Super Easy Tortilla Soup

2 Cans of black beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1-2 chicken breast(s)
1/2 can of green chillies
2 handfuls of baby carrots (or 3 normal carrots)
2/3 - 1 red pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2-4 cloves of garlic
6-10 pieces of Cilantro
1 can of corn
cream
Salt
Cumin
Limes

Tortilla chips
Cheddar cheese

Start by boiling chicken in sauce pan, may flavor with poultry seasoning and cumin. While chicken boils, blend 1 can of black beans, 1 can of tomatoes, carrots, green chillies, onion, garlic, red pepper, and cilantro.  (if you need more liquid to blend, wait till chicken is done and use chicken broth. (I probably added 1-2 cups of chicken broth).  *it took me about 3 different blending batches to completely blend everything.* Add to stew pot. Then drain corn, 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of black beans. Shred chicken and add to soup. Bring to boil in stew pot, and simmer for about 10 min. Flavor to liking with cumin and salt. Slowly add 1 cup of cream to thicken (may need more).

Enhanced with more flavor and quantity from: https://www.blendtec.com/recipes/tortilla-soup
*Cocanut cream did not thicken

Serve with cheese, tortilla chips and lime.

Coconut Corn Chowder

This is another recipe I am sure Dad may not like, but I still think its delicious. I think the coconut milk makes it taste a little fresher and not as heavy as some chowders are. Because it's a relatively easy and quick recipe, we make it quite a bit. This is also adapted from Robin Robertson's book "Quick-Fix Vegan."

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly zested ginger
2-3 Russet potatoes, chopped
1 14 oz can tomatoes with chilies
4 C vegetable broth
3 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt & pepper to taste
1 12 oz can coconut milk
3 TBS cilantro

Place onions in a pot with a small amount of water. Boil until onions are transparent. Stir in ginger, garlic, potatoes tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer until potatoes are done. Add corn and coconut milk and heat until warm. Stir in cilantro and serve. May serve with sriracha on top if desired.

Butternut Squash Soup with Chickpea Croutons

Emily and I got the squash pack from Bountiful Baskets a couple of months ago. Besides the spaghetti squash and acorn squash, we ended up with 7 butternut squash. This past week, we finally finished them off using this recipe. The original recipe came from My New Roots, but we adapted it to our tastes. I think the chickpeas really provide a good balance for the soup, so don't leave them out.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
1 large yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic
2 tsp. coconut oil or olive oil, plus olive oil for garnish
salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp. ground turmeric powder
1-2 tsp dried rosemary and thyme (optional)
Chickpea croutons (Recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the butternut squash into even chunks and place on a baking sheet. Peel and cut onions into quarters, add to baking sheet. Peel whole cloves of garlic and add to baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss well to coat. Place in oven and roast until the squash is tender.

In a large blender pour 4 cups hot vegetable broth, turmeric, rosemary and thyme. Remove butternut squash from skin and add the roasted vegetables to the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth (let blender run for a minute or so). If the soup is too thick, add more broth to thin to desired consistency. Season to taste. Serve with croutons.

Croutons
3 cups or 2 cans cooked chickpeas – drained and well-rinsed
3 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. smoked paprika or ground chipotle pepper
1 tsp. chili powder

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and toss with oil and spices until coated. Spread the chickpeas on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in oven until they turn golden and crisp up, stirring occasionally. It takes about 25-35 minutes. They will crisp a little more outside of the oven, so you may want to take them out before they are completely crisped.

Taco Soup

Taco soup is a pretty easy go to meal for me, especially if I have people coming over at the last minute. It also makes for a good meal when the weather is cold and you want to stay in. There are tons of variations of taco soup around, but this is the one I use. Instead of taco seasoning, I usually throw in some cumin, coriander, chili powder and cayenne, but you can use whatever you like.

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
28 oz. can tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
15 oz can kidney beans
15 oz can corn
3-4 cups water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cheese, shredded
1 lg. pkg. corn chips
8 oz. sour cream (optional)

In a large pot, brown beef with onion. Drain off grease and add the seasoning. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes. Serve with corn chips, cheese and sour cream.

Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup

I really liked this soup. It has a completely different flavor than most things I eat because of the peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger. I adapted this recipe from Robin Robertson's "Quick Fix Vegan." 

2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 TBS grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 TB. soy sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Heat the oil (or broth) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet potato. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste. Add the tomatoes and soy sauce.

In a small bowl, combine, the peanut butter with 1 cup of the broth, stirring until smooth. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the soup, then add the remaining broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes,

Stir in the nondairy milk and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with the chopped peanuts.

Lemon Ginger Yellow Split Pea Soup

I don't think I have ever had split pea soup and really liked it. Not that I think they are bad, they just weren't really good. Except this one. Seriously. I genuinely love this soup. Most of my meals have started to taste pretty similar lately, but this one is completely different. So good. And healthy. Yep. It's a keeper. I adapted it from The Tastespace.

1 tsp whole coriander seed, crushed, or 1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tbsp coconut oil (could use any cooking oil)
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
2-inch-long ginger root, peeled and grated (about 2 tbsp)
2 cups yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
6-8 cups water/vegetable stock
1 tsp bouillon (I was using water so this helped add a little depth)
2 tsp rosemary
2 bay leaf
1 tsp lemon zest
3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

Toast coriander for about 1 minute over medium-high heat, until fragrant. Add oil. When hot, add carrots, garlic, onion and ginger. Reduce heat to medium and saute until vegetables are softened (about 5 minutes.) Add water, split peas, rosemary, bay leaves and bouillon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about an hour to two hours until peas are falling apart (my soup took about 90 minutes for the peas to cook.) Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Serve.

Also, here is a picture of the blanket I made for Emily. Mom asked me to post it here, so here it is:

Lindsey's Amazing European Soup

I remember when I lived with Linds, back in the first few years she made this great soup from her mission... it was creamy and full of flavor! Two weeks ago when I had some friends come to Logan, I made this so we could have it for dinner and then left overs after snowshoeing. Everyone loved it, so I thought I'd place it here for you guys too!

1 Onion
1/2 c Butter
2 Stalks of Celery
2 Carrots (I used at least three)
1 1/2 c potatoes (about 2-3)
4 Leaks
(or substitute with 1-2 Yams)
7 c Water
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 t Thyme
Parsley
1 c of Cream (I have also used whole milk, which works just as good)

Cut up the onion and soften until clear in the butter (in the bottom of the pot you will be making your soup in). Add the other vegetables - after cutting them up and pealing them if needed (they can be bigger chunks).  Add the water, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Boil for 30 minutes, after which the vegetables should be soft. Remove bay leaves. Blend till pureed and return to pot. (Blending may take a good 3-4 rounds). Add the cream and rewarm. Be sure to season with salt and pepper. If there is not enough salt, it will NOT taste good! But this is the perfect soup on a cold day! This pairs nicely with Katie's recipe for Bread. I have a similar recipe which makes three loaves and is stored in the fridge.

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili

I found this recipe on The Kitchn a few weeks ago. Since finding it, I think Emily and I have made it at least three times. So easy and so good too!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed well
1 chipotle chile from a can in adobo, minced (I used a little chipotle chile powder instead)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes (2-3 small), cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
sour cream, to top (optional)
green onions, chopped, to top (optional)
fresh cilantro, chopped, to top (optional)

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, and coriander and stir. Cook together for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, beans, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until beans are flavorful and tender, anywhere from 2 - 4 hours (depending on the age of your beans).

After 1 1/2 hours of cooking, add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, and salt. Place the pot's lid back on slightly ajar and allow to simmer on low heat until the beans are soft and the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooked through. Add more water if the chili becomes too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and green onion.

Chicken Fajita Chowder

Tried this for the first time today and loved it!

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 each medium green, sweet red and yellow peppers, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup green enchilada sauce
• 1/4 cup canned chopped green chilies
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• Tortilla chips and minced fresh chives, optional

Cook and stir chicken, peppers, and onions in oil until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add water, corn, rice, enchilada sauce, chilies and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is done. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and cheese until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips and chives.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

How very exciting... my first blog post EVER.... Here goes!

I made this soup for the first time a few weeks ago, and liked it so much we had it again with friends tonight. Hope you like it...

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cups half-and-half (or 2% milk plus a little cream)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the flour and stir well. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.
2. Next, add the rice, chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and sherry. Allow to heat through, then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. (Note: Do not boil or your roux will break.)

-This is a variation on a recipe I found online- if you like it, the original recipe called for regular salt instead of garlic plus ½ tsp of curry powder and 1/2 tsp mustard powder.