Spicy African Yam Soup

from AllRecipes.com

We have eaten a lot of soup recently and most of it has been very delicious. I was honestly not expecting this soup to be very good when I found the recipe. I just searched for a recipe that used sweet potatoes and zucchini (which we had and needed to use up) and this was one of the few results. Honestly I was shocked there were any of that weird combination. We are not big eaters of either of these vegetables so I started this soup with very low expectations. Compound this with a few bad experiences with peanut butter in soup and it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Surprise! It was tasty and delicious and even Jeran liked it. I just love cumin.

Also this was the recipe that caused me to discover that garbanzo beans are the same as chick peas. And they are delicious. It ends up being like a tasty vegetable chili. Enjoy.

Spicy African Yam Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chunky salsa
1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (aka chick peas)
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until onion is soft. Turn down heat if necessary to prevent burning.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, garbanzo beans and zucchini. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the cooked rice and peanut butter until the peanut butter has dissolved. Serve hot with pita chips and a green salad.

Can add some ginger and paprika if you want.

Creamy Cucumber Dill Toasties

from AllRecipes.com

These tasty little bites are perfect for parties, snacks, or just using up those cucumbers in the fridge. We have had them on crackers when we didn't have baguettes.

Creamy Cucumber Dill Toasties

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ - 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian dressing mix
¼ - ½ cup mayonnaise
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
1 cucumber, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on a slice of bread, and top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Clam Chowder

from AllRecipes.com

Not the healthiest soup with the butter and cream base, but it is a very nice creamy, tasty chowder. Clams are so easy!

My Best Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Bisque

from Better Homes and Gardens

This delicious soup is so very rich and nutritious. It is a creamy, smooth soup that makes excellent leftovers. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour some of it into a blender or food processor. We had it topped with mozzarella cheese instead of Gouda and it was marvelous!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Ingredients

1 2-1/2- to 3-lb. butternut squash or 3, 12-oz. pkgs. frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

1/4 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 48-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

3 oz. smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Crumbled cooked bacon, celery leaves, and/or shaved Gouda cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In 6-qt. Dutch oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh squash (if using frozen squash add with apples and broth), onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add apples, broth, cider, and peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. When slightly cooled, puree in pot using an immersion blender. (Or puree in batches in a blender; return soup to saucepan.) Blend in sour cream. Heat through. Remove from heat; stir in shredded Gouda until melted. Top with bacon, celery leaves, and/or Gouda cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

from AllRecipes.com

I tried this soup out the other day for a Soup Party we had with some friends. It was very easy and very tasty. I love cumin! If you like spicy, you could add a little more pep, like some jalapeños. The corn tortilla strips are pretty good but tortilla chips would work just as well. Also, a dollop of sour cream on top is excellent.

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
• 1 cup Pace® Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Crisp Tortilla Strips:
• 4 corn tortillas
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Spray a 6-quart sauce pot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the sauce pot. Cook until it's browned, stirring often.
2. Stir in the broth, cumin and rice. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the corn, salsa, cilantro and lime juice. Cook until the rice is tender. Top each serving of soup with Crisp Tortilla Strips.
4. Crisp Tortilla Strips: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut 4 corn tortillas into thin strips and place them on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Work in progress

So I thought it would be fun to add some of the recipes I try on a blog for my family and friends to see and try out. Not sure exactly how it will be done but I'll get started adding some soon. :) Follow me to get notified when I post something new.