My pot runneth over

Hoarders, I have a problem.

Over the weekend, I had the exciting task of cleaning out the deep freeze in the basement. It seemed to be bursting at the seems, and I was struggling to put in the weekly essentials (Mark's frozen meals + pizza).

I pulled nearly everything out - pizzas, meals, disgusting French toast sticks - and discovered that the bottom of the freezer was filled with milk jugs with ice. (We were instructed to fill containers with water and put at the base of the freezer if we couldn't fill it with food to save energy).

And, I found about a dozen plastic containers of soup. Give or take 10,000.

While I knew I had soup in the freezer - it's a great thing to have on hand as it makes for a quick grab-and-go lunch - I thought it was limited to just a few varieties with two bowls each. As it turns out, I have upwards of a half-dozen varieties with up to three containers of each. There's Sweet Potato Bisque, Smoky Corn Chowder, Baked Potato Soup, Chicken and Rice, White Chicken Chili, Spinach Lentil and Black Bean. Oh, yeah ... and the ham and bean I made this weekend.

It's more than enough soup for me, even as I follow the Shred diet that often has one bowl of soup on the plan a day, and I can definitely share with my mother-in-law without blinking an eye.

So what's the problem?

I still feel compelled to make more soup.

After seeing Kim's post about zesty bean posole, I went to the international grocery to buy kidney beans and hominy so I could have my own. I'm pretending it's to fill my MIL's freezer as she's having a hip replacement surgery and it's a good way to use my canned salsa but I know I'm lying to myself.

It's because I've spent too much time watching "Alaska: The Last Frontier" and think I want need to have a buffet of soups to survive the winter.

Stay tuned: I'll be thawing some black bean soup so that I can share my once improvised, now documented recipe.


So tell me: What's your favorite soup recipe for cold winter days?

The power of three: Weeknight dinner solution

Dear friends, I'd like to introduce you to what might possibly be the easiest dinner ever. Aside from take out Burmese from the place up the street. Of course.

It's a three-ingredient, $4, 5-minute tortilla soup that is not lacking in flavor - only the fuss of the mad dash dinner preparation. Truth be told, I might even dare to call it healthful.

The ingredients: 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable), 1 pint chunky salsa and 2 cups protein of choice (black beans or chicken, preferably leftover rotisserie).

Optional: Double protein, using both chicken and beans, and add some corn for a total of five ingredients. Only if you have them on hand.

Method: Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or longer, as desired.

Accompaniments: Tortilla chips, sliced avocado, brown rice or roasted vegetable quesadillas as we did. Be careful not to go overboard or you will negate ease plus thriftiness of soup.

While I have made many a tortilla soup, I am sure this recipe - if you can call it that - will quickly make it into the rotation. Not only was it the ease of preparation, but it was a great way for me to use the salsa I canned earlier this fall and not kill the family via botulism.

A win on all accounts.

Tomatoes overfloweth

This recipe is one of those slow cooker recipes that I hate. I'm serious. If I saw it posted on the interwebs, saw that I'd have to do work before putting things in the slow cooker, I'd roll my eyes, click to Google and continue searching.

So I won't blame you if you do that. Go on, go visit somewhere else.

If you stay, I promise you'll be rewarded with a savory soup that's full of flavor and a good use to the abundance of tomatoes you might be experiencing if you garden or if you got a little heavy handed at the store.

And it's a good excuse to eat a grilled cheese sandwich ... as if that's even necessary.

Slow Cooker Roasted Tomato Soup

3 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 onion, sliced
Olive oil
Salt
1 head garlic
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
4-6 wedges Laughing Cow blue cheese* (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line baking sheets with foil. Divide tomatoes and onion between two sheets, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, tossing to combine and make sure everything is evenly coated. Cut square of foil and place a drizzle of olive oil and garlic head on top. Wrap up garlic and place on baking sheet. Roast vegetables for 25 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

In the crock of a slow cooker, add vegetable broth, basil and dried rosemary. Dump tomatoes and, scraping any charred bits (aka flavor!) off the foil. Remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze roasted bulbs into soup. Cook on low for 8 hours

In batches, puree soup in a blender, adding Laughing Cow to the first go around. Mix to combine in slow cooker. Add half-and-half or broth to reach to reach desired consistency. Taste and add salt as necessary. Serve with fresh basil (if desired and available) and blue cheese crumbles.

*In place of Laughing Cow, substitute 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half and 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles.

Heat wave

There are few things more comforting on a cold winter's day than a big bowl of soup. Somehow, through dark magic I assume, the mixture of vegetables and broth is able to warm you up from the inside out.

And it is for that exact reason that I made a big batch of taco soup on the week in January when Northeast Indiana is going to see temperatures in the 50s.

I'm such a winner.

Really, I am. Regardless of whether its warm outside, my taco soup is a delicious, hearty meal. The protein from the ground turkey and beans and the fiber from the beans, corn and tomatoes are sure to satisfy. It has a bit of heat from taco seasoning and green chiles but is mild enough to serve the kiddies.

Oh, and it makes a ton. I'll have this soup for lunch four out of five days this week and still have enough leftovers to give some to my mother-in-law and freeze a few bowls. And let me tell you, having  soup in the freezer makes it much harder to justify eating greasy fast food on break because you don't have time to put something together.

If you are worried about finding this time to put this slow cooker meal together, let me assure you that this recipe is my favorite type of slow cooker meal: open and dump.

Skinny Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground turkey, browned and drained (optional or substitute protein of choice)
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7-ounce) can diced chiles
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet of low sodium mix
1 packet ranch mix
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add everything to the slow cooker - tomatoes and corn are undrained - and cook on low for 8-10 hours The longer the better here. Serve with corn chips, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese and plan Greek yogurt. Freezes very well.

Note: If you actually thought of those things before going to the store.

Soup's on: Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder

There's a fire in my belly, and it feels so warm and comforting on these decidedly fall days.

Once the temperatures start to dip and the days grow shorter, there's nothing I crave more than soup. Hot, hearty, satisfying soup. Paired with a sandwich or salad, it's the perfect weeknight dinner and the leftovers offer quick and healthy lunches for the week.

I've had a bag of potatoes in the pantry that were getting close to shriveling up and sprouting eyes, and I figured that there would be no better way to save them than to put them in a soup.

Potato soup, obviously.

We all know, though, that potato soup has a reputation for being rich and calorie-laden but a few tweaks - and a lot of flavor - bring it down to size. Cumin, garlic, fire-roasted corn and diced tomatoes with green chiles offer an unexpected twist on what I'm calling Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder.

I served it up to one hungry boy and one hungry girl (soup is too much effort on my part to give to Miles) and both of us would have been ready for seconds had it not been so filling.

We enjoyed the chowder with sandwiches. Turkey and tomatoes on white with mustard for him; turkey, tomato, mixed greens, broccoli sprouts and a smear of light mayonnaise on Ezekiel 4:9 Spouted Whole Grain Flax Bread.

Now tell me - whose sandwich looks better?

I normally eat a light wheat bread that has 35 calories per slice but I had a chance to try the Ezekiel bread. I have to say the chewy texture and nutty flavor was a welcome departure for me. It was hearty enough that I just needed one slice and, at 80 calories, it wasn't a diet buster.

Good thing, too, because I am OBSESSED with this blood orange sorbet from Kroger's Private Selection line. It might be cool enough for soup but it's never to cold for ice cream.

Slow Cooker Smoky Potato Chowder

2 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups broth, vegetarian or chicken
1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk or equal amount non-dairy cream
1 cup frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained

In the slow cooker, add chopped potatoes and chopped onion. Sprinkle with cumin and garlic powder. Toss in bay leaf and pour broth over top of everything. The broth will not cover the potatoes. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are soft. Add evaporated milk to slow cooker. Puree the potato-milk mixture with stick blender or in batches in a traditional blender. Add corn and drained tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes on high or until the flavors meld and everything is hot. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 235 calories, 0 grams fat, 49 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein

Pep(per) squad

 I got my first library card at the age of 5.

I was the queen (queen, I tell you) of Book It awards.

 I have a journalism degree, I edit people's writing for a living and I've done my own professional writing.

And yet, for the life of me, I cannot read a recipe well enough to purchase the proper ingredients. It's quite ridiculous.

I've had the recipe for the Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup bookmarked for, like, a year, and I finally decided to make it this week. I looked at the recipe, added the necessary ingredients to my grocery list and purchased green peppers at my local Kroger. To say I was excited to make a twist on a childhood favorite would be an understatement. The fact that it was a slow cooker recipe nearly sent me over the edge but I managed to hold it together.

Last night, I opened up the recipe and began to gather ingredients.

Ground beef (slash turkey) - check.

Two cans chicken broth - check.

Three bell peppers - check.

An onion - check.

Diced tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano - chhh. Shit. I got plain tomatoes. Whatev. I'll add Italian seasoning.

Two cans tomato soup -&*&^%$^^. I only bought one. @$%^#$#$#$@#@

1.5 cups cooked rice - I have to cook the rice. Seriously? Seriously!  Damnit. It's 8:30, and I want to go to B-E-D.

Arg.

"I guess I could stay up for 20 minutes," I thought to myself. "The soup will surely beat anything else I can take for lunch tomorrow. I sure hope it works." (Read: My only options for lunch were the hospital and a can of Spaghetti-Os leftover from pregnancy cravings.)

 Source

Makeshift Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

3/4 pound lean ground meat of choice, cooked and drained
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1.5 cups cooked rice
1.5 cups 2% shredded cheddar, divided

Combine everything but the rice in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in rice before serving. Sprinkle each bowl with 1/4 cup cheese because my mom always put cheese on stuffed peppers. And because I said so. Makes 6 (2-cup-ish) servings.

Nutritional information (based on 6 servings): 334 calories, 12 grams of fat, 33 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams protein

With a twist of lemon

Remember that easy peasy chicken I made the other night? The one I made in the slow cooker?

I sure hope so because you are going to need it for this.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti. Yumminess in a bowl.

Mark asked me to make this soup specifically this week. I’m not sure whether it’s because he agrees with my description or that the source of the recipe is a certain Food Network star whom he enjoys, ahem, watching.

I find it really unfair that someone is allowed to look like that but I’ll give her a pass, if only because of the soup.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada di Laurentiis

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 dried bay leaf

1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) whole wheat spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, *see Cook's Note

2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the carrots and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the broken pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in \the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.

Mark and I enjoyed the soup for dinner, along with a grilled cheese. It was a bit of a haphazard grilled cheese as I was missing some key ingredients – decent cheese and tomatoes. I used some American slices and a stick of Kraft Tomato Basil string cheese. Surprisingly, it worked. Go me!

What did you have for dinner tonight?

Track session

Move that body: 2.35-mile walk with the boys

Indian food. I wanted Indian food. So yesterday afternoon, I called Mark and told him that he would be taking me to the Indian buffet today. For hours, I dreamed about naan, saag paneer, curry and chicken tikka masala.

And then it happened. I got on the scale at the doctor’s office.

In two weeks, I had managed to gain a schload of weight. The number was more than likely a direct result of the 5 billion glasses of water I had drank that afternoon but I’ll always be the first to admit when I’ve done wrong. Ahem, pizza on Friday, Burger King on Saturday, apple pie and ice cream on Sunday. I did stay close to calorie goals but I wasn’t fueling my body the way my doctor and I would like.

So I did something drastic. I canceled my date with the Indian buffet Mark and headed out to the garden.

I plucked some kale leaves from my enormous plants (and took a moment to admire the baby tomatoes I’ve got going) and headed into the kitchen to prepare Whole Foods’ Kale and White Bean Soup.

I made a few adjustments based on my pantry – two cloves of garlic instead of four (how can I be out of garlic?!), chicken broth instead of vegetable and diced tomatoes with a handful of Italian seasoning instead of Italian-style diced tomatoes. I was also able to use up some UGLY baby carrots that I had in the back of the crisper instead of giving them to Denali, which is normally what happens. SCORE!

The soup is a quick cooker, and I had it finished before Mark got out of the shower.

By the way, I scored some major husband points for using produce out of my garden.

I divided the soup into four portions – one for today’s lunch, one for later in the week and two for the freezer to have post-baby. The soup might not have the convenience and crave appeal of a No. 1 from McDonald’s but I already feel better about the day knowing that I have a healthful lunch in my bag.

How do you get back on track after a bad eating week?

Do you have any freezer-friendly meals that I should make before the baby comes?

Soup’s on

I have an important question to ask you:

Is it possible for anything with barbecue sauce to not taste good?

Glad we can agree on that as I’m about to share with you tonight’s dinner – a dinner that was completely tasty and satisfying – which included that very ingredient.

Meet the BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup. I found the recipe on Picky Palate and knew immediately that it would be perfect for Mark and me, especially when served with a side of cornbread. (In the future, I’d also serve it with a side salad with black beans, roasted red peppers and ranch dressing. Just sayin’.)

BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup

Adapted from Picky Palate

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (11-ounce) can fiesta corn (“fiesta” means green and red peppers are in the mix)

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded (I poached mine but this would be a good use for leftover rotisserie chicken!)

1/3 cup to 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Shredded monterey jack cheese, for serving

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium to medium high heat. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, corn and chicken; stir to combine. Next up are the remaining ingredients (except the cheese). Simmer it together for 5 minutes, or until your husband remembers to set the table. Serve with shredded cheese on top and enjoy while watching season two of “Sex and the City.”