Souper Easy Potato Soup (see what I did there?) (no dairy)

Hurricane Sandy was barrelling up the coast and I was glued to the weather channel for hours upon hours.  Someone on my facebook feed mentioned they'd made soup, and I suddenly thought "omg, we need soup too!".  We were under threat of losing electricity and since we heat and cook with electric, that means huge impact for us.  I figured if I made soup, I'd forget about the scary weather!  Ha.

Here's what I did.  You can adjust according to your own tastes, of course.

• 8(ish) cups chicken broth - I used 1 pod of Knorr's new chicken bouillon that I've mentioned before to 3-1/2 cups of water - then another 4 cups of water mixed with 2 packages of goya brand vegetable seasoning/broth. 
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 5-7 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 good sized stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves

Optional:  bacon (I used real bacon pieces that you use on salads), cheddar cheese, green onion

1. Lightly brown garlic in oil.  
2. Add onion and celery and saute until soft.
3. Add broth and potatoes.
4. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
5. Strain 3/4 of the potatoes out and mash.  You could do them all if you wanted, but I like chunky.
6. Re-add mashed potatoes to soup.
7. Add a couple of bay leaves.  I waited until this point so that the bay seasoning would not overtake the whole soup.
8. Stir well - this should thicken your soup.  

If it's not thick enough, you could always add a couple of tablespoons of flour to some cold water (cold is important) - mix it until it's dissolved and then add to the soup, until it's to your liking.

I added bacon and cheddar to my own bowl, and it's absolutely delicious!

Potato soup garnished with cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

How to roast a pumpkin

Whenever I need to use pumpkin for a recipe, I always roast my pumpkins.  It's so much fresher tasting than using a canned pumpkin, and of course, there are no preservatives.

Roasting a pumpkin is simple.  This is for a pumpkin that is roughly 1-2 pounds (typically called a pie pumpkin).  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray or, as I did this time, drizzle a small amount of (almond) oil.

Split the pumpkin in half. Scoop the seeds and other gunk out and set aside (roasted pumpkin seeds are awesome!).  Place the pumpkin halves open side down on the baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees (f) for 1 hour or until you can pierce the pumpkin easily with a fork.

Allow the pumpkin to cool for a few minutes before attempting to scoop out the "meat".  Once it's out, you're ready to add it to your soup or make that yummy pumpkin bread!  Enjoy!

Canned Food Alliance’s message

Did you know that, in some cases, canned foods are actually MORE nutritious for us than their fresh, and typically much more costly counterparts?  I didn’t.  I’ve been operating under the assumption that fresher is ALWAYS better.  Turns out, after watching a video from the Canned Food Alliance that, I was wrong.  Or at least, slightly uneducated.

Did you know that canned pumpkin contains almost
3x the amount of Vitamin A than fresh cooked pumpkin?

Beyond being much easier on the wallet and shopping bill, canned foods last longer and are a big time saver when to a busy person’s day in the kitchen – or especially a busy, not-quite-as-experienced-in-the-kitchen person’s day in the kitchen(ette). 

The process of canning foods has been so perfected that the foods that go into the cans are even fresher when they’re finally cooked (in the can) than the ones that you’ve bought that may have come from across the country!

TwitterMoms has asked us to take a look at this really informative video (that you can watch from my sidebar to the left here) from the Canned Food Alliance and blog about our favorite recipe using at least 2 canned food items.  That’s pretty easy for me, since my cupboard (and recycling bin) is typically full of cans!

If you’ve been a reader for any length of time, you’ll know that I do rely on canned foods, especially on those nights when I’m caught off-guard by the “OMG, it’s 4 o’clock and I haven’t taken anything out for dinner” panic.

Here’s one of my family’s absolute FAVORITE meals, and one that I can literally throw together in less than an hour, usually in the morning, so it can ‘stew’ all day – but I’ve also been known to throw this together at 4pm and serve it at 5:15!

It’s also very cost effective, in that the veggies all can come from cans!

My ALL TIME FAVORITE Beef Stew

• 1 16oz can sliced carrots

• 2 16 oz cans potatoes (you can use whole or sliced)

• 1 4oz. can peas

• 2 lbs. stew meat – this particular time, I left the chunks big.

• 1 large onion, cut into chunks

• 2-4 Tbls flour or corn starch

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

In a big pot, brown the onions in the olive oil.  Add the stew beef and brown it.  It does not have to be cooked through.  Add water to cover the beef (plus maybe an extra inch).  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for a few hours. There’s really no wrong way to do so, as long as the meat becomes tender.  Add the carrots midway through.   After about 2 hours of simmer, add the peas and carrots.   Bring back to a boil.

In a bowl, add the 2-4 Tbls of flour and whisk a small amount of water into it until you’ve got a smooth mixture.  Slowly add this to the boiling stew – this will thicken your stew.  But be sure to do it slowly, and continue to stir as you add, or you’ll have chunks of flour in your stew. NOT COOL!

It’s really easy, and wonderfully YUMMY! :) 

As for spices –I add salt & pepper when I'm cooking the meat - but I leave this up to you and your preference. 

There you have it. It’s so hearty and incredibly delicious, especially paired with some yummy bread!

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About Canned Food Alliance

The Canned Food Alliance is a partnership of the American Iron and Steel Institute’s Steel Packaging Council, the Can Manufacturers Institute, select food processors and affiliate members.  The CFA serves as a resource for information on the nutrition, convenience, contemporary appeal and versatility of canned food.  The CFA is a proud supporter of the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Fruits and Veggies More Matters program.  For hundreds of mealtime solutions, visit www.mealtime.org.

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Beef Stew

This recipe has been handed down by several generations in my family. I am sharing it here simply because it’s SO good. :)

• 3 large carrots, sliced in 1/4” chunks
• 2 16 oz cans potatoes (not the way my nana made it but it’s all I had this week)
• 1 4oz. can peas
• 2 lbs. stew meat – this particular time, I left the chunks big.
• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

In a big pot, brown the onions in the olive oil.  Add the stew beef and brown it.  It does not have to be cooked through.  Add water to cover the beef (plus maybe an extra inch).  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for a few hours. There’s really no wrong way to do so, as long as the meat becomes tender.  Add the carrots midway through.   After about 2 hours of simmer, add the peas and carrots.   Bring back to a boil.

In a bowl, add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk a small amount of water into it until you’ve got a smooth mixture.  Slowly add this to the boiling stew – this will thicken your stew.  It’s really easy, and wonderfully YUMMY! :) 

As for spices –I add salt & pepper when I'm cooking the meat - but I leave this up to you and your preference. 

Also, with regards to the potatoes - this was the first time I used canned potatoes, and they actually came out very good in this - typically, using real potatoes, while good - tends to make the potatoes get kind of mushy.  These stay firm but meld well with the flavors of the vegetables and meat. :)

Enjoy!

Ratatouille - no, not the movie!

LOL My kids & I just saw the movie Ratatouille last week and they were intrigued but the idea of the FOOD ratatouille.  But I KNOW that my oldest does not LIKE most vegetables - my daughter will, on occasion, depending on her mood, either love them or hate them.  BUT I LOVE THEM.  So I figured I'd make it and cash in on the popularity of the movie. 

I looked around the net for an interesting recipe - there's so many variations.  I wound up making my own because I wasn't paying attention LOL  It came out SCRUMPTIOUS and my kids RAVED over it.  My oldest, mr. only likes green beans, asked for 2nds... and 3rds!

 

• 1 medium sized eggplant, peeled and cut into approx. 1" chunks. (I didn't seed it either)
• 2 medium sized zucchini (not peeled), sliced
• 1 medium sized yellow squash (not peeled), sliced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 green peppers, seeded and chopped (but left in good sized chunks)
• 1 14 oz can tomatoes (with onions)
• 1 beefsteak tomato, quartered and eighth'd? LOL
• 1 tbls. olive oil
• 3 large cloves garlic, sliced

In a pot, I sauteed the onions and garlic.  Once the onions were transluscent, I added the green peppers - covered the pot and let them cook down some.  To that, I added the eggplant & tomatoes and then simmered  it, covered, for about 15 minutes - or perhaps 20.  Finally, I threw in the celery & squashes.  Again, I covered it and let it simmer while I cooked up a pound of angel hair spaghetti, which I served the ratatouille over.  Truly, this was a delicious meal!  It did need some salt, but we added that individually - and it was even better when we added parmesan cheese.  All in all, a BIG success in my house!

Enjoy!

Eggplant & Chicken Stew

Ingredients

* Eggplant, fresh, 637 grams (1 lb 6oz) - cut into 2" chunks
* Zucchini, 303 grams (10.7 oz) - sliced
* Summer Squash, 2 medium (13.1 oz)-sliced
* Garlic, 4 cloves - crushed
* Onions, raw, 139 grams (1 med 4.9oz) - chopped
* Great Value Petite Diced Tomatoes, 1.75 cup (1 can)
* Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
* Chicken Breast, no skin, 14 ounces - cut into bite-sized pieces

Nutritional Info

Fat: 3.5g
Carbohydrates: 15.6g (5.1 fiber)
Calories:165.2
Protein: 18.4g

Begin by chopping your eggplant into 2" chunks. I peeled my eggplant, but you can leave it unpeeled if you want.

Slice the zucchini & summer squash - I used 1/4" slices. Chop the onion, crush the garlic.

In a stew pot, brown the garlic & onion in the olive oil. Add

Next, add the can of tomatoes and bring to a bubble over medium heat.

Add the eggplant and reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes.

Add the zucchini and squash and cook an addition 30 minutes, or until vegetables are to your desired tenderness.

The original recipe suggested adding mushrooms & chickpeas, but I didn't so it's not in this recipe. Her original recipe, by Revasean, is simply named Eggplant Stew, and is the basis of this recipe.

I would say this makes 6 good sized servings and would be great served with a nice salad.

Number of Servings: 6

Tomato & Shredded Cabbage Soup

I made this soup today with my kids and it turned out excellent. So excellent in fact that my son- Mr. Bologna Sandwich, even wanted to eat it. With CABBAGE. Gasp!

Here's the original recipe:

Tomato & Shredded Cabbage Soup
(From Healthy Living Magazine)

• 1 Tbs. ex-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 8oz bag shredded cabbage & carrots
• 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, no salt, drained
• 4 c. fat-free, reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. honey
• salt & fresh black pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper, to taste, optional
  

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until onion begins to brown lightly, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to saute another minute. Add cabbage, carrots and tomatoes. Saute for 3 more minutes. Add broth and cumin. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and honey. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayeene pepper, if using.

Per Serving: 70 calories, 3g protein, 10g carb, 2g fiber, 3g total fat (2g mono), 104 mg. sodium. Vitamin A, C, B3, Folate.

So my substitutions were:

I didn't have vegetable broth, so I used this:

0 carbs, which is all that really counted for me lol

So anyways, I tried it when it was finished simmering, etc. and it was really good. This is also when my son tried it and liked it. But I'd been told about adding some ground beef on a low carb recipe list I'm on, so I decided to try that. I put about 1/2 lb of ground beef in and it was even better! I finished it by shredding just a bit of fresh parmesan cheese over the top and voila! Yum!

Crock Beef Stew w/ Oven Roasted Vegetables

• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1-3/4 lb beef stew meat
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 can beef broth (13 to 14-1/2 ounces)
• 2 ts. thyme
• 12 medium mushrooms
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1-1/2 Tb olive oil
• 1 Tb. cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tb cold water

IN a skillet, heat 1/2 Ts olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add beef and garlic and brown, salting and peppering to taste. Stir in broth and dried thyme. Bring to a boil and transfer to a crock-pot. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the type of slow cooker you have.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a jelly-roll pan with a little olive oil. Place the veggies on the pan. Drizzle 1/2 Tb olive oil over vegetables, tossing to coat. Roast in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

At the last hour of cooking, add the cornstarch mixture, cook and stir 2 minutes with the lid off or until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in the roasted vegetables and serve.

Per serving:
289 calories; 13g fat; 32g protein; 12g carb; 2 fiber; 77mg cholesterol; 285mg sodium.

*Note: I leave out the mushrooms and substituted some zucchini and yellow squash instead. YUM!

Kitchen Sink Soup

This is a recipe I made up on my own. It really was very tasty!

Kitchen Sink Soup
By Dawn

• 1 c carrots, sliced
• 1 c celery, sliced
• 1 c yellow snap beans (wax beans)
• 1 c frozen spinach
  
• 2 c yellow summer squash sliced
• 1 lg onion (1 cup)
• 2 c chopped chicken (see below)
• 1/2 c green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbs garlic chives, chopped
  
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp chicken soup base
• 1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped

While I was chopping the veggies, I placed 4 chicken quarters (the leg and thigh section) that had been picked on for dinner the other night in about 7 cups of water and set it to boil. To that, I added the tops of the inside sections of celery (the leafy portion), the top portion of a fresh onion (what most consider green onions), and salt & pepper. That boiled the whole time I chopped veggies, about 45 minutes or so.

After the veggies were chopped, I poured the chicken and broth into a strainer that was placed in a bowl. The bowl caught the broth, and then I placed the chopped veggies (all except the yellow squash and onion) into the pot, along with about a tablespoon of olive oil.

The yellow squash and onion went on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in a 425 ° oven for 25 minutes.

I sauteed the veggies in the pot for a while, while picking the chicken off the bones.

Finally, I put the broth, chicken and roasted vegetables into the pot and brought it back to a boil. To this, I added the rosemary, chicken base and garlic salt.

I cooked this for about 10 minutes (the time it took to wash the dishes I'd dirtied during this time), and then turned it off. I left it off until we ate lunch, about 40 minutes.

Later, I'll reheat it for a few minutes, and serve it again, but with a salad, for dinner!

I figured out the nutritional info and it fell as such:

Per serving, which I'm figuring is about 1 cup of soup.
Cal 129; Fat 22; Cholesterol 42; Sodium 239; Potassium 492; Carbs 8; fiber 3.5; protein 14.5

ENJOY!