Heart Shaped Carrots for Valentine's Day

My husband totally teased me about these carrots.  He thought it was hilarious that I took the time to carve carrots into shapes and that my kids and I liked them so much.  If something happens to me, promise me you will check in on my husband and make sure my kids are eating veggies.  Because I know there are other crazy moms like me who not only love doing silly things like this for holidays, but who are always thinking of ways to get those veggies in.  So... heart shaped carrots it is!  My kids ate them raw, then I used them in ribolitta soup that night.  Yeah, they were kind of a pain, but no that big of a pain.  Do you know what I mean?  It took way way less time than making cookies, and my kids thought they were a special Valentine's treat... so score, I say!  I do have to point out that I brought some soup over to my mom and dad that night, and my dad ate his whole bowl without noticing there were heart shaped carrots in it. So maybe the boys in my family are not appreciative, but I am choosing to post these darling little Valentine's carrots based on the appreciation of the women and my kids!

PS Here are a few other recipes that you could use these carrots in for Valentine's Day:

Alpine Potato Soup
Broccoli, Chicken and Swiss Soup
Mama Filoso's Chicken Rice Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Lo Mein
Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
Green Curry Chicken

Heart Shaped Carrot
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Peel carrots.  Using a paring knife, cut a wedge out of the top the length of the carrot.  Remove the wedge.  Use a vegetable peeler to shave off the sharp edges created when the wedge was removed.  Then shave each side of the cylindrical bottom until they meet in a point.  You should now have a long heart shaped carrot.  Slice it and repeat the steps on the rest of your carrots.  Enjoy!
Adapted from Sophistimom (who has a nice little tutorial if you get confused)

Teriyaki Chicken Tinfoil Packets

I have a confession to make.  I don’t like to eat my vegetables.  Luckily my children haven’t noticed yet that I give myself a *small* helping of peas with dinner.  I wonder if that saying ‘do as I say and not what I do’ will have any influence in this case. Probably not.  Well, this is one meal where it's easy for me to be a good example - I actually gobble up my veggies in this teriyaki dinner and love it.  It’s marvelous!  I have been loving this dinner idea ever since my sister-in-law, Emily, introduced me to it. All the veggies are steamed in the tinfoil packets with the teriyaki chicken, so when it’s time to eat, we open up our packets and pour the chicken, vegetables, and juice over a bowl of rice for a delicious and wholesome meal.   Love it! There’s no mess and no trouble, and it helps me enjoy my veggies!  Plus I regularly clear out all the leftover vegetables in the fridge.  Seriously a big WIN.  I hope you enjoy!

 

Chicken Teriyaki Tinfoil Dinner
Submitted by Erin  ~ thesisterscafe.com

4 chicken breasts
Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce (the best!)
About 6 cups of any combination of vegetables – my favorites are broccoli, carrots, white onion, and red bell peppers, plus I usually add whatever else I have on hand (such as sweet potatoes, celery, or zucchini).
Hoisin sauce
Olive oil

Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Pour some teriyaki sauce over them and marinate for a few hours or overnight.  Cut up all the vegetables into large chunks. (For instance, I will peel one medium carrot and cut it into 3 or 4 pieces.)  Toss the vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few tablespoons of hoisin sauce until they are coated.
Place four or five large rectangles of tin foil on the counter and divide the chicken among them.  Divide the vegetables among them, stacking the vegetables on top of the chicken in the middle.  Seal the packets by bringing up opposite sides and folding them together, making a cylinder. Then fold up the ends, pouring some leftover teriyaki marinade into the packets before sealing them.
Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes to an hour. Check for doneness by opening up a packet and checking the veggies and chicken.
Put brown rice on the stove to cook at the same time as you place the packets in the oven.
Serve packet contents (including juice) over bowls of rice.

Broccoli Chicken and Swiss Soup

This delicious soup recipe comes from my friend, Danyal Niedermeyer. She brought it to a church activity for the adult women in our congregation, and I have to confess that I had like three bowls of it!  It was SO good!  When I found out that Danyal made it, I told her how much I loved it. She said that when she was growing up her aunt would make it for all the family, and she remembers being so excited to go to her aunt's house just because of the soup!  :)  Now that has got to tell you how tasty this soup is!  :)   Hope you enjoy it, too!

Broccoli Chicken & Swiss Soup
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe.com

1 whole cut-up chicken (I found the "whole cut-up chicken" packages next to the family roaster chickens at the grocery store. FYI, they are fresh, not frozen. Or you can use 5 or so chicken breasts.)
1 large can chicken broth along with some chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16-oz) bag frozen chopped broccoli
Flour, water, and milk
1 (12-oz) package of Kraft Swiss cheese containing 16 individually wrapped slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken pieces in chicken broth, bouillon cubes, and some salt and pepper.  Add only as much water as needed to cover the chicken.  It will take about 15 minutes for the chicken to cook. Debone cooked chicken, reserving the chicken meat. If using a whole chicken, skim off most of the clear liquid fat accumulated on top of the broth. (If there seems to be a lot of broth, you can take some out and reserve it to the side, to be added later if necessary. This might help prevent your soup from being too watered down.) Return chicken meat to the broth and add sliced carrots and chopped onions. Simmer until veggies are cooked, about 10 minutes or so.  Add frozen broccoli and simmer until broccoli is cooked, 5-10 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of flour to some cold water and shake together to make a flour paste. Stir paste into the soup to thicken slightly. (If necessary, you may thin the soup with milk, although it was not necessary for me.)
Stir in cheese slices until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce

This is a great, quick, delicious family recipe for spaghetti sauce. My kids love it, and so do my husband and I.  There is nothing complicated about this dinner; you just put it all together and let it simmer while you boil the spaghetti. I found this yummy recipe a long time ago on Taste and Tell. It makes enough for at least two dinners for my small family. I haven't frozen it before, but I imagine it would freeze and reheat just fine.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe .com

1 pound ground beef
1 pound sausage
1 chopped onion
2 cloves freshly minced garlic
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped parsley  (2 ½ T. dry)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
Tomato sauce can of water
1 24-26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 T. sugar
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil

Brown ground beef and sausage with onion. Drain grease, and add garlic. Add carrot and parsley and simmer for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer between 20 minutes or a couple hours. This makes a lot. If desired, recipe may be halved.

Ham & Vegetable Fried Rice

This recipes is from my friend, Jenny Balmforth. It is a great go-to Ham Fried Rice recipe, and the addition of all the veggies make it a good summertime dinner option, when I am craving something fast and light. I prefer having frequent chunks of eggs in my fried rice, so I usually up the eggs in this recipe to five.  To decrease prep time, start the rice immediately and while the rice cooks, chop up and cook the veggies. Enjoy!

Ham & Vegetable Fried Rice

Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 ½ c. water
T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 ½ c. long-grain white rice
2 T. vegetable oil
1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch thick diagonal slices (1 cup)
2 ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch thick diagonal slices (1 cup)
1 sweet green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips (1 cup)
1 large onion, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced crosswise
4 eggs (I increase to 5 or 6 eggs and sprinkle them with a little sea salt)
½ c. thinly sliced baked ham
¼ tsp black pepper

Bring water, soy sauce, garlic and bouillon cube to boiling in a medium-size saucepan, stirring to dissolve cube.  Add rice; return to boiling. Lower heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add carrot, celery, green pepper and onion; stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes.  Add 3 tablespoons water; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover; stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and vegetables are tender.  Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon to a medium-size bowl.
Lower heat to medium. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet.  Whisk eggs in a small bowl.  Add to skillet; cook, breaking up into small pieces as eggs set.  Add rice and vegetable mixture to skillet. Stir in ham and black pepper.  Stir until heated through.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.  Per serving: 303 calories, 11 g protein, 9 g fat, 43 g carbohydrate, 695 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol.  (Obviously this came from a cookbook, so I need to ask Jenny what cookbook it is, so I can give it due credit.)

Sweet Chili Tortilla Soup

This soup is amazing, and even better, I would definitely place this soup in the "very good for you" category. I'm pretty sure this flavorful soup could probably be squeezed into almost any diet (except the crazy ones obviously:). So if you're currently in the category of "I'm watching what I eat" or even if you're just trying to be healthy, this soup is for you! In fact, Mom actually passed this recipe along to me. She received it from a friend whose husband is on a strict low-carb, diabetic diet. I would have been skeptical, if it hadn't been Mom passing it along, but it was great. Obviously if you're counting calories, you're going to want to go really light on the tortilla strips and garnishes and cut out the olive oil...don't worry this soup can stand on it's own two feet. Otherwise, I say throw 'em on there baby. I do recommend adding the ancho chili, it adds a delicious unique flavor. Ancho chilies are a mild, fruity chili that is just the dried form of poblanos, and are the sweetest of all dried chilies. You may be able to find them in your local grocery store. If not, you should be able to find them in your local Mexican market for super cheap. Eat up!

Sweet Chili Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 dried ancho chili
1/2 cup boiling water
2 T. olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, or equivalent amount of rotisserie chicken)
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch coins (or equivalent baby carrots)
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
2 t. ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth (or stock)
3 cans (14.5 oz each) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (I probably use a little more)
10 corn tortillas, for frying
For garnish use any of the following:
Sliced avocado

Crumbled queso fresco, or shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Lime wedges
Cilantro

1. Place chili in a small, heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and let soak 30 minutes. Drain; remove stem and seeds. Slice into 1/2 inch strips and set aside.

2. In a large soup pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Continue to cook about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add broth, reserved chili, tomatoes, and cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. With your hands, tear 3 tortillas into 2-inch strips and add to the soup. Continue to simmer about 15 minutes.

3. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a cutting board; take soup off heat. With a immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (I just use my regular blender and it works fine or you can puree the soup in small batches in a food processor fitter with knife blade). Return to pan. With two forks, shred chicken; return to soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Slice remaining tortillas with a pizza cutter into 1/4-inch strips. In a small saucepan, heat 1.5 inch canola oil until very hot. Fry tortilla strips until crisp, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove strips to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve soup in bowls topped with tortilla strips and any or all of the optional garnishes.

*If watching calories, try baking the tortilla strips until crisp, instead of frying them. Cut them up, place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with salt and pop them in the oven. I personally haven't made them this way yet, so I'm not sure how long to cook them, but I'm sure it would be great! Let us know if you try it this way:)

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!!

California Chowder

I've made this soup a few times this winter, from my Lion House Classics Cookbook.  I love the fresh broccoli and cauliflower in it. This creamy, chunky soup would be perfect served in warm Bread Bowls, or with some fresh baked French Bread. Yummy!

I have a family of four (plus a little baby) and this recipe probably feeds eight easy. So I definitely cut it in half, and even then we still have a little leftover. So unless you are feeding a lot of people, I would recommend making a half recipe. Also, I substituted the cream for more milk, and in this case it turned out great with 3 cups of whole milk. Just fyi!

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California Chowder

Submitted by Erin  ~  The Sisters Cafe

-

4 T. butter

½ c. flour

½ T. chicken soup base (chicken bouillon)

1 c. whipping cream

2 c. whole milk

2 c. water

1 c. diced carrots

2 c. diced potatoes

1 c. diced celery

1 clove fresh minced garlic (I use fresh, but you could also use ½ tsp granulated garlic)

½ T. salt

½ T. Worcestershire sauce

½ c. finely chopped onions

½ T. butter

1 c. fresh broccoli

1 c. fresh cauliflower

Fresh parsley for garnish

-

Melt butter in a soup pot. Add flour and mix well.  Add chicken base, then slowly and steadily mix in the whipping cream, whole milk, and water.  Bring to a low boil; then add carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for 45 minutes (I only cooked for 30 minutes because the carrots and potatoes were nearly fork tender at that point).  Sauté onions in butter for 3 minutes and add to soup along with broccoli and cauliflower.  Cook another 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. (When I say fork tender, I mean that the vegetables give only a little resistance when pierced with a fork. You would say they are mostly tender, but not soft.)  Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Wraps with Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce

I hope you all had a wonderful President's Day yesterday! My husband made plans for us to go ice fishing, which would have been a very new experience for me:) But unfortunately our plans fell through and we ended up salvaging the holiday by getting a big group of friends together to go see the movie Tangled with our kids at the dollar theaters. Have you all seen it already? If not, GO! It is so so adorable. My boys were glued to the screen and I must admit, so was I. So now that you've heard my plug for Tangled...let's talk Chicken Wraps! These chicken wraps are yummy but this creamy asian peanut sauce is amazing! Definitely the highlight of this meal. You can even make it 24 hrs in advance, refrigerate, and serve at room temperature. Anything to make preparing a meal easier is a plus in my book. This wrap is fresh, fun, and different. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Chicken Wraps with Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: adapted from Foster Farms

WRAPS:
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 leaves Napa cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups packed)
2 cups packed baby spinach (or romaine)
1 medium carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium radishes, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. canola oil
1 package 10-inch spinach wraps (6)

PEANUT SAUCE:
2 T. canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken stock, or water, or more as needed
1 T. sugar, or more to taste
2 T. soy sauce, or more to taste
1 t. Malaysian chili sauce, sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Cook chicken breasts using your preferred method. A fast and easy way is to cook the chicken is in the microwave on 50% power until fully cooked through. You should flip the chicken a few times as it is cooking.

In a medium bowl mix cabbage, spinach, carrot and radishes. In a small bowl, stir together rice vinegar, soy sauce and canola oil. Pour over cabbage mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.

To prepare the peanut sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring well. Whisk in peanut butter, coconut milk, chicken stock or water, sugar, soy sauce, chili sauce and pepper. Let the sauce simmer until it is thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes, stirring well. Add more chicken stock as needed-the sauce should be thick but pourable. Taste for seasoning, add more sugar, soy sauce and chili sauce as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Lay spinach wraps on a clean flat surface. Divide the cabbage mixture evenly over the wraps. Top with chicken. Drizzle peanut sauce over the chicken, about 2 T. for each wrap, or as much or little as desired. Fold in the edges, wrap tightly and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This is my last hurrah for soup season! It's been stormy here, so I snuck this yummy dinner in one last time before summer strikes! :) This is a hearty, chunky, veggie laden, and delicious soup! Thanks to my sister-in-law, Melanie, at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She gave this to me a loooong time ago, when we were both practically newly weds. :) Oh, one more tip - It is also fabulous served in a bread bowl. You can find a recipe for bread bowls here. (Something I like to do: When I bake breadbowls for my small family we don't eat all of them, so I freeze the rest and then I can pull them out when I make soup next time, and it makes dinner that much more special and tasty.) I bet this recipe would be super yummy with this chicken stock as its base... Mmmm! 

 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

submitted by Erin Walker ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable Recipe

½ c. butter

1 finely chopped onion

½ - 1 c. frozen corn (or ½ c. chopped celery, if preferred)

½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

½ c. carrots, sliced

¾ c. all-purpose flour

6 ½ c. chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ c. water)

2 c. cooked wild rice (once I tried using a box of wild rice/brown rice combo with a seasoning packet and it was great)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

½ tsp salt

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp mustard powder

½ tsp dried parsley

½ tsp black pepper

1 c. slivered almonds

2 c. half-and-half (you could use non-fat half-and-half for a low-fat version, but I haven't tried it.) 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 minutes more. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to a large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next add the rice, chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Do not boil or the roux will break. Delicious served in a bread bowl as well.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Summer Tortellini Salad

I realize it's still technically Spring but the beautiful sunny weather we have been having the past few days has left me feeling quite Summerish. My spell check is telling me that "Summerish" isn't a word...oh well, I have been feeling Summerish nonetheless. And I have been planning on posting this summery salad today for a while. I've decided that it must be fate for me to post this particular recipe today. Not only did Mindy post an awesome recipe for Grandma's Ranch Dressing just a few posts ago (not planned) which would be awesome with this, but I actually got this recipe from my older sister Melissa and it turns out it is her birthday today! Good timing! Happy Birthday Melis! Thank you for being a wonderful sister and always looking out for me, and sharing your successes in the kitchen with me:) I not only thought this salad was delicious but it is very quick to throw together and perfect for a busy night.

Summer Tortellini Salad

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Printable Recipe

1 pkg. (9 oz.) uncooked refrigerated cheese-filled (You can also use dry tortellini. Barilla has a yummy four cheese and Costco has really good tortellini as well)
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (I use the equivalent of baby carrots instead)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley (or 4 tsp. dried parsley if you don't have fresh...fresh is always best of course, but dried works fine too)
1/2 cup home-made or you're very, very favorite ranch dressing (I tend to skimp a bit on this measurement but 1/2 a cup isn't too much, just trying to be healthy:)
Parmesan Cheese - to taste

*Option - I have added left over Rotissere chicken to this and really liked it

Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold running water. Place in a large colander and set aside. Meanwhile, slice zucchini. Chop carrot(s). Cut tomatoes in half and slice green onions. Snip parsley, if using fresh. Add vegetables to tortellini. Pour dressing over salad. Grate parmesan cheese over salad. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Banana Carrot Bread

I love this banana bread recipe! My favorite 'original' banana bread recipe is this Martha Stewart Recipe; however, this Banana Carrot Bread is totally different than your regular banana bread. It has cinnamon and nutmeg, brown sugar and grated carrots - You can imagine that it tastes very different from other banana bread recipes. I just love it! It's moist and flavorful, and the bits of carrot add a fun dash of color (of course you can't really taste carrot in it).

When I made this bread today I baked it in muffin liners instead of the pan because I had a slew of children at my house (8 at one point!) that I knew would just love getting to eat a treat in 'cupcake' form. Sure enough, they devoured these little gems. After giving the kids their share, I set a bunch of the muffins aside in a big ziploc baggy for a friend, and I thought I told the boys (three 4 year olds and a 2 year old) that they were not to eat them... But lo-and-behold, upon coming back into the kitchen after changing my little girl's diaper, the four boys were all devouring the last of the muffins from the bag! And they had impish little smiles on their faces! What stinkers! My 4-year old even had the audacity to boast that he had eaten TWO of them, right in the midst of my lecture that those muffins were not for them! :) I couldn't be too hard on them since they were probably very enticing, and it was more of a mob action than one little boy being mischievous. :)

This Banana Carrot Bread really is worth getting a lecture for, so I can't blame them at all!

I hope you enjoy it too!

Banana Carrot Bread

Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable Recipe

1 cup mashed bananas (~3 very ripe bananas)

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup canola oil

2 eggs

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup finely grated carrots

Combine bananas, brown sugar, salad oil and eggs in mixer. Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in large bowl. Stir in banana mixture. Fold in carrots. Spoon into greased and floured large loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until done. Do not over bake.

(When I made this in muffin form, I can't remember how long they took to bake. Just bake them for 18-20 minutes and check them, and then if necessary checked them a few minutes later, etc.)

Healthy and Hearty Chicken Quinoa Stew

I made this the other day and it was right up my alley! Loved it! I felt like I was getting healthier with every spoonful:) Okay, maybe that's a stretch...then again, maybe not! It is filling and yummy and packed with "good for you" ingredients. And hello, quinoa, what a fun new ingredient. Can you believe I've never had it before?! But don't forget the last and probably most important step, to season! It gives it that last, needed touch. This recipe serves 8-10 people. My family of 4 (of which only 3 are big enough to eat this stuff) had lots of leftovers. It didn't take us long to consume every last spoonful.

Healthy and Hearty Chicken Quinoa Stew

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: Picky Palate
Printable Recipe

2 T extra virgin olive oil (I always skimp on this just a little)
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Cups sweet pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
64 oz chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into 1" pieces (get the Yukon potatoes, it's worth the extra few dollars)
3 cups cooked quinoa
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Hot Sauce (Cholula brand is good)
Kosher Salt, fresh cracked black pepper, Garlic Salt (Lawry's is good), and Parsley to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and zucchini until softened. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in quinoa, chicken, dijon mustard, hot sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt. Stir in fresh parsley and simmer until ready to serve.

Crockpot Beef Stew

This is deliciously hearty and tasty. Perfect for a cold winter night... or a thunderstorm, in this case, which will be hitting Detroit tomorrow! No, soup season is not quite over yet! :)

Anyway, it's yummy and super duper easy. I just love tasty crockpot meals. Thanks goes to my cute mother-in-law for this recipe.

Michel's Crockpot Beef Stew

submitted by Erin

1 can minestrone soup

1 can tomato soup

1 can water

1 - 1 1/2 lb stew meat

3-4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is a recipe from the Picky Palate from a long time ago. I finally got around to trying it out and it is DELICIOUS! Seriously, I savored every bite. Yum. It could be rather a long process if you're doing it all at once, so try making the baked potatoes, cutting up the veggies, and cooking the bacon earlier in the day. Then dinner will be easy-shmeasy. It's totally worth it. Yum yum.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

 

12 oz Applewood smoked bacon

4 stalks celery finely diced

2 large carrots, peeled, finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

½ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup thinly sliced ham or Canadian bacon (or mini cubed ham)

32 oz chicken broth (or water & bouillon)

6 oz half and half (I used whole milk)

10 med/lg. potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ Cup milk

4 oz sour cream

1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Garnish

½ Cup sour cream

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Cup thinly sliced green onion (green part)

 

1. Heat large dutch oven over medium heat. Cut bacon into pieces and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 Tablespoons to sauté veggis. Saute celery, carrots, jalapeno, onion and bell pepper in bacon grease for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and half and half.

2. Place mashed potatoes in a stand or electric mixer. Mix on medium speed adding salt, pepper and milk. Stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. Heat for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in sour cream and cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Top with sour cream, bacon, cheese and green onion.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is delicious! My friend Heather gave me this recipe and I am eternally grateful:) It's one of my new favorites, and I love the Country Pasta in it. It's a very thick soup with lots of noodles. I usually end up approximately doubling the chicken broth to make it a little more "soupy", but it's still pretty thick even after that. I like it this way but just add as much broth as you and your family prefer. Enjoy this warm, satisfying dish!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 cans chicken broth (14oz) I usually end up doubling this amount
1 T chicken bouillon (I just use a cube)
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 med onion, chopped
16 oz. noodles, homestyle egg pasta (Country Pasta)
1 1/2 lbs cooked, cooled, chopped chicken breast
2 c. cream of chicken soup
1 12oz can evaporated milk

Boil the broth, bouillon, carrots, celery and onion for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add noodles and boil for another 10 minutes. (I actually cook the noodles first while the vegetables are boiling, so the noodles don't soak up all of the broth, but I do cook the noodles with a bouillon cube so they get some flavor. And then I add them.) Then add chicken, cream of chicken soup and canned milk. Heat thoroughly. Add pepper to taste.

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

This is another one of Mel's great recipes...one of my favorite soups. Perfect for a cold night... yum!

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

submitted by Brittany

1 lb chicken (breasts or combination)

1 onion, diced

1-2 Tb butter

2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)

4-5 potatoes, diced small

1 c milk

1/4 c flour

8 oz package cream cheese

1. Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.

2. Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.

3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp

Mmmm, I really like this shrimp dish. It's a light meal, but it's full of taste. And the carrots and snap pea pods are just delicious with the shrimp and parmesan. A friend, Leanne, shared this recipe from a Family Fun Magazine. I've changed it here and there, but the big change I made was using 2% milk in place of the chicken broth and whipping cream. I try to avoid cooking with whipping cream, and in this case I think it is so good with milk I definitely don't think it's worth the extra calories to use cream.

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
submitted by Erin

1 ½ c. baby carrots, sliced lengthwise in half
2 c. sugar-snap peas
2 ¼ c. uncooked penne pasta (original recipe called for 3 cups)
1 T. butter
½ lb peeled medium shrimp
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. 2% milk and ½ chicken bouillon cube (original recipe used ¼ c. chicken broth and 1/3 c. whipping cream)
1 T. lemon juice
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the carrots and simmer for 1 ½ minutes. Add the snap peas and simmer for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Now cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions. Drain well. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and continue cooking for another minute, stirring often. Sprinkle about ½ T. flour over veggies, and then stir in the milk and lemon juice. Simmer until thickened. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Add the pasta and grated cheese, stirring well to coat.

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins

Oh, these are so delicious. I got this recipe a few years ago from my friend, Josie. These are packed with yummy and healthy ingredients, and they are so moist. Mmmmmm, this is one of my favorite muffin recipes. Hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 c. oil
2 c. shredded carrots
1 lg. apple shredded
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. vanilla
½ c. raisins
3 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add remaining and mix. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Potato PepperJack Soup

This is so yummy. The combination of vegetables and bacon, along with the kick from the pepperjack cheese, make this delicious. I got this recipe from my friend, Christina D. I made some changes, which are reflected in the recipe below. Jed and I don't like excess liquid in soup, so I almost always cut back on the liquids in soup recipes so that they turn out chunkier. This recipe originally called for 3 cups of broth and 4 cups (1 quart) of half&half. I used 1 cup of cream and a little leftover half&half I had in my fridge instead of the quart of half&half the recipe called for, and I thought it turned out just perfect - creamy but not too rich. Also, it calls for 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. flour for the roux, but I've successfully used 1/4 to 1/3 c. butter and 1/4 to 1/3 c. flour to decrease calories a little, for what it's worth.

Potato PepperJack Soup
submitted by Erin  ~  The Sisters Cafe

2 T olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced (I use a little less, about 2/3 of an onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 ½ cups chicken broth (I use water and ~3 bouillon cubes)
4 cups diced potato
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/3 c. milk or half&half
½ tsp. salt (add more if you do not use bouillon cubes)
scant ½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. thyme
scant 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup butter
½ flour

Boil potatoes in water until tender; about 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic and carrot in a medium sauce pan. Sauté on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Drain all liquid from potatoes and add vegetables and broth to the pot. Add bacon, milk or half&half, salt, pepper and thyme. Prepare roux by melting butter in a separate pot and stirring in flour to make a paste. Slowly add cream and allow to bubble, stirring, until roux thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Add roux to soup mixture along with the cheese. If necessary, add milk to desired consistency. Serves about 6.