Broccoli Cheese Soup

Since that Artisan Bread makes the CUTEST bread bowl for soup, I thought I'd include a really really good soup recipe.

Broccoli Cheese Soup sounds simple enough, but its really not.  It can easily come out as a glop of cheese swimming in a sea of curdled milk.  Oh yes, it happened.  Not this time-- this time was much better!

It all began with my Bountiful Basket.  Don't know what a Bountiful Basket is?  Go here: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/ and check it out.  The week before last, we got a ton of Broccoli.  A TON!!  six small heads of the stuff.  Broccoli is great, but you can have it steamed only so many days in a row.  Then you start crinkling your nose and uttering things like 'Broccoli AGAIN?!'.  Until you make this soup.  Then you'll be hoarding it away in little plastic containers in your fridge-- with labels for each day of the week.  Yes, that happened too!  But don't worry.  I shared with the people at work!

Here is my lovely recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup (adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Excellent-Broccoli-Cheese-Soup/Detail.aspx).

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
3/4 cup butter (the REAL stuff)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 gallon 2% milk
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp white pepper
6 cups chopped broccoli*
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1-1/2 lbs Velveeta, cut into little cubes
3 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1.  Melt butter in the bottom of a very large pot.  Add onion.  Saute until onion is soft and translucent, but not browned (about 5 minutes).

2.  Sprinkle in the flour and whisk.  Cook about 2 minutes to get the raw flour taste out.  Keep it moving so it doesn't burn. 

3.  While constantly stirring, slowly add in the chicken stock.  Keep it moving and add it slow-- this will prevent any lumps from forming.  Once the chicken stock is in, stir in the milk, salt and pepper.  Bring this mixture barely to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to stir every few minutes to prevent the milk from burning on the bottom.

4.  Meanwhile, place the broccoli and shredded carrot in a large pot with a few inches of water.  Cook until crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain well and set aside.

5.  Gradually add the Velveeta chunks, a few at a time with stirring, to the milk mixture.  Once all the Velveeta is mixed in, slowly sprinkle in the Sharp Cheddar cheese, stirring constantly.  Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.  Add the drained vegetables to the pot and stir well.  Cook another 5-10 minutes, or until vegetables are warmed through and the soup is hot!

To serve in a bread bowl:
Trim off the top 1/3 of the Artisan Bread Loaf.  Carefully hollow out the bottom of the loaf using a spoon-- be sure to leave at least an inch or so of bread all around.  Ladle in the soup and enjoy!

*I used fresh broccoli here.  I trimmed off the florets, then peeled and chopped the stalk.  You could also use a big bag of frozen chopped broccoli.

Pesto Tomato Soup

I am enjoying lunch today.  This weekend was a bit hectic.  I was supposed to get home close to midnight on Friday.  After everything was over in Pittsburgh, we rushed to the airport.  Upon arrival, we found that our flight to Chicago had been cancelled and we didn't get to come home until the next day.  I was one of the lucky three that got to leave early Saturday morning to arrive home that afternoon.  The rest of our party didn't get to arrive home until late Saturday evening.  We made the best of it!  What else can you do?

The first leg of our early Saturday morning flight took us on a 5-1/2 hour trip to San Fransisco.  While in San Fran, we enjoyed lunch and I picked up a loaf of Sourdough from Boulin.  Yummy.  What goes perfectly with Sourdough bread?  Pesto Tomato Soup!  I enjoyed a huge bowl last night and am currently slurping down another warm steamy helping.  There's enough for dinner tonight after Zumba, too.  Perhaps with a Grilled Sourdough and Cheese sandwich.

Here's the recipe for the soup.  Hope you like it as much as I do!

Pesto Tomato Soup

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 (14.5 oz. can) no salt added diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz. can) low sodium chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce with basil, oregano and garlic
salt and pepper to taste
half and half (optional)
Pesto (optional)

1.  Melt butter in the bottom of a saucepan.  Add onions and cook on medium low heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

2.  Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

3.  Remove from heat and blend with a hand blender until (mostly) smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

The soup will be pretty creamy already, but sometimes I like to stir in a few Tbsp of half and half (I use fat free) to add some silky texture.  I also like to up the flavor a bit by adding a spoonful or two of Pesto Sauce.  I like to make my own, but this time of year, fresh basil is hard to find.  I used the Classico sauce from work. :)

Shrimp Eggflower Soup

Looking for a new soup recipe that warms you up and comes together in no time?  Well, here it is!  This soup is PACKED with protein to keep you going and tastes like you just stepped into your favorite Asian bistro.  The recipe is based on the one from Cooking Light Magazine (January 2006).  I've been making this soup since 2006 and let me tell you-- it is YUMMY!  I've made a few modifications (duh!).

It's important to use raw shrimp in this recipe-- if you get the stuff out of the butchers block that's already been cooked, the shrimp may become rubbery in the soup.  Ick!

Shrimp Eggflower Soup (Cooking Light, Jan. 2006)
3/4 lbs medium shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 cup petite frozen peas (thawed)
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp cool water
4 cups (32 oz.) good chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth (I used the kirkland brand from Costco)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (see tip at end of recipe)
1 tsp dark sesame oil
4 oz. (2 cups) sliced mushrooms (USE FRESH)
1 cup grated carrot
1 Tbsp white miso paste (optional)
2 lg eggs, beaten
4-6 green onions, sliced thin

1.  Prepare shrimp and place in a collander in the sink.  Put the peas on top and run under cool water until everything is thawed.

2.  Mix the corn starch and 2 Tbsp cool water in a small bowl.  Be sure there are no lumps.  Place this mixture in a medium soup pot (6 quart or so) and add stock, 1 cup water, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil.  Bring to a boil. 

3.  Once the liquid in the pot is boiling, add the carrots and mushrooms.  Cook for 3 minutes, add shrimp and peas and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and tender.

4.  Remove from heat and stir in the miso paste, if using (see tip below).  While stirring, slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs.  The hot soup will cook the eggs into thin ribbons that will float throughout the broth giving it a thick, silky texture.

5.  Top with green onions and season to taste.  Because I used chicken stock instead of chicken broth, I added a little salt.  Just taste it and see if you need to.

Tip #1 Ginger:  Fresh ginger keeps for a very long time when frozen.  I just put the root in a plastic baggie and stick it in the freezer.  When I need it, I peel the part of the root I want to grate with a small knife, then just use a microplane to grate it while frozen.  When I have what I need, I just put the rest of the root back in the freezer.  The ginger 'snow' from the grater thaws quickly.

Tip #2 Miso Paste:  Miso paste is a fermented paste made from soybeans or buckwheat.  It has a salty/brothy flavor that accents this soup very well.  It can be found in the refrigerated section of most health food stores or CoOps.  If you can't find it, no worries.  Just don't try to use the powdered Miso Soup mix-- that stuff is way too salty.

Enjoy!!

Ham and Bean Soup

This weekend, Tyson and his dad showed up with a garage door opener!  They worked hard all day Saturday installing it.  We had a good weekend together and it was nice having people to cook for.  On Sunday night, we had ham for dinner.  There was a lot left over, so I decided to make ham and bean soup.

The soup turned out really good!  I soaked the beans overnight and finished the soup at work this morning. It was lunch for the Pilot Plant crew.  They work so hard and I wanted them to know I appreciate them.

This soup smells heavenly while cooking.  I learned this method from my Grandmother.  She made ham and beans while we were there over Christmas.  So, heres my recipe/method adapted from Grandma Lucille.

Ham and Bean Soup
2 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 smoked ham hock (I used 1/2 smoked ham hock and leftover ham)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with jalepenos (or just regular diced tomatoes if you don't like it slightly spicy)

1.  Soak beans using slow method (in a pot with enough water to cover by a few inches overnight)  or using the quick method (in a pot with enough water to cover by a couple inches, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand covered for 1 hour).

2.  Drain soaked beans.  Put in a pot and add enough cool water to cover the beans by about an inch and a half.  Add the whole ham hock, onion, garlic and can of tomatoes.

3.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 hours, or until the beans are tender.

4.  Remove the ham hock and let cool on a cutting board.  Separate the meat from the fat and chop into bite size pieces.  Return to pot. (I also added chopped leftover ham from this weekend).

5.  Taste for seasoning.  You shouldn't need salt, but add pepper if you'd like.  Serve on a cold day to warm you up from the inside out.

Here's looking forward to spring!

White Chili-- 2 ways!

I love this recipe.  I got it from a gal who has become a very good friend via Facebook.  LaRae is very kind, supportive, and has a huge heart!  I feel blessed to know her.  She won a chili cookoff with her version of white chili.  Its just delightful!  I had to make a few tweaks to make it my own (of course), thus, White Chili- 2 ways!

This recipe is great on the stovetop or in the crockpot.  I prefer to make mine in the crockpot as the meat turns out more tender.  Enjoy!

LaRae's White Chili with Hominy
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 can (15-1/2 oz) white hominy, drained
1 can (15 oz.) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth (I use low sodium)
2 cans (4 0z. each) chopped green chilies
1 tsp garlic salt (Lawry's is my favorite)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1/3 cup half and half
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, saute chicken and onion in vegetable oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add the hominy, beans, broth, chilies and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in the sour cream, half and half and 1 Tbsp cilantro.  Garnish individual bowls with the remaining cilantro. 
Yield: about 6 servings

Note: You could also use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken for this dish.  Just saute the onion until it is tender, then add the cut up chicken meat and proceed as directed.

Josie's Pork White Chili
2 lbs boneless pork roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz. each) white kidney, cannellini or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth
1 can (7 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 tsp garlic salt (Lawry's is my favorite)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp white pepper
1-2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca (to thicken)
1 cup (8 oz.) light sour cream
1/3 cup half and half (I used fat free and it worked just fine)
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Place everything except the tapioca, dairy ingredients, and cilantro in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the pork is fall-apart tender.  Turn slow cooker off, stir in tapioca and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in dairy ingredients and cilantro.  Serve warm with taco chips and cheddar cheese.

**To make on the stovetop, follow LaRae's chili directions, but cook for 1 hour before adding the dairy ingredients.  Omit the tapioca thickener as you will not need it.

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

The temperature is dropping and I had some small white beans to use up.  So... Soup!  This weekend, I spent Saturday with my good friend Tamra and her family.  Amelie and I played 'fishing' over the back of the couch with a jump rope, and Peyton and I played peek-a-boo.  It was so much fun playing with the kids!  I brought the soup over for lunch and Tamra made pitas from scratch.  Both were yummy!

I'm sorry to say that I forgot to snap a photo before we ate the soup.  Just trust me-- its good.  White beans in a flavorful chicken broth with bright green kale, celery, carrots and smoked sausage.  Warms you right up!  Here's my recipe.

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage
8 oz. white beans, rinsed and picked over
smoked beef sausage (I used Hillshire Farms)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz. low sodium chicken broth (The kirkland brand from Costco is REALLY good)
1 tsp dried basil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1.  Place beans  in a pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil, then put the lid on and let them sit for an hour.  Drain.

2.  Cut the sausage in slices (rounds), then cut each round in half (half-moon shape).  Fry over medium-high heat in a soup pot in 2 batches.  Remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator.  The frying should take about 5-7 minutes per batch-- you want the sausage to render its fat and get slightly brown.  Don't worry about the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Brown bits = flavor! :)

3.  Place the onion in the pot with the fat from the sausage and saute until slightly transparent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in about a cup of broth and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add the rest of the broth, carrots, celery, and beans.  Sprinkle dried basil over the broth.  Bring to a slight boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

4.  After 30 minutes, add the sausage and stir.  Add water if necessary as the beans will soak up liquid as they cook.  Cover and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

5.  Add the kale, remove from the heat, and replace the lid.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then stir in the kale.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

6.  If desired, you can add 1/2 cup cream at this point to make it a bit more creamy.

Enjoy!  Here's to snowballs, snowmen and steamy bowl of white bean soup!

Butternut Squash Salad and Soup

Say Hello to Bella! She's one of my parents' new pups. My parents adopted Bella and her sister, Gracie, a couple weekends ago. I haven't EVER seen my Dad giggle so much. :) Ralfie and Tobie had the joy of spending a week at their house while I went on a business trip to Pittsburgh. Ralfie was the best cousin! He was really good with the girls.

Tobie was scared to death of them! He spent most of his time on the couch or ottoman where the girls couldn't get to him.

Here's Mr Ralfie making sure the girls are playing nice. Bella just loves cuddling up in that lion neck pillow that my mom found. Ralfie was a little nervous about the girls playing with his bear or his bone, but other than that he made a very good cousin!

And Mr. Ralfie again after his haircut yesterday. Tried to get a pic of Tobie but it didn't turn out. Darn!

And now on to dinner. I made this Butternut Squash Salad last night. There are a few suggestions I have for making it better. As is, it was ok. I learned something-- Butternut squash is MUCH easier to peel once its cooked!

I served it along side a grilled chicken breast with a bit of blue cheese crumbles.

Interesting flavor combo! Here's the recipe:

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out all the seeds. Cut the 'Bowl' part off of the top part. Then cut into 1"x1" strips. Put these in a pot and add just enough chicken stock/broth to cover. Add 1/2 of a chopped onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the squash from the liquid (but save the liquid!) and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel and cut the squash into bite-size pieces. Save 2 cups for the salad and add the rest back to the broth. The squash should be just underdone.

For the dressing, whisk together 2 Tbsp cider vinegar, 1-1/2 Tbsp apple juice or apple butter, 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1/2 tsp dried parsley or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley and 1/4c chopped red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand for about 10 minutes. I used dried parsley but I think fresh chopped parsley would have been much better.

Add the cooked squash pieces and toss. Serve with grilled chicken and blue cheese. Blue cheese would make a GREAT addition to this salad, along with dried cranberries and toasted sliced pecans. Yum!

As for the rest of that squash in the pot, make soup! Let it simmer another 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat and zip with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and whatever spices you have around. Curry is nice, fresh rosemary would be good. This makes a silky flavorful soup! I think I'll use a few Tbsp of pumpkin butter in mine. Yum!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Finally feeling better after having a 2-day stomach flu. Yuck! Yesterday, I made some chicken noodle soup. The soup was warm and comforting-- just what I needed. When I was little, Grandma Rapp would fix me chicken broth with a pinch of cayenne in it when I was sick. The cayenne wasn't overly hot, but gave the broth a warming sensation that immediately made you feel better-- especially if you had a sore throat. I made my soup the quick way but it was still really good. Here's the recipe:



Chicken Noodle Soup:

1 large carrot, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1/4 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 quart chicken stock (low sodium)

1 cup Home style Egg Noodles

1 can chicken meat (the larger one, I think its 8 oz or so)



1. Saute vegetables, thyme and black pepper in a couple tsp of oil until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes over medium heat.


2. Pour in the chicken stock and add the cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the noodles. Cook according to the directions on the noodle package (mine took 18 minutes).

















3. Add the can of chicken during the last 5 minutes of cooking the noodles. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Leftover chicken could be used here, but I didn't have any so I used the can!


4. Once the cooking time is up, taste for seasoning to see if you needed any salt. There was enough in the stock and canned chicken for me.


5. Ladle into a big bowl and eat. Here's to a happy and healthy Fall!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This weekend was nice and relaxing. The stores are starting to put out their Halloween decorations! You know me and Halloween-- I can't wait! :) I got a cute set of prep bowls that are black with little dancing skeletons and ghosts on them. So fun! I'm going to fill them with goodies like Parmesan zucchini crisps, fresh applesauce, sliced fresh pears, etc. See? I'm keeping my goodies on the healthy side.

This weekend, a friends washer went out. She came over to my house with her laundry and I got to play with her two adorable kids! Amelie (3 yr old) and I played 'race car'. She'd sit in the laundry basket and I'd scoot her up and down the hallway as fast as I could. By the time we were done, we were both giggling with hair standing straight out from the static electricity we generated. While the laundry was going, Amelie also helped me make a Fresh Apple Pecan Struesel cake. The house smelled great!

After they left to go home, I made one of my favorite fall meals, Chicken Tortilla Soup. I love how the spicy savory broth warms me from the inside out. The garnishes of fresh avocado, low fat Mexican cheese, and tortilla chips really take it to the next level. The veggies are hidden in this one. ;)

Now on to another week. This Thursday, Tamra and I are going to Pittsburgh again for training. We're looking forward to lox and cream cheese for breakfast in the Denver airport, 3 days of Starbucks, and fresh fish for dinner. Yay!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Soup:
-2 split bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs), skin removed and trimmed of excess fat (could sub 4 bone-in chicken thighs if desired)
-8 cups low sodium chicken broth
-1 very large white onion, trimmed of root end, quartered and peeled
-4 medium garlic cloves, minced
-8 to 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
-1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
-salt
-2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
-jalapeno chile
- 1 chipotle chile plus up to 1 Tbl. adobo sauce
-1 Tbl vegetable oil
Garnishes:
-1 lime, cut in wedges
-1 Hass avocado, chopped
-1 cup 2% low fat Mexican Blend cheese
- fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips
-sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, cilantro, oregano, and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a large plate. Pour broth through a strainer and discard solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and discard the bones.

2. Puree tomatoes, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, jalapeno, and chipotle chili with 1 tsp adobo sauce in a blender or food processor until smooth. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add the tomato/onion puree and 1/8 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir the broth back into the tomato mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend the flavors, about 15 minutes. Taste soup. If desired, add up to 2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce.

4. Stir in shredded chicken and simmer about 5 minutes to heat through. To serve, place portions of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of individual bowls and ladle the soup on top. Pass the garnishes separately.

Makes about 8 1-cup servings of soup.

Feeling Ambitious-- Refried Beans, Applesauce, and Zucchini Bread!

Tyson came for the long weekend (Labor Day Weekend). We had tons of fun! On Saturday, we looked at houses in Star, ID-- and decided we still like Middleton. That night, we had the neighbor over for a BBQ (grilled chicken, corn on the cob, etc.).

Sunday, we drove up to McCall. It was a busy little town! We stopped at My Father's Place for hamburgers and fries (OMG!!) and ate at the lake watching the sailboats. Once we were done eating, we drove to Ponderosa State Park. It was great! They have a lot of hiking and biking trails there. We took the pups on a 90 minute hike. After the hike, we headed back to Payette. The pups were pooped!

Monday, Tyson left at 11am to go home. I went to Purdums (produce stand) and got inspired. When I got home, I made Refried Beans in the big crock pot, applesauce in the little crock pot, and Zucchini Bread. They all turned out great! The Refried Beans recipe is from Sherelle Christensen. I went to high school with her and she has one of my favorite blogs-- with really yummy recipes! The Zucchini Bread recipe was from my neighbor Aimee Hughes. I tweaked it a bit. The applesauce recipe was just one I made up and it turned out great! The recipes are below. Hope y'all have a great week!

Fresh Applesauce

6-8 apples (I used 4 pink lady and 2 granny smith apples)

1 Tbl brown sugar

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1. Core, peel and chop the apples. Place in the crock pot.

2. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top. Stir well.

3. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Use a potato masher to mash the apples to the desired consistency. Taste, and add more cinnamon and/or brown sugar if needed.

Refried Beans

5 cups dried pinto beans, picked through and rinsed well

5 slices bacon, halved

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, cut in half lengthwise

1 Tbl seasoning salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried garlic

2 Tbl. cumin

1 Tbl. chili powder

1. Place beans in a large pot and add water to cover them by one inch. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

2. Put the bacon, onion, and jalepeno in the crock pot. Add the beans and the rest of the ingredients. Add enought water to just cover. Stir well.

3. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Check the water level every couple of hours and add water as necessary. After 6 hours or so, remove bacon and jalepeno.

4. Let beans cool, then refry them!

5. To refry, put about a Tbl. of corn oil or vegetable oil in a pot. Add about 2 cups of drained beans and mash with a potato masher until desired consistency. The cooking liquid from the beans can be added to thin out the mixture. Taste for seasoning, and cook on low, stirring often, until bubbly.

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2-1/4 cups white sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup sliced almonds

1. Grease and flour 2 8x4 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in Zucchini and nuts until well combined. Divide batter between the two prepared pans.

4. Bake for 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely.

The bread will freeze well and keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. Enjoy!!

Sweet Potato Soup

Though the temperatures in the Treasure Valley are still in the mid to low 90's, I've been craving fall foods! I cannot wait until the temperatures begin to cool, the breeze kicks up, and the leaves begin to turn. I love comforting fall foods like sweet potato soup, jambalaya, zuccini breads, acorn squash, etc. Here's a very versitile recipe that you can customize to whatever mood you're in:

Sweet Potato Soup

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl olive oil

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1" chunks

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 quarts chicken stock

salt

pepper

1. Heat oil in the bottom of a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium-low heat until onions are soft and just begin to turn brown. Add a little sprinkling of salt- this will help pull the moisture from the onion so it breaks down and caramelizes faster.
   
2. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, and chicken stock. Cover, bring to a boil. Once to a boil, remove the cover from the pot and simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until the carrots and sweet potatoes are soft.
3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender or blend batches of the soup until smooth. Now flavor as desired and enjoy! If doing the sweet versions, you may need to add a bit of sugar.

Suggestions for flavors:

• fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme
• Indian spiced (curry and ginger)
• Thai spiced (curry paste and coconut milk)
• Mexican spiced (cumin and chili powder)
• Sweet Spiced (cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar & cream-- serve with a spoonful of marshmallow fluff or a toasted marshmallow on top)
• Praline Pecan (make the sweet version and add toasted caramelized pecans to the top)

Taco Soup

I bought a tube of the Jenny-O Taco flavored ground turkey and cooked it up last night. It was pretty good-- the other toppings masked the softer texture of the ground turkey (softer when compared to ground beef). With only 2 people in the house, I had a lot left over. So, I decided to make Taco Soup for lunch today. Due to the high garlic and onion flavors already pleasant in the meat, I should only have to add a few spices. This is what I did:

I added 3T. chili powder, 1T. ground cumin and 2tsp. ground coriander to the meat in a saucepan. Then I added 1 (15 oz can, no salt added) tomato sauce and 1 (14.5 oz can) low sodium chicken broth along with one can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed). I'll let ya know how it turned out after lunch today!

Pesto Tomato Soup

Hey everyone,

I just made some very good soup for dinner last night-- Pesto Tomato Soup. It was so easy! First, I sauteed 1 medium onion (chopped) and 1/2t. salt in 3T. of butter for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Next, I added one can (14.5 oz.) of diced tomatoes and one 14 oz. can of low sodium, lowfat chicken broth. I brought this to a boil, turned the heat to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, I removed the pot from the heat and used my hand blender to zip up the soup into a puree. A blender would work, but I don't like trying to transfer hot soup around. :) After the soup was thoroughly 'zipped', I added 2T. of pesto (frozen in my freezer) and stirred until it was completely melted into the soup. You may also add 1/2c. cream to add to the mouthfeel if you'd like a silkier texture. I served it with some whole wheat bread I made eariler that day. Soooo good! Once I figure out where my camera cable is, I can start posting pics of the food for you to enjoy.

Ralfie, my 15-week old Shih tzu, slept on the kitchen rug while I cooked. He loves it when I'm inthe kitchen and stay in the same area. Such a cutie! We got lots of heavy, wet snow yesterday. I let Ralfie and one of the kitties (Charlie) out at about 8pm and noticed it was very slick. Charlie was puzzled when he walked down the driveway and suddenly found himself sitting down instead of standing. He puffed his tail and came running back in-- did not like the ice at all. Ralfie just jumped from the sidewalk onto the snow and jumped through the snow.

Have a great day! I'll post again when I make something else really yummy!

Josie