Amber's Kitchen Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 large butternut squash, (About 3 cups of cooked squash)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3, 14.5 oz. cans hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (herb blend, not my jar seasoning that I previously posted)
1/2 -1 cup heavy cream, *optional .
.
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side-down in a 9x13 baking dish. Add enough water to come about 1/4 inch up the sides of the squash. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour, or until it is fork tender. Let cool a few minutes, then scoop out the flesh from the skin, and plop it into a blender. (The squash can be cooked in advance, and cooled in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days before using.)
.
While the squash is cooking, in a medium pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Scoop the onions and garlic into the blender with the squash. Add one cup of broth. (*note depending on your size of blender this may need to be done in two smaller batches. Be careful that hot ingredients when blended can expand and leak out of the blender) blend well, then add back to pot with the remaining broth and seasonings. Then add the tomatoes to the blender, blend well and add to squash/broth. Heat over a medium flame for about 10 minutes, stirring often. If adding cream, reduce heat to low and add cream to avoid the cream from curdling. Serve immediately. Enjoy! .

Three Bean Chili (with Peppers)

Three Bean Chili

Time: 1 hour    Yield: 8 servings    Recipe from Jamie Cooks it Up 

1 onion

1 red pepper

1/2 green pepper

1 garlic clove

1/2 pound ground beef

1  15 oz can pinto beans

1  15 oz can light red kidney beans

1  15 oz can dark red kidney beans

1  14 oz can Mexican flavored stewed tomatoes

1  6 oz can tomato paste

3/4 t chili powder

1 T brown sugar

2 t beef bullion

salt and pepper

1. Put your ground beef in a hot skillet and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Let it get nice and browned.

2. While your meat is cooking chop up your veggies.

3. Take your can of Stewed Tomatoes and give them a little chop. Don’t try and pour them out onto a cutting board. That kind of mess will urge you to use swear words you never knew you wanted to say. Just stick a handy pair of kitchen scissors into the can and snip away.

4. Grab a large soup pot. Open up your can of beans, but don’t drain them. You want those juices. Add the beans and all of the other ingredients to your soup pot. Stir it all around to incorporate all the goods.

5. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes. Give it a little taste and add more salt and pepper if you would like. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

Creamy White Chili

YIELD: SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.
2. Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com Time: 30 minutes Yield: 7 servings Recipe from the exceedingly lovely Julie Thomson   1 bunch broccoli 1/4 C butter 1/2 C chopped onion 3 T flour 2 C chicken broth 1 C broccoli water 2 C half and half 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce 1/2 t salt 2 C cheddar cheese, grated 1. Chop your broccoli and toss it in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover it with water and boil until tender. 2. Drain 1 C of the broccoli water into a measuring cup and set it aside. 3. Mash the broccoli up with a potato masher. Don't have one of those...don't worry about it. You could use the bottom of a glass cup. 4. While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a large pot. 5. Add the onions and cook over medium high heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. 6. Add the flour and whisk it all around to combine it with the butter and onions. 7. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and add the reserved broccoli water, half and half, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. 8. Stir and cook until the soup becomes slightly thick. This should take about 5 minutes. 9. Add the broccoli and the cheese. 10. Remove the pan from the heat. Don't let the cheese cook in the soup...it just needs to be heated through so it can melt, nicely. Enjoy

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Real Mom Kitchen

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Tortilla Soup

4 diced chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 T. oil
1- 14 oz. diced tomatoes with green jalepeno chilies
1- 14 oz. Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen white corn
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 can chicken broth
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add all ingredients and thicken soup slightly with 2 T. corn starch mixed up with cold water.
Toppings: tortilla chips, avocados, shredded cheese, lime wedges, sour cream, green onion, chopped cilantro