creamy tomato soup

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1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp margarine
2x14 oz cans diced tomatoes
2x10 oz cans tomato soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
8 oz pkg cream cheese, cubed

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in margarine over medium heat until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except cream cheese; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and heat until melted. Serve immediately.

This is a quick gourmet twist on canned tomato soup. I usually leave the cream cheese out and use real butter, fresh herbs & garlic.

italian beef stew

If you know me, you know how I looove anything Italian. The more authentic the better, and my dream is to one day visit that gorgeous country... but for now I content myself with cooking and browsing magazines with the slightest hint of anything Italian. I found this recipe on Kalyn's site and it definitely appealed to that side of me, not to mention it's deliciously low carb and I had leftover roast beef to use up.


Leftover Roast Beef Italian Stew
(Makes about 2-3 servings, recipe can easily be doubled.)

1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (or more)
1 T olive oil
8-10 oz. leftover roast beef or steak (about 1 1/2 cups diced beef cubes)
2 cups beef stock (or 1 can beef broth plus a little water)
1 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 T dried basil
1 cup mushrooms, cut in large chunks
1-3 T chopped fresh or frozen chopped basil


Cut onion and green pepper into 3/4inch pieces, and roast beef and mushrooms into 1 1/2 inch pieces. In heavy dutch oven type pot, saute onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add green pepper and saute 3 minutes more. Add beef, stock, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and mushrooms, reduce heat to very low, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired. Add fresh basil when stew has cook to desired consistency and cook 5-10 minutes more. Serve hot.

Note: I used Primo Chunky Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic and Basil, which I lightly chopped because we don't like it real chunky. And I didn't have fresh or frozen basil, which I imagine would add an incredible dimension... it's just not available in this remote part of the country. :)

taco soup, a.k.a chili

Although the official name for this recipe is Taco Soup, it's really a glorified chili that hits the spot on these cold fall days.  It's not only yummy,  it's also eye-catching with the red of the tomatoes, the yellow corn, and the dark kidney beans.

Taco Soup

2 lbs lean hamburger
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
1 16-oz can pinto beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can whole kernel corn
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg ranch dressing mix

Garnish:

Curly corn chips
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onion; drain.  Mix all ingredients in a large pan or slow cooker.  The longer it cooks the better.  Garnish with chips, sour cream and cheese.  Serve with extra corn chips or cornbread.

chicken vegetable soup

It's a cold, rainy day here, so for lunch I'm making this deliciously low-fat recipe from my mother-in-law. She made it for us when she was out last time and it really is a new favorite of ours. You can also find it in the February/March 2004 issue of Taste of Home:

Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 small red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
3 small carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
5 celery ribs, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp. chopped celery leaves
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

In a large saucepan combine chicken, 1 3/4 cups broth, Italian seasoning, garlic and paprika. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and celery leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining 1/4 cup broth until smooth; add to pan. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in parsley and lemon juice. Serves 4.

ham and cheddar chowder

We've had rain for weeks it feels like and yesterday I was just in the mood for a good old-fashioned comfort meal of soup. I used my favorite Ham & Cheddar Chowder recipe which is easy and a big hit with both Tech Guy and the little guys. The cookbook literally falls open to that page!

Ham & Cheddar Chowder

2 cups water
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup cubed party ham
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese

Combine water, vegetables and seasonings in a large kettle. Bring to boil and boil for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile in sauce pan (or microwave) make white sauce. Melt butter and add flour. Stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk; cook until thickened. Add cheese to white sauce; stir until melted. Add white sauce and cubed ham to vegetables that have NOT been drained. Heat through, but do not boil.

Yield: 5 servings