Week 5: Wendy's Chili

	It's no secret that I love chili.  But can you believe I have never gotten chili off a menu before? Nope.  Never ordered chili before.  For some reason, ordering chili off a menu worries me.  No clue why, so don't ask. Now, Brent on the other hand, will order chili off a menu.  And quite often too.  Most of the time, if there is a choice between a cup and a bowl, he will just order a cup of the chili to taste test it. He has ordered chili off numerous restaurant menus, but one fast food place I can almost guarantee you he will order the cup of chili is Wendy's. So you must know when I found the recipe for Wendy's Chili online, I was going to include it in my Soup Challenge. And it certainly didn't disappoint! 2 pounds fresh ground beef
1	quart tomato juice
1	(29-ounce) can tomato purée
1	(15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1	(15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1	medium-large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
½	cup diced celery
¼	cup diced green bell pepper
¼	cup chili powder (use less for milder chili)
1	teaspoon ground cumin (use more for real flavor)
1½	teaspoons garlic powder
1	teaspoon salt
½	teaspoon ground black pepper
½	teaspoon dried oregano
½	teaspoon sugar
⅛	teaspoon cayenne pepper In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat. Put the beef and the remaining ingredients in a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Week 4 - Chipotle Chicken Corn Chowder

Wow, this soup was delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken stock
6 small red potatoes, peeled and diced small
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used Rotisserie chicken)
1 (30-ounce) can sweet corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Chopped cilantro, to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove one chile from the can of chiles and mince it. Remove 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce and set it aside to be used later. You can save the remaining chiles and sauce for another use.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the poblano pepper, red bell pepper, the chile from the can, cumin, thyme and oregano, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the peppers become soft. Add the garlic, stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

3. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 1 minute, or until there is no longer any visible raw flour. Slowly stir in the milk and chicken broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.

4. Add the potatoes, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.

5. Add the shredded cheeses a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is completely melted.

6. Finally, stir in the chicken, both cans of corn, the tortilla chips, lime juice and the reserved 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the soup is completely heated through. Serve immediately.

Kate was not at home for dinner this night, but Brent, Ashlan and I devoured it all!

Week 3 - Easy Minestrone Soup

Such an easy, delicious soup.  I thought it was quite light, too.

Add a warm breadstick and you've got a great meal!

ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup whole wheat elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese-optional, for garnish

directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add in zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir in vegetable broth and water. Add beans, macaroni, oregano, and basil. Simmer until vegetables and macaroni are tender-about 35 minutes.

2. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve warm. Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Lasagna in a Bun

Check out this interesting recipe

Lasagna in a Bun

Sounds intriguing right?  Something different.

I've done lasagna in the crockpot, I've done lasagna in muffin cups, and I've done lasagna in a casserole dish before....But Lasagna in a Bun?  I had to try it!

(photo courtesy of Pinterest)

• 
  
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• 8 submarine or hoagie buns (8 inches)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
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Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Make a 2-in.-wide V-shaped cut in the
• center of each bun to within 1 inch of bottom. Remove cut portion
• and save for another use. Place buns on an ungreased baking sheet.

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until
• no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in spaghetti
• sauce, garlic powder and Italian seasoning; heat through.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and
• half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Spoon meat sauce into
• buns; top with ricotta mixture. Cover loosely with foil.

• Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheddar and mozzarella
• cheeses; bake, uncovered, 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Yield: 8 servings.

  

You can either eat these with a fork, or cut them in half (like I did) and eat them like a sandwich. 

I wil be making these again!!  Very good!

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Week 2 - Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

I haven't been to Olive Garden in probably 10-15 years.  

But when I saw this recipe which included gnocchi (potato pasta), I was sold. 

 I love gnocchi!

And this soup recipe (which I came across on Pinterest) was delicious!

Ashlan even helped out by tearing the spinach into small pieces for the soup.

You will need:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes ( I used a Rotisserie chicken)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 quart Fat Free Half & Half (I couldn't find fat free so I used regular half and half)
• 1 (14oz) can low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chiffonade (finely sliced)
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 (16oz) package Gnocchi

1. In a large stock pot heat olive oil & saute chicken breasts.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  Cook until mostly done (very little pink showing.)  Or if you are using a rotisserie chicken, cut in up in cubes.
2. Add butter until melted & then add the onion, celery, garlic & shredded carrots.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add flour to absorb the liquid from the butter which will form a roux.  Stir well.
3. Add the half & half and chicken broth.  Stir until it comes to a boil.  Allow to simmer while you cook the gnocchi in another pot of boiling water until dumplings float (3 minutes.) Drain & set aside.  (*You could possibly just add the gnocchi to the pot of soup, but it might thicken the soup too much & be slightly starchy.)
4. Add spinach, thyme & cooked gnocchi to the pot of soup.  Taste & adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Serve hot.

*If the soup is not thick enough, add 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with just enough COLD water to stir it smooth.  Add to the HOT soup & wait for it to boil to thicken up.

Makes 6-8 servings.