Turkish Red Lentil Soup

My mother-in-law made this fabulous soup while we were in Connecticut, for the annual 'Bethlehem dinner' on Christmas Eve.  I fell in love with the delicious flavors of the soup and asked for the recipe when we returned back home.  She sent me the recipe (from Whole Foods Market) and the only variation I made was to use some chicken broth along with the vegetable broth; it turned out phenomenally well and I will be sure to keep this in rotation. It's very easy to make and is a good, flavorful, vegetarian soup that is enjoyable with warmed pita bread or by itself.

1 1/3 c. (about 8 oz.) red lentils, picked through & rinsed
7 c. vegetable broth (I used 4 c. vegetable broth, 3 c. chicken broth)
1 large onion, diced
1-2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbl. tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
3/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1.  In a large pot, combine lentils, broth, onion, carrot(s), garlic, tomato paste, cumin and cayenne.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender and lentils begin to fall apart (about 25 minutes).
2.  Remove pot from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is creamy but not completely pureed.  Add salt and serve with warmed pitas.

Tater Tot Casserole

I didn't know tater tot casserole was a thing, but after this experiment, it might become a meal that we have every once in awhile, when we get that craving for a very yummy comfort food dish.  I used a bunch of different recipes and combined them to create this one.  I was only a little bit nervous about mostly winging it, but I took confidence in knowing what Zak and I both like and what would taste good and I'm proud to say that this was a big hit!  It was very easy to make and tasted great the next day, too!

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. onions, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. tater tots (around 50)
2/3 c. frozen peas
2/3 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. cheese

1.  Brown meat with onions.  Add spices.
2.  Add in soups and veggies, cook until warmed through.
3.  Defrost tots in a shallow bowl in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
4.  Layer a 9"x13" casserole dish with half of the soup mixture, half of the tater tots, 1/2 c. cheese; repeat.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5.  Cook for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

before cooking

after baking

sure it may not look super pretty, but it hit the spot!

Skillet Cheesy Chicken Rice

We really liked this recipe and it was so easy and satisfying, definitely a comfort food type of meal.  It was so quick to throw together after a long day at work, which is always a good thing.

1/2 Tbl. oil
1 1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. uncooked regular long-grain white rice
12 oz. frozen bag mixed veggies (ours had corn, green beans, carrots & peas)
3/4 c. shredded cheese

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes, or until well browned on both sides.  Season with salt & pepper to taste, remove from skillet once completely cooked.
2.  Stir in soup, water, spices, rice into skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3.  Stir in vegetables and return chicken to skillet.  Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through and rice is tender.

Crockpot Potato Soup

Zak found this recipe on Reddit.com.  I looked it over, and decided to give it a try.  The past few days we've been getting snow, so it seemed like a good winter soup, especially paired with some sour dough bread.  The original recipe was for a 6 qt. crockpot, and I ended up modifying the amounts for ours (which I think is a 4.5 or 5 qt.).  Well, my adjustments worked out perfectly, and the soup was delicious.  I opted to add light sour cream in lieu of the cream cheese and added a sensible amount of cheese.  The result was 13 cups of soup, and with 1 cup per serving with only 175 calories.  So, not bad at all.  Easy, tasty & not too bad for you?  Triple whammy!

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled & diced
6 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. cheese
1 c. light sour cream
1 c. corn
6 pieces bacon, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion (or 1/2 regular sized), minced
1/4 - 1/2 c. green onions
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
salt to taste

1.  Peel & dice potatoes, layer on bottom of crockpot.
2.  Add in onion, garlic & sprinkle seasonings evenly.
3.  Pour in broth, cook on high for 4 hours (I ended up cutting that short by half an hour, didn't hurt it) or low for 8 hours; the potatoes should be 'fork tender'.
4.  Use an immersion blender to mash up potatoes until it reaches a thick, even consistency.
5.  Add in sour cream, bacon, corn, cheese and stir until melted.
6.  Add in green onions, stir and serve!

Makes 13 cups.

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 13
amount per serving

Calories: 175.1
Total Fat: 5.9 g
Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 19.1 mg
Sodium: 586.4 mg
Potassium: 502.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Sugar: 4.3 g
Protein: 8.4 g
Vitamin A: 5.2 %
Vitamin C: 34.4 %
Calcium: 12.5 %
Iron: 5.4 %

Ravioli Soup

I love this recipe.  I used to ask my mom for it all the time for my birthday.  It's perfect with grated parmesan cheese and a few slices of french bread, yum!  I made the entire recipe when we had friends over, and everyone loved it.

2 (10 oz.) cans Campbell's beef broth bouillon
2 c. canned tomato juice
6 c. water
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots (in half circles)
1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 1/2 c. peeled, diced potato (can use a little extra, I love the potato in this)
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach
about 48 - 60 frozen meat ravioli, cooked (for those in the Bay Area, my mom uses the local Genova brand)
2 (8 oz. each) containers of ravioli sauce (tomato, garlic, herbs)

1.  Combine bouillon, tomato juice and water in a large pot.
2.  Bring to a boil and add: carrot, potato, onion, parsley, salt, sugar and pepper. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.
3.  Add the spinach and gently stir in the ravioli (which has already  been cooked) and the sauce.  Heat about 10 minutes.
4.  Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled over top, if desired.

not a great picture, but it is delicious!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

My mom sent this recipe to me and I decided to try it. It looked simple enough, and since crockpot recipes are fabulous for days when we both work, I threw it together last week. We came home to the most delicious aroma and I immediately got to work on the chicken. I was nervous because I've never done anything with chicken and bones. But I managed to get 90% of everything in the big pot, we did spot a few tiny bones in our bowls, but removed them before we choked, you know. Anyways, I learned that I can 'debone' a chicken after it's cooked for several hours, and that my crockpot is just big enough to fit this entire recipe. Oh, and that we should have this when friends come over because we have 3 pieces of tupperware with our leftovers in it.

8 c. water
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
4 medium stalks celery, cut into 1/4" slices
1 small onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thmye
salt & pepper
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs.)
3 c. egg noodles, uncoked

1. In a 4 1/2 - 6 qt. slow-cooker bowl, combine water, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, thyme, 4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.
2. Place whole chicken on top of vegetables; cover with lid and cook on low setting for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4 - 5 hours.
3. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Add noodles to slow-cooker bowl; cover with lid and cook (on low or high) 20 minutes.
4. While noodles cook, remove and discard skin, fat and bones from chicken; shred meat.
5. Skim fat from soup and discard, return chicken to soup and serve.

if pictures could emit scent...

Baked Potato Soup

I first made baked potato soup for my dear friend Sarah's birthday in January. I didn't have the time to talk to my mom about it, because I knew there was a recipe she loved and I wanted to use it. So I found some recipe that was doable and it turned out very well. But this time, I wanted my mom's recipe, just so I could compare it with other ones I saw on-line. It turned out so well, it's very yummy and worth the time it takes to make.

4 large potatoes (2 3/4 lb.)
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 c. milk
1 c. sour crean
1/4 c. green onions
10 strips of bacon, crumbled
1 c. shredded cheese
*optional garnishes:
-corn
-shredded carrot
-blanched broccoli

1. Bake potatoes at 350-degrees for an hour to and hour and fifteen minutes, or until soft.
2. While potatoes bake, cook bacon until dark and crispy (if it's chewy in the soup, it's a bit of a turn-off).
3. Cool potatoes completely once out of the oven, then peel and cube.
4. In a large pot, combine butter, flour, salt and pepper until smooth.
5. Add in milk; boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat.
6. Add in sour cream and potatoes.

*When I add in the sour cream and potatoes, I add in the other toppings such as green onion, bacon, cheese, corn. Since it's just the two of us, I figured why not get everything mixed up really well?

'Golden' Potato Soup

This soup is very hearty and great paired with a thick bread.  It's also pretty simple and a favorite of ours.

2 Tbl. butter
1/2 c. onion
1/4 c. celery
1 medium carrot, shredded
3 large potatoes, peeled & diced (add salt to these)
1 1/2 c. water
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. flour
2 Tbl. cornstarch
6 Tbl. water
1 - 1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (we usually have a bag with a pizza blend of three cheeses in the fridge)
paprika (for garnish)

1. Sauté butter, onion and celery.
2. Add carrot, 1 1/2 c. water, and potatoes; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover until tender (about 20 - 25 minutes).
3. Stir in milk, pepper and salt, bring to a gentle boil, stir often.
4. Mix flour, cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then add to soup; stir until thick.
5. Add cheese, stir until completely melted.
6. Serve, with sprinkling of paprika for garnish.

*When I have green onions, I will add about 1/4 c. and sauté with the first three ingredients. I also use some as a garnish.