Suzee's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Last Monday was President's day - I woke up late and lazy - isn't that what holidays are for??

Fresh Direct had broccoli on sale - 1 bunch for $1.99 and 2 bunches for $3. And it was time to do something with it! I love broccoli cheese soup, and lately I've been avoiding prepared soups as they have WAY too much salt for me. I've been looking forward to this soup for a while :)

I took all the broccoli, and peeled the stems (peel them well to get down to the soft inner core), and chopped them up. I added them to a dutch oven.

I had 2 quart containers of homemade chicken stock (read - no salt at all), and I added that frozen, along with one can of fat free low salt chicken broth, and cooked the broccoli very very well done.

Of course the frozen stock melted and I took a stick blender to all that broccoli. It took a little time, but I managed to get all those pieces blended up :)

I added a t onion poweder, 1 t garlic powder, 2 t sea salt and 1 t of fresh ground pepper. I also added a cup of shredded cheddar, and mixed it all up.

I served it in mugs with a dollop of low fat sour cream - and it was delicious!!

Looking back, I think I would serve the cheese as a garnish rather than stirring it in - one cup compared to all that broccoli and stock meant you couldn't taste it as clearly as you'd like. I don't want to add more, I want to taste more :)

Let me know how it goes for you! Enjoy!

Suzee's Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie

Took today off, so this evening I didn't mind making a hearty dinner. I had chicken left over from the weekend, and I was ready for some kinda yummy warm something.

I started with 2 - 3 T of butter, and melted it over medium heat in a dutch oven. I sprinkled 2 T of flour over the butter and made a roux, stirring and letting the flour cook for a minute or 2.

Next I added 3 cups of broth (homemade even) and a cup of white wine (Cavit Pinot Grigio). I whisked it all together and brought it to a bubble. I added 1/2 t garlic powder, 1t onion powder, 1t tarragon, 1T dijon mustard, and 2 packets of splenda. I tasted and added a little salt and a little freshly ground pepper.

Next I added a 16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a 16 oz bag of broccoli cuts. I stirred it up, and put a cover on it. While that was heating, I pulled out my chicken, and chopped about 4 cups of chicken.

Meanwhile, I stared water boiling, and cooked about 4 oz of elbow macaroni a minute or 2 shy of al dente.

I mixed the chicken and the pasta into the veggie mixture. I decided at the last minute to add some cheese, so I stirred in 2 cups of shredded cheddar.

I covered it, popped it into a 350 degree oven, and let it bake for about 30 minutes.

Even though I didn't take a photo, I had to capture what I did. Rick loved it! I bet adding more stock would make it into a great stew.

If you try it, let me know how it goes! You could cut the ingredients in half too, but we are looking forward to leftovers :)

Creamy Champagne Chicken Soup

My friends Jennifer and MJ came to visit not too long ago, and I think that's why I've been reminiscing about them lately. We went to UNH together, played and danced and did all that college stuff. After college, I was a bridesmaid at their wedding, visited when babies were born, and shared lots of dinner parties at their house and mine.

MJ is one of the pickiest eaters I've ever met (well, perhaps Rick is that picky too). At any rate, during the dinner parties, we tried new dishes and socialized at home where we could be comfortable and spend a few less dollars. MJ was always a wonderful guest, and we always had fun, but it was tradition that he would stop on the way home from dinner at McDonalds - I think he used to get a quarter pounder with cheese because he was hungry. I served a lot of fish because I loved it, but he did not. Thanks MJ for coming despite the menus I subjected to you :) You are my favorite non-eating dinner guest :)

Now Jen would make delicious meals (which yes, MJ liked haha!) and this one dish she made was called Champagne Chicken. It has been too long to remember any specifics except that it had champagne and chicken in it, and was a great use for left over champagne. I remember I really liked it.

So, for some reason the other day I was thinking about all of this as I was making chicken noodle soup. Interestingly I had a heavy 1/2 bottle of left over champagne. Thanks Jen for inspiring this yummy dish!

Ingredients:
12 C Home made chicken stock
1 lb raw boneless chicken, in a small dice ( use cooked chicken and add at the end)
1+ lb carrots, peeled and diced (be sure it's pretty small to get a few things on your spoon and to ensure they cook)
1/2 lb egg noodles
1t dried thyme
1t dried tarragon
1t onion powder
1t garlic powder
1/2+ bottle left over champagne
water

sour cream for finishing

Method:
Heat the chicken stock with the carrots.
When it starts to simmer, add the chicken and the spices.
After 10 - 15 minutes, add the champagne and the noodles. Stir to ensure all the noodles get wet, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the chicken now if you used cooked chicken. Don't mix it for these 10 minutes so the noodles don't get gummy.
After 10 minutes, it may seem a little stiff. Add water, 1 cup at a time, until it's the soup consistency you like.
Heat through.

Serve in a bowl or a mug, and stir in a spoonful of sour cream

This is a really tasty option, and you feel good for using up that champagne!

Suzee's Beef Stroganoff Soup

As a part of the Tastemakers Program with Foodbuzz, I was able to replentish my supplies of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire Sauce. I got my coupons for freebies, and shared them with my family.

My cousins, Denise and Ginny, always have great beef recipes using this really uniquely flavored condiment, and I think their mom, my Aunt Beth, would use this a lot too. It's that little something that makes you go hmmm.... yum! What is that??

I also like to make soups of the flavor of things that may be too rich to eat as just a dish. Adding water gives me more bites of delicious flavor :) So this experiment came out pretty good :)

Ingredients:
1 32 oz carton of Rachael Ray Beef Stock
1/2 lb browned ground beef
1 1/2 minced onion
10 oz package of button mushrooms, minced and sauteed
8 hefty shakes of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C red wine
1/2 C brown rice (uncooked)
2 C water

sour cream to stir in at serving time.

Add all together and allow to cook for a few hours on low. It worked best for me to pop the pan in the oven on 300 and let it go :)

I read an interesting article from the magazine which is associated with America's Test Kitchen. They tested a number of beef broths, and the Rachael Ray Beef Stock In A Box won by a mile - she actually uses 2x the beef products to make the stock. I think it also really made a difference in this dish.

I like to leave the sour cream out until you serve it as then you can determine how much you want to add, and then of course it's easier to reheat as well :)

Enjoy!!

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Finally - it's getting cooler out!!! I have a thin cotton cardigan on and it makes me very very happy :) I wanted to use some left over roasted chicken (Isn't simple roasted chicken just the best thing ever?), and I was considering a casserole. I'm just in the mood for something warm and comforting you know? Then I was thinking about the poblano peppers I got from Fresh Direct. But as I went through the pantry for something or other, I came across the pizza sauce! Oh yes! We love Rick's Pizza Chicken recipe, and haven't had those flavors in a while! Here they are in a really tasty and hearty soup :)

1 lb mixed dried beans - I used a 16 bean mix prepared in water according to package directions with 3 small bay leaves (remove after cooking)
1 quart of low sodium chicken stock
1 14oz can of pizza sauce
3 T McCormick's Spicy Pizza Spice
1 5 oz pkg hormel pepperoni bites (these little circles are so adorable!!)
2 C cooked chicken, shredded
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach
1 cup shredded cheese blend

After you prepare the beans, drain the old water, add all other ingredients and heat through.

Delish!

Am I Being Punked? Pumpkin Soup

I really liked this soup - I like the sweet/spicy flavor combination, and it's a great multi nighter with easy reheating. Rick on the other hand said to me "Am I being Punked?" :D I don't think he cared for the fruit in it :) Ah well - he ate it 2 nights in a row. I love that about him :)









1 lb roasted pork tenderloin, sliced thinly and cut in bite sized pieces
1 c short grain brown rice
2 c water
1 incredibly large apple or 2 normal sized apples, peeled and chopped (don't leave these too large -  you want them to cook and soften)
1 softball sized onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 can pumpkin puree
2 cans low sodium/low fat chicken broth
1/2t garlic powder
1 t cumin
1/2 smoked chipotle

Cook the rice with the water according to the package directions.

Sautee the onion in the oil on low - caramelize the onions low and slow. Stir occasionally, and don't let them burn.

Heat the pumpkin and broth, and whisk them together to make a smooth  soup. Add spices and apple, and simmer 15 minutes or so. When the rice and onions are done, add them to the pot. At the end, add the pork, and heat through.

Enjoy!

Suzee's Sausage Cassoulet

I was perusing food blogs today, loving all the "classics" on the project food blog, and I came upon a blog which posted about Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinners. That post inspired this post - I haven't read the book, but wanted to mention it because it was so highly recommended.

This delectible dish was conceived when it was reasonably cool out (this morning),  but whew, the oven just heated the apartment to almost unbearable. This would be fabulous in a crock pot too, though not an all day affair.

Here are the ingredients:
1 lb sausage (I used chicken sausage here, but I would definitely change to sweet italian sausage next time)

4 plum tomatoes chopped (or a pint of grape tomatoes - today I only had 2 plum tomatoes, so I added 8 oz of tomato sauce)

1 large onion cut in 1 - 1.5" chunks

4 large garlic cloves, sliced (not too thinly)

3 T olive oil

1.5 T balsamic vinegar - if you have the good stuff, don't hesitate to use it - it's only a small amount and it makes a huge difference!

2 t dried thyme

3 small bay leaves

s&p

1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed

1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach

1/2 C water

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat to 350. Mix all ingredients up to and including the salt and pepper in a dutch oven. Roast about an hour, until the tomatoes break down and make a nice sauce.

Remove from the oven, add the beans, spinach and water, and simmer on the stove top for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve in a bowl or on a plate - your choice, but add a light drizzle of fruity olive oil over the top - it makes the beans sing :) Enjoy with crusty bread and a nice Rioja :)

Suzee's White Chicken Chili

I had a half a pound of chicken to use, and I wanted to do something different with it. Football Sunday today with the Jets playing for the NFL playoffs, so chili sounded like a good call. Plus I had these whole canned tomatillos that I wanted to try :)

The end result was a nicely spiced dish that we both loved! Here's how I did it:

1 28 oz can of whole tomatillos, drained and crushed
1/2 lb cooked chicken meat shredded
1 14 oz can of light colored beans, drained and rinsed
1 7 oz can chopped green chilies
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1t cumin
1/2t smoked chipotle
1/2t garlic powder

Dump it all in a pot, simmer to allow flavors to marry, and serve!

I also made chocolate chip cookies today - by hand as my mixer and food processor are in storage. That was my workout today :) They tasted like they had extra love in them :)

Suzee's Chipotle Pumpkin Soup with Beef

I made a pot roast last night - one like my mom used to make. Put the meat and cold water in a dutch oven, bring to a simmer, pop into a 350 oven and leave it there for 2.5 hours or so, then add green beans (she used whole fresh beans and I used frozen french cut beans, and cook until the beans are done. The beef fat coats the beans in a way unlike anything else. Sprinkle them with salt and they are devine. Do try it :)

I wanted to do something different with the left overs. Good beef broth is tough to find and impossible to buy in my opinion. I thought about it a lot of the day today (oh the joys of unemployment), and came up with this absolutely delicious soup! I can't wait for Rick to come home and try it too ;)

About 6 cups of beef broth
a 28 oz can of pumpkin puree
2 or 3 cups of shredded beef (not long shreds - short enough to fit on your spoon)
a cup of green beans in bite sized pieces
1t ground smoked chipotle pepper
1/2t fresh ground black pepper
1/4t ground cayenne pepper
1t cumin
1/2t sea salt
1/2t cinnamon
4 packets of splenda (you know, what you use in your coffee)

Heat the broth, and add in the pumkin puree (you know better than to use pumkin pie filling - I trust you!), and mix/melt it together. Once the consistency is smooth, add all other ingredients, and heat everything through. Taste and enjoy the smokey, sweet, spicy goodness! Good amount of fiber too!

Suzee's Tex Mex Butternut Squash Soup

I made a roast beef a couple of nights ago, and after 2 very similar dinners of roast beef, I decided tonight should be a soup with some of the leftovers. We love butternut squash soup, and I usually make it pretty simply with chicken stock and some pepper and puree it with an immersion blender. Tonight I wanted something different. Here's what you'll need for this spicy sweet treat!

4 cups or so of roasted, cubed butternut squash

2 cups of roast beef, cubed small

4 cups of chicken stock

1 T Better'n Boullion Beef (you could leave this out if you don't have it)

1/2 cup of tomato paste

1/2 cup of green chiles, canned

1 cup corn

5 oz fresh spinach ( you could sub frozen easily enough)

1/2t garlic powder

1/2t ground chipotle

1t ground cumin

Pop everything except the spinach into a dutch oven, simmer and mix, heating everything through. Wilt in spinach. Taste to adjust seasonings. Enjoy!

Suzee's Pumpkin Soup

Rick loves my butternut squash soup, but now he's doing low carb, and pumkin has about half the carbs of butternut squash. Luckily it has all the flavor :)

1 can Libby's pumpkin puree (not pumkin pie filling)
4 cups home made chicken stock or 2 cans of chicken broth
1/2t onion powder
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2t cinnamon

Whisk all ingredients together and heat.

Enjoy!

Tuscan White Bean Soup

We stopped at the Food Emporium after brunch and got some navy beans, and I found a beautiful slice of parmesean reggiano, and I got a packet of kielbasa (yeah, not Italian, and I thought maybe I won't use it in this dish, but I had a craving). And I found a nice fresh loaf of crusty bread. The Tuscan dish I'm trying to emulate has a good dose of extra virgin olive oil, and I have that in the pantry.

I was reading some health magazine and it was talking about salt. I was shocked to see how much salt is in canned beans - even if you rinse them like I do, it's like 1/2 a day's salt in one serving, which by the way is a 1/2 cup! So, that's why I'm going with dried. I sorted the navy beans and just used the directions on my package (only $1.79 - what a bargain!). I put them in a pot with some water, and brought it to a boil, took it off the heat and let it soak for an hour. After the soak I ran water around the pan and rinsed the beans, and refreshed the water in the pot.
I added a couple bay leaves, and simmered the beans for another 90 minutes. In retrospect, I would try them and see if they are cooked in an hour. I think they were over cooked at a total of 90 minutes.

I chopped 2 fat vidalias I had in the fridge, and caramelized them, and added them to the pot. I peeled and chopped a pound and a half of carrots, fried then up and added them to the pot. I added Thyme, Garlic Powder and Oregano. Don't forget to pluck out those bay leaves - I read somewhere cooking bay leaves with beans are supposed to help if you get gas from beans.

I did end up frying up some of the kielbasa, and added it to the bottom of our soup bowls. I ladeled the soup over them, and drizzled olive oil over the soup (not as much as they did in the show though!). I have to say - I was very surprised at the flavor added to the dish by the olive oil drizzle. I used my veggie peeler to put some curls of parmesean on top, thinking it would make it salty enough, but Rick did add more salt. While making the soup, I used my grill pan to make toast with the crusty bread.

I served this fabulous dish with a recommended chianti classico from Mister Wrights Wines next door. I'll admit, I paid more than I usually do for wine, but wow - really tasty :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have wanted to make Chicken Tortilla Soup for a really long time, and I'm not really sure why I haven't until today. I guess I've got lots of favorite soups and stews, and I just picked one of those before now. This is a super soup when the weather is thinking fall but hasn't really gotten cold - maybe like a Mexican winter night? Actually, normally at this point I would be making butternut squash soup with cracked pepper, or a hearty chili.

I ordered home made stock from Fresh Direct, figuring I'd suppliment it with stock I made from the bones from a rotissery chicken. And actually I had enough with what I made, so I'll freeze that stuff from Fresh Direct. I used all the chicken from the bones, and steamed 2 additional small breasts when I made the stock.

This soup is warm and not overtly spicy, but the heat stays in your mouth for a while. Good with a very cold light beer.

Stock:

Bones from a rotissery chicken, and all the juices from the bottom of the package (discard the skin, save the meat)

5 or 6 stalks of celery (mine was limp and not good for anything so I put in more than I would usually) broken in 3 or 4 places - extra points if there are celery leaves attached :)

2 or 3 carrots, broken in half

Put it all in a pot, cover with water (I used the container for the chicken to put the water in the pot, and that way got all caramelized juices in the bottom) and simmer for an hour or 2.

If you are using additional chicken, add the raw boneless breasts to the pot and simmer for another 20 -25 minutes. Pluck them out when they are done.

Strain the stock in to a bowl, rinse the pot and start assembling the soup.

Assembling the Soup:

1T oil

2 carrots chopped small

1 extra large onion chopped medium

2 4 oz cans of chopped chiles

1 28 oz can of fire roasted chopped tomatoes

8 cups stock

2 or 3 cups of rough chopped cooked chicken

3 or 4 tortillas cut in short strips

Juice of 1 lime

bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 or 2 t ground smoked chipotle pepper

2T ground cumin

3T chili powder

sour cream for garnish

Add a glug of oil to the bottom of the stock pot, and caramelize the onions - after 10 minutes or so, add the carrots. When everything has a nice brown hue, add everything except the sour cream - and give it a taste. Make adjustments as you like.

Serve it up in a nice deep 2 C bowl with a small dollop of sour cream. And like I said before - it goes great with beer.