Category: SOUPS & STEWS & CHILIS

MEATBALL STEW & PARMESAN ONION WEDGES

MEATBALL STEW & PARMESAN ONION WEDGES
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tub KNORR beef gel
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
1 pound small red tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
2 cups baby carrots sliced in half lengthwise
1 package frozen pearl onions (thawed)**
1 tablespoon Avocado oil
12 oz. package frozen meatballs
1 package McCormick Au Jus
Himalayan pink salt and Garlic pepper to taste

  • Whisk together the hot water, gel tub, vinegar, Au Jus seasoning and white wine until well blended.
  • Add flour and whisk until lump free and set aside.
  • Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Add celery, potatoes, carrots and onions, sauteing until slightly softened (about 8-10 minutes).
  • Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 
  • Add meatballs and simmer 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.  Broth will thicken as it simmers.

**While the pearl onions look good, I prefer to make this recipe with sweet Maui onions.

PARMESAN ONION WEDGES
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup WHOLE milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, minced
1/2 mayonnaise**
1 teaspoon salad seasoning

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a small bowl stir biscuit mix and milk together just until moistened.
  • Turn onto a floured surface and knead a few times.
  • Roll out to a 11-12 inch circle and transfer to a pizza pan.
  • Combine the cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salad seasoning. Spread on top of dough.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden.
  • Serve war.
  • Refrigerate leftovers.

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN CHILI

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN CHILI
1 pound chuck steak, cut into 3/4 inch chunks**
15 ounce can tomato puree
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 KNORR beef tub
2 cups hot water
medium red onion, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 bunch green onions, sliced (reserve some for garnish)
sour cream
grated cheese

  • Combine hot water and KNORR beef tub until well blended.  Pour into slow cooker.
  • Add tomato puree, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, blending well.
  • Add beef pieces, red onion and green onion.
  • Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
  • Top with sour cream, grated cheese and onions for garnish.
  • I served them over grilled hot dogs for hubby and Monday night football.

**We had grilled rib eyes the night before and I got a great price on buying the family pack so we grilled them all and then I cut the remains into 3/4 inch chunks for the chili.  I have to say the charring added some great flavor.

PASTA FAGIOLI – SLOW COOKER VERSION – TASTES JUST LIKE OLIVE GARDEN

PASTA FAGIOLI

2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 KNORR beef broth gel tub
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce (optional)
1-6 ounce V-8
1-8 ounce tomato sauce with herbs (I used Contadina)
8 ounces pasta

  • Brown beef in a skillet, drain off fat.
  • Whisk together the hot water, knorr beef broth gel and spices.
  • Add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
  • Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
  • During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.
  • Enjoy.

BEEF BARLEY STEW

BEEF BARLEY STEW

1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Thyme

2-3 cups root vegetable pieces (I used carrots and parsnips)

2/3 cup barley

1 tablespoon blood orange vinegar (red wine is great too)

  • Bring meat to room temperature.  
  • Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Melt butter in dutch oven over medium high heat.
  • Add meat and brown on all sides.
  • Remove meat with a slotted spoon.
  • Add onions and garlic, sauteing until garlic is fragrant and onions are soft and slightly browned.
  • Stir in broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Thyme and root vegetables.
  • Gently simmer for 1-2 hours, covered.
  • Stir in barley and continuing simmering until barley is tender.
  • Stir in vinegar.

Chicken Pasta Soup

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  • Cooking spray 
  • 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces 
  • 1 (8-ounce) container refrigerated prechopped celery, onion, and bell pepper mix 
  • 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 7 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
  • 1 cup uncooked whole wheat rotini (corkscrew pasta)
Preparation
  1. 1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and next 3 ingredients; cook 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is done.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast, Oxmoor House 2009

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Happy Eating…

Tomato Soup with Chickpeas

It’s finally getting warm outside!  Yet, I can always enjoy a bowl of hot soup.  Seriously, it can be 90 degrees outside and I’d still love to eat this soup. 
I’ve made this a few times and it’s always so good. I always have the ingredients on hand and it’s a great soup to make in a pinch when you don’t know what else to cook!

Tomato Soup with Chickpeas Recipe
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (fresh would work too)
3-15 ounce cans of tomatoes (I used diced)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat, and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook for a minute or two, and then add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, a few grinds of pepper, roughly half of the chickpeas, and the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the soup from the heat to purée. If using an immersion blender, purée the soup directly in the pot. Otherwise, wait a few minutes, until the soup cools; then purée it in batches in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. Add the remaining chickpeas, and warm the soup over medium heat.

SWEET CORN SOUP

Until recently Chilis restaurant had a sweet corn soup that was fantastic!  Then they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it!  I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized redonioons – YUM!

SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime

  • In a large stock pot saute’ the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
  • Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
  • Add stock and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
  • Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
  • Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
  • Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
  • Puree and strain.
  • Enjoy.

Taco Twist Soup

 
Taco Twist Soup adapted from Everyday Light Meals
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or
  vegetable broth
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups picante sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Directions: In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, pasta, green pepper and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.  Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Nutrition Facts:
Cal 216
Fat 5g (2g sat fat)
Cholesterol 12mg
Sodium 1,052mg
Carb 33g
Fiber 6g
Progtein 10g

Diabetic Exchanges:   2 vegetables, 1 1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Modifications:
-I added 1lb 93/7 ground beef (nutrition facts do not depict the ground beef)

Brown the ground beef.
Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic.
Add the beef broth.
Add the diced tomatoes and black beans.
Add the picante sauce, pasta, and seasonings.

Add the ground beef.  Simmer until the pasta is tender.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
This soup had a good flavor to it.  It is a fantastic meal for when you don’t have a lot of time.  This recipe is also very versatile.  You could add diced chilies, chicken instead of ground beef, jalapenos, corn, tortilla chips, etc.  Literally, the possibilities are endless.

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup Recipe

8 slices Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Bacon
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
5 potatoes, baked, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cups half & half
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste (optional)
Directions:  In a Dutch oven cook bacon until crisp; remove and crumble, reserve drippings.
Cook onion in bacon drippings until tender; stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth; cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Put in the diced potatoes, parsley, bacon and half & half; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and sour cream. Garnish with cheese, bacon and sour cream.
Modifications:
-I used turkey bacon instead of pork bacon. Because turkey bacon doesn’t have as much fat, I put some olive oil in so that the bacon would get crisp.
-I added some artificial bacon bits.
-I added some minced garlic.
Here’s how I did it:
#1 I peeled, washed and cut up about 6 potatoes (sorry for the shadowy picture).

Here’s what I started with:

  • Cook bacon in a dutch oven along with some olive oil.
  • Peel and dice up an onion.
  • While the bacon cooks, pour 2cups of half and half.
  • Once the bacon is crispy, pull it off and throw the onions in the same pot to cook for about 1 minute.

  • Measure out1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and pour it in with the onions. Add a little more olive oil.

  • After the onions and flour cook for about 1 minute, slowly stir in 2 cans of chicken broth. The recipe called for 3 cans but 2 worked just fine.

  • Let it thicken up.
  • While the stock thickens, chop up the bacon.

  • After it thickens, put in the potatoes, parsley, bacon and half & half.

I noticed that it didn’t seem like a lot of bacon so I put about 1 T of artificial bacon bits in the pot, too.

The recipe said to let all of the above cook for 10 minutes but I didn’t think that it was enough time because the potatoes were still hard. I let it go for about 15-17 minutes and then I added 1/2 cup of light sour cream and 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.

Here’s what you’ll end up with:

Review:I only have one word to describe this soup–DELICIOUS! This soup only took about 40 minutes with prep and cooking time. It had great flavor and I love the fact that cheese was actually added to the soup and not just an after-thought as a topping.

I don’t know if you can tell or not in the pics but I left pretty big pieces of bacon and it added great texture. I wish that I would have cooked up a couple of more pieces and then saved some to put on top, too.

If you like potato soup, this is for you!!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed Pepper Soup adapted by SkinnyTaste
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely diced onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz each) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:  In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground meat on high heat and season with salt. Drain fat if any, reduce heat to medium-low, then add peppers, onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes on low heat.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, marjoram and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve about 1 1/3 cups of soup in each bowl and top with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

Here’s what you will need:

Chop the garlic, peppers, and onion.

Brown the beef in a Dutch oven. 

Once browned, add the peppers, onions, and garlic.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and herbs.
Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. 
Prepare rice according to package directions.

Top soup with rice.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:

This soup was a big hit in my house tonight.  We love stuffed green peppers (recipe) so I thought that this would be a hit and I was right.  All 3 of the kids ate it! (score!!)

The mixture of the 2 different peppers gave it a little variety in both color and taste. 

I used the Uncle Ben’s 90 second microwaveable brown rice (a favorite of mine) and 1 package ended up being enough for all of us.  You could also use either bulgur or even quinoa.

Hope you enjoy!