Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

• 10 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 large lemon, zested
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup israeli (pearl) couscous
• 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 2 ounces crumbled feta
• 1/3 cup chopped chive
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice
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• Place the olive oil in a large 6-8 quart sauce pot over medium-low heat. Peel the onion. Then quarter it and slice into thin strips. Once the oil is hot, saute the onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes to soften.  Add the chicken stock, chicken breasts, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper to the pot. Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in the couscous, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off.  Using tongs, remove the two chicken breasts from the pot. Use a fork and the tongs to shred the chicken. Then place it back in the pot. Stir in the crumbled feta cheese and chopped chive. Taste and salt and pepper as needed. Just before serving add fresh lemon juice. 1 T to 1/4 C depending on your taste....start small. (Or less...and possibly even more.)  Garnish with a little more feta. 
• 
  
• **Recipe adapted from aspicyperspective.com
• **I followed this recipe exactly and when I tasted it, I couldn't really taste lemon. So I added the fresh squeezed lemon juice to the ingredient list. It made all the difference.  The family loved it! Served with warm pita bread!

Southwestern Chicken...for days!

Southwestern Chicken...for days!

2 T chili powder

1 T ground cumin

1 t coriander

2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

6 lbs chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 large onions, finely chopped 

6 cloves minced garlic

1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes

116 oz pkg frozen sweet corn

In a large bowl, combine the spices.  Add the chicken and toss as best you can to coat.  Layer the onion, garlic and peppers on the bottom of the crock pot and top with the chicken.  Add the tomatoes with their juice and the corn.  Cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours.  Shred chicken and add some of the liquid to keep the chicken moist, but reserve most of the liquid, because it is the base to an awesome soup recipe...see below!

**The best part of this recipe is we use it for 3 different meals!  The first night, we either eat the shredded chicken over rice or quinoa, or we make burritos (add rice, avocado, cheese and salsa).  The second day can be burritos or tacos, just mix up the flavor with different toppings (a chipotle salsa or a salsa verde totally change the flavor).  The 3rd day if there is any chicken left, we add it to the soup recipe below, but if the chicken is all gone, the soup is awesome without too!

 Black Bean and Corn Tortilla Soup

4-5 C of the sauce/liquid and vegetables from the southwestern chicken recipe
1 or 2, 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
3 C low sodium chicken broth
8 corn tortillas, cut into small 1 inch squares
Any left over shredded chicken from the southwestern chicken recipe (it's ok if there isn't any)

Optional toppings: corn chips, cilantro, salsa and cheese

Combine the sauce-vegetable mixture, beans and broth in a soup pot.  Bring to a simmer.  Add corn tortilla pieces and chicken,   bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Corn tortillas begin to break down and thicken the soup.  If it gets thicker than you like, just add more broth.  Serve with any of the toppings you like.

*This picture does not do this soup justice!  I'll get a better one.  The flavor from the crockpot sauce is amazing, and adding the corn tortillas gives it that extra earthy, Mexican feel!  I love it!

* recipes adapted from Ellie Krieger
*These recipes helped us survive basketball season.  It's a lot of chicken, feel free to half it, but Gray eats a ton of it for left overs and 3 real meals during the school week is really all we get these days!

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili 
with Chipotle Cream

1 t olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced small
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 t Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce
salt, to taste
1 can (15.5 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 can black beans (15.5 oz), drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin if desired
1 yam, peeled and diced into small cubes

For Chipotle Creme:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce, plus more if desired
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

Heat the olive oil in  a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and salt; saute for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.  Add the entire can of tomato sauce to the pot. Next add the black beans, vegetarian broth, all spices, and quinoa. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium, add diced sweet potatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

To make the smoked chipotle yogurt, combine tabasco sauce, honey, and dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Mix well. Spoon chili into bowls and add yogurt sauce on top. Enjoy!

**From ambitiouskitchen.com
**This is such a great vegetarian chili! Same satisfaction, without the meat.  The yogurt sauce is a bit spicy, so if you don't like spice, lay off the chipotle tabasco, but the sweet, spicy, tangy sauce is what made this for me, I love the heat!

Creamy Yam Soup

Creamy Yam Soup

1 T olive oil
1 C diced onion
8 C yams, peeled and diced
8 C vegetable or chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
4 C yams, peeled and diced (optional - my preference)

In a large pot, heat oil and cook until onions are translucent.  Add yams and broth.  Bring to a boil and cook until yams are very tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Turn off heat.  With an immersion blender or potato masher, smash yams to give the soup a nice thicker texture.  You can blend until smooth or leave a bit chunky. Stir in cream cheese until dissolved.  Can be served at this point or you can......Turn heat back on.  Add 4 C optional yams and cook until yams are tender (an additional 10 minutes or so) for a nice thick soup with yummy yam bites.

*Can't believe how sweet this soup is, I love it!  It is even great with no cream cheese or just half a block.

Autumn Minestrone

Autumn Minestrone

2 T olive oil
1 C chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 C peeled and cubed butternut squash or acorn squash
2 celery stalks diced (I forgot and just sliced mine)
1/2 C peeled and diced carrots
2 C cubed potatoes
1 t dried oregano
2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
6 C water
3 C chopped kale
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Prepare all vegetables. Heat the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes. Add the wquash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and water.  Cook for10-15 minutes until potatoes are almost done.  Add the kale and beans and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

**Recipe adapted from the Moosewood Restauurant.
**So healthy and yummy, great winter meal served along side a whole grain bread.
**Delish with a little parmesan or cheddar cheese on top.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup
    
 3-4 C chicken, cubed
8 C broth
½ t salt                     
¼ t pepper                  
½ t basil
1 t parsley                  
1 1/2 C carrots
1 1/2 C celery
Add pam or oil to large soup pot and cook chicken until no longer pink.  Add broth, salt, pepper, basil and parsley.  Bring to a boil, add carrots and celery, continue cooking for 10 minutes.  While soup is cooking prepare egg noodles.

Egg Noodles
1 beaten egg                  
½ t salt
2 T milk                  
1 C flour (maybe a touch less depending if you aren't using a lg egg)
Mix and roll out as thin as you can, let stand for 5 minutes, cut into small squares using a pizza cutter and add to boiling soup.  Cook and additional 15 minutes.

**This is an awesome soup that everyone enjoys. The little square noodles are so fun and a little thicker than normal noodles.  It's also a great soup to take to a sick friend...right Kathy? :)
**If you don't want to bother with the noodles, just add 2 C cubed potatoes when adding the carrots and celery, and cook until tender!

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

 

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup 

olive oil

4-5 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 T grated fresh ginger

3 C chicken broth

2 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

4 t curry powder

1 jalapeño, seeded, minced (more if you like it spicy)

4 T lime juice

2 small yellow, orange or red bell pepper, sliced thin and halved, (I used yellow)

1 C chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice (Optional...the kids have white rice, I prefer none.)

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.  Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add the ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a scoop of rice in bowl and ladle soup over or just the soup alone.

**I made this at 8:30am (like I do most of my soups because it is a "soup" day...time issues) and it sat in the pot at room temp and then I re-heated it at 5:30.  Perfect!
**If you have the time, serve with Naan! So yummy dipped in the soup! Then you can have cinnamon sugar ones for dessert!
**Adapted from cookingforseven.com

Truman's Quick Chili

Truman's Quick Chili

1 onion, diced
1 lb ground beef
2 cans Nalley's Chili
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can black bean drained
1 can great northern beans drained
1/2 C ketchup
2 T brown sugar (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in large pot.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add chili, tomatoes and beans.  Mix well and bring to a simmer. Add ketchup and sugar.  Simmer for a few minutes and then taste.  Add salt and pepper.  Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

**Truman requests chili for almost every dinner, so I told him I was going to name it after him.

**I'm pretty sure there is a way better chili recipe out there, but I love that I can throw this one together in about 20 minutes or less and there are never left overs.  And I usually bake some corn muffins too, it's a kid favorite!

Chicken Edamame Chowder

Chicken Edamame Chowder

1 lb cubed chicken breasts
2 8oz pkgs frozen edamame
1 lg sweet pepper (orange, yellow or red), chopped
1 lg onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
2 t ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
4 C chicken broth
8oz sour cream
3 T flour
2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
Toppings: cilantro and cheese

Spray soup pot with pam and cook chicken. Add edamame, peppers, onion, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.  pour chicken broth over all and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or so.  Combine sour cream and flour.  Stir (whisk) into soup until well combined.  Add zucchini.  Increase heat and bring to a boil to thicken soup and to cook zucchini. As soon as soup is thickened and zucchini are just tender, take off heat. Serve topped with  cilantro and cheese. About 8 servings.

*Crazy yummy and healthy.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

7-8 C chicken broth (less broth will result in a thicker soup)
8 C peeled and cubed potatoes
1/2 C minced onions (I use fresh)
1 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, cut into chunks

Combine potatoes, broth, onion and spices.  Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.  Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening. Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

*Good if you add 1 C frozen petite peas, fun color and a little more nutrition!

**My kids love this soup, but don't prefer the cayenne.  The recipe originated as a copy of "Panera's" potato soup, but they use white pepper and double the cream cheese. I adapted it to be a little lower fat and kid friendly. Tru's FAVE!

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

1 lb chicken cubed    
1 onion chopped
1 ½ t garlic powder              
1 T veg. oil
Cook all together in large soup pot until chicken is done.

Add:
2 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained  
1-2 cans chicken broth (just thickness preference)
2 can chopped green chilies          
1 t salt
1 t cumin                  
1 t oregano       
½ t pepper                  
¼ t cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat through, take off heat and add:
1 C sour cream
½ C whip cream

** I sometimes use fat free sour cream and half and half.  Less calories but still the same great flavor, just not as rich.  Also I use rotisserie chicken often as a time saver!

Spicy Mexican Squash Stew

Spicy Mexican Squash Stew

1 1/2 T olive oil
2 C chopped onions
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1 butternut squash
1/2 small jalapeno
1/2 t cinnamon (I put in a little more, closer to a t)
2 t ground cumin
1/4 C brown sugar
3 C vegetable stock or broth
2 C chopped fresh tomatoes
2 C chopped red, yellow or orange bell peppers
2 C frozen sweet white corn
salt and black pepper to taste
sour cream and grated cheese for serving

Place the oil, onions, garlic, and salt in a nonreactive soup pot. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Stirring often, until the onions are translucent.

Meanwhile, halve and peel the squash, scoop out and discard the seeds, and dice into 1/2 inch cubes (if it's 5 Cor more, you made need to add more stock). Add squash, jalapeno, cinnamon, cumin, and water to the soup pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bell peppers.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the corn and return to a simmer.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve each bowl topped with a dollop of sour cream and cheese if desired!

***My awesome friend Higgy gave me this recipe from a Vegetarian restaurant, but I changed it up a bit!

Tuscan Bean Soup

Tuscan Bean Soup

3 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 large zucchini, sliced
14oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 T pesto (homemade or store bought in a jar)
4 C vegetable stock
14oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
fresh spinach (approximately 2 cups)

Heat oil in a large pan.  Ad the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes on medium heat.  Add zucchini and cook 2 more minutes.  Add tomatoes, pesto, stock and beans and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, stir fresh spinach leaves into soup and allow to soften. Yummy served with a little Parmesan!

**My kids don't like the spinach, so I just put it in mine and Hans' bowls and serve the soup over it.  It is so yummy and healthy!

Julia's Beef Bourguinon

Julia's Beef Bourguinon

6oz chunk of bacon (have yet to find this...I use thick cut)
1 T olive or vegetable oil
3 lb lean stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
1 sliced carrot (used 2)
1 sliced onion
1 t salt 1/4 t peppre
2 T flour
3 C full bodied red wine or grape juice
2-3 C beef stock
1 T tomato paste
2 cloved mashed garlic
1/2 t thyme
1 crumbled bay leaf

18-24 pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 T oil
1/2 C beef bouillon
Herbs for bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 t thyme tied in cheesecloth

2 T butter
1 T oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, wash, dried, whole, sliced or quartered

Boiled potatoes for serving.

Take chunk of bacon and remove rind, cut bacon into strips 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long.  Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.  Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450.

Saute bacon in a 9-10 inch fireproof casserole (enameled cast iron works great) in the 1 T oil for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly.  Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.  Continue to heat oil until almost smoking before sauteing beef.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp.  Sate a few pieces at a time, in hot oil and bacon faut until nicely browned on all sides.  Add it to the bacon on the side.

In the same fat, brown sliced carrot and onion.  Pour off the sauteing fat.

Return beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper.  Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour.  Set casserole uncovered in middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes.  Toss the meat and return tot he oven for 4 more minutes. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.)  Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325.

Stir in the wine or juice and enough beef stock so that the meat is barely covered.  Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind.  bring to simmer on top of the stove.  Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of oven.  Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when for pierces it easily.

While beef is cooking, prepare onions and mushrooms.

(Brown -braised Onions) Add 1 1/2 T butter and 1 1/2 T oil to saute pan (or enameled skillet) over medium heat. When the butter and oil are bubbling, add onions and saute for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible.  Be careful not to break their skins.  You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.  Pour beef bouillon, salt and pepper to taste and add the herb bouquet.  cover ans simmer slowly for 40-50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated.  Remove herbs. Set aside.

(Sauteed Mushrooms)On high heat, melt butter and oil.  As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, add the mushrooms.  Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes.  During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat.  In 2-3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushroom swill be gin to brown.  As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. Set aside.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.  Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it.  Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.  Skim the fat off the sauce.  simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises.  you should have about 2 1/2 C of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.  If too thin, boil it down rapidly.  If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock.  Tast carefully for seasoning.  pour sauce over the meat and vegetables. Cover casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Serve over or next to boiled potatoes.

**Magleby New Year's Tradition
**I made this once again, 1.1.2012 and the kids were wolfing it down much more than usual....oooing and aaaawwing over it's deliciousness,  and then I saw the bowl of mushrooms and onions that I had forgotten to put it. Hmmm....that would save me a lot of time, if I didn't love those darn little onions so much! :)

Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup

Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup
Step 1
1 T Olive oil                 
½ C diced white onions
1 t chopped garlic              
1 t diced jalapeños
Cook in pan until onions are translucent.  Add:

Step 2
8 C chicken broth              
1 Can coconut milk
2 C julienne carrots               
1 C diced tomatoes              
½ C diced red onions
1 t salt
1 t brown sugar
Bring to a boil and then add 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cubed). Enjoy.

Garnish with:
Corn chips
Lime wedges
Mozzarella cheese

** Sometimes I add a little fresh parsley for the color!

Game Day stew

Game Day Stew

1 lb stew meat (browned)
3 carrots sliced
2 potatoes cubed
1 pkg Lipton onion soup powder
1 -2 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix soup with water (1/2 or 1 can).  Combine all ingredients and put in roasting pan. Cover with lid and put into oven at 250 for  4-5 hours.  Be sure there is enough liquid so that it won't dry out.  This recipe can be increased to the number who will eat it, more meat, veges, etc.  Whatever fits the taste buds.

**This recipe comes from Patty Edwards who set me and Hans up on our first date.  We love her!  She would make this stew on a BYU football game day and it would be put in before the game started and would be done when they got home!

Tortilla Soup with Grilled Chicken

Tortilla Soup with Grilled Chicken

3 T olive oil                   
1 jalapeno, fresh minced              
1 med red onion diced               
3 C diced roma tomatoes (take out seeds)  or 2 can petite diced tomatoes drained   
3 C corn kernels
1 T cumin seed (ground) 
2 qt chicken stock           
3 C grilled chicken breast diced (Costco rotisserie chicken is a quick substitute.)
3 T fresh cilantro
Garnish: Avocado, lime and tortilla chips

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add jalapeno, onion.  Cook, stirring until all the onions are soft, about 5 min.  Add corn and tomatoes, cook 5 more minutes. Add the cumin and cook another 5 min.  Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer 10 min.  Add the grilled chicken breast and fresh cilantro, heat through and serve.