Pumpkin Chili & Pumpkin Cornbread

While I prefer to use pumpkin in sweet recipes, savory pumpkin dishes are also fantastic! I made this pumpkin chili and pumpkin cornbread the other night and it was an amazing dinner! The chili was easy since I cooked it in the crockpot and while the pumpkin was subtle the overall flavor was yummy! The cornbread was sweet and pumpkiny and SOOOOOO good! It was a great fall meal!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chili
Recipe from In Erika's Kitchen

3 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt, or to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no pink remains, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and bell peppers and saute another 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir briefly.

Put the beef mixture into the slow cooker along with the pumpkin puree, tomato paste, beans, spices and salt; stir to combine. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.

Pumpkin Cornbread
Recipe from Sugar Cooking

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8×8″ baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, brown sugar, and cornmeal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin, oil, milk and honey.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined, and then pour the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top as much as possible.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Beefy Tomato Soup

My husband says this soup reminds him of a stuffed bell pepper. Easy, hearty, and delicious! :)

Beefy Tomato Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt (more or less depending on taste)

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon  oregano

3 cans tomato soup

2  cups water

2 cups  gemilli, cooked (could use rotini, small shells, or elbow)
Parmesan for serving

Cook the beef through oregano in a large soup pot until beef is cooked through. Mix in soup, water,

and gemelli. Cook until hot and bubbling. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

A month or so ago I went out to lunch at Olive Garden with some friends. I had the chicken and gnocchi soup and thought it was delicious. When I got home that day, I looked up a recipe for the soup and saved it. Of course, life happened and I didn't get around to making this until last night. Boy oh boy... it was worth the wait!

I couldn't find frozen gnocchi at the store so I decided to make my own. It isn't difficult or time consuming, so don't shy away from it. All you do is boil potatoes, mash them, mix in flour and egg, roll into a rope, and cut. Easy peasy and oh so delicious. Here is my 1 pound of gnocchi all ready to go into the soup.....

While the gnocchi is totally the star of this soup, we can't forget about the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, spinach, chicken broth (I threw in a little bouillon to up the chicken flavor), cream, and half and half. This soup was AMAZING! Nathan had two huge bowls and wanted more. This soup has earned a spot in our regular recipe rotation!

Enjoy!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Recipe adapted from Food.com

1 large chicken breast, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 stalk celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
16 ounces potato gnocchi (recipe below)

Saute the onion, celery, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.

Add chicken, chicken stock, salt, pepper, bouillon and thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Mix in cream and half and half; heat through.

Gnocchi
Recipe from Allrecipes

2 potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Tomato Soup

Happy December!!!! I absolutely love this time of year. All the baking, all the family time, Christmas, my hubby's birthday.... the list goes on and on. I realize that since it is now December that I should start posting cookie recipes but I figured that if you are like me, this is also an extremely busy time of the year.

Since you are probably busy too, I thought you would appreciate and SUPER quick, super easy, super delicious dinner for a busy weeknight!

Enjoy!

Tomato Soup

Recipe from Taste of Home

2 cups milk

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or about 1 TBSP dried)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan and heat through.

Pumpkin Corn Soup

Daylight Saving Time has never really bugged me in the past. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and we don't switch time there. I always enjoyed that and it was weird having to change time once I left Arizona. But still... It never really bugged me. Sure, it takes a couple days to get used to the difference, but it isn't so bad.

But now? Let's just say DST and I are not friends! I have gotten so used to the natural light coming in my dining room at dinner time. I am not claiming to be some awesome food photographer but the natural light definately helps. Now there is NO light at dinner. If I want a decent picture, I need to eat by 4! I'm sure I'll get used to it soon, but in the meantime, the pictures may not be great! :)

Now onto the soup! This soup in PHENOMENAL! Pumpkin, corn, black beans, red pepper, chili powder, lime juice, and a jalepeno (if you want it spicier). SO GOOD! The only thing that would've made it better would have been a dollop of sour cream right on top. I loved this soup and will be making it again and again!

Have a great weekend!


Pumpkin Corn Soup
Recipe from Krista's Kitchen

1 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice

In a large saucepan, saute onion and red pepper in butter until almost tender. Add the corn, jalapeno, garlic and chili powder; saute 2 minutes longer.

Stir in the broth, pumpkin, black beans, salt and cayenne until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I love fall because it means that soups start reappearing. Of course, while the calendar says that it is fall, El Paso doesn't agree. Having lived in Phoenix, Arizona until I was 18, you'd think that I would be used to "desert fall". But, since I was in Germany for 7 years, I got used to a real fall. A fall with cooler temperatures and changing leaves. Even though our temperatures are still in the mid to high 80s, I am going to pretend that it is a real fall and I am going to make soup! :)

This baked potato soup is amazing! It tastes EXACTLY like a baked potato. There is even sour cream mixed in for that delicious tang. It reminded me a little of the Potato-Leek Chowder I make, and I am thrilled to now have 2 potato soups that I love!

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

4 - baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all purpose flour
4 - cups milk
2 - cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
12 - slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 - cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 - 8oz container sour cream

Bake potatoes in the oven or microwave. Scoop out the inside of the potato and set aside. Cook bacon in the oven while the potatoes bake at 350 degrees until crispy. Crumble and set aside. Melt butter in a large pot over medium low heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Cook about one minute stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the chicken broth and milk while stirring. Turn the heat to medium and cook the soup until it starts to thicken. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, bacon and cheese. Stir well and continue to heat for about 15 minutes allowing the flavors to blend. Mix in sour cream until well blended. Serve immediately. Garnish with green onions, additional bacon and shredded cheese.

Tuscan Pork Stew

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite meats to serve for dinner. I have been making this recipe for almost two years now, and I love using the tenderloin this way. I usually serve a crusty baguette on the side and it makes for a perfect dinner.

Enjoy!

Tuscan Pork Stew

2 TBSP olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, diced

1 tsp rosemary

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup carrot slices

½ cup chicken broth

2 cans (15-19 oz) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz) Italian style diced tomatoes

1.25 lbs pork tenderloin, sliced

In saucepan, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and rosemary. Cover and cook until onion is tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Stir in carrots through tomatoes; cook until tender. Remove 1 cup bean mixture and puree until smooth. Add back to saucepan. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Add pork and cook. Serve bean mixture over sliced pork.

Tortilla Soup

It is kind of crazy to me how many recipes I end up making from Everday Food and even crazier how every single one of them turns out great. I received a subscription last year for my birthday and I know I will be renewing it when the time comes. I am so happy when I find a recipes that not only sound great, but turn out great, too.

This soup is one of those recipes. We loved it and will make it again and again. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans
Everyday Food



1 TBSP olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving
1 TBSP fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving



In large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder for 1 minute. Add tomatoes through water; season with salt and pepper.


Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat to simmer. Add tortilla chips and cook until softened; about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper.


Serve soup with lime wedges and additional tortilla chips.

Greens and Beans

Hello out there in blogland!!! The kids are sleeping and Nathan made a run to the store so I thought I would pop out a quick post! We are having such a wonderful time as a family and are just soaking up every last second with Nathan. We had family pictures taken earlier in the week and while I don't have all of them in yet, our photographer posted this one on her blog and I HAD to share! Anya is such a Daddy's girl and this picture melts my heart! It was 19 degrees outside while we were shooting and boy were we FREEZING! But, our photographer (Shauna Maness) was AMAZING and it was a great session!



Here is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that I made a few weeks back! Enjoy!

Greens & Beans

Parents Magazine Nov 2008

1 TBSP oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup water

2 TBSP parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large skillet. Add red pepper and garlic; saute about 4 minutes. Add beans, spinach, broth, and water. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Just in case you thought that I have only been eating sweets lately, here is proof that I actually do eat real food! This soup was fantastic! I've had it twice in the last week and I love it! It is a perfect dinner for these cold winter nights! Enjoy!


Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Recipe from Key Ingredient

3 tbsp butter
1 large Jalapeno, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup vegetarian broth
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups broccoli (thawed to room temperature, if you are using frozen broccoli )
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno, onions, salt, pepper and garlic and stir until soft, for about 3 minutes. Add the vegetarian stock and bring to a boil.

Add the cream, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5–7 minutes.

Add the cheese in, mix well until the cheese melts. Add the chopped chives and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the broccoli and cook everything together for 20–25 minutes. Keep it on medium-low heat for the whole time and make sure you stir frequenty to avoid the cheese from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.

Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin! Like I said on Monday, I will be posting a few pumpkin recipes over the next week or so. I told myself that I had until Thanksgiving to get all my pumpkin cravings out of the way. So, I made a list and started using up my pumpkin! I have gone through 2 pumpkins worth of fresh puree and have now moved on to canned pumpkin. What can I say? I love pumpkin!

I had this pumpkin soup at my friend Monica's a few weeks back and I fell in love! It is such a delicious and hearty soup. Perfect for a cold fall/winter day! The recipe has you puree the bacon with the soup, but you could also just crumble it on top or mix it in. Also, when I had it at Monica's I topped it with the cheddar and parmesan as the recipe suggests. When I made it, I had mozzarella grated already, so I just used that and it was just as good.

I found the recipe for these dinner rolls and thought they would be a perfect partner for the soup. At first I worried that it might be too much pumpkin for one meal, but as soon as I tasted the rolls, I knew it was a good choice. The pumpkin flavor was definately present, but it was very subtle. These rolls were DELICIOUS! I used them for sandwich rolls the next day for lunch, too!

If you aren't sick of pumpkin yet, give these recipes a try. They really are fantastic!

Pumpkin Soup

8 slices bacon, cut into pieces

3 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

7 cups water

2 TBSP chicken bouillon granules

4 cups (32 oz) pumpkin

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp thyme

1 cup milk

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp curry powder

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Grated cheddar and parmesan, for topping

In a large soup pot, saute bacon, onion, carrots, and celery in oil for 15 minutes. Stir in water, bouillon, pumpkin, sugar, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Blend with hand blender or transfer in batches to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Mix in milk, nutmeg, and curry powder. Heat through and season with salt and pepper.

Pour into bowls and top with cheese.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Recipe from EChronicles

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 package active dry yeast

2 Tbsp brown sugar

3/4 cup warm skim milk

5 cups bread or all-purpose white flour, divided

1/4 cup stick butter, softened

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cider vinegar

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 large egg

Combine the pumpkin and vanilla extract; set aside.

Dissolve yeast and sugar in milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes until bubbly. Add 2 cups flour, pumpkin mixture, butter, salt, vinegar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and egg to yeast mixture; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Stir in 2 cups flour to form a sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); adding in enough of the remaining flour to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover dough, and let rise in a warm place (85°), 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Coat 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Punch dough down, and divide in half. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), divide each portion into 12 equal pieces; shape each piece into a ball. Place 1 ball in each muffin cup. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350°

Uncover dough. Brush melted butter over rolls. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes to serve immediately. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

To freeze rolls, bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, cool on wire racks, and place in a large zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove desired number of rolls from bag; let thaw at room temperature while oven preheats to 350°. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Potato Leek Chowder & Bread Bowls

I look forward to the cooling weather specifically for this soup. I have been making it for a few years now. As soon as it is cold enough for soup this is on my menu. I love serving it in bread bowls because, well, I love bread! You won't be disappointed if you make this. It is delicious, hearty, filling, yummy... well, you get the point! It is GOOD!

Potato Leek Chowder

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cups finely chopped leeks

5 cups chicken broth

3 cups cubed potato

3 cups chopped cauliflower

1 cup milk

1 can cream style corn

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in dutch oven or large pot. Add leek and cook until tender. Set aside.

Combine broth, potato, and cauliflower in pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool 10 minutes; stir in milk.

Process with hand blender until smooth or transfer to regular blender in batches. Pour mixture back into pot. Stir in leek, corn, salt, pepper, and bacon. Cook until heated through.

Pour into bread bowls or soup bowls; top with shredded cheese.

Bread Bowls

Recipe from AllRecipes

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.

Day 2 - Recipes 2 & 3

Tonight was a really good night! I had planned on doing dinner and a movie with Anya. The
meal: Ratatouille. The movie: Ratatouille. What fun! Then I got a call from my friend Britteny and invited her and her 7 month old over for dinner. The more the merrier! We really had so much fun with this meal. I put on the movie while cooking (it takes about and hour and fifteen minutes) and Britteny and I chatted away in the kitchen.

I must admit that I was a little nervous about the meal, but as soon as it started cooking the aroma took over the house. It smelled SOOOOO good! And the best part is that it tasted great! Britteny even went back for more (sorry to call you out, Britteny!). Definately receives two thumbs up from me and I will be making it again. Oh, and if you like the arrangement of the bread, that is all Britteny! Way to make it pretty!

Since we had such a healthy dinner, I decided to splurge a little for dessert. I made Peanut Butter S'Mores. All I can say is "OH..... MY..... GOOODNESS"! It was heaven on a plate. These will be made time and time again. I'm glad I only made enough for dessert tonight or else I'd be sitting here chowing down on another one! This one you must definately try!!!

Anyway, here are the recipes. The Ratatouille recipe came from the "Cook's Bible" and the Peanut Butter S'More recipe from a "Taste of Home" magazine. I am including the recipe for my Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies that were the base for the S'Mores.

ENJOY!

Ratatouille

1 eggplant
4 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into bite size chunks
1 can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Trim the eggplant and cut into bite-size chunks, then place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until softened slightly. Rinse the eggplant and drain well, then add it to the pan with the red bell peppers. Reduce the heat and cook gently, stirring frequently, for an additional 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, zucchini, celery, sugar, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to serving plates. Garnish with fresh thyme.

*NOTE: Next time I make this I will substitute one yellow squash for one of the zucchinis. YUM!

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Peanut Butter S'Mores

2 chocolate chip cookies
Hot fudge
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Marshmallows

Spread hot fudge on each cookie. Top bottom cookie with toasted marshmallow and peanut butter cup. Place other cookie on top. Drizzle with additional hot fudge, if desired.
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Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugars; beat in vanilla and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by 1/4 cups on greased cookie sheet at least 3" apart. Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted.

*NOTE: I like to refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes so that it can firm up a bit. It helps to prevent spreading.