Spiced Carrot and Squash Soup

Spiced Carrot and Squash Soup

From: Home Cooking Montana

1/2 butternut squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder or use chile flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4-1/3 cup half and half, (you could use cream or milk)

croutons for garnish

Parmesan for garnish

fresh thyme for garnish

To a large pot, add 2 Tbs. of olive oil. Heat oil and add chopped onion and garlic. Season with a bit of salt.  Saute on medium-low heat until onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add diced carrot and squash.  Saute for a minute or so. Add 1 cup chicken stock, making sure the vegetables are mostly covered in liquid. Add chipotle pepper or chile flakes, thyme and nutmeg. Season with a bit more salt, if needed.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 to 30 minutes.

Place cooked squash and liquid in a blender.  Blend till smooth.  Place the pureed mixture back into the pot. You can leave it the way it is, a bit thick, or you can thin it out with either heavy cream or you can opt to use a lower fat version by using half and half, milk or even add more chicken stock. You might need to adjust the amount of liquid by adding more or less ...depending on how thin or thick you want your soup to be.

Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with thyme leaves, croutons, Parmesan cheese or just leave it plain.

**You could easily convert this to a vegetarian recipe by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.**

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Although I was a little disappointed in the thickness of this, it was delicious. It was more of a soup consistency than a chowder. I probably just needed to reduce the amount of broth that I put in it.Chicken and Corn Chowder

From: Treasury of Cooking Healthy

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1-2 Tbs. water
1 cup carrots, diced
2 Tbs. jalepeno pepper, finely chopped.
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Spray large nonstick saucepan with Pam; heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; cook and stir about 10 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from pan.

Add corn and onion to saucepan; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Place 1 cup corn mixture in a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped, adding 1 to 2 Tbs. water; reserve.

Add carrots, jalapeno, oregano and thyme to saucepan; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until corn begins to brown. Return chicken to saucepan. Stir in chicken broth, milk, reserved corn mixture and salt; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Chili Blanco

I do believe that this is one of my husband's favorite soups. If I'm feeling like making soup, this is typically what he requests.Chicken Chili Blanco

From: Mom Solter

3 cans great northern beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1/2 Tbs. oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 can green chilies, drained (I typically just throw the whole can in)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups colby or monterey jack cheese
Garnishes:
sour cream
fresh cilantro
chopped tomatoes
tortilla chips

Saute onions in oil until golden. Combine remaining ingredients except for the sour cream and cheese in a large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese. Heat until melted.

Serve with desired garnishes.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

This was a little bit spicy but oh so yummy. Chipotle Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

From: Your Everyday Mama

2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (I used 2 large peppers and wished I would have used just one. Though the soup still tasted great it was too spicy for the kids.)

2-3 cups corn, either fresh or frozen (definitely go for 3+ cups)
1 cup leeks, cliced
1 large vidalia onion or other sweet onion, chopped
5 sweet potatoes, roasted and cubed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbs. Thyme
2 Tbs. Marjoram (I used the powdered and as I was dumping it in realized I should have used the dried, so I ended up only adding 1 Tbs. as I worried that 2 would have been overdoing it. It turned out fine.)
2 (32 oz.) boxes of chicken broth (I didn't use nearly this much at what I did use was a bit too much. It was just more soupy than chowdery.)
8-10 slices of bacon, cooked crumbled, drippings reserved.

Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil, do not pierce and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees. (I roasted mine for 45 and it was too long.) Once soft, peel and cube. Some of these will get smashed and some will not, so cube to desired size.

Cook leeks, onion, corn, thyme and marjoram in the reserved bacon fat, stirring constantly until tender. Add cubed sweet potatoes, 1-1 1/2 boxes of chicken stock and chipotle peppers, simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. (I would really only add one box max.)

Using an immersion blender, blend 1/3-1/2 of the soup, leaving some of the corn and potato cubes whole. (I don't have an immersion blender and just ladled half of it into my blender and then returned it to the pot.) If needed you can add more chicken broth at this point, not forgetting that you will be adding the cream later.

Simmer chowder for another 10 minutes, add heavy cream and combine well. If your chowder seems to thick you can add more chicken stock to thin until you reach the desired consistency. Top with crumbled bacon. (not pictured)

Serve with some corn chips or yummy crusty bread.

Rock Your World Veggie Chowder

Rock Your World Veggie Chowder

From: Cooking With Anne

1 Lg bottle V8 juice
2 cups water
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cups oyster mushrooms, sliced (I couldn't find these so I just added a bit extra of the other kinds of mushrooms)
2 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh carrots, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 cup shallots, chopped
1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced (don't worry, it won't turn out super garlicy)
2 small cans black beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh ginger, finely grated
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh squeezed orange juice
3 Tbs. Liquid Summer Hot Sauce (I just used the hot sauce I have on hand)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs. ground turmeric
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp sugar

Using a large soup pot, pour in the V8 and water and heat over high heat. Add all the veggies except for the ginger and bring to a rolling boil. Stirring often, continue boiling until foam begins to appear.

Add the OJ, vinegar and black beans.

Once the mushrooms have reduced, add all of the remaining ingredients and continue boiling and stirring for 1 hour until veggies are tender. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Once it thickens, about 1 hour, check seasoning for taste. Continue stirring and serve while hot.

NOTES: Don't add too much pepper as it expands when heated and may get fairly spicy!

Can serve over brown rice or with a little shredded cheddar.

If you must add salt, use sea salt or kosher salt to taste. (I definitely feel the need for salt)

Green Chili Soup with Spicy Baked Wontons

This was super yummy, especially with the wontons. The wontons were a little much for my 4 year old. My two year old however horked them down.Green Chili Soup with Spicy Baked Wontons

From: Treasury of Cooking Healthy

1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. vegetable oil
12 wonton skins
1 Tbs. margarine
1 leek (white part only), thinly sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can chicken broth (for vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth)
1 cup water
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies, drained and rinsed
2 cups skim milk
3 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder. stir in 1 tsp. water and oil.

Cut wonton skins in half diagonally and place on a large cookie sheet. Brush wontons with chili powder mixture. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Heat margarine in a medium saucepan. Add leek, celery, garlic; cook for 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, 1 tsp. water and chilies. Heat to boiling.

Whisk together milk, flour and cumin until smooth. Add milk mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with wontons. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Sweet Root Soup

My husband gave me a kind of weird look at first because this soup looks like baby food. Trust me, this is fantastic. This didn't make a ton, so I would probably double the recipe next time as we like to have some leftovers.Sweet Root Soup

From: Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine

1 med. red onion, chopped (I think I only used about 3/4 of the onion)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. mild curry paste
1 tsp. honey
3 1/4 cups vegetable broth
salt, pepper, sour cream and chopped cilantro leaves for serving (The sour cream and cilantro are an absolute must!)

In a large pan or soup pot, saute the veggies in the olive oil for about 15 minutes or until soft. Stir in the curry paste and honey, cook 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool slightly. Put in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped cilantro.

Chicken and Corn Laksa

I apologize for another soup recipe, but I have really been into soups lately. This is one of those recipes that looked yummy when I saw the picture in a magazine and then as I was making it, I was seriously questioning if we were going to be going out to eat that night. LOL. So be warned, about half way into making this soup you may think twice, but when it all comes together, you will be a very happy person. Chicken and Corn Laksa

From: Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine

1/4 lb. thin rice noodles (I couldn't find any where I live so I just used thin spaghetti, but definitely needed to make more than 1/4 of a lb. I probably ended yup making about 1/2 lb.)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. mild curry paste
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup frozen or canned corn (I will surely use more next time)
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. lime juice
Cilantro leaves, thinly sliced red chiles and lime quarters for serving

Cook the noodles according tot he package instructions. Drain and divide among bowls.

Saute the onion in the oil for 5-6 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, curry paste, and brown sugar and cook for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. (This is where I started questioning the recipe)

Add the corn, peas, chicken and scallions. Simmer for 3 minutes until everything is hot. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice.

Ladle the soup over the noodles. Top with cilantro leaves, extra scallions, thinly sliced red chiles and lime quarters.

Creamy Vegetable, Orzo and Potato Soup

This was to die for. We had plenty of leftovers and I was sad when they were all gone. Both of my boys ate it willingly and then asked for some for lunch the next day when I pulled out my leftovers. It will surely be a repeater for us.Creamy Vegetable, Orzo and Potato Soup

From: Picky Palate

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced parsnips
2 lg. carrots, peeled and diced
3 lg. stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 lg. red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbs. flour
4 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth, divided (can use vegetable broth to make it truly vegetarian)
1 cup orzo
4 cups potatoes, diced
2 dashes Tabasco hot sauce (I used about 2 times this amount to make it just right. Jason added more to his bowl after the fact as he likes his really spicy)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. (I don't have a dutch oven, sniff sniff, so I just used my heavy soup pot.) Saute parsnips, carrots, celery, onion and the bell pepper for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir and cook for 1 more minute. Slowly stir in 3 of the cans of broth. Increase heat to high until soup starts to boil. Add the orzo and potatoes, reduce heat to medium-high and let cook for 8-10 minutes or until orzo is al dente and potatoes are fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in the last can of broth, season with Tabasco, parmesan and additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

Vegetarian Chili

I was a little concerned about this at first, but it turned out great. I loved all of the fresh vegetables in it. There was such a fabulous chunky texture to it and such variety.Vegetarian Chili

From: Eat For Dinner

1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 Japanese eggplants, diced (I used regular and mine were huge, so I only used 1 1/2. The skins on mine didn't get soft enough so next time I'll probably take the skin off.)
3/4 cup cauliflower florets
3/4 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup canned yellow beans, drained (I used the entire can)
1/2 cup cut green beans,drained (I used the entire can)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I used canned)
1 (19 oz.) can chick peas
1 (19 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz.) can tomato juice or sauce (I used sauce because I like my soups thicker)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder (I had to add more, probably about an extra 1/2 Tbs.)
1 heaping tsp. chili pepper, finely diced
1/2 tsp. hot paprika (I used regular because it is what I have)
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup unsalted cashews (I left these out)
shredded cheddar, for topping
sour cream, for topping

Saute onion for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook about 5 minutes more. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add cauliflower, broccoli, green and yellow beans, mushrooms and eggplant. Combine and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add chick peas, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Combine until well mixed. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and mix. Allow to simmer for approximately 1/2 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Mix in cashews. Serve with a dollup of sour cream and some shredded cheese.

Tomato Basil Orzo Soup

This was so "fresh". It's the only word I can use to describe it.

Tomato Basil Soup with Orzo

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 c orzo
1 c chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot (I used 4 1/2 qt) and saute garlic until fragrant. Add broth and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add orzo and simmer for ~10 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Stir in basil, salt, pepper, and parmesan, and simmer ~3-5 minutes more. Delicious with crusty bread.

Cheese Soup

I have been searching for a good cheese soup recipe for a while that I just can't live without. This one definitely hits the spot. I also recommend cutting the recipe in half because it makes a ton. I made Italian Bread Bowls to go along with this thanks to my sister's previous post. I lucked out and my bowls had no problem rising.

Cheese Soup

From: Sharing Our Best York I-Relief Society-Debbie Rucker

1 1/2 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

3 cups cooked potatoes, diced

4 cans chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups half and half

1 cup Bisquick (or other brand of pancake mix)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

Cook celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes in butter until tender. Stir in Bisquick and spices. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Boil 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add half and half and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted. Serve in bread bowl.

Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is now, hands down, my favorite Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe. The carrot in it just gives it something totally amazing. I only added half the cheese stated in the recipe and it was plenty cheesey. Also, if you've got an immersion blender, now is the time to pull it out. I don't have one, but totally wish I did.


Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
from CDkitchen.com
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ozs. grated sharp cheddar

Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux).
Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now.

Pour in batches into blender and puree.

Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.
Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

We liked it with some crusty rolls!

Perfect Winter Beef Stew

Perfect Winter Beef Stew
from Kraft



Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 2 hr 15 min

Makes: 8 servings, 1-1/4 cups each

3/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 lb. beef for stew, such as beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions (about 1 large)
3 cups sliced carrots (about 6 medium)
1-1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks (about 4 cups)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth

POUR dressing over meat in large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat meat with dressing. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large saucepan on medium heat 5 min. or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from saucepan; drain drippings.

ADD mushrooms and onions to same saucepan; cook on medium-high heat 10 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Add meat, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth and bacon to saucepan; stir.

BRING to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour 15 min. Uncover; simmer an additional 15 min. or until meat is cooked through and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Jazz It Up: Add 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves with the broth for extra flavor.
Substitute: Prepare as directed, using KRAFT Light Italian Reduced Fat Dressing.
How to Prepare Stew in Slow Cooker: Marinate meat and cook bacon, onions and mushrooms as directed. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Add meat, onions, mushrooms and remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook 10 to 12 hours on LOW (or 5 to 6 hours on HIGH) or until meat is tender. Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour mixed with 2 Tbsp. water. Continue cooking an additional 15 min. or until sauce is thickened.

Black Bean Soup by Goya

I've been on a major soup kick lately. So, you'll see at least 3 new soups coming up here. They were all fabulous.

The reason that this particular recipe was awesome is that it was literally 30 minutes start to finish. Stuff like that makes me positively giddy. I have to admit that the recipe called for quite a few ingredients that I've never purchased before. But the good news is that this soup was so good that I'll definitely be making it again and get to use the the rest of the ingredients.

We ate it over rice in order to stretch it a little farther. While it says this serves 4, I think it's a very lean 4. Doubling it would definitely give you some good leftovers.


Goya's Black Bean Soup

2 cans Black Beans, undrained
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 rounded Tbsp Goya Recaito (Cilantro Cooking Base)
1 tsp Oregano or to taste
1 tsp Cumin or to taste
2 Bay Leaves
2 packets Sazón Goya without Annatto
2 Tbsp Goya Golden Cooking Wine (unintentionally omitted, oops!)
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Goya Adobo with Pepper or to taste
1 cup water
½ cup finely chopped onions for garnish

1. In saucepan on medium, combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered until desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with onions.
Serves 4

Creamy Tomato Bisque

Tomato Soup at it's finest!Creamy Tomato Bisque

From: Weight Watchers

2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbs. onion, chopped
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 medium tomatoes, pared and diced
1/4 cup margarine
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
1 Tbs. sugar

In a large pot, combine water, canned tomatoes, celery, onion and bouillon. Cover and simmer for 2o minutes. In a blender or food processor, puree tomato mixture. In the same pan, cook the fresh tomatoes in 2 Tbs. of butter for about 5 minutes; remove from pan. In the same pan, melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter; stir in flour. Add cream over low heat; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in bouillon mixture, tomatoes and sugar. Heat through. Do not boil

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Have I ever mentioned how much I love soup in the Fall/Winter. It just warms you right up. This recipe came from a cookbook that was put together by an online message board group that I am a member of.Chicken and Dumplings Soup

2 1/2 quarts water
2 1/2 - 3 lbs. chicken, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3-4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbs. shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (I always substitute this with 1 Tbs. cider vinegar to 1 cup milk)

Put water in a 5 quart pot. Add raw chicken, thyme, salt, pepper and bouillon. Bring to a simmer. When chicken is done, remove from water and stir in onion, carrots and celery. Simmer until tender.

In a bowl combine dry dumpling ingredients. (I usually make 1 1/2 times the amount because we really like dumplings). Cut in shortening. Stir in milk until ingredients are moistened. Knead 4 or 5 times. Roll dough into "snakes" and pinch off fingertip sized pieces into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to medium0low and cook 10 minutes. Stir in chicken pieces and serve hot.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is perfect for those cold winter months. It makes a ton, so it is a good thing that it freezes well. It is also one of those meals that is even better the second day, so feel free to indulge on leftovers. I don't remember where I got this recipe from. This is pretty much an all day cooking recipe. It is so worth it. It is perfect for keeping your house warm all day. Tip: I usually make the noodles a day or so ahead so that they have time to dry.Chicken Noodle Soup

1 gallon water
1 (3-4 lb.) whole chicken, cut into large pieces
1 lg. onion, peeled and halved
4 bay leaves
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch celery (2/3 chopped into large pieces, 1/3 chopped into about 1/4" pieces)
1 lb. carrots, unpeeled, just cut off the ends and cut into a few large pieces
2 stalks lemon grass, chopped (optional- I would put this is if my grocery store carried it)
1/4 cup chicken soup base (can use bouillon)
1 lb. carrots, chopped normally (sometimes instead I just use the large pieces when they come out of the broth and just chop them smaller. This does NOT work with the celery though as it is too mushy)
8 oz. egg noodles (recipe below)

For Egg Noodles:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten at room temperature

Place chicken and water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim foam and fat as needed. Keep pot on heat and add onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, large chunks of celery and carrots, and the lemon grass in the pot. Simmer, covered for 1 hour.

Strain broth and reserve chicken. Add broth back to the pot and stir in chicken soup base, and chopped celery and carrots. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes or until carrots and celery are tender.

Meanwhile, when chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and shred into bite sized pieces. after carrots are tender, add noodles to the pot & simmer until noodles are cooked through. Stir in chicken and heat through.

To make Egg Noodles: In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Add eggs and milk. Knead dough until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl about 5 minutes. It is very important to let it rest. On Lightly floured surface (If you flour it to much your dough will slide around making it impossible to roll out.), roll out dough to desired thickness. (I always try to get mine as thin as possible because they taste better and take less time to dry and cook). Cut into desired lengths and shapes. Allow to air dry before cooking.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

That's right folks, it is bread bowl season! This is another one of my mom's recipes. My memory of this dish is interesting. Whenever I think of this soup I remember that it seemed like in high school I was always running to a choir practice or youth activity or track practice, etc. So I remember many times running out the door in the evening and my mom would hand me some of this soup in a big cup and I would "drink" it on my way to wherever I was going. Silly, but that is was I remember. Now, I just love this soup. It is definitely one of those that will warm you on a brisk day.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

From: Mom Solter

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli
2 cups water
1 lg. stalk celery, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 med. onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tbs. margarine
2 Tbs. flour
4 1/2 cups water, divided
1 Tbs. chicken bouillon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash ground nutmeg
1/2 cup whipping cream, 1/2 & 1/2 or whole milk (I always use heavy cream as the thicker the creamier your soup will be.)

Prepare broccoli, cut florets into bite-sized pieces. Cut the stalks into chunks. Cook the stalks with the celery and onion. Heat 2 cups water to boiling in a 3 quart saucepan. Add stalks, celery and onion. Cover and heat to boiling. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Do NOT drain. Place in blender. Cover and blend until uniform consistency.

Heat margarine in a 3 qt saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 1/2 cups water. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in broccoli/celery mixture, bouillon, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat just to boiling. Stir in cream, heat until hot but not boiling. Add broccoli florets. Serve topped with shredded cheese if desired.

Beef Vegetable Stew

I really loved that this was a Crock Pot recipe, so I didn't have to think about it all day, which was great because I had a busy day. I served this with Wheat Rolls (store-bought, I'm not a bread maker-typically) and butter and it was delicious! Perfect for the fall weather I'm pretending we're having.



Beef Vegetable Stew
from That's My Home

2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups peeled, cubed potatoes*
3 chopped carrots*
1-1/2 cups chopped onions*
2 cups tomato sauce
1 (10-3/4 oz) can beef broth, undiluted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf
1-1/4 each tsp dried marjoram and thyme (optional)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and parsley in a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low setting for 9 to 10 hours. Stir occasionally.

Combine cornstarch with an equal amount water and stir until lump free. Add to stew and mix well. Cook for 1 more hour. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Note: Can use two packages of frozen stew vegetables in place of fresh vegetable is desired.