d's delights- cooking and crafts

Zuppa Toscana (OG Copycat!) I had made a lot of tomato-based soups lately, so I decided to go wit this.   It is supposedly a copycat of the Olive Garden recipe.   As usual, I had to make some of my own adjustments.   (Not as much kale and more broth/cream than called for) This turned out sooooo good!   I am afraid I’m going to eat it all up before even having a chance to freeze any for later!   A great comfort food for depressing winters! Olive oil 1 lb Italian Sausage (casing removed) 4 slices of bacon, diced   (bacon, bacon, Bacon BACOOOOOOON!) 1 sm-md yellow onion, chopped 3 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth 2 cups (or cans worth!) of water 1 ½ lb russet potatoes (about 4)   sliced and diced.   (leave skin on if desired- rinse and scrub first!) 1 ½ tsp sugar ½ tsp crushed fennel seeds   (these are optional, but I wouldn’t leave them out if you can help it!) Salt and pepper 2 C half and half (I actually used 32 ...

Fantastically Yummy Red Pepper Tomato Soup I first made this soup maybe almost 10 years ago.  I really loved it and everyone else who tried it loved it too.  I think my memories of it taking a while to make and of how expensive red peppers can be made me not make it for a while.  But it is TOTALLY WORTH the cost for red peppers and the time it takes to make.  Growing up, I was never really a fan of tomato soup, but there is something about this that transcends the “tomato soup” you grew up with!  I can just see that in Indiana in the Fall, this could be a less expensive and extremely fresh endeavor.  Start planning your tomato plants, everyone! Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, and Basil would be awesome in this as well! I got this from the internet long before Pinterest and Facebook!  It originally came from the Junior League of Annapolis.  Can you just imagine some ladies sitting down to some soup and tea sandwiches?  Also, I noticed that I p...

Polar Vortex Post Number 1: Crock Pot Fajitas and Enchilada Soup We have been snowed in since Sunday (Today is Tuesday) because of what the weather people are calling a “Polar Vortex”.   Luckily we were stocked up on things to eat.   Rob has been off work Monday and Tuesday.   Some schools are even closed tomorrow already.   It pretty much snowed all day long on Sunday, then Monday and Tuesday the actual temperatures were below freezing- that’s not even counting the “Wind Chill” factor. I had already made this crock pot fajita mean up for the freezer, but did not cook it until Sunday.   It was quite good, and even Will liked eating the chicken.   I put some in tortillas and fried them up.   (Reminder: do NOT attempt this on days that you can’t open all the windows to clear the smoke! Duh!)   I added cheese to mine, and cooked up some rice to go with it.   I even made up a couple of extras for the next day, and they were good. ...

Wild Rice Soup Here is a new one that I decided   to try.   It is from the Taste of Home Cookbook.   I used to love getting a Taste of Home Magazine and searching through it for my next culinary delight.   I have never made a wild rice soup, so this was a new experience for me.   In fact, I’m not sure I’ve made “wild rice” anything.   This has a really smooth, velvety broth, and strong flavors of the rice and rosemary.   It wasn’t too hard to make, either.   I don’t like it when things are too complicated!   If you are going to make it for a crowd or large family, double the recipe. Ingredients: 1/3 C Uncooked Wild Rice 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil 1 quart water 1 medium onion, chopped (I used 3 small) 1 Celery Rib, Chopped (I used 2) 1 Carrot, chopped (I used 2) ½ C Butter ½ C All Purpose Flour 3 Cups Chicken Broth (I used broth flavor packets and 3 C water) ** you can also use 4 cups of broth if that is how you buy it. 2 Cu...

Corn Choup Here is another Rachael Ray recipe that I decided to try.   I love making soup and then freezing some for later.   If I plan well, I can make a soup a week, and then have a variety to choose from for those quick lunches. Ingredients: 2 Tbs EVOO (olive oil!) 4 Bacon Slices, chopped (use kitchen shears!) 1 Onion 10 Oz. Frozen Corn or 4-5 ears of corn, cut off cob (I used a 16 oz bag) 1 Medium or 2 small Zucchini, chopped. 1 lb. Potatoes, peeled and chopped ½ Red Bell pepper, chopped 1 bay leaf 5-6 Thyme Sprigs (I just used some dry thyme) 1 Tsp Paprika Salt and Pepper to taste 3 Tbs Flour 1 Quart (4 c) Chicken Stock   (I used some liquid concentrate bouillon) 1 C Milk 1 C Heavy Cream ½ C Flat Leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (Just year up a bug ol handful worth) Chop the bacon and get it going in the pot with the evoo. Chop the vegetables (corn, onion, zucchini, potatoes, pepper) Add the vegetables to the cooked bacon, add seasoni...

South Beach Vegetable Beef Soup As it is Fall, it is once again time for soups and chilis.   I have posted several of my favorites on here, but here is one I haven’t posted.   It is from a South Beach Diet cookbook.   Its for phase one, so it is quite low in the glycemic index area.   Also, the cabbage and spinach are super good for you.   I don’t always like spinach or cabbage by themselves, but I like this soup.   It’s quite hearty… really more like a stew, or as Rachael Ray calls it, “Stoup.” I typically double the recipe and it makes a HUGE pot full.   I double it because I hate having leftover cabbage and spinach!   I just buy a cabbage already cut in half, and a smaller bag of frozen spinach!   It freezes well, so I have some for several months. Ingredients: Olive Oil 1 lb Steak (top round) cut in cubes.   You can also use pre-cut beef for stews. 1 Rib of celery ½ Large Onion ¼ lb Frozen Cut Green Beans 5 Cups ...

Soup for the week... I decided that I will make my Black Bean Soup for this week’s soup.   I find making a soup once a week to have for quick lunches is great, and I can also freeze some for a wider variety later.   So far, I have the Turkey Chili and the 8 Can Taco Soup frozen for those days when it just ain’t gonna happen!.   I have been making this recipe since about 2003.   It is a favorite of mine.   I normally use dried beans that I soak overnight, but I decided that this time I will use canned beans for time’s sake.   I’ve never done that before, so it will be a bit of an experiment.   It is not difficult to make, but time consuming, in that you have to think ahead of time to soak the beans, and it takes a good hour and a half to two hours to cook.   But, it’s great to make for those Fall/Winter weekends when you are stuck inside. Here’s the OriginalRecipe: (From South Beach Diet Book) 1 ½ C DriedBlack Beans 6 Cups Water ...

Now I am going to try a Pinterest recipe.   I saw that a number of my friends and “followers” had re-pinned this one, so I thought I would give it a try, and then write about it!   Here is the origin of the Pin . 8 Can Taco Soup 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained 1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained 1 (12.5 oz.) can white chicken breast, drained 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth 1 packet taco seasoning I bought all of the ingredients except for the canned chicken… I just could not bring myself to buy canned meat.   I was a little concerned about the sodium and preservative content, too.   So, I just cooked my own meat the night before and put it in the fridge.   I probably should have made more, but next time…   Also, I accidentally had petite diced tomatoes with...

In the spirit of Fall comfort foods, I will give you one of my very favorite soups to make and eat.   It is a Rachael Ray recipe, but I tweaked it a bit.   The ingredients sound like they are an odd fit for each other, but I tell you, this is one of the most delicious soups, or “stoups” as she calls it, that I’ve ever had!   This recipe makes about 10 cups, and my note at the bottom says “Eat with a Fork!” Hoppin’ Stoup and Rice 1 ½ C Rice               (I used brown minute rice.   Brown the rice in a little olive oil, then add 2 ¾ C Water or Chicken Broth.   Then, serve the stoup over the rice) I did wind up putting the rice in the soup later, and that turned out just fine. 1 Large Onion, chopped 1 Md-Lg Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped. 5-6 Celery Ribs, chopped (you can include the leaves if you like) 1 or 2 Green Bell Peppers, chopped 1 lb Sausage.   (The original recip...

Yep, it’s getting to be that time of year… Chili Time !   I love Chili- as long as it’s not overly spicy.   Unfortunately, my husband will not eat anything with beans in it, so I’m on my own here.   Here are a couple of chili/"stoup" recipes that you can make up and freeze for later if you like.   White Chili Crock Pot Meal! 1 lb Great Northern Beans (I used 2 cans) 1 Medium Onion, chopped 3 Cloves og Garlic, minced 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano ½ tsp cayenne pepper (use more if you like it spicy) ½ tsp Salt 2 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts 1 14 Oz Can Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth 1 C Water Cut up chicken in small pieces and brown in a pan. Add all ingredients into the crock pot. Cook on Low 10-12 hrs, High 6-8 hrs ____________________________________________________________ Taco Stoup (This is from Rachael Ray) 1 ½ Lb Ground Sirloin 1 Tbs Cumin 1 Tbs Ground Coriander 1 Tbs Chili Powder (I ALWAYS use less… more like...