Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I love creating soup from what's in my cabinets and fridge and during this unsettling time in history,  soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Throwing some veggies and chicken into a pot and transforming them into a filling and tasty meal is good for the soul.

The first thing I did, was to look into the refrigerator vegetable drawer and see what was available. There were carrots, a jalapeno, 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 of a red bell pepper and a bunch of some sorry looking scallions.  Those items were cleaned, chopped and joined by 3 cloves of garlic.

I grabbed a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them thaw for about an hour. Using a sharp knife, I cut them into bite sized pieces, drizzled a little olive oil over them and added 1 tablespoon of  Penzey's Chili 9000. I tossed that together, placed it on a foil lined baking sheet, placed it into a 375 degree oven and roasted for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I sauteed the vegetables in olive oil with some of the Penzey's Chili 9000. The spice added a Middle Eastern touch to the soup. I also added some Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Powder for a little more heat. I had some Masa in my baking cabinet, so I added it as a thickener. If you don't have Masa, you can leave it out.

This recipe, like most of mine, is meant as a path to create a meal with what is available in your home. Here are links for the spices I used:
penzeys.com
savoryspiceshop.com

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 large carrots, sliced

6 scallions, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp Penzey's Chili 9000

1 Tbsp. Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Poweder

4 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp. Masa (optional)

1 can chopped green beans, drained

1 cup frozen vegetable mix, thawed (my blend had corn and black beans)

Saute the vegetables and spices in olive oil until softened. Add chicken stock, cooked chicken and Masa, bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour.

Add green beans and thawed frozen vegetables, heat through and serve.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

When I first heard about this soup, I was a bit skeptical. I grew up eating my mother's specialty, which was her amazing lasagna. So the thought of a soup tasting like lasagna seemed a long shot to me. Plus, using gluten free pasta in soups can be a bit tricky since they tend to dissolve.  I was shocked that the pasta turned out perfect and it held up when reheated the next night.  This recipe lives up to the name and the flavor is like eating lasagna in a soup.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna Soup 

1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 can chicken stock

1 15oz  can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced

2 large carrots diced
2 bay leaves
1 bag kale
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning, plus more for cheese mixture
1 cup gluten free  pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
6 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix the ricotta and Parmesan and season with a little dash of salt and pepper and a 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning ; set aside.

Add olive oil to pot and set to saute setting.

After the pot preheats for a minute or two, add the sausage and cook until brown, using a wooden spoon to break apart (about 5 minutes).

Add onions, carrots and bay leaves and continue cooking until veggies are soft, about another 5 minutes.

Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook a minute more.

Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, kale and pasta.

Place the lid on (with silicone ring) and set it to manual for 2 minutes on high pressure. (It will take 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure. )

Allow the soup to naturally release for 5 minutes and then use quick release to remove  remaining pressure.

Remove the bay leaves.

Serve immediately and garnish with Parmesan and ricotta cheese mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella.

Gluten Free Taco Soup

This recipe comes from Dan's mom and it's one that Dan likes to make. It's pretty simple and foolproof. You can use whatever ground meat that you want and any type of taco seasoning. #glutenfree

Taco Soup

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain fat. Add 1 Envelope Gluten Free Taco Seasoning, 1-15 oz. can Corn, 1-15 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes, 1-15 oz. can Tomato Sauce and 1-15 oz. can Pinto Beans. Use the liquid in the cans. Add a pinch of Sugar and a pinch of Soda before serving.
Top with crushed corn chips, sour cream and grated cheese.

Herby Chicken and Butter Bean Soup

I came across this recipe in the February 2014 edition of BBC Good Food. I made a few changes to the recipe, but I'm sure it's pretty close to the original. I know I complained some about how hard it was finding ingredients for my recipes while in England, but the same thing happens here. When I went to my local Price Chopper, there were no butter beans! If you need black beans, pinto beans, baked beans or pork and beans, then Price Chopper is the place to shop. I ended up at Hy-Vee where they actually carry butter beans and I was able to make the soup. This is a good soup, especially when the weather is so cold. Serve it up with a nice green salad and some warm bread.

Herby Chicken & Butter Bean Soup

4 chicken thighs
1.5 liters chicken stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
3-4 sprigs each rosemary, sage and thyme, leaves picked and chopped
2 tsp. each ground cumin and coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. anise seeds
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove meat from bones and shred.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauce pan. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes until starting to carmelize. Add carrots, herbs and spices and stir for 2 minutes to toast the spices. Add the stock, shredded chicken and butter beans, cook, covered for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender and blitz the soup, leaving partly chunky. Add thawed peas, heat through and serve.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup

 

 

 

From our balcony, we can see a shopping center that has a TK Maxx, yes TK here not TJ. Anyway , I needed a large saucepan/stockpot because the apartment did not have one, so I decided to walk on over there to find one. The walk turned out to be a bit longer than I thought and later I realized there was a TK Maxx a little closer and easier to get to, but I'm still learning. I did find my saucepan, plus a bunch of off price shops, so well worth the trek.
After dropping off my purchase, I walked up to Marks & Spencer, an English department store, to do a little grocery shopping. The grocery store located on their bottom floor is much larger than the local grocer and a little overwhelming. They had so many precooked meals, pre-chopped veg and packaged veg mixes that you could pretty much come up with any recipe. I decided to go with a beef and veggie soup. After spending about 15 minutes trying to choose vegetables, I came upon a package with carrots, an onion a leek and something I was unfamiliar with. I asked a couple of ladies if they knew what it was, they knew the flavor, but not the name. I bought it and thought it was worth a try. It ended up being a rutabaga and you prepare it pretty much like a potato. The flavor was like a sweet, mild radish, potato mash up. We both liked it! I also found this cute little Scottish Sweetheart cabbage that had a wonderful mild cabbage flavor. Here's the recipe I prepared. It's mostly in grams and such, because that how the food is packaged.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup


2 Tbsp Olive Oil
450 grams beef casserole steak (stew meat)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Italian Seasonings
Salt & Pepper
1 onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
4 carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
140 grams baby new potatoes
1 cup barley
500 grams beef stock
1 (400 gram) can of chopped Italian tomatoes and juice
1/4 cup water

Heat oil in stock pot or large sauce pan. Sprinkle meat with flour and seasonings and mix. Add to pan, in batches, brown and remove. Add onion and leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pot. Add the veggies, stock, canned tomatoes, barley and water, bring to boil cook 15 minutes. Reduce, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon more of Italian seasonings. Serve.

 

Cauliflower,Pancetta and Pasta Soup

For Christmas, I received a new cookbook, The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. The book is full of what look to be wonderful recipes and I have already tried a few of them. I usually get the food together the night before and throw it in the refrigerator, so all I have to do in the morning is put the crock in the heating unit, turn it on and go. Eating a healthy, home cooked meal is so much more satisfying than going out, or heaven forbid, eating fast food. This recipe uses chicken broth, but I think it may have been better with veggie broth instead, that's how I would prepare it next time. i upped some of the ingredients in my version to give the flavor a boost. Lots of black pepper seemed to finish it off well. Also top it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This soup serves 8, so invite the neighbors for dinner.

Cauliflower, Pancetta and Pasta Soup

4 oz finely chopped pancetta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium cauliflower, 1 1/2 lbs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 1/2 cups ditalini or tubetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a medium skillet, cook pancetta in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Scrape the mixture into large slow cooker. Add cauliflower and stir well.
Add broth, salt and pepper and red chili flakes. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until cauliflower is tender.
Stir in pasta and cook 30 minutes more, or until tender. Add parsley and Parmesan just before serving.

Turkey-Cheese Soup

This is a full bodied, spicy soup that's perfect on a chilly night. The recipe is based on one from an April 1989 Bon Appetit that I finally made last night. Their recipe calls for pureeing the soup mixture after cooking the veggies, broth and wine and then pushing it through a fine mesh sieve. Since I decided to add ground turkey to my recipe, I thought that the smooth factor did not really apply. It worked out well and the texture was just fine.

Turkey-Cheese Soup

2 large carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 small apple, cored, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 jalapenos, seeded
3 Tbsp butter
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb ground white meat turkey
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, process first 4 ingredients until finely minced.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add contents of work bowl and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock and wine, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet, add ground turkey breaking up with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown. Discard any liquid and set aside.
Place flour in bowl. Slowly whisk in half of milk, making a smooth paste. Add to veggie mix along with remaining milk and cooked turkey. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Stir in cheeses and cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper and serve in warm bowls.

Mac n' Cheese Soup

This is a thick and hearty soup with great flavor! I was sceptical when I started making it, but enjoyed the finished product. The recipe came from Cuisine At Home Magazine, one of my favorites.

Mac n' Cheese Soup

1 1/2 c. dry elbow macaroni
1/2 c. minced onion
1/4 c. minced celery
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 c. whole milk
4 c. shredded sharp Cheddar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/4 crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Sweat onion and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in flour to coat and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer 5 minutes, until slightly thickened, then whisk in milk and warm through. Do not let it boil, it will become grainy.
Add Cheddar, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next cup. Stir in macaroni, lemon juice and salt; remove from heat.
Combine blue cheese and chives in small bowl. Garnish each bowl with mixture.

Sausage Bean Soup

This great bean soup recipe comes from The Centennial Cookbook from The Pembroke Hill School. As usual, I made just a few changes to the recipe, but would probably make it a little different next time. This recipe uses the beans and their liquid, which adds a lot of unneeded sodium. You could probably keep the same thick consistency by draining and rinsing the beans, adding a couple of cans of broth and smashing a third of the beans in the pot. Either way, the recipe published below is really good.

Sausage Bean Soup

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb. Italian sausage, casing removed and broken up

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped in 1/2-inch chunks

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (15 oz) can Great Northern beans, undrained

1 ( 15 oz) can navy beans, undrained

1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute onion, bell pepper and sausage in olive oil in large pot, browning sausage lightly. Add garlic and carrots and stir. Add beans, rinsing each can with water and adding that to the soup. You will add about 1 can of water total. Add tomatoes, cumin, cayenne and vinegar: stir. Add more water if needed. Simmer covered, on low, 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

This interesting recipe comes from the now defunct Gourmet magazine's December 2008 edition. You make your own stock for this one, so the recipe does take some time, but it's well worth it. The addition of sweet potatoes is different, but I actually liked it. I ended up using white rice because that's all I had, but try it with brown, I think it would be better.

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

For stock:

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 onions, coarsely chopped

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lb.)

1 head garlic, halved crosswise

3 1/2 qt. cold water

25 cilantro stems

2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

For Soup:

3 whole allspice

1 whole clove

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/4 tsp. black peppercorns

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce

1 cup short grain brown rice

1 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

20 (7 to 8 inch) corn tortillas

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 (15 to 19 oz) can black beans, rinsed

2 firm-ripe avocados

2 limes, cut into wedges

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Make stock: Bring all stock ingredients to a boil with 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper in an 8 to 10 qt. heavy pot, thin skim foam.

reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, skimming foam occasionally, 2 3/4 hours.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, then pour stock through fine mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard solids. Reserve 1 cup stock and return remainder to cleaned pot.

Finish Soup: Toast spices in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant and a shade darker, about two minutes.

Transfer spices to a blender along with onion, garlic, chipotles with adobo, 2 1/2 tsp. salt and reserved stock. Blend until smooth and spices are ground. (use caution blending with hot liquid)

Add puree to stock in pot along with rice and sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered, until sweet potatoes and rice are tender, about 45 minutes.

While soup simmers, discard skin and bones from chicken and cut or shred meat into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Stack tortillas and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips, then toss with oil. Spread in one layer on 2 large baking sheets and season with salt. Bake, stirring frequently and switching sheet positions halfway through, until deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

When rice and potatoes are tender add chicken and beans to soup and simmer, uncovered, until just heated through.

Meanwhile, quarter avocados lengthwise.

Season soup with salt and pepper, serve with lime wedges, cilantro, avocados and tortillas.

Beer Soup w/Stilton Cheese

Wow, another failed recipe! This comes from a December 1989 Bon Appetit. Sounded wonderful, onion soup, Stilton cheese and dark beer. The result was a very bitter concoction that I tried adding a variety of seasonings and balsamic vinegar, but it just never came together. Don't try this one at home.

Beer Soup w/Stilton Cheese

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 large onions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups beef stock

4 cups dark beer

Salt

1 French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

8 oz. Stilton cheese, crumbled

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add onions. Season with pepper. Press round piece of foil over onions. Cover pan with lid and cook until onions are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minute's. Remove lid and foil. Increase heat to medium and cook until onions are very dark golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Add stock and beer, bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bread slices on a large cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. bake until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Place 3 croutons in bottom of each of 8 individual flameproof soup crocks.Bring soup to a boil. ladle over croutons. Sprinkle with cheese. broil until soup bubbles and begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Melon and Prosciutto "As Soup"

The other day, Dan was cleaning out the hall closet and he came across my At Home With Micheal Chiarello cookbook. I totally forgot about having the book and spent the next two nights reading it in bed. There are some great recipes in this book and the first one I decided to try was this soup. One of my favorite things to eat in the summer is melon and prosciutto and this recipe seemed like a winner. It turned out very nice, if not a little sweet. The cantaloupe I used was super sweet and I could have cut some of the honey, but oh well, it still tasted great! I think I will try using basil in place of the mint for the next go around.

Melon and Prosciutto "As Soup"

2 cantaloupes, halved, seeded, peeled and cubed

Finely ground sea salt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

12 mint leaves

2 tbsp. dark rum

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp. Prosciutto Bits

Freshly ground black pepper

Place 8 soup bowls in freezer. Working in batches, combine cantaloupe, 1 tsp salt, honey, lemon juice, 10 mint leaves and rum in a blender and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Finely julienne the remaining 2 mint leaves. Ladle soup into chilled bowls. Garnish center of bowl with a dollop of mascarpone. Sprinkle mascarpone with Prosciutto, mint leaves and a grind of black pepper.

Potato-Corn Chowder

I came across this recipe in my July 2008 Gourmet magazine. It was fairly simple to prepare, I just wish there was a way to de-cob the corn without the juice flying every where. It was on the counter, the back splash, my shirt and glasses and probably a few places that I missed. Oh well, it was worth the effort and very good.

Potato-Corn Chowder

3 ears corn, shucked
2 qt. water
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 thyme sprigs
2 Turkish or 1 California Bay leaves
3 cups heavy cream
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Garnish: chopped cilantro

Cut corn from each cob, then hold cob upright in a bowl and scrape with knife to extract "milk". Bring cobs, water, potatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil in a large pot, covered, then boil, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard cobs.
Meanwhile, cook onion, carrot and 1/2 tsp. salt in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden, about 10 minutes.
Add bell pepper, corn and it's milk, thyme and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and cook , covered, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
Stir in potatoes with water and cream and gently boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes. Stir in scallions, white pepper, cayenne and salt to taste. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Black Bean and Sirloin Chili

I've had this recipe for a long time and use it to create other chilis from. It's a favorite in our house.

Black Bean and Sirloin Chili

1/3 cup olive oil
2 lb. sirloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1/3 cup Masa Harina
1/3 cup regular chili powder
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 ( 14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked black beans (rinsed and drained if using canned)

Brown sirloin, in batches, in a heavy pot with olive oil, transferring it to a plate with a slotted spoon as it is browned. In remaining fat, cook onion, garlic and peppers over moderate heat, stirring until onion is softened. Add Masa, chili powders and cumin, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and sirloin and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve.

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

This soup is based on a recipe from the Kansas City Star. I changed it up because Dan does not like cauliflower. He actually thought that it was a potato soup at first and liked it even when he found out that it wasn't.

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

1 cauliflower ( 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
26 oz. box chicken stock
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of white pepper
2 cups whole milk
1/4 lb. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Cut out and discard cauliflower core. Remove and discard outer leaves, separating cauliflower into small florets. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt, saute until lightly brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add cauliflower, parsley and stock. Bring to boil and cover, reducing heat and simmering until cauliflower is tender (10 to 12 minutes). Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper and cook, whisking, until it bubbles. Remove from heat and gradually add milk. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Add milk mixture to cauliflower mixture. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I recently purchased Tyler Florence's new book Dinner At My Place and so far have not been disappointed. The cook book is full of what look like some great recipes. I prepared this chicken soup the other night and it was good and simple. using a store bought rotisserie chicken makes this one a no brainer.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 store bought deli roast chicken
2 Qts. cold water
2 carrots, washed and sliced into circles
3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/4 bunch fresh thyme sprigs (4 sprigs), leaves only
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups dried pasta noodles
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/4 bunch fresh parsley (about 4 sprigs), roughly chopped

Place chicken in large stockpot and add water, carrot, celery, onion, garlic and thyme. Place over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil to extract flavors of chicken. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, then remove chicken. Remove meat from chicken; shred meat. Discard bones and skin. Season chicken stock in pot with salt and pepper; add chicken and pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked. Finish with lemon juice and parsley.

Ham and Bean Soup

Growing up, the one meal I hated more than any other was when my mother fixed ham and beans. I think we had them at least once a week and no matter how much she coaxed, pleaded or screamed, I would not eat them. The rest of my family loved them and covered them with ketchup (gross!!) and chopped raw onion. I would push them around my plate and pretend that I had eaten a few. After what seemed like hours, mom would relent and let me get up from the table. I would then go over to the candy cabinet (yes, we actually had a cabinet stocked with our favorite candy) and get some red vines or a few packets of sours ( those were a Smarties type of rolled candy that I don't know the correct name for, but a little on the fizzy side and oh so good).
I found this recipe and it looked so good that I decided to give the old bean and ham night a resurrection. This recipe comes from Cook's Country December/January 2008 edition and is very good. The ham is the real star of this recipe and it's very easy to prepare. The addition of the the vinegar at the end really brightens the flavor.

Ham and Bean Soup

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. ham steak, patted dry and diced
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
2 smoked ham hocks
1 lb. dried navy beans, soaked overnight
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add ham and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, water, hocks and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low and simmer until beans are completely tender and the soup is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. ( I skimmed a lot of fat from the surface of my soup.)
Remove hocks from pot. If desired, let cool for 5 minutes, then shred meat and add to the soup. Stir in thyme, pepper and vinegar. Serve.

Beef Brisket Chili

When I received my October 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, I immediately wanted to make the brisket on the cover, it looked so good. Of coarse, I ended up making a different version, but pretty much followed their recipe. I left out the autumn squash and used different chiles, spices and added beans, but the concept was close and it turned out great. I have a similar recipe for a steak and black bean chili that i will post when I come across it again.

Beef Brisket Chili

6 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed, seeded and coarsely torn

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/4 lb. onion, chopped

1 4lb. flat cut beef brisket, cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes

Coarse kosher salt

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (12 oz) bottle Mexican beer

2 (4 oz) can diced fire-roasted green chiles

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed

Place chiles in medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Soak, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onion. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over beef and add to pot; stir to coat. Set aside.

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles in food processor. Add 1 cup of liquid, garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Puree, adding more liquid if too thick. Pour over beef in pot. Add tomatoes with juices, beer, green chiles and cilantro stems. Stir to coat evenly.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 hours. Uncover and cook another hour. Add beans and cook another 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tilt pot and spoon off any excess fat.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream or grated cheese.

Tortellini and Italian Sausage Soup

I was watching Tyler's Ultimate on Food TV the other day and he made an incredible looking chicken noodle soup using cheese tortellini and chicken-apple sausage. I decided to make something similar last night and it turned out great. I still want to get Tyler's recipe, but in the meantime, this one is very good.

Tortellini and Italian Sausage Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

48 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

salt and pepper

1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup white wine

20 oz. bag frozen cheese tortellini

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add oil. Add garlic, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves and thyme. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes. Add broth, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Brown sausage in batches in a large skillet, add to soup pot. When finished, add white wine to pan and scrape up any brown bits, add to soup. Add frozen tortellini to soup and cook until they float. Adjust seasonings and serve.

White Chicken Chili

I think I originally came across this recipe in an advertisement for cheese. I have made alterations to it and this the recipe I now use. You can use any type of white beans in this recipe, I wanted to try butter beans because I've never had them. You could also use ground turkey in this recipe, but I find those packages of pre-cooked chicken save so much time on a week night.

White Chicken Chili

1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1 (15 oz) can creamed corn
1 (7 oz) can diced green chiles
2 cups whole milk
1 (15 oz) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. cooked chicken, chopped
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until onion is limp , stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cumin, white pepper, corn, green chiles, milk and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and stir occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes, stir in chicken and season with salt. Stir in cheese and serve.