Tomato-Basil Soup

If you think you don't like tomato soup, try this recipe. It is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients; and very comforting on a cold winter day. I found this on Natasha's Kitchen. I've made it many times, and it is delicious. I've made some modifications to suit my tastes, so click on the link above to see the original recipe.

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

Two (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes, with their juice - preferably San Marzano (see note below recipe)

2 cups chicken stock or broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (you can also use about 1 tablespoon dried basil)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more to taste

(Don't skip this, as it will help to combat the acidity of the tomatoes)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (You may use Half and Half, instead)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to put on top when serving

Additional salt and pepper to season to taste at the end of cooking time

Directions

1. In a non-reactive pot or enameled Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. 

2. Add the tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, chopped basil, sugar, and black pepper. 

Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and partially cover with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Bring back up to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper, and turn off the burner. 

4. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil/

This is good with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Note: You can use whole tomatoes, but either cut them up small, or run them through a blender or food processor to make make a smooth sauce. 

Minestrone Soup

I haven't always liked Minestrone Soup, but I guess when I've tried it, it was a canned soup. Making it from scratch is a game changer. I found this recipe here on the Love and Lemons blog. Minestrone soup is typically a vegetarian soup, but I add a can of Swanson's low-sodium chicken broth because otherwise, there is not a whole lot of broth, once you add all the vegetables and broth. You can add more vegetable broth, beef or chicken broth, or leave it as is. Try to keep all your vegetables cut up about the same size.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small

2 medium carrots, chopped small

2 celery ribs, chopped small

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper, to taste

3 garlic cloves, minced (I do not add garlic)

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups white beans or red kidney beans, cooked, drained, and rinsed 

( I use a can of light red kidney beans, rinsed)

1 cup chopped green beans 

(You can use frozen green beans, or drained canned beans - I have used both, and either works)

4 cups vegetable broth (See my note above in the introduction about adding more broth)

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 cup small pasta, such as elbow macaroni, shells, orecchiette, etc.

Pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 

(I usually don't have fresh on hand, so I use about 1-2 tablespoons of dried parsley)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving on top of soup

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium het. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. 

2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, bay leaves, oregano and thyme, and broth. Cover and simmer over low to medium-low heat for 20 minutes. 

3. Stir in pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. This is the time to add additional broth, if that is what you want to do. You can sprinkle in more of the seasonings to adjust for the additional broth. Add the red pepper flakes.  Stir in the parsley flakes.

4. Serve soup with parmesan sprinkled on top and a crusty bread on the side.

Serves 4-6 ... more, if you add additional broth

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is a delicious soup  recipe that I found on iamhomesteader.com. It is comfort food at its best. I've made it several times, and is always a hit. I've made a few modifications to suit my tastes, but you can find the original recipe in the link above. The recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken, but you can make your own poached chicken. If I'm able to use that shortcut, I will.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter

Yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

2 ribs celery, diced (about 1 cup)

2 teaspoons garlic, minced 

( I do not like garlic, so I sprinkle in some garlic salt - I can tolerate the garlic salt better than the garlic powder)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

(Optional, but it adds great flavor - you can use less)

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked 

(I find this to be too much rice, so I add 1/2 to 3/4 cup uncooked rice)

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or cubed

Fresh parsley for garnish 

(I use dried parsley and it's just fine, because I never have fresh on hand)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil and butter and heat until butter is melted.

2. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery until softened,  stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Add your garlic and if using fresh, cook approximately one more minute.

3. Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring until combined.

4. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the rice. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the rice is nearly done, but still has some firmness to it. 

6. Add the chicken and continue to cook until the rice is tender and cooked through. 

7. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Lime Cilantro Rice

 I made this for the first time recently when I made Chicken Fajitas. It is very good. I used basmati rice, which is very different from long grain rice; but you can use either one. This recipe was found here on this site. Simply Recipes Cilantro Lime Rice This rice can be served with Asian or Mexican dishes.

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2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, or other long-grain white rice

2 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Finely grated zest of one lime

3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro (use the leaves and just the upper, tender stems)

1. Brown the rice in the canola oil in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to coat the rice in the oil, until the rice has started to brown. Stir occasionally.

2. Add the water, salt, and lime zest to the skillet and bring it to a rolling boil. Cover the skillet and turn the burner down to low heat so it will slowly simmer. Cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the water. Check on it to make sure the water has not boiled away before the rice has had a chance to cook through. Turn off burner and leave the cover on for 10 minutes, so it can finish steaming. Fluff rice with a fork.

3. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and serve.

Chicken Fajitas

This recipe comes from Taste of Home. I have made it numerous times now, and they are so tasty, and always are well-liked by all who have tried them. I make a few minor changes, and often add a little more of each seasoning called for. Use fresh lemon juice in the marinade, and serve with fresh lime slices. 

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Chicken and Marinade

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh from the lemon is best

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder (I do not add as I don't like garlic, but if I add any, I just sprinkle in a little)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I usually just sprinkle some in, since red pepper flakes can really have a kick)

Combine the above in a bowl, and stir together well to coat the chicken. Cover bowl, or place in a sealed ziplock bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.

Vegetable Mixture

Green bell peppers

Red bell peppers

Orange bell peppers

Onions

2 tablespoons of canola oil, or more, as needed to saute the vegetables

1-2 tablespoons water, optional

Directions

Slice each of the above into thin strips, as much as you'd like to use. I usually end up using 3 bell peppers, a combination of each color, and one onion. Add the 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a large, heavy skillet and saute the vegetables until they are tender-crisp. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Put into a bowl, and set aside. 

Place half of the seasoned chicken in the skillet and cook the chicken over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink, and lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. When you start cooking the chicken, allow it to cook a bit on the first side, before turning the chicken over to start cooking on the other side. Once the chicken starts to turn white, you can stir it well until it begins to lightly brown, Place the first batch of chicken in the same bowl as the vegetable mixture, and repeat the process with the second batch of chicken. You do not want to overcrowd the chicken, and end up steaming it, instead of browning it. 

Once the second batch of chicken is cooked, add the chicken and vegetables into the skillet and stir well. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to moisten everything, but this is optional.

Serve on warmed flour tortillas, with white rice on the side, or serve it with lime-cilantro rice. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the fajitas, to give it great, additional flavor. Also, serve with salsa or homemade pico de gallo, and chips.