Well I’ve tried a couple of new recipes since writing my list of 30 things. I thought I would share what we’ve been eating.
Paula Deen’s Taco Soup (recommended by Meg)
Ingredients
* 2 pounds ground beef
* 2 cups diced onions
* 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
* 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
* 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
* 2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
* 1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
* 1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
* 1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
* Corn chips, for serving
* Sour cream, for garnish
* Grated cheese, for garnish
* Chopped green onions, for garnish
* Pickled jalapenos, for garnish
Directions
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
I didn’t do the green olives(bleh) but I did use black. This makes a huge, and I mean huge, pot of soup. I froze at least half in two separate freezer bags. I liked the recipe but I prefer my taco soup recipe I got from Weight Watchers. Paula uses ALOT of canned goods and I believe you can get an equally tasty soup for less. I would recommend this recipe if you are cooking for potluck, small group, or a family gathering.
Taco Soup (alla Weight Watchers : 3pts)
1 lb ground beef, browned
2 cans pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1-2 cans Rotel (I use mild)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 C Water (or more if needed)
Add all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Voila!
The next recipe I tried was the Creamy Potato soup recipe from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious.
Ingredients
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, cut in half
* 28 ounces of reduced-fat low-sodium chicken broth
* 2 lbs potatoes,any kind, peeled and chopped
* 1/2 cup cauliflower puree
* 1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree
* 1 cup lowfat (!%) buttermilk
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
* Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil, onion and the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not brown, 5-6 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic!)
* Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
* Carefully spoon the mixture into a blender or food processor and add the vegetable purees, buttermilk, and salt; puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.
Number of Servings: 8
I didn’t puree all the potatoes so that it was a little more chunky. The soup was a slight yellow tint (hello butternut squash!) unlike the picture in the cookbook. It was also very thick (probably due to the purees). I thought the soup was good. Stephen wasn’t “deceived” by the taste but would eat it every once in awhile. Colin ate potato soup for the FIRST time! He liked it, didn’t love it, but he ate 3 different veggies in one sitting and didn’t even know it. I was also pumped by the fact that he liked the potato in a form other than french fries or tator tots. This from a kid who won’t touch mashed potatoes.
I will say that while cooking the butternut squash wasn’t hard, the pureeing process was not fun at all. It just did not want to puree in my blender so I had to get out my mini food chopper and dirty more dishes. I decided to do this recipe since I am trying to make a majority of Kate’s baby food. I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. I’m glad I did because butternut squash makes a ton of puree!
I’m not completely sold on the Deceptively Delicious cookbook yet. I tried a muffin recipe that came out horrible. But I have a friend that has tried numerous recipes in the book with great luck so I’m going to keep pluggin’ away in hopes that I find a few winners. Next up: Chocolate Chip Cookies (with chickpeas). Oprah seemed to like them. The true test will be to see if Colin likes them.
