Fallen Souffle

So the Abs Diet is going well. I have lost 12 pounds since I first weighed myself at the Restoration Hardware in Crabtree mall earlier this month and realized I had to do something. I have been working out 5 days a week, 3 days weight lifting and 2 days of cardio. Sometimes I don’t get in 2 days of running like I would prefer, but I get at least one in and then take Bella for a long walk on the weekend. I increased my lifting weight this week and am feeling the pain! I am eating better, taking in 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, I just can never seem to get in that snack before bed but I don’t think that’s hurting anything. I try and cheat at only one meal a week, and the past two times have been wings and I have felt miserable after eating, so I may retire the chicken wings for a while. I am cooking alot, packing alot of lunches (which is helping me save some money) and am loving the smoothies.

I make a few of the recipes in the book but don’t follow it strictly just because the recipes tend to get boring, but I do get the gist of what I’m suppose to eat. I made this soup this week after realizing I had a huge jar of roasted red peppers from my sister. I also wanted to try and re-create a roasted red pepper soup I had at a local deli. This isn’t quite the same but it super easy to make and is really tasty.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped into large chunks
2- 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, undrained (you can also use whole tomatoes that you crush in your hands)
2 teaspoons chili powder (can add more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup or so of fat free half and half
1/2 cup shredded gouda, white cheddar etc (pretty much whatever you have on hand)

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add chopped red peppers, tomatoes, and spices and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Blend with a stick blender or in a standard blender until smooth.
4. Add half and half and cheese and allow cheese to melt and soup to heat back up.
5. Serve with a grilled ham and cheese (whole wheat bread please!) and enjoy!

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!

With the holidays comes lots of food and even more leftovers. There was an abundance of turkey and ham this year so I was happy to take some off my Mom’s hands. Since it was raining the entire time I drove to NC, I decided it was time for soup. I grabbed a box of chicken broth from Mom’s pantry but had everything else on hand.

This soup turned out really well, considering I just threw everything in a pot and let it simmer while I unpacked. I made a few cheese quesadillas to go with it and dinner was done. You can certainly use chicken or make it all veg and throw in some corn.

Turkey Tortilla Soup
*measurement are all approximate

1/2 carton chicken broth
1 can Rotel (I used the variety with lime and cilantro-yum!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded, cooked turkey
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper

Throw it in a saucepan, bring to boil and then let simmer until you are ready to eat. Serve with shredded cheese and crushed tortillas chips. YUM!

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My friend and co-worker Scottie brought in some really wonderful crab bisque that he made one night and I had to share the recipe. He added more crab and more sherry, and a few other ingredients but this is the basic recipe you can go off of. This is by no means “light” but the taste and smell reminds me of my days as a waitress at the Surf Rider in Virginia. I would serve this in individual bread bowls with a crisp white wine and some strawberry shortcakes for desserts…sounds like a perfect summer meal to me!

Crab Bisque Chincoteague

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 pint whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt to taste
1 pound backfin crab meat

1. Melt butter in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk until it is well blended. Stirring constantly, add cheese and cook until mixture thickens.

2. Reduce heat and add seasonings, sherry, cream and parsley. When mixture is thoroughly heated, add crab meat, stirring gently to keep lumps intact. Serve immediately in warm bowls and garnish with parsley.

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The weather was a bit fall-like this weekend so I decided to make a pot of chili. I decided to make chili after coming back from the store and then realized I only a had one can of diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel. So I was excited to find a recipe that used tomato juice (which I actually had in the pantry!) in place of some of the tomatoes. I also like the flavor that the Rotel added to the chili, not to spicy but great flavor! If you like a thicker chili, don’t put all of the juice in, start with maybe half and add some as needed. I cooked this for about 2 hours on the stive top, which I would highly recommend because it makes the turkey quite tender. This can also be thrown into the slow cooker, I would brown the meat the night before as opposed to throwing it in the pot raw.

The corn muffins were ok, I would add some shredded cheddar to amp up the flavor, but it satisfied the craving.

Turkey Chili

2 pound lean ground beef
1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice (I used Low Sodium V-8)
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce ( I used 1 can of Rotel and one can of petite diced tomatoes)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper (I left out since I used Rotel)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.

2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

Cornmeal Muffins

1/2 cup oil, or melted shortening
2 medium eggs
1 cup buttermilk, or yogurt, or sour milk (powdered buttermilk is fine)(I used sour cream)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour

Into your favorite big bowl, measure the oil or melted shortening. Crack in the eggs and add the buttermilk (or other milk product). Beat with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the salt, sugar, soda, cornmeal and flour. Stir casually, but not too aggressively. When mixed, but still lumpy stop stirring. Oil up a dozen muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating.

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When the weather turns to the chilly side the only think I want it s nice steaming bowl of soup. I am cold natured while my dear husband is the exact opposite and I often lose the battle of the thermostat. Therefore I spend most winter nights hugging the space heater with 2 pairs of socks on, a thick sweatshirt and a large blanket (now I am so wishing we had a fireplace!) Soup is the only thing that warms me up, like the Campbells’ commercial with the little boy/snowman that comes in and slowly thaws out while sipping soup…that is me to a tee.

I stick to the classic when it comes to soup, relying on tried and true chicken noodle, vegetable and tomato soups, occasionally I will be adventurous with butternut squash or a cream soup. So while on the hunt for a great new soup I thought nothing says comfort like Paula Deen. She just oozes warm and fuzzies. She knows her comfort foods.

So for this month’s Weekend Cookbook ChallengeI turned to a cookbook given to me by my sister for Christmas, Paula Deen’s Kitchen Classics. Inside is a recipe for Tomato and Dill Soup that is really wonderful. I would have never thought to put tomato and dill together but they really compliment each other. The recipe is comprised of mostly pantry items so it can be thrown together on a busy weeknight. My only change would be to omit the chopped garlic if you are not planning to cook it for the entire 30 minutes. Because I used canned tomatoes I pretty much heated the soup through but the onions didn’t cook so I had chunks of raw onions- yuck. Either omit them or strain them or use your boat motor to puree them (my boat motor died).

Pair this with some cheese toast and you are sure to be warmed to the core.

Paula’s Tomato and Dill Soup

1- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or 3 cups of fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups of chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half- sorry Paula!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped (I omitted this)

In a large pot combine first 7 ingredients. Cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

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I have been on the hunt for the perfect lunch. Something that I can make at the beginning of the week and enjoy for a couple of days, especially those days that I have to work at the bakery. I need something nourishing and filling and healthy so my morning workouts aren’t thrown out the window. I have not been in the mood for sandwiches and pasta at lunch just makes me feel gross. I have been experimenting with soups like Chicken Noodle and Butternut Squash because I think soups are stews are perfect on rainy or cold days (two things we have not had much of here in NC but that’s besides the point.) I don’t know what reminded me of this recipe but I am so glad I made this. It is so easy to put together using canned ingredients but it tastes so wonderful! I baked the chicken the night before with some Bam seasoning, which helped with the depth of flavor and the ease of throwing it together. I let my soup simmer about 30 minutes while I made the muffins, and I actually added about 1/4 cup of fat free half and half just for added creaminess but it’s really not necessary because the great northern beans add a great texture.

White Chicken Chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans (I used Great Northern)
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove the mixture from heat. Top with desired amount of cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Easy Corn Bread Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray 12 cup muffin pan with Pam.

2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until just moistened, batter will be slightly lumpy.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan, about 2/3rd of the way full. Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes clean. Remove from pan immediately to cool on rack. This recipe made about 10 muffins for me.

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I have been staring at the butternut squash sitting on my counter for about a week now and figured I needed to cook it before leaving for Thanksgiving in VA. I love cleaning out the fridge and eating all of the random things I have bought so when I come home it’s a clean slate and there is plenty of room in the fridge for leftovers. I am also trying to avoid all grocery stores at all costs this week…it is bad enough that the bakery is going to be a madhouse this week.

I decided to concoct a soup from the squash. I kinda just threw together things that sounded good and hoped for the best. What I like about soup making is that you can continually adjust the flavors throughout the cooking process to suit your own taste. I made this soup more savory but you could definately add more sweetness. I like eating healthy things like this before big holidays so I don’t feel so bad about the extensive foodfest we all engage in.

Jen’s Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
(veggies and spices can be adjusted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet or sheet pan with tin foil. Toss together the following ingrediants:
1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 medium onion cut in large chunks
2 Granny Smith apples cut in large chunks (remove the skin if you want)

Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for about 30-45 minutes until veggies are soft.

In a large dutch oven add 2 14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth , add in roasted veggies. I added in about 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and about 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Add in whatever other spices float your boat.

Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about an hour. You could also throw everything into your crockpot to cook. Bring pot off burner and blend with an immersion blender or blend in batches in your blender. Return to pot and over low heat add about 1/4 cup of half and half (I used fat free) and season to taste.

I topped my soup with some parmesan cheese, I will probably make some parmesan croutons to top the soup for lunch tommorrow.

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I have been in a soup mood. Who know’s why- it’s been 75 degrees here for the last two weeks. Though that will soon come to an end as tommorrow it will be a frigid 53 degrees. Nonetheless I have a ton of soup ideas swimming in head and it is high time I finally implement them. I made a chicken soup from a dry mix earlier this week and I was highly disappointed. The veggies were stale, the broth was unseasoned and the noodles were chewy. Yuck! Never again! My craving had not been satisfied so I decided to do it the right way. I bought a rotisserie chicken (my favorite kitchen shortcut!) and took all of the meat off. I have never made real broth but I was not going to cheat myself by using canned broth- I have aleady been disappointed once, I couldn’t do it twice in one week. I cover the chicken bones with cold water and threw in whatever I could find in the fridge; onions, carrots, garlic, celery, cilantro and sun dried tomatoes. I brought it to a boil and let is simmer for a good 3 hours or so. After cooling it, I put it in the fridge for two days. Today I skimmed the fat off the top, reheated it and strained all the bones and veggies. The smell of the broth was heavenly! I may never go back to the canned stuff again!

I added about 2 cups of water to the broth because I reduced the broth so much. I added in a couple of handfuls of chopped carrots and celery and brought to a boil. I threw in a couple cups of eggs noodles and allowed them to cook in the broth. The very last step was to add in the shredded chicken.

I was so proud of myself, homemade broth turned into homemade chicken soup. Campbell’s has got nothing on me!

You must try making your own soup, the flavor is like no other, the nutritional value is so much better and its really quite easy.

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