Chicken Stew

This was really good and creamy, and believe it or not it is not that high calorie about 200 calories a bowl. If you care about calories which I don't I served this with biscuits on the side. You can serve the bicuits with stew ladled over the top or on the side with butter and jam.

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Foodnetwork

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1.5 onions, chopped

3 cups carrots, sliced(about 4 carrots)

½ cup butter, one stick

½ cup of flour

5 cups of chicken broth

¼ cup of half and half

10-12 oz. frozen peas

salt,pepper, parsley to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add onions and carrots and cook for about 10 min. Then add flour and mix together. Cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened add the frozen peas and half and half. Simmer until vegetables are tender season with Salt, Pepper, and parsley.

Sweet Potato, Chipotle, and Apple Soup

courtesy of  "Food and Wine" cookbook

2 Tb vegetable or Canola oil

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger)

2 gala apples, peeled, seeded and coarsley chopped

1 celery rib,chopped

1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced

1 quart chicken stock

3 cups water

1 small canned chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (I hate adobo sauce, so I used 1 dried chipotle pepper, in the mexican food section)

1. In a soup pot, heat oil until shimmering.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger.  Cook until softened, about 7 minutes.  

2. Add the apples and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

4.  Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.  Cover partially and simmer over low heat  until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.

5.  Stir in the chipotle.

6.Working in batches puree the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot).

7. Season with salt and pepper and return to the pot.  

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1 Teaspoon dried rosemary

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme, or 1 Teaspoon dried Thyme

2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened Red grape juice

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

3-4 cups beef broth

Parsley, for garnish

crusty bread, for serving

In a large soup pot heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes.  Toss the beef in a bowl with flour, salt, and pepper.  Turn the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot.  Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.  Add the grape juice to the pot.  Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  

Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add the beef broth.  Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 1 hour.  Season the stew to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

Suzanne's note: Be sure to notice that this has to simmer for an hour. Be easy on adding salt and pepper to taste.  I didn't have to add very much more.  Don't brush this off as just another beef stew. It is really good and is a really a unique twist to your typical stew.

Pumpkin Soup

I know, this sounds strange, but was really good. I got it from a friend.

Ingredients:

1 lg. pumpkin (butternut squash)
4 med. potatoes
1 Med Onion
2 tbsp chicken stock powder (bullion cubes work)
salt & pepper to taste
milk as desired for taste
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Sm sweet potato
water

Directions:

Cut all vegetables and throw into a pot
Put enough water to boil begetables
Boil until soft, and then mash
If desired, blend the soup to get a smoother texture
Serve with cream and grated cheese

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Backstory

This is an Australian recipe, which is fairly uncommon here in the US. Here the best pumpkin I've found for it is the butternut squash.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

 courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe'

3 cups whole milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (jiffy brand is what I used)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed or shredded
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese
3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Note: I don't usually have fresh parsley so I added 1 or 2 tablespoons of dried parsley. Sweet potatoes are also know as yams.(I didn't know yams were sweet potatoes until last year). I also usually add leftover chicken. I was really surprized by this recipe It has a lot of flavor and a lot less fat then my other chowder recipe I was using. But is still very creamy and rich without having to use heavy cream.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ashlee's Meatless Meals

Goes great with cornbread!! Another meatless meal; this is healthy and delicious. I always use fat free milk and low fat margarine, and it still tastes wonderful. You can even try sprinkling your crumbled corn bread into your soup. Yummy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes


½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup flour
3-4 cups milk
4 cubes chicken boullion
Pepper to taste
3-4 cups vegetables (I use red, steamed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and steamed baby carrots)
2 cups water
2 large handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese


1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, bouillon cubes, and 3 cups of
vegetables. Bring to a boil, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over low heat until thickened. Add cheddar cheese, and pepper to taste. (Add more milk when adding the other soup ingredients, depending on
desired thickness.)

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 (140ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of any small pasta
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

My adjustments:

I add diced chicken and a can of corn to this recipe. I use chicken bullion to make my broth, it is about 3.5 cups of broth. I also found that the carrots were still crunchy so I pre-cook the carrots in the microwave with a little bit of water for four or five minutes. This recipe may sound simplistic but it is really quite flavorful. The red pepper flakes add a nice punch. I also love it because you can experiment and try different marinara sauces for slightly different flavors.