Broccoli and Corn Chowder

In case you haven't noticed, I love soup. All kinds. Especially cream-based soups. Maybe that's because I grew up eating New England Clam Chowder. But I digress. 

On a whim, I decided to try another recipe from my go-to soup recipe book. Seriously, that's what it's called: Soup. The recipe in the book is called Vegetable & Corn Chowder, but I didn't have all the ingredients to make it an actual "Vegetable" & Corn Chowder. Alas, my recipe for Broccoli and Corn Chowder was born - I did have lots of broccoli on hand. Which is generally the case in this household.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 small onion (or half of a medium-sized onion), diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 and 1/2 cups milk (I used 2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup skim milk for no reason in particular)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 cups frozen corn
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• salt and pepper

How to:

• Heat some olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add in onion, garlic, and potatoes and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until aromatic, for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in milk and vegetable stock. 
• Add in broccoli and corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. 
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese until it melts. 
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve and garnish with remaining cheese, if desired.

I didn't have any cheddar cheese on hand, so I used a Mexican cheese blend instead, and my soup turned out great. I was really surprised at how creamy and rich the soup tasted, considering I didn't use heavy whipping cream and/or large quantities of butter and flour. SO, if you're in the mood for a corn chowder but don't feel like spending a ton of time making a cream-based soup, this recipe is a winner. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Stew

In theory, Crockpot recipes are great because you can throw a bunch of stuff into the pot, turn it on, leave it for 6-8 hours, and come back to a delicious hot meal. In reality, Crockpot recipes generally only work for me on the weekends. During the week,  I'm outta the house by 8:00am and rarely get home before 6:00pm. That's 10 hours. I feel like this is generally the norm for people who work 40 hours (or more...womp womp...) a week outside the home.

As I've mentioned numerous times, sometimes cooking a real meal is the absolute last thing I want to do when I get home after standing at a lab bench for 8+ hours. Jake and I probably eat more cereal and grilled cheese than we should. I came across this recipe for Crockpot Beef Stew and knew it would be the perfect thing to try on what I knew would be one of my crazier days in the lab. I prepped all of the ingredients the night before and kept them covered and in the fridge overnight. Then, before heading into work last Wednesday morning, I threw all of the ingredients in the crockpot, turned it on, and left for work. When I finally made it back to the house 11 and a half hours later (vomit), this perfect batch of Beef Stew was waiting for me.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite size pieces or 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups beef broth

How to:

• Mix together flour, salt, and pepper in a large Ziploc bag or bowl. Add meat and toss to coat.
• Place flour-coated meat in slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients. Stir to mix thoroughly.
• Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. 

After 11 and a half hours in the crockpot, the meat perfectly fell apart and tasted so flavorful. This really was one of those 'set it and forget it' meals, especially considering I prepped all of the ingredients the night before. 

My recipe is slightly modified from this one.

Chunky Vegetable Soup

Happy December! Jake and I went to pick out our Christmas tree today. It was pretty chilly, and all I could think about was having something warm when we got back to our place. After about 30 minutes of searching, we found the most glorious tree the nursery had to offer. And then it was time to head home, and make some delicious soup.

My recipe for Chunky Vegetable Soup is modified from a recipe I found in the book pictured above (which I purchased for $2.99 at Marshall's - bonus). If you're looking for a healthy bowl of soup that's packed with flavor, this is for you!

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 medium red potatoes, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (14 oz)
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup frozen or canned (drained) corn
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How to:

• In a pot, combine all ingredients except for corn and stir to mix.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the corn, and return to a boil. 
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. 
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Discard bay leaf.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Corn Cakes

Jake and I had our friends over to watch the Ravens game today, and I knew I had to try out this recipe for Cheesy Corn Cakes when our friends said they were bringing chili over. It's just one of those perfect fall days - there's a chill in the air, and chili is the perfect dish to warm you up. Why not pair it with some cornbread?

Here's the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk*
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 cups freshly grated pepperjack cheese (I grated the cheese so 1 cup was finely shredded, and the other cup was regularly shredded)
• butter (for greasing griddle)

How to:

• Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and honey.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined - do not overmix!
• Fold in the grated cheese.
• Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and grease with butter.
• Scoop (I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup) some of your mixture onto the hot griddle. Using a spatula, press down the mixture so it lays flat like a pancake.
• Note: spray the back of your spatula with cooking spray so it doesn't stick to the corn cake.
• Once brown, flip cake, and brown on other side. 
• Repeat process with remaining batter.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 1/4 cup milk, and let it stand for 10 minutes.

I popped one of these Corn Cakes right on top of my chili. The chili wasn't super spicy, so the pepperjack cheese of the Corn Cake really added a nice kick to the dish. Everyone seemed to like this addition to the chili! I'm anxious to try these with a nice bowl of beef stew as well. 

The website I found this recipe initially says these cakes keep well. Her instructions for reheating say to nuke a cold Corn Cake in the microwave for ~30 seconds. If frozen, heat on 50% power for 1 minute, and then in 20-30 second intervals until hot. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Jake is my toughest critic when it comes to the food I make. I used to think he was a picky eater, but now I realize he just likes food that tastes good. Simple as that. The first time I made this recipe, Jake had nothing but praise for me. I knew it was a keeper.

I probably make this dish at least once every 2 months. The ingredients are simple, and the end product has all of the classic Chicken Noodle Soup components. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I initially came across this recipe, but I promise if you follow my steps, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• garlic salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 tsp dried basil 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

How to:

• Heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken to pan and season with garlic salt (season to your liking - I generally use ~1 tsp).
• Cook chicken 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.
• Add onion and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
• In pot, combine chicken broth, water, chicken, onions, and carrots. Heat to boiling, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Stir in broccoli, egg noodles, basil, garlic powder, and black pepper. Heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and noodles are tender.

I love my Chicken Noodle Soup with lots of noodles. Even though you might be tempted to add more, I assure you - you don't need to! I'm interested to know what you readers love in your soup. Leave me some comments, and I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Creamy Tomato and Parmesan Soup

This weekend was exceptionally fall-like - there was a chill in the air, the leaves started to turn all kinds of awesome colors, and I watched more football than the average person. Jake and I were outside for most of the day on Saturday, watching my niece and nephew cheerleading and playing football. It was just chilly enough that I found myself craving something savory and hot to warm myself up with. I decided then that I'd devote my Sunday to making some soup. I also decided it needed to be a Crockpot recipe, keeping with my promise to post a Crockpot recipe once a week.

I found this recipe for Tomato Basil Parmesan soup through Pinterest. It seemed to have all ingredients I love (tomatoes, cheese, butter - how can you go wrong?), so I figured I'd try it out. This soup turned out AMAZING. But I'm warning you now, it is not short on calories. Or fat. You've been warned.

The original recipe can be found here. I've made a few modifications to mine - mostly in just substituting the 2 cups of half and half for 1 cup of light cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 28 oz. can diced italian tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup finely diced celery (~4 stalks)
• 1 cup finely diced carrots (~3 medium carrots)
• 1 cup finely diced onion (~1 medium onion)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 4 cups chicken broth (I prepared mine from bouillon)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup light cream, warmed
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil (optional)

 How to:

• Combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, oregano, basil, chicken broth, and bay leaf in Crockpot. 
• Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours.
• Approximately 30 minutes before soup is served, prepare a roux. 
• Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan.
• Slowly add in flour, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes.
• Slowly add in 1 cup of hot soup, whisking constantly until smooth.
• Continue adding 3 more cups of hot soup slowly, whisking constantly until smooth.
•  Add back to the Crockpot and mix well.
•  Add warmed cream, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
• Serve in warmed bowls, garnished with fresh basil, if desired (although I recommend it!).

This recipe is incredibly flavorful. If I'm being honest, I think the next time I make this, I might omit the cream altogether - I don't think it needs it! I'd love to hear what you readers think of this recipe, so please post your comments below!

Enjoy!

Skinny Cream of Zucchini Soup

Why is it that whenever I'm sick, all I want is soup? Actually, that's not entirely true. I would eat soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could. And I anticipate many future posts that fully demonstrate my love for soup. Anyway, the point is, I currently AM sick, and I WANT soup, so I'm going to share this recipe with you.

I stumbled upon SkinnyTaste when I first joined Pinterest, and that's where I found this recipe for Cream of Zucchini Soup. If you're wondering the same thing I was the first time I tried this recipe - "How can something with so few ingredients have any taste?" - STOP. This is one of my favorite recipes! It's flavorful, super easy to make, and best of all - pretty healthy!

 

The original recipe can be found here. My recipe has a few minor adjustments, but I assure you, it tastes great!


Ingredients:

• 6 cups prepared chicken broth (I prepared mine from Bouillon)
• 3 medium zucchinis, skins on, quartered and diced
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• salt & pepper to taste

 How to:

• Combine broth, zucchini, onion, and garlic in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 min, until vegetables are tender.
• Remove from heat.
• Add sour cream.
• Either transfer soup to a blender* and puree ingredients, or puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Add salt & pepper to taste.
• Serve warm & enjoy!

*When transferring ingredients to a blender, be careful! Only fill the blender ~1/3 of a way full at a time. I've found that it's best to only transfer the solid contents of the soup and a little bit of broth, to minimize spillage when you turn the blender on. An immersion blender really works best.

I make this recipe every few weeks, and I'm always amazed at how flavorful it is, considering how few ingredients there are. It's great that you can get the taste of a creamy soup, without all the added calories. I've even gotten Jake to eat it, and he doesn't eat any creamy soups. Not even Cream of Crab - and he's a native Marylander! So enjoy!