Lemon Chicken Soup

 

Here's how much I take my blog job seriously - I was about to go to bed at 10:30 when I realized I had not done a blog post today. I had one more recipe in my backlog that I hadn't used, and I stayed up to type it in!

Don encouraged me to cheat by just posting this picture of him as my recipe of the day. We ate at Blue Point Grille downtown tonight. I was tempted, but I could not do it. 

Lemon Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded chicken

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I left these out)

1 cup frozen petite peas

1/2 lemon, zest & juice

2 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried

2 cups cooked Israeli couscous, rice, or quinoa (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are translucent and fragrant.

Add garlic and cook for an additional minute before seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Turn off the heat and stir in shredded chicken, peas, zest, the juice of a lemon, and thyme.

For serving, add 1/2 cup cooked couscous, rice, or quinoa to each bowl and ladle the soup over the top.

I loved the lemony flavor of this soup.

Recipe from Kelsey Nixon.

Read more

5-Ingredient Bowtie Salad Bowl

 

This is the recipe I needed to boil water for. I modified a recipe from Kelsey Nixon. It was delicious.

5-Ingredient Bowtie Salad Bowl

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. pasta such as bowtie

Any lettuce you like

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz. diced pancetta or bacon, crisped

Salad dressing of your choice

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain.

2. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with grape tomatoes.

3. Add pancetta or bacon chunks.

4. Top with cooked pasta.

5. Toss with dressing.

I used this type of lettuce because I had some that needed to be used up. 

I whisked 3 T. olive oil and 1 T. fresh lemon juice with salt and pepper to make my dressing.

Read more

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

 

It was the perfect day for a bowl of butternut squash soup. I saw @hipfoodiemom1(Alice Choi) on Instagram make this soup the other day. It looked so easy, as it always does when they have the ingredients prepped and just have to plop them in a pot. I used the butternut squash that was already cut up in the produce section of Giant Eagle, which saved me some time. I enjoyed this soup; however, it was not as thick as I wanted it to be. Next time, I will add less chicken broth.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 T. Extra virgin olive oil

1 small apple, peeled and chopped, about 1 cup

1 leek (tender white parts only), chopped, about 1 cup, or use onion

1 medium-sized (2.5 to 3 lb.) butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks, about 6 cups

1 t. cumin

2 sprinkles ground nutmeg

1-2 t. turmeric

2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock (I would use 6 cups)

1 splash apple cider vinegar

kosher salt

1 T. brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and apples. Sauté for about 10 minutes. Add in the butternut squash and saute another 10 minutes.

Season with cumin, nutmeg, and turmeric. Pour in the chicken stock and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Season generously with salt and add the brown sugar.

Bring soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very soft and tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully puree the soup in batches in a blender or by using an immersion blender until smooth.

Temper the heavy cream by adding small amounts of soup to the cream until it is at room temperature. Add the cream to the soup and blend one more time.

The brown specks in my bowl of soup above are crisped bacon pieces. I was making bacon for something else and set some aside for an add-in. 

Serves 6

Read more

Chicken Tortellini Soup

 

Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes with this simple tortellini soup. Serve with a big green salad and some crusty bread.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. Italian seasoning

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

3 quarts chicken broth

3 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 20-oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. 

Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and tortellini and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the tortellini is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with the parsley and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Optional add ins:

Stir in some baby spinach or frozen peas at the end.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon.

Read more

White Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

This soup is so yummy I asked Katherine to make it for my birthday on Friday. We'll be at her house for the weekend. It couldn't be more simple.

White Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 T. Olive oil

1 cup onion, minced

2 cups rotisserie chicken

8 cups chicken broth 

14 oz. can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups spinach, cut into medium-sized pieces

20 tortilla chips

Salt and pepper to taste (if you use regular chicken broth - not low salt- it is plenty salty)

Add olive oil to a hot soup pot. 

Cook onions until translucent.

Add chicken, broth, beans, and spinach.

Bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add crumbled tortilla chips and cook until they are soft.

Adjust seasonings and serve with more tortilla chips or some bread.

Read more

Tomato, Basil, and Feta Salad

 

I tried a new recipe on Saturday - something I haven't done in a very long time! This looked so good on the magazine page. I clipped it in 2018 and I just got around to making it. It was so good!!

Tomato, Basil, and Feta Salad

6 medium tomatoes in a variety of types and colors, sliced

3 T. olive oil

2 T. red-wine vinegar

1/2 cup torn basil

1/2 cup crumbled feta (tomato basil feta if you can find it)

Salt and pepper to taste

On a large platter, arrange tomato slices, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Cover and let stand for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Uncover and sprinkle with basil and cheese. So easy.

I really didn't measure any of the ingredients. I just eyeballed it. This was very yummy and perfect for this time of year when tomatoes are fresh and delicious and you can find them everywhere.

Read more

Simple Pasta Salad

 

This is a simpler version of Chrissy Mac's (Heidi's mom) Pasta Salad which we have been enjoying for several years. It is very similar but it just omits the veggies and it doesn't make as much.

Simple Pasta Salad

2 cups rotini pasta

8 oz. mozzarella pearls

1 small red onion

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

Several sprigs of fresh basil, chopped

1/2 t. salt

1 pkg. Good Seasons salad dressing mix (made with olive oil and red wine vinegar like on the pkg.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions (7 minutes). Drain pasta and set it aside, allowing it to cool completely.

Cut the tomatoes in half and slice the red onion up finely. Add to the pasta, along with the mozzarella balls. 

Add Good Seasons dressing (eyeball the amount) and stir. Add salt to taste. Garnish with basil.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Read more

Winter Caprese Salad

 

When big juicy summer tomatoes are not available, here is a way you can put all the Caprese Salad flavors together in about five minutes.

Winter Caprese Salad

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Pearl size Mozzarella balls

Basil, chopped

Red onion (I had scallions on hand, so I used those), sliced

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Use whatever quantity of each ingredient you want for this salad. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. You could add some balsamic vinegar if you like. 

Read more

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

 

This is a simple and delicious soup for a cold winter day. The recipe is adapted from Iowagirleats.com

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1 lb. uncooked chicken breast (I used some rotisserie chicken)

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced (make sure to use some celery leaves)

2 garlic cloves (or squeeze some garlic paste)

2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/4 t. ground sage

small pinch of rosemary, crushed between your fingers

1 large bay leaf

2 T. butter

6 cups chicken broth

3/4 cups wild rice-brown rice blend (she recommends Lundberg Farms brand)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a 6-quart crockpot then cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and rice is done. Remove bay leaf. If using raw chicken, take out and shred, then put back into the soup before serving.

Read more

Aunt Carolyn's Macaroni Salad

I made individually packaged macaroni salad for the baby shower on Friday night using Aunt Carolyn's recipe. I realized then that I had never shared this recipe on this blog, so here it is. It is much better than any macaroni salad you could buy at the store.

Aunt Carolyn's Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 T. lemon juice
2 eggs, hard-cooked
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 T. yellow mustard
2 T. sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 t. celery seed
1 T. dried parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil macaroni according to package directions and drain. Toss with lemon juice. Refrigerate in a large bowl for 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, hard-boil some eggs.

About 1/2 hour before serving, in a small bowl, mix Miracle Whip with mustard, relish, chopped eggs, onion, celery seed, parsley, salt, and pepper. Blend into macaroni.

If it seems to dry, add more Miracle Whip and a few tablespoons of milk. Stir well.

Read more

Quinoa Tabbouleh

I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, today I had it for breakfast and dinner. Scooped onto tender Hearts of Romaine leaves, this salad tastes just like my Sito's tabbouleh, only hers was made with bulger wheat instead of quinoa.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
5 pickling cucumbers, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1 bunch mint leaves, chopped

Dressing:
Whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used Banyuls), juice of one lemon, 1/2 t. salt, and 3/4 t. freshly ground pepper.

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil (12 cups). Add quinoa and cook for 20 minutes. Drain in a fine sieve and rinse with cold water. Let quinoa drain until it is pretty dry.

Pour quinoa into a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix. Serve on its own or scoop up with lettuce leaves.

Tastes even better the second day!

Read more

Stuffed Pepper Soup

My friend, Lisa, served this soup at her house on Saturday. It was so good, I asked her for the recipe and made it tonight for dinner. It is heavy on the sodium, so if you are watching the salt, you might want to cut way back. Don loves salt, so he said, "Don't change a thing!"

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2 lbs. ground beef
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked long-grain rice or minute rice
2 cups green peppers, chopped
2 bouillon cubes (I used chicken flavor)
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 small onion, chopped fine
1-2 cans water (use tomato sauce can)

In a large soup pot, brown ground beef. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer 30 minutes.

Read more

Taco Soup

Another good soup recipe as we are heading into the colder months.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef

1 can (15 oz.) corn

2 cups salsa 

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-Tel)

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 T. taco seasoning

1 1/2 T. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix (dry packets)

3 cups beef broth

1. In a soup pot, brown ground beef. Drain off.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or crusty bread.

Read more

Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup

Pam sent me a text this morning telling me she needed a soup recipe. So I made soup for dinner. And this soup was really good! And easy too. Only four basic ingredients.

Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed)
6 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 head savoy cabbage, cored and sliced
8 cups chicken stock
Salt
Grated Romano cheese, for serving

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into the pot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until well browned.

2. Add potatoes and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add cabbage and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.

4. Add chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and cooked through.

5. Season with salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Read more

Chrissy Mac’s Pasta Salad

I first tasted this pasta salad at Heidi’s bridal shower. Her mom, Chris, made a huge batch of it, and it was delicious! I asked her for the recipe, and it took me two years to actually make it. We had it last weekend for our family party. Everyone loved it. Here’s the recipe scaled down for a smaller crowd:

Chrissy Mac’s Pasta Salad

1 bunch fresh broccoli
1 red pepper
3 green onions
Sugar snap peas
1 small container cherry tomatoes
1 small bag matchstick carrots
1 container marinated mozzarella balls (cherry size)
Fresh basil
1 lb. tricolor spiral pasta
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix (dry)
Red wine vinegar (for dressing)
Olive oil (for dressing)
Salt & Pepper

Chop broccoli into small florets. Dice red pepper. Slice green onions (including part of green tops). String sugar snap peas and cut in half. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Measure out 1 cup matchstick carrots. Make Good Seasons salad dressing following package directions (using red wine vinegar and olive oil).

Put broccoli, red pepper, green onions, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and carrots into a bowl. Pour salad dressing over and mix. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator (this is important).

Make pasta, cooking just under tender. Drain and rinse pasta, then put pasta in a bowl large enough to hold the pasta and the vegetables. Drizzle pasta with a little olive oil so it won't stick together. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, mix the vegetables into the pasta bowl. Slice Mozzarella balls in half and add to bowl. Tear fresh basil and add to bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Mix again.

Read more

Pure Gold

Two Saturdays ago, Don and I went out to dinner for our anniversary at a French restaurant called Cru Uncorked. It was a very nice dinner. I had lamb for my meal, and Don had halibut. Both entrees were excellent, but the best part of the meal for me was the Little Gem Salad. That salad was so amazing that I was still thinking about it on Monday. It wasn't the salad ingredients that blew my socks off, it was the dressing.

I wanted to call the restaurant to ask for the recipe, but I doubted they would give it to me. So I went back to the website to see if the menu would give me any clues. Sure enough, the description of the salad said: "with Banyuls vinaigrette."

I immediately Googled "Banyuls" and I found out that it is an aged vinegar made with sweet wine from the Grenache grape and produced in Banyuls-sur-mer in southern France. I then Googled "Banyuls Vinaigrette" to see if there was a recipe floating around. I found an old blog post by Rachel Going called "The Last Vinaigrette."

The same day, I ordered a bottle of Banyuls Vinegar from Amazon and sat tight until it arrived.

Tonight I mixed up the formula for the most amazing dressing ever -- besides my grandma (Sito's) Lebanese lemon vinaigrette!

This stuff is pure gold, I tell you (the jar in the front). I don't know if it is the same recipe as the one at Cru Uncorked, but it is pretty darn close.

Here's the recipe in case Rachel Going's blog disappears someday:

Banyuls Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Banyuls vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. water
1 small shallot, minced
1 t. salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, water, and vinegar. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify. When all of the oil has been added, add shallots and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Read more

Lentil Soup

Heidi asked me the other day if I had a recipe for Lentil Soup. We were eating dinner at Aladdin's, and she had ordered it for her meal. I said that I had never made Lentil Soup, but I should look into it.

The next day I searched for an easy recipe that looked healthy. I found one on the Allrecipes.com website that I liked. I made it for dinner last night with some slight modifications. I thought I would be eating it alone, but Don said he would try it and eat a PB & J if he didn't like it. He wasn't even sure what a lentil was.

Don ended up liking it (after adding more salt).

I loved it. This was a winner that I will make again.

Use good quality lentils so you don't have to pick through them and get rid of debris.

Lentil Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 c. dry lentils
8 c. water
2 handfuls of spinach (chop if you want)
1 T white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, stir in spinach, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

My Notes: I accidentally used NO SALT crushed tomatoes so I added 2 T. salt at the end.

Read more

Lemony Kale & Sausage Soup

Other than the salt and pepper, this soup recipe only has four ingredients. It is flavorful, filling, and healthy.

I got the recipe from the Fed & Fit Cookbook by Cassie Joy Garcia who blogs at Fed & Fit. Check out her great recipes!

Here is the recipe with my modifications:

Lemony Kale & Sausage Soup

2 lb. bulk breakfast sausage ( I used Giant Eagle sweet Italian)

12 ounces kale, coarsely chopped (I only had a 5-ounce package of Kale, but it was fine

8 cups low salt chicken broth (I used organic Kirkland from Costco)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used two lemons)

In a stockpot, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon as you go.

Once the sausage is cooked, add the kale and stir. Cover the pan and let the kale wilt and become bright green.

Add broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Finish by adding lemon juice. Enjoy!

A note in the book says this soup freezes really well. So I froze two cups for future lunches/dinners.

Read more

Salmon Salad

I bought a case of canned salmon from Costco awhile ago, and I hadn't done anything with it. Every time I opened the pantry door it was staring me in the eye.

So I searched for an easy recipe to start using it up.

This salmon salad was simple to make and it really tastes great.  I would use this as an appetizer at a party with some crackers or just for a quick lunch.



I doubled the original recipe that came from The Real Food Dietitians.

Salmon Salad

12 oz. canned salmon (2 6-ounce cans)
4 T. mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 t. dried dill
1 squeeze of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Pour salmon into a colander to drain and flake with a fork.

Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Serve with crackers, lettuce leaves or cucumber slices.

Read more

Tomato Cucumber Salad

I've made this salad twice since Sunday. It is so easy and really delicious.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

5 mini-cucumbers, sliced into 1/4" coins

3 t. olive oil

1 t. red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste.

2 T. red onion, diced 

2 T. chopped fresh basil

Crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Mix everything together and toss. Simple as that!

Recipe from: tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Read more