also liked this a bit thicker. So, next time, I will blend most of it & add another can of beans to the soup to leave whole.

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Golden Chili w/ Caramelized Onion & Sausage

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

 

There were 5 successes to come out of the kitchen this weekend so I am very happy. Whether this is a chili or soup, it's now a favorite in my house & made a perfect dinner when paired with chicken empanadas I made. I will post those tomorrow! This recipe comes from Sweet Peas & Pumpkins. Thank you Sweet Pea Chef!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how delicious this is & I love that the chick peas & creamed corn get pureed to give this soup its wonderful consistency.

My parents came over for dinner last night & I even served this chili in miniature bowls along with some more empanadas as a little appetizer. They could not get enough!!!! There were also Apple & Thyme Martinis involved which I will post this week as well.


2 onions, chopped
1 tblsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 jalepenos, deseeded & minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tblsp ancho chili powder (regular is fine too)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 1/4 pounds (one package) of Turkey Italian Sausage
2 cups of chicken broth
2 - 15 oz cans chickpeas
1 -15 oz can pinto beans
1 - 15 oz can creamed corn

In a large stock pot, heat the oil to medium heat & add the onion. Cook until carmelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, jalepeno, cumin, chili powder & oregano, cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it up with the spoon into small pieces (make sure you remove the casing first to make this easier). Once the sausage is browned & no longer pink inside, deglaze the pan by pouring the broth into the hot pan. Scrape the pan to get all those yummy bits off the bottom.

Add 1 can of the chickpeas & the pinto beans. In a blender, puree the 2nd can of chickpeas & creamed corn. Add the mixture to the chili. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the chili is the desired consistency. If it gets too thick, just add some chicken broth or even a beer to thin it out. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onion.

Click Here for a Printable Recipe

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Homemade & Hearty Vegetable Soup

3-4 lb rump roast
Salt & Pepper
About 8oz baby carrots, diced
About 8oz celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced or chopped
1 can of green beans, drained
1 can of peas, drained
4-6 medium potatoes diced, skin in tact (thank goodness)
1 can of corn, drained
15 oz can tomato soup
15 oz can tomato juice
28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained, hold on to can
Water

Place rump roast in crockpot. Salt & pepper it generously. Cover a little more than half of roast with water. Cook 6 hours on high or 9 hours on low. When done, strain liquid to remove fatty bits. Although this is a pretty healthy dish to begin with, if you're concerned about removing more fat, put the liquid in the fridge for a while until the fat rises to top and gets solid enough to discard. If not, then just set the meat and strained liquid aside. The meat will be added to the soup once all veggies are almost tender.

For the soup: in a large stockpot place the carrots, celery, onion, green beans, peas, potatoes, corn, soup, juice, tomatoes and strained liquid (= to about 2 cups) from roast. Also, fill the 28 oz can from tomatoes with water twice & add to soup. Add salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes & carrots are tender. When they are, shred the roast into pieces with your fingers and add to soup. Simmer 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

I've loved making this soup for years now. The work is only in the dicing of the veggies but it's so worth it because it makes enough for many days of feasting, enough to bring to some friends, and enough to put in the freezer in individual portions. If you don't like the veggies above substitute your own. I am not a canned veggie person at all but I stick with the recipe because that's how my husband loves it. I am sure fresh beans, peas and corn would be lovely!!