Lasagna Soup

I always hesitate to try more then one new recipe in a week in fear of having to many “iffy” meals. My boys are becoming quite the food critics, in a good way, sort of.  So when I’m exploring my cookbooks or looking on Pinterest for new recipes to try, I try to keep to one new one a week. BUT this week I tried two. The first one was a twist to a recipe that I have made before and it was a fantastic turn out. So much so that my husband called to tell me It was fantastic. (We had different schedules that prevented us eating together last night) My kids even said “This is the best!” So having such success on one new recipe I was hesitant to try a new one. Because honestly in the past, I get excited and maybe prideful that a recipe turned out so well, and the next evening we end up eating grilled cheese because the recipe failed. Hahaha. But this week has been so flavorful, I just had to share this recipe.

I have actually had this recipe for a few years. My mom and another friend sent me this with each having a slight variation to it. I just never have tried it until today. It was one of those days I forgot to take out meat from the freezer, then homeschool mixed with public school band, and then Keith and I ended up spending the afternoon tapping our maple trees. We anticipate the weather to warm up above 32° and the sap to start flowing good tomorrow, so my afternoon was spent out in the 9° with a wind chill of -2°. Did I say I am looking forward to the warmer weather tomorrow? After a afternoon out in that wind chill, soup sounded really good. So I dug through my books looking for recipes using burger meat. I saw this one and had most of all the ingredients so I figured I would try it. Good thing I did, because my boys said this was a HOME RUN, the kind that they’d would run home for! SCORE!! With fresh bread this was the perfect soup to warm up to.
 
Lasagna Soup
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of Italian sausage (now I didn’t have this, I used burger seasoned with 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 1 tsp Adobo)
3 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano (I used 2 drops of oregano essential oil)
1/2 cup tomato sauce, half a can
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilies
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz Mafalda or fusilli pasta ( I actually didn’t have this so I used a box of lasagna noodles that I did have, I just broke them into little pieces)
Salt and pepper to taste

For topping:
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage or burger and brown. If using burger, add the Italian seasoning while browning. When brown add onions and cook till softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano. Cook one minute. Add tomato sauce. Stir well to incorporate. Cook about 3 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook till al dente. Do not over cook or the pasta will soak up all the liquid. If you want, cook the pasta separate and pour in your bowl an drink top it with your soup. That way the pasta won’t absorb all the liquid.

Mix together the ricotta, Parmesan and salt.

Serve up your bowl with pasta and  soup. Top with ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Stir well and enjoy with fresh bread. Delicious!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I love this soup! It has so many yummy flavors all incorporated into it!It is really delicious!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
3 cups chicken stock
2 skinless chicken breast
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ancho chilli powder( I don't have this so I used just plain Chili powder)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes( You can use fresh tomatoes too.probably about 2 cups)
4-6 jalapeno peppers minced(I don't have fresh ones so I used canned green chillies)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained (You can use homemade beans too, about 1 cup)
2 cups frozen, canned or fresh corn
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 oz cotija cheese, crumbled(you can use Queso Blanco or just use more Pepper Jack)
8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese
1 cup cilantro chopped
Tortilla Chips

In a large stock pot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add Chicken breast, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn tomatoe paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and half of Pepper Jack. Stir to melt. Chop chicken and return chicken to pot and cook about 20 more minutes till desired consistency. Serve with corn tortilla chips, sprinkle with cilantro and pepper jack cheese.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

This is a delicious soup that is a good crowd pleaser. It is rather easy and is a pretty quick recipe to make. You can adjust the spice level to your liking. I actually don't make it spicy just so my boys will eat it.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
 1 TBSP Beef Bouillon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef, cooked
2 1/2 cup milk (divided)
3 TBSP flour
8 oz velvetta(you can use cheddar cheese too)
1/4 -1 tsp cayenne pepper(to your taste)
1/2 lb bacon cooked and chopped

In a sauce pan combine water, potatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Beef bouillon, salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes till potatoes are tender. Stir in beef and 2 cup milk. Heat thoroughly. Combine flour and remaining milk in a small bowl till smooth. Add the flour mixture to the soup. Bring to a boil, cook and stir about 2 minutes till it starts to thicken. Reduce heat and add cheese and cayenne. Stir till cheese is melted and soup is heated thoroughly. Serve and top with bacon. This serves about 6-8 people.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Back in the good Ole days when Zimbabwe was the vacation spot of Southern Africa, our family would go to Harare and spend our holidays there. While Zambia's economy was not very good, Zimbabwe was 10 steps up. There were shops, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets with actual food on the shelf, putt putt golf and many other neat things to do.  One of my favorite places to eat was a restaurant called Tiffany's. It was a VERY ELEGANT, make reservations, put on your best dress and tie and Jacket kind of a place. Seriously, if you didn't have a tie on they would give you one at the door. It was VERY FANCY. My Mom and Dad would threaten us to behave. We were not allowed to behave badly at this restaurant! But for one night of our lives we got to be like royalty. From the crunchy toast with cold butter to the hot tea served with scones. I remember having to sit still in my pretty dress and my brother had to try NOT to pull at his tie while we got to drink a fancy drink and eat all of our 5 courses. Oh it was so much fun! I could handle being royalty... for a night at least! I don't remember much about the food except I do remember the soup being amazing! Their mushroom soup was so creamy and delicious. This recipe is came from my mom and is pretty close to the restaurants. Who knows it may even be the one they used. I have never asked her where she got it, but trust me if you like Mushroom soup try this!! With hot bread and butter.... YUMMY! I have to make adjustments in Galena. Fresh mushrooms are hard to find except in the summer and I usually don't have whipping cream but even with the adjustments is pretty delicious!

 Creamy Mushroom soup
1 cup sliced chopped mushrooms( I use 2 cans mushrooms)
2 TBSP onions
2 TBSP Butter
2 TBSP flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream(I use evaporated milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter about 5 minutes. Stir in Flour. Slowly add broth. Cook and stir 2 minutes more till it bubbles and thickens. Stir in cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Heat thoroughly. 

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Today it is chilly in Texas. Sounds strange for an Alaskan to say that but here you have yo factor in the wind AND humidity. It bites to the core!!  So today we need some nice warm soup to keep us warm. This is the recipe that taste JUST like the soup from Panera Bread. It is one of my favorite items to order from there. I like it in a bread bowl or with some bread on the side to dip in it. Yum! Enjoy!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP Flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup Half & Half( I use evaporated milk)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Chicken Broth
1 (16oz) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup Julianne cut carrots or shredded carrots
1 pound loaf Velvetta cheese
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese
salt and pepper to taste. ( i didn't add salt because the cheese is already salty)

In a large sauce pan, melt together butter and onions on low to medium heat. cook a few minutes to cook onions a bit. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add Half & Half a little at a time while whisking till thickened and smooth. When incorporated add Velvetta and stir till completely melted. Add broccoli and mix. Add Broth one cup at a time mixing well. When mixed well, add carrots and simmer about 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the cheddar cheese. Serve when all the cheese is melted completely. Serve with some warm bread.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Today it is a brittle -10 and tomorrow is expected to be near the -30's. And when I say brittle, I mean that anything that is plastic breaks when you move it! Extension cords, toy dump trucks, sleds, they all are breakable and brittle at that temp. So today on this brittle day we are having this soup. Though tonight I am going to try this with taco meat instead of chicken, mostly because I have plenty of moose but have a small limited supply of chicken. This is a flavorful soup and perfect for cold nights like tonight!

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 chicken boneless chicken breasts.(Or 1 lb taco meat cooked, I am actually using stew meat)
2 cans Rotel tomatoes (if you don't have rotel you can use salsa)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1-2 cups water
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP dried cilantro
tortilla chips(you can bake cut corn tortillas to make crunchy chips too)
sour cream
Cheese Mexican blend or cheddar.

Put chopped onion, cans of beans, Rotel, corn, broth, water and spices in Crockpot. Stir to mix. Put chicken on top of mixture. Make sure they are partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving, take chicken breast out and shred. put back in soup. Stir and serve. Put chips on the bottom of bowls, ladle soup over  and top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

The other night, Keith was checking Facebook and he ran across a recipe. He shared it with me and said you should make this. We have most of the ingredients and it looks really good! I have seen this recipe go around Facebook for a while now and figured it did look good and super easy. So yesterday I browned the sausage and threw it in the crock pot and waited to try it for dinner. I was glad it turned out so well. Even my boys ate it all out of their bowls and they don't normally eat Spinach and potatoes. So I am sharing the recipe with you in case you haven't seen it on Facebook. It is a good soup!

Zuppa Toscana
1 lb Italian sausage( I used our fresh made bear Italian sausage)
4-6 potatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup bacon
2 TBSP minced garlic
32 oz ( 4 cups) chicken broth
1 cup Kale/ Swiss Chard/ Spinach chopped(I used frozen spinach and it worked great too)
1 cup heavy whipping cream(I used evaporated milk)
2 TBSP flour
Brown sausage. Place sausage in Slow cooker. add potatoes, garlic, and broth. (If you need a little more water to cover the meat and potatoes add some. I didn't need any more. Cook on high for 3-4 hours low 6-7 hours till potatoes are soft. 30 minutes before serving, mix cream and flour together. Remove all lumps. Pour into slow cooker and mix in well. Add Kale stir. Cook on high 30 more minutes till thickens, Add salt, pepper and Cayenne for flavor. Enjoy!

Salmon Chowder

If you made the pecan crusted Salmon and have left overs or even if you have some canned salmon, this recipe is really good to make. It is delicious and I NEVER have leftovers of it! The hard part for me about this recipe is getting all the fresh veggies that you put in this chowder. Fresh vegetables in the bush are not easy to come by. Usually Keith grows Zucchini, potatoes, carrots and bell peppers in the summer but due to the flood this year I have none of those. But I can omit some of those. But trust me you wouldn't want to unless you have to. All the flavors contribute to this chowder. But the rest of the recipe is easy to make. The flavor is wonderful and goes great with some garlic biscuits! This recipe is from my dear friend Wendy. Her husband is a teacher during the winter and a fisherman in the summer. He is out all summer with a crew catching salmon to be processed and sold to people. We love it when she brings this to potluck at the church. If you have any leftover salmon, make this it is delicious!

Salmon Chowder
1 can salmon(smoked or plain) or use about 1 cup cooked salmon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery( I omit this since I don't like it and in Galena I never have this on hand)
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TBSP butter
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 can evaporated milk(or heavy cream)
1 can cream style corn

Drain salmon and flake it. Saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in butter until the vegetables are translucent. Add potatoes, carrots, chicken broth and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. Add Salmon, evaporated milk and corn. heat thoroughly. Serve. 4-6 servings

I serve this with my  Red Lobster biscuits. which are easy too.  I make the biscuits that are on the Bisquick box "drop biscuits" then I melt butter and some ranch powder together and brush on top. It is delicious!! I have a recipe for the home made Bisquick that I will post later on.

Mary-Beth's Santa Fe Corn Soup

Well it is getting chilly here in Galena. Winter is fast approaching. Snow falls one day and melts the next. The cold Arctic wind bites to the bone while the shining sun begs for you to come out and play in it's warm rays the last days before it goes down to the horizon putting us in a winter of darkness. With this cold weather returning to our lives, so do my soup recipes.  Soup on a cold night makes life cozy and warm.

This is one of our family favorites. It is from a dear, dear friend Mary-Beth Huff.  She is one sweet sweet lady. Many of you may not have known but this summer our whole town was evacuated because the mighty Yukon River had a ice jam that caused water to raise so high that there was no where to go but up in a plane. Many of our homes and  much of the town was destroyed. If you want to read the story about it you can read it on my family blog Ramos Tribe Adventure. Any ways, One of the first persons to call me and check if we were OK was Mary Beth. She wanted to know how she could help and what we needed. At the time, while we were sitting in evacuation center waiting to hear news about our homes, her voice was refreshing, reassuring, concerned and filled with prayer. I was not sure how they could help but when I got emails of what Galena needed I emailed them to her and her husband Ken. Little did I know that they would take a few little emails of needs and turn them into FIVE mission teams coming to help our town. What a blessing they have been to our town and to my family. Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough to Mary Beth and Ken Huff! But Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

This is a soup recipe that she has shared with us. She brought this soup over one time when my mom was sick. Honestly all of us felt amazingly better after eating this soup. It is so delicious! My boys who are not corn eaters sure do eat this up. When I ask Kaden what he wants to eat for dinner, Corn soup is usually his answer. And usually I don't mind cooking this one up!

Mary Beth's Santa Fe Corn Soup.
1 bag(16oz) frozen corn -(getting frozen corn here is not easy so I use canned corn.)
1 cup Chicken broth
4 TBSP butter or Margerine
2 cups evaporated Milk
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 TBSP canned diced can chiles
1 cup cubed cook chicken
1 cup Monterey Cheese grated ( I don't get this cheese here so I use cheddar, but I love the Monterey flavor)
1/4tsp baking soda
diced fresh tomatoes
crushed tortilla chips

Cook Chicken breast in 1 1/4 cup water with 1 chicken bouillon cube. Cool, Dice. Thaw corn slightly, then grind in a food processor. In a 3 quart pot, combine broth, butter, corn and garlic. Simmer, stirring 5 minutes. Add Milk, Oregano, Chilies, and Salt and Pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add Chicken. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add Baking Soda and Cheese. Stir till cheese melts. Ladle into soup bowls, top with Diced tomatoes and Crushed Tortilla chips. Serves 4 generously.