soup Archives | Mama Harris' Kitchen

Savory Chicken Noodle Soup

November 16, 2015 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

I will be the first person to exclaim from the rooftops and shout from the streets how much I love Fall. I love the crisp air, the beautiful colors of the leaves as they begin to drop from trees. I love the earth tone colors of Fall and the layered clothing. I love gloves and coats and boots. I love what it means to me in the kitchen, making more stews, soups and comfort foods. I also love that the holidays are coming up and everything that entails to our own little (big) family.

However, Fall also includes some nasty colds that get passed all around through my family. It includes turning the heater on which dries out my airways leading to more asthma inhaler uses. It also includes being chilled to the bone at times.

That’s where one of my favorite soups comes in.

I make a variation of this soup using turkey after the Thanksgiving holiday, but throughout cold weather season I love to make a nice big pot of chicken noodle soup. Sometimes the recipe varies based on what vegetables I have on hand, and I might switch up the noodles a little bit as well. However, this soup is a favorite. Everyone in the house enjoys a heaping bowl of this comforting goodness, and always wants seconds too.

It’s the perfect thing to nurse a cold right back to health, as I did last week with myself and my littlest one. The spices keep it savory, and the combination of a savory chicken stock, carrots, cabbage and red bell pepper with the egg noodles is so hearty.

This makes a rather large batch of soup, and once you add the noodles it soaks up a lot of the broth. If you like your soup with more liquid, you can add a cup or so more water, or use a thinner noodle that doesn’t soak liquid up so much. For my family of seven this soup lasted two days. It’s a great one if you’re feeding a lot of people, but it can also freeze well if you’re cooking for far less people.

Chicken Stock Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 3.5 – 4 lbs.
3.5 – 4 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:

strained Chicken Stock (see recipe above)
6 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon marjoram
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1.5 cup shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 package extra wide egg noodles

Directions:

Begin by combining all of the ingredients for the chicken stock in a large stock pot. Bring water to a boil, then simmer for 4 hours or so. The chicken should be falling off the bone.

Remove the chicken from the pot, then strain liquid through a sieve.

Take chicken apart and shred about 1.5 cups worth of chicken to add to the soup later.

Add all of the liquid into a large pot, mine is 7.25 quart* and it was about 3/4 full. Bring liquid to a slow boil, then add carrots, bell pepper, and red onion.

Add shredded cabbage, garlic, and all the seasonings and give it a good stir. Let it continue to cook at a low boil, and add the chicken. Lower heat to simmer and cover for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Just before you’re ready to add the noodles, stir in the chopped parsley.

Then stir in the noodles. Cover again and continue to let simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until noodles are soft. Be sure to stir occasionally.

Stir it up real good.

Serve warm. I like it with some saltine or oyster crackers, I might add a little salt and pepper but it’s great as is. Unless you’re crazy and you add hot sauce to everything like my husband, then you might want to include that too.

(I accidentally used a fork in the photos instead of a spoon, however it is hearty and thick enough to eat with a fork!)

Enjoy!

Savory Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes

Savory Chicken Noodle Soup

Just in time for cold season, try this savory spin on the traditional chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

Chicken Stock Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 3.5 - 4 lbs.
3.5 - 4 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:

strained Chicken Stock (see recipe above)
6 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon marjoram
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1.5 cup shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 package extra wide egg noodles

Instructions

Begin by combining all of the ingredients for the chicken stock in a large stock pot. Bring water to a boil, then simmer for 4 hours or so. The chicken should be falling off the bone.
Remove the chicken from the pot, then strain liquid through a sieve.
Take chicken apart and shred about 1.5 cups worth of chicken to add to the soup later.
Add all of the liquid into a large pot, mine is 5 quarts and it was about 3/4 full. Bring liquid to a slow boil, then add carrots, bell pepper, and red onion.
Add shredded cabbage, garlic, and all the seasonings and give it a good stir. Let it continue to cook at a low boil, and add the chicken. Lower heat to simmer and cover for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Just before you're ready to add the noodles, stir in the chopped parsley.
Then stir in the noodles. Cover again and continue to let simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until noodles are soft. Be sure to stir occasionally.
Stir it up real good.
Serve warm. I like it with some saltine or oyster crackers, I might add a little salt and pepper but it's great as is. Unless you're crazy and you add hot sauce to everything like my husband, then you might want to include that too.
(I accidentally used a fork in the photos instead of a spoon, however it is hearty and thick enough to eat with a fork!)
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/11/savory-chicken-noodle-soup/

Do you have a favorite Fall food?

*this contains an affiliate link that I may receive a small percentage of if you make a purchase.

Spicy Gazpacho

August 20, 2015 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

The very first time I tried gazpacho was a few years ago when I traveled to Texas during the hot summer months. It was early in the summer so the weather really wasn’t much warmer than what I’m used to in the hotter parts of Northern California. My hair would tell you otherwise because it couldn’t decide if it wanted to be frizzy and big or flat at the roots. I ended up fixing my hair about 5 times a day just to be prepared for any photo opps, but that’s another story for another time.

I had traveled to Texas for a conference, it was actually my first time and it was for an annual food bloggers conference. I was still new to this blogging thing and had no idea what to expect. One of the evenings I had been invited to dine at an urban farm located in Austin, Texas. They set up a beautiful tablescape with an assortment of eclectic dishes that didn’t quite match but was adorably cute. There were little strings of white lights all over and the tables were nestled where the trees opened up. Everything served that evening had been grown on that very farm, and it was quite the experience. It was an intimate dinner, with about 30-40 people dining, and it was an assortment of bloggers, farmers, and even a celebrity chef.

The gazpacho that started it all that fateful night in Texas.

I remember choosing my place to sit and taking a variety of photos of all of the tablesettings, but once the food came out I almost forgot to take pictures. The very first thing that was brought out was a few large bowls of gazpacho, and I remember looking at it and being surprised at soup on a summer night in Texas. I didn’t realize at first that this soup is served cold. After my first taste, I was sold. It was a simple soup and tasted so fresh. It reminded me of freshly made salsa because of the tomato flavors and fresh herbs and spices, but it was blended into a smooth and tasty soup. It was perfect for that warm summer night and I never forgot that experience. Since then I’ve paid more attention to gazpacho and I’ve seen it made in a variety of ways, however I prefer that smooth, almost creamy texture of the original one I had back in Texas.

Since then I’ve expressed my love of this cold soup to my family. I’ve explained what’s in it and that it’s perfect for summer months, and my family was open to trying it out so I wrote my own recipe for a little bit of a spicier version than what I had that night in Texas. I also swirled in some crème fraîche and added a bit of avocado and Italian parsley to the dish once served and it is perfect. For this spicy gazpacho all you need is tons of fresh ingredients and a good blender to get it smooth. The prep time is only about ten minutes because the blender does most of the work, and then you just chill it for at least an hour. We had a lot left over and I noticed by the next morning the flavor was even better and the cucumber smell really stuck out. If you’re not into spicy, you can always cut out the jalapeno and cayenne and it would still taste amazing! I feel like gazpacho is the perfect soup for August because it’s known to be one of the hottest months and tomatoes are full and ripe. It’s also a great way to use a lot of items from your own garden if you happen to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, garlic or parsley!

Ingredients for Spicy Gazpacho:

1/2 medium red onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 lbs. tomatoes (on the vine)
1 small cucumber, peeled
1 jalapeno, deveined and deseeded
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
1.5 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 slice of Texas Toast, or other thick bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzle
crème fraîche
avocado slices

Directions:

Begin by adding the red onion and garlic to your blender, then adding the red wine vinegar.

Blend until smooth. This allows the onion and garlic to really break up and adding the vinegar early on helps begin these steps with some liquid so it’s easier to blend throughout the process.

Next add all the tomatoes, seeds included. I roughly chop all the veggies up in order to make the blending process easier.

Then add the cucumbers..

…and finally the jalapenos. I did take the seeds out of these, but you can leave them in if you want even more of a kick!

Blend again until mostly smooth.

Now add the bell pepper, Italian parsley, and spices.

Don’t forget the slivered almonds! This gives it a bit of a nuttier taste and a lot of depth.

Then add your bread, tearing it apart first. The bread also helps thicken the soup just a bit, I know it sounds funny but TRUST ME!

Blend it all together until smooth as possible.

Then add the olive oil and pulse for just a few seconds.

Store and cover, then chill at least an hour. Preferably overnight. This does make a lot of soup, so no worries! You can try it in an hour, then try again the next day and be as surprised as me how it continues to taste fresher and the flavors intensify.

Serve in a pretty bowl.

Swirl in some crème fraîche and a few drops of olive oil then add a few slices of avocado.

Add some parsley for garnish and serve!

This is a perfect way to enjoy lunch on the warm patio or as a light dinner. You can even serve this as a side dish in place of the traditional salad. In Texas we had scooped it into little teacups for our appetizer before our main dish, but the gazpacho can be the star too. Add some crunchy bread and you’re set!

Enjoy!

Spicy Gazpacho

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 9 cups

Serving Size: 1-2 cups

Spicy Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a summertime staple for August, but this smooth and spicy gazpacho is one you absolutely must try!

Ingredients

1/2 medium red onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 lbs. tomatoes (on the vine)
1 small cucumber, peeled
1 jalapeno, deveined and deseeded
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
1.5 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 slice of Texas Toast, or other thick bread
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzle
crème fraîche
avocado slices

Instructions

Begin by adding the red onion and garlic to your blender, then adding the red wine vinegar.
Blend until smooth. This allows the onion and garlic to really break up and adding the vinegar early on helps begin these steps with some liquid so it's easier to blend throughout the process.
Next add all the tomatoes, seeds included. I roughly chop all the veggies up in order to make the blending process easier.
Then add the cucumbers..
...and finally the jalapenos. I did take the seeds out of these, but you can leave them in if you want even more of a kick!
Blend again until mostly smooth.
Now add the bell pepper, Italian parsley, and spices.
Don't forget the slivered almonds! This gives it a bit of a nuttier taste and a lot of depth.
Then add your bread, tearing it apart first. The bread also helps thicken the soup just a bit, I know it sounds funny but TRUST ME!
Blend it all together until smooth as possible.
Then add the olive oil and pulse for just a few seconds.
Store and cover, then chill at least an hour. Preferably overnight. This does make a lot of soup, so no worries! You can try it in an hour, then try again the next day and be as surprised as me how it continues to taste fresher and the flavors intensify.
Serve in a pretty bowl.
Swirl in some crème fraîche and a few drops of olive oil then add a few slices of avocado.
Add some parsley for garnish and serve!
This is a perfect way to enjoy lunch on the warm patio or as a light dinner. You can even serve this as a side dish in place of the traditional salad. In Texas we had scooped it into little teacups for our appetizer before our main dish, but the gazpacho can be the star too. Add some crunchy bread and you're set!
Enjoy!

Notes

***prep time does not include the one hour chill time!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/08/spicy-gazpacho/

What are some of your favorites hot weather dishes?

Quick Recipe Ideas: Finger Foods for Dinner

March 26, 2015 by MamaHarris 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are mine alone. #WeekNightHero #CollectiveBias

Years ago, in my single mom days, Campbell’s soups were my mealtime lifesavers. I loved grabbing a can of cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup and essentially making the recipe on the back of the can. All you needed was some chicken, rice and cheese and you had a super easy meal that looked more complicated than it was. It was perfect for me, because I really didn’t do much cooking back then and it gave me the confidence to continue to try new things and new recipes. So when I noticed that Campbell’s had a line of Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking, I was all over it willing to try some new recipes and also show my older kids around the kitchen with easy ways to fix something fun and simple.

Of course when I think of cooking with soup, my first thought is either slow cooker recipes or a casserole of some sort. I really wanted to make something just as fun as it is easy, so I thought I’d come up with some quick recipes for finger foods that would make for fun weeknight meals. Something that would be filling enough for dinner, but for those really busy nights when you’re on the go, driving to practice or picking kids up from a midweek game these foods could literally be eaten on the go. So even though they might look like they take a lot of effort, they are super simple and also pretty filling.

My premise was simple. I had a bag of frozen chicken, some wonton wrappers, and a few boxes of Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking. This was definitely fun and showed me that you don’t need to make a casserole for a quick family meal and Campbell’s. The Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking have a ton of flavor that creates such a wonderful base for any meal.

For my first meal I decided to create little cups using wonton wrappers and a muffin pan. The Mexican Style Tomato Soup flavor was perfect with some cubed chicken to create little chicken taco cups. All I needed was some cheese and any additional ingredients I had on hand. I went truly tex mex and just added pimentos and mixed up a little sauce to dab on top, but you can easily switch it up by adding or replacing the current ingredients with corn, green onions, olives or anything else you like. This is a great quick recipe base to create your own type of taco cups and it’s a simple to make it a complete meal by adding some beans and/or rice on the side!

For my next quick recipe I wanted to create little wonton bites with a creamy center, almost reminiscent of a pot pie filling. The Savory Portabello Mushroom soup was a delicious creamy base and I added simple vegetable ingredients I had on hand with some shredded chicken. You can save even more time on this recipe by deep frying the bites instead of baking them, and I also had about half the filling left that I just served over rice and it was so delicious. You can replace or add more vegetable like peas, sun dried tomatoes or even replacing the chicken with sausage. The ideas are endless, and really both of these recipes are great for what’s already in your kitchen, which is how I made them up. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Ingredients for Chicken Taco Wonton Cups:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
garlic powder
lemon pepper
cumin
1/4 cup Campbell’s Soups for Easy Meals Mexican Style Tomato Soup
cooking spray
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
1/4 teaspoon dry cilantro

Ingredients for Creamy Avocado Dip

1/4 medium avocado
1-2 teaspoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce

Directions for Chicken Taco Wonton Cups with Creamy Avocado Dip:

Begin by cubing up the chicken, melting butter in a large skillet and browning the chicken over medium/low heat. Add just a dash of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper and cumin and cook until almost golden.

Add the Campbell’s Soup for Easy Cooking Mexican Style Tomato Soup.

Continue to cook over medium/low heat until evenly mixed with the chicken and heated through.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a muffin pan with 12 cups, spray evenly with a non stick cooking spray. Spoon the chicken into the “cups”, then top with cheese.

Evenly spoon the pimentos over and sprinkle lightly with the dry cilantro.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the corners of the wonton cups are golden.

Mix the sauce together and serve with the cups.

Lightly spoon a dab of the sauce over each cup.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wonton Bites:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
smoked paprika
dried basil
small peels of one small carrot
1/2 cup chopped spinach
4 ounces cream cheese
1 package Campbell’s Soups for Easy Meals Savory Portabello Mushroom Soup
wonton wrappers
water
cooking spray

Directions:

Begin by heating olive oil on medium/low in a large skillet. Season each side of the chicken pieces and place in skillet to brown, turning on each side for even cooking.

Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, begin to shred it apart with two forks.

Add the carrots and spinach, stir together lightly until spinach is wilted.

Add the Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking Savory Portabello Mushroom soup to the skillet.

Stir it all together, keeping the heat on medium/low.

Add the cream cheese and stir until it has melted and the mixture is creamy and thick.

If you’re baking the wonton bites, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay out the wonton wrappers, only a few at a time, on a well sprayed surface. Spoon in small teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the center of the wrapper.

Wet the edges of the wrappers with dabs of water, and pinch closed. I prefer bringing all the corners up into a triangle, as pictured, but the packaging for the wrappers shows other methods of wrapping as well.

Spray all sides of the wontons with non stick cooking spray and bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden.

Remove from pan and let cool.

Serve over greens for a pretty platter or with a salad for a round meal. If you don’t use all of the filling, it’s great with some white rice.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Finger Foods

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy Chicken Finger Foods

Keep dinner fun! Here's some quick recipe ideas on ways to use chicken and minimal ingredients for maximum flavor in easy finger foods for dinnertime.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken Taco Wonton Cups:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
garlic powder
lemon pepper
cumin
1/4 cup Campbell's Soups for Easy Meals Mexican Style Tomato Soup
cooking spray
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
1/4 teaspoon dry cilantro

Ingredients for Creamy Avocado Dip

1/4 medium avocado
1-2 teaspoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce

Ingredients for Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wonton Bites:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
smoked paprika
dried basil
small peels of one small carrot
1/2 cup chopped spinach
4 ounces cream cheese
1 package Campbell's Soups for Easy Meals Savory Portabello Mushroom Soup
wonton wrappers
water
cooking spray

Instructions

Directions for Chicken Taco Wonton Cups with Creamy Avocado Dip:

Begin by cubing up the chicken, melting butter in a large skillet and browning the chicken over medium/low heat. Add just a dash of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper and cumin and cook until almost golden.
Add the Campbell's Soup for Easy Cooking Mexican Style Tomato Soup.
Continue to cook over medium/low heat until evenly mixed with the chicken and heated through.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a muffin pan with 12 cups, spray evenly with a non stick cooking spray. Spoon the chicken into the "cups", then top with cheese.
Evenly spoon the pimentos over and sprinkle lightly with the dry cilantro.
Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the corners of the wonton cups are golden.
Mix the sauce together and serve with the cups.
Lightly spoon a dab of the sauce over each cup.
Enjoy!

Directions for Creamy Mushroom Chicken Wonton Bites:

Begin by heating olive oil on medium/low in a large skillet. Season each side of the chicken pieces and place in skillet to brown, turning on each side for even cooking.
Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, begin to shred it apart with two forks.
Add the carrots and spinach, stir together lightly until spinach is wilted.
Add the Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking Savory Portabello Mushroom soup to the skillet.
Stir it all together, keeping the heat on medium/low.
Add the cream cheese and stir until it has melted and the mixture is creamy and thick.
If you're baking the wonton bites, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay out the wonton wrappers, only a few at a time, on a well sprayed surface. Spoon in small teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the center of the wrapper.
Wet the edges of the wrappers with dabs of water, and pinch closed. I prefer bringing all the corners up into a triangle, as pictured, but the packaging for the wrappers shows other methods of wrapping as well.
Spray all sides of the wontons with non stick cooking spray and bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden.
Remove from pan and let cool.
creamy mushroom chicken wonton bites #weeknighthero #ad #cbias - Mama Harris' KitchenServe over greens for a pretty platter or with a salad for a round meal. If you don't use all of the filling, it's great with some white rice.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/03/quick-recipe-ideas-finger-foods-dinner/

What are some of your favorite finger foods? Have you ever cooked with Campbell’s Soups?

I’m really in love with these little packages of Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking. I actually picked up one in each flavor at my local Walmart because they all looked so good. You can find them right there in the soup aisle tucked away with the other soups. Pay close attention, because these little packages are smaller than they look, they are actually about the same size in height as the average can of Campbell’s Soups!

Click here for a coupon for $.75 off any 1 (ONE) package of Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking in any flavor at Walmart I’d love to hear what you would be interested in creating with them! You can also find more recipes using Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking to get inspired, or you can see what they’re sharing on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Harvest Season Chicken Noodle Soup

October 7, 2013 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

There’s one place I can always depend on finding some fresh produce, and that is at Save Mart Supermarkets. I love browsing their produce department and am delighted when there’s awesome sales and great deals on seasonal items. I know that it’s all I talk about on here, but I’m practically obsessed with Fall recipes. Last year I posted two pumpkin recipes, and they were both breads. Actually one was bread, and one was muffins but they were essentially the same recipe. Of course, when pumpkin season rolls around my first thought is baking. When I saw these beautiful pumpkins on display while shopping at Save Mart I had an entirely different idea in store. Along with pumpkins of every size there were also some fabulous seasonal squashes on sale as well, so I decided on purchasing a butternut squash and trying my hand at a delicious Fall themed soup. There’s nothing like a warm and hearty soup during this time of year, and squash epitomizes the harvest season flavors.

I decided to combine the butternut squash and the pumpkin, roasting them to bring out all of that sweet flavor, then pureeing them and creating a soup. I love Fall soups, and this is a take on the classic chicken noodle soup, but reworking it with Autumn squash flavors, adding some pretty Fall colored vegetables and beans, and serving with some warm, crisp, buttery bread.

Do you know the many health benefits of pumpkin? It’s low calorie, high fiber, rich in vitamin A and is high in antioxidants. We all are familiar with pumpkin pie or other delicious pumpkin treats this time of year, but it’s wonderful to incorporate into healthy and delicious meals. I enhanced the flavors of the squash with coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some curry, among other things. Don’t worry, if you’re not a curry lover you can leave it out, and if you’re a vegetarian you can leave out the chicken too. This recipe has a light sweet flavor, but there’s a nice kick to it that I enjoy. I served this dish with whole wheat pasta, making it the ultimate healthy comfort food! This recipe creates a lot of soup, we’re freezing half and still have a ton of leftovers! If you have a smaller family or don’t want quite this much food you can halve the recipe, or even quarter it!

Ingredients:

2/3 medium pumpkin, deseeded and diced into 2 inch wedges with skin on
1 medium butternut squash, deseeded and diced into 2 inch wedges with skin on
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 medium bell pepper, cut into small strips
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced then cut in half
2-1/2 cups sweet corn
1 can black beans, drained and well rinsed
3 cups shredded chicken thigh meat
juice of one lime
2 pounds rotini, cooked and drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut open the pumpkin and butternut squash, removing the seeds. Cut pieces about two inches big and toss into a roasting pan with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Be sure to toss it around a few times, then roast in the oven about 55 minutes or until tender. About halfway through the cooking time, mix around the squash so all sides get roasted evenly.

Once done roasting, let cool then scrape skin off roasted flesh.

Combine pumpkin, butternut squash, coconut milk, warmed coconut oil (1/4 cup) and vegetable broth.

If you have an immersion blender place ingredients in a large pot and blend, otherwise you can place in a blender and blend until pureed. My blender holds nine cups and I had to do it in batches.

After the first batch, I added all of the spices to the puree (curry, cumin, dry cilantro, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, ginger, pepper) and blend until smooth and mixed.

Once each batch is blended, pour the puree through a mesh sieve to ensure smoothness.

Warm over medium-low heat, add sherry then reduce to a low simmer covered.

Keep over heat for close to an hour while you prepare the rest of the soup ingredients.

In a large saucepan heat the other two tablespoons of coconut oil.

Add chopped shallot and red pepper flakes and saute until shallots are soft.

Add bell pepper and carrots, saute until fragrant and softened a bit.

Add corn, black beans and shredded chicken, then squeeze lime juice over.

Continue to saute another 4-5 minutes.

Combine rotini with chicken and veggie mixture, then pour pureed mixture over.

Mix until well combined.and serve with crusty, buttery bread.

Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite fresh finds from Save Mart?

For more ideas, visit them on Pinterest!

Ham, Potato, Corn & Cheese Chowder with Fried Shallots

January 12, 2013 by MamaHarris 6 Comments

I love a good hearty soup after the holidays are over. You eat so much heavy foods, sweets, and appetizers that once the new year arrives you’re ready for something new. Most people have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, and soups are great for that as well. Since it’s also still so cold out, soup hits the spot just right and warms you up from the inside.

I love a good chowder. Corn chowder and clam chowder are some of my all time favorite comforting soups. So while this ham and corn chowder may not help you with your new year’s resolution to eat healthy, it will warm you from your head to your toes! Perfect for the end of winter months!
When I made this for my family, they couldn’t get enough and it was gone, quickly!

One tip with this recipe, is always keep the heat as low as possible, you don’t want to cook your chowder at too high of a heat or it will begin to separate!

Chowder Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
4 tablespoons flour
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups ham, cubed
3 cups corn, divided
1-1/2 cups milk, divided
3 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

Fried Shallot Garnish Ingredients:

2 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin
1 teaspoon flour
canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven saute the onion, garlic, celery, and yellow pepper with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine over medium heat.

Once the vegetable are soft and the onion has a transparent look to it, sprinkle with flour and stir quickly until flour is golden and shiny in appearance, then immediately bring heat to a low temperature.
Do this step quickly, so the flour doesn’t burn!

Immediately add the chicken broth and stir to combine.

Add in your potatoes and simmer on medium low until they soften.
You can precook the potatoes to speed this process up.

While the potatoes are simmering with the broth and veggies, take 1/2 cup of milk and 1 cup of corn and puree it in a blender.

Once the potatoes have softened, add the puree milk & corn. Stir to combine.

Add the cubed ham, and mix.

Add the remaining 2 cups of corn and stir in.

Stir in the butter and cheese until they melt, then add the chopped parsley.
Mix well.

Now add the spices and stir thoroughly.
Heat through and let simmer until the chowder is thickened to your liking.

Slice up the shallots for garnish, then carefully take the pieces apart and place them in a bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon of flour and gently toss the shallots in the flour until coated well.

In a frying pan heat a few tablespoons of canola oil, and gently fry the shallots just until golden.

Remove from heat and place on a dry paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and let cool.

Serve chowder and garnish with fried shallots, shredded cheese, pepper, paprika and a sprig of parsley.

Yummy chowder!

Enjoy!

New Year’s Day Black eyed Peas

January 1, 2013 by MamaHarris 6 Comments

Happy New Year!!! I’m planning on making 2013 the best year yet!! We have a lot of plans for our family, our home, and this blog. I’m excited to see what’s to come!

This New Year’s Eve we spent at home with the kids. We rolled in the New Year with homemade noisemakers and pots and pans, dancing and singing. The kids stayed up, even the little ones, and I cooked my way into the New Year. Would you expect anything less?

All evening this slow cooked black eyed pea soup was cooking away, and we were all looking forward to our new tradition of eating lucky foods upon the arrival of the New Year. We started this tradition last New Year’s, and while nothing is perfect we definitely had a better year than years past. So we decided to continue it, and see how our “luck” turns out!

I’m a born and bred California girl, and my husband is Midwest born, but California raised. We both have deep roots both in the Midwest and Southern states and we love some Southern cooking. If you’ve been reading up on here for a while now, I’m sure you’ve seen that influence. The New Year’s Day “lucky” foods is no exception.

There are a few foods that are considered to be lucky if you eat them on New Year’s Day;

Pork is considered lucky, because when the pig eats he “roots forward” which would signify progress. The pig is typically portly, which means abundance.
Fish are also lucky, because they swim forward (progress again) and their scales are similar to small coins which means money.
Cooked greens (spinach, collard/mustard greens, cabbage, kale, etc) when cooked look like folded money, which would mean money and prosperity.
Long noodles equal a long life. So don’t cut them, eat them long!
Peas, lentils, and beans all swell (or grow) when they cook and are likened to coins, which means good fortune and luck.
Some traditions eat 12 grapes at midnight, one grape for every month of the year. If you get a bitter grape that could mean that particular month will be a tough one.

There are also some foods that are considered to be unlucky if you eat them on New Year’s Day. Foods like Lobster are considered unlucky because they move backwards as they eat. Chicken and other fowl are considered unlucky because they scratch for their food. Who wants to scratch for their food for the year?

Some examples of good recipes for New Year’s Day in addition to this dish are Slow Cooked Pork Roast, Sweet Potato Pie, Sweet Cornbread, Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Garlicky Bread Crumbs, and Baked Tilapia Packets.

Anyway, a lot of these are cultural traditions and superstitions. But I figure who couldn’t use a little boost in their good luck in the New Year? Of course, if there’s food involved I don’t mind trying something new either! What are your New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day traditions?

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1 vegetable bullion
16 ounces dry black eyed peas, rinsed and dried
4 slices uncooked bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 cups diced ham
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 can original rotel tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups chopped fresh greens (spinach, mustard/collard, kale – I used kale this time)

Directions:

First rinse all the dried peas and pick out any brown ones. Place in slow cooker with water and bullion.
I like to heat my slow cooker as I’m prepping everything, so place the slow cooker on high.

In a skillet, cook the bacon about halfway. Just till the color changes, but not till crispy.
Reserve the bacon grease and place the bacon on a paper towel to cool.

Saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper in the bacon grease until vegetable are soft.

Break the bacon up into little pieces and stir into the slow cooker with the cooked veggies and cubed ham.

Add the spices, honey, and jalapeño and the can of rotel.
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high, then 2 hours on low.

Stir in chopped greens, cover and cook on low an additional 30 minutes until greens are soft.

The soup will be hot, so let stand a bit before serving.

Serve with cornbread and a southern style hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Turkey Noodle Soup

November 25, 2012 by MamaHarris 15 Comments

As far back as I can remember, I can recall my parents using the leftover turkey to make a turkey soup each year after Thanksgiving. I never got a recipe or anything from them, but it just seemed like the customary thing to do, and I’ve continued the tradition with my own family. Through the years I just sort of created my own technique and recipe, so if there’s a faster or easier way to do any of this, by all means be my guest!

After all those heavy Thanksgiving dishes, this soup seems like the perfect alternative leftover. It’s light and flavorful, but the ingredients and herbs still have strong ties to the holiday season. I just got done making this today, and my daughter has already had 3 bowls!

Ingredients:

leftover turkey carcass, with most of the meat cut off
about 7 liters water
2 tablespoons salt
1 large yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
4 medium carrots
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I use Old Bay)
12 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles

Directions:

Cut all the meat off your turkey. Place leftover bone pieces in a large stockpot.

Fill the pot with water, enough to cover all the bones.
We had a 15 pound turkey, and I used about 7 liters of water to cover it.
Pour in about 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for about 8 hours.

After about 8-9 hours, all the little pieces of meat, fat, and skin will have fallen off the bone.
Turn off the stove, and let the turkey and broth cool for 1-2 hours.

Once cooled, place a strainer in a large bowl, and carefully pour the stockpot into the strainer, slowly.
Keep the bowl of broth, leave in the bowl and let cool. Clean and dry your stockpot.

While broth is cooling, empty the turkey pieces out of the strainer one by one.
Toss the bones in a bowl to discard.

Once the meat is off the bone, shred the pieces by hand, and drop back into the stockpot.

Mine still had a good amount of meat, it doesn’t look like it but my pot was 1/3 full of shredded turkey.

By this point the broth should be cooled down and the fat should have risen to the top.
Get a flat spoon and remove the filmy top layer that has formed.
Then spoon the broth with a ladle through a mesh strainer over the shredded turkey.
This will ensure you won’t have any tiny bones that get into your soup.

Once the broth is in the pot with the shredded turkey, turn the heat back on the stove and cook, uncovered, on high. Bringing the soup to a boil.
While the pot is warming up, chop up your onion.
First quarter it, then cut it into slices. Drop the slices into the soup.

Mince the garlic, and drop that in too.

Now halve (or quarter) the carrots, then slice them. Drop them into the soup.

Halve, then slice the celery. Add it to the soup.

Chop up the parsley, then add to the soup.

By now the broth should be boiling or almost boiling. Add the seasonings. Bring to a rolling boil, cover and lower the heat to simmer for about 2 hours, until vegetables are soft.

Once the broth has had a chance to simmer with the seasonings, add in the uncooked egg noodles.
Once again turn it back up to boil, then simmer and cover for about 20 minutes.

After about 20 minutes, the noodles should be soft but not overcooked.
Remove from heat, cool, then serve.

Perfectly paired with saltines and a glass of wine. Enjoy!

Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients

leftover turkey carcass, with most of the meat cut off
about 7 liters water
2 tablespoons salt
1 large yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
4 medium carrots
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I use Old Bay)
12 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles

Instructions

Cut all the meat off your turkey. Place leftover bone pieces in a large stockpot.
Fill the pot with water, enough to cover all the bones.
We had a 15 pound turkey, and I used about 7 liters of water to cover it.
Pour in about 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for about 8 hours.
After about 8-9 hours, all the little pieces of meat, fat, and skin will have fallen off the bone.
Turn off the stove, and let the turkey and broth cool for 1-2 hours.
Once cooled, place a strainer in a large bowl, and carefully pour the stockpot into the strainer, slowly.
Keep the bowl of broth, leave in the bowl and let cool. Clean and dry your stockpot.
While broth is cooling, empty the turkey pieces out of the strainer one by one.
Toss the bones in a bowl to discard.
Once the meat is off the bone, shred the pieces by hand, and drop back into the stockpot.
Mine still had a good amount of meat, it doesn't look like it but my pot was 1/3 full of shredded turkey.
By this point the broth should be cooled down and the fat should have risen to the top.
Get a flat spoon and remove the filmy top layer that has formed.
Then spoon the broth with a ladle through a mesh strainer over the shredded turkey.
This will ensure you won't have any tiny bones that get into your soup.
Once the broth is in the pot with the shredded turkey, turn the heat back on the stove and cook, uncovered, on high. Bringing the soup to a boil.
While the pot is warming up, chop up your onion.
First quarter it, then cut it into slices. Drop the slices into the soup.
Mince the garlic, and drop that in too.
Now halve (or quarter) the carrots, then slice them. Drop them into the soup.
Halve, then slice the celery. Add it to the soup.
Chop up the parsley, then add to the soup.
By now the broth should be boiling or almost boiling. Add the seasonings. Bring to a rolling boil, cover and lower the heat to simmer for about 2 hours, until vegetables are soft.
Once the broth has had a chance to simmer with the seasonings, add in the uncooked egg noodles.
Once again turn it back up to boil, then simmer and cover for about 20 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, the noodles should be soft but not overcooked.
Remove from heat, cool, then serve.
Perfectly paired with saltines and a glass of wine. Enjoy!

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