Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar and Chives

I picked up one of Robin Miller's Cookbooks at the library last week...and shortly after I had quite a few recipes marked off, which my mom made fun of me for! BUT I did have 3 recipes on the menu last week...but I only made one of them after K informed me he didn't want anything spicy. I made this soup on Friday and I wasn't sure about the flavors, but it did WORK! K really enjoyed it and he usually isn't a fan of pureed soups.

I did leave the leeks out because I forgot to pick them up, so I'm sure that would had a bit more bulk to the meal. K also suggested maybe some caramelized onions for next time...not 10 mins before dinner!

Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar and Chives-Robin Miller's Robin to the Rescue cookbook
2-3 sweet potatos, peeled and cubed
2 leeks (white part only) chopped and rinsed well(omitted)
1 qt vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese(cheddar, italian blend, smoked)
chives
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Place sweet potatoes in pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Place olive oil in large skillet and heat up. Add in leeks, garlic, and sugar, cook until leeks soften, about 5 mins. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 mins. Using an immersion blender or a reg. blender puree soup. Add back to the pan and stir in evap. milk. heat through. Serve up soup and garnish with cheese and chives.(I did use dried chives)

**We mixed out cheese into the soup and surprisingly it tasted REALLY good! K used an Italian blend cheese on leftovers and he said that was EVEN better than the cheddar. The recipe did call for smoked cheese(or cheddar) but I wasn't going to pay that much for it.

Cheesy Ranch White Chicken Chili

This recipe peaked my interest...although I am still looking for a homemade ranch seasoning, but until them I used a packet. I also adapted this to the crock pot but you can do it on the stove as well. So this came together easy and smelled delicious!

Cheesy Ranch White Chicken Chili-adapted from Siggy Spice
2 cup water
2 chicken breast
1 pkg dry ranch seasoning
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans(or 4 cups) white kidney beans(or cannelini beans),rinsed, drained
1-2 cans diced green chilis
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup shredded monteray jack cheese(I used colby jack)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream(omitted to keep it thicker)

Toss everything in the slow cooker, except cheese, whipping cream, and sour cream. Stir the best you can Place on low for 7-8 hrs or high for 5 hrs.(Or until chicken is cooked through, mine was frozen when I started) Remove chicken and shred. Add back to soup. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let cheese melt for about 15 mins. Enjoy!

**We really liked this soup! It was boarding on a little salty but it was still very good! We loved the addition of ranch and made it very flavorful. Next time we will add some frozen corn to the mix! This would also work great as a vegetarian meal by leaving out the chicken and perhaps adding more beans!

Sausage and Lentil Soup

This is supposed to be a Carraba's recipe...but I was unaware that they had a soup like this. It's probably because we don't normally get soup when we eat out! I haven't' been to a Carraba's lately either...and I LOVE their food, so I really don't know how this compares!

Sausage and Lentil Soup-shared from Mama Bird's Nest
6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 lb italian sausage, browned/drained(I used 1/2 sweet, 1/2 hot)
2 cups dry lentils
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, pepper, red pepper,basil, oregano, thyme, to taste

Place all ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Enjoy!

**This was pretty tasty and very hearty! K I don't think was much of a fan he compared it to some soup I made last week that I now can't remember what it was! Even Q loved the lentils, A wouldn't touch it!

Cajun Jambalaya Soup

K likes Jambalaya, which I have tried to make before. Not sure how authentic it was, but I can across this recipe and KNEW he'd love it especially with the sausage in it!

I did miss the part where it says to make a roux and just added the broth. So if you do the roux it might be a bit thicker, but we actually really liked it without it!

Cajun Jambalya Soup-shared from Loving my Domestic Life
1 onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 lb italian sausage(I used half hot and half sweet)
1/2 lb chopped ham
10 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2-3/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp tabasco sauce(more or less to taste)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked rice

Brown sausage until no longer pink. Drain on paper towel. Brown ham, remove from pan and set aside. Saute peppers, celery, and onion for about 5 mins.  Add in broth and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add in ham, sausage, and rice. Bring back to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for another 10 mins.

**The flavors of this soup were amazing! I haven't done a lot with liquid smoke, but it really added some depth to the soup and made it quite tasty. It is definitely a keeper!

Cheesy Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

This has been on our to try list for a bit and even made it to my menu plan for 2-3 weeks! I finally got around to making it this week. So glad I did!

Cheesy Sweet Potato Corn Chowder-adapted from Vanilla Sugar
2-3 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 cans of creamed corn
1 cup broth
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1-2 tbsp bouillon powder(omitted)
1-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel and cut up sweet potatoes. Place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until nice and crispy about 30-45 mins.

Place cream cheese, chicken broth, milk, bouillon, and corn in stock pot. Heat until warmed through.(I did have to whisk in the cream cheese.) Once potatoes are done add to the soup. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Add in cheese and stir until melted.


**This got RAVE reviews from K...he told me it was the best vegetarian meal he's ever had! It doesn't make a lot so if I made it again I'd double it. I did not have any bouillon, which the original recipe says it makes the soup, but we thought it was tasty even without it! I love the crunchy outside of the potatoes with the tender insides, but it wasn't overly cheesy. Vanilla Sugar also said it was thick and rich, but I used low fat milk and cream cheese and while it was pretty creamy it wasn't overly thick and rich. It was PERFECT for us!

Coconut Chicken Chili

I stumbled on this recipe while going through The Sweets Life collection of soups and stews. I LOVE coconut and looking at it the recipe it looked like a nice mix between chili and thai. It's not that pretty to look at, but it was very tasty!

Coconut Chicken Chili-shared from The Sweets Life
1-2 cups chicken, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
1 14 oz can lite unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup water
1-2 tbsp peanut butter
2 cups white beans
3 carrots, shredded
5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups brown or jasmine rice

Place oil in stock pot and warm. Add in veggies and garlic, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in flour and spices. Cook for 1 min. Stir in peanut butter, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in chicken and beans. Simmer for another 10 mins. Serve over rice.

**At first this recipe sounded great...then I went to make it and wasn't too sure about it. BUT once I tasted it, it was WONDERFUL! It does have a little bit of a kick, but it is mellowed out by the coconut milk. I did have to add some salt, but other than that it was fabulous! This could easily be changed to a vegetarian meal by leaving out the chicken!

BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup

This wasn't on the original list of food to make this week...but after my whole chicken didn't thaw in time for dinner sat, I bought some other chicken and then had quite a bit of chicken and broth to use up. I was planning on making it for my inlaws for dinner, but then those plans changed. I was thinking of also sharing it with a friend, but I'm not sure it will last that long as it was really good! I also had poor planning in that I had nothing here ready for lunch today, so its now lunch and dinner!

I did add 6 cups of chicken broth instead of the 1.5 cups the recipe called for. I had that much broth and I figured this would stretch it further!

BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup-adapted from Picky Palate
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet pepper, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 bag frozen corn
1-2 cups chopped cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup barley(optional)

Heat oil in pan, add in onions and peppers and cook for about 5 mins. Add in chicken, corn, broth and barley. Bring to a boil and simmer until barley is tender. Season to taste. Add in bbq sauce and cook until heated through.

**I added the barley as I felt something was missing. You could also add in some rice. My son just happened to have pulled out the barley to make a project with so I just tossed in the rest into the soup. The soup was absolutely delicious and one I will make a again. It was a great take on a chicken soup! The barley really added to the soup, at least we thought so! K really enjoyed it! This was after the barley cooked all the way through(I got sick of waiting and ate it before it was completely done) So it's a little less "soupy".

Clam Chowder

I love clam chowder and always wanted to try to make it at home. I found this recipe one night and it was so good that I ate one bowl and my husband ate the rest of it! It was perfectly thick and delicious!
This is said to be Red Lobster's version which we no longer have any around!

Clam Chowder-shard from Copy Kat Recipes
2 cups russet potatoes,diced 1/2"by 1/2"
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 celery stalks, diced small(optional)
2 tbsp diced green onions(white bulb only,omitted)
2 cans minced clams, not drained
1/3 cup clam juice
1 pt half and half
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tsp salt(to taste)

Place potatoes in a small pan and cover with water. Cook until tender. Drain. Set aside.

In a 2 qt saucepan, melt butter and add onions and celery cook until onions are translucent. Stir in flour and cook for another minute. Add half and half a little at a time while stirring briskly. Mixture should look like thick cream. Add in salt, clams, clam juice, milk, and potatoes. Stir and bring to a slow boil. Turn heat down and let simmer for 15 mins. Stirring frequently.

Calories per cup-293
fat 17g

Olive Garden's Chicken (Homemade) Gnocci Soup

I was out to lunch one day and tried this soup...it was AMAZING! Later that week this recipe popped up so I knew I had to try it!

This does include a recipe also for homemade gnocci, but you can buy your favorite brand!

Chicken Gnocci Soup-shared from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp flour
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, finely diced
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 qt half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chicken, chopped
1 lb gnocci*
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
pamesan cheese

Place butter and oil in large kettle and allow to melt and get warm. Add in veggie and saute for about 5 mins or until onions are translucent. Stir in flour and let cook for one min. Add in half and half, stir to combine. Add in chicken. Stir.Once mixture becomes thick add in chicken broth, once thickened again add the cooked gnocci and seasonings, continue cooking until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cook gnocci according the package or recipe directions.

**This soup was REALLY good! K went back for seconds, but I honestly can't remember how it compares to OG's but it is still very tasty!

Homemade Gnocci(via Foodnetwork)

This might sound hard, but they actually are not! The most time consuming part is "shaping" them, which I attempted, but then I figured they are going in the soup so I didn't really care about the shape. It also would have helped if I had the right kind of fork clean!

I did have to add some water to get my dough to form, although the recipe DID not call for water. I was mixing it and basically just had crumbs, so if this happens add just enough water to form a soft dough. I baked my potatoes so that may have been where I had trouble, less moisture was in them.

4 potaoes, cooked(recipes said to boil them)

1 1/4 cups flour plus 2 tbsp

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp fine salt

dash or two of nutmeg

pepper

water if needed

Run potatoes through a ricer. Or grate on the finest tooth on a box grater. Add in rest of the ingredients and lightly stir to form a soft dough. DO NOT over mix as this will make them tough.

Divide dough into six pieces. Roll dough into 3/4" width snake. Cut into pieces about 3/4" big. *Leave as is...or place a large salad fork at a 45 degree angel. Holding the dough with the finger and thumb gently push the dough over the back of the fork and down. This should cause the dough to have lines and a little divot on the other side.

Place on cookie sheet and continue until all dough is complete. Place in fridge and allow to rest for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt water.  Place gnocci in boiling water and let cook 1-2 mins or until they rise to the top. Remove and drain excess water. Do not over cook gnocci as it will cause them to get tough.

**Considering this was the first time I've made them they were pretty good! The salted water is a plus and the nutmeg made them delicious!

Creamy Brown and Wild Rice Turkey Soup

I made homemade turkey stock yesterday and from then on all I wanted was some soup...but I know K is getting souped out. Although, I'm not sure why, but today I wasn't feeling well so I made this soup for lunch as I had most of the ingredients on hand and if K doesn't want any...well that is fine too!

Creamy Brown and Wild Rice Turkey Soup-adapted from What's Megan Making?
1 onion diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/2-3/4 cup flour
1.5 cups chopped turkey
2 pkg brown and wild rice with veggies(bird's eye steamfresh)
6 cups turkey broth
2 cups milk
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt(only if you use homemade stock, otherwise adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
*this also called for diced celery and mushrooms, which i didn't have but you can add

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add in carrots and onion. Cook for about 5-8 mins. Stir in 1/2 cup flour and let cook for about 1-2 mins. Slowly stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 8 mins. Add in spices, turkey, and rice mix and stir until heated through. Add in milk.(I also whisked in 1/4 cup more flour into the milk to help thicken it more) Simmer for another 10 mins or so.

**This soup smelled AMAZING while it was cooking. It tasted AMAZING as well! It was pretty quick and simple to make as the rice was already frozen and pretty much ready to go! This is perfect for a cold snowy day!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

I found this recipe from a message board I used to belong to, its actually a Rachael Ray recipe. I love stuffed peppers and what better way to switch it up than to make it into a soup! I did see a recipe for this this week and they put it in the crock pot, which will also work wonderfully, but its a pretty easy soup.

Stuffed Pepper Soup-shared from Rachael Ray
1 lb ground meat,
3-4 sweet peppers, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups cooked brown rice(or 1 cup orzo)
1 qt broth
1 bay leaf

Place meat in pan and brown it until cooked through, drain if needed. Add in peppers, garlic, and onions and cook for about 5-10 mins. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 7-8 mins.

**I love the flavors of this soup, you can use any spices you like that you would put in your stuffed peppers. I think I added some italian seasoning to mine. I think next time I may add in a can of diced tomatoes too just for some more texture!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

We had friends over this weekend for some gingerbread house and cookie decorating. They are vegetarian so I thought this soup would be perfect! I did adapt it to the slow cooker which made it that much easier!

Vegetarain Tortilla Soup-Let's Dish
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 qt veg. broth
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes with gr. chilis
2-4 cups black/white beans
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 pkg frozen corn
hot sauce to taste
2-3 tbsp lime juice(which I forgot)
salt and pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except lime juice and tortillas. Stir well and turn on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Ten minutes before serving stir in tortilla strips and replace cover. Add in lime juice right before serving.

**This was a little spicy, but not over powering. It had lots of flavor so everyone liked it, even K didn't miss the meat!

Thai Chicken Soup

I was told to hold off on the soup for a while...apparently we were all souped out after Thanksgiving. BUT I borrowed one of the recent Food Network Magazines from the library and this was in it. I HAD to make it...I love all things Thai(well all that I've tried.)

This was the first time I used a curry paste and other than the price of it, it was wonderful in this soup! Luckily the rest of the ingredients were pretty cheap!

Thai Chicken Soup-Food Network Magazine
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp green curry paste
6 cups chicken broth
1 15 oz can coconut milk(I did use light)
1 tbsp fish sauce(plus more to taste)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 oz rice noodles, broken into pieces
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
juice of 2 limes

Place oil in hot soup pot. Add in onions and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add in garlic and curry paste. Saute for 1-2 mins. Add in broth, milk, and fish sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Add in bell peppers and noodles. Cook for about 3 mins. Add in the chicken and cook for another 3 mins. Add in lime juice, stir and serve.

**This was perfect! It was such a different taste on a "traditional" soup and will be making it again! It had a bit of a kick, but it was not over powering. I did use leftover turkey and turkey broth, but it was delicious none the less!


For more great soups and stews check out Finding Joy in my Kitchen's 2010 soup round up!

This has also been linked to Eat at Home

Lasagna Soup and Pizza Hut Bread Sticks

I can't remember where I got this recipe from...I think it was one of the magazines I get. It intrigued me as I never thought to make soup out of lasagna and it was completely worth it! I make it in the crock pot but you can also do it on the stove!

Lasagna Soup
1 lb Italian sausage, crumbled(or sliced) cooked, drained
8 oz-1 lb pasta(I used shells, but any will do)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 container cottage cheese
2 tbsp tomato paste
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp dried basil
6 cups broth

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except cheese and pasta. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Cook pasta in another pot until tender. Stir cheese and pasta into soup and serve.

**We love this soup, although this time I forgot the cottage cheese. But it was still pretty tasty!

Pizza Hut Style Bread Sticks-shared from food.com
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cups flour(3 ap, 1 ww)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp powdered milk
2 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread maker according to manufacter's directions. Set on dough setting and wait!

In the mean time make topping:
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp garlic salt*
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp oregano
olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside. *I didn't have garlic salt, so I added in more garlic powder and 1 tsp salt.

Once dough is done, remove from bread machine and place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle that is 1/2-3/4 inch thick.  With pizza cutter cut dough into 1X4 inch strips. Place on greased cookie sheets(I did use my non-stick pans). Brush bread with olive oil and sprinkle with topping. Let rise for 20 mins or until doubled. Place in 350 degree oven for 10-12 mins or until golden.(Make sure you watch these as the topping browns quickly)

**We can't say that these tasted just like pizza hut, but I think the fact that they aren't dripping in fat is the reason. These were the best bread stick recipe we have tried thus far. They were fluffy and airy. The outside had a bit of a bite and the topping was great.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This made its first appearance on my Tasty Tuesday post and I needed something quick and easy for lunch today. This couldn't have been simpler! I also added in some cheese tortellini and leftover spaghetti.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup-shared from Let's Dish
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broth
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes and broth in sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer. In a blender puree peppers and garlic. Add to tomatoes along with lemon juice and spices. Simmer for another 30 mins. Add in cooked pasta just before serving.

**I actually used a can of whole tomatoes and pureed them and next time I'll used diced just to give it a bit more texture. I may even roast them. I felt like it was missing something and perhaps I just needed to up the spices a bit, but it was still quite tasty!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've never actually had or made a tortilla soup before, but I do see the recipes. I had some leftover chicken and it was a cool cold, rainy day. I remembered I had this recipe in my Tasty Tuesday and had almost all the ingredients. I had to run to the store to get the last two, but it was very worth the trip!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup-shared from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken(or 1 lb raw chicken breast)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1-2 cups black beans(or one 1-2 cans, rinsed, drained)
1.5 cups cream of chicken soup(or 1 can)
1-2 cups chicken broth*
1 pkg frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with jalepenos
4 corn tortillas cut in strips

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except tortillas, turn on and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2. About 15 mins before serving, stir in tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, etc.

*The original recipe called for 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, I only had enough for one can. So I added in enough broth to make it soupier.

**This was so good and easy to make! It had just the right amount of kick to it. Q loved it, but he loves beans, corn, and chicken. This is definitely a keeper! The tortillas do act like noodles in the soup and it had a great texture.

For more great soup and stew ideas check out Finding Joy in my Kitchen's 2010 Soup Round Up!

Cream of Chicken Soup

I know I have TWO cream of ....soups on here. But one is for cream of mushroom which after looking back I realized its quite different than the cream of chicken and the first one uses butter and I like this recipe better as it doesn't have the extra fat. I like making my own cream soups so I can adjust the ingredients and use a milk alternative as well. *Sorry no pictures, I used it right away and forgot!

Cream of Chicken Soup-shared from Tammy's Recipes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt(or less, taste test)
1/4 tsp parsley(I did use dried)
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp olive oil

Place olive in hot pan, add in onions and garlic. Saute until soft about 5 mins. Add in broth, 1/2 cup milk, and seasonings and bring to a boil. In another bowl whisk together remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking until mixture comes back to a boil and thickens.

**This is a fairly quick soup to make and I love how it thickens so quickly! I added a bit more garlic then I intended too, so it was more garlicky, but it did still work. This yields about 2 cans of soup. It does seem to freeze well.

Meatball Minestrone Soup

I saw this recipe in one of the magazines I get. I can't remember if it was Parents or Parenting...maybe it was even Family Fun! But I thought it looked delicious! So I tried to give credit where credit was due and now on to the recipe!

I did adapt this to a slow cooker.

Meatball Minestrone Soup
1/2 recipe of The Best meatballs
1 onion, diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup diced carrots
4-6 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans, rinsed drained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp itlalian seasoning
1 cup orzo pasta

Toss everything into a slow cooker, except for orzo. Cook on high for 2 hours. About 30 mins before you are ready to eat, stir in the orzo and cover tightly.

**This soup was really good and easy to make. Mine didn't have many carrots in it and no garlic...I was out of both! The orzo did continue to keep on cooking so it ended up more like a casserole as leftovers the next day, but it was still quite tasty! I did have to add some extra salt and pepper as the broth was homemade.

Nonie's Chicken And Dumplings

Most of the time I completely wing making chicken and dumplings and well it isn't always what I hope it to be! But I saw this recipe on a new blog find and fell in love with it. It looked WONDERFUL!! So I had to try it especially once I realized I had extra chicken broth to use up!

Nonie's Chicken and Dumplings-shared from Lick The Bowl Good
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 bunch of celery, chopped
2-3 cups chopped chicken
6-8 cups chicken broth

Dumplings:
2 cups flour(whole wheat and ap)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp shortening
3/4-1 cup buttermilk

Saute onions, carrots, and celery for 5-10 mins. Add in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Dump in chicken.

While soup is boiling mix together the dry ingredients for the dumplings. Cut in the shortening until crumbly. Slowly add in buttermilk until batter is moistened but not wet. Drop by tbsp into boiling stew, cover and let the dumplings steam for 15 mins. DO NOT STIR while they are cooking.

Stir dumplings into soup once they are done. The flour from the dumplings will thicken the stew.

**I have no idea what I did different this time, but these were some of the best chicken and dumplings I have ever had, never mind made! My sister did agree! YUM!

Tomato Bisque

I saw this recipe and added it to my Tasty Tuesday post to try sometime...well I thought it would be perfect to make for my mom, so I did, minus the tortellini. But you can easily add any pasta into it!

I decided to be lazy and NOT peel the tomatoes, I figured I could roast them and puree them enough that I wouldn't need to peel them. I was wrong...you will either have to peel the tomatoes by cutting an x in the ends and putting them into hot water and then straight into ice water, they should peel easily at this point. You can also press the soup through sieve once its done, this helped get the seeds and peel out!

Tomato Bisque-shared from Andrea the Kitchen Witch
6-8 tomatoes, blanched and peeled
2 cups stock
1 sprig basil(or 1 tbsp dried basil)
salt and pepper
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup half and half
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

In a soup pan, heat the olive oil. Add in onion and cook for about 3 mins, add in garlic and cook for another 3 mins until they start to brown around the edges. Add in the wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to cook until reduced to about 2-3 tbsp.

Crush the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add in basil, season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 mins. Once the tomatoes are soft and breaking down, add in chicken broth. Simmer for 10 mins. Remove basil stem(if used)

Transfer soup to blender and puree until velvety smooth. Place the soup back into the pan and stir in the cream.

**This was pretty good after I strained the "peel" and seeds out. I did need more salt added to it. I did roast my tomatoes in the oven with evoo and salt and pepper so I didn't think I would need more, but I did! A perfect way to use up your tomato harvest!