Perfect Grilled Cheese & Soup!

Grilled cheese sandwiches are pure comfort food! The rain is keeping me inside today, and I am craving comfort food. I am not willing to take too much time off to prepare lunch so I opt for a can of Campbell's Italian Wedding Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I get the Campbell's Select Harvest Italian Wedding Soup and toss in a handful of spinach to boost the vegetable content: http://www.campbellsoup.com/hearthealthy_hr.aspx To make the grilled cheese sandwich here are some of my tips:

1. Use a non-stick pan
2. Melt butter in the pan first, then add in your bread.
3. Top with cheese 
4. Butter the other side of bread and place on top of cheese
5. Cook at medium heat--if you cook on high the cheese won't melt before the bread toasts!
6. Don't smash down the bread.  Allow it to toast and melt before you flip it.
7. Flip only once.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup--Perfect for the Holidays!

Creamy soups don't always require cream to give them that velvety texture.  My favorite fall squash is butternut.  Butternut squashes are packed with beta-carotene, fiber, and has only 80 Calories per cup!  This soup makes for a great addition to any potluck or as a starter for your next dinner party!  I always enjoy it for lunch the next day! 

Main Course

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 stalk Celery, chopped

2 bags Frozen Butternut Squash

1 box Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1/4—1/2tsp Dried Sage

1—2Tbsp Butter, unsalted

Sea Salt to taste

Directions:

In a stock pot, sauté onion and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add butternut squash and sauté for 5 minutes. Season with sage and add chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil and then drop to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Blend with a blending stick or in a blender. Stir in butter to the soup and season with salt.

Traditional Leftovers--Turkey Vegetable Soup

It all begins with the turkey.  What are leftovers from Thanksgiving about if they do not have turkey in them? You remove the meat from the carcass, and then the carcass gets immersed in water.  So begins the makings of Mammy's Turkey Vegetable Soup.

My great-grandmother Mammy (Estella Trowbridge) was known amongst family for her holiday soup.  Every holiday my mom would begin to prepare the soup and always reference that we were going to have Mammy's soup.  There are numerous times throughout the year when I think of Mammy and my grandma, whom have passed on, and Thanksgiving is definitely one of them.  I actually think of many of my family members during this time of year because of the food traditions that have been imparted and passed along to me. So, today I share with you my Mammy's Turkey Vegetable Soup.  Not only is this delicious, but it also gets a check mark for health!

Mammy's Turkey Vegetable Soup
Servings--A giant Crock Pot
Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass
Water
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
Turkey meat, just put in how much you'd like (about 3 cups)
1 frozen bag each: corn, lima beans, & green beans
1/2 green cabbage, thinly sliced


Directions:
Clean your carcass of meat and skin.  Place carcass in a Crock Pot, cover with water and cook over night or for 2-4 hours on high (6+ hours on low). If you are using a soup pot, bring the pot to a boil and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Add carrots, onions, celery, and turkey meat and cook for 2 hours.  For the last hour of cooking add in corn, lima beans, green beans, and cabbage.  Season with salt and serve.  Possible additions: fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, cubed potatoes, or fresh lemon zest.

This soup is hearty and filling, and better the second day! In addition, you can freeze or can this soup! If you choose to add in potatoes or sweet potatoes you cannot freeze or can.  I hope you get that warm and fuzzy feeling that I get when I eat this soup!  Happy Leftovers to Y'all!

Curl Up with a Warm Bowl of Corn Chowder

When you walk in the door and have the smells of dinner dance on your tongue you know you can sit back and relax.  A slow-cooker (aka CrockPot) gives you the ability to kick off your shoes, scoop up a big bowl of something warm, and relax after a long work day.  Tonight is corn chowder, and this one takes the cake as something simple!  Plan a day next week to prepare this delicious slow-cooker meal!
Fiesta Corn Chowder
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen corn (if you can find the Southwest Corn use it)
1/2 bag Oreida frozen potatoes with peppers and onions
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Cheddar Soup (you can use the plain cheese soup, too)
1 can chicken broth, low sodium

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or frozen cooked chicken strips, rotisserie, etc.)

Directions:

Pour corn, potatoes, cheddar soup, and broth into slow cooker.  Turn on (low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours).  Add the chicken in during the last hour to 30 minutes to reheat.  Garnish with cilantro and serve.  Toss in a salad for a complete meal! Enjoy!

Cheesey Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup

I lied! Just when I thought I could get away I decided that my recipe tonight needed to be shared. Earlier this week I had prepared steamed broccoli & cauliflower, but of course eating for one these days leaves a lot of leftovers so I needed something else to prepare. While walking through the aisles I had a wave of nostalgia roll over me and I picked up a can of Campbell's Cheese Soup--not low sodium, and not low in fat. This is the base for the soup, but certainly not where all the nutrition and flavor comes from! So, if you are feeling in the mood for a lighter rendition of a cheesey broccoli & cauliflower soup consider this a quick and easy alternative that can be done in the ease of your Crock Pot! I loved coming home to the smells of this soup! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can Campbell's Cheese or Fiesta Cheese Soup

4 cups Broccoli & Cauliflower chopped (I just used a chopper for this)

1 can Chicken Broth, low sodium

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place cheese soup mix, veggies, and broth in a crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Just before serving stir in cheddar cheese and cracked pepper. Yes, it's that simple! Enjoy!

Trader Joe's Dinner for ONE--Boo Hoo!

As my journey through another deployment begins my creative brain begins to work on ideas...dinner ideas for one. There are a couple key areas I save money while my spouse is deployed:

1. Water--just due to showers
2. Gas--no more trips to work, and I bike more often than not
3. FOOD--ahhh, eating for one

Okay, so I know many prefer to open a box, a can, or better yet skip both and go out to eat when they eat for one. Trust me, I understand the temptation. Unfortunately, eating out has major draw backs. Choosing a restaurant over eating at home can lead you down an expensive and unhealthy path. Your waistline and pocketbook will both thank you when you stay in tonight!

Trader Joe's was my inspiration tonight. I picked up a package of Chicken Cilantro Wontons and Persian Cucumbers. I smell an Asian-inspired dinner brewing! I quickly sliced the Persian cukes lengthwise and simply salted them and tossed a little sesame oil and rice wine vinegar over top. I noshed on these while preparing my Wonton Soup:

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 bag Chicken Cilantro Wontons

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

In a soup pot (aka stock pot) place chicken broth, garlic, bell peppers, green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, and jalapeños. Bring stock to a boil and add wontons in for 3-5 minutes or until floating on surface. Add cilantro if you wish. Serve! Yes, it is that simple! Enjoy!

Oh, and to treat myself well tonight I made a quick spritzer:

2 grapefruits juiced

1 cup Riesling wine

Mix and enjoy! Savor each breath! With or without your life partner you are blessed to be alive and healthy! Remember to make the most of each day. PS--this #10!

Ladle Up Some Curry...Butternut Style

An absolute favorite winter vegetable of mine is butternut squash. It's golden flesh just begs to be blended with savory flavors! When the mood strikes I may combine it with sage and chopped pancetta.....apples and maple.....rosemary and garlic.....or CURRY! Slicing and dicing a butternut squash can be a challenge without a little muscle behind it, but now you can find cubed butternut squash in the refrigerator section of many grocery stores. Inspired by the clouds rolling in overhead I feel the need for a warm bowl of soup! Let me know what you think!
Vegetarian or Not Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 box vegetable or chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. curry powder
½ cup coconut milk, freeze remainder in ice cube trays for later use
¼ cup cilantro or Basil to finish
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Sauté carrots and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add butternut squash and garlic and sauté for an addition 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and add curry powder. Simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Either in a blender or with a blending tool purée soup. Stir in coconut milk, season with S&P, and serve with fresh herbs on top. Enjoy!

Soup can be prepared in a crockpot for 6-8 hours on low. Add coconut milk right before serving.