Sunday Soup--Brocoli Cheese

I love making soups and linking up with Deb

Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

This is a favorite of everyone in my house.

Cheesy, creamy goodness!

Although the title of the recipe might indicate this to be a vegetable soup--it isn't.  It's a cheese soup.  The dominate flavor is cheese.  It's so yummy!!

I always think of making this soup as the weather starts to get cold outside. There are certain traditions to look forward to as the seasons change and this soup is a fall and winter favorite!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 (10oz) package frozen broccoli

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 1/2 tsp butter

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup water

1 (10oz) can cream of chicken soup

12oz Velveeta Cheese

1/2 cup cooked rice

Cook the broccoli according to package directions, omitting salt, drain well.

Cook onion, green pepper and butter in a large soup pot until tender.  Add milk, water, cream of chicken soup and cheese to soup pot. Cook until cheese melts.

Add the rice, heat and serve.

Add sandwiches to make a complete meal.

I made this to take to a church potluck as a gluten-free soup.  We needed one gluten free soup for a visiting Pastor. I was in charge of the meal/potluck and put the word out that we did need a gluten free soup.  We ended up with 4 gluten free soups, which were all great!  But this one was the best!

Sunday Soup--Paella Soup

Paella Soup

The Handyman's words of wisdom about this soup.

Me:  Do you like this soup?

HM: Mmm Hmmm.

Me:  You do?

HM: (stopping mid spoon to his mouth)  UH Huh!

So there you have it:  GOOD SOUP.

(oops....forgot the peas.  Imagine if you will, how pretty this table would be with a few green peas in the soup)

It had all the ingredients of Paella, but in soup form.

I have to be honest---I did not buy saffron.  I've spent a lot of money on ingredients that I only need a tsp of,  and had no qualms about doing so ...  but I just couldn't do it for the saffron.  So, I Googled it and found out there is really no substitute spice for saffron.  I did find one mixture that comes close: turmeric and paprika.  I forget the exact ratio off the top of my head, but if you want, you can Google it also.

Since I had both turmeric and paprika in my cupboard, that's what I did.

I also did not blend the veggies and rice to a creamy consistency.  I thought I wanted it more brothy-ish, and I wanted to feel the texture of rice in my mouth.

I just realized that I forgot the peas!

I bought the peas--which are still sitting in my freezer.

YOU don't forget the peas.

This soup is filled with chicken and sausage and shrimp.

A really good main dish soup!

I found this soup in  the cookbook 'Sunday Soup' a Years's Worth of Mouthwater, Easy to Make, recipes by Betsy Rosbottom.

 I am going to link up  with

Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

Sunday Soup/Souper Sundays

Mexican Potato Soup. 

Mmmm.

I would serve this one at my fictional  soup restaurant

  "Ahh-some Soups"

The Handyman co-signed that.  He said  "if you were going to make this again, and I know you're not, but if  you were, just know that I like it a lot."

This one tho?  I just might make it again....it was creamy, cheesy, potato-y, spicy  goodness.

(it isn't that I wouldn't make some soups again---I do do that---but there are just so many to try and so little time! But this one?  I WILL be making it again.  For company too!)

The recipe says that steak and potatoes go together like-- well-- steak and potatoes.

A dinner classic!

So, in this soup,  you grill up some steak strips and garnish the soup with a strip of ancho-grilled steak and some Pico de Gallo.

Mexican Potato Soup

Melt:

4 T unsalted butter

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat until foamy.

Add:

1 cup minced onions

1/2 cup minced celery

2 T minced fresh garlic

2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 T all purpose flour

Add onions, celery, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne to the pot and sweat until onion softens, about  5 minutes. 

Sweat the spices with the onions and celery  and garlic to release their flavors into the soup.

Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.

Stir in:

4 cups chicken broth

2 lb red skinned potatoes, peeled and diced (I didn't peel)

12 oz shredded pepper jack cheese

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

Stir in broth and potatoes; bring to a boil and cook  until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Crush potatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency, then stir in the pepper jack cheese and half and half until cheese melts.

Off heat, stir in:

1/2 cup sour cream

salt, pepper and lime juice to taste

1 recipe Pepper Pico de Gallo

Off heat, stir in sour cream, season with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Garnish each serving with Ancho rubbed Flank Steak and Pepper Pico de Gallo.

*****************

Ancho Rubbed Flank Steak

Flank steak can be tough. To remedy this, cook it only until rare, then thinly slice against the grain to keep the fibers shorter and less chewy

Combine:

2 T brown sugar

1 T ancho chili powder

2 t kosher salt

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp black pepper

Minced zest of 1 lime

Rub:

1 flank steak  ( 1 1/2 lb)

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Brush grill grate with oil.

Combine brown sugar, chili powder, salt, garlic, pepper and zest for the rub.

Rub both sides of the steak with spice rub; grill 2 minutes per side.

Flip steak 2 more times, cooking 2 minutes on each side until an instant read thermometer measures 125F in the thickest part for rare.  Tent the steak with foil and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.

*********************

Pepper Pico de Gallo

1/3 cup each finely diced red, yellow and orange bell peppers.

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno, finely diced

2 T fresh lime juice

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

It's definitely worth the trouble!

Invite friends to come share on a cold winter night.

As I said, the Handyman co-signed that!  He told me over and over how much he liked it.

 I am going to link up  with

Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

And also I'm going to link up with Weekend Cooking.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts!

Sunday Soup! Chicken and Kielbasa Soup

October!  My favorite month of the year!  And by some miraculous weather pattern, it always gets a little cooler around here the moment I turn the calendar over.  I love it.

This is what I made for my Sunday Soup--- Chicken and Kielbasa Soup--- and it was so, SO good.

The description in the magazine says that there is something satisfying about that snap that comes when you bite into a chuck of Kielbasa,  and that its smoky flavor begs to be added to cold-weather dishes.

AGREED!

Co-signed!

I need to write nothing more, because I can't say it better than that.

If you make a salad and grab some French bread, this is a perfect light fall meal.  You should probably have some wine also--it kind of rounds out the meal.

Just sayin'

There was a time I didn't like wine.  Imagine that!?

I found this recipe in an old issue of Cuisine magazine, the winter 2013 'special publication'.   There are many good soups in here that I can't wait to try.

I really hope it's cooling down in your neck of the woods--because you really need a pot of simmer soup on your stove today.

Happy soup day!  Happy Sunday!

This soup is so easy!  

Don't be afraid--soups are really the easiest thing in the world.

Chicken and Kielbasa Soup

Brown: 

8 oz kielbasa, bias sliced

1 T olive oil

Add:

1 1/2 cups diced onions

1/2 cup EACH diced carrot and celery

1 T minced fresh garlic

1 T tomato paste

Deglaze:

1/4 cup dry white wine

Stir in:

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes in juice

1 can navy beans

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 dried bay leaf

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Juice of 1/2 lemon

salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Brown kielbasa in oil in a pot over medium for 2-3 minutes; transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Add onions, carrot, celery and garlic to pot; cover and sweat over medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, 7-8 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat to medium-high, and stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute.

Deglaze pan with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, 3 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, bean w/liquid, rosemary and bay leaf; simmer 10 minutes.

Add chicken and kielbasa; simmer 3 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes.

Remove bay leaf and rosemary sprig before serving.

I am going to link up  with

Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

Food n Flix: Frida -- Fruity Slaw

Food 'n Flix is a group of bloggers who get together every month to watch a movie, and then head into the kitchen and mix up something inspired by the flick. 

There is always room for another pillow in front of the tellie, and another chair around the table. So if you're a blogger who wants to join in the fun, please feel free to jump in at any moment.

 September's  Flick was chosen by  Debra at  Eliot's Eats   She  chose  the movie Frida!  

check out her announcement post here---and play along next month!

Frida chronicles the life Frida Kahlo shared unflinchingly and openly with Diego Rivera, as the young couple took the art world by storm. From her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor and husband to her illicit and controversial affair with Leon Trotsky, to her provocative and romantic entanglements with women, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.

I find that Americans completely lack sensibility and good taste. They are boring, and they all have faces like unbaked rolls.

Frida Kahlo

Our host is also coordinating her Cook the Books event-- where she also chose a book about Kahlo.  She gets a double-header this month!

I have never read the Secret Books of  Frida Kahlo, nor had I seen the movie Frida,  but I have read the Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, which is where I first learned of Frida Kahlo-- granted it's not nearly the same, but I did learn a lot  about Kahlo's life and lots of history about the  time period and place she lived in, so I was very excited about the opportunity to watch this movie for the first time.

It intrigued me---and I so wish we could see Mexico thru that intellect today.

Of course she and her friends/crowd were all communists, BUT intellectual just the same.

Anyway---the movie.  I really enjoyed it--this was the first time I've seen it and was so taken by the vibrant colors of Mexico.

The Food!

The Clothes!

The Flowers!

The Paintings!

What inspired me in the movie?  As far as food goes.... there was a lot of cantaloupe,( as well as other fruit).  In one of the first scenes,  Frida smells a cantaloupe and asks her sister if she thinks it is ripe.

So, I went with cantaloupe.

I've had this recipe for a while, but

To be honest---the sound of cantaloupe and strawberries and cabbage didn't sound that appealing to me, but make it I did and...  it Was SO GOOD!! 

I loved it.  Just the right amount of sweet from the fruit and crunch from the cabbage.

While this might not seem "Mexican" inspired, think of this--- artists always use fruit in their paintings.  It's common. Still Life paintings--lots of fruit.

Mexican cooking is not always about cheese and enchilada sauce and peppers. (that's pretty Americanized cuisine), but rather, fresh  and local ingredients.

My cantaloupe and strawberries are very fresh, and a bit local.

And besides -- this is SO GOOD!!

I'm always coming in at the 11th hour  (submissions are due tomorrow), so I've been able to do a little peeping at other's blog posts and I think  we have the perfect feast if we all got together with this one.

There are a few spicy dishes--which I love---but  just think how refreshing this fruity slaw would be to go with them!

Fruity Slaw

3 cups cabbage

1 cup cantaloupe

1 cup strawberries

1/3 cup miracle whip

1 T. honey

1/4 t poppy seeds

Chop, dice, mix and enjoy!

You should really join in with the Food 'N Flix group.  It's one of the most fun foodie blog events.

Thanks Debra for hosting!

There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.

Frida Kahlo

I am also going to link up  to  "Souper Sundays", where the focus is on soup, but salads and sammies are good too.

Souper Sundays, hosted by Kahakai Kitchen,  is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

Be sure to stop by and check them out!

Sunday Soup--Sausage Tortellini Soup

This is what I made for my Sunday Soup.

 

The Handyman LOVED this soup.  I thought it pretty good too. I love spicy sausage in soup and since it didn't state spicy or mild, I, of course , went for the spice.

Spice is nice, as they say.

I'm never sure what to say about soup---soup by definition means great! 

Soup has all the best ingredients.  Soup is --- just good.

Who  doesn't like soup?  Homemade soup, that is.  It nourishes the soul....especially in the fall and winter.

Okay, sure, there is that random person out there who is totally weird, but they're rare, right?

I think people who say they don't like soup, just haven't  had the right soup. So, it is my goal to bring you the perfect soup.  How will I find the PERFECT soup?

By making every soup in my little soup notebook.

(I've been collecting for years)

Soup is just the perfect food in my humble opinion.  And I love to make them.

One pot wonders.

The broth for this soup is really dark , the beef broth plus the red wine  and tomato sauce made for a  really deep colored base.  I didn't use as much wine as the recipe called for, but it was still a deep, more burgundy colored stock than a tomato/reddish color). For some reason that threw me for a loop, but it was very tasty!!

Rounding out the pot with spicy sausage, cheese tortellini and Italian seasoning, made for a comforting meal in a pot. 

Grab your bowls and spoons!

SOUPS ON!!

Sausage Tortellini Soup

1 lb. Italian Sausage, casing removed

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

1  14oz cans beef broth

2 14oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15oz  can cannelloni beans

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 cup dry red wine

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 T sugar

2 t Italian seasoning

2 small zucchini sliced*

1 9oz pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini

Brown the sausage with the onion and garlic in a skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain.  Stir in the beef broth, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, carrots, beans, sugar and Italian seasoning, bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.   Skim off fat, stir in zucchini and tortellini. Simmer for 10 minutes longer.

Serve with a green salad and garlic cheese biscuits.

*I omitted the zucchini and threw in a handful of fresh spinach.

I'm going to link up with Weekend Cooking.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts!

And Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

Sunday Soup

I can feel fall in the air.

Sometimes.

For a moment in the morning when we walk, and sometimes for a moment in the evening when the sun is setting just a tad bit earlier than it was.

Okay, who am I kidding, it was 97 yesterday, BUT I can feel a yearning for fall, so.......soup, right?

It's almost soup weather!

Yay!!

I love to make soup.

I spent yesterday afternoon making soup (and pie, but that's a story for another time)

I'm not exactly on a quest to find the perfect Tortilla Soup recipe like Heather, but it's been a lot of fun over the past few years making different ones and seeing what I like best.

My sister-in-law, Meghan gave me this recipe years ago, and I am embarrassed to say that I had never made it before. Silly me.  It's so good. 

It also filled my house with THE BEST aroma ever!

I always thought I liked a creamy tortilla soup the best, but this clear brothy one (yes, brothy is a word) is so, so good!  Because you add sliced jalapenos, there is a hint of  chili flavor throughout, but it's not terribly hot. Believe me, I couldn't take it if it were just HOT--there was just a hint of that jalapeno in the broth, and it was Delicious!

It's a simple soup too--only a few ingredients, but put together they are perfect!

This is my 7th different Tortilla Soup (you can see all of them here) and I would have a hard time picking my favorite, but this one is right there on the top!

Hatch chilies are available in the stores right now and the Handyman LOVES to roast his own, so we also roasted up some Hatch chilies and had a chicken taco on the side to go with the soup.

Kind of hard to tell, but there really was some chicken in that tortilla.

The Handyman even grilled his tortillas.

Which is how I like them---with little grill marks.

I am going to link up with Weekend Cooking.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts!

And Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen!

Souper Sundays is a weekly blog event that started because of her love of soup and a desire to work through the many soup and soup-like recipes in cookbooks and magazines, Deb set a goal to make a soup or "soupish" dish each week and post it each Sunday and invited others to do the same.

In case you can't read the recipe from that photo:

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Meghan  Stone

Corn tortillas

2 (32oz) boxes or cans of low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 large red onion,chopped

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 medium jalapenos, sliced

1 lime juiced

2 cups corn

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

8oz, crumbled feta, queso fresco or sour cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch thick strips and arrange them on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake them 5-10 minutes or until crispy.

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil, add chicken.  Reduce heat to low and cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  In a sauté pan, add onions and corn.  Sauté till tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, jalapenos, and lime juice. Heat about 5 minutes to blend flavors.  Add to broth.

Divide the baked tortilla strips among 4 bowls.  Ladle soup and serve with bowls of cilantro leaves, avocado and cheese/sour cream to use as toppings at the table.

Enjoy!