Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs shredded or diced frozen potatoes (thawed), or fresh peeled & diced. (Divide this into 2lbs and 1 lb.)
• 1 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower, thawed & chopped (optional)
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 large shredded carrot
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 lb diced extra-lean ham
• 1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock (enough to cover, +/- more/less to desired consistency)
• 1/2-1 cup flour (gluten free flour mixes work GREAT but you may have to simmer them longer to achieve a creamy texture)
• 1/4 oil or butter
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• seasonings to taste (salt, seasoning blends, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and/or herbs de provence are all good add in options)
  
  

Directions:

1. In crock pot combine 2 lbs potatoes, cauliflower, celery, onion, carrots, garlic, & ham.
2. Add broth to cover by 1" and cook on low 6-8 hours; It can remain on low afterwards until you are ready for step 3.
3. In a nonstick skillet on stove combine butter/oil and enough flour to make a thin paste. Cook on medium-low for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in half & half until completely combined then add parsley & black pepper. 
5. Add to crock and season to taste.
6. Stir in additional 1lb of potatoes.
7. Allow to cook on high for another 30-60 minutes to thicken.
8. When potatoes are cooked, stir in cheese and add broth until desired consistency.
9. Allow to warm through again and serve.

Notes:

• If cooking on stove top, process remains the same but time is lowered to 1-2 hours in step 2 and 15-30 minutes in step 7.
• If using gluten free flours an additional 1 hour simmer may be needed due to the texture of the grains.
• The add in of the 3rd lb of potatoes is to add texture and the first 2 will cook down to a creamy consistency. If you prefer more texture you can divide 1lb for step 1 and 2lbs for step 6.
• Never allow the mixture to boil after adding cheese and half & half. It won't spoil the soup but it will spoil the look as it will separate.
• The cauliflower is optional but is a great way to hide it from your kids.
• This can also be created with chopped broccoli used in place of all or half oft he potatoes.

Green soup: Revisited

Old blog friends from way back when I was "Mom's Diner" may remember that I made this "green soup" waaaay back in February 2010. It was good, but I wasn't eating gluten-free, vegan, or anti-inflammatory then. Today I bring you

Green Soup: Revisited

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c green lentils, soaked overnight (or as long as possible)
• 1/8 c barley (your preference of style)
• salt & spices to taste
• 2 c. chopped kale
• 1 sm zucchini sliced into rounds and quartered
• 1 c fresh or frozen peas
• 1 c (4-6 "heads") Brussels sprouts
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 onion, sliced thin and sauteed to brown (yummmmmm)
• water

Directions:

1. Rinse lentils and put in small pot (i used my rice pot!) with enough water to cover by triple.
2. Cook at a hard simmer/low boil for 30 minutes, then add rinsed barley and spices.
3. Cook an additional 10 minutes until barley begins to cook, adding water as needed to maintain "soup" consistency.
4. Add remaining veggies EXCEPT ONIONS, and continue to simmer until all is tender.
5. Spoon out and top with some of the sauteed onions..

OMG SOOOO GOOD!!!

Vegan Leek and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large leeks (white part plus 1/3 of the green, diced)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried green lentils (picked over)
• ¼ cup barley
• 7 cups vegetable stock
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes, chopped not using because they aren't on my anti-inflammatory diet
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. fine chopped herbs
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Sauté leeks, onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes in large stock pot.
2. 
   
3. Wash and drain lentils. Add lentils, barley and vegetable stock to soup pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45m-1 hr or until lentils and barley are cooked.
4. 
   
5. Add carrots, celery, tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
6. 
   
7. Add parsley and simmer another 5 minutes. Add parsley and simmer another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings

Seven bean & barley soup

OK so I got about a pound of Whole Food's bulk 7 bean & barley mix. I rinsed the mix really good & drained it. Then I sauteed 1 cup chopped onions & 1 tsp garlic.. Then I tossed it in the Crockpot on low over night with:

• 2 cups chicken stock (ok. not EXACTLY on the diet, but better than consuming a pound of meat that hurts to digest...)
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp of regular Mrs. Dash

At about noon today I steamed:

• a few handfuls of kale (stems off and leaves broken into small pieces) and 
• 1 cup of chopped broccoli

Then I threw that in and turned it up to high for 4 hours.

Final result: An amazing soup that even George liked (though he said it needed meat... damned carnivore husband!), Kaelyn asked for seconds, and I froze half so I wouldn't eat it all tonight LOL!

Healthy eating can be yummy!! I PROMISE!!!!

 

Anti-inflammatory Diet Recipes: Veggie, Barley, & Legume Soup

Veggie, Barley & Legume Soup

Getting brave here....And can anyone think of a shorter name??? LOL!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 1/2 c. frozen seasoning blend
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1 small yellow squash, diced
• 1 small zuccini, diced
• 1 c. broccoli florets
• 1 c. fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces
• 6-8 c. water or vegetable broth
• 1/3 c. pearled barley, uncooked
• 1/4 c. fresh dry lentils
• 1 can beans OR 1 c. dry beans, pre-soaked if dry
• 1/3 cup tomato paste, sauce, or crushed tomatoes
• salt & pepper to taste (I used Mrs. Dash instead of pepper.)
• 1/8 tsp celery seed (optional)
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• (optional) 2 large handfuls of kale, ribs removed, chopped spoon-sized. ADDED LAST.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
2. Saute seasoning blend and parsnips until onions beginto color & soften.
3. Add squash and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add broccoli, green beans, liquid, barley, lentils, beans, tomato product, and spices.
5. Cover, reduce heat to medium low.
6. Simmer for about an hour or until all grains & legumes are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Add Kale about 30 minutes into your simmer.
8. Simmer until all ingrediients are tender.

Mexi-Vegi-Chicken.... Tortilla Soup???

I wanted "Mexican" food tonight. Tacos, nachos, burritos... SOMETHING.. but I didn't want to run to the store to get ingredients. Digging through the freezer I found... vegetables. Lots of them. We're veggie eaters here. Now while I could live on a meatless veggie soup, George isn't so happy about meatless eating.. but I had chicken, too!!! No potatoes.. what to do????

Here's what I came up with:

Mexi-Vegi-Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yes, I am a real Southern girl. No, I do not like my greens.

Yes, I am a TRUE Southern girl. No, I do not like my greens. Sorry, Granny Maw.

I was recently discussing the benefits of greens with my husband (who has recently become a work out guru and is loving his new physique...as am I **wowzers**) The problem is that I don't like most greens. Real greens.. not just green food. Spinach, Kale, collard, mustard greens. I can toss a few baby spinach leaves in my salad, and served in foods that have flavor, I can eat it cooked. That is why this family (other than Lili, the guinea pig, who will eat any green) rarely gets greens.

If you have followed the blog, you may remember this recipe that had even my friend's children yumming on spinach. The pic however is Kaelyn LOL! I tryu to sneak it in when they aren't looking but now they all know I do it and they eat it.

So today I created a green soup. Yes, green. And it is sooooo good! I added about 5 oz of frozen spinach, which in the spinach world is quite a bit. It takes a LOT of spinach to make a pound because it wilts so much.

try this.. with or without the spinach. either way you will not be disappointed.

Mom's Diner Original - Green Soup

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 medium carrots diced
• 1 cup frozen Seasoning Blend
  
• 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
  
• 3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, & diced
  
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 6 oz frozen corn (1/2 12 oz bag)
• 6 oz frozen peas (1/2 12 oz bag)
• 5 oz frozen spinach (1/2 1o oz block)
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli or florets
  
• 1/2 tsp dry rosemary
• 1/4 tsp dry basil
  
• Salt, pepper, Tony's seasoning to taste

OPTIONAL

• 1/2 cream or 2% milk
• 4 oz fat free cream cheese (1/2 8 oz block)
  

1. Heat oil in a soup pot and saute' carrots & Seasoning Blend until tender.
2. Add chicken and saute' until opaque.
3. Add potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes begin to get tender then add frozen vegetables, herbs, & seasonings.
4. Simmer 30-45 minutes until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked through and vegetables have warmed through.
5. If you wish, put optional ingredients (cream & cream cheese) in microwave for 1-2 minutes to warm & soften. Briskly whisk together and add in just before serving (use a seive if you don;t like little bits of floating cream cheese. the fat free doens;t melt is quite as readily as original).
6. DO NOT BOIL AFTER ADDING THESE INGREDIENTS.

Serve with garlic toast or crackers (if you forget the toast like I did)
Side note: Keebler Garlic Butter Club Crackers are to DIE for!

Am I really back???

YES!! And there is so much going on! I am in the process of copying my blog to WordPress. I am not leaving Blogger, but I have a lot of friends over there and this way I can accommodate more people. Still not sure on the layout there.... it's making me nuts trying to decide LOL! Meanwhile for here I found this Lil Piggy at Yummy Lolly and thought it was too cute. So he'll be out mascot for a while.

Now.. Dinner.. That's why we're here right?

My friend Kellie from an online forum I frequent had this AWESOME Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe up at her blog the other day and I had to try it. It is simmering right now and OMG the house smells so good!!

My changes (Yes, you know I can't just make a recipe):

• Uncooked chicken sauteed with the veggies, because I had none cooked.
  
• Frozen Seasoning Blend in place of onions, because I am lazy.
  
• Flour tortillas, because I didn't have corn tortillas.
  
• Added frozen corn... it was there & sounded good LOL!

Please check her blog out she is amazing!

Until we cook again,
Anne

Creamy Chicken Garden Soup

I adapted this recipe to create our own flavor.... took out some calories and sodium (butter & salt), added some veggies (potatoes). WE LOVED THIS!! And it made enough to set aside some for soup & sammies later in the week! Hubby said he even prefers it over the "usual" tomato broth beef veggie soups you normally see.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 c frozen diced potatoes

Mom's Diner Corn Chowder

After tons of searching I couldn't find one chowder recipe I liked so I got a list of some basic ingredients and created my own. It was absolutely amazing and looked like a bowl of confetti!

Corn chowder is a dish you can make vegitarian if you wish, see alternate instructions below if you prefer a vegetarian meal.

feel free to put little hands to work stirring, grating, and pouring on this one. Both of mu girls (11 & 3) helped with this one which made eating it that much more rewarding for all of us!

Be sure to teach any children you'll have in the kitchen what they need to know about safety before asking them to help.

• 1/2 lb bacon chopped small
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup seasoning blend
• 2 medium coarse shredded carrots
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 c 2% milk
• 2 c chicken stock
• 2lb bag frozen corn kernels
• 3 medium shredded potatoes
• 1/2 t dry parsley or 2T fresh chopped
• salt, pepper, Tony's to taste
• 1 T cornstarch + 1 T water (slurry)

Directions:

1. Render down the bacon until crispy and set aside on napkins to drain.
2. Remove bacon drippings from pan, reserving 1 T of the "grease".
3. Add butter, seasoning blend, and carrots, sauteing until vegetables are tender 5-7 minutes.
4. Add thyme sprigs, bay leaves, milk, and stock.
5. Watching carefully, bring just to a boil then turn heat down low enough to maintain a slow simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add potatoes, parsley, and seasonings.
7. Stir in slurry and allow to simmer another 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
8. If too thick you can add water, too thin add another slurry repeating 5 minute simmer if you do so.
9. Add corn and crisped bacon then simmer another 10 minutes.
10. Serves well with garlic bread, croutons, or crackers.

For a vegitarian version skip the bacon, use 1T butter in place of the bacon renderings, and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

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This week's Meal Plan

Halie's Broccoli Soup

This meal is more prep than cooking.

As a matter of fact you NEVER want this to come up more than a very light simmer. A boil runs the risk of separating your dairy products into a gritty mess. I cool it on medium at the beginning and on the lowest setting after adding the veggies.

I use a process I call "micro-steam" for my veggies. After chopping/dicing/etc I put them in a bowl (separately) with a few tablespoons of water and seal tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes until tender, sometimes potatoes take a little longer. The important part is that you will not be boiling the soup, so the vegetables must be cooked before adding.

You'll notice that every thing is finely chopped, diced, and processed... that is because that is the way Halie likes it :)

• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 c flour
• 1/2 c seasoning blend, ran through food processor
• 1 1/2 c half & half
• 4-6 cups 2% milk (depending on thick you want it)
  
• 24 oz broccoli florets thawed & finely chopped
• 2-3 cups potatoes diced small
• 2 cups shredded cheese (whatever you like)
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, Tony's
  

Directions:

1. Create a light blond roux with the oil and flour.
2. Warm the cream & milk slightly then add to the roux to create your sauce base.
3. Saute seasoning blend in a small pot if you prefer, or add to broccoli in next step.
4. Micro-steam the broccoli until tender, leave water if only a tablespoon or so, and add to pot.
5. Separately micro-steam the potatoes until tender, drain any water, and add to the pot.
6. Season to taste.
   
7. Allow this to set over low heat for 30 minutes to an hour on your lowest setting so the flavors will blend.
8. If it is too thick, add a bit of water (1/4 c at a time)
9. Add cheese and stir gently until melted, this will thicken the sauce again.
10. Check again for seasonings, add if needed.
    
11. Allow to set another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure cheese is melted in and blended well.
12. Serve with grilled chicken, alongside crackers, or bacon sprinkled over the top.

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Today's Menu: EASY Minestrone

So since I won't be shopping until after dinner tonight, I am going back to the Marinara/spaghetti sauce recipes. They are quick. They are easy. And I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Easy Italian Minestrone
from Food Network's "50 things to do with Marinara"

#8 Minestrone Soup: Boil 1 jar pasta sauce and 5 cups water. Stir in cooked small pasta, chopped mixed vegetables, canned beans and grated parmesan cheese; cook until vegetables are tender.

And since I change everything... :)

Recipe:
My Revised Easy Italian Minestrone
1/2 lb Turkey Sausage link ($1.5026/lb- 1/2 lb= 75¢)
1 jar favorite pasta sauce (approx $1.50 jar)
2 cups chicken broth ($1.50/box - 1/2 box = 75¢)
1 bag frozen Italian veggies (12 oz. = $1.50)
1 can canelli/white beans (12 oz = 68¢)
1/2lb sm. pasta- mine? Gemelli ($1.26/box- 1/2 box= 63¢)
Water
I usually get AT LEAST 1 meal and a lunch out of this.. sometimes 2-3 lunches extra to freeze.. depends on how hungry everyone is.
Total Meal $5.81
with an italian sausage splurge you only add pennies!

Start boiling a pot of water for pasta. Remember to salt when boiling, add pasta and cook until just under "al dente".. take 1-2 minutes of suggested cooking time. Drain and toss with just a drizzle of olive oil, or any light oil if you're out.

In seperate pot:
Add sauce and broth and bring to simmer.
Slice sausage into thin 1/2 moons (half the slice)
Add sausage and frozen veggies and return to simmer.
Add enough water to make a soup consistency.
When all veggies thaw/warm through, add beans to simmer.

Add pasta and simmer until tender, adding water as needed to keep soup consistency. (Sorry I've never measured the water, lol)

Try serving with saltines. Garnish with any fresh herbs -- parsley, basil, minced onion or chives.

It's the little touches.. broth, fresh herbs, olive oil on pasta... that make the dish taste authentic and like you slaved all day. AND IT TOOK ME 25 MINUTES!

Enjoy!

This is my little one demanding in on the picture action
as she chows down on her minestrone, LOL!