Tomato Powder

 

So, my friend that I mentioned in my previous post who harvested my cantaloupes for me while on vacation this past summer also picked my tomatoes for me too.  AND she made me tomato powder!  I had never even heard of doing this with tomatoes, and I think it is just brilliant!  

I made chili with it on Sunday and was amazed!  I didn't have any tomatoes, but had all the other ingredients so I thought I'd try it.  I used three or four tablespoons of tomato powder, and I had one can of RoTel and a tiny can of tomato paste, and made a very large pot of chili.  Seriously, why have I never known about this?  The tomato powder gave it a richer flavor almost like chili when you add cocoa powder to it if you've ever done that, it adds a depth of flavor. 

When I got back from vacation and learned about tomato powder I had to try making some myself.  However, I put my tomatoes in the oven overnight to dehydrate and may have slept in and when I asked my husband early in the morning to take them out of the oven, he just turned off the oven and left them in there.  So, needless to say I had some fire roasted tomatoes - some were pure charcoal...  But after a pep talk from my friend I sifted through the batch and was able to have a small bag full to turn into powder.   

Yesterday, I finally got around to turning them to powder along with a bag my friend gave me as well. So, after dehydrating the tomatoes, I put them in the freezer until they are brittle, and then they go through the food processor.  Some tutorials I read didn't put them in the freezer, but just let them cool.   

The dried tomatoes.  A lot of the tutorials I read their tomatoes are pretty and red, I think actually doing them in a dehydrator will be better, but we just used the oven giving them a more "fire roasted" flavor.  Next year, we'll use the dehydrator!

"Fire roasted" Tomato Powder

Both of my food processors are dying so they didn't quite pulverize everything, so I had to sift the powder out.  I just put these pieces back in a bag and in the freezer and next time I make chili, I'll just toss these in the pot!

I think the coolest thing I read about in the tutorials below is that you can actually make tomato powder from all the discarded tomato skins from when you make spaghetti sauce!  Get out of town!  Do you know how much tomato powder I could have from all the skins from the spaghetti sauce I made?  Oh well, now I know for next year!  And if this post puts you in the mood to make chili, HERE is a yummy recipe!

1.  How to dehydrate tomatoes

2.  DIY Tomato powder

3.  Tomato Powder

4.  Tomato Skins to Tomato Powder

Copy Cat Zupas Cauliflower Soup

It's Copy Cat Week!!  Yay!!!!

You know that one of my favorite things is to get recipes from my favorite dishes at restaurants and make them at home!  I've gotten requests to find recipes of foods I haven't eaten and that's fun too!  If someone else talks about how good a dish is at a restaurant I am more than happy in finding a copy cat recipe and trying it.  Like this one!!!

I have never eaten at Zupas, however, I have heard so many people rave about this soup, so I had to try it! 

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it claimed to be identical.  I have no idea if it was, but it was creamy and delicious!  So delicious that I made it twice within one week!  I told my kids that it was like potato soup, and they ate it!  Even after I told them it was  made with cauliflower! 

It was a great meal for our snowy cold days.  Also, a relatively nutritious meal you can feed your family for under $10 and have some leftover for your husband to take in his lunch the next day (if you don't claim it yourself!)

Seriously, it was sooo delicious.  I encourage topping it with the cheese, bacon, and onions - so good!!!

Copy Cat Zupas Cauliflower Soup
Recipe from HERE

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 T butter
• 2 pounds cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• ¼ C flour
• 2 C half and half
• 1½ cup water
• 1 14½ ounce can chicken broth
• 1½ C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ C pepper jack cheese, shredded
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Optional Toppings:
• Green Onions
• Bacon Bits
• Additional Cheese

Instructions

1. In a large pot, melt 3 T butter and cook the chopped onion until translucent and golden brown. Whisk in the flour. Gradually stir in half and half, water and chicken broth.
2. Add the chopped cauliflower and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low and allow the cauliflower to cook until tender about 15 minutes.
3. In a blender with the center of the top removed to allow steam to escape, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot. (Instead of using a blender I use my immersion blender - much easier!)
4. Heat soup to medium heat and add in dijon mustard and cheese and stir until melted. Serve with optional toppings.  (I just take my soup off the heat, use the immersion blender, then add the cheese and mustard without putting it back on the heat.)
5. Enjoy!

Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

My BFF shared this recipe with me and it's perfect right now because butternut squash is getting ripe on the vine for all you lucky ducks that have butternut squash (apparently I planted a hybrid, boo!), and I had just picked some kale from my garden.  It was so super yummy!!  I think I've eaten the whole pot by myself.  Not even kidding.

Not going to lie, I was super skeptical about this tasting good.  I think my ten year old self took over briefly while I was cooking and looking at all the vegetables together and wondering how they could taste good.  But, it did and it was fabulous.  So fabulous, I had it for breakfast. 

Enjoy!

Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup 
Original Recipe from HERE

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in small discs
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges or  4 or 5 slices
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in chunk size for soup.
• 6 peeled garlic cloves or 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups or more of vegetable broth (I did end up using a little more)
• 4 cups of finely chopped kale (I use my frozen kale from summer harvest)
• 1/8 tsp. dried ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 15 oz can of Great Northern white beans, drained
• Salt (I used sea salt)
• Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush rimmed baking sheet with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 - 45 minutes.
2. Pick out garlic cloves, tomatoes, and onion and puree until smooth (or keep chunky if you like chunky, but my kids don't). Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Can be made a day ahead.  
4. Enjoy!

So, I didn't really read the original directions very well and ended up doing it this way, and now just do it this way every time.  Though I do only quarter my tomatoes and onions NOT dice them.  That took way too long to separate!  But, they smelled so good, and I couldn't get my niece to stop eating the carrots they were so yummy!! 

*Please note this recipe does not freeze very well, the butternut squash tends to get mushy. 

Copy Cat Spaghettios

When I had the thought to make this, I didn't start out thinking, "I'm going to make my own spaghettios."  I made my tortellini soup for dinner and my kids would not eat it.  I had even made it this time and pureed all the vegetables so they would eat it!  For some reason, they wouldn't eat it with just the sausage in it!  They love sausage, but they wouldn't eat it.  So, the next day, I had the thought to drain out the sausage and add some mini star pasta that I had on hand, and this recipe was born. 

I buy Spaghettios a few times a year, so not very much, but Mallary will eat them which makes no sense to me because I think they even smell horrible.  Not anymore!  The kids LOVED this.  I had packed it in their lunch, and Trevan came home and said, "When did you buy those Spaghettios??!" Ha!  He told me it was so good!!  The SAME soup they wouldn't eat the day before, but you add star noodles and life is all good again.  It's a win win - they are eating a TON of vegetables and don't even know it!

Copy Cat Spaghettios Recipe 

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups beef broth (3 -14oz. cans)

1 cup water

1 1/2 cup sliced carrots

3 cups crushed tomatoes (28 oz. can)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 1/2 cups diced zucchini

1 1/2 cups diced yellow squash

8 oz. pasta of your choice (stars, shapes, abc's)

1.  Cook your pasta according to package instructions - set aside. 

2.  While pasta is cooking, saute onion, celery and garlic in a little bit of olive oil in a large pot and cook until tender. (Honestly, I will probably cook sausage, remove it from pan then saute the onion, etc. in that sausage grease to add that flavor to the soup.  Then I'd just use the sausage in another recipe.)  Add broth, water, carrots, tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley.  Bring to a boil for 15 minutes.   

3.  Add squash and zucchini.  Cover and cook until squash and zucchini are tender.  

4.  Puree vegetables.  Then add cooked pasta.

5.  Serve up the yummy goodness to your kids (and you)!

I mean, look at all those veggies!  Your kids don't even know it!! Yum!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Before and after being pureed

I know I said I was going to be posting my turkey leftovers, but I have to post this first because this goes in one of my leftover recipes.  

One day I decided I was going to my own cream soups and can them, then I would never buy another can of it in my life.  I have yet to can any, but I like making my own!

My friend posted this recipe on her blog a few years ago, and I LOVE it!  So, whenever I have a recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup, I make this first!   It makes my house smell sooo yummy!  My kids come running in and asking what's for dinner?!

I halfed this recipe the first time I made it (Not sure why because my friend mentions in her post you can freeze it...), but probably because I didn't buy enough mushrooms.  The mushrooms didn't half in the quantity that is economical to buy, so every time I make this, the amount of mushrooms change! 

So, when I use this as a substitute for canned cream of mushroom soup, I use the soup without the cream in it.  If I eat it as soup, I add the cream.  Delicious either way.  You can also make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.  

I know not everyone uses a kitchen scale to measure ingredients, so I added the equivalent measurements for you.  Or what the ounces equaled in cups, etc.  Can I just put a plug in for the immersion blender?? How did my kitchen ever survive without it???? 

Original recipe HERE. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
(Makes 1/2 gallon)

1.5 oz. butter (3 T.)
4 oz. yellow onion diced (1 cup)
2 oz. celery diced (heaping 1/2 cup)
2 oz. leeks (1 cup)
2 lbs. mushrooms
1.5 quarts chicken stock (6 cups)
roux**
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. heavy cream, heated

1.  Sweat onions, celery, leeks, mushrooms in butter
2.  At the same time make your roux*
2.  Add chicken stock and roux, stir to dissolve roux, bring to simmer for 30 minutes.
3.  Puree solids until smooth, simmer for 10 minutes
4.  Season with salt & pepper, to taste
5.  Add heated cream to soup and garnish just before serving.

** roux recipe

8 T. butter
8 T. flour

Melt butter, whisk in flour.  Cook boiling & whisking for 4 minutes. 

the roux cooking

This was before adding the mushrooms - Seriously this smells so amazing I almost forgot to add the mushrooms!

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew?!  What's that???  Delicious is what it is!  It's a southern thing for sure!

Brunswick stew is basically beef stew cooked forever.  You know, cooked until mush.  I prefer some chunks, so I cut my meat and potatoes a little bigger. 

I LOVE this stuff!  If we ever buy some from a fundraiser John better hide it or I devour it!

Our church youth group made some for a fundraiser and a few years ago, I got the recipe and halfed and halfed and halfed then adjusted because it couldn't always be exactly halfed until I could make it in a large stock pot.  I was making it in my water bath canner but that was too much too.  A few years ago we even canned some!  So yummy!


Brunswick Stew Recipe
Fills a Large Stockpot - feeds an army

1.5 lbs. stew meat (or any kind of beef)
1 lb. of pork chops  
1 lb. chicken 
1.5 inch square of fatback (Most people don't have this on hand - you could sub with a few slices of bacon)
1 c. water

1.  Dice meat.  Add all above ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 3 - 3.5 hours or low for 5 - 6 hours.  I usually cook mine overnight so it can be ready for me in the morning to start the stew.  Strain broth from meat and reserve. 

2.  In a large stockpot put the following ingredients.

3 lbs. potatoes (or even 3.5 lbs.)
1 1/2 c. diced carrots
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 lb butter
1 small head of cabbage shredded or finely diced
28 oz. can of tomato puree
1 large onion
1/4 c. salt
1/2 T. black pepper
broth from the meat
Add enough water to barely cover the top of the vegetables

3. Cook above ingredients until tender.

4.  Add the following to the stock pot.

8 oz. bag of lima or butter beans
2 (15.25 oz.) cans of corn drained
1 (1qt. 14 oz.) can of tomato juice
1 (28 oz.) can of pureed tomatoes
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/8 c. hot sauce (use Texas Pete or whatever you have on  hand)
1/8 c. worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 T. chili powder
Meat from the crockpot

5.  Cook over medium low heat for at least 3 hours stirring often until super thick or it has reached your desired mushness.  I cooked mine for at least five hours...

Enjoy!!!!  
 

March Dinner Menu

Vegetarian Pasta Bake

I was looking through some of my unpublished posts and found my March dinner menu.

It looks like we ate a lot of soup that month!!!!!  That is one thing I like about the fall coming so soon... it's time again for soup!

Potato Soup
Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
Crock pot Italian Chicken
Crepes
Lasagna Soup
Stromboli
Sauerbraten
Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Chicken Rice Wraps
Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup
Irish Soup
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Crock Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Vegetarian Pasta Bake
Cheesy sausage Tortellini
Alfredo Pizza
Chili
Crock Pot tortellini
Beans, Ham, and Cornbread

St. Patrick's Day Soup

I thought I would be festive and try this soup for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day.  To get my kids to eat it I told them this is what Leprechaun's ate and called it Shamrock Soup.  Mostly, the kids just ate the sausages and potatoes out of it, but oh well. 

I thought it was great, but I love cooked cabbage!  It made the house smell really wonderful!  The apple cider vinegar at the end made the soup seem like it would taste kind of sauerkraut-y.  It didn't really, but it was so good!  I had ahem, multiple helpings.

Rustic Irish Potato and Cabbage Soup Recipe
Recipe from HERE

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1-pound head of green cabbage, cored and sliced thin (I put mine in the food processor so it was super tiny sized)
4 medium gold or white potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 sausages or brats (I used 1 lb. smoked sausage)
4 cups light gluten-free broth (I  used vegetable broth)
1 cup of gluten-free lager or ale- optional (I used vegetable broth)
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds- crush them if you like (didn't have - I used1/4 tsp. celery seed)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 pinch raw sugar (I used an unpacked T. of brown sugar)

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the onion; stir for five minutes or so. Add the garlic and cabbage and stir together; cook until the cabbage has wilted. Add the potatoes, carrots and sausages. Stir. Season with caraway, parsley, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Pour in the broth; stir together. Cover and bring to a high simmer; then lower the heat a bit and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender- about 45 minutes.

Add a touch of cider vinegar and a pinch of raw sugar to liven things up. Taste the soup and season to your liking.

Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup

I know I already posted a tomato soup recipe this week, but I was so shocked my kids would eat the other one, I thought I would try a different one while we were on a roll.  I have also had some orzo pasta in my pantry for a long time and thought I would finally use it!  This soup is good, it is a bit more tomato-y than the one I posted previously, and it also has the orzo pasta I already mentioned. 

If I had to choose between the two recipes I would choose the parmesan one I posted earlier this week.  That one just had a better flavor to it, but don't get me wrong, this one is good too.  I might try to use Greek yogurt with the other tomato soup recipe though instead of the cream next time I make it. 

Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup Recipe
Recipe from HERE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
3-15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1-15 ounce can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used 1/2 T. dried basil)
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (I did a dash of ground red pepper)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used 1/2 tsp. salt and almost 1/4 tsp. black pepper)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used plain yogurt that I had drained so basically Greek yogurt)
1 cup cooked Orzo pasta (to get 1 c. cooked, use heaping 1/4 c. dried orzo)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves.

2. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir in the brown sugar and fresh basil. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, to taste. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup (or blend the soup in a standing blender and return to the pot). Stir in the yogurt until well combined. Stir in the orzo pasta. Serve warm.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

When I make a whole chicken in the crock pot, most of the time I use the white meat for this chicken and rice wrap recipe.  With the dark meat and remaining white meat, I usually make some kind of soup. 

For this recipe, after I take the cooked chicken out of the crock pot and pick the meat off, I take the rest of the chicken (bones, etc.) put them in a pot with water and boil it to make more broth. 

This soup is pure comfort food. I took the dumplings from this recipe and added the rest of the ingredients to make a soup.  I really like these dumplings because they taste like thick homemade noodles!

I even ate this for breakfast this morning...  Yum!

Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe

1 small onion diced
1 - 2 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups of diced carrots (about 4-5 med. sized carrots)
1 1/2 cups of diced celery (about 4 stalks)
8-10 cups of chicken broth
2-3 cups of diced cooked chicken (depending on how large your chicken was)
season with seasoned salt, pepper, and salt to your liking (I would put an amount here, but it all depends on what you cook your chicken with and if your broth is already flavored...)
1/2 c. cream or milk (I use 2%) (This is totally optional, I like my soup to look a little creamier and make it feel like I'm not eating 100% broth)

1.  Put 1 T. butter or olive oil in a large pot.  Saute onion and garlic until translucent.

2.  Add carrots, celery, and broth.  Cook until carrots are almost tender. 

3.  While the above is cooking, prepare dumplings (recipe below).

4.  Add dumplings and chicken to pot, cook until desired done-ness.  (about 15 minutes)

5.  Season to your liking, stir in milk if you choose. 

6.  Enjoy!

Dumpling Recipe
Recipe from HERE

2 cups Flour

½ teaspoons Baking Powder

1 pinch Salt

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 cup Milk

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. 

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.  Knead dough together just a bit.  If it's too sticky knead in a little bit more flour.

Using a floured work surface.  Roll the dough out thin with a floured rolling pin. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I used a scalloped edge rotary kind of cutter.  

Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 1″x1″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.
 
Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. 

 

Lasagna Soup

I was a little skeptical of this recipe, not sure why, but it was fabulous!!!  So good! 

 

I only made minor changes because I didn't have red pepper flakes or fresh basil.  You can see my substitutes below.  Also, next time I think I will double the recipe (or triple it?) and just freeze the extra portions for dinners on another date. (minus the noodles because they absorb all the liquid)

 

I hate when recipes only use a part of a can of something.  This recipe leaves a lot of tomato paste left, so you have to plan ahead and use it for something else, but usually most people end up throwing away a half a can of something they have stuck in their fridge to use another time.  I actually think you could freeze tomato paste...  Hmmm... I never thought of that before...  So, maybe freeze 2 T. portions of it to use for this recipe at another time.

 

 

Lasagna Soup Recipe

Recipe from HERE 

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper)
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (I used garden rotini)
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I used 2 T. dried basil)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

for the cheesy surprise:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper

 

additional cheese for garnishing and added yumminess:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes.

2.  Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, basil (if using dried) and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
 

3.  Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil (if using fresh) and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 

5.  While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
 

6.  To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.
 

7.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

This recipe doesn't look like anything special, but it is delish!!  Even my VERY PICKY eight year old ate it and asked for leftovers every day!  I was amazed!  It is so easy to make as well.  This is one of those soups you would have in a nice bistro.  The flavors are really fabulous!  The only thing I did different was to use an immersion blender at the end because my kids won't eat chunks of tomatoes, and I used some skim milk.

This will definitely be a regular around our house now, and, I've never really been a fan of tomato soup, so that is really saying something!

Crock Pot Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup Recipe
Recipe from HERE

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (I used not even a cup of cream and skim milk)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end).

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

The Best Potato Cheese Soup

I LOVE potato soup, but I love my potato soup the most!!  No canned cheese soups for this recipe, you make your own cheese sauce!  This soup is a big hit whenever it is served.  Promise!  Simple, easy, and delicious!

Potato Cheese Soup Recipe:

1 medium onion diced
4-5 carrots diced (or grated**)
4 stalks of celery diced
10 Large peeled and cubed potatoes
1/2 tsp.  (or to taste) dried rosemary (crushed a little bit)
pepper & salt to taste
5 chicken bouillon cubes ( I use 5 tsp. of natural chicken bouillon, no MSG. etc.  or use chicken broth instead of water below and omit the bouillon)


1.  In large pot, saute first three ingredients in 2-3 T. butter (or olive oil if you want to be healthier)
2.  Add the rest of ingredients.
3.  Add enough water (or chicken broth) to cover vegetables and boil until potatoes are tender. 
4.  Mash through with potato masher until desired consistency.
5.  You can make the cheese sauce when potatoes are almost done.
**  Another way I make it sometimes is to grate the carrots then add them right at the end when the potatoes are almost done.

Make Cheese Sauce:

4 T. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

In small pot, melt butter then whisk in flour until smooth.  Add milk and let thicken a little bit then add cheese.  Mix the cheese into the pot with potatoes.  All done!  Enjoy!

Mmmm.... soup!

I love soup anytime of year!! I love it even more when it's cold or rainy or when I'm sick.  The ultimate comfort food! These past three weeks I have had severe headaches and pain from a tooth infection, was not able to chew, then had a root canal and still couldn't chew.  The night after my root canal, I was eating chili that my husband had just pulverized with the magic bullet, and I decided that I needed to make myself some soup since I could barely open my mouth!

So, this week I'm dedicating my blog to soup.  Mmmm.... noodle soup.   (Friends reference anyone???)  This week I'm going to be posting some new soup recipes I've tried, along with at least one of my own very favorite soup recipes!  Ironically, it's supposed to be one of the warmest weeks here yet, so... here's to eating soup in warm weather! 

Below, are the soups that have been featured on my blog already with the links to their recipes.  I love them all!! 

 

Chicken Quinoa Stew, Sausage Bean Chowder

 

Wendy's Copy Cat Chili, Olive Garden Copy Cat Zuppa Toscana

 

 

Copy Cat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi, Tortellini Soup

 

Copy Cat Panera Black Bean Soup, Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about trying this recipe, but I loved it.  I got it from Pinterest, and it was originally a Weight Watcher recipe.  I changed it a bit.. It only called for one potato, but there are five people in my family, so I used three.  The recipe calls for skim milk, and John was like, "you should use cream!"  :)  I used 1 c. of skim milk, and 1 c. of 2%.

It was really yummy, very flavorful, and quick to throw together!

Corn Chowder Recipe
Recipe from HERE

3 medium potatoes
1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. minced onion
1 c. sweet red pepper diced (I used roasted red peppers because it is what I had)
4 pieces of bacon cooked (the original recipe called for Canadian bacon - not my fav. so I subbed)
About 2 c. corn (original recipe says corn from 4 stalks) 
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce or to taste (optional)

1. Pierce potatoes several times and cook in microwave - about 8 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a large pot add olive oil, saute celery, onion, red pepper.
3. Add milk and bacon.
4. Peel potato, then add to pot and use a potato masher to mash in pot.
5. Add salt, pepper, and corn.
6. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes - do not boil.

** I have to try and make all my meals as kid friendly as possible - so we put the celery, onion, and red pepper in a food processor and pulverize it so there are no chunks of them so there will be a bigger chance of my kids eating it...  But, I actually never fed it to them - Between John having it in his lunch, and me eating it all, the kids got fish sticks.  :)

Tortellini Soup

This is definitely my new favorite soup! I even ate it for breakfast... I based it off of this recipe, but you guessed it, changed it up!  Loved it!!  Even my kids ate it (for the most part...).  So super duper yummy!

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

Tortellini Soup Recipe:

1 pound mild ground Italian sausage (honestly, you could cut this in half and make two pots of soup with it!)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups beef broth (3 -14oz. cans)

1 cup water

8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta

1 1/2 cup sliced carrots

3 cups crushed tomatoes (28 oz. can)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 1/2 cups diced zucchini

1 1/2 cups diced yellow squash

 

1.  Brown sausage.  Remove meat from pot to drain.

2.  Add, onion, celery and garlic to pot and cook until tender. Add broth, water, carrots, tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley, and the cooked sausage. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and add tortellini.  Cover. 

3.  When tortellini is almost tender add squash and zucchini.  Cover and cook until squash and zucchini are tender. 

3.  Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.  (I was so excited to eat my soup, I forgot to add the cheese!) 


** I had one of those 20 oz. containers of tortellini and used more than 8 oz. in my soup, so mine was a little thick and I would add more liquid if I did that again. 

** I pulverize all my onion and celery in a food processor so my kids will eat it.

** I asked my sous chef (John) to cube the zucchini and squash, and before I knew it he had already peeled it!!  The soup is prettier with the peelings!  And, of course healthier! 

Chicken Quinoa Stew

So, this picture really doesn't do this recipe justice.  If you'd like to see a better picture, see where I got the recipe from HERE.  I took my picture a few days after I made it (it made a lot), so a lot of the liquid had been soaked up, my chicken was a bit more shredded, and I forgot to add the parsley...

This is a yummy, healthy recipe.   I didn't make any changes from the original recipe other than forgetting to add the parsley. 

I know it doesn't sound good on a 100 degree weather day, but I made this back in April.  So, store this recipe away for the fall.  :) 

Chicken Quinoa Stew Recipe

2 T extra virgin oil (I used a little less)
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Cups sweet pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
64 oz chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into 1″ pieces (get the Yukon potatoes, it’s worth the extra few dollars)
3 cups cooked quinoa
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Hot Sauce
Kosher Salt, fresh cracked black pepper, Garlic Salt, and Parsley to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley chopped


Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and zucchini until softened. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in quinoa, chicken, dijon mustard, hot sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt. Stir in fresh parsley and simmer until ready to serve.

Pinterest Dinners

So, if you use Pinterest, I'm sure you've had the same experience as me, some recipes are hits, some are fails, and some are just okay.  Here are a few of my okays.  The vegetarian chili is the best of these recipes.  You might love them, it seemed like other people did, hence why I tried them.

Chicken Enchilada Soup:

I'm not a huge fan of red enchilada sauce, but I thought I would try this soup anyway.  It was good.  John liked it, but I don't think I'll make it again just because there are a thousand other recipes out there I like better.  You can find the recipe HERE. 

Monterey Chicken:

 

This was also good, but not fantastic... I changed it to be cooked in the crockpot, because I was short on time.  I put frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot (meaning I did not flatten them) and cooked them with garlic powder, minced onion, and BBQ sauce.  Once cooked, I added the cheese, Ro-tel, and bacon pieces.  Once again, probably will never make again, but HERE is the recipe if you'd like to try it. 

 

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili:

This was also good, and a great meatless version of chili.  For real, my husband didn't know there wasn't meat in it until I told him...  It is very hearty.  My uncle, who was visiting, said it should have another can of kidney beans too.  I found this recipe HERE, and was surprised when I clicked on the link and it took me to a blog of someone I knew ten years ago!!  My first job out of college was with the American Cancer Society, and Maria was one of our (best) interns.  I loved working with her, and she is seriously the sweetest person ever.  I don't know if this is going to go in my regular dinner rotation, who am I kidding, I don't have a regular dinner rotation -   I just like my chili recipes enough to not sub in a meatless version.  But, it is really good if you are looking for vegetarian dishes!!  

Copy Cat Panera Black Bean Soup

So, this was a first for me - making a copy cat recipe that I've never even tasted in the restaurant.  My sister in law suggested I find a recipe.  So, I found a recipe HERE, and when I saw how simple it was, I put it on the list for copy cat week! 

I did take some to my sister in law to taste test, and she said it was pretty right on.  I wasn't sure how it was garnished, so I did cheddar cheese with some cilantro, but I found out that isn't how Panera does it. 

This recipe can be made vegetarian if you use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. 

The next time I make it I will double it, because it didn't make very much, and you know I like to cook enough to have leftovers.  I will also serve it with a relish of tomatoes, green onions, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream.  I might even add some of those tiny tortillia strips.  I think that would be really good too!  This soup to me is like a glorified refried beans. 

It really is very tasty!!!  I will be making it again.  My almost two year old had three ramekins full! 

This recipe said to puree the beans, but my sister in law said the beans are whole in the soup at Panera. 

Copy Cat Panera Black Bean Soup Recipe:

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small chicken bouillon cubes
1 to 1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 cans black beans, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

In a pot, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.

Add beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.

Combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened

Garnish as desired.

Enjoy!

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Copy Cat Recipe

I told you I was in the mood for soup...

I always enjoy the chicken and gnocchi soup from Olive Garden, but it never has enough pieces of gnocchi in it!!  Well, I solved that problem with making my own soup!

This recipe is super yummy, but after having the real soup at Olive Garden, I couldn't taste any thyme, so I'm not going to use that again.  I could taste more nutmeg though...   Also, I used frozen spinach turning my soup the color it did, the real soup has a few pieces of fresh spinach in it.  It looks prettier that way. 

I also doubled this recipe, and it filled my large pot. 

I made my own gnocchi, but only used a portion of it for this recipe because it made so much.  I will post a recipe next week of what you can do with your leftover gnocchi from this recipe and your leftover kale from the Zuppa Toscana soup! 

I found the recipe HERE and followed it pretty much to a tee, except I used frozen spinach, and John dumped my carrots in too early. 

And, yes I made my own gnocchi!  You can buy it from the store, but where's the fun in that?

I used this recipe for the Gnocchi

I used this tutorial on how to shape the Gnocchi but I tried to use a bowl instead of the cheese grater he shows, so I did the final part of shaping them like this video.  I'm going to practice saying Gnocchi like the chef in the first video does...


Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Copy Cat Recipe:

1 tablespoons extra virgin oil

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 quart half and half  (I used a combo of cream and milk)

1/2 cup celery, finely diced (I accidentally used 1 c. last time I made it and it was yummy too!)

1 cup onion, finely diced

2 minced garlic cloves

2 14 ounce cans of chicken broth (I used broth from my chicken I cooked in the crock pot)

1 cup carrots, finely shredded

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 package gnocchi, cooked (you can find these in gourmet/pasta section of the grocery store - you may want to cut the gnocchi in half if it is large, or purchase the mini size if available)

1 cup of fresh spinach coarsely chopped (I noticed Olive Garden uses a few leafs of fresh spinach)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

1.  Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. A

2.  Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

3.  Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

4.  Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through. 

5. Enjoy!

*So, I wasn't paying attention to the recipe last time I made this and made it using store bought gnochhi (which I cut in half).  I just threw the gnochhi in the pot without cooking it first.  I added another cup of chicken broth to make up for it, and it turned out yummy.  This makes the soup a little thicker which I like, but if you want it thinner, I'd add a little more milk or cream too.