Soup's On!

By Michelle Plummer of Winners Drink Milk

Hearty Soups and Stews

The leaves are on the ground and the winds are chilly and this is the perfect weather for making homemade soups and stews which I believe are the ultimate comfort food, add a piece of warm bread and butter and this is simple elegance.

Rachel Ray is the self-proclaimed queen of "stoups" which are rich soups and thickened to eat like a stew.  In just 30 minutes your family can have a rich hearty stoup that makes the feasters clean their bowls.

  

I am a big fan of thick and rich soups and stews.  My favorite being potato soup and then beef stew.  I found this recipe much like other readers, searching the web for a twist on the basic!  WOW, this is twice baked potato soup meets ranch dip!  The flavors mingle and marry to make a soup that is thick and each spoonful is an adventure.  Serve with a family favorite Katrina’s Bread (recipe below) and the meal is cheesy, creamy, crunchy and more than comfort food!

I love beef stew, the texture, the richness and the appearance.  For years I have made and served mediocre beef stew, it was OK, but for all the work I was disappointed until I came across this Tyler Florence recipe.  I must admit this is a weekend meal, it takes about four hours from start to finish but well worth it!  I really enjoy the horseradish sour cream topping, it steals the show.  Don’t take my word for it but try it, there are many cold weekends ahead of us, there is one just perfect for this stew.  

Katrina’s Bread

1 loaf Italian bread sliced down the middle horizontally

In measuring cup combine:

1 stick butter, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup salad dressing and 3 tablespoons of your favorite herbs (these change with the dish and season).  

Combine well, spread over bread, place on baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or golden brown.  

Remove from oven, cut into pieces and serve warm with stew.

Hot and Spicy Potato Soup

How about some Hot and Spicy Potato Soup to warm you up on this cold Spring day?

Ingredients

2 bacon slices

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped poblano chiles

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3 minced garlic cloves

2 16-ounce cans fat free chicken broth

5 cups diced peeled baking potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup flour

2 1/2 cups skim milk

5 ounces Cabot 50% Light Jalapeno Cheddar cheese

2 ounces Cabot 50% Light Cheddar cheese

2/3 cup onion

Directions
Cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan leaving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, set aside.

Add carrots and next 5 ingredients to drippings. Sauté until golden brown. Stir in broth and add potato and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Combine flour and milk in a small bowl stirring with a whisk. Add to pan slowly. Cook over medium heat until thick, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add reduced fat and Jalapeno Cheddar cheese, stirring until melted.

Serve in bowls topped with green onions and crumbled bacon.

Recipe created by Cabot Creamery, Courtesy of http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org

Nutritional Facts
Calories: 171

Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 8 mg
Sodium: 705 mg
Calcium: 20% Daily Value
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 27 g

Psst... Don't forget to enter our $50 grocery gift card giveaway this week!

Irish Beef Stew

By Indiana Beef's Ginny Tauer

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean)
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 cup of Guinness beer
• 1 cup of fine red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups 1/2-inch slices peeled carrots
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the beef pieces. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over. Continue to cook in this manner until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2. While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step one has simmered for one hour.


3. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)


Serves 4 to 6.

From Our Tables to Yours: Buffalo Chicken Chili

Guest Post by Dennis Henry of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture

Hello, Dennis here!  I am the Licensing Officer for the Indiana Grain Buyers & Warehouse Licensing Agency (a mouthful) and on the Social Media Team with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.  Our team was tasked with bringing you a favorite recipe and we decided with the cold weather a good Chili recipe would be good.  Well I knew right off the bat; I had the recipe to showcase.

 I by no means am any gourmet chef, I like simple food that tastes good, is easy to make and has a little different twist to it.  I love Chili and from growing up in Michigan I found out there are many different varieties when I moved here to Indiana.  It seems that every area of the country has their own way of making this warm and hearty dish.  Knowing this, I am always trying out different recipes. 

When visiting my Sister on Holiday, we were looking thru some of her Recipe Magazines and I stumbled across this one I am going to share with you.  This Buffalo Chicken Chili has become a household favorite, we have even taken the ingredients with us to make during our camping trips one autumn trip.  What a wonderful dish to eat around the campfire during the cool autumn camping season.  I found that if I chop my vegetables and boiling my chicken breast before we leave and place them in containers, I can whip up a batch in no time.

Ok enough about me, here is my favorite Chili recipe; Buffalo Chicken Chili.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. Canola Oil

2 Ribs Celery, diced

1 large Green Pepper, diced

1 large Onion, diced

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

2 lbs boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, cut into 1” pieces

1 pkg. (1.6 oz.) Buffalo Wings seasoning mix

1 can (14 oz.) diced Tomatoes with Mild Green Chilies

1 can (6oz.) Tomato Paste

1 can (19 oz.) Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups Vegetable or Tomato Juice

2 tsp. Frank’s RedHot Sauce

1 cup chopped fresh Cilantro*

1 bottle of your favorite Bleu Cheese salad dressing

I begin by heating the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  

Then I added the Celery, Green Pepper and Onion to the pan and sautéed until the vegetables start to soften, at which time I added the Garlic and continued to sauté for a total of about 5 minutes. 

I then added the diced Chicken to brown.  I add in the Buffalo Seasoning Mix and continue to stir often, to brown all sides of the Chicken.

 Once the Chicken has done, I then transfer the mixture to my slow cooker.  After this I add the tomatoes with their juice, the tomato paste, beans, vegetable juice and the hot sauce.  

I let this slow cook on High for a good two hours or on Low for four to six hours.  About ½ hour before you serve, add 2/3 cup of Cilantro.  *I prefer this recipe without the Cilantro, so I reserve and let each guest add their own.  The more it cooks, the better it gets!

Winter White Chili

Recipe courtesy of The Other White Meat

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 16-oz. can white beans, drained
1 14-oz. can corn, drained
1 14 1/2-oz. can chicken broth
1 4-oz. can diced green chilies

In large saucepan, brown pork with onion, stir in cumin and chili powder; stir. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and flavors are blended.

Serves 6

Calories: 236 calories
Protein: 22 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 565 milligrams
Cholesterol: 40 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 25 grams
Fiber: 8 grams

Psst... Don't forget to enter our Grill Set Giveaway thanks to Indiana's Pork Farmers!

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