Mulligatawny Soup

I'm realllllly trying to get the girls to eat soup.  Any kind of soup.  We've been at work on this for a year, and they still groan when I serve soup.  The most success I have is with brothy soups, I think because the girls can identify the ingredients better.  I've loved this Mulligatawny Soup for years (I originally got the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, so no claims that it's "authentic"), and the girls will grudgingly pick out some of the carrots and turkey and raisins and rice.  I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and it's darned tasty.  Someday, I hope the girls will agree!

Mulligatawny Soup

4-5 cups chicken broth
2 apples, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
14 oz diced tomatoes
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup brown rice
1 small or medium onion, chopped
1 big handful of raisins
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb ground turkey, cooked

In a large pot, combine all ingredients aside from the ground turkey.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until rice is tender.  Add turkey.  Simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

I bought one of those 2-lb bags of asparagus from Costco (indeed, I adore Costco and it's mountains of produce!) for roasting up alongside out Easter lamb - but when the time came, I was just not in the mood for asparagus. So I needed to use it up, and I was in the mood for a creamy soup. I used potato to help thicken the base, so I could use just two cups of 1% milk instead of cream, butter, etc. - and I achieved an incredibly creamy soup.

As with all soups, my kids were a little iffy on this. Abby ended up eating about half of her bowl, though not without some prodding. Lizzy tried a bite... which is, well, something at least!

Creamy Asparagus Soup

2 lbs of asparagus, washed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp dried lemon peel
salt
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)
2 cups of milk (I used 1%)

In a large pot, stir together asparagus, onion, celery, olive oil, dill, lemon peel, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have begun to soften.

Add potato and stock. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until potato is soft enough to fall apart easily. Stir in milk.

Use an immersion blender to puree soup (or, puree in a blender, working in batches. Be careful when blending piping hot soup!!). Continue to keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Rosemary Beef Stew with Greens

In continuing to use up that big bag o' spinach last week, I made a wonderful rosemary beef stew. I adore rosemary, and we've had enough rain and gloomy temperatures to make beef stew a welcome addition to the weekly menu. The spinach was fine in this soup, although I generally prefer hardier greens, like kale, in my soup.

Rosemary Beef Stew with Greens

1/2 lb cooked and cubed beef
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup water
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 handfuls of washed, chopped greens (spinach, kale, chard, whatever you like)
1 cup sliced mushrooms

I took the easy route on making this, and would do it in a slow cooker in the future (I wasn't thinking quite that far ahead that day). In a large pot, combine beef, chicken stock, wine, water, celery, onion, carrots, rosemary, and garlic. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer until vegetables are soft (I let mine go for about an hour). Stir in the greens and mushrooms - simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms are soft and cooked through.

I served this with some cheese toast, and the girls did a fairly decent job on it - they picked out and ate the beef and carrots, and Abby also ate the "lettuce" (as she calls all greens). I've made tremendous progress on getting the girls to at least try soup this winter!

Winter Night's Soup

Our vegan dinner last week came courtesy of a new blog, My Family Dish, started by a friend of mine from my old neighborhood. Her Winter Night's Soup (a minestrone) jumped right out at me; I was intrigued by the slow-cooking of the celery, carrots, and onion at the beginning and by the promise of big flavor without relying on stock. I also wasn't sure what to think about butternut squash cubes in a soup (I love butternut squash bisques, but haven't had many soups with the squash left in cubes). This soup was amazing!

Now, my kids hate soup, but I took a great tip from Jenna at Food with Kid Appeal and served some cheese toast alongside the soup. This dinner was vegan for me, not so much for the kidlets. But, it worked! They adored their cheese toast, dipped it in their soup broth a little, and even deigned to try a few bites of the soup (Lizzy picked out every bean, Abby said "I'm only eating the celery" and proceeded to eat every bit of kale. I certainly didn't correct her!)

Winter Night's Soup

How can you not love a soup with this many colorful ingredients?


I was out of cannellini beans, which the soup called for, and subbed in black beans and garbanzo. The garbanzo were not a good substitution, although at least Abby would eat them (she adores hummus, so I just told her they were un-smooshed hummus, and she delighted me by eating each one!). I adored the butternut squash in this soup - it was unexpectedly rich.

Definitely give this soup a try; it was fabulous, rich, chock-full of veggies, and the leftovers made for some great lunches!

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

Mm-MM! I just had a big bowl of this for dinner and thought it was delightful. Neither girl tried it, of course, being a combo of many dreaded things for them (greens... soup... lentils...), so they had something else for dinner. But hey, maybe your kids are more tolerant of new things than mine are! This is certainly something to please the adults in the house, at least!

Everyday Food Magazine Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

(not my photo. my pix made the soup look awful!)

I added a bunch of spinach that was on the verge of getting too wilted for me to care to eat, and I threw in the beet stalks that were left over from dinner the other night. Perhaps because of all this, I had to add a few extra cups of water with the kale. This soup had so much more flavor than I expected it to (I know that sounds bad, but...) - I am normally not a fan of kale, but it was just right to stand up to the sausage in this.

Go check out the recipe!

Boston Dinner Date!

The idea for this dinner date was born (pun intended) out of an intense pregnancy craving for a giant bowl of New England clam chowder. I was hesitant at first to make it for the girls because clam chowder doesn't scream 'toddler food' but after some thought I decided that kids in New England have probably been warming themselves up with hearty bowls of chowder during chilly autumn months as long as New England clam chowder has been around. I'm a firm believer that the earlier a kid is exposed to a food the more likely they are to appreciate it in adulthood. I ate sardines and pickled herring with my Grandpa when I was very young and will happily eat either today.

I poked around at a couple chowder recipes for reference and quickly learned just how RICH (to put it nicely) it actually is. I considered (for a quick minute) trimming the fat and replacing some of the cream with milk, omitting the bacon fat (yes bacon fat), etc. but here's the thing...I really, really wanted GOOD, restaurant good, clam chowder. I'll justify my final ingredient choices by saying that its fall, winter is right around the corner and our little girls are truly little girls who could stand a little winter insulation. ;o) Plus, I'm pregnant...so there.

Million Dollar (read: RICH) New England Clam Chowder
(aka "Cracker Soup")
(serves 8)

Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon (I have learned that this is the essential KEY to the best of the best clam chowder. If you make this recipe you will understand why its so important.)
8 small to medium potatoes (I used russet), peeled and cut into small chunks
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 8oz bottles clam juice
1/2 c. butter
4 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 c. half and half
1 c. heavy cream
3 cans minced clams
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. In a large saute pan fry the bacon until most of the fat is rendered. Remove bacon (I'm saving mine for a bread I'm trying later in the week).
2. Add potatoes and onions to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat until onions begin to become translucent.
3. Add the clam juice and cook over medium high heat until potatoes are tender.
4. In a large stockpot melt the butter over medium heat.
5. Gradually add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly, to form a roux. I like my chowder soupy but I think most people like it thick. 4 Tbsp. of flour will make a more soup-like chowder so if you like it thicker adjust with flour at this step.
6. Gradually whisk in the half and half and heavy cream.
7. Stir in the potato and onion mixture.
8. Drain one of the cans of clams and stir into chowder. Add the remaining two cans (juice and all).
9. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium low heat until desired temperature is reached. Serve with some oyster crackers on top!

My original plan was to make homemade sourdough bread bowls to serve the soup in and I started gathering ingredients for the bread and learned that the starter you need to make for sourdough bread takes about 4 DAYS to make! Whoops. I made the starter anyway and am dreaming up a concoction for the weekend. (Hint: It involves the bacon I saved...and some maple syrup....)

This was stellar chowder...no joke. It might be the best chowder I've had and I'm not kidding. Neko ate it and showed absolutely no aversion to it. Abby took one big bite and said "Mmmmm,..mmmmm" but then refused to eat it and said it wasn't good. However, I started calling it "Cracker Soup" and that seemed to pique her interest a little. We cleared the table after we thought they were done and when she realized her bowl was gone she got very upset. I'm taking it as a good sign.

So every good fattening dinner needs a fattening dessert to go with it right? In further celebration of Boston I created:

Two Bite Boston Cream Cupcakes
(The picture makes it look giant but it really was 2 bites worth...We cut this one in half and Kara ate her half in a bite and I ate mine in a bite.) ;o)

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes-I just used a box vanilla organic cake mix I found at Whole Foods and prepared according to package directions (baked in a mini muffin tin for about 10 minutes)
For the filling:
2c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. butter
For the topping:
1c. heavy whipping cream (plain heavy cream works too)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tsp. vanilla extract

Trader Joe's Chocolate Syrup (no yucky ingredients)

Instructions:

Filling:
1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles begin to appear around the edges (not boiling)
2. Gradually whisk in the corn starch and sugar.
3. Cook until filling begins to thicken and coats the back of a metal spoon. (I didn't cook it quite long enough so it was a little runny for what I wanted so I would shoot for slightly thicker than runny in the pan (it will firm up a bit more in the fridge).
4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover with saran wrap and cool completely in fridge (at least 1 hour).

Topping:
1. Beat the cream on high speed, gradually adding the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat until peaks form (slightly thicker than whipped cream consistency works best.)

Assemble the cupcakes:
1. Slice a cupcake in half.
2. Top the bottom half with a dollop of the filling. Put the top of the cupcake back on.
3. Frost the top layer with the chocolate whipped cream.
4. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Enjoy! 1. Chomp...2. Chomp...mmmmm

Needless to say the girls devoured these without any nudging. (The Mommies did too.)

MoV Day 4, Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Last night was day 4 of the Month of Veggies project, and on the menu? Roasted Red Pepper Soup. And let me just say mmmmmmmmmmmmm! This was so good, and I will be making it again and again.

Abby was too busy throwing a tantrum to sit down and eat dinner, but I loved this. Even Lizzy, who has an inborn hatred for being spoon-fed, took a few bites and smacked her lips repeatedly. This was a breeze to put together and made an excellent accompaniment to grilled cheese!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

(adapted from Parents Magazine)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 24-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained (or, 3 roasted red peppers)
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic
basil, salt, and pepper to season (optional... my jarred roasted red peppers were quite seasoned, so I just stirred in a bit of chopped fresh basil at the end)

Blend together stock, red peppers, honey, and garlic (either in a blender, or with an immersion blender in the pot. I love my immersion blender. If you don't have one, you should!). Heat the soup for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, until hot.

Chili Cause its Chilly Dinner Date

Its COLD out there! To warm us up I made a crock pot of Chili. I almost did an "Immunity" dinner date highlighting foods that boost immunity but my friend Jen helped me realize how boring I was being so I scrapped that idea however I did think about immunity boosting foods when making my chili.

Chili Cause its Chilly
(makes 8 servings)

1 lb. 90% lean ground beef (beef is naturally high in zinc which is good for immunity)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 med/lg yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 orange pepper, diced (orange vegetables are immunity boosters)
1 large sweet potato, diced (again, orange)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)

1. In a large saute pan brown ground beef. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan heat up the olive oil. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

3. Add the ground beef back to the pan and combine with the onions and garlic. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

4. Put this mixture into a crock pot. Add the tomatoes, beans and orange pepper.

5. Cook in crock pot on low for 4 hours. Add the sweet potato and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender (about an hour and a half longer).

6. Garnish individual servings with cheese. Serve!

For some reason this ended up being too spicy for the girls. I guess I underestimated the kick to chili powder. If you are making this for your kids you might want to cut it back by half. The Mommies liked it. I actually ate the leftovers during the week and it just got better each time. Definitely a great one to have around for this cold weather! ;o)

Whole Wheat Corn Bread
(makes 8 servings)

1 cup of whole wheat flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey)
1-1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp. melted butter (salted)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" square baking pan.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another. Add the wet to the dry and stir until just moistened.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve!

This was a nice alternative to cornbread that has refined sugar and flour. It was not as sweet as I am used to cornbread being but it was still really good, especially with the chili. The girls had theirs with a little honey drizzled on top.

Hot (Warm) Cocoa
(serves 2)

1-1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. agave nectar (or sugar)
whipped cream

1. Combine all ingredients except whipped cream in a small sauce pan. Heat over med/high heat stirring constantly until desired temperature. I made it warm and not hot to suit the girls.
2. Divide between two mugs.
3. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve (with a straw if for toddlers)!

Comfort Food Dinner Date!

The chill of the October air has me in a never-ending mood for comfort food. I thought it best to build this association into little toddler brains.

Turkey Meatball Alphabet Soup
(serves about 6)

1 lb. ground turkey
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or oregano/basil/etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups chicken broth or stock
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 c. alphabet pasta (I found organic vegetable abc pasta at Whole Foods)

For the stock:
1. In a crock pot or large stock pot add the chicken broth, chopped shallot, garlic, bay leaf, celery, carrots and Italian seasoning. If you are using a crock pot set it to high and cover. If you are doing it on the stove, set the heat to med-high and cover.

For the meatballs:
1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the turkey, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, minced shallots and Italian seasoning by hand.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
3. Form 1" round meatballs and put in single layer in preheated skillet. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally until cooked through. Remove from heat and add to soup.
4. Let soup simmer until vegetables are tender. Mine cooked in the crock pot for about 2-1/2 hours.
4. In a separate sauce pan prepare the ABC pasta according to the package directions.
5. Ladle out portions of the soup and add pasta to bowls individually. (If you add it to the crock pot or stock pot while the soup is cooking the pasta will turn to mush.) Serve!

Grammy Cynde's Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
(serves 2)

This sandwich pays tribute to Neko's Grammy Cynde who was the first to introduce me to the magic that is grilled cheese on cinnamon raisin bread. If you've never had this combination it probably sounds pretty weird but if you have had it you know how delicious it really is!

2 slices of cinnamon raisin bread (I actually baked homemade bread in the bread machine but am not including the recipe because it wasn't the best recipe out there. Really any cinnamon raisin bread will do.)
1/4 c. shredded muenster cheese
1/2 tsp. butter

Put cheese between two slices of bread. Butter the outside slices. Fry in small skillet over med. heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve!

Both the soup and sandwich got "Yums!" and "Mmmms" from the girls so I would definitely call this meal a winner.

And for dessert:

Individual Peach Crisps
(serves 2)

1 c. frozen peaches
1/2 c. quick cook oats
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2. Tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Divide the peaches evenly between two baking ramekins.
3. In a small bowl combine the oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Spoon mixture evenly between the two ramekins of peaches.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Top with whipped cream and serve! So fast, so easy, so delicious!!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Everyone's garden tomatoes are finally ripe and ready to be eaten and they are giving them all to me! So basically its tomato week in our house. Get ready for LOTS of tomato recipes!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
(serves 6)

8 or 9 plum tomatoes, washed and diced into chunks
1 med yellow onion, chopped
2 c. chicken stock
3-4 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
3/4c. skim milk (or 2%, whole, etc....the higher the fat content the creamier the soup!)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a small frying pan saute the chopped onion in a little bit of olive oil until tender
2. In a sauce pan bring the stock, tomatoes, onion and basil to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the milk.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Blend soup in a blender in small batches. Make sure to take the center plastic piece out of the blender lid to allow steam to escape.
6. Pour into serving bowls and serve! (Hopefully with a melty grilled cheese sandwich!)