Chicken Curry Soup

Chicken Curry Soup

     The one thing that I love about winter is the many wonderful soups that are out there. I love perusing Pinterest or simply looking through one of my many cookbooks/magazines looking for soups or stews to make on those chilly days.

     So today I've got a recipe that I kind of adapted from Taste of Home. It was basically a vegetarian soup, but I added chicken to it. I just couldn't help it. I need some protein in my soup. I ended up making a great big soup pot full. We have been eating soup for the past couple of days, but who cares it's been great, especially since it's been so darn cold out.

     It's been so cold I've been wearing my super thick socks and I've finally broken down and put my cuddle duds on. With this cold weather one just has to embrace it or the cold is going to really get to you.

     With this soup recipe it'll warm you up and you won't mind eating any leftovers.

Chicken Curry Soup
6 T butter, cubed
4 ribs of celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 C + 2 T flour
1 1/2 t curry powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 C milk
1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth
2 C water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can (83/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
2 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

2 Chicken breasts, cubed
1 T fresh parsley

1. In a 6 qt stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, green pepper and onion; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in the flour, curry powder, salt and pepper until blended.
2. Gradually stir in milk. Add broth, water, potatoes, corn and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in cheese until melted. Add the parsley and serve.

Adapted from The Taste of Home

Slow Cooker Potato & Ham Soup

Potato Ham Soup

     Everyone likes easy right? Well this recipe is super easy. My husband happen to make this soup a few weeks ago. He of course found the recipe in Simple and Delicious magazine. It was so good that I just had to share it with everyone. This recipe is basically a 2 step process. Can't much easier than that. In fact this recipe is just as easy as the recipe I posted for Wild rice soup in the crock pot. 

     This soup is so good it tastes like it took a ton of work to make, but it really doesn't. It also only takes 7 ingredients to make. Most everything I already had at home to make this. The recipe did call for deli ham, but we had left over ham, so that's what was used. It also called for a package of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed. Now my husband went and bought some, but I would have just peeled and shredded some potatoes using my saladshooter.

      It smelled so good and tasted even better. The day he made this and I came home from work and the wonderful smell just hypnotized me. I immediately walked over to the crock pot to check it out. He served this soup up with a some fresh french bread (courtesy of the bakery) and it was a wonderful meal.

     This recipe is a keeper for sure!

Slow Cooker Potato & Ham Soup
1carton (32 oz) chicken broth
1 pkg. (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4t pepper
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 C cubed deli ham
1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
sour cream and chopped green onions, optional

1. In a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker, combine broth, potatoes, onion and pepper. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours.
2. Mash potatoes to desired consistency. Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Stir in ham and evaporated milk. Cook, covered, 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve soup with sour cream and green onions if desired.

Recipe from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken And Wild Rice Soup

     Happy New Year!!!

     Well another year is behind us and we are looking at a new year. Time to reevaluate our life and try and make some changes that are for the better. Some of us want to make changes to exercise more, or to just exercise period. Some of us want to save more money and spend less, simplifying our lives. And then some of us want to eat better. So many resolutions. Hopefully some of the things we want to change will become a reality.

     I really want to eat better and save some money so I can go on a trip somewhere. Not that I haven't done these things before, but I just want to make a point of really watching what I eat and making sure I put money aside every paycheck so I can afford to go on a nice trip this year. 

     As far as exercise goes, I'm going to make sure that I go to the gym 3 times a week and really work out. No more wimpy exercising. I'm going to make sure I work out for at least 30 minutes when I do go to the gym. Plus I'm going to make sure I do yoga once a week. It's so easy to get out of the habit of regular exercise.

    So to start my better eating I've made a Chicken and Wild Rice soup recipe that I think you're going to love. It is made in the crockpot, which makes it super easy. I wasn't so sure how the wild rice would cook, but it was very easy. It doesn't take much to whip this soup up and my family liked it better than my usual wild rice soup.

So here's to a New Year! Hope you all have a wonderful 2014!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

8 C of chicken broth

1 C uncooked wild rice

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 rods of celery, sliced

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 t pepper

2 C cooked, diced chicken

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 C flour

2 C half and half

2 t parsley 

Siracha sauce, if desired

Add chicken broth and rice to crockpot and turn on high. In a frying pan add olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and saute until cooked. Add the pepper to the vegetables.  Add to the rice and broth mixture. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Cook the chicken. ( I took 3 chicken breasts and boiled them until done. About 20-30 minutes). Cut chicken up into bite size pieces and put in the refrigerator for later.

In a small sauce pan melt butter. Add the flour and stir completely in. Then slowly add the half and half, mixing well. Add this to the crockpot mixture along with the chicken and the parsley. Mix well.

Let soup cook for another 20-30 minutes and serve.

Add Siracha sauce to individual bowls if desired.

Adapted from Simply This and that

  

Potato and Corn Chowder

Potato and Corn Chowder

     Well it's only the end of November and the weather is feeling more like January. The temperature in the morning has been in the single digits and of course the wind has been doing its thing too. It was just too cold to take the dogs for their morning walk today. I opted to have them go outside in the backyard. Katie, my Sheltie, was not very happy about it. She loves her walks, but I know we would have frozen if we went. I worry about their poor paws when it is this cold.

     Since the weather has been so cold and miserable, I decided to make some soup for dinner. I sort of adapted this from a recipe in my Simple and Delicious magazine. I had to spice it up a bit so I added some red pepper flakes. Feel free to leave them out if you don't like it hot. You can adjust the intensity by just adding a shake or two of red pepper.

     The soup turned out nice and full bodied. It was very creamy and had nice chunks of potatoes with  just a hint of corn. It is similar to a Spicy Baked Potato soup that I make. (I'll have to share that recipe sometime soon.)

     This didn't take me very long to make. I made it on a Friday night after getting home from work. It probably took me about 45minutes to an hour to make. So not bad for a week night meal. Of course I doubled the recipe because one batch is never enough around here. Besides if there are any leftovers people like to have it for lunch the next day. I'm sure it would freeze well too. Just let it cool down before putting in a freezer container. When you want to eat again just thaw in the refrigerator.

     So here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it.

Potato and Corn Chowder
1 T olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 C peeled, cubed potatoes
1/2 C shredded, peeled carrots
2 1/2 C water
2 t dried parsley flakes
2 t broth base
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 C frozen corn
2 C milk
3 T real bacon bits
1/2 C Velveeta cheese, cubed
Red pepper flakes (opt)

In a large soup pan put a tablespoon of olive oil and heat on medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add the water, potatoes, carrots, parsley, broth base, salt, pepper and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in the milk and bacon bits. Bring it to a boil cooking until it starts to thicken up. Add the cheese and red pepper flakes. Stir until the cheese is melted. Serve.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  Today I'm going to share my recipe for Broccoli Cheese soup. I don't know why I've never shared this recipe before, because I make it a lot during the cold winter months. I have also been know to make it in the summer on a rainy day too.

     I found a recipe for Broccoli Cheese soup on the internet that was suppose to taste just like the soup one would get from Panera Bread. Well I've always like the soups from Panera Bread and so I decide to give this recipe a try.

     Now of course I have changed a few things about the recipe, but it still tastes great. One of the things that I do is I use my salad shooter to shred the carrots and the broccoli. If you don't have a salad shooter you could grate the carrots and chop the broccoli nice and fine to get the same results. Or if you have a food processor you can use that and get the same results.

     When I make this soup I always double the recipe. Everyone at my house loves this soup and if I only made one batch I would not have enough. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I don't think it has ever lasted in the fridge longer than 3 days. It always gets eaten right away.

     Well here's the recipe I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 T butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C flour
2 C half and half
2 C chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
2  carrots, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Saute the onion in the tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a pan and add the flour and heat for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the half and half stirring constantly. This is called making a roux. It is important that you keep stirring so as to not get lumps. Add the chicken broth stirring the whole time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for about 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should start thickening as you cook it. Once the vegetables have cooked add the cheese and stir until well blended.   

Serves 4

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Lately I've really been into making soups and chowders. I guess there is nothing like homemade. I really can't stand canned soups. I think I ate canned soup too much when I first moved away from home. It's not that I won't eat it it's just that I will if there is really no other choice.

While I was browsing through my pile of old recipes that I want to try I found this one for a vegetable chowder. It has no meat in it, but I think if a person wanted to add some kind of chicken or even ham I don't think it would hurt the flavor.

This chowder does not take long to make and it does not take any odd ingredients to make. I actually had everything already in my cupboard or fridge.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
2 T butter
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C finely chopped carrot
2 rods of celery, finely chopped
1 T minced garlic
4 C chicken broth
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 T flour
1/2 C water
2/3 C milk
2 C chopped broccoli
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a large soup pot. add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook and additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour and water and add to the soup and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add the milk and broccoli and cook until the broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt. Serve with crackers or bread.

Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup

Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup

Today I'm just trying to breathe. I have such a head cold that every breath I take is precious. Cold medicine doesn't seem to help. I decided to opt for some chicken soup.

Now I don't really like plain old chicken soup. I think after years of eating soup when I first moved away from home just made me despise soup. So I've got to spice it up a bit.

I found this recipe in a Simple and Delicious magazine, but it was suppose to be made with ham. Well I of course did not have any ham so I decided to use chicken. Then once I got making this I decided it was too plain and I needed to add some spice to it. I then proceed to add a can of green chilies to the soup.

Remember how I said I couldn't breathe? Well this stuff cleared the sinuses. It wasn't too hot but just enough to help me breathe a little easier. I also liked that it didn't take very long to make.

Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup
28 ounces of Chicken broth
2 C frozen corn
1 C milk
1/3 C chopped onion
1/3 C chopped sweet red pepper
1 4 oz can of green chilies
1/4 + 1 T flour
1/2 C water
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces

Combine broth, corn, milk, onion, red pepper, and chilies in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine the flour, water, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Recipe adapted for Taste of Home Simple and Delicious

Beer Cheese Soup

Beer Cheese Soup

I don't about you, but I'm definitely tired of winter. I am just plain tired of freezing. These below zero temps and the wind chills is getting to be a bit much for me.

I long for hot, sunny days where a person can work a thirst. I can't wait to sit in a comfy lounge chair and drink a nice cold beverage of choice. Right now all I can do is sneak to the tanning salon and and grab a few minutes under the lights. Not only does it warm me up it just makes me feel happy. Now I know why people go tanning. Its that light therapy thing.

Since I can't make the snow and the cold go away I'll have to deal with the best that I can. One is to make a fire in the wood stove and keep it cookin'. Two is to wear extra thick wool socks and slippers. And three is to make some soup.

Soup is the food of choice when it is cold out. It warms a body from top to bottom. If you're really ambitious you could make some bread or biscuits too.

So to beat the cold this past weekend I attempted to make some Beer Cheese soup. This is a recipe that one of the moms on the PTA had made for a conference night. It was so delicious we all had to request the recipe. I changed it slightly, but it is still a great tasting soup. This is really good with a little handful of popcorn on top.

Beer Cheese Soup
1/2 C butter
1 C flour
Melt butter in a big soup pot. Once butter is melted add flour and heat for 5 minutes.

1- 32 oz carton of chicken broth
1 C half and half
1/2 C milk
Gradually add chicken broth to flour mixture. Stir until the mixture until the liquid is absorbed. Once all the broth has been added pour in the half and half and the milk. (I cheated and used only milk and it was still good). Cook this mixture until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. It will take about 15-20 minutes.

1/2 box of Velvetta cheese (32oz box)
Cut into cubes and and to mixture. Stir until melted.

6 oz of beer (not dark beer)
1/4 of an onion finely chopped
1 T worchestershire Sauce
cayenne pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 minutes. Stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL.
Serve in a bowl with popcorn on top.

Wild Rice Soup

It has been extremely cold these past few days. The temperature is in the single digits. Throw in the wind and you have a wind chill of minus zero. I woke up the other morning to -13 degrees. I can't imagine what the chill was that morning.

It has been so cold that I haven't taken the dogs for a walk in days. I'm afraid it's too cold for them. I've just been taking them out in the backyard for a short time and my Sheltie is not very happy about it. She Loves her walks! I can't wait til we can go again too. There is something to be said for walking the stress of the day away and it's a great way to start the day.

Since the weather has been so cold and miserable. We've just been shut up in the house trying to keep warm. Of course we've had a fire in the wood stove like every night since Thursday. I don't know what I would do if we didn't have that stove.

I also made some Wild Rice Soup the other night. There's nothing better than soup on a cold night. This soup is so good that you'll want to just keep on eating and eating and eating. 

Now this recipe originally was from the paper, but I've changed it over the years to suit me. It is really easy to make and truthfully I don't think it can be messed up it's that easy. If you have leftovers the liquid will get absorbed, but all you have to do is add some more chicken broth and some milk and you've got soup again.

The recipe calls for half n half, but sometimes I just use milk. It turns out just as good.

Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup
1 Cup raw wild rice
3 T butter
1  medium onion, chopped
8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced thickly
1/2 C flour
1-32 oz box of chicken broth
1 1/2 C diced cooked chicken, optional
1 C half n half
1 t worcestershire sauce
hot pepper sauce to taste ( I use Sriracha sauce)
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and drain the rice. Put in a saucepan with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer about 45 minutes or until most of it has "popped". Drain well.
Cooke the chicken in boiling water until done. Set aside to cool. When cool cut into bite size pieces.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute them over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally until they yield their liquid and it's almost all cooked off.
 Add the flour, stir it into the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring about 1 minute to heat the flour. Stir in the broth, making sure each addition of liquid is absorbed before more is added. Add the rice and chicken and heat through. Add the half n half, worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper and heat through.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Well we've had some really nice fall days here lately, but the weather is about to change starting tomorrow. From what I hear the temps are going to be very chilly and that is not appealing to me at all. I've really enjoyed sitting outside with a little fire on these cool evenings, but I fear these nice nights will be gone for a while and I'll have to be happy with sitting by the wood burning stove inside keeping warm in my family room.

Cozy fire on my front patio.

Well another way to keep warm is having a nice warm bowl of soup at dinner time. I found this amazing recipe for Tomato Basil Parmesan soup. The recipe originally was to be made in the crock pot, but when I found the recipe it was about three in the afternoon and I did not have the time to throw it all and the crock pot and let it cook. So I decide to make it on the stove top and it turned out great. My husband and I ended up taking our soup outside by the fire and enjoying it under the stars.

I did kind of change the recipe a bit, but nothing drastic. One thing that I changed was how to make the roux and add it to the soup. The original recipe had one adding soup to the roux and then pouring it back into the soup. I don't have time for that, nor do you need to do that if you are careful with adding the roux to the already cooking soup.

Well on with the recipe. Enjoy this soup on the upcoming cold days and nights ahead of us.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
2-14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with juice
1 C finely diced celery
1 C finely diced carrots
1 T fresh oregano or 1 t dried
4 C chicken broth
1/2 C flour
1 C Parmesan cheese
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 C finely diced onions
4 T fresh basil or 1 T dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 C butter
2 C half and half
1 t salt

1. Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and 3 cups chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While soup simmers, prepare the roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes.  Slowly add 1 cup chicken broth the flour mixture. Add this mixture to the soup stirring it slowly into the soup mixture.
3. Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir half and half, salt and pepper into the soup. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Beef Stew

Today is a perfect day to cozy up at home with a nice warm fire. The freshly fallen snow and the chilly temperatures makes one want to cuddle up in a blanket next to a warm fire and read a good book. Now I know that not everyone can have a fire because of a lack of having a fireplace or wood stove, but one can still cuddle up in a blanket and read a good book.

Another thing that is perfect on a cold day is a piping hot bowl of beef stew. Beef stew is so satisfying on those cold wintry days. It is filling and reminds one of days when mom would make beef stew for dinner and it was amazing.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to make it in the crockpot. I have a super quick and easy recipe that you are going to just love. One can just not mess this up it is so easy to make. If you can peel and cut vegies you can make this.

Give this a try and amaze your family.

Beef Stew
1 1/2-2 lbs of beef stew meat, cubed
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t paprika
2 C beef broth
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, sliced
4 potatoes, diced

1. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir into meat until well coated.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
4. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours, or High 4-6 hours. Stir before serving.

White Chicken Chili

 Well it's Monday morning and if you're like me you're just not ready to go back to work. You're probably also thinking what am I going to make for dinner. It's bad enough that it's the first day of the busy work week and my calendar for work is whirling around in my head, but now I've got to make some plans for what I'm going to feed everyone once I get home from my hectic day at work.

I know the first question I get asked as soon as I walk in the door is, "What's for supper?" Now this is not exactly what I want to hear upon entering the door. Whatever happened to the love and adoration I use to get from my children? They use to come running to me and giving me hugs and at the very least saying "Hi, Mom!" and acting like they were happy to see me. I guess their desire to eat trumps the love and affection they use to display. Oh well, I guess I'm still loved, just in a different way. 

Now the thought of this could be a little stressful, but not today. Today I have a quick and easy supper, that will satisfy everyone's hunger. This recipe is also very easy to make,so you can feed everyone in a hurry. For most people, if you have a well stocked pantry, you will probably have most ingredients on hand. And don't fret if you forgot to take chicken out. You can always defrost a couple of chicken breasts in the microwave and it will work just fine.

 White Chicken Chili
3 Chicken Breasts
1 medium onion
Olive Oil
1 t ground cumin
2 t oregano
1 can of green chilies
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 C chicken broth
2 cans Northern White Beans, drained and rinsed
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cube chicken and chop onion. Add some olive oil to a soup kettle and heat. Add chicken, onion, cumin, oregano and green chilies. Cook until chicken is done and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
2. In a separate bowl mash 1/2 cup of the beans. Add 1/2 c chicken broth to mashed beans and mix to form a paste. Add the remaining broth to the chicken mixture and the bean mixture. Add the remaining beans and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Serve chili with a dollop of sour cream on top and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

Southwest Black Bean Soup

Well it's that time of year again. The weather is getting cooler out and the leaves are starting to turn colors. I notice when I take my dogs out walking that the ducks and geese are flying south to warmer weather already. I'm seeing less and less water fowl on the pond. 

This kind of weather always makes me think of comfort food. Top of the list for these are the many soups, chilies and stews. I some times have a really hard time deciding which one I'm going to make. This time I decided to make one of my favorites. It is Southwest Black Bean Soup. It was a real hit with my family and my coworkers last year when I first discovered the recipe. It is simple to make and is so yummy on those chilly nights. I originally found this recipe in my Healthy Cooking Magazine, but I have tweaked it a little to suit me and my family.

Southwest Black Bean Soup

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 T canola oil

2  15oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed

2  14 1/2 oz cans of chicken broth

1  14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1  4 oz can of green chilies

3/4 t of chili powder

2 cups of cooked brown rice

sour cream

In a large soup pot saute pepper, celery, and onion in the canola oil. Add the beans, broth and tomatoes, green chilies and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime cook brown rice according to package directions. Rice takes about 30-45 minutes to cook.

Once rice is done serve up soup in bowls and add as much rice to your bowl as you would like. Top with a scoop of sour cream.

Note: Do not add rice to soup as rice will absorb all the broth. Instead add rice to soup bowls when ready to eat. I store leftovers in separate containers and then heat both up separately.