Stuffed Pepper Soup

I was in the mood for stuffed peppers today, but decided this was easier to get the same flavors in a soup. Also, I was able to include extra veggies, always a good thing. This came out absolutely yummy, I hope you will enjoy it.

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 3 red peppers, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3-4 cups chicken stock (or one large container)
• 1 large can crushed tomato
• 1 large can diced tomato
• 3/4 cup white long grain rice (or whatever rice you prefer)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
In large soup pot, brown ground beef/turkey.
Drain, set aside the meat, reserve a little fat in the pot.
Add onions, celery and red peppers and saute until onions are translucent. (if you are using ground turkey, you may need to add a tablespoon of oil.)
Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and undrained diced tomatoes, browned meat, carrots and seasonings.
Cover and cook on medium until carrots are tender.
Add rice and cook for 10 minutes more.
Turn off heat but let the soup sit until the rice has cooked through, maybe 15 minutes.
Ready to serve.

This makes a large pot and will keep for 3 or 4 days in the fridge. I also like to freeze leftovers in individual serving containers to have for lunches.



 

Curry Soup

Soon I will be posting more summer recipes, but here I am with another soup. As you may have already figured out, I am a soup nut! Also, my latest endeavors include Indian spices, especially curry and garam masala. For the moment, just about every time we go to a restaurant I order something with curry if it is available.

This soup is delectable. It is not HOT, as in spicy hot. I will have a few suggestions below the ingredients if you would prefer it that way.

In this version I used ground beef. Traditional Indian cuisine is vegetarian, so that would not include meat,  This certainly can be made without meat or with chicken. (mmm, curry chicken comes to mind.)


This recipe makes a large pot, about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 containers chicken stock (about 6 cups)
• 1 cup white wine (can be replaced with 1 cup water)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 stick butter (Promise)
• 6 carrots sliced (1/4-1/2 inch slice)
• 1 package, frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (sometimes called coriander)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons each onion powder and garlic powder
• optional: cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper or dashes of hot sauce to taste, for *heat*

Directions:

1. In a 2 qt or larger pan, boil carrots in one container of chicken stock and wine until tender.
2. In a soup pot, brown ground beef, with the black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder until no longer pink. Remove meat and set aside, reserving about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
3. Saute onions, celery and pepper in the reserved fat of the soup pot until tender. Add the 1/2 stick butter when the fat is absorbed and continue cooking.
4. Add the cornstarch and let cook through, about 1 or 2 minutes.
5. At this time, add the curry, stir, then add the remaining stock.
6. Let this come to a boil, it will thicken a little.
7. Add the broccoli or cauliflower, let it come back to a boil.
8. Turn off heat.
9. Add the carrots (with the liquid they were boiled in) into the soup pot.
10. Blend in. Taste.
11. Add more curry if you want at this point. Also, any *heat* you have chosen to add.
12. Once you have the flavor correct add the cooked ground beef and chopped cilantro.

Serve with a few whole cilantro leaves on top, or a small dollop of sour cream.

Note: If you refrigerate leftovers this soup will thicken. Add a little water when reheating for a more soup-like consistency.

Salmon Veggie Chowder

I am such a fan of soups, I am always looking for new combinations to try. This inspiration came from my husband, who's got a shellfish allergy and cannot handle clams. 

It came out delicious - and includes a healthy dose of veggies and omega-3 fats from the salmon. I hope you enjoy it. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon (frozen & thawed is OK here)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 small slices canadian bacon, diced (this is very lean, but bacon or ham diced small will work here) 
• 3 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 shredded summer squash
• 1 shredded zucchini
• 1/2 stick butter (Promise sticks)
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tablespoon oil (unflavored, like canola)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups potato, diced to bite size
• 3 heaping tbsp corn starch
• 16 oz milk or cream (I used fat free coffee creamer, lactose & gluten free) 
• Splash of white wine
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 heaping tablespoons Bell salt-free seasoning (this has many herbs, but you can make your own combination of what you like) 

 

Directions

• In one pan cook diced potatoes in chicken stock. Add 1/2 the pepper and 1/2 the seasoning mix. Cook til tender, do not drain.
• In same pan as potatoes, poach salmon until no longer pink. Remove salmon and set aside. (leave potatoes and broth in pan). Once cooled a little, flake the salmon with a fork.
• In a separate soup pot, add butter (Promise) and oil. Add onions, celery, canadian bacon and shredded veggies, Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add remaining seasoning and stir in. Add cornstarch and continue to saute til well blended and cornstarch disappears and is cooked through.  
• Add a splash of wine, the broth, and potatoes. Scrape the bottom of your pan to get the flavor off the bottom. Bring to a boil. Keep stirring and the mixture will thicken. Turn off heat. Add flaked salmon, milk, parmesan and stir until blended in. 
• Ready to serve!
• Makes a large pot. About 8-10 servings.

Easy Garlic Fish Bake

Quick prep and cook time makes this dish a snap - and a great way to get that healthy serving of fish into your diet. In the picture I have used haddock, which was on sale this week at the local grocery store, but any fish variety you can get in a fillet can be used.

Ingredients:

• fish - calculate about 1/4 to 1/3 lb per person (larger portion for hearty appetites)
• 1/2 stick Promise(or butter) - softened
• zest of 1 lemon, & 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Use wrapper from butter to grease the pan
3. Combine all ingredients except fish into bowl and use fork to blend
4. Place fish in buttered pan
5. Use brush or fork to get compound butter onto fish
6. Place fish in oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of fish you used. The haddock I used took about 15 minutes
7. Depending on the fish variety, you may have some liquid in the bottom of the pan. You can use this to make a sauce if you like.
8. Once cooked through, remove from oven and let rest a moment before serving

Suggested sides:
Asparagus or green beans will cook in about the same amount of time in the oven

Optional:
Add fresh or dry dill to your compound butter

Chicken Cacciatore

Delicious and simple to make, this has lots of flavor without alot of sodium and is gluten free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Boneless chicken thighs or breasts, enough for 4 ppl
1/2 c. wine (whatever you like)
3 tablespoons corn starch
onion powder
garlic powder
pepper
minced garlic (to taste... I use about two cloves)
1 large can tomatoes, either stewed or crushed (no added sodium), if using stewed, crush them
sliced mushrooms
one red pepper
one green pepper
one large onion
additional veggies, whatever you have in the fridge will work. I used summer squash in the dish pictured above, but you could use zucchini, celery, eggplant, thinly sliced carrots, squash.....

Optional:
Serve over white rice or pasta(this will have gluten unless you buy one that is marked gluten free)

Directions:
Chop onion, peppers, and any other veggies and set aside.
In a ziploc bag, combine the dry spices with the cornstarch and mix
Put chicken in bag and shake to coat

Warm up your pan and add oil. when the pan is hot, place chicken (skin side down) and cook until it has browned. Turn over and brown the other side. Take chicken out and set aside.

Add veggies and saute until translucent or even browned a little. Add mushrooms and stir for a minute. Add garlic to veggies and stir for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. (Lots of flavor there!) Add your canned tomatoes and stir the pot. Place chicken back to the pan (pushing the pieces into the sauce).

Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Note: the sauce can probably accomodate more chicken pieces if you have a slightly larger family.

Serve over pasta(gluten free if you need it) or rice.
Mmmmm!