Welcome to a new year of Souper Tuesday on Thursday! Sounds odd, doesn't it? This year we are getting together on Thursday nights. That's not the only change- we welcomed 2 new families to our gathering. Marybeth, Ryan, and their cute boys, Rocco and Turner and our newest neighbors Jesse and Jennifer helped us kick off a new Souper season.
And quite a gathering it was! Barbara is continuing to bring delicious salads, Marybeth and Arlene tempted us with sweet treats and Erica brought awesome popovers. With all this you might be thinking, "Who needs soup?"
This week I started us off with Chicken Nacho. I found the recipe in Food Network Magazine featured for a slow cooker. Since I am feeding 14, I adapted the recipe for my big soup pot. This version will feed 4-6.
Chicken Nacho Soup
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 14.5 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large potato- peeled and diced
1 small zucchini - diced
1 small onion- diced
1 small jalapeño- finely chop half; thinly slice the rest and reserve for the topping ( Wear gloves when working with the jalapeño!) Removing the seeds makes it less hot.
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1 sm bag of frozen corn
1 qt of chicken broth
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 TBS vegetable oil
Topping
1 sm box of Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup milk
Tortilla Chips
Add oil into the bottom of the soup pot. Cook onions in oil over medium heat until onions are tender but not browned. Add the diced tomatoes including juice, tomato paste, sauce, zucchini, potatoes, finely diced jalapeño, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and chicken broth. stirring often, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the corn and chicken and simmer for another 30-40 minutes checking to see that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Prepare the cheese topping by melting the Velveeta in a microwaveable bowl. Stir and thin with milk until the cheese is thick but can be poured. I used a 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup.
To serve: top each bowl with 3or 4 whole tortilla chips. Spoon (or pour) a little melted cheese on top of the chips. Add jalapeños if desired.
The soup was very easy to make but found that I had to keep a watchful eye to make sure it didn't stick to the bottom. So make sure to keep the heat low once it comes to a boil. Make sure you stir it as it comes to a boil, too!
Don't skip the topping- I think it really made the soup!
I hope you try it! Please let us know how you like it.
If you want to try the slow cooker version, I found it in the April 2014 Food Network Magazine.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Friday, February 28, 2014
Mardi Gras Time!
Well, it's hard to believe that our 2014 Souper Tuesday dinners went by so quickly! We had lots of fun evenings this year and tried some great new recipes. This year, we all chose to shop for a different soup. I think some of our shoppers even learned something along the way- like what shallots are and that white sauce in a package is hard to come!
It is so much fun to see the little ones each week. Luke is old enough to sign up for T-ball this spring, Nate turned 2 in Dec, Andy is walking, and this was 9 month old Jacob's first Souper event! And who can forget the Girl Scout cookies delivered by our resident Brownie, Taylor! My Thin Mints are safely packed in the freezer ready for the next stress-emergency!
One of the favorite soups this year was chicken and sausage gumbo. We celebrated Mardi Gras this week complete with beads, masks, and gumbo. Let me just warn you that is was not a quick, throw-it-together meal. But even though it took some time, it was definitely worth the effort!
I made two different batches- one HOT, one NOT to accommodate everyone's preferences. The Not was pretty hot so I would suggest started with less of the Creole seasoning and hot sauce, seasoning to taste as you go along. I also only used andouille in the HOT pot and substituted beef smoked sausage for the andouille in the NOT batch. Like all good Cajun cooking, the vegetables always include the 'trinity' as my friend Winston says; chopped celery, green pepper, and onions.
So here we go!
Sausage Chicken Gumbo
1 lb. andouille cut into 1/4 in slices ( or other smoked sausage)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
2 qts hot water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp creole seasoning ( I use Tony Chachere's)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 to 1 tsp hot sauce ( here is where you can really spice it up!)
Hot cooked rice ( make it in the crock pot)
Brown sausage slices in your soup pot. Remove and drain. Brown chicken in same pan till it is brown on both sides and remove. (It will finish cooking later.) Add enough oil to make about 1/2 cup to the browned bits on the bottom of the soup pot. Use medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until it is the color of peanut butter. It will be thing so you have to stir it around so it browns but doesn't burn. This will take about 20 minutes or so. So be prepared!
Very gradually, add the hot water to make a thin gravy. I used a whisk to make sure there wen't any lumps. The rest is easy!
In a separate frying pan, cook the 'trinity' in a little vegetable oil till tender. Add to the soup. Add the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add the sausage and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove, shred the chicken, and return to the pot.
Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!
It is so much fun to see the little ones each week. Luke is old enough to sign up for T-ball this spring, Nate turned 2 in Dec, Andy is walking, and this was 9 month old Jacob's first Souper event! And who can forget the Girl Scout cookies delivered by our resident Brownie, Taylor! My Thin Mints are safely packed in the freezer ready for the next stress-emergency!
One of the favorite soups this year was chicken and sausage gumbo. We celebrated Mardi Gras this week complete with beads, masks, and gumbo. Let me just warn you that is was not a quick, throw-it-together meal. But even though it took some time, it was definitely worth the effort!
I made two different batches- one HOT, one NOT to accommodate everyone's preferences. The Not was pretty hot so I would suggest started with less of the Creole seasoning and hot sauce, seasoning to taste as you go along. I also only used andouille in the HOT pot and substituted beef smoked sausage for the andouille in the NOT batch. Like all good Cajun cooking, the vegetables always include the 'trinity' as my friend Winston says; chopped celery, green pepper, and onions.
So here we go!
Sausage Chicken Gumbo
1 lb. andouille cut into 1/4 in slices ( or other smoked sausage)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
2 qts hot water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp creole seasoning ( I use Tony Chachere's)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 to 1 tsp hot sauce ( here is where you can really spice it up!)
Hot cooked rice ( make it in the crock pot)
Brown sausage slices in your soup pot. Remove and drain. Brown chicken in same pan till it is brown on both sides and remove. (It will finish cooking later.) Add enough oil to make about 1/2 cup to the browned bits on the bottom of the soup pot. Use medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until it is the color of peanut butter. It will be thing so you have to stir it around so it browns but doesn't burn. This will take about 20 minutes or so. So be prepared!
Very gradually, add the hot water to make a thin gravy. I used a whisk to make sure there wen't any lumps. The rest is easy!
In a separate frying pan, cook the 'trinity' in a little vegetable oil till tender. Add to the soup. Add the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add the sausage and simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove, shred the chicken, and return to the pot.
Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Where's the beef?
I recently read that chicken had overtaken beef as the most popular meat - to the dismay of beef lovers everywhere. But when to comes to soup, beef is still a great option and this beef vegetable soup proves it! We had a full house and even had a few new people to get to know. Everyone agreed that this soup warmed up a cold winter night.
Beef Vegetable
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 cup of celery - diced
1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
I bag of frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz; no need to defrost)
1 large potato - peeled, diced into 3/4 inch pieces (You can add more or cut larger pieces, but you may need to increase your cooking time to make sure they are tender before serving.)
4 cups of low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of Worcestershire and a dash of steak sauce to taste
In a soup pot, heat oil and cook the beef, onions, and celery until cooked through and tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Makes about 6 servings. Serve with warm dinner rolls and a tossed green salad for a quick and easy dinner.
Enjoy!
Beef Vegetable
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 cup of celery - diced
1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
I bag of frozen mixed vegetables (10-12 oz; no need to defrost)
1 large potato - peeled, diced into 3/4 inch pieces (You can add more or cut larger pieces, but you may need to increase your cooking time to make sure they are tender before serving.)
4 cups of low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of Worcestershire and a dash of steak sauce to taste
In a soup pot, heat oil and cook the beef, onions, and celery until cooked through and tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Makes about 6 servings. Serve with warm dinner rolls and a tossed green salad for a quick and easy dinner.
Enjoy!
Souper Tuesday 2014 Edition
Well it's been a while since I last posted, but we're baaaaack! We've hosted 2 Souper Tuesday dinners so far with a few more set to go. In case you don't know, Souper Tuesday started as a way for my husband, Bruce, and I to get to know the neighbors in our new neighborhood. Now it is used to get us together during the cold winter months, after the holidays and before we are all outside again in spring.
I will be posting the soup recipes again and hope that you give them a try. We have also had some awesome salads made by our friend, Barbara, and devine desserts made by the ever-so-adventurous, Arlene. With their permission, I will post some of those, too.
I'll be back with some too-good-to-miss recipes shortly. In the meantime, stay warm and have a Souper day!
I will be posting the soup recipes again and hope that you give them a try. We have also had some awesome salads made by our friend, Barbara, and devine desserts made by the ever-so-adventurous, Arlene. With their permission, I will post some of those, too.
I'll be back with some too-good-to-miss recipes shortly. In the meantime, stay warm and have a Souper day!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all!
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day! Our Souper Tuesday group celebrated Valentine's Day with a steaming bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, aptly named for it's "married" flavors. Coupled (no pun intended) with some crusty Italian bread, a great green salad (thanks, Melissa!), and delicious dark chocolate dessert, it was a sweet, sweet evening.
We'd be remiss if we didn't send special happy birthday wishes to Miss Helen. She celebrated 21+ on Valentine's day. Happy Birthday! She and Arlene went out on the town (Nash-Vegas?) so we'll just have to celebrate with her next week.
Sage gives this soup a distinctive flavor. I love the little meatballs and the mix of spinach and cheese. Like Arlene always says, you can't go wrong with cheese! It was really easy to make. I made the meatballs ahead of time and the hardest part seemed to be getting them small enough. They should be about an inch in diameter. Mine kept getting bigger and bigger so I ended up taking a pinch away from most and re-rolling. Other than that, this is a very quick, easy and delicious dish. Enjoy!
Italian Wedding Soup
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 parmesan cheese rind, plus one TBS grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 lbs ground pork
3 Tbs seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup orzo
8 oz baby spinach
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soften, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1 tsp each of Worcestershire sauce and sage - cook about a minute. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups of water and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 7 minutes.
Make the meatballs: mix the port, breadcrumbs, 1 tsp grated cheese, remaining garlic, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sage in a bowl. Form into 1 inch balls.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until firm and float to the top - about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach stir just until wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and top with additional parmesan.
You will need to add some broth if you reheat for another meal.
Please let me know how you like this soup. Rate it on a scale of 1-5 (5=fabulous). See you next week!
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day! Our Souper Tuesday group celebrated Valentine's Day with a steaming bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, aptly named for it's "married" flavors. Coupled (no pun intended) with some crusty Italian bread, a great green salad (thanks, Melissa!), and delicious dark chocolate dessert, it was a sweet, sweet evening.
We'd be remiss if we didn't send special happy birthday wishes to Miss Helen. She celebrated 21+ on Valentine's day. Happy Birthday! She and Arlene went out on the town (Nash-Vegas?) so we'll just have to celebrate with her next week.
Sage gives this soup a distinctive flavor. I love the little meatballs and the mix of spinach and cheese. Like Arlene always says, you can't go wrong with cheese! It was really easy to make. I made the meatballs ahead of time and the hardest part seemed to be getting them small enough. They should be about an inch in diameter. Mine kept getting bigger and bigger so I ended up taking a pinch away from most and re-rolling. Other than that, this is a very quick, easy and delicious dish. Enjoy!
Italian Wedding Soup
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 parmesan cheese rind, plus one TBS grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 lbs ground pork
3 Tbs seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup orzo
8 oz baby spinach
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soften, about 4 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1 tsp each of Worcestershire sauce and sage - cook about a minute. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups of water and the parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 7 minutes.
Make the meatballs: mix the port, breadcrumbs, 1 tsp grated cheese, remaining garlic, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sage in a bowl. Form into 1 inch balls.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook until firm and float to the top - about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach stir just until wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and top with additional parmesan.
You will need to add some broth if you reheat for another meal.
Please let me know how you like this soup. Rate it on a scale of 1-5 (5=fabulous). See you next week!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Apres Souper Bowl
Although most of us on "Glenlivet" Court are sad to see football season end, many of us are already gearing up for the Final Four! Go Cats! In the meantime we are all focused on our expanding group. Taylor is going to be a big sister and we are excited that we'll soon know if she'll be welcoming a baby brother or sister. Speaking of expanding, her mom is doing fine!
This week I prepared one of my go-to soups, Minestrone. This recipe feeds a big group so I rarely have to double or triple the recipe. I have fixed the soup several times and it always comes out a winner. It freezes really well, so even if you don't have a big family or a neighborhood to feed, make it as written and freeze some for another meal. When reheating, you may need to add a little water or more broth to thin the soup.
I honestly wish I knew where this recipe came from, but if I had to guess, probably Southern Living magazine. (Love that magazine and the Annual Recipe Cookbooks!) Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off - this soup is definitely worth it!
Vegetable Minestrone
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 oz) package of frozen cut string beans cut
3 TBS olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained [ I didn't even know this existed until I made this soup!]
2 (32 oz) containers of beef broth
1 (15.8 oz) can of great northern beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked ditalini pasta
1 (6 oz) package of baby spinach
2 1/2 TBS jarred pesto
Freshly grated Parmeasan cheese
Preparation tip: I always cut my vegetables up ahead of time. It is the most time-consuming part of the preparation and makes the cooking process much easier!
Saute the first 6 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 7 minutes of until crisp tender. Add both cans of tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add pasta to soup. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and cook for about a minute or until the spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and serve. Top each serving with Parmesean cheese.
I served this with some crispy garlic Italian bread. Barbara made another fabulous salad - this one with coated walnuts and mandarin oranges. Alrene out did herself with a delicious dark chocolate cake - infused with cherry-flavored liquor, of course! BTW, the dark chocolate went perfectly with the cold bottle of Arrington Vineyards Raspberry wine I had chillling! PS, Arrington Vineyard ships, too!
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did. If you try it, please tell us how many "spoons" (0-5, 5 is best) it was.
Although most of us on "Glenlivet" Court are sad to see football season end, many of us are already gearing up for the Final Four! Go Cats! In the meantime we are all focused on our expanding group. Taylor is going to be a big sister and we are excited that we'll soon know if she'll be welcoming a baby brother or sister. Speaking of expanding, her mom is doing fine!
This week I prepared one of my go-to soups, Minestrone. This recipe feeds a big group so I rarely have to double or triple the recipe. I have fixed the soup several times and it always comes out a winner. It freezes really well, so even if you don't have a big family or a neighborhood to feed, make it as written and freeze some for another meal. When reheating, you may need to add a little water or more broth to thin the soup.
I honestly wish I knew where this recipe came from, but if I had to guess, probably Southern Living magazine. (Love that magazine and the Annual Recipe Cookbooks!) Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off - this soup is definitely worth it!
Vegetable Minestrone
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 oz) package of frozen cut string beans cut
3 TBS olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained [ I didn't even know this existed until I made this soup!]
2 (32 oz) containers of beef broth
1 (15.8 oz) can of great northern beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked ditalini pasta
1 (6 oz) package of baby spinach
2 1/2 TBS jarred pesto
Freshly grated Parmeasan cheese
Preparation tip: I always cut my vegetables up ahead of time. It is the most time-consuming part of the preparation and makes the cooking process much easier!
Saute the first 6 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 7 minutes of until crisp tender. Add both cans of tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add pasta to soup. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach and cook for about a minute or until the spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and serve. Top each serving with Parmesean cheese.
I served this with some crispy garlic Italian bread. Barbara made another fabulous salad - this one with coated walnuts and mandarin oranges. Alrene out did herself with a delicious dark chocolate cake - infused with cherry-flavored liquor, of course! BTW, the dark chocolate went perfectly with the cold bottle of Arrington Vineyards Raspberry wine I had chillling! PS, Arrington Vineyard ships, too!
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did. If you try it, please tell us how many "spoons" (0-5, 5 is best) it was.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Getting Ready for the "Souper" Bowl
What fun we had tasting chili last night! I don't know about your family, but we have had chili on Super Bowl Sunday for at least 20 years. I think the first time I noticed it had become a tradition was when we lived in NY. We'd get together with our good friends to watch the BIG GAME. The boys wore their jerseys and created a score board made out of some crudely cut plywood.
Rob (our son and a charter member of Souper Tuesday) kept the score. It really didn't matter who won, we had a great time - and the chili was hot!
There are plenty of variations of chili readily available. Rob sent me some recipes from Men's Health magazine and my own subscription to food network magazine featured this fine dish on the cover the Jan/Feb issue. Let's just say, that you can't go wrong with some simple ingredients and a little chili powder!
Big Game Chili (an original recipe)
2 lbs ground beef (turkey works well too)
1/2 lb of ground sweet Italian sausage (love the flavor the pork brings to the dish)
2 lg cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1 lg can of Hunts tomato sauce
3 medium onions - chopped (2 for the chili and save 1 for topping)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
3-4 cups of celery - chopped
5-6 TBS chili powder (to taste)
2 TBS Worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 lg cans of kidney beans
1 lg can pork and beans (remove bacon), my friend, Lynn, uses black beans - so feel free to experiment.
In a large soup pot, brown meat,onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, celery and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 45 minutes on low.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.
I served this with a delicious tossed salad that Barbara made (awesome salad-maker) and a mix of three kinds of tortilla chips. Crusty bread works well, too!
We're all ready for the big game on Sunday, so may the best team win! Go Giants!!
What fun we had tasting chili last night! I don't know about your family, but we have had chili on Super Bowl Sunday for at least 20 years. I think the first time I noticed it had become a tradition was when we lived in NY. We'd get together with our good friends to watch the BIG GAME. The boys wore their jerseys and created a score board made out of some crudely cut plywood.
Rob (our son and a charter member of Souper Tuesday) kept the score. It really didn't matter who won, we had a great time - and the chili was hot!
There are plenty of variations of chili readily available. Rob sent me some recipes from Men's Health magazine and my own subscription to food network magazine featured this fine dish on the cover the Jan/Feb issue. Let's just say, that you can't go wrong with some simple ingredients and a little chili powder!
Big Game Chili (an original recipe)
2 lbs ground beef (turkey works well too)
1/2 lb of ground sweet Italian sausage (love the flavor the pork brings to the dish)
2 lg cans of whole Italian tomatoes
1 lg can of Hunts tomato sauce
3 medium onions - chopped (2 for the chili and save 1 for topping)
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
3-4 cups of celery - chopped
5-6 TBS chili powder (to taste)
2 TBS Worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 lg cans of kidney beans
1 lg can pork and beans (remove bacon), my friend, Lynn, uses black beans - so feel free to experiment.
In a large soup pot, brown meat,onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, celery and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 2 hours. Stir in beans and cook for an additional 45 minutes on low.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.
I served this with a delicious tossed salad that Barbara made (awesome salad-maker) and a mix of three kinds of tortilla chips. Crusty bread works well, too!
We're all ready for the big game on Sunday, so may the best team win! Go Giants!!
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