Ham and Black Bean Soup

Hello again! I'm so sorry that it has been so long. I'll spare you my excuses, just know i'm back.

We always buy a turkey and a ham this time of year and have one main meal and then LOTS of leftover meals with the meat. So, the ham was cooked and thoroughly enjoyed last weekend and now we are onto the leftover meals.

Enter: Ham and Black Bean Soup

Usually I am not a huge fan of Ham and Black Bean Soup. I think it's a texture thing. This recipe, however, blew me away. I thought it was absolutely delicious, my husband thought it was delicious and my in-laws gave a ringing endorsement as well.

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Enjoy!

3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz. beef broth. - I use Beef Better than Bouillon
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2+ Cups cubed, fully cooked ham (or to taste)
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce, mild
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn temperature to low and simmer for 3+ hours.
Delicious served with Biscuits Supreme.

Recipe based off Taste of Home.

Just a tip: Leftover soup was just as delicious!

Roasted butternut squash curried soup

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Our garden produced an abundance of DELICIOUS butternut squash this year so i've been experimenting, for the first time, with different ways of cooking them. They are so yummy and are quickly becoming my favorite vegetable.
So, the whole family came down for Sunday dinner this past week and guess who was featured?  Good old Butternut Squash herself! Shocking, i know! ;)

We served this soup in bread bowls and it was so yummy. I would highly recommend that.

Let get right to it, shall we?
Start by roasting your squash, onion, garlic and ginger. We left our squash in the peel, purely out of laziness, and then scooped it out when it was soft. It was really easy that way. Cut the squash into peiices, at least halves, maybe thirds. Cut the onion into quarters and sprinkle the others all over. We roasted for 2 hours. This one is up to you, however. When your squash smells divine and is soft, it's done.
While that is roasting pat your stew beef dry and shake it in flour, garlic, kosher salt and pepper. Brown the meat in a little oil. You don't want your meat all the way cooked, just browned, to add flavor. Make sure your oil is nice and hot before throwing these babies on the pan. Remove the meat from your pan and deglaze the pan with your stock. Scrape it pretty well so you get all the meat that stuck to the pan. (This is usually the best part of the meat.) Place meat and your stock in the crockpot and let them cook while your squash cooks. This will get your broth all delicious and stuff.   When your squash is done puree it in a blender along with the onion and some of the broth. This needs to be done in batches but when it's all smooth it's going to give your soup such a perfect texture, so make sure all the chunks are gone! Add pureed squash/onion/broth to crockpot and add all the remaining ingredients. Let it cook for 2-4 hours on low and serve HOT! This is delicious topped with toasted coconut!
MMM, I bet you know what's for dinner tonight, eh?!

Enjoy, i'd love to hear what you think!

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{Ingredients}
2 butternut Squash
2 sweet yellow onions
2 Tbsp garlic
1 Tbsp ginger

stew beef -
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

6 C beef broth

1 can coconut milk
1/2 C buttermilk
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp white pepper
2 curry powder (yellow)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Roasted coconut

{Directions}
Cut squash into halves, thirds or quarters - depending on the size of your squash. Place open faced on cookie sheet. Cut onion into quarters and spread on cookie sheet around squash. Sprinkle squash and onion with ginger and garlic. Roast the butternut squash, onions, garlic and ginger in a 450 degree oven for 2 hours. 
Meanwhile, pat beef dry. Combine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Coat beef with flour mixture, brown meat in a HOT pan. Remove meat and use beef broth to deglaze the pan the meat was browned in. Add the meat and broth to Crockpot and allow to cook on low until squash is done.

When squash is done, scoop squash out of peel and, in batches, puree squash and onions with some of the broth until creamy and smooth. add all back to Crockpot.  Add coconut milk, buttermilk, salt, white pepper, curry powder (yellow), cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar to crock pot and stir everyhting until well mixed. Cook on low 2-4 hours or until ready to serve.

Serve hot topped with roasted coconut.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

So, i'm a little torn about posting this recipe. Was it really tasty, absolutely. Actually, in my opinion, it was better 2 days later as leftovers. The flavors had really combined and settled. HOWEVER, I think that I maybe burned my milk or the carrots had too much water in them or something because my texture was way grainy and I couldn't figure it out. The blogger i borrowed this recipe from used velveeta instead of Colby Jack but I don't actually count Velveeta as real food, therefore, I used Colby Jack. Could that have been the problem? Who knows. Like I said, the taste was amazing. The texture left something to be desired. What are your thoughts? 

Here is the original blog. http://www.mangiodasola.com She has some great ideas!

I borrowed her picture, isn't it pretty? I think I put in WAY too many carrots too because mine was almost orange, hers looks so yummy!

Good Luck, I definitely recommend it but hopefully your texture beats mine. I'll have to make this again and see if I can help it improve at all. 

{Recipe}

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, shredded and chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces grated Colby jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hot Sauce (optional)

Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Remove the onions or leave the onions in there if you prefer to skip a step, i don't think it makes a difference and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. SLOWLY Bring to almost a boil.

Add the onions back in(if you took them out), along with the broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Season the soup with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir in the cheeses (and you can play around with the amounts; use however much or little you like) and let simmer for 10 minutes longer before serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup over Mashed Potatoes

Your life is about to change in ways you never could have imagined. 

You have been warned.

Imagine with me if you will. It is spring in Salt Lake City, Utah. The flowers are out, the sun isn't warm yet but it's warmish and things are starting to thaw out and live again. Now, enter me in my wedding dress. It was the perfect day, the man of my dreams was there (thank goodness because that could have been awkward and terrible), we both said yes, I looked awesome :), everything was just as it was supossed to be...enter the weather. IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!! annnnnnnnnnd, it was the windiest day i've ever seen! (Everyone's hair looks awesome in the pictures!)

Ok, so it was maybe not the windiest day ever, but exaggerate with me because every story is a little better if there is drama. 

So 3.5 years ago I married into the most amazing family and I have learned so much and tried so many new things since that freezing day in March. One of those new things is my mother-in-law's chicken noodle soup. 

Like I said at the beginning, this will change your life. period. 

We took this to my sister the night they brought their baby girl home from the hospital and they still talk about it, 3 yrs. later. Oh yeah, it's that good.

So, are you curious enough? ha ha i'll get on with it.

2 words of caution.

1. Making your own noodles is EASY peasy if you plan ahead - don't be intimidated (i was my first time, i think I purposely didn't mention that I was going to make it to anyone the first time so that if it was a disaster, no one would ask how it went)
2. Come HUNGRY because you won't want just a "taste."

 Now, The recipe. Drumroll please...........



{Ingredients}

• 1 cooked Chicken
• 1 ½ quarts Water & Broth in equal parts
• 3 Chicken Bouillon cubes
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 small Onions, chopped
• 1 cup diced Carrots
• 1 cup diced Celery
• Celery Leaves, chopped
• 2 cups Noodles
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
   

Put all ingredients except Cream of Chicken Soup and parsley in a pot and simmer until vegetables are done.Just before serving, add parsley and the can of soup. Stir until well mixed and serve.

*Tips:
You can use the salted water the chicken was cooked in as the broth.

This soup is delicious with homemade noodles and/or served over homemade mashed potatoes. (Do both. trust me.)

Variation:Add 1 cup diced potatoes to recipe if not serving over mashed potatoes.

Homemade Noodles:

• 1 beaten Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Flour (approximately)

Combine egg, milk, and salt. Add enough Flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out very thin on a floured surface. Let stand 20 minutes.
Roll up loosely and slice ¼” wide. Unroll and spread out to dry for at least 2 hours.
Drop into boiling soup or boiling, salted water and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Notes: Makes about 3 cups cooked noodles. Can be stored in a container until needed. 

Delicious in chicken noodle soup!

Black Bean Chili

This chili is by far my favorite chili recipe. I know, I know, you are reading this thinking, really, it's July. Can we please save the chili for December? Right? WRONG!
Last night we altered this recipe a little (omitted the water to thicken it up a bit) and used it as the base for tacos. They were delicious and it was fun to try this a few different ways.

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Onto the goods...

{Ingredients}

• 1/2 pound ground beef

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic

• 3 cups cooked black beans

• 1 Roma tomato, diced

• 1-15 ounce can tomato sauce

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon molasses(if you don't have molasses you can use DARK Karo syrup)
  

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• Salt to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat brown the ground beef. Add onions and garlic, cook until onions are tender. Add beans, tomato, tomato sauce, and water. Stir together well. Bring to a low boil. Add molasses and chili powder. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring uncovered until chili is thick. Add salt to taste. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, if desired. Serve hot. This is very good with warm flat bread.

White Chili

Have you ever seen Ratatouille? Remember when "Little Chef" makes Ratatouille at the end for the mean critic and his first bite takes him back to when he was a little boy? At that point in the movie do you think of your meal that takes you back?
Well, meet my Ratatouille.
White Chili was a staple growing up. It was the go-to meal when all 5 of us kids had a game or a recital or a practice all at 6:00. It's one of those meals that when i take a bite I'm taken back to my own childhood and it tastes so much better because of it. I can see my mom's kitchen 15 yrs. ago, picture us sitting on the bar stools in various uniforms, ready for carpools and friends. I can hear us laughing or arguing or both. I can hear my sweet Dad, asking us to take 10 minutes and pick up our stuff before we all leave in different directions, and finally I can see us all stop, for just a minute, and enjoy our white chili.
I hope you enjoy it too!

{Ingredients}

2 ½ C Water

1 tsp. Lemon pepper

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

4 Chicken Breasts

1 tsp. Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 C chopped Onion

2, 9 oz. Frozen Shoe-peg White Corn

2, 4 oz. Cans of Diced Green Chilis

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

3 Tbsp. Lime Juice

2, 15 oz. Cans of Great Northern Beans

Monterrey Jack Cheese

Tortilla Chips

Avocado

Sour cream

Salsa

{Directions}

Combine water, lemon pepper and cumin seeds in large pot. Saute garlic and onion in skillet and add to pot. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Line soup bowls with shredded monterey Jack Cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Garnish with sour cream , salsa and avocado.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut Cream Soup

This one's from La Tienda

"A light starter with an original flavor. The smoothness of the cream contrasts with the texture of the chopped hazelnut garnish."

Jared and I want to go to Spain more than anywhere else in the world right now. We have been talking about it since we were dating and one day, hopefully sooner than later, we will go and love it. Our budget right now, however, doesn't have a "Spain" section so, I improvised.

I was in charge of one of our date nights and I decided that we were finally going to go to Spain. I made quite a spread of Spanish food and we had so much fun. It wasn't even close to the real thing but we got a little taste (ha ha pun intended!) of our dream vacation.

This was the appetizer, and it was a GREAT start to a very fun evening!

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 3.5 oz hazelnuts
• 3 leeks
• 1/2 onion
• 6 tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp single cream
• Chives and chopped hazelnuts for decoration

Roast the hazelnuts and chop into small pieces. Set aside 2 tbsp and crush the others to a
powder. Wash the leeks and onion and stew slowly in the oil (5 minutes
in the microwave on high). When soft, add the hazelnuts, fry lightly
and cover with the stock. Cook for 10 minutes. Blend, then check for
salt and add the cream. Serve in cups sprinkled with the chopped
hazelnuts and chives.

When we made this it wasn't quite as thick as it was supposed to be. Our guess is that it was because our hazelnuts weren't quite to a powder stage.

Split Pea Soup with Cheddar Biscuits

I was definitely skeptical when Jared suggested Split Pea Soup. This was not something I grew up with and personally it sounded repulsive.
I stand corrected of all of the thoughts I had while Jared cooked this one up! It was delicious and if I like it, you will too! Try it. (In my opinion, the biscuits made this one! Don't forget those! But then again, when will carbs ever lead you wrong?)

{Ingredients}

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Italian Sausages
• 1 Small Sweet Onion
• 2-3 Tbsp. Flour
• 4 1/2 Cups Water
• 2 Cups Split Peas
• Salt to taste
  
• Pepper to taste
  
• Red Tabasco Sauce to taste

In a large stock pot or sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. While the oil heats, slice the sausage. Add the sausage to the oil and brown. While the sausage browns, dice the onion. Add the onion to the browned sausage. Cook both together until the onions begin to caramelize. Sprinkle with flour to absorb most of the oil. Stir together. Add the water to the pan, scraping the bottom to de-glaze the pan. Add the split peas. Cover, turn down the heat, and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until peas are tender). Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red Tabasco sauce.

Cheddar Biscuits

• 1 Cup Flour

• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder

• 1 Tbsp Sugar

• 1/4 Tsp Salt

• 1/4 Cup Butter

• 1/3 Cup Milk

• 1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once; stir until moistened. Knead in cheese, kneading 10-12 times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into biscuits. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.