Instant Potato Soup

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Delicious Instant Potato Soup Recipe
from PREPAREDNESS MATTERS by Kerri
I promised that I would provide more potato flakes recipes and this one's a keeper:

INSTANT POTATO SOUP
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 carrot, sliced fine
• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
• 1 (10 ½-ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 ½ cups milk (or equal parts milk and cream)
• 1 ½ cups instant mashed potato flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Place the bacon in a 2-quart Dutch oven or saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook over low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add milk. Gradually stir in instant potatoes, blending smoothly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently heat soup to desired temperature; do not boil. Add more milk if soup seems too thick, more flakes if too thin. Serve topped with green onion and reserved bacon. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 152 calories (32 percent from fat), 5.4 g fat (2.7 g saturated, 1.7 g monounsaturated), 14.9 mg cholesterol, 7.9 g protein, 18.2 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 480.5 mg sodium.

Chili & Cornbread

Marilyn’s Real Chili Bean Recipe:
Ingredients:

1 lb. lean hamburger 2 tsp. salt
2 c. dried pinto beans ¼ tsp. paprika
8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 lb stewed tomatoes 1 T. oregano
2 T. oil 1 pinch chili pepper flakes
1 large onion (chopped) 3 T. chili powder
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped) 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions: Soak beans overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Drain and add to crock-pot. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in oil until limp. Stir in all seasonings. Add tomatoes and sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Brown beef in small fry pan. Drain and add to crock-pot. Add chili sauce and 5 cups of hot water to crock-pot. Simmer in crock-pot at least 7 hours.

Better Than Jiffy Cornbread Recipe:
Grind: ½ cup of popcorn kernels to make ¾ cup cornmeal
Combine: ¾ c. cornmeal, 1 ¼ c. flour (I used whole wheat), ¼ c. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt
Add: 1 c. milk, ¼ c. veg. oil, 1 large egg, beaten; stir until dry ingredients are moist
Bake: At 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Cream of Chicken Soup made with Beans

Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup Recipe:
• Grind: 4 T of any white bean (lima, navy, etc.) to make 5 T bean flour
• Combine: 5 T bean flour, 1 ¾ c. water , 4 t chicken bouillon into a saucepan
• Cook: On stovetop at medium temperature until thick and delicious (whisk frequently).The soup should cook in 3 minutes! (this may be longer if your grinder makes a very coarse flour).

Use this with cooked veggies and or meat for a complete meal. You can also add this to recipes calling for cream of chicken soup cans (I have found this replaces a can plus the water or milk in recipes).

Creamy Bean Soup

carrots

1 onion

1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg. of low fat cream cheese

Storage Ingredients

2 cups dry pinto beans

1/2 cup mild salsa or taco sauce

salt to taste

Rinse off 2 cups of dry pinto beans and soak in 2 quarts of water overnight. Drain all the water, rinse beans thoroughly, and place in crock-pot. Chop the vegetables and add to crock-pot with beans. Cover with 2 quarts of fresh water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and soft. Remove 1 cup of the broth and set aside. Add the cream cheese, salsa, and salt. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Add some of the reserved broth to achieve the desired consistency. Serve with warm tortillas or corn chips and additional cream cheese and cilantro if desired.

If, for any reason, I was not able to purchase fresh ingredients from the grocery store, this soup recipe would still provide a viable meal for my family. I would simply substitute dehydrated carrots and onions for the fresh vegetables and then add 1/2 cup of dry powdered milk to replace the cream cheese that’s originally called for.

Vegetarian Cowboy Beans-CrockPot

Vegetarian Cowboy Beans in the Slow Cooker
Estimated Cost: $5.00
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, very finely mined
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 small minced jalapeno
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups dried pinto beans
2 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
Pour oil into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker; stir, and cook on high for four to six hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve beans with shredded cheese and corn bread if desired.

Chunky Cheesy Soup

Cheesy Soup


4 carrots, peeled & sliced
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
4-6 potatoes, cubed
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 cups chicken bouillon
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
16oz Velveeta (cubed) or Cheese Whiz

Cook carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes till tender, 10-15 minutes. Add broccoli during last few minutes of cooking time. In another pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour till smooth. Whisk in about 2 1/2 cups of the milk. Whisk constantly over medium heat till sauce thickens and boils. Boil for at least one minute. Add to veggies. Stir in cheese and remaining milk and heat over medium low heat till cheese melts.

Ribollitta Soup/Swiss chard

Ribollitta
submitted by Melanie


1/4 c olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, washed very carefully and chopped--I added this last time and it was great!!
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can Italian tomatoes, crushed or pureed
6-8 cups chicken broth
2 15oz cans great northern beans (don't drain)
salt to taste (or bouillon)
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough ends removed, green leaves coarsely chopped (spinach or kale will work as well but Swiss chard is best)
Dried rustic bread cut in cubes or flavored croutons (Costco Fresh Gourmet Roasted Garlic Focaccia croutons are great!)
fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated


In a heavy dutch oven, or stockpot heat oil. Add onion, carrot, leek and celery. Cook on low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook another 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth, beans, salt and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add Swiss chard and cook uncovered until chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve by putting bread cubes or croutons in bottom of bowl. Spoon soup over bread and sprinkle with cheese.
Posted by Melanie Anne at 1:00 PM
Labels: beans, melanie, Soup, vegetables

HOMEMADE CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

1 C. Magic Mix
3/4 C. Chicken Broth (either from a can, bouillion, or liquid from canned chicken)
1 t. Dry Parsley
Dash of Onion Salt

Mix together with wire whisk over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

cHEESY BAKED POTATO AND BROCCOLI SOUP

Cheesy Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup
1 C. Magic Mix
1 1/2 C. Water
3/4 C. Sour Cream
2-3 Baked Potatoes (you can also just use microwaved potatoes)
1 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 -2 C. Chopped Broccoli
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Garnish with Bacon bits and green onions or chives, if desired

Mix magic mix and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until it begins to boil and thicken. Add in remaining ingredients. Garnish with bacon bits and or green onions.

HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 C. Magic Mix
1 4.5 oz. can Mushroom pieces and stems (SAVE THE WATER!)
1/4 C. Water
Dash of Onion Salt
1-2 drops Kitchen Bouqet,optional (check the previous video to see what this is)

Combine all ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat immediately.

hOMEMADE CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

1 C. Magic Mix
¾ C. Water from Cooking Celery
1 C. Chopped Celery, cooked and drained (I use dehydrated celery and use the water left over from hydrating the celery as my water)
Pinch of Celery Seed
1 t. Dry Parsley Flakes (optional)

Combine magic mix and water from cooking celery. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until it thickens. Add in celery, celery salt and parsley. Use in any recipe calling for canned Cream of Celery soup

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

1-1/2 C. Onion, Chopped (or 1/3 C. dehydrated onion)
1 T. Olive Oil
1 C. Red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 4 oz. can Diced Green Chiles
¾ C. Dehydrated Carrots
1-1/2 t. Ground cumin
3 C. Chicken Broth
6 C. Cooked Black Beans, drained (or 4 15 oz. cans, drained and rinsed)
¼ C. Red Wine Vinegar

Heat oil in large, deep saucepan. Sauté onion (if using fresh), bell pepper and garlic until tender. Add remaining ingredients (including dehydrated onions) and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with sour cream and tortilla chips or corn chips

Crockpot Stew

Mom's Stew
1 can minestrone soup
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1 to 1 1/2 pounds stew meat
1 onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, thickly sliced
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serves 4-6.
Posted by Melanie at 9:31 PM 5 comments

Low Calorie Creamy Tomato Soup & Rosemary Focaccia bread

Good for you Creamy Tomato Soup
Estimated Cost: $5.50 for four servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth or stock
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk, or 4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving
In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add oniion and carrots and saute for five minutes. Stir in garlic and saute an additional minute. Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. For a creamy soup, transfer to blender and blend, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. (Immersion blenders are a must have for soup lovers!) Soup can be made up to 2 days ahead of time to this point. Just before serving, add evaporated skim milk (or cream cheese of half and half) to pot. Warm through, but do not boil. Serve immediately with basil or parsley, and hopefully some warm focaccia. Rosemary Focaccia
Estimated Cost: $3.50 for 12 wedges
Notes: My favorite yeast is SAF, which many professional bakeries use. It may not be available at your store, so ask your supermarket baker which yeast they use behind the counter and buy that one. If you get a truly reliable yeast, and you make sure your water isn't too hot, you almost can't fail.
2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (think baby bottle warm)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped, or 1 tablespoon fresh
3 cups flour (I use half whole wheat)
For Top:
2-6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup to 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
additional chopped dried or fresh rosemary
black pepper

In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar, water, olive oil, pepper, salt, rosemary and half of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. (Alternately, if you have a free standing mixer, put in all of the flour and let the machine do the work.) Work in the remaining flour, using your hands and kneading when necessary. Knead dough for five minutes. Cover and let rise for one hour. (The dough can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover with saran wrap and store in fridge.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press dough into a 12 inch circle. Don't worry about being perfect; you're going for rustic Italian here. Press the dough all over with your fingertips to make indentations. Cover dough with olive oil, cheese, rosemary and black pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve. Any leftovers make a killer sandwich for the next day.
Up Next: My New Favorite Dinner
20 minute Toasted Walnut and Garlic Pasta
plus a burning question....

Low Fat Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup

4 cups chopped red potatoes
¾ cup chopped celery
1 ½ cup diced green onion
2 cups chopped carrots
¼ cup water
½ cup frozen peas
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp. salt
4 cups skim milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Sauté green onions in the 1/4 cup water until tender in a large stock pot. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, 1 tsp salt and 2 cups water. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. (Add peas when you have about 5 min left) Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, melt butter and flour until bubbly. Slowly add skim milk, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Stir until thickens. Add this mixture to the vegetables. Stir until heated all the way through

CReam Cheese Chicken Soup

Trade Secrets: The original recipe calls to either use chicken bouillon granules/cubes or soup base for the three cups water. I used soup base but found it didn't add enough salt to the broth, so I added an additional 1 teaspoon, approximately, of salt after tasting it and realizing it needed something more. Maybe using bouillon or homemade or canned broth instead of soup base would give it enough kick so I would suggest tasting and seasoning accordingly. I also only used three potatoes since we are minimalists when it comes to potatoes in soup. I think celery would be a great addition to this as well. Also, I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese and the soup was still very thick and rich.


Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

from Erin and Melanie

1 pound chicken breasts (I use 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts), cooked and diced
1 onion, finely diced
1-2 Tablespoons butter
2 handfuls of baby carrots (or 4-5 reg carrots, sliced small)
4-5 potatoes, finely diced
1 cup milk
4 Tablespoons flour
1 8oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened at room temperature

Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add 3 cups of chicken broth (homemade, from the can or use water seasoned yourself with bouillon or soup base) carrots, and potatoes. Add more broth to cover vegetables, if needed. Bring to a boil, then simmer until veggies are tender (about ten minutes). When veggies are tender, mix the flour with the milk and add to the soup. Add cream cheese to soup little pieces at a time and stir until it is all melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Crockpot Stew

Trade Secrets: This makes a VERY hearty and thick stew. If you want it a bit "soupier" add another can of water or a cup of beef broth or stock. Also, I use red potatoes and leave the skin on.

Mom's Stew
1 can minestrone soup
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1 to 1 1/2 pounds stew meat
1 onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, thickly sliced
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Pasta E Fagioli

--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used TJ's brown rice fusilli)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.

The Verdict.

Delicious. Amazing. This is a very filling soup, and a great warm-me-up on a chilly evening. The ingredients are everything you'd put in a traditional minestrone, but that bit of Tobasco sauce changes the flavor dramatically. Very yummy. One kid ate a bowl, and the other one fell asleep before dinner. I wasn't about to wake her.

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I was on the news last night in Oklahoma! At the very end when the newscaster says I have a book on this year coming out in March, she is mistaken. The book is Totally Together: An Organizational Journal for the Busy Household.

Bread Bowls

Artisan Bread Bowls
adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough


Let yeast dissolve in warm water until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine— and knead till you've created a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; it should become puffy. Divide the dough into 5-6 pieces, depending on how large you want your bread bowl to be. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet.

Cover the bread bowls with greased plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 24 hours); this step will give the bread bowls extra flavor, and a delightfully crisp-chewy texture. Two or more hours before serving, remove the bread bowls from the refrigerator. Uncover, and let them sit for about one hour while you preheat the oven to 425°F.

Just before baking, slash the top surface of the bowls several times with a sharp razor/knife to allow them to expand. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the bowls are deep brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.


Italian Bread Bowls
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
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 (or bowl of an electric mixer), 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 until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).


When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). 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 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 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.

Pumpkin Chili

My newest pumpkin recipe:
Pumpkin Chili
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
Saute, but don’t over do it. No one likes soggy peppers!
3 c chicken broth
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 c cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
1 can (15 0z) pumpkin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t oregano
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t curry
Add all ingredients to crock pot, stirring to combine. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
**Whenever a recipe calls for chicken I sprinkle the chicken breasts with Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper (available at thespicehouse.com. It’s a Chicago store with the absolute best spices), brown in olive oil, then simmer with some chicken boullion and enough water to produce the needed amount of broth. If I don’t need the broth I freeze the cooking liquid for future chicken soup.

You can’t live without both the sweet and the savory!