Soup-er Food!

Since I have been home a lot more lately, we have been making some great dinners. Something about having a home-cooked meal while you habe a new baby just fits. We haven't become home-bodies by any means but a nice family meal is so great. I have been thinking about doing a blog with some of the recipes for the soups that we have been enjoying this winter but I wasn' t sure that anyone would be interested until I read my friend Andreas blog in which she asked for some recipes. That and when you are up at 2am nursing, you watch a lot of the food channel so for anyone who wants some good eats..here ya go! Let me know if there are any questions on any of these!

TACO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2lbs hamburger

1large onion

28 oz diced tomatoes(not drained)

16oz pinto beans (not drained)

16oz black beans (not drained)

1 envelope ranch dresing mix

10oz tomatoe and chilies

16oz kidney beans (not drained)

14oz shoepeg corn (not drained)- can use reg corn too

2 envelopes taco seasoning

shredded cheese

totilla chips (I like the strips)

sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Brown meat and onions, add all ingredients except cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. If to thick add 1 cup water. simmer together (about 30-45 min) serve. Add cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips to taste.- YUM!

STEAK SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup margerine or butter

2/3 cups diced celery

1 cup chopped onion

1cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup flour

2 quarts water

2 1/2 cups beef stock

12 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

1/2 pound cooked steak or hamburger

DIRECTIONS:

On med. heat, melt butter, add carrots onions and celery and cook about 15 min. Add flour and make a roux. Add 1/2 the water and beef base, cook for 20 min then add rest of water and tomatoes. Cook for 20 min add meat and frozen veggies. cook until thickened up a bit then serve.

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CHOWDER (One of my favorites!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sliced carrots (2 stalks)

1 cup sliced cellery (2 stalks)

1 cip quartered mushrooms

3 Tbsp butter

3Tbsp flour

2 14oz cans chicken broth

Chicken - we use either 1/2 a costco roasted chicken (then save the rest for sandwiches) or a fried chicken breast and thigh - more if you like it extra.

3/4 cups COOKED wild rice

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 half and half (I like to use the fat free half and half- less guilty)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pan, cook all the veggies in the butter over medium heat until tender then add in flour and stir until mixed well and veggies start to get soft. then add broth, chicken wild rice and pepper. Cook and stir until it starts to get slightly thicker. Stir in half and half, heat through and serve.

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
8 slices bacon (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lb dried split peas
2 1/2 quarts water (plus additional if necessary)
1 smoked ham hock
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS:

In a large heavy pot cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but about 1/4 cup bacon fat from kettle and cook onions and carrots, stirring, until softened.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding 1 to 2 cups more water if soup becomes too thick, 2 hours.
Remove kettle from heat and transfer ham hock with a slotted spoon to a cutting board.
Discard fat and bones and chop meat.
Return meat to kettle and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through.
Discard bay leaf.
Just before serving, crumble bacon and sprinkle over soup.

For dessert....

RUSSIAN TEA COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mixed nuts (chopped)
powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Slowly add flour and salt to butter mixture, and mix until incorporated. Mix in nuts.

scoop small amounts of dough (use a small spoon so the balls aren't too big- they should be able to be eaten in 2 bites) and then roll into balls (or use your hands to form 1" balls).

Bake for 10-12 minutes. (These cookies barely brown, so if they don't look done, it's okay!).

Roll in powdered sugar while still warm, and roll again in powdered sugar when cool.

I have recipes for Noodles Riviera and Stroganoff that I will give out by request only- Kyle is a bit possesive about those ones :)

ENJOY!!! Let me know if you try any of these and tell me what you think!