Soup's ON....Sweet Potato and Chipolte Soup

This warms from the inside. The smokey warmth of the chipolte peppers rest on the back of the throat in a very pleasant way.

.......Very pretty presentation with cream swirled in the soup and a cilantro garnish.....

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium sweet potatoes (2 pounds total), peeled and cut
• 1/2 to 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Sour cream, for serving (I drizzled dots of cream and then enjoyed the priv of swirling them for a very pretty effect)
  
• Toasted flour tortilla wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over mediumhigh. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Top soup with sour cream and serve with tortilla wedges, if desired.

From Everyday Food, December 2009

Soup's ON....Sausage, Lentil and Kale soup

An unseasonably cold winter has me looking for soup, soup and more soup.

Warm and comforting....warms is what is sounding good to me!

My motto being, "Use what you have." Yet I am craving new flavors....so I start looking for new recipes. I want to combine what I have and infuse something new. Kale is the new part to this recipe. I had never eaten kale. Most often it is on deli trays as the garnish...it is edible, and now I know even delicious. Its texture differs from most greens. Most "southern" greens and even cooked spinach are just a little slick in texture. In my opinion, the kale does not have that texture tendency. The flavors of this soup combine were delicious. Initially, the sweet skeptical 3 year old in the house did not like the thought of trying this. Then I explained to my husband's amusement that it is the combination of the flavors that makes it yummy.... The child ate every last drop of soup in his bowl. That is what satisfies this mommy! I felt rather virtuous knowing that the man clan ate KALE!!!!

Serves 6

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used low sodium turkey sausage)
  
• 2 celery stalks (with leafy tops), thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (home stewed chicken stock)
  
• 1 bunch (about 1/2 pound) kale, preferably Tuscan, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
  

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until lentils and vegetables are tender, 25 minutes.
2. Add kale and season with salt. Return soup to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

From Everyday Food, December 2009

Broccoli Bisque

1 large bunch fresh broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups chicken broth
2 TBS butter
1 TBS all-purpose flour
1 TBS salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups Half and Half

6 servings (small servings)

Steam broc until tender. Chop.

In a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree mixture in a blender until smooth.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth.

Stir in Half and Half.

Combine sauce and broccoli puree.

Cook over med heat, stirring until soup bubbles.

Serve hot or cold.

This is absolutely wonderfully satisfying!!!!!!!

Chili our way

For years my chili recipe was rather simple. My sis got me hooked on this one.

1 can chili magic
1 15 oz can tomatoes
1 pound cooked hamburger.

Simmer. You can't get any easier than that!
I still love the Chili Magic recipe. About a year ago, the "powers that be" for our local Walmart decided that they no longer needed to sell Chili Magic; that began my quest for a perfect homemade chili.

Here's chili the way ..uh huh...uh huh.. the way we like it! Hold on.........here we go!

I am feeding a man clan. So, I look for ways to give them lasting fullness. One great way is using complex carbs...like brown rice hiding under chili! Unless you are using 5 min brown rice, expect to cook it for 45 minutes. I really feel like I have planned ahead when I already have some rice precooked and in the freezer waiting on the "chili urge".


Next comes the good ol' chili. I will be posting the most fav chili recipe soon!


Cheese anyone?!?!?


Last week when dishing up the chili in our own special way, my EDC informed me that I had "not given him enough sour cream to cool his soup"! Who knew? All these years that is really why we have been putting it on the chili. If you like the cream, enjoy and cool your soup with it!




Now, for the crowning jewel! Gecha some of that fried cornbread!



Now that chili is ready to comfort, nurture and warm the ones you love!!!!

Fall makes me crave something a little different!

Tried this recipe for butternut squash bisque with ginger and orange. Yummy, just different from the standard fare!

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Soup

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com Such a wonderful tool! I made this in a batch to feed 20! It was wonderful. The recipe has been requested. When a recipe is requested....I take that as a compliment...I love to feed people. I love it even more when they want to duplicate my efforts and share it with the ones they love and nourish!


Here it is....my version.


3 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed (I love my pampered chef garlic press)
2 TBS flour
1 (48 oz) can chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 (6 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme ( I made a thyme bouquet....tied a few stems together with thread and let the flavor infuse overnight....then I took the whole bundle out prior to serving)
salt and pepper to taste.


Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and mix in the olive oil. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes, until onion is lightly bowned. Stir in the garlic, and continue to cook 1 minute. Mix in the flour. Wisk in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Mix the half-and-half into the pot. Stir in the roasted re peppers. Season with thyme bouquet, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until heated through.

Enjoy with warm crusty bread for dipping!!!