Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Soup Swap! Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

Maggie's Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

I don't use recipes, but here is what I did to the best of my recollection.

Clean out the bottom drawer of your fridge and see what root veggies you find. I cut potatoes, onions, carrots, and I think an apple or two into bite sized pieces, placed them a large class pan, added olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper, sage and rosemary and roasted everything at about 425 until they smelled great and were caramelized and roast-y. Stir every 15 minutes or so.

Then, put a whole butternut squash, pie pumpkin, or a couple of smaller acorn squash in the oven. I am lazy so I roast them whole. When I can easily stick a fork in them, but before they collapse to mush, I take them out and let them cool. Then peel them and remove the seeds. I used a large "Long Island Cheese" squash for this particular soup, because it's what I had.

 Place your roasted veggies, pumpkin/squash, and a bunch of veggie stock in a large pot. I make veggie stock with leftover bits and ends of things, so I used my homemade veggie stock, but you could use store bought stalk, chicken stock, or water if you like. Bring to simmer. When all veggies are tender, use a stick blender to make the soup creamy. (could put it in a blender, if you don't have a stick blender). Or leave it chunky if you like...it's up to you. :) Then I added 2 cans of coconut milk, and a bunch of spices: Penzey's Tandoori seasoning, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste, and you're done!

Labels:

Soup Swap! Super Duper Cheddar Cheesey Baked Potato Chowder

Jen Heins' Super Duper Cheddar Cheesy Baked Potato Chowder

Ingredients:
3 Large Baking Potatoes
3 1/2 cups milk
4 oz Cream Cheese
4 ox Cheddar Grated Cheese
2 tbsp Butter
1 cup sliced green onions
Salt
Coarse Pepper
• Bake potatoes in the oven or microwave. (If in the microwave
slice in half and cover with milk).
• Blend Cream cheese with most of the milk until smooth.
• Coarsely mash potatoes, added cream cheese mixture,
Cheddar cheese, butter, onions, salt and pepper. Add more
milk to consistency of choice.
• Low heat on stove top while mixing.
• Top with sour cream or crumbled bacon if you like.
Note: This are the general ingredients. I added a little more of
the cheeses and used sea salt and a peppercorn blend. I added
the milk to the consistency I wanted and seasoned to taste. I
don’t follow instructions well but it tasted great. I hope you
enjoy.

Labels:

Soup Swap! Chicken Noodle Soup

John Gibney's Chicken Noodle Soup.
 
Stock.
 
3 whole chickens, giblets removed.
3 large onions
5 sticks celery
5 carrots
1 lemon
parsley, thyme, salt, pepper (and/or other seasonings) to taste
 
Cut vegetables into large pieces, quarter onions and lemon. Place all ingredients in stockpot. Add just enough water to cover the chickens. Heat till just boiling, then reduce to barely simmering until chickens are cooked. Skim grease off surface as it appears.
 
When cooked, remove chickens and allow to cool. Strain the stock. When cool enough to handle, take the meat from the chicken bones.
 
Soup.
 
Stock
Cooked chicken meat
3 large onions
1 head garlic
5 carrots
5 sticks celery
Seasonings to taste.
 
Cut carrots lengthwise into quarters, then slice into ½ inch dice. Cut celery into similar-sized pieces. Chop garlic finely. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil until the onions are starting to clear. Add stock and heat to simmering. Add chicken meat.
 
Noodles. (Makes 1 lb.)
 
2 ¼ cups flour
3 eggs
¾ tsp salt
1 T olive oil
1 T lukewarm water or milk
 
Make a well in the flour, break in the eggs and add the other ingredients. Whisk the eggs lightly, gradually picking up flour until a dough is formed. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough gently for about 7 minutes. Place in a bowl and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes, then roll out and feed through pasta maker.
We made very thin angel-hair noodles – these cook in a very short tine, just add a few minutes before serving.

Labels:

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Soup Swap! Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup

John Fleeger's VEGETABLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP 

3 tbsp. salad oil
2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 c. chopped onions
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
6 c. water
2 cans beef broth
1 1/2 c. diced carrots
3/4 c. diced celery
3/4 c. barley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper


In large stockpot ( No, not that one... the bigger one!) or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add half the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. Brown remaining meat. Return all meat to stockpot.
Add onions, garlic, thyme and marjoram; cook, stirring, 10 minutes more. Add water, beef broth, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1 - 1 1/2 hours.  Add barley and simmer for another hour uncovered.  Enjoy!

Labels:

Monday, February 22, 2010

Soup Swap! Italian Wedding Soup

Elaine Fleeger's Italian Wedding Soup

She says - Please forgive.. I am a "toss it in the pot" type of cook, but I'll do the best I can. 

Chicken Breast
Water
Chicken Bullion
Chopped Frozen Spinach
Small Pasta Noodles (I use rings but can use any small pasta)
Parmesan Cheese
Meatballs (I made my own, but can use frozen)
Minced Garlic

Boil chicken breast in stock pot with water and chicken bullion. Add bullion to taste.
Remove chicken and save stock.  Remove chicken meat from bone and chop up.  Add back to stock.

Add garlic and meatballs to stock.  Boil to cook meatballs.  Add pasta and frozen spinach. 

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Labels:

Soup Swap! Taco Soup

Donna Julseth's Taco Soup


2 lbs ground beef (brown with onion)
1 onion
Add
1/2 can Rotel Diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans with juice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 can Verde Salsa, or can use green chilies
1 envelope Taco seasoning mix

After browning the meat and onions, all the rest gets dumped in, you can see that you can spice up or down depending on how spicy you like things, then I let it simmer until I am happy with the taste.  Toppings can include avocado, cheese, sour cream and chips.

(Maggie's note - I make a vegetarian version of this ALL the time - simply leave out the meat, use loads of beans. It's delicious.)

Labels:

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Soup Swap! Veggie ABC Soup

Linda Shelley's Veggie ABC Soup

"I made my own vegetable stock but you could use canned. I got my stock
recipe from John Deere Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and adjusted. I
mixed veggie stock with equal amount of V8 juice.  I added fresh carrots
chopped, fresh potatoes chopped, fresh onion chopped, fresh celery
chopped, small amount of fresh garlic, frozen peas, frozen corn and canned
kidney beans
.  For seasoning I used some salt, pepper, parsley, basil and
Italian seasoning.  The last 5 minutes I added the abc pasta.  You can use
veggies of your choice, whatever seasonings your family prefers.  If you
want you can use beef stock instead of veggie and add beef.  To make a 5
quart crock pot full I use one can tomato juice or V8 and 2-3 cans of
stock or equal amount if homemade stock.  Then just add veggies of your
choice.  I leave in crock pot on low about 8 hours.  You could add pasta
last 5 minutes or leave out.  I just the the ABC's were fun and my
grandsons love them.  Enjoy."

Labels:

Soup Swap! Cream of Mushroom Soup with Barley

Danielle Wirth's recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup with Barley

Chicken Broth
Mushrooms
Onions
Picket Fence Creamery Cream
Organic Hulled Barley
Salt to taste (most canned chicken broth has salt added)

Home - made chicken broth is best, but you can also use canned broth. Be sure to avoid prepared chicken broth with MSG (monosodium glutamate) often used as a "flavor enhancer". MSG can be a trigger of migraine headaches.

For large batches.

Start with 32 oz of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)

Heat the broth in a large stock pot and add 2 or 3 onions.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer the onions for 20 minutes (or so)

Depending upon how much soup you want, in addition to the broth already in the stock pot, add 2 cups of water (or broth) for every cup of hulled barley.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the hulled barley. Cook the barley on medium heat for 45 minutes.

When barley is cooked enough, add at least 1 pound or more of thickly sliced mushrooms.
Cook on low heat until the mushrooms are firm and tender - not mushy.
Remove from heat.
Stir in as much Picket Fence Creamery whipping cream as you'd like. (I use at least a quart)
Return to low heat and stir until the cream is thoroughly mixed in with the mushrooms and barley.

Salt to taste.

Labels:

Soup Swap! French Onion Soup

Sally Kilkenny's French Onion Soup

4 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
31.5 oz (3 - 10.5 oz cans) beef broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 inch thick slices of French baguette
8 oz shredded mozzarella

- in a large pot, over medium high heat, saute onions in butter for 10 minutes or until tender - stir in flour, pepper and sugar to form a pasty mixture
- add broth, water and herbs - simmer 10 minutes - add wine and continue cooking 10 more minutes - taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
- preheat oven to broil while ladling soup into 6 individual oven-proof bowls - top each serving with a sliced baguette and cheese - broil until cheese is melted and bubbly

Labels:

Soup Swap! Dilly Bean Potato Soup

This is Tanya Hermann's Dilly Bean Potato Soup recipe

(From Simply in Season, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert)

If you are going to have a crowd, this soup will serve at least a dozen.

1  1/2 cups celery, chopped
6 carrots, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 cups chicken or vegetable broth
9 large potatoes, diced
Salt, to taste
8 to 9 cups cooked Great Northern beans
2 tbsp dried dill weed
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt or sour cream
3 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

I also added a half of an onion chopped fairly small

Heat oil in a large soup pot, and saute celery, carrots and garlic (and onions if you decide to use). Add broth, potatoes and salt and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes in the broth mixture for a creamier taste. Add beans and dill weed to the soup. Combine yogurt or sour cream, flour and pepper and stir into soup. Cook and stir until thickened. Serves 12 or more.

Labels:

Soup Swap! Chicken Sweet Potato Soup with Chili and Lime

Yesterday, we had our soup swap! It was LOADS of fun. We had 14 people, with 15 varieties of soup (Sally F. brought 2 batches). Each soup was incredibly different, and they all sound AMAZING! Many people went home and started sampling their soups from last night, and all reports so far are good. :) I think people would love to enjoy the recipes, so I will be posting them here as they come in. We cannot wait to do this event again in the fall!

I'll start with Carrie Kimrey's AWESOME and very original Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup with Chili and Lime.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 medium size yellow onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3-4 garlic cloves
2 roasted jalapenos or more
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 med size sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
8 c chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 chicken, boiled and picked
1/4 c cilantro
juice of one lime

Heat oil and butter, cook onion til almost caramelized, add celery and cook x 10 min, add garlic and cook 30 seconds, don't brown it. Add peppers and next 4 ingredients, cook x 2 minutes, add sweet potatoes, broth, bay leaves, bring to low boil. Reduce heat and simmer x 40 minutes or til potatoes tender. Stir in chicken and cook til heated through. Brush corn tortillas with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 400 x 10 minutes and serve with soup.

(Carrie's note: This is a rough draft, I don't usually follow recipes as they are written. )

Labels: