Soups Around the World!

Last week I had a cooking Event at one of our stores, my sponsor was College Inn Broth.

Plus I wanted to add some seasoning from a local company that is exclusive in our stores, Colonel De’s Seasonings.

So here are the soups that I did and the recipes, I hope you will enjoy and make them 🙂

Irish Garlic Potato Soup

Irish Garlic Potato Soup

• Servings: 6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

2.25 lb. Klondike Goldust Potatoes, sliced
.75 lb. sweet onion, sliced
3 – 14.5 oz. cans College Inn Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. butter4 tsp. Colonel De’s Garlic Goodness
1 cup half and half
½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste

In stockpot add butter and onions, cook over med-high heat for about 5 minutes.
Add sliced potatoes, onions and chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add Garlic Goodness and cook until potatoes are tender.
Remove from heat, with an immersion blender blend until smooth or leave a little chunky.  If using a blender, blend in batches, just make sure the center of the blend lid is removed, place a towel over top of the lid.
Once blended add back to pot, add salt and add half and half, warm on low and serve.
Optional – Add onions straws and chives for a garnish.

Paired with Guiness Draught Beer

Mexican Pozole Soup

Mexican Pozole

• Servings: 6
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

2 – 15.5 oz. cans hominy
3-4 – 14.5 oz. cans College Inn Beef Broth
3-4 cups shredded pork
3 tsp. Colonel De’s Chipotle Seasoning

Add to a large stock pot broth, hominy, pork and seasonings, bring to a boil and serve with garnishes below:

Shredded cabbage
Radish slices
Chopped onion
Chopped hot peppers
Avocado slices
Lime wedges
Tortilla chips
Chopped Cilantro

Paired with Negra Modelo Beer

 

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon & Chicken Soup)

Avgolemono

• Servings: 6
• Time: 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

64 oz. College Inn Chicken Broth
Shredded chicken breast from whole chicken
2 tsp. Colonel De’s Greek Seasonings
1 cup instant rice
4 eggs
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
¼ – ½ cup lemon juice, per your taste
salt to taste

In a large stock pot over med-high heat bring broth to a boil, covered, then add rice, chicken and seasonings, cover and reduce to low until rice is cooked.
In a medium bowl add water and cornstarch and whisk, then add eggs and beat until completely blended, whisk in lemon juice.  Take 4 cups of the hot soup and slowly add to the egg mixture while whisking constantly so that the mixture will not break.  Stir mixture into the rest of the soup.  Season to taste and serve immediately, garnish each bowl with a lemon slice and a few baby spinach leaves.

Paired with Leffe Beer

 

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Soup, this picture was taken before broth was added)

 

Pho Bo

• Servings: 6
• Time: 3hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

8-10 cups College Inn Beef broth
1 Colonel De’s Pho soup pouch
1 pkg. rice noodles
sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced, kept raw

Green onions, tops thinly slice
fresh cilantro leaves

Add broth and pho pouch to a medium pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 3 hours.

Cook rice noodles as directed and drain.  Place portion of noodles in a large individual soup bowls, sprinkle of green onions and cilantro leaves.

Top that with a few thin slices of raw sirloin, set bowls aside.

Make each garnish plate with below

Bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves, hot sliced peppers, some sriracha and hoisin sauce.

Before serving bring broth up to almost a boil, ladle broth in to your bowls.  And add garnishes to your bowl as you wish. 

Paired with Kirin Ichiban Beer

Hope you Enjoy!!!  Cheers – Chef Amy!!

Happy 2016!! How about some Soup!!

Yes I am still Alive!!! 😛

I know, I know I have not blogged in forever, but I have been very busy with work and other things.

Plus I don’t cook up a ton of things for me on a daily basis, and when I do cook for my family I am so busy doing multiple things that I forget to take pictures, and if I do I don’t often have a lot of time to blog it all out.  So I am sorry for those who care, and I will try harder this upcoming year!!

So this would be something I would not blog about since its just something plan I would come up with, but I thought I just better share this to let everyone know I am still kickin 🙂 LOL

So yesterday on my day off I thought okay you have stuff in the fridge you need to use, so I made Soup.

I call it “Winter Soup” or “What else can I put in this” Soup 🙂 LOL

I also had gotten a four pack of bone-in chicken breast out of the freezer to make some room 😛

Okay so I don’t have a recipe here because really it was a what can I throw into this pot kind of soup.

And I think that is what we all need to think more of when we have things in our fridges that need to be used. Or your pantry, heck if you have can veggies do it, or cans of tomatoes or sauce, what about pasta or rice, your options are endless!!!

So this is what I started with, cabbage, zucchini, carrots and beans.

Chopped it all up and I added about 2 cups of chicken broth(had some left in the fridge), I cooked it in the oven on 325 degrees for 2 hours

then I added about 4 more cups of broth, I love using “better than bullion” soup base, so I had a little beef flavor left scraped that in there and then some Turkey.  Just mix that up with 4 cups of hot water added a onion power and dill.  I love dill in soup, and I love using the tube herbs, I just don’t use fresh herbs quick enough so I do buy some of those tube herbs you can find in your produce dept.  So whisked all that up and poured it right on in.

Cooked at 350 degrees now for about 1 hour, then I added the beans about 4 cups, not that whole jar, mixed, then check for seasonings, I add some crushed celery seed, more tube dill, kosher salt and white pepper.  Back in the oven for 30 minutes.

adding the celery seed and my tube dill 🙂

Like I said I had chicken breast, so I just bought a new kitchen gadget, it was my Christmas present to myself…

Table Top Halogen Oven

 

Now I love it, the first thing I cooked in it was a Steak, a Frozen Steak!!!   Steak (bone-in rib eye) was about 1 inch thick, I took it out of the freezer, salted and peppered each side, and in 25 minutes I had the most perfect medium rare steak…It was delish!!!

Now I know the haters are going to hate, I NOT telling you buy it, this just works for me and I like it 🙂

So I put two of the chicken breast in it and let it go, yes can I use the oven, of course, but I like this and wanted to use it, I can see it cooking and like the easiness 🙂

So here’s my chicken cooking, of course once it was done again I forgot to take pictures…sorry, but it they looked great.

So I shredded some of the chicken

and added it to the soup, and it was done and ready to eat.

I have soup for the next week and I frozen half of it too, I like doing this so its easy to bring out and heat out when you need something quick.

So what do you have in your fridge right now that you can throw into a pot and make your own

“Winter Soup”

Enjoy everyone!!

You Say Tomato I Say Tomahto!!

Tomatoes, who has tomatoes…I DO!!!!!!!!

My Dad’s garden is producing a plenty, his plants are 8 feet tall and going wild!!!

I have a few pictures here from the beginning stages, they are about 5 to almost 6 foot at this point,
my Dad here is growing, leaf lettuce, kale, peppers, cucumbers, onions, green beans, eggplants and of course Tomatoes!!!
There maybe be more he grows but I can remember, I do know he has another patch that asparagus is in and the green house that things grow too…

 

but I just decided to write this blog about tomatoes last night, so I don’t have recent pictures of it 🙂 these picture were about the 2nd week of June

So I have been eating a lot of tomatoes lately, but they have really only been from my Dad’s, I don’t buy them usually, but I do love when I get them from him and his garden.

As anyone knows they just taste better than you can get in the store and it’s really the only eat time I do eat them.
My Mom and Dad will freeze them, stew them, roast them, sauce them, slice them for BLT (which I think they east daily during the summer) and chop them for salads.  Plus whatever else they do with them 🙂

I on the other hand I tend to eat them a little differently 🙂

First I blanch them and remove the skins, I have issues with the skins, that’s all I will say 🙂

Here are a few pictures of ways that I have enjoyed using my Dad’s fresh tomatoes from his garden.

I hope you will enjoy too!!!

Making sauce, in my Vitamix are tomatoes, roasted garlic, some Italian herbs, red pepper flakes and salt.
The Vitamix will also cook it too you let it run about 5-7 minutes and you have hot soup or sauce 🙂

Mixing it all up

 

Freezing some for winter 🙂

Cooking some down too

This is the cherry tomatoes, sauteed with garlic, onions and spinach
tossed with the pasta, then fold in some fresh mozzarella pearls
then a drizzle of some balsamic glaze…Delish!!!!

My all time favorite thing in the world is
Polenta with fresh tomatoes and a poached egg!!!
This is heaven for me!!!

 

another day again…YUMMY!!!

This is my FBT…Fake bacon and tomato 😛

Ran out of the cornmeal to make polenta
So I made couscous instead…Delish too!!!

This was last night’s dinner
tomatoes, roasted garlic tossed with pasta and some fresh mozzarella cubes
I was talking about making this a work…so ladies this is what I made…simple and quick 🙂

Oh and here is the kale and I made some kale chips…very good with a
sprinkle of kosher salt and garlic powder 🙂

 

Here are couple of links of 2 more of my blogs that I used tomatoes in the past
First up is my Tomato Cobbler – this turned out really really good so if you
want something a little different try this recipe.

 Second is Orzo Salad with Basil, Tomato & Feta – I made this at one
of my outdoor cooking classes last year.

Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!!!

What’s next here hopefully sooner than later
my trip to Bourbon Country 🙂

One Lovely Blog Award!!

Recently I was nominated for the “One Lovely Blog Award” by Ka@My Uni Kitchen

Ka has a terffic blog, he has amazing Recipes, How to Guides and Cooking Tips, so please go over to his
blog and check out all those good things he has to offer 🙂

There are few rules to accepting the award you must tell everyone 7 things about yourself and nominate 15 blogs
for the award.

So here we go 🙂

1. I worked on a cruise ship for 6 1/2 years

2. My first career was in Theater Costuming before going into Culinary

4. I love Hockey

5. I worked for our home town Hockey Team by sewing names and numbers on their jerseys

6.  During the baseball season, I am on call for the Cincinnati Reds and the away teams
      that come into town and play the Reds, to sew their uniforms (sewing names & numbers),
      for any last minute call ups.

7.  The most I was ever paid for sewing 1 single uniform for an away team was $100.00
and that was for 1 hour of work, that included the call, me driving to the ball park
(i live very close) getting in there sewing the name and number and then 
      back in my car.  🙂  

Bonus – here’s the picture 🙂

I hope you enjoyed the few things that most of you did not know about me 🙂

 

Here are the blogs that I think are fantastic and I give the “One Lovely Blog Award” too

Suzanne@apuginthekitchen

Gretchen@Feeding My 3 Sons

Ginger@Ginger&Bread

Loretta@Safari of the Mind

Angie@The Novice Gardner

Julie@Hostess At Heart

Michelle@Giraffes Can Bake

Suzi@Beach Blanket Bacon

Jhuls@The Not So Creative Cook

Coco@Crafty Little Coco

Lili@Lili’s Cakes

Max@Dante’s Kitchen

Linda@La Petite Paniere

Ms. Frau@Frugal Hausfrau

Petra@Food Eat Love

Vidya and Chitra I added you as well
I know Ka added you to his blog
but I wanted to let you know I love
your blogs too, so you can consider mine
with his 🙂

Vidya@Traditionally Modern Food

Chitra@Chitra’s Healthy Kitchen

Thank you everyone for checking out my blog!!!

 

 

 

Irish Beer Cheese Soup!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2015!!!

So in honor of today I have my Beer Cheese Soup recipe for you today 🙂

I made this soup a couple of years ago when I did a St. Patrick’s Day Cooking Class, I also served Guinness Mac & Cheese, Guinness Black Lager Irish Stew and Guinness Stout Cake Pops 🙂

We all had a great time and everyone loved the food and of course the beer 😉

So before we get to the recipe for the soup, here is what a few of the people over here at the office look like today dressed in their St. Patty’s Day garb 🙂

First let’s start with the man that was named
after this day… Sir Patrick!!

Here is Connie with her Irish scarf

Janet and Jennifer have their green on 🙂

And Kathie and Heather have their head bobs on 🙂

Kathy in her green

There are the “Meat” guys in green too 🙂

Ann has a head bob too

 

Margie being silly 🙂

 

Here is the advertising girls pretty as ever

And I think Tina wins the prize
as she is all decked out!!!
Her tie lights up too and her head
bob thing does too just can’t tell

 

And this is one of ladies that Demo’s
for us in one of our stores, she Dressed
up for the day too 🙂

 

So what ever you do today enjoy it and have fun and make some soup!! 🙂

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

1 cup onions, grated or finely minced
½ cup celery, grated or finely minced
½ cup flour
1 stick butter
1 bottle Harp Beer
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
16 oz. Sharp cheddar, shredded (Tillamook is what I used)
8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, shredded (Cabot Vintage Choice)
2 cups cream
Cooked bacon for garnish
Green onions (tops only), thinly sliced

In a stock pot over medium heat add butter, onions and celery sauté until softened.  Add flour, whisk and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking often.  Whisk in beer slowly and same with the chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 – 20 minutes.  Then add dry mustard and Worcestershire then add cream while whisking and then cheese a good handful at time until all added keep whisking until smooth and cheese has melted.  Cook for about 10 minutes more. Taste, season with salt and pepper etc., if too thick add more broth, beer or cream, too thin add more cheese.  But nothing extra was needed; garnish each bowl with bacon and green onions.

Let me say the bacon really put this soup over the top, serve with my Harp Beer Bread recipe and you are good to go…Enjoy!!! Cheers!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Here are my Guinness Stout Cake Pops…yummmy!!!

Veggie-Chicken-Chile-Soup!!! Fiesta Friday #53

So here it is Fiesta Friday again and I am joining in again, I want to thank Angie@The Novice Gardener for hosting the Party and her two co-hosts Selma@Selma’s Table and Nancy@Feasting with Friends.

So about a month ago a co-worker (Heather) was telling us that her son is a picky eater, what child is not a picky eater right 🙂

Any way she said that he did not like red chili and thought that he may eat white chili, so a few weeks went by and I saw a slow cooker recipe for the white chili and printed it out for her to try, as far as I know think she said she was going to try it this weekend. 🙂

I hope her son Blake will like it 🙂

I decided to make my own version 😛 hence the word veggie in title.

Now I am not a chili person at all…at ALL!!  So when I thought about this I did want to make it more of a soup instead of a then a chili.

First I after I got a few things from the store, I really just went looking in my pantry and refrigerator for what I could through in it 🙂 and I wanted to use my electric pressure cooker.

Let me just take a minute to talk about the “electric pressure cooker”  I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really really do!! I love making soup in it because it’s like its been cooking all day, and Nancy@Feasting with Friends gave me a recipe for hard cooked eggs that the shells peel off perfectly and I love that!! I also have a macaroni and cheese recipe here you can check out too.  But if you have a chance to buy one I so recommend it for sure 🙂

Okay so here’s my dish

This is what I used – except the spinach in the bag, when I started pulling everything out the fridge, I thought yes I will add spinach but then I didn’t 🙂

 

Pinto beans, chick peas and leftover white beans
in the Vita-mix

Add water and pulse

to get this

 

carrots, zucchini and onion in Vita mix
add water

and this

Add that to my pot and this is my Chicken Base
I use Better than bouillon you can use just broth

added my seasonings, Cumin and Fajita Seasonings

Mix it up

 

added two chicken breasts

 

Time to cook

I put it on the “Stew” setting and increased the time
to 30 minutes then start

DONE!!!

Oh yeah!!!

Pulled out the chicken breast to shred

shred your chicken

add back to the pot

taste for seasonings, I added salt

 

and more of my seasonings

Done!!!  Add a little diced jalapeno and enjoy!!

Veggie Chicken Chile Soup

• Difficulty: easy
• Print

1 bottle of Taco Bell salsa verde
1 can diced green chiles
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed*
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed*
1/2 cup white beans, drained and rinsed*
2 zucchini*
3 carrots*
1 onion*
2 large boneless chicken breast
3-4 tsp. cumin
3-4 tsp. Penzeys Fajita seasonings*
6-8 cups chicken broth*
salt and pepper to taste

To the electric pressure cooker or large stock pot or slow cooker, your choice.
Add salsa and chiles, if you want whole beans then add then whole, if you want it like I did, then blend up with broth or water, the same with the veggies, either diced or blended.

Pour all into your pot, add the seasonings and stir, if using chicken base add this now, if you are using broth add the rest.  I say 6-8 cups because it depends on the size of your cooking choice, the less that is used makes it thicker.
Cook in pressure cooker on “stew” setting for 30 minutes, slow cooker for 4-6 hours on high, and stock pot on stove, bring to almost a boil, the reduce to low for 2 hours or until all is cooked through.

Remove Chicken and shred, return shredded chicken back to pot, taste for seasonings, add salt or pepper, or more seasonings it is up to your tastes.

Serve up with diced jalapeno, tortillas chips or some cheese, its up to you!!  Just grab a mug or bowl full and sit back and enjoy the game this weekend 🙂

*use what ever beans you want, this is just what I had, same with the veggies its just what I had.
I like using chicken base you can use broth instead.  Seasonings from Penzeys the Fajita seasonings that I used had the following in it: salt, black pepper, Turkish oregano, cayenne, garlic, celery seed, basil, nutmeg, marjoram, thyme, Mexican oregano, cumin and rosemary.
You can certainly use any of these seasoning or something close, just check your local store.

Opening Day!!!!!!!!! Go Reds!!

It’s “Opening Day” today for our Baseball Team the Cincinnati Reds!!

So everyone around town and here in our office is proudly wearing Red or their Reds gear and I was trying to think up a recipe that I had that you could put together, forget about it and then watch the game.

Here are some of our ladies in the office…proudly supporting the Reds!! 🙂

So I picked Bratwurst Soup, I made this at one of my cooking classes using Sam Adams beer, everyone loved it 🙂

It was using the slow cooker, which will be perfect to have cooking before or during the game and what’s better than Brats, Beer, Baseball and Cheese 😛

But before we get to that here’s video to get you into the baseball mood 😎

 

Bratwurst Soup

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 4-8hrs
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

1 cup onion, chopped
4 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup carrots, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. dry mustard
12 oz. Beer, whatever your drinking
14-16 oz. Stadium Style Bratwurst
1/2 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Add onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes to your slow cooker, sprinkle in the seasonings and give a stir, then add broth and beer.  Cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours.

Meanwhile if you are using the cooked bratwursts then just slice into 1/2 inch pieces and saute them in a skillet to brown them on both sides.  If you are using fresh you can do 1 or 2 things, cook them whole in the skillet browning them on all sides, or cut the casings off and pinch the meat into bite size pieces and cook them.

Once the done then just put the Bratwurst into the soup and continue to cook.

In the last 30 minutes of the cooking, remove 2 cups of the soup liquid a large saucepan over medium heat, sprinkle in the flour whisking the whole time, whisk in cream, then whisk in cheese adding a handful at a time until smooth.  Stir cheese mixture into the soup stirring well to fully combine, cover and finish cooking.

Enjoy!!

Sorry no pictures, usually when I have classes I don’t have time to take pictures 😦

 

 

Sunshine Award

Some people that follow me may not know that there are Blogger Awards, well I was nominated for the Sunshine Award

There are various Awards that you can nominated for, about a year ago I as nominated for the Inspiring Blog Award and I never did anything with it and I feel bad, so this time I am acting on it 🙂

I was nominated for this award by Clarissa from http://dishingitoutwithclarissa.com/

I can’t remember how I stumbled upon Clarissa’s blog but I really loved it when I first saw it, I love that she posts great recipes and her wonderful helpful posts on Amazing Food Facts, she has a fantastic blog and I think everyone should click, check her out and Follow her 🙂

So when you are nominated for an Award, there are questions you must answer (see below) and then you too have to nominate other bloggers for the Award as well (see below)

I have a list of questions that were given to me:

1. Favorite fairy tale… Sleeping Beauty

2. Favorite exercise… NONE 🙂

3. Favorite smell… Fresh cut grass/A burning fire on cold winter day

4. Favorite dessert… Crème Brule

5. Favorite vacation spot… New York City

6. Favorite sound… Showtunes

7. Most unexpected visitor… still waiting for Hugh Grant to show up for Dinner 🙂

8. Dream for the world… NO more Fighting

9. Closest dance with death… Knock on wood; don’t think I’ve had one

10. Favorite lake… Lake Tahoe

Now, the Blogs I have found to have the characteristics of the Sunshine Award,

Positive, Inspire Others Creatively or Make You Smile!

http://alotonyourplate.wordpress.com/

http://l2ee2l.wordpress.com/

http://thepeckishkiwi.com/

http://chgojohn.wordpress.com/

http://homemadedelish.com/

http://teawitherika.wordpress.com/

http://davidionelromulus.wordpress.com/

http://highheelgourmet.com/

http://memnerz.wordpress.com/

http://cosybites.wordpress.com/

Please take the time to check each of them out and Follow them 🙂

Morel Soup with Puff Pastry

Today is a GREAT day, due to Pat “The Ranting Chef” 
I am a guest blogger today on his blog, a few weeks back he posted that he would feature “Guest Bloggers” every once in a while and well today is my day!!!

I’m very grateful for Pat letting me be apart of his Awesome blog and I hope many of his followers become my followers too, I would be honored if any of them would come and join in reading my blog.

The story that created this recipe is from one of  great memories working on the cruise ships.
For the recipe and story that goes along with is my Morel Soup with Puff Pastry
please click here to check it out http://rantingchef.com/2013/03/29/guest-post-morel-soup/

I hope you will enjoy my guest blog over at Ranting Chef

Thank you Pat!!!  Enjoy everyone!!!

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Growing up I think everyone at some point in time had tomato soup and grilled cheese, of course unless your Mom made everything from scratch most likely you got good old Campbell’s.  Don’t get me wrong Campbell’s is a great product, but who knew how really simple making homemade tomato soup was, so when I feel like I want something from my childhood this is what I do.  You can also serve cold or at room temp. For a party I served the soup in tiny cups and made grilled cheese sticks for convenient dipping, it was a hit for sure!!!

Tomato Soup

1/4 cup sweet or red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5oz) whole peeled tomatoes, give them a little squish
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add oil and onions, cook onion until translucent, stirring often not to burn.  Then add garlic, cooking and stirring for about 30 seconds, now add the tomatoes and their juices, bring to a boil then let simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add mixture to a blender and pulse to blend, make sure the lid is vented, you can take the center cap out of the lid, place a towel over top.  Once blended add cream and blend again, pour back into saucepan, keep warm, season with salt and pepper.

At this point you can serve or you may want to top it with some fresh chopped basil or chives, what about some sour cream, goat cheese, queso fresco or for me I like some crumbled gorgonzola cheese.  But you can top this soup with anything you can think of, plus its great to dip your grilled cheese in it too.

Grilled Cheese

1. Start with some good hearty bread, sliced and butter the outsides.

2. Cheese, there really is no one cheese that would not be good inside, for me I love changing it up, these are some cheeses I’ve used, provolone, smoked provolone & mozzarella, fontina, sharp white cheddar, Muenster, then my favorites are manchego and brie.  Brie with pears and some honey so good too, also crispy bacon…delicious

So what ever you use for your favorite grilled cheese go for it, but do me a flavor think outside the box!!!
There are so many wonderful cheeses out there, the next time you’re in the store take time to look around the deli area for the specialty cheeses, ask your deli server to help you pick something out, let them know you want to explore the wonderful cheeses of the world.

Let me know what you some of your favorite cheeses and combinations are…Enjoy!!