recipe: shrimp & pork wonton soup

taken from: allrecipes.com

changes: used spinach wontons wrappers & added some spinach to the broth. all other ingredients remain the same -- filling was perfection.

ingredients:

- 1/2 lb ground pork

- 2 oz peeled shrimp, finely chopped

- 1 tsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

- 1 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tsp finely chopped green onion

- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger root

- 24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers (i used a spinach wonton wrapper)

- 3 cups chicken stock

- 1/ cup finely chopped green onion

to make: 

in a large bowl, combine pork, shrimp, sugar, wine, soy sauce, 1 tsp chopped green onion and ginger. blend well, and let stand for 25-30 minutes.

place about 1 tsp of filling at the center of each wonton skin. moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with water, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. press edges firmly to make a seal. continue until all wrappers are used. 

to make soup, bring the chicken stock to a boil. drop the wontons in, and cook for 5 minutes. garnish with chopped green onion, and serve. (i had also added spinach to mine)

recipe: chicken and wild rice soup

taken from: Taste of Home

changes: added minced garlic; added extra seasonings: seasoning salt, white pepper, paprika extra chicken bouillon; sauteed veggies before adding in broth mixture; reduced time for broth simmering from 30 to 20 minutes. 

result: was exactly what I was looking for, and a little creamy without having to add a lot of cream. would make again. 

ingredients (makes 14 servings): 
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped (i used white mushrooms)
- 1 cup finely chopped celery

- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (+ a few dashes more as needed, to taste)
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 can (10 & 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: Italian wedding soup

this is another recipe i've made a bunch of times but somehow never made its way onto this blog. it's not necessarily "traditional" wedding soup since i like mine with shredded chicken and the teeny tiny meatballs, and pastina... so it becomes a very thick, heavy soup. the more the merrier in the soup pot... and it is SO good! definitely a great winter recipe, or to make as a lead in to a big Italian meal. perfection.

i've always used Giada De Laurentiis' recipe from foodnetwork.com as my base recipe, adding in all the little extras i like and a few substitutions here and there. it makes a pretty large pot of soup which is great because it's freezes well (just make sure you freeze it WITHOUT the pastina and egg in it - these are always to better to add in at the time you're heating the soup to eat).

ingredients list: (makes about 6-8 large servings)
- 1 recipe for Italian meatballs, scaled down to 1/2 inch diameter meatballs (*about 30-40 mini meatballs. i used this recipe while making a larger batch of meatballs)
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth (i used homemade broth from a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 large chicken breast
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- 1 lb spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into small matchsticks 
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-1&1/2 cups pastina pasta
- 2 large eggs

recipe: lobster bisque

there was a raging lobster sale going on @ Price Chopper this week, so the boy thought it was a good idea if we i cook up some lobster bisque for lunch. i've never bisqued before since i just started eating seafood not that  all long ago, but was pleasantly surprised at how absolutely yum this turned out. (clearly i have nothing to compare it to, but after making it i would definitely not be opposed to ordering it out). i used the recipe from food.com, which was simple but still had more / better ingredients than many of the other recipes out there, as well as very well rated. solid.

ingredients list:
- 1/2 lb lobster meat, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp minced shallots
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tsp worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 6 tbsp dry sherry
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tsp lobster base
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- olive oil (i used garlic EVOO)

to make: in a saute pan, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for 1 minute. deglaze pan with the white wine. add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme, and saute for 1 more minute. deglaze the pan with the sherry.

add the paprika, hot water, and lobster base and mix well. stir in the tomato paste and add the bay leaves. simmer for 10 minutes. remove bay leaves, then pour mixture into a blender, blending for 1-2 minutes until all chunks are gone. return to pan.

whisk in the heavy cream and butter and bring to a boil. add the lobster and simmer until cooked through, then serve. 

recipe: thai chicken noodle soup

this was din din last night, inspired by the chicken boob in the fridge that needed cooking, leftover coconut milk that need to be used, and a freezer full of chicken broth. i'm sure traditional thai chicken soup has more complex ingredients, but this was made using what i had on hand, so it's a nice 20 minute easy dish.

ingredients list:
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (or more to taste... i only had 1/2 cup avail)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp red chili paste
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt to taste

- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (i used baby bellas)

- 2 large cloves garlic, minced

- 1/3 box of Thai rice noodles
- cilantro for garnish
- olive oil


to make: bring chicken broth to boil in a large pot, then add all ingredients EXCEPT the sliced mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, rice noodles, and cilantro and continue cooking on high heat for about 15 minutes, until chicken has cooked through.


while soup/chicken is cooking, heat a small skillet over medium low heat, and saute the mushrooms in olive oil until golden, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking, then add mushroom/garlic mixture to soup. 


remove chicken breast from the soup, and shred with 2 forks. return to pot, making sure soup is still boiling. add rice noodles, and remove from heat. let sit for 8-10 minutes, until noodles are soft, stirring frequently. add a dash of cilantro before serving. 
***
i wasn't sure how this would come out, but i actually liked it. it was a little too lemony for kyle, but i'm into lemony soups so it was just right for me... that can easily be adjusted though. it seemed like a lot of heat that was being added with the Sriracha/chili paste, but it was only a tiny little kick and kind of just right for this. i'd give it a 6.5 ******~. 

recipe: turkey tortilla soup

yet another t-day leftover recipe. i've never even considered making tortilla soup before since i always have seen it full of beans and corn (yuuuck), but i had the realization that it's my kitchen i can do whatever i want. beans be gone! so with that... my interpretation of it:

ingredients list:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
- 1 poblano, seeded & chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 oz - i used Hunts)
- 2-3 cups leftover turkey, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 cup instant brown rice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 flour tortilla (i used Mission Cheddar & Jalapeno), cut into thin strips
- sour cream for serving
- green onion, for serving


to make: heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. add onion, jalapeno, poblano, and garlic and saute until the veggies start to brown. add next 9 ingredients, stir well, and bring to a boil. simmer on low heat for an additional 35 minutes. after 35 minutes, add rice, raise heat to medium-low, and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes.


while soup is simmering, heat vegetable oil in a small pan. fry tortilla strips for about 1 minute, remove to a paper-towel lined plate, and set aside.


when soup is done, finish with a dollop of sour cream, tortilla strips, and green onion. done!


verdict: YUM! i was afraid this was going to be too spicy with the jalapeno and poblano, but they cooked down nicely, giving just enough kick to the dish. the slight sweet from the ginger and spices still came through with all that heat - i think having the rice/turkey helped take it down a notch. my ideal soups are creamy, but i didn't have the heart to do that tonight for calorie's sake... if it were up to me i would have added sour cream to the entire soup, forget just the dollop on top. even with that, it still gets a solid 7 *******. would make again fo sho.

recipe: french onion soup dumplings

i had leftovers from making French Onion Soup earlier in the week, and this French Onion Soup Dumpling recipe from seriouseats.com seemed like a perfect fit for them. i made these as a lil (heavy) app to tonight's sunday night din.

ingredients list:
- 1.5 cups leftover french onion soup onions, drained (if you don't have fresh-made onions avail, serious eats has a cheater recipe for them available on the site)
- 10-15 wonton wrappers
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (you should probably use all gruyere technically, but i had a gruyere shortage and was too cheap to buy more : )
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1-2 pats of butter, chopped
- fresh chives for garnish

to make: spray a glass pie dish with non-stick cooking spray. one-by-one, moisten a wonton wrapper using your finger or a basting brush, then place about 1 tsp of FOS onions in the middle. bundle the corners of the wrapper together so they form a little bundle, wrap up into a mini-dumpling shape, and place seam-side down into the prepared baking dish. continue until the baking dish is full of the little dumpling bundles. sprinkle mozz & gruyere cheeses to top of the dumplings, and drop butter pats on top. broil for about 5 minutes, until cheese & nice & golden, and then sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese. serve!

verdict: yummy. cheesey & oniony... can't really go wrong. the one thing i would change if i made these again would be to crisp up the dumplings first by baking for 10 minutes or so BEFORE adding the cheese and broiling them... that way they are able to maintain a little bit of their own form. the way they stand now, serving them with toothpicks would be impossible b/c the gooopy cheese would be too difficult/stong to pick up with the soft dumpling. taste tho... delish. maybe... 5.5 *****~ overall.

recipe: french onion soup

din din tonight, taken from French Onion Soup Gratinee on allrecipes.com.

ingredients list:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 white onions, thinly sliced
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 48-oz can chicken broth
- 1 14-oz can beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine (i used a malbec)
- 1 tbsp worcestire sauce
- dash of thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 slices french or italian bread
- 5 oz shredded gruyere cheese
- shaved parmesan
- paprika

to make: heat butter in large pot over medium heat. add onions & salt, and cook for about a 1/2 hour until they are well carmelized, stirring frequently. add broths, wine, thyme, worchestire, parsley, bay leaf, balsamic & salt/pepper, and let cook over medium-low heat for 20 - 30 minutes. spoon soup into oven safe bowls, placing one slice of bread & the gruyere on top of each bowl. broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is brown & toasty. remove & top off with a little sprinkle of shaved parmesan & paprika.

i really liked this. i haven't eaten a ton of FO soup in my day (long story... soup, puke, birthday, emotional scarring...), but i've been dying to make it for some reason, and today worked out to be a perfect day for it since we had a freak snow sprinkle. i will warn you that if you make this and are the onion-stirrer, you will stink. i ran out to CVS and the cashier took a big sniff and said "mmm someone is cooking something good in the back room"... to which i looked down, kicked some fake rocks, and said "umm... that might be me" because i was so smelly and it was awkward. she then said that i, aka the soup, smelled delicious. still not sure to be happy dinner smelled good (or like the CVS breakroom), or sad that i smelled like an onion bomb. stinky aside, dinner was yum and i'd pop this recipe a 6.5 ******~. next time i would skip the worchestshire - maybe i over-poured, but that flavor came through too much for me, it did not play nice.

recipe: tomato basil soup

had a bunch of tomatoes from the garden that need to be used along with the neverending supply of basil. naturally... tomato basil soup seemed like a solid option for din din.

used the Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup recipe from allrecipes. i followed the recipe verbatim except used only one fourth of the butter it called for... i just didn't have the heart to use an ENTIRE stick of butter in a vegetable soup, particularly one that involves heavy cream. and added garlic (of course : ).

ingredients list:

4 tomatoes, diced
4 cups tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 leaves fresh basil (roughly)
1 cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp butter
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

to make:
place diced tomatoes & tomato juice in large stock pot & let simmer for minimum of half hour on low heat (i left mine on for 2.5 hours). 10-15 minutes before you want to eat, take out about 3 ladles full of the tomato base and put it in a food processor. add basil leaves to processor and mix until well blended. return mixture to stock pot, and pour in heavy cream and butter, along with salt & pepper as needed. allow butter to melt, and serve!

the only times we usually eat tomato soup is with italian grilled cheese, but i had a monster loaf of italian bread on hand so we made cheesy garlic bread instead. the soup was really yummy - it actually tasted like vodka sauce, which is odd for soup but similar to a tomato basil soup i had at Chez Mike recently and loved (theirs had mini lamb meatballs in it tho... yummm). i err on the side of a thick-soup, and as much as a really loved the flavor of this, this one was a little thin for my taste. next time i'll cornstarch or flour it up to give it more depth (and maybe little meatballs...mmm), i'll just have to be careful not to make it thick enough so that it seems like i'm serving giant bowls of sauce. very torn on a rating for this one... i think i'll pop it 5.5 stars *****~? if it make it again, i'll probably alter it a lot, but at the same time, i'm pretty excited for lunch leftovers.

recipe: baked potato soup

mmm fall cooking. i used this Baked Potato Soup recipe from allrecipes, modifying just a little bit based on ingredients i had and time i didn't have (i forgot the original recipe calls for baked potatoes. seeing as i started din at 8pm, this was not an option).

ingredients list:- 3 strips bacon
- 1 cup chopped leeks
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large russet potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp chopped fresh chives

to make: boil 3 cups chicken broth, adding cubed potatoes once it comes to a boil. cook bacon in the meantime. when bacon is done, set aside. saute leeks, onion, & garlic in bacon grease, stirring in flour, salt, basil and pepper after the onion mixture has cooked down. by this time, the potatoes should be softened and cooked through (and absorbed a ton of the broth). pour the remaining broth from potatoes into bacon grease/onion/flour mixture. add in remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, stirring until all flour clumps have dissolved (additional broth or water may be required if mixture is still too thick). stir in the potatoes, cream, and hot pepper sauce and simmer on low until 2-3 minutes until mixture is at desired soupy thickness. garnish with bacon, cheese, and chives, and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.

this dish is so easy - no drama, no surprises, no cursing. perfect weeknight din din if you ignore the calories, 6.5 stars ******~.