Butternut Squash Soup

This is a bit late for the season, but this butternut squash soup recipe would be a perfect beginning to a Thanksgiving Day meal. It tastes like warm pumpkin pie in soup form--and having never had squash before, I was definitely pleased! Recipe found here.

You will need:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (pull leaves off twiggy part)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt & pepper to taste

First, peel, de-seed, and chop your squash. This was probably the most challenging step of the process--those things are hard to chop! Totally worth it, however. Set squash aside.

Next, chop your onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, garlic, and thyme until soft and fragrant (5 minutes or so). Add in the squash and continue to saute for another minute. Transfer skillet contents to a large sauce or stock pan.

In sauce pan, add the vegetable stock to the onion/garlic/thyme/squash. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until squash is soft. Add in remaining spices and simmer for a few minutes more.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a regular blender) and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

Now, the picture shows a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, as the original recipe called for. I found the parmesan cheese to be too overpowering for the sweetness of the soup, however. A sprinkling of a milder cheese, some croutons, or a dusting of paprika would have been yummy, however! Enjoy!

Ham and Split Pea Soup

I hate peas. Growing up, I had parents who belonged to the "Clean Your Plate" club style of eating. And understandably so--their own parents lived through the Great Depression, so you didn't waste perfectly edible (if slightly gross-tasting) food. However, I could not NOT stomach some of my mother's dishes, and once, I negotiated with my father to get out of eating her Hungarian short ribs. What did I have to eat instead? An entire can of peas--my dad bargained hard. It took me three hours, and I still to this day consider the trade a fair one--but I also still hate peas.

That said, I adore split pea soup. I know, I'm weird. But split pea soup delivers all the comforting qualities of any other cream-based soup with TONS of nutritional value--add to that how insanely easy it is to make, and you will love it too! Original recipe found here.

You will need:
16 oz. bag of dried split peas
2 cups of chopped ham (or the ham off a ham bone, if you have the time)
3 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs of celery (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon of Lawry's seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (note: original recipe called for one bay leaf--I just substituted this since I was leafless)
1.5 quarts HOT water

Are you ready for the simplicity of this recipe?
1) Rinse and sort your peas on a dish towel. (Bags of dried peas often still have a few small stones scattered among the peas, and you don't want to bite into these)
2) Spray a crockpot with non-stick spray. Layer the following into the crockpot in the following order:

• Rinsed split peas
• Ham
• Vegetables
• Spices
• Hot water

3) Do not stir. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours (4 if you still want some of the peas to maintain their shape, 5 if you want the peas completely broken down and creamy).

4) There is no step 4 because you're already DONE!

Note that this recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ham. Either way, enjoy a bowl of creamy split pea soup the next time you want a bowl of comforting and healthy deliciousness!

   

Savory Vegetable Soup

A friend of mine recently asked if I could teach her how to make vegetable soup--to which I said, of course! That said, my love of vegetables has never quite mirrored my love of cheese, so I needed to locate a recipe. And in trying to find one, I must admit--I felt a bit bad for vegetarians! Finding a vegetable soup that does not contain some sort of meat product is quite a challenge. Even this one, which I used, had to be modified slightly due to its call for chicken broth. That said, this soup took about 10 minutes to put together and was delicious, so I now have an exciting way to get my veggies in the future!

Here is what you will need:

1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (11.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (I used V-8)
1 cup water
1 large potato, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 tsp of Cajun/Creole seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

First, dice your vegetables. Second, pour everything into a large sauce pan. Finally, bring to a boil, then simmer for 40-45 minutes. That's it! And, if you're a bit pinched for time, you can always use frozen or canned vegetables and save yourself the prep time on chopping the vegetables.

The Cajun seasoning really makes the soup, because it gives an added depth to the flavor and a slight hint of heat. You can even alter the recipe to add in your favorite vegetables or some orzo for a carbohydrate--and no matter what, you will have a healthy dish to serve yourself and your loved ones. So grab some V-8, your favorite veggies, and give this a try!

Elyse--and everyone else--I hope you enjoy this recipe! :)

Bacon Turkey Bravo with Broccoli Cheddar Soup

And now, for another of our fast food family favorites (yay alliteration!): my attempt to replicate the deliciousness of Panera bread. The Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich, in particular, has always held  a special place in my heart. Not only is it beyond yummy and adored by my sister and cousin, but my husband and I both ordered it on our second date--one of the first signs that we were meant to be!

For the record, the internet is an amazing resource when it comes to locating anything that has ever been made at any time any where, so if you have a favorite restaurant food you'd like to attempt, google it to find a copycat recipe. It'll be extremely close to the original, make more food, and be cheaper overall for the amount of food it produces. First, I found copycats for the sandwich and the broccoli soup. However, the sandwich recipe did not include Panera's tomato basil bread, so I found a different recipe for the bread itself here. Allow me to briefly tempt you with the final result:

And since now you are hungry and want homemade Panera, let's start with the bread. You will need:

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1/4 cup fresh basil, minced (I substituted 2 tablespoons dried)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2-2 3/4 cups bread flour

This came out with a very strong tomato/basil flavor (I know, that seems to be a "duh" statement, given what it is, but it was a bit strong compared with the Panera version). If I were to do this recipe over again, I would omit 1-2 tablespoons of the tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of dried basil. I would also add an extra  tablespoon or two of sugar to sweeten it a bit. This version, however, would taste AMAZING as part of a grilled cheese.

To make, first pour the yeast packet into a large mixing bowl. Add water and dissolve the yeast. Next, add the basil, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, sugar, oil, salt, pepper flakes and mix. After, add flour a little at a time, using a kitchen spatula to incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients. I didn't need more than 2.5 cups.

Flour a non-porous surface and place the dough mixture on top. Don't be worried if the dough looks somewhat dry at first--kneading will take care of it! Simply knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, then place in a greased bowl (turn once to coat the top of the dough to prevent sticking upon removal). Cover and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about an hour.

When the dough has doubled, remove from the bowl and knead again for another minute. Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet. (Note: I may try to make my bread into a rectangular loaf shape in the future for a more uniform shape). Allow dough to double again (another hour or so).

Finally, cut a cross shape into the top of the bread loaf. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Bread will be golden and crusty on the outside, but soft and yummy on the inside!

And a close-up to give you an idea of the color of this bread. I love how you can see the little specks of basil:

Set the bread aside and move on to your soup. You will need:

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in the butter until translucent. Add flour and whisk together for 3-5 minutes, until thick and non-lumpy (it is ok to leave the onions in the pan while you do this). Slowly add in the half and half until well-mixed and no lumps appear, then bring to a boil to thicken. Finally, add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the veggies (broccoli and carrots) and cook until tender (another 15-20 minutes). If you want an even thicker soup, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender. I thought the soup was already fairly thick, and I enjoy having the full pieces of broccoli in my soup, so I did not blend mine. Instead, I added the cheese, mixed until it was melted, and served the warm, cheesy soup!

Mmmm....look at that broccoli--my favorite vegetable!

And finally, put it all together! Cook up some slices of bacon, slice some fresh Gouda cheese, and wash some leaves of lettuce. Pile high with some thick-cut turkey on slices of your freshly-baked bread. Top it all off with the special Bacon Turkey Bravo sauce, a mix of:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 dash of tabasco or other hot sauce

And voila! A homemade Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich to accompany your homemade Panera Broccoli Cheddar soup. Enjoy!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

Looking back over my last few blog entries, I could easily imagine someone thinking that I am not feeding my husband all that well--unless you count cake balls and brownies as a balanced diet. However, I promise that I have been cooking actual food too! Case in point: cheesy ham and potato soup (with lots of veggies!).

I found the recipe here and intend to use the base again in future soup recipes. To get started, you will need:

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

First, chop all your vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, potatoes). Place the vegetables, ham, and chicken broth in a large sauce pan, bring to a boil, and then continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until potatoes are soft). Add in salt and pepper.

Next, in a separate sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and stir in the flour until thick and all lumps are removed. This is called a roux, if you've never made one before! Once this step is complete, add in your two cups of milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add in the shredded cheddar cheese. Continue cooking until thick and the cheese is melted, about another 4-5 minutes.

Finally, add the milk mixture to the broth/veggie mixture in the sauce pan, and cook until heated through. And that's it--homemade soup that's better than Panera's with minimal effort! How easy is that?

And if you are concerned about the thickness of the soup (I *heart* a thick soup), this one not only starts out fairly thick, but if you refrigerate it over night and reheat it the next day, it takes on the thickness of a chowder and is even more delicious! (You can also always add more chicken stock to thin it out if you prefer a thinner soup, as well). Either way, serve it warm, with an extra sprinkling of cheese on top if desired!

Enjoy, and be sure to check back this winter for new soup recipes! :)