Chicken Posole

Kevin's dad always makes Posole when we are up  at their house, and I love it.  It is spicy and filling and yummy.  If you have never tried it, you need to!  You won't be sorry you did.  I always love to eat it with raw cabbage and radish, it helps to mellow the spices well.  

Serves 8
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cans (15 ounces each) white hominy, drained
6 3/4 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey meat (2 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Assorted garnishes: lime juice, oregano, onions, radishes, avocado, cilantro and cabbage.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until evenly distributed.
2. Add 4 cups water, broth, and hominy. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through. 
4. To serve, divide among bowls, and garnish as desired. 

This can be frozen, which makes it easy to make a big batch like this and freeze 1/2 of it and use it on a night when i'm feeling lazy and don't want to cook.

Baked Potato Soup

Next up off pinterest is this yummy soup I found over at http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/search/label/soups. My kids ask for seconds with this soup every time.

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese (don’t use fat free.  It WON’T melt!!!)

In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT the cream cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  About 1 hour before serving, cut up cream cheese into small pieces and add to crock pot, keep heated until thoroughly melted.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or anything else you think would be good!!

Tortellini Soup

• Guess what's in my crockpot as I type, this lovely little recipe! I originally found it over at a spoonful.com but have tweaked it to make it my own. My kids love it, especially when I use the celery not the zucchini. It's quick, simple and a healthy recipe! Enjoy.
• 
  
• 1 lb Italian turkey sausage browned
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, diced or 1 cup celery sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (more if fresh)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 to 9 ounces fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• Black pepper, to taste
• Shredded cheese to garnish
• 
  
• Brown sausage in pan on stove top. Put sausage, onion, zucchini, carrot, tomatoes, stock, basil, bay leaf  and salt in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Add tortellini 30 minutes before serving. Dish up and top with shredded cheese.  

Cheddar Corn Chowder

My dear friend Erica made this soup for me a month or so back and it was heavenly!  Though there was a lot of the soup my kids couldn't get enough of it and needless to say there were no leftovers.  It is a rich soup with so many flavors, I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

 

8 oz bacon, chopped

1/4 C olive oil  (yes I know this is bacon and it doesn't need extra grease, but this helps the bacon get very crisp and stay crisp in the soup, even the next day!)

In a large pot on medium-high heat, cook bacon and oil until the bacon is crispy; remove bacon and reserve for later.  Drain off excess oil and reduce the heat to medium and add:

2 C chopped yellow onions

4 Tbsp butter

Cook for 10 minutes until onions are translucent

Stir in:

1/2 C flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Cook for 3 minutes

Add

6 C Chicken Stock

4-6 C potatoes (diced)

Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender

Add

2 Cans Corn (drained)

2 C Half & Half

2 C shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted. Top with bacon.

*This recipe makes enough to serve 12 people

Velvet Corn Soup

This is another recipe that reminds me of winter in my house growing up.  My mom use to make this soup all the time.  It's a great one, and it pretty easy to make, you can even put it in the crockpot once it's made to keep it warm all day if needed. 

2 chicken breasts cooked and minced/shredded
3 egg whites
1 c. chicken broth
5 c. water
2 tsp. salt
1 can cream corn
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Put minced chicken in bowl add egg whites and stir. Mix corn, broth, water and cornstarch in a pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken, stirring in one direction only. Cook 1 minute. Garnish with green onion.

Bacon Corn Chowder

This is another of my neighbor's recipe that everyone at work has been begging him for. It is divine!

I pkg bacon, crumbled

6 med. red potatoes, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot

1 med. onion

4 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cans of corn

1 stalk broccoli flowerets

2 cups Velveeta

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cup milk

After cooking bacon, save a couple of tsp of grease to add potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until tender (20 minutes). When tender add the broccoli, corn, chicken, soup and milk. Stir until smooth and warm, then add sour cream and cheese. Stir on low heat until cheese is melted.

White Bean Chili

This is my neighbor Jordan's recipe and it is to die for. I have enjoyed it many times and finally got the recipe from him.

3 cans of navy beans

3 cans of white kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 small package of frozen corn

1 diced green and/or red pepper. Dice them up real small.

1 small onion diced up real small

1 tsp garlic salt

1-2 Tbsp cumin (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

4 to 5 chicken breasts cubed (can precook chicken to speed up the process but you don't have to)

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Hearty Chili

Our ward had a chili cook off for our Chirstmas Party. I tried a new recipe and had several compliments from friends. My hubby and oldest son told me I could never use my old recipe again, this was now IT. So I whipped it up again last night for dinner and they agreed it's fabulous.

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (30 oz) can dark red kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can chili
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cloves garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup ketchup

Brown beef in large pan. Add onion and peppers and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients over low heat for at least 1 hour (you can put in a crock-pot at this point to simmer all day on low) Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream, serve with tortilla chips.

Minestrone Soup

I love soups, and when winter rolls around soup is thing you can never have enough good recipes for and this is another yummy version of Minestrone soup that my mom has had for a long time. I know youa re thinking that it's spring and not the most ideal time to post about soup, but we are still having snow storms here and it has been perfect soup weather, so I hope you enjoy.

2 C. Bulk Sausage or 20 Costco Meatballs cut into fourths
6 C. water
2 (15oz) cans of beef broth
2 Chopped White Onions
16 baby carrots cut in half or fourths
2 large Celery ribs diced
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 28oz can of tomato Puree
1/2 tsp sweet basil crushed
1 tsp. oregano crushed
1/2 tsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can cut green beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can white beans drained and rinsed
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 C. uncooked Macaroni

Brown meat in heavy stock pot, drain grease. Add water, beef broth, onions,, tomatoes, carrots,parsley, oregano, celery and basil bring to a boil, then simmer and cover until all ingredients are tender. 30 minutes before serving, add the rest of the ingredients. Top with Parmesan cheese when served.

Sausage Cabbage Soup

This is a great one for cold weather, which we seem to be having plenty of right now.
The soup is flavorful and delicious.

1 1/2 lbs. sausage fried (I prefer ground country sausage)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 C. cabbage
1/2 large onion.

Add onion, oil and cabbage to cooked sausage and saute until soft.

1 can black beans-drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
9 cups water
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
2 large bay leaves
1/4 tsp pepper

Add all ingredients and simmer on stove top for 1 hour or in a crock pot for 3-4 hours.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

This is my neighbor Christine's recipe. Thanks for sharing, it's delicious!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water (may use chicken broth)
2 Tbs sugar
3 tsp chili powder
3/4 - 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
14 oz can or frozen corn (optional)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

Combine in large pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 3o minutes. (You can also put this in a crock pot and let it simmer all day on low.)

Serve with:
Sour Cream
Chopped avocado
Sliced olives
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Tortilla strips (Smith's carries these in their deli section)

Clam (or bacon!) Chowder

My mom used to make this all the time when I was a kid. Then one day I started refusing any seafood, so she would dish me out a bowl before she put the clams in. Then one day she had the quite brilliant idea of replacing the clams with bacon! Genius!

1 C onion, finely chopped
1 C celery, finely diced
2 C potatoes, finely diced
2 Cans (6 1/2 ounces each) clams, undrained (I use one package of bacon cut in small pieces and cooked until it's crisp)
3/4 C butter
3/4 C flour
1 quart half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine vegetables in small saucepan. Drain clams; pour juice over vegetables (I just skip that part); add enough water to barely cover. Cook, covered, until tender - about 15 minutes. In meantime, melt butter in large heavy saucepan. Stir in flour until blended and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in cream until smooth and blended. Return to heat; cook and stir with wire whip until thick and smooth. Add undrained vegetables and clams (or bacon!); heat through. Season with salt and pepper (I ended up using less salt than called for because bacon is salty too).

Old fashioned chicken noodle soup

This is a recipe my mom had from somewhere and put in the recipe box she gave me when I left home.

1-3 lb stewing chicken, cut up
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1 bay leaf
4 sliced carrots - cut into 1" slices
celery to equal amount of carrots - cut into 1" slices
1/2 lb small white onions - washed and peeled (or regular white onion diced large to equal amount of carrots)
1 C fine noodles, uncooked (I use wide egg noodles)

Wash chicken, place in large pot and cover with water. Add seasonings, simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. remove chicken from pot. Prepare vegetables, bring stock to a boil and add vegetables. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove skin and chicken from bones 10 minutes before the vegetables are done. Add noodles and chicken pieces. Cook minutes longer.

Cilantro-Lime Soup

One of my favorite soups. Good as leftovers too.

2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs chili powder
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in small chunks
5 cups chicken broth
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch cilantro, tied together with string

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 fresh lime juice

cooked rice
sour cream and/or grated cheese

avocado (if you have one lying around...if not, the soup still tastes great without it!)

Heat oil in pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook till clear. Add chili powder; stir one minute. Add chicken; cook about 2 min. Add broth, corn, tomatoes, beans, and tied cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove cilantro bunch and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Serve over rice with sour cream, cheese, and avocado . (It's a watery type of soup, hence serving it over the rice to let it soak up the liquid a bit.)

(Sometimes if I want a lot of "stuff" and less liquid I add 2 cans of corn, tomatoes, and beans.)

Chili mac 'n' cheddar soup

My kids LOVED this one.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large onion diced
3/4 lb ground beef
1Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 teas. fresh garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 Cups milk
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cheddar-cheese soup
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow pasta
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Garnish: with diced tomato, tortilla chips & minced jalapeno Chile

Directions

Heat oil in 5 quart pot over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, saute 4 minutes until translucent. Crumble beef into pot and cook stirring until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder and cumin.

Add milk and broth, then stir in condensed soup until dissolved; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for three minutes. Stir in the pasta and continue to cook for 5 minutes covered. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes
or until pasta is fully cooked.

Garnish and serve.

Pomegranate & Strawberry Chilled Soup

So I ran across an amazing blog not long ago it's Gourmet Mom on-the-go, and she has some amazing recipes not to mention some very creative ones for kids, I'm sure I'll be posting some other great recipes by her in the future, but this one caught my eye because of the pomegranate and strawberry combo, Divine!! And this recipe is low fat and relatively low in calories (130 per serving). It is fresh, creamy and absolutely amazing!

Juice from 2 large Pomegranates (about 1 Cup)
Arils from 1 large Pomegranate (about 1 Cup)
2 C. fat free half & half
1 ½ C. fresh strawberries, hulled
¼ c. orange Juice
½ c. Reduced fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped


Remove arils from 1 large Pomegranate and set aside for garnish. Juice remaining 2 pomegranates, using a citrus reamer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Scrape the shells to remove any excess pulp and save to serve your soup in. If you’re short on time, you can substitute 1 C. 100% Pomegranate Juice (found in the produce section at the grocery store). Put all ingredients except reserved arils into blender and process until well blended. Transfer to refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour soup into desired serving dishes and sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons arils on top. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
Makes 6 servings.

Lentejas (Spanish Lentil Soup)

This is a "Spanish" recipe that I love. It makes a huge pot full so plan on leftovers or invite someone over. Of course like all Spanish food it is best served with a warm baguette.













Ingredients:
1 bag lentils
1 sliced smoked sausage (should be Spanish not Mexican chorizo, but I couldn't find it. You would only know the difference if you have tried the real stuff)
1 onion cut into wedges
3-4 carrots sliced
2 celery ribs sliced
1 green pepper diced
3 cloves garlic diced
3 potatoes peeled and diced
2 cans tomato sauce
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Soak the lentils in water for an hour before cooking even though the bag says you don't have to.

2. Put the soaked lentils, sliced sausage, onion wedges, sliced carrots, sliced celery, green pepper, and garlic into your biggest pot and cover with water. DO NOT ADD SALT AT THIS POINT IT WILL MAKE THE LENTILS SKIN TOUGH!!

3. Turn it on to high to bring it to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Keep the lid on so that the water doesn't boil off. It needs to cook for about an hour or until the lentils are nice and soft and the veggies are tender. I throw the potatoes in half way through because they always seem to cook too darn fast.

4. After everything is tender you can add salt to your personal taste. Also add the 2 cans of tomato sauce. Let some of the water boil off at the end to make a kind of thicker soup.

Bean & Bacon Soup

Bean & Bacon Soup

• 1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans
• 9 cups water
• 1 pound bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil the beans in 9 cups of the water and then let sit for one hour. Drain and set aside. ( Or use two cans navy, great white or kidney beans)
2. Cook the bacon to your desired texture (it can be soft or crisp, whatever you prefer) and drain except for 1/4 cup grease. Coarsely chop the bacon.
3. Add the onions and celery to the reserved grease and bacon and saute until soft, do not drain. Add the chicken base or cubes, 4 cups water, beans, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cloves, and simmer for 2 hours.
4. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Serve.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

In case you still have any Turkey left over from the holidays here is a great recipe to use up that turkey. It's so simple and yet so good, you will not be sorry you tried this one, trust me it will become one of your meals to serve after Thanksgiving is over!

3 6-inch corn tortillas, cut in strips
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup purchased red or green salsa
2 14-ounces cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups cubed cooked turkey (12 ounces)
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges (optional)
Sour cream and cilantro (optional)

In a large skillet cook tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp; remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling. In a large saucepan combine salsa and chicken broth; bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Add turkey and zucchini; heat through. Serve in bowls topped with tortilla strips, lime wedges, and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

White Bean Chicken Chilli

This one is simply to die for, not only because it tastes so yummy, but it's another quick meal that you can make in less than 20 minutes, and what mom doesn't love that! Thanks to BHG for this idea.

3 cups tortilla chips
1 lb. chicken
2 tsp. cooking oil
2 19-oz. cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (1-1/2 cups)
1 4.5-oz. can diced green chilies
1 14-oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth
Fresh Cilantro (optional)

1. Preheat broiler. Coarsely crush 2 cups of the chips.

2. In 4- to 5- quart pan brown chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat. Add beans, 1 cup of the cheese, the chilies, broth, 1/2 cup water; and crushed chips. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, for tortilla crisps, place remaining 1 cup chips on baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Serve chili with tortilla crisps. Sprinkle cilantro. Makes 4 servings.