Category Archives: Soups

Feb19

BLT Wraps & Cheesy Soup!

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BLT Wraps & Cheesy Soup!

Everyone is about “easy”, especially when it comes to feeding thier family. Tonights dinner was no exception. I was tired and would have been happy making PB&J sandwiches. I was able to get motivated however, and prepared this easy meal that went over quite well.

I recently saw a recipe at on myrecipes for BLT wraps, printed it, and added it to my dinner list. The next day, I came across the same recipe at recipegirl.com. An omen? Probably not, but her “lightened recipe” was more enticing to me, and it will become a regular in our house. This is a simple 5 ingredient recipe that can easily be adapted to include just about any ingredient.

BLT Wraps

from RecipeGirl

  • 1 cup light mayonnaise
  • ½ cup dried tomatoes in oil, drained well & chopped
  • Eight (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped (I only used about half)
  • 16 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Combine mayonnaise & tomatoes in a small bowl. Spread evenly over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle lettuce & bacon evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roll up tortillas tightly; cut in half diagonally, and secure each half with a pick.

Yield: 16 half-sandwich wraps

Source: Adapted from Southern Living

 

To go with the wraps, I use a 3 ingredient soup that was also a hit with the family. Even better, my teenage daughter, who has a great dislike for carrots, had no idea they were even in the soup. (That is until she reads this post!) This is a Kraft / Velveeta recipe that is quick and tasty, and gets a serving of vegetables in one bowl. The only thing I added was some bacon that was extra from the wraps and 1 tablespoon of corn starch to thicken the soup. Next time I will use 2 bags of vegetables.

 

 Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

 Ingredients: 

  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend
  • 2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ lb.(12 oz.) VELVEETA (2% Milk) Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

 

Directions:

Place vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

Mash vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency. (I used an immersion blender). Stir in Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until cheese is melted and soup is heated through, stirring frequently. Note: If you want a simple soup recipe, this is it, or, it is a great base for any fabulous soup. Try adding potatoes, corn, other vegetable…the possibilities are endless!

Per serving: 1 Cup – Reduced fat version (From Kraft’s website)

Calories  170, Total fat  6 g, Cholesterol  40 mg, Sodium  1170 mg, Carbohydrate  10 g, Dietary fiber  2 g, Sugars  6 g, Protein  15 g

Nov29

Thanksgiving Ham, Take Two

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Thanksgiving Ham, Take Two
Split Pea & Ham Soup

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Refrigerator full of Thanksgiving leftovers? Here’s a great recipe to empty some space…
 
My mother-in-law is appointed annually to provide the ham for holiday meals. I don’t know if it is just her touch or something about her aged oven, but this ham is like no other. As a matter of fact, the first thing my kids ask is “Is Grandma bring the ham?”. This year she brought this amazing spiral cut ham. It was not only beautiful, but quite an impact to the taste buds. It was also huge. With only nine of us dining, there were a lot of leftovers to disperse. In years past we always disposed of the ham bone, but this year I decided to keep it and save it for some post Thanksgiving soup. So here you have it, my own rendition of Split Pea & Ham Soup. Not the prettiest dish to look at, but it makes for a fantastic hearty fall meal.
 
Ingredients: 
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 ham bone, (leave some ham on bone)
  • 16 oz. bag of split peas, rinsed and picked through
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 large potato
  • Seasonings if desired (or even needed)
  • Additional ham, diced
Directions:
 
In a small pan coated with cooking spray, saute the onion until clear. Meanwhile, place ham bone in large stock pot and cover with water. Note, don’t add more than 5 quarts or your soup will be too thin (I learned this the hard way, I’ll add less next time – still great taste though). Add the peas and cooked onions and bring to a boil. Dice the potatoes and carrots and add to the pot. Reduce heat to low – medium for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the peas begin to “dissolve”. This will probably take an hour or so. Now add your leftover ham chunks - At this point I broke out my wonderful Cuisinart immersion blender and lightly blended the mixture – making sure to leave some chunks.
 
Serve to your loving appreciative family… oh, and if you can get your kids to eat something with a shocking green color, let me know. Mine wanted no part of it. Their Grandma’s wonderful ham had been exploited. Sounds like PB&J for them.
 
My soup did not need any seasoning, as the ham provides plenty of sodium (and arteriosclerosis).
 
 
Nov19

Baked Potatoes, Take Two

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Baked Potatoes, Take Two

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One of the few meals that please all six members of my house is “load your own” baked potatoes. It is a great comfort food that can be used as a side or a main dish. When I serve them as a meal I offer add ins like chili, broccoli & cheese, sour cream, bacon, shredded cheese and more… I also bake a few extra in order to make this hearty comfort food – Baked Potato Soup. The original recipe is a Kraft foods classic. When I make the soup, I don’t necessarily follow all of the ingredients or measurements, but rather adapt the soup to what I have on hand, and to taste… Here is the base recipe that I use: (I would post a link, but I cannot find it posted on their site anymore).

Bacon & Baked Potato Soup(Adapted from Kraftfoods.com)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery or green pepper, chopped
  • 14 ounces chicken broth from can or home made
  • 1 1/4 cups milk – I use half milk, half heavy cream (bring to room temperature)
  • 3 – 4 baked potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 8 slices cooked crispy bacon, crumbled and divided
  • 3/4 cup Cheddar Classic Melts cheese (or shredded)
  • 2 tbsp green onion slices, divided (optional, I use only if I have them on hand)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • Shredded Cheese for topping

Directions:

In large saucepan or dutch oven, saute onion and peppers with butter until the vegetables are tender, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Slightly crush some the potatoes with the back of a spoon (I use an immersion blender). Add milk and continue to simmer about five more minutes, stirring often. (Add 1 Tbsp cornstarch or flour if the soup is not thick enough for your taste). Reserve 2 Tbsp each of the bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp green onion. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onion into soup, stirring until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Top with remaining cheese, bacon, onion and desired amount of sour cream.

Makes about 6 servings, 1 cup each.

Serve with fresh baked biscuits or bread-sticks. Goes great with a cold,  blustery day. Mmmm

*Note, I ususally double this recipe and adapt to our tastes. And if I feel like the kids haven’t had enough veggies for the day, I will throw in some broccoli or corn.