Guess what... a soup again!

   Need something simple, but delicious? My usual go-to is a soup, I can eat it any time, all year long, but you all already know that... I've been saying it for years! Soup really is a great thing -  you can make it in no time, you can make it with a very few ingredients, it's a lighter dish and you can pair it with a lot of different things (if you are not a fan of light dishes). It makes me very, very happy that my 3 year old son is also a soup fan, there is not many soups I made he didn't like... and if he is not too sure about some, I just add a spoonful of pasta to it and he loves it (unfortunately this little trick does not work on my hubby!).
   The leek soup I made recently needed no enhancers and it was a hit with both of my boys, even though daddy needed some grilled cheese sandwich with his, but that turned out to be a good idea after all!

Ingredients:

* 3 large leeks
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 3 tbsp butter
* 3-4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable for vegetarian option)
* salt

* croutons, optional

Directions:

1. Halve the leeks (the white and light green parts), wash them under cold running water and thinly slice.

2. In a pan, melt butter, add onions and leeks, season with a little bit of salt and saute on medium heat until soft and translucent (about 10-15 minutes).

3. Transfer into a blender with 1-2 cups of chicken (or vegetable) broth and blend until smooth.

4. Transfer into a pot, add remaining broth (to the density you like) and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt to your liking.

5. Serve with croutons on the top.

   Smooth, silky, creamy and decadent - I bet butter had something to do with that! Croutons are optional, but I really recommend some crunchy element, since the soup itself is very creamy. Oh, and remember the pasta trick? I had some leftovers, so I mixed them with elbow pasta the next day and it created a nice and thick pasta sauce... perfect for Christopher!

Enjoy,
Magda

Soup again!

   I almost started the post with saying that it's been a while since I posted soup recipe... and then I scrolled down and saw the pozole! Then I thought that at least it's been a while when I used mushrooms as my main ingredient.... and then I scrolled down and saw bunch of recipes with mushrooms! So guess what's on the menu today? Yes, you are right, mushroom soup! It's kind of "springy" soup with mushrooms, veggies and chicken, so it's perfect timing since we just welcomed the Spring. I wish somebody told the weather that Spring came, but than again, it's even better timing since the temperatures outside are very "soupy"! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

* 16 oz mushrooms, chopped
* 4 celery, chopped
* 3 carrots, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 3 tbsp butter
* 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
* 1 cup sour cream
* salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, melt butter and add onions, celery, mushrooms and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add chicken broth, season with salt and pepper (if needed) and cook for additional 15 minutes.

3. Combine sour cream with half a cup of boiling soup and mix to combine. Add the mixture to the soup, bring to boil and remove from the heat.

   Very light and very delicious (to be honest, most soups are delicious to me). You can use any kind of vegetables you like, it just happened that I had those in the fridge and it turned out they really pair well with mushrooms.

Enjoy,
Magda

Ingredient No. 3!

   What, it's already March?! How did that happen? I understand that February is a little bit shorter than other months, but come on.... we just celebrated Valentine's Day not so long ago! Anyways, I'm a little behind with my "new ingredient a month" project (since I still live in February!), but I'm gonna make it up now. This month's ingredient might not be "exotic", it's something that many of you use every single day, but for some reason I've never cooked with it. Tomatillos - green vegetables that resemble unripe tomato in a husk. I think they are actually called "Mexican husk tomatoes".

 

   When I was searching for some interesting recipes, I saw a lot of tomatillo salsas and sauces, but I wanted something more than that, something different (not that there is anything wrong with salsa!). And then I found it: Green Pozole, made with chicken, tomatillos (duh!), hominy and herbs - it sounded delicious, it looked delicious... and it turned out delicious! 

Ingredients:

* 1 lb tomatillos
* 2 lbs chicken thighs
* 2 (15 oz) can hominy
* 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, sliced
* 4 oz sunflower seeds
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 cup fresh cilantro
* 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* 1 tbsp vegetable oil
* lime
* salt

Garnish (optional)

* red onion, sliced
* radishes, sliced
* cilantro

Directions:

1. Bring about 8 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1/2 chopped onion, 2 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and some salt. Cover the pot, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the whole chicken thighs and cook gently (uncovered) for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool a little. Strain the broth and set it aside for later.

3. In a food processor or grinder, grind sunflower seeds until they form fine powder. Set aside.

4. In a pot, heat 3 cups water with remaining 1/2 onion, tomatillos, cilantro and oregano. Cook covered for 10 minutes, until veggies are tender. Discard the cooking liquid and place the cooked veggies into a standing blender, add remaining garlic and blend everything until smooth.

5. In a Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil, add the pureed veggies (be careful as it will splatter) and cook the sauce uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the ground sunflower seeds and 1 cup of the broth reserved from cooking the chicken, stir and cook another 5 minutes.

6. Shred the chicken and add it to the sauce together with the hominy and the remaining broth (add as much as you like - depending on the thickness you want to achieve). Season with salt to taste and simmer everything for additional 5-10 minutes.

7. Serve in a bowl with sliced radishes, red onions and lime juice (you can also add avocado).

   What a cool dish! I am definitely going to make it more often (especially that my boys loved it too). It's super filling and hardy, but light and fresh at the same time. The bright and crunchy garnishes make it even "fresher". You can garnish it with all the things I mention or you can just mix and match, but if my two year old loved all of them (even the red onion!!!) you should definitely give it a try!

Enjoy,
Magda.

New ingredient, part 2!

   I am a huge fan of mushrooms... any kind, any preparation, any amount!!! In Poland we pick our own mushrooms straight from the woods (yes, that's right!) and we cook them as fresh as can be! And yes, we know exactly which one to pick and which one to stay away from... it's just one of our "Polish skills" that we are born with! I triad hundreds of different kinds of mushrooms (probably exaggerating here a little bit), but somehow I never tried Enoki mushroom... so thanks to my new year's resolution I have a perfect opportunity to do so.

   I was looking for some interesting recipes featuring Enoki, but since I didn't find anything that was "satisfying" enough, I decided to create my own.  I took the inspiration from Japanese cuisine and created a miso-ginger soup with Enoki and tofu.

Ingredients:

* 4 cups ginger miso broth (Trader Joe's)
* 15 oz fresh Enoki mushrooms
* 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
* 4 oz extra firm tofu
* 4 green onions, chopped
* 2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Cut roots of the Enoki mushrooms, at least 2-3 inches from the end. In the small pen, melt butter and fry half of the mushroom for 6-7 minutes until golden brown, set aside.

2. Wrap tofu into 2-3 paper towels and squeeze excess water. Cut into small cubes.

3. Boil miso-ginger broth, add remaining mushrooms, spinach and chopped onions (leave some for garnish) and cook everything for 5 minutes.

4. Add tofu and cook for 4-5 minutes.

5. Pour into bowls, garnish with fried mushrooms and green onions.

   The broth is delicious - super flavorful and comforting, while fresh and light. The Enoki mushrooms are a great substitute for noodles, they are a little bit chewy and have a "bite" to them - just like noodles but without all the extra carbs and calories.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Cream without the cream!

   Yet, another soup on my blog! Well, I can't help it that we (Christopher and I) eat a lot of soups, but with the weather getting "Autumn-y", I know many of you will make more and more soups as well. So just in case you are looking for a new recipe, I have one! It was kind of an experiment, especially the addition of the cheese, but it worked out perfectly. I don't really know how to call it, it could be cream of cauliflower with potatoes, or cream of potatoes with a cauliflower, but however you call it, it is creamy and delicious without the need for any cream or butter. Yes, it does have cheese, but it's pure protein anyways, right? Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

* 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
* 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
* 1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
* 3 carrots, peeled and cubed
* 4 cups chicken or veggetable (for vegetarian option) broth
* 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* salt and pepper

Optional garnish:
* green onions
* turkey bacon

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine all the veggies, add chicken (or vegetable) broth and if necessary, add some water to make sure that all the veggies are covered.

2. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

3. Remove pot from heat and blend everything with the immersion blender until smooth.

4. Return the pot to the heat, add cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and serve garnished with crisped turkey bacon and green onions.

   The garnish is really optional and can be changed for something else. I just happened to have green onions in my fridge and I thought they would look really pretty on the top of a yellow soup and as for the turkey bacon...  I needed to put something in the dish that would "seduce" Justin and bacon definitely did the job!

Enjoy,
Magda

Like mother, like son.

   Christopher might look like my husband, but he definitely inherited my palate. He is a very good eater (me!), he is willing to try everything (me!), and his favorite things to eat include meat, pickles, olives, fruit and soups (me, me, and me!!!). Oh and coo-coos (aka cookies), too. But seriously, ask my husband - Christopher and I could eat soups 24/7! We love Polish soups, American, Italian, Indian... you name it, we will eat it and it makes me super happy that now I have somebody to share my soup obsession with! With the weather getting colder (and with the rain we had for the last 8 days) we needed something warming, comforting and delicious, so what could be better than Indian-inspired red lentil soup. Full of spices, flavor and comfort. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

* 2 cups red lentils
* 1 16oz can diced tomatoes
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 large carrots, grated
* 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 3 tbsp butter
* 1.5 tbsp mustard seeds
* 1.5 tbsp cumin seeds
* 2 tbsp turmeric powder
* 1 tbsp garam masala
* 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
* 1/4 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 1 chicken bullion cube (optional)
* salt

* oyster crackers (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the lentils at least 4-5 times, cover with excess water and let them soak for at least 2 hours.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil until almost smoking, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute, covered (to avoid all the oil splashing).

3. Add onions, garlic, carrots and cilantro and cook with a little bit of salt for 2-3 minutes (stirring). Add butter, turmeric powder, garam masala, smoked paprika, cinnamon,  bullion cube and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

4. Add around 6-7 cups of water, canned tomatoes (juice included), reduce heat and cook covered for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time.

5. Add lemon juice, adjust seasoning to your liking, cook for 2 more minutes and it's ready to serve. If you want to be rebellious you can serve it with oyster crackers!

   The recipe makes a huge pot of soup, but believe it or not, I wish I had more! Yes, it's that good! You don't really need the oyster crackers on the top, but my husband loves them and since he already "sacrificed" himself  and ate a soup for dinner, I wanted to reward him a little bit. It actually turned out pretty good and Christopher and I also put some crackers in our soup!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Fancy name.

   Every Polish person has eaten tomato soup at least once in their life (it's probably more like 100 times, but you get the point!). After "rosol" (Polish version of a chicken soup), it's safe to say that tomato soup is the next most popular soup of Poland. It definitely earned the spot - it's quick, easy and delicious, so why wouldn't it be so popular? You can eat it with noodles, or rice, or I even saw some variations with different veggies. I make it very often myself, because I can have it done and on the table within 15-20 minutes, but this time I decided to go for something more "sophisticated" - a tomato bisque. It's a little bit denser than our soup, it has a little bit more ingredients and it has a French name, so if you want to impress somebody, just tell them you are serving a "bisque". They will think you are the next Julia Child!

Ingredients:

* 2 28oz can of whole tomatoes, with juice
* 1 large onion
* 2 garlic cloves
* 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
* 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
* 4 tbsp butter
* 1 chicken bullion cube
* 3 tbsp chopped basil
* 1 tbsp chopped parsley
* 1 cup milk
* salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter and saute onions with a little bit of salt for 5 minutes. Add garlic and constantly stirring, cook for additional minute.

2. Add chopped carrots, celery, basil and parsley. Cook for 5-6 minutes.

3. Add canned tomatoes with juice and a bullion cube and cook everything on low-to-medium heat for 40 minutes until all the veggies are tender. You can add a cup of water if necessary (if it's way too dense).

4. Take the soup off the heat and blend with the immersion blender until smooth. Add milk, season with salt and pepper if needed and cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

5. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

   You can see in that picture how dense and creamy the soup is. It has some sweet and acidic notes and the fresh herbs are just delicious. For my husband, the obvious missing thing was a grilled cheese sandwich, but I enjoyed the soup, I mean the bisque ;-), by itself and it was awesome.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Summer soup.

   Yes, it's a soup recipe in the middle of summer, that's right! I can't help it that I love soups so much and I absolutely do not consider it to be a "winter dish"! Justin is not really a fan of soups, he just doesn't consider it as a "meal", so to encourage him to have a bowl, I need to find one that is full of meat and his favorite flavors! Tortilla soup - chunky, full of tender chicken and Mexican flavors, I knew he won't be able to resist and I was right! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

* 2 large chicken breasts
* 1 15oz can of black beans,  drained and rinsed
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup fresh cilantro
* 1 15oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
* 1 cup tomato sauce

* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 0.5 - 1 tsp chili powder (depending on how spice you want it to be)
* 1 tsp paprika
* salt and pepper

Garnish:
* tortilla strips
* sour cream


Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook chicken breast in salted water until soft - 45-60 minutes.

2. Take the chicken out of the water, let it cool for few minutes and shred it.

3. In the meantime, to the remaining water add onions, garlic, corn, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and add spices (cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper).

4. Cook everything for 15 minutes, add shredded chicken and cilantro and cook for additional 15 minutes.

5. Serve garnished with sour cream and tortilla strips.

   Delicious! You can adjust spiciness to your liking, since I am not a fan of spicy food I just added a little bit of chili powder, but feel free to "spice things up"!

Enjoy,
Magda

The Polish cravings continue.

   So continuing with the theme of  "The baby craving Polish food", I made one of the most "Polish" soups - krupnik (barley soup). Funny thing ...  when I was a kid, I hated this soup with a passion! I don't really know (or remember) why, but I really felt like my mom was punishing me for something every time she made it. Well, things have changed since then and I really love it now and it looks like the Baby likes it as well. There are three main ingredients to it that you can't skip: meat (on the bone), barley, and potatoes. I found some large turkey necks and I thought they would be just perfect... and I was right, but you can also use chicken wings or beef ribs. Check it out!

Ingredients:

*  3-4 turkey necks
*  3/4 cup pearl barley
*  1 white onion, chopped
*  2 carrots, shredded
*  2-3 medium potatoes, cubed
*  2 celery stalks, chopped
*  2 bouillon cubes
*  1/2 cup fresh parsley
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash turkey necks in cold water, transfer into a pot, cover with water, add a little bit of salt and cook for 1.5 hours (yes, they take quiet some time).
2. Add shredded carrots, celery, onions, 1/2 parsley, bouillon cubes and barley. Cook everything for 30 minutes or until barley is almost done.
3. Add cubed potatoes, season to taste and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Adjust the amount of water to your liking (depending on how dense you like your soup).
4. Remove cooked  meat, separate it from the bone, shred it, and return it to the soup. Add remaining parsley and it's ready to serve.

   Such a great and satisfying soup. You don't really need anything else, maybe a piece of toast, and you have a perfect dinner.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Go green!

   I just realized that I hadn't done a post about soup for a while. Well, this has to be fixed. This soup is probably one of the easiest, quickest and most delicious of all the soups I make. Even Justin, who might not be the biggest fan of soups, loves this one! Delicious and silky cream of broccoli, only few ingredients, under 20 minutes... and surprise, surprise no cream needed. So it's not only good, but also good for you. You want to know where the creaminess comes for? Super fine blended onions, which were sauteed with a little bit of butter. I'm telling you, it will change your life.

Ingredients:

*  2 medium broccoli, whole, cut into pieces
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  3 tbsp butter
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  parsley for garnish
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Boil broccoli, stems and florets, in salted water for 5-6 minutes or until the stems are soft. Drain.
2. Saute onions with butter on a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.
3. Transfer onions and broccoli into a blender, add 1-2 cups of water and blend everything until smooth - you might have to do it in 2 batches, depending on the size of your blender.
4. Transfer into a pot, add bullion cubes and cook for 1-2 minutes. You may have to adjust the amount of water, depending on how thick you like your soup. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, garnish with parsley, and it's ready to serve.

   I'm telling you, it's one of the best soups ever. I can eat it all day around. Justin's favorite way to eat this soup is to dip a grilled cheese sandwich in it... delicious, but for me it's just perfect on its own.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Polish soup at its finest!

   Have you ever had a meal so good that you wanted to cry eating it? I know you think that I probably exaggerate, but I'm telling you, Polish cucumber soup is that good. Not only is it one of my favorite soups, but also it tastes like my home and childhood. My Mom cooks it pretty frequently and we all love it. It's not easy to make it here, because you need to find a right type of cucumbers in brine... I'm sorry, but it has to be Polish... no other type will taste the same. I'm lucky that we have a European store close by that carries some of the Polish items so that I could make this amazing soup. I do have to warn you though... it does have a very "specific", sour flavor, which might take some getting used to. I'm sure all my Polish friends out there will agree that it's the best, but Justin's reaction was quite interesting: "...oh, it's good... tastes very Polish...". Recipe makes a huge pot of it, but you know I love soup.

Ingredients:

*  1 30oz jar cucumbers in brine
*  2 large potatoes, cubed
*  2 carrots, shredded
*  1 onion, chopped
*  1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
*  1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  2 tbsp sour cream
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add water (I used about 3 litters), cubed potatoes, onions, shredded carrots, bouillon cubes, parsley and dill, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, using a hand grater shred cucumbers capturing all the juices.
3. Add shredded cucumbers and all the juice from the jar to the soup and cook for 5-10 more minutes until potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
4. When the soup is ready, add a little bit of hot liquid to the sour cream and mix. Turn off the stove, add sour cream to soup and mix to combine.

   Sour and delicious! You can also substitute potatoes with rice, but I am a potato girl and definitely prefer this version! With the amount I just made I will eat it for next few days... and that's the best part of making soups!

Enjoy,
Magda

Light and smooth!

   Soup anybody? Winter is almost over, so if you are one of those people that eat soup only when it's cold outside, you don't have much time left to enjoy one. It doesn't really affect me, because I enjoy a nice bowl of soup any time of a year and any time of a day, but I do tend to eat more of it during the cold months. Well, this one is not only easy and delicious, but also super cheap. As the title says, light and delicious, split pea soup, perfect for this time of the year. Here is the recipe, serves about 6-8 (depending how big of a soup lover are you).

Ingredients:

*  1 lb dried green split pea
*  3 carrots, chopped
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 garlic cloves, minced
*  1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
*  1 tbsp lime (or lemon) juice
*  2 tbsp butter
*  2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash green peas under cold water, cover with water (at least 2-3 inches above peas) and let it soak for about 1 hour.
2. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute onions and carrots (for about 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute (don't let it burn).
3. Add drained split peas, bullion cubs and dill. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add water to cover the vegetables (about 3 inches above the veggies), reduce the heat and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the peas are falling apart. Make sure you add a little bit of water as it cooks down.
4. Turn of the heat and using a hand blender, blend everything together until smooth.
5. Add sour cream, lime juice, salt and pepper (if needed) and mix to combine.

   Very thick and very delicious. Don't add too much water while cooking, you can always adjust it afterwards if you think it's too dense. I like mine to have some "body" so that I can have it for lunch or dinner. Even Justin agreed this one counts as a meal on it's own... well on it's own, but accompanied by bunch of crackers or a sandwich!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Eureka!

   Finally I made a soup that Justin liked and "recognized" as a dinner meal! I'm still in shock... I thought it would never happen. It was my "little goal" in life to find a soup recipe that would satisfy my husband and I succeeded. It's a delicious and hearty soup, but I'm convinced that it's the name of it that convinced Justin... "Cheeseburger Soup". I know, probably I didn't play fair, but I would use any trick to make him eat more soup... even if it means making cheeseburger inspired soup! If the name doesn't sound too appealing wait until you try it. I might be bias because I have an obsession with soup, but you know it has to be delicious if Justin had a huge bowl of it! Here is the recipe (makes 6):

Ingredients:

*  1 lb lean ground beef
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 garlic cloves, minced
*  4 celery sticks, chopped
*  2 carrots, shredded
*  3 medium potatoes, diced
*  2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
*  1 cup skim milk
*  4 cup chicken broth
*  2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
*  1 tsp dried basil
*  1/3 cup chopped, fresh parsley
*  2 tbsp flour
*  1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven (or a deep pot), heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic (2-3 minutes).
2. Add ground beef, parsley, and dried basil and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add carrots, celery, potatoes and cook everything for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add flour while constantly mixing cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add chicken broth and milk, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
6. Add cheddar cheese and sour cream, bring to boil, turn off the heat and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

   I can't believe it, but Justin actually had two bowls of soup for dinner!!! Somebody pinch me! I had it for lunch and for dinner... it's that good!

Enjoy,
Magda.

No-heart-attack Chowder!

   Who doesn't like a nice and chunky chowder? I love any kind... corn, potato, veggies... but New England clam chowder is probably one of my favorite soups in the entire world. I always feel guilty when I eat the "real thing", because it's loaded with butter and heavy cream, and I just can't eat as much as I would like to. Today's post is not going to be about clam chowder, but a regular, simple veggie version with some turkey bacon (I needed to throw in something that Justin would be excited about too). And the best part of this recipe is that it has no butter, no heavy cream, no loads of calories. Check this out:

Ingredients:

*  2 large potatoes, finely chopped
*  2 carrots, finely chopped
*  5 celery stalks, finely chopped
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  20 slices turkey bacon, chopped
*  1 cup frozen corn kernels
*  1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

*  4 cups skim milk
*  2 cup chicken broth
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  3 tbsp flour
*  1 cup dry white wine
*  1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
*  1 lime 
*  salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a deep pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and saute onions and turkey bacon for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrot, celery salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add flour, mix together and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine, scrape the bottom and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce, milk, chicken stock and desired amount of water to make it as dense as you like.
4. Add corn and parsley, and cook until veggies are tender. Finish with juice squeezed from 1 lime and it's ready to serve.

   I like it hot, I like it chunky... and that's exactly how this chowder is! The lime juice makes it refreshing and light. I usually cook my chowder for no longer then 15-20 minutes, just to cook potatoes, without loosing the texture of other veggies. It's just perfect!

Enjoy,
Magda.

Pumpkin season!

   Yes, another pumpkin... another soup... another pumpkin soup! I already posted one of those here, but this time it's a different one... it's a pumpkin and ginger version of it! Super exotic, super delicious, and perfect for fall/winter dinners. I make it every year at this time and I make a lot of it. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

*  large can (30oz) pure pumpkin puree
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
*  1 tbsp curry powder
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  3 tbsp butter
*  2 tbsp lemon juice
*  salt and pepper
*  pumpkin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter and saute onions until softened (5-6 minutes). Add ginger, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
2. Transfer onions into a small blender, add 1/2 cup water and blend everything until perfectly smooth.
3. In a large pot, mix together pumpkin puree, curry powder, bullion cubes and water (into desired consistency), and cook everything for about 5 minutes.
4. Add blended onions and lemon juice, season with more salt and pepper if needed and cook everything for 10 more minutes.
5. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds!

   I eat it for lunch, for dinner, as a starter, as a main dish, with sandwich or by itself, at the table, on the couch, sitting, standing... you got the idea how much I like it. Try it, I'm sure you will enjoy it too!

Good luck,
Magda

Fall or any other season.

   For some people fall is a "soup season". For me fall is a season when I can eat soup all the time, without people asking me: you eat soup in the middle of summer? Yes, I do eat it all year round and I am not planning to change this habit any time soon. Justin doesn't really agree that soup is a dinner itself... for him it's an appetizer or a great addition to a giant sandwich, but for me a bowl of delicious chunky or creamy soup is all I need. Since it's the entire meal for me, I tend to use a "substantial" bowls to serve it in, so that might explain the amount of soup you will get using my recipes. Here is one of them, a recipe for delicious creamy leek and potato soup:

Ingredients:

*  3 medium leeks
*  3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
*  3 tbsp butter
*  2 vegetable bullion cubes
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the leeks (white part and about 2-3 inches into a green part) and put in a bowl of warm water to wash them. Drain and let them dry a little bit.
2. In a Dutch oven melt 3 tbsp of butter, add washed leeks, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
3. Add cubed potatoes, vegetable bullion cubes, salt and pepper. Add water to about 2 inches over vegetables.
4. Cook everything for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Turn off the heat and blend everything with hand blender until smooth and dense.
5. If you are not a vegetarian try to garnish it with some crisped turkey bacon - delicious!

   You can adjust the amount of water to make is as dense as you like. You can serve it not only with turkey (or regular) bacon, but also with some fresh herbs or a spoon of sour cream. I usually just eat it plain, but I have to admit that this bacon garnish was pretty good and I think it will be my new go to.

Enjoy,
Magda.

Fall tradition!

   Fall is back and that means that chili and pumpkins are back as well. There is nothing better than a bowl of warm and comforting food enjoyed on the couch while watching some of our favorite shows. It's a tradition that when temperatures go below 50F I make chili. It's also a tradition that I make a double batch of it, portion it, and have a whole week of lunches and some "reserves" in the freezer. To makes things a little bit different, but not to change tradition too much, I decided to make a "taco" soup instead of chili. The same concept, but slightly different flavors going on and some extra ingredients. Here is the recipe that serves... a army!

Ingredients:

*  2 lbs lean ground turkey
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 can crushed tomatoes
*  1 can whole corn
*  1 can black beans
*  1 can green chilies
*  2 McCormic Taco seasoning mixes
*  1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

*  shredded cheese for garnish

Direction:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, add onions, salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add meat and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, corn, black beans, green chilies and cilantro. Mix together and bring to boil.
4. Add Taco seasoning and a little bit water to reduce it to the desired density. Lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with some cheese.

   Dense, rich and flavorful. The perfect dish for cold and dark evenings. It warms you up, comforts you, and makes everything better. You can serve it with a spoonful of sour cream to cool it down a little bit and add some contrast.

Enjoy,
Magda

Chili without the suntan!

   I know, it's still summer and I'm making chili, which is usually a fall or winter dish, but trust me, I know what I'm doing. There is nothing wrong with a bowl of delicious light chili made out of chicken, cannellini beans and some heat. For me "White chili" is a late summer version of the more known, regular beef/kidney beans dish, which can be rich and heavy (perfect for winter evenings). The longer I'm married to Justin the more spicy food I can handle, so I decided to spice this dish up with some Sriracha (super hot Thai sauce). Couple of years ago I couldn't even smell it without crying and look at me now... a full tablespoon of it in my chili! Here is the recipe that makes 4 dinner entree servings or 6 lunch servings.

Chili:
*  2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
*  2 15oz cans oz cannellini beans
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 small can green chilies, chopped
*  2 cloves garlic, chopped
*  1 tbsp ground cumin
*  1/2 tsp dried oregano
*  1/2 tsp black pepper
*  1/2 tsp paprika
*  1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
*  salt (to taste)
*  olive oil

Garnish:
*  fat-free sour cream
*  fresh cilantro

Direction:
1. In a deep pot, heat the olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add cubed chicken and cook everything for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add canned chilies, beans (with the juices), and all the spices. Cook everything together for about 20 minutes. You can add some water if you like your chili more soup-like.
4. Serve with a spoon of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

   Wow, it does have some kick to it... I might have spoken too soon about how much Sriracha I can handle. That's why you need a sour cream, which cools down the fire in your mouth a little bit and makes this dish super delicious. Chunks of chicken, creamy beans, cold sour cream and fresh cilantro is just the perfect combination!

Enjoy,
Magda.

I'm back!

   I can't get my act together after this wonderful vacation. It's so hard to believe that it's over and that we have to return to our "normal" life, but we have lots of pictures and amazing memories to keep us going. It's high time to get back into a kitchen and whip up some low calories goodies (vacation food is not figure friendly!!!). Today I did my own spin on a very traditional dish and made it completely different, but with similar flavors. I'm talking about "fasolka po bretonsku", which I guess can be literally translated to: bean and meat stew from Brittany (go figure). My Mom used to make it a lot and I hated beans, but loved the flavor of the soup at the same time, so I had to come up with my own "edible" version. So I substituted regular beans with green beans that I love, and kept all the other ingredients the same. And even though my tastes changed, and I now like white or kidney beans, I still make this dish with green beans and it's just perfect (and much lighter). Here is the recipe:

*  4-5 cups cut green beans
*  1 large onion (chopped)
*  1 cup chopped Polish kielbasa
*  1/2 cup tomato sauce
*  2 tbsp dry marjoram
*  2 cups chicken broth (or two cubs of bullion)
*  pinch of red paprica
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

1. In a deep pan saute onions and kielbasa with olive oil until browned.
2. Add water and chicken broth, cut green beans, tomato sauce, and all the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and cook everything for about 10 minutes until beans are cooked but still a little bit crunchy.

   It's much easier and quicker than the "original" version. You can make it as dense as you want and as spicy or mild as you desire. I like mine dense and mild and that's how I make it... and I'm loving every bite of it.

Good luck.
Magda.

Spring cleaning!

   No, this post is not going to be about cleaning your house, although it's not a bad idea because there is nothing better than a clean and fresh house! Well, OK, there are better things than that, but lets not go there! Today's "spring cleaning" post will be about cleaning out your fridge's leftover and unused veggies. When they sit in a fridge for a long time they are not as fresh and crispy, so the best thing to do is to put them into a soup! So that is exactly what I did! Don't worry about sticking to the list of ingredients, just check what you have in your fridge and use it. I'm sure it will make a delicious soup anyways. What I used is:

*  1/2 savoy cabbage
*  2 carrots (shredded)
*  1 tomato
*  3 celery sticks
*  1 large onion
*  3-4 tbs tomato sauce
*  dill
*  3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
*  2 tbsp fat-free plain yogurt
*  salt and pepper

   Chop the vegetables, put into a big pot with the broth and some water (adjust it to your liking) and cook until veggies are soft. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and then add the yogurt. It's that easy!

   If you are one of those people that think that soups should be eaten only in fall and winter, I'm sure you will change your mind after trying this one. It's very light and springy and is good all year around!

Enjoy.
Magda