Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Pasta

This Chicken Enchilada Soup with Pasta is so easy it can be made in just a few minutes.  It is perfect for a super busy weeknight or a last minute unplanned dinner.

Although I like spicy food next time I will have to purchase mild enchilada sauce instead of medium because it was a little too spicy for my kids.  

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Small onion, diced
6 Cups of homemade vegetable broth or chicken broth (if you use chicken do not add additional salt)
2 Cans (14.5 oz) cream style sweet corn
1 Can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce - mild (if you like it spicy make it medium)
1 Can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes - mild (if you like it spicy make it the original Rotel)
2 Cans (4.5 oz or larger) white chicken or leftover chicken
1 Cup of broken angel hair or spaghetti noodles
1 1/2 Tsp cumin
1/2 Tsp onion powder
1/2 Tsp oregano leaves
1/2 Tsp salt (only if you use homemade vegetable broth)
Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add onions and cook until translucent.

Add vegetable broth, corn, enchilada sauce, and Rotel.  Bring pot to a boil and then add the remaining ingredients.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until pasta is tender.  My pasta only took 4 minutes because of the type I was using.

Top with cheese, sour cream, slices of avocado, or jalapenos.

I served this soup with baked corn tortilla chips and a side salad.

Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Vegetarian Chili

What a great night it has been!  The whole family loved this Bean and Barley Vegetarian Chili that I created tonight.  Everyone cleaned their bowls, including my four year old who asked me if I would please make it again.  

Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green pepper, chopped
1 Carrot, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Cups Vegetable broth or water
1 Can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Cup black beans
1 Cup great northern beans
3/4 Cup pearl barley
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Optional toppings: green onions, cheese, sour cream and avocado slices

Heat oil in skillet and add onions, green pepper, and carrots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.

Add chili powder to the vegetables and continue to cook for another minute.  Add just a little of the vegetable broth to the pan to get all the extra bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the vegetables to the crock pot, with the remaining broth and all the last six ingredients.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream and avocado slices.

Bacon Broccoli Corn Chowder

It is getting a little cooler around here and the first thing I think of when it gets cold is soup.  It is so versatile and everybody tends to eat it, even my four year old.

The Weight Watchers site has some really great recipes.  I came across a recipe for Canadian Bacon, Broccoli and Corn Chowder and thought we should give it a try.  I know this probably changes the Weight Watchers points, but I had to use bacon instead of Canadian bacon because that is what I had on hand.  

Here is my not as healthy, but still delicious version of Bacon Broccoli Corn Chowder.

Bacon Broccoli Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

3-4 Green onions, sliced
3-4 Slices of low-sodium bacon
12-16 oz Bag of frozen broccoli or fresh
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Cups fat free milk
15 oz Can of corn or fresh
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp pepper
1/2 Cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Heat strips of bacon in a large pot.  Once bacon is crispy remove to drain on paper towels.  Also properly dispose of most of the bacon grease, leaving about a tablespoon.  

Toss green onions into the pot and cook on medium low.  

If using frozen broccoli, thaw in microwave.  Once thawed add to pot and continue to cook until broccoli is tender.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for an additional minute, stirring continually.  Gradually stir in the milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the corn, salt and pepper.  Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and add cheddar cheese.  Stir until is is melted and completely combined.  Serve in individual bowls.

End of Summer Soup

This week has been crock pot week for us.  I tried to find new recipes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, that would be a great fit for my family.

Remember the lady that cooked in her crock pot every night of the week for an entire year?  Well, I have used some of her recipes in the past and thought I would give another one a try.

End of Summer soup sounded like a good way to incorporate lots of vegetables and perfect for vegetarian night.  I did make quite a few changes to the original recipe, like adding eggplant instead of squash, carrots instead of zucchini, okra and fresh herbs such as basil and parsley.  My family thought this soup was just okay.  I may have changed it too much from the original. 

It is definitely an easy soup to make and cook all day long.  I would give it another try, but stick with the original.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili - Crock Pot

We have an overabundance of yellow squash in our garden and I have been super excited about finding recipes to include this colorful little creation.  I tried some traditional dishes like sauteed squash with onions and fried squash, but my kids just don't care for them.  Then I came across an incredible recipe for Vegetarian Chili with yellow squash and thought maybe if I cut them really small the kids would not notice.

Verdict: 3 thumbs up and 1 down (the picky four-year old of course).  My oldest loved this chili and gobbled it right up.

I am not usually to crazy about vegetarian chili, but this was outstanding and extremely versatile!

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili - Crock Pot

Ingredients:

3 Carrots, diced

2 Yellow squash, diced

1 Red pepper, diced

1 Red onion, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced (This chili is not spicy so please don't leave out the jalapeno)

28 oz Crushed tomatoes

2-3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tsp dried oregano

1/3 Cup quinoa

1 (15oz) Can of beans, white, black, red, brown (I used white northern beans because that is what I had on hand)

1/3 Cup barbecue sauce

Add first 10 ingredients to crock pot and stir until mixed well.

Sprinkle quinoa over top, leaving a border around the edge.  Do not press or mix into the chili.

Cover and cook for 3-5 hours on high and 6-8 on low.  Add beans and barbecue sauce to the crock pot, stirring to mix all the flavors together about 30 minutes before serving.

Serve in individual bowls with cornbread or crackers.  YUM!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Panera Bread is one of my favorite places to eat soup and salad. I love how they have the calories listed on the menu so you can make a wiser choice for you and your family.

I am a member of the "My Panera" club and frequently get emails from them with recipes, another great reason to love Panera. I received the recipe below in my email box from Panera and decided to give it a try (with a few changes).

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup onions, chopped
1 Cup celery, chopped
1 Cup carrots, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Tsp red pepper flakes
1 (15oz) Can diced no-salt tomatoes (basil, oregano, garlic flavor)
8 oz Rainbow chard (you can use any kind you like)
1 Cup pinto beans
1 Cup black beans
6 Cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Sourdough, French or Italian bread, cubed (optional)
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until the vegetables are tender about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, and chard and cook for about 10 minutes.

Puree one cup of pinto beans and 1 cup of broth in a food processor. Add to the soup along with 5 cups of vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, salt and bread cubes and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

* My husband did not care for the bread inside the soup, so next time I would just serve it along side.

Creamy Refried Bean Soup

Of course when I decide to put soup on our dinner menu for the week the temperature reaches 84°. I know most of you don't eat soup when it is that hot outside, but this soup was perfect for some of our family that were sick this week.

My husband surprised me by stating that he really loved the soup.

I adapted the original for this recipe based on our favorite refried bean recipe.

Creamy Refried Bean Soup

Ingredients:

16oz Refried bean mixture (prepared)
1 Can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2-1 Cup vegetable broth
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat bean mixture and add tomatoes, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Let soup simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream or avocado spread. We also added jalapenos because we like our food on the spicy side.

I served this delicious soup with baked tortilla chips.

Black Bean Soup

A friend of mine just recently sent me a list of her favorite soup recipes. They all look amazing and I hope to try each of them. One in particular was a recipe for black bean soup. Since my kids are young and can not tolerate spicy I decided to come up with a less spicy version of black bean soup for our family.

I hope you enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 Cans black beans (DO NOT DRAIN)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Orange, Yellow, Red or Green Pepper - diced finely
1 Small onion - diced finely
1 Small sweet potato - peeled and diced small
1 Cup homemade vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 Cup Salsa
2 Tsp Taco Seasoning
1 Bay leaf
1/2 Salt (you can omit this is if you use chicken broth or store bought taco seasoning)
Pepper to taste

Par Boil the sweet potato.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onions and pepper and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add taco seasoning and cook an additional minute or so. Slowly add broth and stir.

Add beans, salsa, sweet potatoes, bay leaf and salt/pepper.

Transfer to crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender.

If you do not want to use your crock pot continue simmering on stove until flavors are incorporated and sweet potatoes are tender.

Remove bay leaf and serve in individual bowls. Top soup with shredded cheese, avocado spread, sour cream, and tortilla chips. YUM, YUM! I also served the soup with a cheese and spinach taquito on the side.

Carrot Satay Soup - Crock Pot

After reading a favorite food blog of mine I became interested in Marscapone cheese. I set out to the grocery store and purchased it in hopes that I would find a savory recipe that I could incorporate it into.

After using half of my container of Mascarpone to make Twice Baked Potato Casserole, I still had the other half that I could use for another recipe.

I searched the internet for savory recipes that might include Mascarpone. I found Carrot Satay Soup on Food.com and loved the ingredients. The fact that I could use my crock pot was just an added bonus.

This recipe was a huge success! It is a delight to your taste buds and the toasted sesame seeds give it a nutty crunch.

The only change I made to this recipe is that I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Next time I think I will use 3 cups of vegetable broth instead of chicken since it costs me less.

I will rewrite the recipe below for your convenience, but it can also be found here.

Carrot Satay Soup

Ingredients:

3 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 Cups carrots , sliced
1 Cup onion , chopped
1/2 Cup celery , chopped
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Garlic cloves , minced
2 Tsp gingerroot , grated
1/2 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 Cup Mascarpone cheese , softened
3 Tbsp peanut butter , smooth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds

Combine the first nine ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 5-6 hours on low or until vegetables are tender.

Add Mascarpone, peanut butter and soy sauce and heat through.

Transfer to food processor and pulse until smooth.

Place in individual bowls, topped with toasted sesame seeds and serve with Naan.

*You may also cook on high in the crock pot for 2-3 hours if you are pressed for time.

Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach

People who do not even like to cook can whip up this recipe for Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach in a matter of minutes.

Impress your family, by making them think you slaved hours over the stove preparing this soup.

Say you do like to cook, well some days you just don't have time to prepare an elaborate dinner or maybe your feeling a little under the weather.

Whatever the situation may be Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach is a simple dinner or lunch that will warm your heart and your belly.

Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach

Ingredients:

4 Cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade vegetable broth)
2 1/2 Cups tomato juice
1 Tsp oregano
2 Cups shells or alphabet pasta
1-2 Cups chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan (optional)

Combine broth and tomato juice in a large stockpot. Heat until boiling. Add pasta and oregano and cook according to directions on pasta box. Add spinach on the last minute of cooking.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls, topped with grated parmesan and a slice of your favorite fresh bread.

Broccoli Cheese Soup in Bread Bowls

Our family loves broccoli cheese soup, but I have never thought about serving them in bread bowls until this past week.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we went to Panera Bread for dinner one night and both of my sister-in-law's step-children got broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl. My three year old kept begging for bites from the other kids. That is when it clicked, maybe I should put our favorite broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl as well.

The kids came to the dinner table tonight and said "Wow mommy this looks delicious". It was a complete hit.

Broccoli Cheese Soup in Bread Bowls

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Bestlife Butter
1 Small onion, diced
1 Carrot, diced
1 Celery, diced
1 lb Fresh broccoli (you may use frozen if you like)
2 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Cup fat-free milk
1/2 lb Velvetta 2% milk cheese, cut into cubes
pepper

Heat large stockpot on medium heat and add butter. Once butter has melted add onion, carrot, celery and broccoli. Cook until vegetables soften.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer to food processor and pulse until vegetables are broken down the way your family likes. Add back to stockpot.

Add milk, cheese and pepper. Cook on low until heated through and stir often to prevent cheese from burning to the bottom. I would not suggest adding salt because their is plenty of salt in the cheese and broth.

Serve in individual bread bowls. The recipe I used for the bread bowls was perfect for holding soup however it did have some deflating issues after rising. You can see in the picture below what I mean by deflating (look at the dough on the left).

As I am writing this I am still very full from this soup. It is super hearty and filling. Enjoy!

Ramen Noodle Stir-Fry Soup

Next week is Thanksgiving week and is probably going to be pretty busy for most of us. With that in mind, I have the perfect super easy, light dinner recipe for you. If you eat light the first part of next week you can indulge a little on Thanksgiving Day, right?

Not only is this a healthy meal it is also super light on the pocketbook. Originally this recipe called for Soba noodles which can be rather expensive. I decided to use Ramen Noodles that tend to be around $0.20 a package.

Ramen Noodle Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 Packages of Any Ramen Noodle of your choice (throw away the seasoning packet cause we don't need any MSG)
4 Cups low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Small Onion, julienne
1 Carrot, julienne
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tsp fresh ginger, minced (optional)
1 Handful chopped spinach
Pepper to taste
Any other vegetables you like (clean out the refrigerator)

Heat a skillet with olive oil on medium. Add onion and carrots and cook until carrots are tender.

Heat chicken broth to a boil and add Ramen noodles. Cook for three minutes.

Add garlic, ginger and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted.


Add vegetable mixture to noodles and serve.

I served this with fresh bread. For added protein add shrimp or cooked chicken.

*Serves 4 people

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana - Lighter Version

A friend of mine was making Zuppa Toscana as a meal for a new mother and the name was so cool I had to find out about this soup.

Apparently, I am totally out of the loop, because I have never heard of Zuppa Toscana. After researching, I found that it is an Olive Garden favorite.

I decided to make this soup a little different from the original. I substituted sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes and did not use heavy cream. My family thought it was great, but than again we have never had the original.

I made this soup on Halloween night so we were so busy rushing around that I forgot to put one of the main ingredients in the soup, spinach/kale. I am sure it would have been even more delicious if I would have remembered to add the spinach (see picture above).

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana - Lighter Version

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Italian sausage
1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper
1 Large onion, diced
3 Slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
5 Cups chicken broth
1 Cup water
1 Cup skim milk
1 Large sweet potato, diced small
1 Cup spinach, chopped

Cook sausage in large pot with red peppers until done. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add bacon pieces, onion and garlic and cook until bacon is done. Add broth, water, milk, sweet potatoes and cooked sausage mixture and transfer to crock pot.

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are soft. Add spinach just before serving. Enjoy!

*If you want to make this soup creamier or thicker you can probably add half and half as a replacement for the milk.

**Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili

Can I just say that I love pumpkin? I know I have posted a few recipes with pumpkin lately, but I just can't help myself.

Pumpkin is such a nutritious and versatile ingredient.






Let me give you some nutritional facts about pumpkin:

• Low in calories
• Contains no saturated fat or cholesterol
• Rich in Dietary Fiber, Antioxidants, Minerals and Vitamins (especially Vitamin A)

Now I am sure you have used pumpkin for making desserts and breads, but what about chili? It may sound rather odd, but my whole family can attest that this pumpkin chili is flavorful, hearty and delicious.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% lean hamburger or ground turkey
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Small green pepper, chopped
1 Celery Stalk, chopped
1 Small carrot, shredded
2 Cloves garlic
Hand-full of fresh mushrooms chopped (optional)
1 Cup pinto beans
1 Can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1/2 Tsp salt
1 -2 Cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)

Optional toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chopped green onions

Heat skillet and add beef, onion, peppers, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until almost browned and add mushrooms and pinto beans.


Once hamburger is browned add tomatoes, pumpkin, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and then begin adding broth. Add as much or as little as you like depending on how thick or thin you like your chili.

Add chili to crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.

This chili tastes great with honey cornbread muffins.

*Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.

Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

Last night's dinner was not entirely a success. My intentions were to make a delightful, wholesome Vegetable Soup. Look at all those fresh, yummy ingredients.

Well, I purchased a bucket of dried pinto beans from a co-op last week and really wanted to use them in this soup to make it spectacular. When I mean a bucket, I mean 45 pounds of beans.

I soaked the beans overnight and decided to add them to my soup to cook all day. Well, needless to say the soup was delicious, but the beans were not soft.

Next time I will remember to cook the beans by themselves before putting into anything else.

I cooked the soup in the crock pot for about 4 hours, so this is another great crock pot meal. If you do not have dried beans, I think canned beans would work just fine. My plan is to "can" some of the beans I purchased so that they are ready to use immediately next time, without all the extra fuss.

Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Celery, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Red Potatoes
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Beans
3 Cups diced tomatoes
1 Cup or more fresh or frozen corn
2 Cups semi to fully cooked pinto beans or you can use canned
3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth (I used a combination) - My broth came from the Chicken Pastry recipe before I added the pastry
1/4 Tsp thyme
1/4 Italian seasoning
1 Bay leaf
2 Tsp salt (if you use canned tomatoes you may want to decrease the salt)
1 Tsp black pepper

Heat olive oil in pot. Add onions and celery and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add all the remaining vegetables except the corn and tomatoes. Add the thyme, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes. You are not trying to cook the vegetables completely here just get the flavors to mix and to saute a little.

Transfer vegetables to crock pot and add tomatoes, corn, broth, bay leaf and beans.

Cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Remove bay leaf and serve in individual bowls topped with grated parmesan cheese and more salt and pepper if desired.

This soup is perfect for fall!

*You can also cook on the stove instead of the crock pot at a simmer until potatoes are tender.

Chicken Pastry

My husband is an amazing cook. He is the type who does not follow recipes or measure ingredients, just naturally talented. Well, I have been trying to get approximate measurements for his hearty Chicken Pastry for years. Several friends have requested this recipe and I think I now have it all ready to post.

Let me just explain the difference in pastry and dumplings. The "pastry" in chicken pastry is basically dumplings that have been rolled flat, thin and cut into strips. Dumplings are thicker, dough-like and formed into a ball shape.

My husband is from Pennsylvania and traditionally they make dumplings instead of pastry for this type of stew. However, after tasting my mom's fantastic Chicken Pastry he decided to come up with one all his own using pastry instead of dumplings.

Chicken Pastry

1 Whole Chicken 3 1/2 - 5 lbs (this depends on how much you would like to make)
1 Medium onion, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped (save celery leaves for more flavor)
1 Large carrot, chopped
1 Tsp thyme leaves
2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 Clove garlic minced - optional (I have cooked it without the garlic and it is still fantastic)
1/2 box of Anne's frozen flat pastry strips or homemade

Remove and discard giblets from chicken. You can use them if you like, but I usually toss them out. Wash chicken. Place chicken, onion, celery, and carrots in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover chicken.

Add thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil began to simmer it (light boil) for about 45 mins. Give the chicken leg a little pull and if it separates from the meat it is done.

Remove pot from stove and place chicken on a large cutting board to cool.

Remove pastry from freezer. Bring stock back to a boil and add pastry 4-5 at a time (Use about 1/2 of the box of pastry). Remember the pastry will expand.

Boil for about 8-10 mins, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.

Add chicken back to the pot and boil for additional 2 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and cover. Let the stew rest for 30 mins and then serve.

This recipe pairs well with Honey Cornbread Muffins.

*You can substitute rice instead of pastry if you like

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

With the temperatures creeping into the 60's this past week I found myself thinking of hearty, warm soup for dinner.

Last year I came across a recipe for baked potato soup. I decided to tweak it a little to make it as healthy as I could without compromising the taste. Well, I am happy to report that my family adores this soup.

This post is dedicated to my mom's friend, Brenda, who had some amazing potato soup this past weekend at a famous restaurant in her hometown. I challenge her and all of you to make this healthier version of Baked Potato Soup, you will not be disappointed.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6 small baking potatoes (about 2-3 pounds)
2 tbsp butter or substitute
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour (exact measurement leveled)
6 cups of skim milk or alternative
4 oz sharp or mild cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp paprika
4 oz of fat-free sour cream
4 oz of plain greek style yogurt
1 cup of chopped green onions (I did not give these to the kids)
8-10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Wash and place potatoes in microwave until you can pierce a fork through them. Set them aside to cool.

Melt butter in a large pot. Add flour whisking to combine. Slowly add milk, whisking to reduce lumps. Once combined cook on medium for about 8 mins. You will need to stir to prevent sticking. Since we are using skim milk it will not thicken as needed until we add the remaining ingredients.

Peel and mash potatoes. Add potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir until cheese is melted.

Remove pot from heat and add sour cream and greek yogurt until combined. Return to heat on low for about 10-12 mins.

Place in soup bowls and serve with green onions and bacon. I left the onions off for the kids.

Enjoy!

*If you are really creative you could make bread bowls to serve the soup. Due to time restraints I only made homemade rolls.

Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew

There is no better way to incorporate a variety of vegetables into a dinner dish than in a stew or soup. I recently came across a couple of stew/soup recipes that sounded pretty healthy so I took pieces from each and came up with my own Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew.

My youngest son loves white beans, so this recipe was perfect.

Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew

Ingredients:

17.6 oz Whole Wheat Potato Gnocchi Homemade Style* or White Potato Gnocchi
1-2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp
1 medium onion chopped
1 large carrots chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 cup of homemade vegetable broth or store-bought
3 cups of spinach chopped
1 15 oz can of no salt Italian tomatoes
1 15 oz can of Cannellini beans
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring very often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes (I had to use 2 tablespoons of olive oil because my gnocchi was sticking). Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add spinach and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and salt/pepper and bring to a simmer for a few mins. Stir in the gnocchi.

Place stew in bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with a fresh salad and homemade bread sticks.

* I found the whole wheat gnocchi at Trader Joe's for under $2

Tomato Florentine Soup

I know it is summertime and above 90 degrees outside, but I still like to have soup for dinner. A food blog that I follow called Goodlife Eats has some amazing soup recipes. One recipe that is super easy and a real winner in our household is Tomato Florentine. I pretty much follow the recipe as written and make small changes here and there.

Since our garden has been producing a tremendous amount of Roma tomatoes I decided to make this soup with Roma's instead of canned tomatoes. It does require more work than the original recipe, but tasted so fresh. Here is my version:

Tomato Florentine Soup with Spinach Rolls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
32 oz of peeled and diced Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
2 tablespoons flour
2 bay leaves
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups shells pasta, cooked
6 oz baby spinach, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Place Roma tomatoes into boiling water (must completely cover tomatoes) for about 60 seconds. Immediately remove from boiling water and place into a bowl of ICE cold water. Wait about a minute and then begin to peel tomatoes with your hands. The skin of the tomatoes should peel right off.

Cut or dice tomatoes to the size your family prefers, reserving any juices. My family likes their tomatoes pretty small, so I had to dice them in little chunks. Set tomatoes aside. (This is were I added about 1 teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes)

Cook pasta shells according to package.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, tomato paste, and diced Roma tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes begin to dry, about 13 minutes.

Add the garlic to the pot, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in any reserved tomato juice and 2 bay leaves. Add 1 cup of broth at a time, whisking after each addition, until desired consistency is reached. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh Spinach Rolls.

Spinach Rolls

I have adapted the recipe for Spinach Bread on Allrecipes to make fresh spinach rolls.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place all ingredients into bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle.

Once dough cycle is complete, remove and place on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough until it is about an inch thick.

Flour the top of a small juice cup and press into the dough to make rolls. Spray 9 x 13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Place rolls into pan cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 mins.

Place into oven for 10-15 mins at 375 degrees (oven times may vary)