Homemade Tomato Soup

@inagarten @foodnetwork  From the #FNMag (Oct 2012), this is our second time making this delicious homemade soup.  Both the orzo (in the soup) and the addition of the grilled cheese croutons provide a great deviation from the traditional tomato soup.  This soup certainly helped to make a very cold February night a bit cozier. 

 

The thought of a homemade soup, especially something as simple as tomato soup, may seem arduous, but this dish certainly does not disappoint and is ready in less than 45 minutes.  Our only deviation from Ina's recipe is the elimination of the saffron.  It is too darn expensive to include in a simple soup.  (Are we missing out!?) 

 

The blend of the Gruyere in the grilled cheese croutons along with the orzo in the soup make this dish a full meal.  We would recommend it if you are looking for a hearty dish on a cold winter night!  Thank you Ina and FNM for another great dish.  Here is a link to the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Chicken Taco Soup

@allrecipes  Another cold night in North Carolina calls for a hearty soup and the ease of the slow cooker.  Tonight we made slow cooker Chicken Taco Soup.  One of our go-to meals on a cold night, this meal combines many veggies and tender chicken breasts.  Another 'set it and forget it' recipe that will greet you smelling of simmering cumin (that familiar Mexican spice) when you get home from a long day.  Did we mention this dish also includes a can of beer?! 

This dish really does taste of tacos.  Be sure to add some sour cream, scallions, and crushed tortilla chips if you want the real effect.  Pair it with a quick salad and you will find a quick and easy meal to warm you up this winter. 

This recipe is compliments of allrecipes.com -- you can find it here.

Prepping the soup-- make some room in the recycle bin for some cans!



Finished product - doesn't that look yummy??!!!



Slow Cooker Chili

When the temperatures falls, the slow cooker comes out for a nice hearty chili dinner.  It is a very simple, quick, and "set it and forget it" recipe.  If you are looking for a filling, veggie-loaded, and non-spicy chili -- this has it all.  Nothing fancy here - lots of canned veggies in the slow cooker and let it do it's magic.

 

You won't find this recipe in a fancy cookbook or even our go-to food websites, but rather it was a seemingly suspicious concoction on the back of a can of beans.  Yes, it came about one night over a year ago when we were trolling the pantry for a dinner idea.  But trust us, if you are looking for simple - give this a try - here is the recipe. 

 

By the way, if you haven't found the genius of slow cooker liners yet -- get them!  They will save you hours of soaking and scrubbing after the meal.     

 

The end product. 
Take note of the beautful servingware -- did we mention it makes great leftovers warmed up?

  

Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew

From #foodnetworkmagazine last year, tonight we cooked Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew.  A quick and easy recipe for a cold and rainy (now snowy) evening in NC.  Very easy to make and the meatballs were delicious. 

The soup is a simple mix of onions, roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots and the meatballs (a quick fix of onion and ground turkey breast).  We were very skeptical that the meatballs would be bland, but as they cook in the savory stew they soak up all the delicious flavors. 

Less than 500 calories a serving - quick and simple - a definite hit!

Click here if you want to give it a shot!

Stew prep

 

Meatball prep (they are a bit sticky to prepare but worry not!)

Simmering the meatballs to cook them through -- notice we had to transfer to a larger cast iron skillet.  The recipe doesn't exactly convey how large the skillet needs to be, so go large from the start!

Dinner is ready!