Potato and Corn Chowder

I made this soup for pumpkin carving and some of you asked for it, so here it is:)  Had it tonight with the baguette bread...YUM!

8-10 potatoes depending on size
1 onion
1-2 stalks of celery
4-5 cups of chicken broth (or bouillon and water)
1/2-1 cup frozen corn (I usually add this toward the end so it doesn't get too cooked)

Put it in a pot and boil until veggies are tender.

Roux
4 T butter
6 T flour

Melt butter in a separate saucepan, add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup of heavy cream to roux. When all mixed in and thickened, add to the veggies. Cook til thickened and bubbly. Season with salt (1 tsp) and pepper to taste. Eat:)

Copy-cat Panera Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I made this for the first time for dinner last night and we thought it was really tasty! It was another Pinterest find from peasandcrayons.com. I'm just going to copy and paste the recipe in here, and then insert any changes I made.

Just a heads up- this recipe does not make a lot. It was just enough for our family, with no leftovers. So I would at least double it for sure.

one bunch of fresh broccoli [enough for a few cups of chopped tops]
2 cups vegetable [or chicken!] stock

1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, plus plenty extra for topping [freshly grated]- (I used medium cheddar)
1 heaping cup of regular gouda cheese [freshly grated, rind removed]
1 cup of shredded carrots [or a little extra!]

1 small white onion [about 2/3 cup or 1 cup, chopped]
2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup half and half [or heavy cream]

3 TBSP all purpose flour
3 TBSP butter

1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp allspice- (the allspice and nutmeg scared me a little, so I left them out :))

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper- (you could definitely taste a little kick, I might do even less next time)

1/8 tsp salt [will vary based on salt content of your stock/broth]

a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

First ze veggies!  Chop em.  Well technically clean them THEN chop to your heart's content.  Dice the onions super small, mince the garlic, an shred the carrots if you didn't buy pre-shredded.  This can all be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge for later.  For the broccoli, chop 2/3 of it into tiny florets [just cut off as much stem as you can and it'll fall apart in the pot] and then take the remaining 1/3 and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup.  Totally optional!

Add your veggie stock to a pot on medium-high heat, add your 2/3 of your broccoli [about 2 cups of florets] as well as your onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf.  Simmer on medium, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender. 

Once the broth is done, start your roux.  In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly.  Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.  For a thicker soup, use an extra tablespoon of each.  I skipped it.  Remove from heat and slowly pour in the broth from your veggie mixture [its okay if some of the veggies jump in along side it!] and stir to incorporate.  Next pour in the veggies and slowly stir in 1 cup of half and half.  Return to the burner on very low heat, uncovered.   Spoon out the bay leaf and season with the above herbs and spices, adding a little extra of whichever you like to taste.  Depending on the saltiness of your broth, you might skip the salt entirely or prefer to add a bit more -- taste and tweak as needed after adding your cheese.  Oh yes -- the cheese!  Once the soup has warmed back up, stir in the grated cheeses and remove from heat immediately.

That extra broccoli you left on the side?  Blanch in boiling water, steam in your microwave, or basically cook it however you'd like and stir into your completed soup for great texture and an extra burst of broccoli.  Garnish with a little extra grated cheddar and a sprinkle of parsley and eve spicy red pepper flakes if you'd like!  So good! (I did this, but it seemed like an extra, unnecessary step to me. I couldn't tell a difference in the taste/texture, so next time I will just put all of the broccoli in at the same time at the beginning).

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

I haven't seen anything like this on here yet.  Not sure if that means that no one will like this recipe or if that means that it might be a welcome change.  :) At any rate, here you go.  This recipe is pretty easy to make but isn't the quickest meal out there.  But it really is worth every minute.  The beef stays so tender and the vegetables are very flavorful.  My husband LOVES this meal and any "meat and potatoes" lovers will too.  It is hearty and full of flavor.  Hope you like it.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew
Found on http://americanfood.about.com/od/classicchowdersandstews/r/beefstew.htm

Serves: 12
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 mins

 Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup red wine [I just use more broth]
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch slices
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
• fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (one that has a tight fitting lid).
   
   
2. When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches if necessary. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns.
   
   
3. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon set aside.
   
   
4. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
   
   
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.
   
   
6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
   
   
7. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.
   
   
8. Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and the beef.
   
   
9. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.
   
   
10. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
    
    
11. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the fresh parsley if desired.

Italian Vegetable Soup (like Minestrone)

This soup is one of my favorites and pretty healthy too!

15 oz. tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup onion (I'm not a huge onion fan, so I usually just shake in some dry ones for flavor)
1 cup celery- chopped. (I pre-cook this in my microwave steamer for 3-5 min)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup zucchini-sliced
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 small can stewed tomatoes- for those of you that bottle tomatoes, you can use one quart instead of a large and small can.
1 can kidney beans
2 cups water (I usually double the water, just to get the desired consistency.)
5 tsp. beef bouillon
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped cabbage (I just buy a bag of coleslaw in the bagged salad section)
3/4 cup macaroni or shell pasta

Cook ground beef and set aside.
Add all ingredients except ground beef and pasta. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add cooked ground beef and pasta. Cook until pasta is cooked. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.