Spicy Italian Pumpkin Harvest Soup

If you love pumpkin, and you love a dish with Heat, I am sure you will love this dish! 

Sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words, right? So I will not be writing up story to go along with this dish. :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin (or you can use fresh pureed if you have it on hand)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced ( your choice, I am sure that sweet potatoes would go well in this dish. we used yukon gold, however next time I will try this recipe with the sweet!)
• 4 cups of chicken broth ( fresh homemade)
• 1/2 cup of Organic Heavy whipping cream ( or your choice of dairy substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
• salt/ and pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped dry parsley

Directions:

Melt butter in a french oven. Add onion and saute for a two minutes. Add Pumpkin, and potato, cream and chicken broth/ Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Cook until potatoes are soft. Add spices, and salt and pepper. Transfer into a bowl, and puree soup. 

Serve and enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

Nothing reminds me more of autumn, than warm bowls of delicious stews and harvest soups. Now is a great season for carrots and Carrot soup is one of my favorite soups to make. It is a hearty soup that is sure to satisfy your taste buds, fill your belly up, on the first serving. Best of all it is a quick dish to make and fairly inexpensive. This dish made around 20 servings for my family, and we have eaten for lunch for several days now. I am unsure if it can be freeze due to the Yogurt? If anyone does know the answer to this feel free to leave a comment below.

• 2 1/2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup of water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
• 3-4 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
• 1/3 cup Almond Flour
• dash of Kosher salt
• 1 cup of Greek Yogurt, plain
• 1 tbsp of Honey
• 1 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint (I bought mint tea at the grocery store, and cut open the bag)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• and 1 tbsp of grated ginger (optional)

1. In your dutch oven melt butter and saute onion, and garlic for 6 minutes or until onion is clear. Add salt, and potatoes and carrots, and saute for five more minutes.
2. Add stock and water, and bring to a boil. Should take 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. 
3. Mix soup in a blender, by transferring carefully, I would probably cool the soup if I were to use this method. Or you can carefully mix with a handheld mixer if you are in a hurry. Definitely wear an apron for this, and do not burn yourself!
4. Stir in Almond flour, Greek yogurt, honey, and all the rest of the dry ingredients. 

Serve and enjoy!

Quick facts about the health benefits to this soup..

• Carrots are rich in antioxidant nutrient beta-carotene, and polyacetylenes as phytonutrients that can help inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, provides cardioprotective benefits, vision health, Anti-Cancer Benefits,
•  Sweet Potatoes have Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients. They can also regulates blood sugars, and has beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in your body and switches on DNA that's in charge of producing new skin cells and shedding old ones.
• Garlic, acts as an natural antibiotic, which has allicin and dilly sulfides. Again garlic is a powerful antioxidant.
• Greek Yogurt has twice as much protein as regular, packed with calcium and live bacterial cultures.
• Almonds are high in monounsaturated Lower LDL-Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease, full of vitamin E. Almonds Provide Double-Barreled Protection against Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
• Eating Nuts Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
• Manganese, Copper & Riboflavinâ Provides more assistance with energy production
• Daily consumption of almonds help you eat a healthier diet
• Almonds Help Prevent Gallstones

Hearty Healthy Chicken Soup

A Chicken soup to savor!

When it is chilly outside, and you have a cold,  there is nothing more soothing than a nice warm bowl of Chicken Soup. For generations chicken soup has been said to assist the body in the healing process. For years I wondered if this was a myth told by my grandmother or a fact. Does chicken soup heal the body and soul?

According to a study done by University of Nebraska Medical Center, it does heal the body. Chicken noodle soup has anti-inflammatory properties, Neutrophil, that when activated may sooth that sore throat and assist in taking away some of the common miseries that are associated with cold and flu symptoms. 

The vegetables are an amazing source of vitamins and antioxidants! This soup has added sweet potato to replace the noodles, which adds vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium to this dish. Carrots and zucchini, which again gives the body a boost of vitamin A , and also provides cardio-protective benefits. All beneficial when you are feeling ill. 

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini 
• 8 medium carrots 
• 2 chicken breast (vegetarians leave out!)
• 2 (32oz) of low sodium Chicken broth (vegetable broth, or water)
• 1 cup of onion
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 16 small vine tomato
• Organic All Spice
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and pepper
• 16 ounces of water

Step One.

Rinse and pat chicken, slice thinly and season with salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes, thinly, line the bottom of a baking dish with tomatoes and olive oil, layer chicken on top, and top with remainder of tomatoes.  Top with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 275 for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Slow roasted chicken and tomatoes for the soup

Step Two.

Pour broth and water into a stock pot. Add sliced vegetables, chicken, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a slow boil over medium high for 15 minutes, and then simmer until vegetables are tender. 

Antioxidants! 

Serve and enjoy!

Chunky Tomato Soup

Portland grey skies never seem to leave us, until July. With cool temperatures, overcast clouds, some days I want to curl up and read a book next to a fireplace, enjoying coffees, teas, and warm bowls of soup for dinners. 

I love soups. They can be so versatile, flavorful, and simple to make. You can slow cook them, and allow the aroma's  fill your home. They are filling, and easy to use for leftovers!

Hold the Bread Please

• 1 Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• Handful of Basil leaves
• 4 (14.2 ounce) cans of Diced Tomatoes 
• 16 slow roasted tomatoes
• Kosher Sea Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary
• 1/4 cup of Olive oil

Dice Onion, and garlic. Heat olive oil, onions, and garlic in a dutch oven over medium heat for ten minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, rosemary, basil, slow roasted tomatoes, salt and pepper. Turn down heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

This soup is chunky and thick. If you like a thinner soup, feel free to add a cup of water.

Slow Roasted makes this soup amazing

Fresh Garden Herbs add intensity and flavors to the dish

Dice and simmer for ten minutes

Add bacon instead of bread, for a complete meal!

Broccoli Bacon Soup

It has been a while since my last post. We have been cooking, and taking photos, and chasing our kids! Mainly chasing kids! Which is why I love this recipe that I am about to share with you today! It is fast, and loaded full of vitamins. It took me under 35 minutes to prepare the whole dish.

Green Goodness!

Recently, I went over to a girlfriends house for a fun night of Bunco, and indulged in a delicious blueberry muffin. The recipe, was from the new cookbook My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow. Everyone knows that I have a deep love of cooking and cookbooks, I would consider it more of an obsession, to be honest.

Last week, I bought the book, and made an amazing broccoli  soup. Broccoli soup was more of an experiment to see if my daughters would eat the broccoli, with no complaints. It was a pleasant surprise when they devoured their bowls with no complaints. They loved this soup, so much they had two servings. I did modify it, it a little. Next time to add more life to the soup I will add diced tomato. We will be making more of it this week, and freezing it.

• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil, Napa
• 2 teaspoons of Granulated Garlic, or you could use 3 fresh garlic cloves sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 Medium Broccoli stalks, cut into small florets
• 32 ounces of Chicken Broth, or Vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon of Celtic Salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 5 slices of cooked bacon (omit for vegan option)
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, or sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional, if dairy free)

This recipe is really simple. In a skillet add olive oil, and then toss in onion, broccoli, granulated garlic. Cook on medium high for ten minutes to fifteen minutes, until broccoli is green and tender but firm. In a dutch oven, add the broccoli mixture, broth, salt and pepper. Then use the skillet to fry up the bacon. While bacon is cooking simmer soup mixture on a medium high for ten minutes, and then add bacon and heat at a medium for ten more minutes.

Pour soup into a large bowl, and puree. I use my Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender. 

Serve and enjoy!

Messy looking, but tasty

Two thumbs up from our picky eater!

Thumbs up from V

My family loved this recipe so much it was gone as quickly as it was made.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Many people turn their noses up to Cauliflower, thinking that it is flavorless. However, this vegetable is highly versatile, low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, and an excellent source of carotenoids. With phytochemicals, indole-3-carbinol, cauliflower is known for aiding and blocking growth of cancer cells, and can actually prevent and slow the grown of cancer and tumors. Cauliflower also may assist the liver in detoxing carcinogenic substances. Feel free to play with this recipe, it can easily be made vegetarian, dairy free, and of course gluten free!

• 1/2 stick Butter or olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 3/4 of a cup of Green onion, sliced and divided in half
• 2 whole Carrot thinly sliced
• 1 stalk Celery, well Diced
• 1 whole Cauliflower Heads
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley
• 32 ounces of organic Chicken Broth Or Stock or vegetable Broth
• 2 cups Almond milk ( or milk)
• 1 cup Half-and-half (optional)
• Sprinkle of salt and Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 cup of Sour Cream (optional)
• 4 slices of Turkey Bacon (Applegate) (optional)
• 1/2 cup of red Bell Pepper diced
• 1/2 cup of tomato diced

In a Dutch oven brown bacon.Remove, and then melt butter or add 1/4 of a cup of Olive oil.

Add minced Garlic, whites of onions, reserve the green Chives Saute for 2 minutes

Add carrots and celery and continue to saute for 5 minutes then add Cauliflower and cook for 10 more minutes.

Add Chicken or vegetable Broth, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 2 pieces of diced Bacon

salt and pepper. And 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

Now you can either get your blender and Puree, or what I find easiest is to pour contents into a bowl and puree with my Smart Stick Blender. Once the soup is pureed, pour it back into the dutch oven and add Milk/ Cream, and sour cream, perhaps more pepper if desired or even better a pinch of RED Pepper! Stir well.

Spoon into bowls, and top with the remaining 2 pieces of diced Bacon, a tablespoon of red bell pepper, some chives and parsley. The tomato is optional.

This dish is pretty filling, and very delicious.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Many people turn their noses up to Cauliflower, thinking that it is flavorless. However, this vegetable is highly versatile, low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, and an excellent source of carotenoids. With phytochemicals, indole-3-carbinol, cauliflower is known for aiding and blocking growth of cancer cells, and can actually prevent and slow the grown of cancer and tumors. Cauliflower also may assist the liver in detoxing carcinogenic substances. Feel free to play with this recipe, it can easily be made vegetarian, dairy free, and of course gluten free!

• 1/2 stick Butter or olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 3/4 of a cup of Green onion, sliced and divided in half
• 2 whole Carrot thinly sliced
• 1 stalk Celery, well Diced
• 1 whole Cauliflower Heads
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley
• 32 ounces of organic Chicken Broth Or Stock or vegetable Broth
• 2 cups Almond milk ( or milk)
• 1 cup Half-and-half (optional)
• Sprinkle of salt and Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 cup of Sour Cream (optional)
• 4 slices of Turkey Bacon (Applegate) (optional)
• 1/2 cup of red Bell Pepper diced
• 1/2 cup of tomato diced

In a Dutch oven brown bacon.Remove, and then melt butter or add 1/4 of a cup of Olive oil.

Add minced Garlic, whites of onions, reserve the green Chives Saute for 2 minutes

Add carrots and celery and continue to saute for 5 minutes then add Cauliflower and cook for 10 more minutes.

Add Chicken or vegetable Broth, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 2 pieces of diced Bacon

salt and pepper. And 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

Now you can either get your blender and Puree, or what I find easiest is to pour contents into a bowl and puree with my Smart Stick Blender. Once the soup is pureed, pour it back into the dutch oven and add Milk/ Cream, and sour cream, perhaps more pepper if desired or even better a pinch of RED Pepper! Stir well.

Spoon into bowls, and top with the remaining 2 pieces of diced Bacon, a tablespoon of red bell pepper, some chives and parsley. The tomato is optional.

This dish is pretty filling, and very delicious.