Chicken Satay Soup

I was looking for a way to use up leftover crudite from a party and thought I would try something new. I found recipes online for peanut butter soup and I thought why not take it to a next level and make a satay inspired soup. I tossed in leftover chicken from the night before and leftover white rice from chinese takeout. Why not use up leftovers, right? This experiment turned out great. I hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chicken, in bite size pieces
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons minched garlic
• 1 large potato, diced into bite size pieces
• 3-5 cups cut up veggies of your choice (in the soup I made I used red & green peppers, celery, baby carrots and zucchini)
• 4-6 cups chicken stock or water and bouillon, enough to cover veggies and extra to make it soup consistency
• 3 tablespoons butter or margerine
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed to release their flavor
• 1 lemon, skin grated and the juice
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, melt butter/margerine and saute onion, garlic until onion is translucent.
2. Add in remaining ingredients except for peanut butter and red pepper flakes. Let boil until potatoes and all the veggies are tender. (maybe 30 minutes)
3. Add in peanut butter and blend until melted in.
4. Rub red pepper flakes between your hands to release their flavor and stir in.

Soup is on!

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.



 

Beef Stew

This takes some time to make, but really delivers some warm hearty satisfaction on a cold winters day.

Ingredients:

1 lb top or bottom round beef, about 1 inch thick, diced into bite size pieces
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
2 potatoes
1 onion
1 c. red wine, merlot works very well for this
beef stock (to cover.. 1 to 1 1/2 c.)
1 small can tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil (canola or veg)
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, celery seed
optional: small whole button mushrooms, diced turnip, halved brussel sprouts, snap peas, zucchini, summer squash, etc. Mix & match whatever veggies you prefer.



Preparation:

Tip: Use a pot that can be used stove top and is oven proof. Use a wooden spoon to stir and deglaze the pan.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut up all veggies into bite size pieces, keeping onions and celery separate, and set aside.
• In a baggie, combine corn starch and dry seasonings. Shake to blend the ingredients.
• Coat beef chunks by placing in baggie with corn starch mixture and shaking. You will have to do this in batches to coat well, and depending on how well it coats, you may have to add a little more cornstarch. Reserve remaining corn starch mixture.
• In a large pot, heat oil enough so that when you add coated beef it will sizzle. Add the beef and brown. Do not cook through. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
• Add onions and celery to pan and saute until translucent. Add garlic and remaining cornstarch (from baggie) and allow to cook out for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
• Add wine. At this time you want to use your spoon to gently scrape any goodies off the bottom. Your mixture will start to thicken as the mixture starts to warm through again.
• Add tomato paste, beef broth and mix so everything is blended.
• Add remaining veggies, stir into broth.
• Top with beef.
• Cover and place in oven.
• Cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Makes about 6 servings.