Fall Favorites!

Is there anything as good as fall food? Chili, apple pie, pumpkin-everything... It's my favorite time of the year!
Here are some dinner ideas if you're in a slump (as much as I love fall, I have to admit I don't enjoy cooking every day!):

• Skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, roasted rosemary potatoes, roasted lemon and parmesan asparagus, and baked zucchini fries.
• Sausage with peppers and onions, rice and green beans
• Spaghetti squash with ground turkey and sauce
• Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.
• Pioneer Woman's chicken tortilla soup
• Chicken cordon bleu casserole 
• Garlic shrimp salad with veggies, eggs, garbanzos, and homemade sweet potato fries
• Chicken pot pie
• Lasagna roll ups made with turkey and a spinach cream sauce on top
• Chicken with quinoa and a big pan of roasted veggies
• Baked Orange Chicken and Rice 
• Quinoa and Spinach patties
• Sweet & Spicy Citrus Tilapia
• Tacos! Mix it up with turkey, fish, or chicken.
• Homemade pizza

FALL SOUPS! 

• Chicken and wild rice soup
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup  
• Creamy broccoli and cheese
• Corn and red pepper chowder
• Chicken n dumplings
• Butternut Stew with Pork and Spinach
  Crock Pot Sweet Potato & Bean Chili
• Potato Soup
• Pasta e fagoli

Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup

Soup Roundup!

With Fall in full swing and winter coming (:D) , we asked the LDW ladies for their favorite soup recipes:

Southwestern Soup

Tortilla Soup

2Tbs veg oil
1 med onion chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
6 C chicken broth
1 C frozen corn kernels
1 ripe tomato chopped
1 C shredded cooked chicken
1/2 C cilantro
juice of 2 limes squeezed
Tortilla chips

Additional lim e wedges for garnish.  Heat the oil in med saucepan over med heat. Sauté onion for a few minutes, then add garlic, chipotle, chili powder, salt. Cook until onion softens, add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer uncovered for about 10 mins. Turn off heat and stir in tomato, chicken, cilantro, lime juice. Put some chips in a bowl and ladle your soup on top.


Taco Soup

1 can of corn
1 can of hormel chili with beans
1 Can of diced tomato
Taco seasoning
Chicken broth to taste. Garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream and avocados. Love the reference BTW. Me and DrH are reading it together.

Chicken/Cheese Tortilla Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup

Veggie Soup
South-Asian Lentils / Daal

2-3 cups of lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic, chopped or equivalent of garlic paste
1 tomato
1 small chili sliced down the middle length-wise, but still in tact (will add flavor without adding spice, or omit completely)
Lime juice to taste
Cilantro
Salt/pepper
Olive oil

Wash lentils and soak in water. Heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds and cover. When popping noise slows down (think popcorn), remove from heat. Add lentils to huge pot with water (add enough water to cover), + garlic, turmeric, tomato and simmer. Add the mustard/cumin seeds/oil (watch out for splashing). In the same pan, heat a little more oil and fry the onions until brown. Add those to the lentil pot. Simmer until lentils are soft (add water as needed if it starts to dry out, adjust salt accordingly). Add lime juice and top with cilantro.

Butternut Squash Soup

6 Tbsp onion, chopped
4 Tbsp butter
4-5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp

In saucepan, sauté onions in butter until tender. Add squash, broth, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 min or until squash is tender.
Puree squash mixture and cream cheese in blender. Return to saucepan and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

And if you’ve never cut raw squash (and I hadn’t), you cut off two ends with a big knife. Use a veggie peeler to remove outer layer. Slice in half and dig out seeds with spoon. Then cut remainder into cubes. You’ll probably need 2 squash to get 4-5 cups cubed.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Vegetable Bean Soup
Golden Potato Leek Soup with Cheddar Toast
French Onion Soup
Hearty Protein Soups

Shrimp Chowder

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cans Cream of Potato soup
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream-style corn
1.5 to 2 cups of milk
1 lb. shrimp thawed
1 tsp. Tony Chachere Creole seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter, add green onions and sautee until soft. Add cream cheese and melt. Add soup and both corns. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Add milk to desired consistency. Add shrimp and heat through.
Stracciatella

(I use 3 cans of stock for two people. Otherwise, I really don't measure things, so use your judgment. A wider pan makes it easier to keep the eggs separate.)

Bring chicken stock to a boil, then down to simmer. While waiting, cook a small handful of angel hair pasta for each person.

CAREFULLY drop in one egg for each person, toss in some baby spinach leaves and let it simmer a few minutes. You want the egg to cook through. ONLY move the egg around enough to make sure it doesn't scorch at the bottom. Try not to break up the whites any more than you have to.

Ladle into bowls, including one egg and some spinach in each. Stir in a handful of angel hair pasta.

Sprinkle generously with grated parmesan and fresh ground pepper.ns. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Add milk to desired consistency. Add shrimp and heat through.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Moroccan Chicken Butternut Squash Soup

Lamb Stew with Plums


 

Chicken Soup with Lentils and Barley

Brad made this from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens. And it was wonderful!

1 cup onions
1/2 c chopped red or green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1.5 c water
1/2 c lentils rinsed and drained
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t rosemary
1.5 c cooked chicken (or turkey after Thanksgiving)
1.5 c carrots (3 medium)
1/2 c quick cooking barley
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

Ham and Cheese Soup

Need a nice winter-time soup to use up those ham leftovers? Here's a great one!

What you need:
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 onion or small onion
-3 cloves garlic
-Salt/pepper to taste
-chicken bullion (4 cubes)
-4 c water
-1 c cooked/cubed ham
-1 c. frozen peas
-1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 c cheddar cheese (I used pre-shredded)
-1/4 c milk

What to do:
Put olive oil in skillet and heat up on med. Add diced onion and garlic and cook till soft. Add 4 cups of water and chicken bullion. Stir occassionally. Add the peas and ham. cook some more for about 15 minutes. Taste and add pepper and salt. Wisk in cornstarch and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer and add cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring it until melted before adding more. Finish off with milk to add richness and depth.

Serve hot, with crackers or bread. Yum! Excellent leftovers, so make a big batch.

Curried lentil soup

I got this from my sweet sister-in-law, Brooke. She gave it to us in a beautiful decorative jar with some other Christmas treats. This could be made ahead and kept around until you are ready for it. And it doesn't take up freezer space. And did I mention it is delicious?!

I'm trying to figure out a way to make individual serving sizes. LOL! Wish me luck!

curried lentil soup
16 oz lentils
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs dried onion (i didn't have any and used about 1 Tbs onion powder)
1 Tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup dried apple pieces, cut into pieces
1 Tbs parsley

combine in sauce pan with 7 cups H2O. boil on high. cover and simmer on low 20-30 min.

Taco Soup

This was a big hit here last night, so I thought I'd share!

1 lb of Ground Lean Turkey (you can use hamburger or shredded chicken, also)
1 Medium Onion
1 pkg Taco Mix
1 can Kidney beans (do not drain)
1 can Black Beans (do not drain)
1 can Corn (do not drain)
1 can Diced Tomatoes

Brown your meat and onions. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then simmer until you are ready to eat.

For Garnishes:
Sliced Olives
Sour Cream
Corn Chips
Cilantro

Hamburger soup

Yes, I've fallen out of the blog-o-sphere lately. Sorry about that. But I just had to share this amazing recipe with ya'll. I made a double batch last night, hoping to freeze some, but I doubt there will even be enough left for leftovers tomorrow.

I got it from my friend Linda Pope. Enjoy!!!

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 c.each carrots and celery, chopped
2 c. potatoes, chopped
2 c. water with 1 beef bouillon cube
1 qt tomato juice
salt and pepper

Brown beef and onion. Put in a pot along with carrots, celery, potatoes, water and bouillon. Simmer until tender. Add tomato juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Easy, right? And soooo yummy. I substituted some tomato juice with diced tomatoes and it was still wonderful.

White Chicken Chili

Also easy to do in the crockpot but it really takes no time at all on the stove...

2 cups of cooked shredded or cubed leftover chicken
2 or 3 cans of great northern beans (you can use dried if you want to mess with them; it just takes longer).
2 cans chopped green chiles
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups of chicken broth (use less or more depending on how thick you like your chili)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and parsley to taste
2 T olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
1 pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes (low fat is fine)
1 cup cooked white rice (optional - but we love it - definitely thickens it up)

Start off by sauteeing the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the chicken (if you use raw, then cook it through). Add the green chiles, chicken broth, corn, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream cheese cubes until melted. Stir in the rice and season to taste. My mom always adds coriander but I never seem to have any so I mostly use cumin.

This is super fast if you use canned beans (I buy GV brand) and leftover chicken.

Optional: Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream on top!

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

Easy and cheap... this made a lot for us so I froze half of it for later. :)

2 16 oz bags of dried split peas
1 pkg of kielbasa sausage, diced (I usually buy the turkey stuff - cheap and healthy)
1 lg yellow onion, diced
2 cups of carrots, diced (I shredded in the mini-processor instead)
3 cloves of garlic, minced (also used the mini-processor here. Love that thing!)
Salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon to taste
8-9 cups of water

Wash peas in hot water and add all ingredients to the crockpot. The original recipe I splurged on called for 1 bag of peas and 6 cups of water, but 8-9 cups is all my big crockpot would hold - I ended up with a thick soup, which is how I like it anyway. You could always halve the recipe and use less water.

Cook on high for about 4 hours (I started stirring it after 3 hours to help peas mush up) until peas are mushy. Serve with cornbread. Some people like to drizzle olive oil on top... :)

I think I spent around $5...

Lentil Soup

prep:25 min cook:20 min

1 c dry lentils rinsed and drained
1 c chopped green pepper
1 c sliced carrots (2 medium)
1/2 c chopped onion (1 medium)
2 t instant chicken bouillon granules
1/2 t dried sage, crushed
1/8 t ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz fully cooked smoked sausage links quartered and sliced

Directions: In a large pot mix all but sausage and add 5 cups of water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until veggies and lentils are tender. Stir in sausage and heat through.

Makes about 7 cups (5 main dish servings)

267 calories per serving, 11 g total fat

My thoughts: I prefer using ground sausage. I just brown it after I get the soup going and then add it when it is browned for the remainder of the time. It just seems to go farther since the pieces are smaller. I'd rather get a lot of bites with a little sausage than a few with a lot of sausage. And some ground sausage varieties have great seasoning too. I don't put in the pepper because my boys don't like spice, but I put red pepper flakes in my own bowl. And if you really want the flavor to pop, don't be afraid to add a tiny bit of salt and lots of pepper. :)

It can be frozen, but it cooks pretty fast from scratch too. You can have the veggies frozen and pre-chopped to make it even faster.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this from Reader's Digest. I am telling you ladies, I am totally in love with it. But my kids didn't like it at all. I went a little crazy with the lime juice though. :o) It really is yummy.

You Will Need

3 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 tsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 large onion, chopped

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 tbs. lime juice


What to Do

1. In large resealable plastic bag, combine tortilla strips, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Seal bag and shake to coat. Arrange tortilla strips on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once. Remove to paper towels to cool.

2. In large saucepan, sauté chicken in remaining oil until lightly browned. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add corn, chilies, cilantro, and pepper, and heat through. Stir in lime juice. Top each serving with tortilla strips.

Yield: 6 servings ($1.62 per serving)


-- M. M., Traverse City, Michigan

Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 1/2 cups) equals 221 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 757 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 19 g protein.

Tomato Basil Soup

From Cindi
**************
1 jar tomato basil spaghetti sauce (any brand you like)
1/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup chicken broth (I usually add about half cup to make it go farther)

* optional: chicken breast, boiled & shreddedBoil chicken, set aside, combine rest of ingredients and let "stew" 15 or so minutes then shred chicken and throw back in until warm!

Tastes yummy with Farm Rich mozarella bites and salad : )