chipotle butternut squash soup

okay. it's ridiculously obnoxious to peel a squash. but, i promise you the rest of this recipe is a breeze. and quite tasty. here is a how-to picture tutorial on cutting a butternut squash.
this recipe calls for chipotle powder. do know it's quite different then chili powder. chipotle powder is made from smoke-dried jalapeños. chili powder is made from chilies. it's a distinctly different smoky flavor and packs a ton of heat. use it sparingly.

chipotle butternut squash soup
1 butternut squash (2- 2.5 lbs), peeled and cut in 2 in cubes
2 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 medium sized apples, peeled and cut in 2 in cubes
1/8 c olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
4 c chicken or vegetable broth

1. preheat your oven to 400°.
2. combine squash, onion and apples in a bowl. toss with remaining ingredients (except for the broth) and spread on a foil lined baking pan. bake for 45 minutes.
3. pour broth into a stock pot. add squash, onion and apples. bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
4. combine broth and squash mixture in a food processor. (do this in batches or you'll be wearing it)

simple chicken & dumpling soup

dumplings. yum.
bisquick is used in this recipe as a shortcut to making homemade dumplings. while simmering, the dumplings thicken up the soup making it extra yummy.

simple chicken & dumpling soup
3 bone-in chicken breasts
1 qt chicken broth
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c frozen peas
2 c bisquick
3/4 c milk
3 tbl fresh parsley
salt & pepper

1. place chicken breasts, carrots, celery and onion in a stock pot. pour chicken broth in pot. bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 25 minutes. turn off heat. using tongs, take out chicken and allow to cool.
2.  in the meantime, combine bisquick with milk, parsley, salt & pepper.
3. shred chicken and place back in soup. add frozen peas and bring to a slow simmer.
4. drop dough mixture a large spoonful at a time (i used a "heaping" tablespoon) into soup. cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

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potato & ham soup

i find myself looking for any reason to make soup. i'm not sure why i put in the time to do so since my husband doesn't consider soup a meal. this angers me more than i can express, as i have a very loving relationship with it.
speaking of my crazy husband, i asked him if he had any suggestions for meals for the week and he said he wants tacos every night because that's his favorite. really, tacos? no disrespect mr. taco, but all you are is ground meat with a packet of seasoning. let's not down play the devastation i experienced when i heard this. i spend hours upon hours cooking each week only to find out that he would really rather just have a taco. great. so, onward. i'm embracing the taco and turning into a challenge. how can i make taco's for one week straight, but each night different. stay tuned. it's going to be interesting.
in the meantime, enjoy this yummy potato & ham soup. it's simple, but heartwarming.


potato & ham soup

3 medium potatoes, cubed in 1" cubes
1 lb ham, cubed in 1" cubes
6 c chicken stock
1 c carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs flour
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

1. cook potatoes in 2 quarts of water for 25 minutes or until fork tender. drain.
2. puree 1/3 of the potatoes in a food processor and set aside.
3. saute carrots and onions in olive oil for 10 minutes. add flour and salt and pepper, stirring for 3 minutes. add chicken stock, salt and pepper and pureed potatoes. bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. simmer for 10 minutes allowing to thicken.
4. add remaining potatoes and ham. cook for 5 minutes heating through.

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cream of broccoli & cheese soup

on a soup kick. buon appetito.

cream of broccoli & cheese soup

1 lb broccoli, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 1/2 c chicken broth
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
2 c skim milk
2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

1. bring broccoli and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
2. puree half of the broccoli and chicken broth in a food processor.
3. heat butter in a stockpot. add flour and cook for 1 minute making a "rue". add milk slowly stirring constantly. simmer on low heat for 5 minutes or until milk thickens.
4. add cooked broccoli, broccoli puree, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. heat until cheese melts. be sure not to boil.

homemade chicken noodle soup

ahhh... it officially feels like fall and makes me want to eat soup. i grew up on this. it's your standard chicken noodle soup but one you can definitely call homemade and actually, quite simple. here's to hoping you spend time snuggling on the couch with your honey slurping on some homemade chicken noodle soup.

homemade chicken noodle soup

2 bone-in chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
1 cup carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1, 16 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. saute carrots, celery, onion in 2 tbs of olive oil for 5 minutes in a large soup pot. take out vegetables and put aside.
2. put chicken breasts, can of tomatoes, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper in the soup pot. add 5 cups of water to pot and bring to a boil. turn heat down allowing water to simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. take chicken out of pot and allow to cool on a cutting board.
3. add vegetables to broth and simmer for 15 minutes allowing vegetables to get tender.
4. meanwhile, cook noodles according to package.
5. once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite size pieces using your hands and discard skin and bones. add chicken and cooked noodles to soup.

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potato and leek soup

my sister made this for us once with bacon and avocado grilled cheese. delish! i of course had to make it for myself. leeks belong to the allium vegetable family with onion and garlic. i would consider them a milder and sweeter version of onions. unfortunately they aren't always easy to find. sendiks, however, hasn't let me down. it's really important to use white pepper vs. black. you'll definitely taste a difference.

potato and leek soup

1 lb leek (dark green sections removed), chopped
3 tbs butter
3 small potatoes, diced small
1 qt vegetable broth
1 c heavy cream
1 c milk
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt plus a pinch
 1 tbs snipped chives

1.  melt butter over medium heat. add leeks and a pinch of salt. sweat for 5 min. decrease heat to medium low and cook until tender (25 min).
2. add potatoes and broth, bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft (20 min or so).
3. puree in blender or food processor until smooth (do in batches or you'll be covered in it).
4. stir in cream, milk, salt and pepper.

black beans

black beans are by far one of the tastiest things to cook with. packed with fiber and known to lower cholesterol. wowza. not to mention a must for meatless monday recipes. i have to admit i'm somewhat of a newbie to the bean. i think it all comes down to whether or not your mom put beans in her chili. well, my mom didn't. my childhood feel cheated.
i digress.
so there's this supposed big game happening tomorrow that i thought this recipe would compliment. see for yourself.

black bean soup

1 tbl olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp ground cumin
1 16 oz pkg dried black beans
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbl chopped chipotle chiles from a can (deseed!!!)
7 c hot water
2 tbl fresh lime juice
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
handful of chopped parsley

1. heat olive oil in a skillet and add peppers and onions. saute until beginning to brown (about 8 min). add garlic and cumin. cook for one minute.

2. transfer to a slow cooker. add beans, chipotles, tomatoes and water. cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. transfer 2 cups of bean mixture to a blender or food processor and puree. return puree to slow cooker. stir in lime juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

4. serve with a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread on the side for dipping!

adapted from Bon Appetit