Chili!

Josh has always told me that the number one way you can tell fall is here is when you can taste it - and by that he meant chili.  :)  This is a go-to meal for us.  It's so quick and easy and tastes really yummy!  Here's what you are going to need to make this feel good meal!

1 med. onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef - you can use less if you want
1 T minced garlic, or 3/4 T garlic powder
1 can chili beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes - you can use the flavored ones, those are good too (ie. italian, garlic...)
1 pkg chili seasoning

2-3 T Worcestershire sauce

3 T of your favorite BBQ sauce  (the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce add a fab smokey flavor.)

1/2 can of water - about 1 cup

Dice your onion and cook with olive oil until transparent.  I brown my beef at the same time, but if you want to do it separate that is fine too.  Just make sure all your meat is cooked and in small pieces.  While your onions and meat are browning, open all your cans.  (time saver!)  When onions and meat are cooked, add all the rest of your ingredients into the pot and stir.  If it is a little thick, add in some water a little at a time.  Simmer until ready to eat.  Great with fritos and cheese or hot dogs.  Yum!  Literally takes about 20 min.

Posted by Em

Butternut Squash Soup

Ben was very skeptical when I told him I wanted to make Butternut Squash Soup last night. But with one taste of this divine soup, he and I were both hooked. And I promise if you make it, you will be too!

Ingredients

2 T Canola Oil
5 C Butternut Squash- peeled and cubed (about 1.5 lbs)
2 C Potatoes -peeled and cubed (about 2-3 potatoes)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 C Leeks -washed and sliced
6 C Chicken Broth
1/2 C Coconut Milk -Trust me on this one
2 Whole Green Onions for garnish.. so optional

Toasted Spiced Butternut Squash Seeds

2/3 C Butternut Squash Seeds- washed an dried
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice- I just used a couple of dashes of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and cloves and it tasted great.
1/4 tsp Chili Powder

Instructions

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pot. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add leek and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in broth (enough to cover the potatoes and squash) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Blend in batches in a blender until smooth, or use a hand immersion blender to puree. If you use the blender, get a clean rag and hold the lid when you start blending, since the mixture is hot it could pop the top off and get hot soup everywhere. Stir in coconut milk. Pour soup into bowls, garnish with chopped green onions and toasted spice butternut squash seeds (see below for directions).

Toasted Spice Butternut Squash Seeds:

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring often, until golden brown. Transfer seeds to a small bowl and toss with salt and spices. Personally, I liked these better just to munch on, Ben liked them in the soup, but I thought that they distracted too much from the flavor of the soup.

Now sit back and enjoy the flavors of fall!

Sheryl

Baked Potato Soup

Oh, I love fall!  I love fall for lots of reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that it is soup season!  I love love love soup and you can make soup out of almost anything on hand!  One of Joshua's and my favs is Baked Potato Soup.  It makes me happy that I can make it and it makes both of us happy because we can eat it!
Disclaimer - I'm sorry!  When I cook I usually don't measure anything, so I'm guessing a little on my measurements!  I hope your soup still turns out!

10 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up bite sized
1 large yellow onion, diced small
2 t minced garlic
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used the 98% fat free)
1 T salt
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 t pepper
3/4 C cheddar cheese
1/3 C sour cream
4 or 5 strips turkey bacon (less fat!) cooked and cut into small pieces
Green onions, chopped

Fill up a stock pot about half way.  Roughly 10 Cups of water. Bring the water up to a boil.  While you are waiting for your water to boil, dice your onion and add that and the garlic to the water.  Peel and cube your potatoes into bite size pieces.  Add them to your water.  Let the potatoes and onion boil together until the potatoes are soft, but still keep their shape.  About 30 minutes.  

When the potatoes are soft pull out about 1 cup of water and 4 cups of potatoes.  Mash them together until there are no lumps.  We are thickening the soup with actual potato to help keep the flavor.  Put the mashed potatoes back into your soup and add in the can of soup.  This also helps to thicken.  (If your soup is still to thin after this, you can add in powdered potatoes or potato pearls.  Add slowly, dry potatoes thicken up fast!)

Add in your "baked potato ingredients."  When adding in the sour cream, keep the soup moving so that it doesn't curdle.  These are what I put in mine - but you can add whatever you'd like.  Taste your soup before you add the salt!  Remember that the bacon carries a lot of salt in it and you don't want to over season.  Salty soup is not yummy!  :)  Add in your spices and stir to incorporate.  When serving save some green onions as a garnish on top.  Chives also look lovely!  Enjoy!

Posted by: Em

French Onion Soup

One of our favorite meals to have on a cold night. Or any night, really.

French Onion Soup

• 2-3 thinly sliced sweet (or yellow) onions
• 2Tb. butter or margarine
• 2 Tb. flour
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/4-1/2 cup creamed sherry (cooking sherry and red wine work well too)
• salt, to taste
• shredded white cheese (mozerella, swiss and even parmesan have worked for us)
• baguette, sliced and toasted

Saute the onion slices with the butter over medium heat in a medium to large sized pot.  Cook until the onions shrink and become soft and a golden, caramelized color. ( I normally cook the onions for almost an hour, since I've found the longer they cook the better the soup tastes.)

Add the 2 TB of flour  to the onions and stir til the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Stir in the 6 cups of beef broth and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and add the creamed sherry.  Boil for about 2-3 minutes then add the salt to taste. 

For oven proof bowls: Pour soup into individual oven-proof bowels. Top with a baguette slice and shredded cheese. Place bowls on a cookie pan and broil in oven til cheese melts and goldens a little.

For non-oven proof bowls: Place a baguette slice, top with cheese in bottom of each bowl and then ladle soup over the baguette, to melt the cheese.

by Jen Eyring

Hearty Cheese Soup

I've always loved a good cheese soup, but it's hard to find one that's not full of processed cheese or lots of cream. So when I found this recipe, I knew I just had to make it.

3 Tbs Butter
2 Carrots, chopped
1 Head of Broccoli, chopped
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Medium Potato
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Cooked Ham or Bacon, chopped*
1/2 cup Flour
2 Tbs Cornstarch
4 cups Chicken Broth
4 cups Milk
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1 lbs Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large, heavy stockpot, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables and cook over medium heat until veggies are slightly tender, about 10 minutes. Pour in 3 cups of chicken broth. And continue cooking the veggies until almost done, about 10 minutes. Mix flour and cornstarch into the reserved 1 cup of chicken broth. Whisk until there's no clumps. Add flour mixture into the pot. Continue to stir soup until it slightly thickens. Add milk and spices. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. To avoid curdling, do not allow soup to boil after cheese has been added. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper. Serve pipping hot!

*If you want this dish to be vegetarian, leave out the ham and bacon, and substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Sheryl