Cuban Black Bean Soup

Hurrah, more soup!  This time of year just seems to be the perfect time to whip up all the amazing soup recipes I keep seeing out on the interwebs.  This one caught my eye because it's hearty enough that Bo doesn't grimace over the lack of meat.  But it's also dirt cheap to put together a huge pot of it.  Win win, am I right?

And once you get the black beans set to soaking, this soup comes together in no time at all.  It's fabulous to slow cook on a Sunday afternoon.  The bonus is that with all the leftovers, you'll have an easy lunch to pack with you all week.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I just watched a thing on the news tonight that said that 70% of the people you hear coughing actually have the flu.  YIKES.  Knock on wood, but I haven't been sick in ages.  The last nasty cold I had was three years ago.  This is partly because we don't yet have kids.  But also because at the first sign of feeling run-down, I'm running around with a bottle of Vitamin C, mugs of hot water with honey and lemon, and getting extra rest.

Food Rule 34 and The Bomb Chili

True Story:  I once made this oh-so-delicious chili recipe for a group of friends, and as we began eating, I was raving about how healthy my recipe is.  Especially when I make it with the ground venison my dad packages just for me, without any fat added to it.  Venison?  You all are ok with venison, right?  I'd forgotten that I was sitting at a table with a group of people raised in an enormous city and who'd probably never even met someone who hunts.  To this day, my best friend teases me about "that time you served us venison and asked if we were ok with it after we'd already started eating."  Ha!  And sorry, guys.

But, really, as a red meat, venison is insanely healthier than the beef you typically find in grocery stores.  And that's because it is wild game.

Plants and animals that are left to raise themselves turn out to be healthier options for eating, because they've grown as nature intended.  Without bulking-up feeds and fertilizers.  They're hearty because they've survived nature.  And therefore, healthier for us to consume. 

Wild game is packed full of Omega 3s, Vitamin E, and antioxidants and is typically very lean.  Yes, it can taste "gamey," but I nearly always use it chili or taco recipes where the spices stand out as the main flavor.  For those who don't have dads who fly clear across the country with a cooler full of venison and dry ice, you can definitely substitute with ground beef.  Try to find some that's labeled "grass fed" and "free range" in order to get the greater health benefits.

Enjoy!


p.s.  It was completely unintended, but that green towel in my photos looks like I'm trying really hard to be Superbowl festive!  I didn't even think about it looking like football turf until I uploaded my photos later.  But, I love it!

        

The Bomb Chili

1 medium onion, diced
1 – 2lb. ground venison or extra lean ground beef
4, 16oz. cans beans, rinsed and drained
2, 28oz. cans diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2-4 Tbsp. red chili garlic paste
3 cloves garlic
1/2 bottle beer
6oz. can tomato paste
Johnny’s season salt (or your favorite seasoning salt), to taste

Cook the onion and ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through and onions are translucent.  Drain any grease.  Stir all ingredients into a crock pot or large roasting pan.  Cook in crock pot on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours, or bake in large roasting pan at 250 degrees for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. Makes a vat (about 14 cups).

        

Ingredient Lineup:

(MIA:  ground meat, beer, and tomato paste.  Whoops!)

(Leftover) Turkey Lentil Soup

Oh boy.  Who's still full from yesterday?  And who ate way too much dessert and not enough veggies?  Just me?  I suppose that's not terribly surprising :)

This recipe is a yum-yummy way to use up some leftover turkey (or roast chicken) while getting in a bunch of vegetables and lentils for antioxidants and fiber.  It leaves you feeling nice and cozy, but not heavy or sleepy.  And doesn't it feel so good to scoop up all those brightly colored veggies after a day of Thanksgiving feasting?

Spending Today in My Fleeze PJ Pants (Not Shopping),

Turkey Lentil Soup
adapted from Allrecipes

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. lentils, rinsed
16 oz. salsa
2 c. cooked turkey, diced
6 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
5 oz. spinach or collards or kale
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until celery is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about another 3 minutes.  Add lentils, salsa, turkey, and broth and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in spinach or collards and simmer 5-10 more minutes, until greens are softened.

         

        

Ingredient Lineup:

Hoppin' John Soup

Happy New Yearrrrr!!!

Oh wait.  This is March, isn't it.  Whoops.  Well, count me belated in my New Year's wishes and count me belated in posting this recipe.  You'll forgive me, right?  Please?  Can I buy your forgiveness with a toasty warm batch of Best Friend Makers?

So, the tradition behind this soup is that black-eyed peas are considered good luck if you eat them first thing on New Year's Day.  The peas are a symbol of coins; the collards represent the green of money; the pork represents having plenty; and the cornbread's color represents gold.  It's pretty much a lottery ticket in a bowl, am I right?  There are more interesting tidbits about the history here and here.

Hoppin' John soup is very, very new to me.  I grew up in the Pacific Northwest (insert dreamy sigh here), so I'd never seen a collard green in real life until I moved to Georgia last year.  Also, if I'm being completely honest - Southern cooking isn't known for being healthy, so I'm sometimes hesitant to try the ingredients and dishes that are traditional here.  But, I kept seeing recipes for Hoppin John this and Hoppin John that for New Year's, and they actually seemed fairly healthy, so I thought I'd give it a try.

And boy!  Am I ever glad I gave it a try.  We love, love, love this soup.  Seriously, we love it.  It's basically one big pot of cozy, which is perfection on a blustery day.  Bo is over the moon when I start cooking it, and then pretty much dies on the spot when I start baking cornbread to go with it.  (Did I mention that he's from the South?)  If you can get your hands on some kind of green (collards, kale, mustard greens, etc), I highly recommend trying this recipe out.  I've read that you can substitute white beans for the black-eyed peas, but don't come crying to me if you don't get rich, ok?

Enjoy!



Hoppin' John Soup
recipe adapted from Steamy Kitchen

12 oz. quick-cook or canned black-eyed peas
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. carrots, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 c. water
1 ham bone (with meat attached)
3 c. diced ham
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
5 handfuls torn collard leaves (tough stems removed)

Prepare black-eyed peas according to package, or drain the can.  In large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.  Saute carrots, celery, and onion for 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute additional 2 minutes.  Add the ham bone, drained peas, and water to the pot.  Bring to a low boil and then simmer for 1 hour.

Add the diced ham and tomatoes and simmer for an additional 30 minutes {Mix up your cornbread now.}  Remove the ham bone and then stir in your collard greens and simmer for an additional 30 minutes {Put your cornbread into the oven now}.  Salt to taste.  But we didn't add a speck of salt because the ham added so much flavor and was salty enough on its own.

Ingredient Lineup.

Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.

Add in the water and ham bone.

Add in the diced ham and tomatoes.

Remove the ham bone and add in the collards.

Delicious.

I wouldn't lie to ya.

Ginger Carrot Soup

I have been wanting to try Earthbound Farm's Ginger Carrot Soup recipe for a very long time.  With this sale I was able to pick up 4 bags of organic carrots for free.  I've made 2 batches of this delicious soup!  Freezing the second batch for future lunches.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

1 piece (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 cups peeled, sliced carrots (about 1 1/4 lb.)

5 cups vegetable stock or low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup orange juice

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Creme fraiche or sour cream, as garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Note: I used only a two inch piece of ginger in the second batch and liked it better. I couldn't taste the carrots in the first batch. Too much ginger for my taste buds.

Add the carrots, stock and juice. For the stock I substituted 3 Knorr vegetable bouillon cubes & 5 cups water. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes.

Puree the soup in the saucepan using an immersion blender. Or allow the soup to cool a bit, then puree it in a blender or food processor and return it to the saucepan. If you like a smoother texture, pass the pureed soup through a sieve.

Add the nutmeg, plus salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it with more water or stock.

To serve the soup chilled, refrigerate it until cold, at least 6 hours or up to 5 days. To serve the soup warm, heat it slowly over medium-low heat. Serve the soup garnished with a spoonful of creme fraiche. If desired, create a swirl pattern in the soup by dragging the tip of a knife or fork through the white creme fraiche into the orange soup. Note: I tried to get fancy with our soup bowls but I just couldn't get the sour cream to 'swirl'. I think if the sour cream was at room temp. first I may have had better luck. :)

This was such a bright and cheery soup to serve , a perfect foil for our blank landscape outside. The flavor was amazing! I strongly recommend trying this recipe. I actually 'felt' healthier eating this soup! 

 

Country Cooking - Ground Beef Stew

I've made my fair share of stews before. But when I sat down to eat this ground beef stew at my Grandma's house...I was a little confused. See in all the recipes that I have ever used...while every ingredient might be different than the last recipe...there was once constant and that was the protein that was used. Stew meat. But according to all of the women in my family...they all use ground beef to achieve the same taste without having to let it cook all day. Besides with ground beef...there was meat in almost every bite.

Start with as many potatoes as it takes to feed your family. I have six people and chose to peel and chop five.

Cover you potatoes with water and bring to a boil.

In skillet or dutch oven cook onions until tender, brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper. 

When the potatoes are tender add: 1 can whole kernel corn, 1 can green beans/peas, {your choice}1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can sliced carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef and onions to potato mixture and bring to a boil...cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve with cornbread...I would recommend cast iron skillet cornbread! My Grandma showed me how to make it. Maybe I'll show you next week!

On a side note: When Hubby and I first got married I bought all food in name brands...that lasted about as long as our money did. Since I didn't know what the quality of generic was...we went shopping one week for groceries and bought everything generic - there were some things that we noticed a difference in but things like canned veggies...taste the same. Do you buy generic? What would you never buy generic?

Tortilla Soup

There is nothing better on a cold day than a hot bowl of soup. It not only warms your body but I swear just by hoovering over it you are refreshing and heating your soul from the inside out. I made this soup on our first snow day of the year. The kids were off visiting grandparents so Hubby and I enjoyed this soup with a Boulevard and Lemon slice. It was a little spicier than I expected but not so hot that it was inedible.

Next time I make it (yes there will definitely be a next time) I have a few revisions that I make. Am I the only one that does this? I made a delicious pot of soup then I pick it apart. Next time I will do this and that. I will leave that out and add some more of this. By the time that Hubby had finished his yummy bowl of soup he was pretty put out with me. Why can't I just enjoy the bowl of soup? I don't really think of it as complaining - rather thinking ahead...making notes.

I will maybe only add half the jalapeno if the kids are eating with us. 

I will either add less chicken or instead of shredding it, chop it up. The shredded chicken made it nearly impossible not to eat without dribbling on your chin. 

I will make a double batch because I bet this would be awesome reheated.  Better still I could let it cool down then freeze in a Ziploc on it's side...making 2 meals at 1 time.

Tortilla Soup 
Simply Recipes - Recipe by Elise

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil {I used olive oil}
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped
4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Mac & Cheese Soup {veggies, cheese & pasta - what's not to love?}

I am a soup-a-holic this week. I tried to just stick with French Onion - but my heart went pitter patter for this mix of my 2 great loves: mac-n-cheese and veggies. It was super duper easy to put together and filling enough for even my growing boys. I used steam fresh veggies (you know the ones you throw in the microwave for 4 mins?) I started with one bag but threw in an extra since they looked so good.

Mac-and-Cheese Soup
Recipe.com/Parents

Ingredients:

1 package (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces small pasta shells
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot blend
1-1/2 cups low-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil over high heat. Add pasta. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add vegetables. Cook until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more.

2. Combine milk and flour in a resealable container; shake well to combine. Stir in to pasta mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

3. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

4. Warm up with a bowl of pasta, veggies and cheese...what's not to love?