Bloody Mary Hamburger Steaks

This recipe turned out to be a bright idea as well as a bright and savory meal. A while back my Mom made a recipe for Bloody Mary Stew with Egg Noodles and Olives. It was a delicious dish but what I was smitten with was the noodles. I loved the briny bite the olives added to the noodles. The stew was great but you could not taste the Bloody Mary flavors. So I began to think.... Can you hear Jeopardy music playing? I can. LOL! Anyway, back to thinking. I wondered what would be delicious with those noodles? What can I make with more Bloody Mary flavor. Then it occurred to me why not smother a hamburger steak with Bloody Mary Mix. Perfect! I was able to add the Bloody Mary flavors inside the burger then smother it in even more flavor. It was delicious with the noodles. Bright, saucy and tangy comfort food. My only regret is that I was a little timid with the spice. I thought anything spicy or with heat would intensify when cooked and it had time to reduce. It really didn't. So I would say this recipe as is would be family friendly. It is not spicy. But if you are looking for the spicy heat of a Bloody Mary bump up the hot sauce and horseradish. I am totally going to bring the heat next time I make it. I may even try adding a little vodka? I hope you will give it a try. I used a store bought Bloody Mary mix but you could totally use your favorite recipe as well. Don't forget to try the noodles too! You will love them. They are a delicious side for saucy meals like this and stew. So good!

Bloody Mary Hamburger Steaks
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

16 oz lean ground beef
1/4 cup minced shallot or onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Horseradish
1 Tbsp. chili sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Celery salt, to taste
Lemon pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
1 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste

Directions

In medium bowl, combine beef, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, chili sauce, and garlic; form mixture into four equal patties, each about 3/4" thick. Season both sides with celery salt and lemon pepper.

Heat olive oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat 1 minute; add patties. Cook, turning once, 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned.

Add Bloody Mary Mix and hot sauce to skillet; reduce heat to low. Cook, 5 minutes, until patties are cooked through and sauce reduces. Serve over Egg Noodles with Olives.

Egg Noodles with Olives

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups dry egg noodles
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green olives
4 ribs from the heart of celery with leaves, sliced
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Directions

Prepare egg noodles according to package directions in salted water. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add olives and celery, season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Serve as a side to Bloody Mary Hamburger Steak or stew.

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bake Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Tornadough Alli: Throwback Thursday Link Party
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party

Salmon Cream Cheese Relleno Taco

It's that time again! Time for another Relleno Taco creation. When I started thinking about more ideas for a relleno tacos, I had just made the Mesquite Grilled Tacos. So I had fish tacos and pico still on my brain. So the idea of using salmon and a tomato caper salsa seemed logical. I knew salmon, capers and shallots were delicious together with cream cheese. And you know chilies and cream cheese are a perfect match. I could not have been happier with the outcome. This one is perfect for summer! Lots of cool and fresh ingredients. It was so good! Sort of a jalapeno popper, lox bagel and taco all wrapped into one. It had the contrast of hot and cold ingredients. It was salty, briny and a little sweet from the salsa. It was also smoky and spicy from the charred poblano. Then there was the cream cheese; it tamed the spice of the chili and added a creamy component. It had just a little bit of everything going for it. I LOVED IT! It may be in my top three of all relleno tacos. I can't wait to make it for a girl's night. The poblano and cream cheese combination is sparking many more delicious ideas. I hope you will give this one a try. Be sure to come back for more relleno taco creations in the future.

Salmon Cream Cheese Relleno Tacos
Serves 2, Make 4 tacos

Ingredients

6 to 8 oz. salmon filet
Drizzle of olive oil
Herb Medley Rub
2 Poblano peppers
4 flour tortillas
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

Tomato Caper Salsa:
1 tomato, diced
1/2 shallot, finely diced
3 tsp. capers
1/2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Directions

Set salmon out on the counter to take the chill off of it. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. 

Combine the ingredients for the tomato caper salsa, mix well and set aside.

To grill the poblanos: Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Place poblanos on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side until skins are charred. Remove poblanos and cover with plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the poblanos. Cut poblanos in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins being careful not to split open the sides of the pepper.

To cook the salmon: Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil or use a sheet of aluminum foil. Place salmon on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Season salmon with Herb Medley Rub. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and flake with a fork.

To warm tortillas: Place a skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and blistered. 

To assemble the tacos:  Place a poblano half on each tortilla. Smear a 1 oz. slice of cream cheese on each poblano. Top with a fourth of the flaked salmon, tomato caper salsa and serve.

Linking to:
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday

Mushroom Enchiladas

I am able to get Mushroom Enchiladas at only one Mexican restaurant in Bossier City, LA; El Mariachi. They are so good! I have never seen them on any other menus. They let you pick what kind of sauce you would like on your plate. I always choose green enchilada sauce. They spoil me. This dish has so many things I love, mushrooms, cheese and that verde or green sauce. I like to think they are better for me than other enchiladas too. This is the dish I go back for and will continue to go back to enjoy. I hear the pork chops at El Mariachi are something special too. But I haven't been able to make myself skip my favorite enchiladas. They recently closed for renovations so I decided to make them at home. They turned out great. I used homemade Sazon and a shallot to season the mushroom filling. It was so easy and quick to make. I love the meaty texture of the mushrooms. The Sazon adds just the right Mexican seasonings to the mushrooms. They are so flavorful with just a hint of smoky cumin. I love these enchiladas! I think I will keep eating them at El Mariachi and at home. I hope you will try this recipe and El Mariachi.

Mushroom Enchiladas

Make 6 enchiladas; 2 or 3 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

16 oz. white mushrooms, sliced

3/4 tsp. Sazon seasoning

10 oz. can mild green enchilada sauce

6 flour tortillas

3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if using).

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add shallot and mushrooms saute until begins to brown and soften. Season with sazon and continue to cook a minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas: Pour a little enchilada sauce in baking dish. Divide mushroom filling among the 6 tortilla and roll. Place seam side down in the baking dish cover with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to bubble and brown. Caution they will be hot allow to rest a bit before serving.

To make individual portions: Pour a little enchilada sauce in 3 individual baking dishes. Divide mushroom filling among the 6 tortilla and roll. Place 2 seam side down in the baking dish cover with remaining sauce and cheese.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Bake one dish at 350 for 15 minutes or microwave for 2 minutes on high. Caution they will be hot allow to rest a bit before serving.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?

Beef and Vegetable Soup from a Soup Bunch

So what exactly is a "Soup Bunch"? That is what I asked when I started looking at this recipe. It calls for a large soup bunch of chopped shallots, cabbage, celery, turnips, carrots, potatoes, and parsley. But how much of each? Mom said they use to sell bundles of veggies at the grocery store ready to chop up for soup hence "Soup Bunch". When I asked what was in the bunch she said, "I really don't remember?" So I started to research the topic on the web. Well no one is in agreement on which vegetables and the amount of each. It appears to be regional and seasonal. I guess that makes sense. But it left me with the question, what to put in our soup.

So I went to Mom's and we made the soup recipe with a huge "Soup Bunch" Mom put together. She had a small bag of carrots, 3 shallots, half a green cabbage, a bag of yellow new potatoes, 2 ribs of celery. 2 turnips and a bunch of parsley. It was delicious! Mom said next time she will use more beef. I said maybe next time we should use a smaller "Soup Bunch". Ha Ha! I mean it made a ton of soup! About sixteen, cup and a half bowls. It was so good, so having leftovers was wonderful. I love that this soup cooks so long. In fact it cooks so long that the onions, cabbage and celery start to breakdown into the broth. It gives the soup a hint of green color. I enjoy the big chunks of vegetables. The corn cob is the prize at the end of the bowl. You will not believe the sweetness the whole corn adds to the soup. Next time I think I will add collards or kale to the soup bunch. Collards were one of the veggies listed in a few of the "Soup Bunches" I read about. I really like the concept of "Soup Bunches". I plan to make many more in the future. Now for a challenge...

Please Share your "Soup Bunch"!

Let's see just how many "Soup Bunch" ideas we can collect. 
What does a "Soup Bunch" mean in your area?

Leave a comment with where you live and what is commonly found 

in a soup bunch there. I look forward to your answers.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Adapted from: Pots, Pans, and Pioneers III

Makes 16 (1-1/2 cup) bowls

Ingredients

2-3 lb. chuck roast, cut up into 1" pieces
1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 large soup bunch

   - 3 shallots, chopped 
   - 1/2 green cabbage, cut into 1" pieces
   - 2 ribs celery, cut into 1" pieces 
   - 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces 
   - 1 small bag carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces 
   - 1 bag Yukon gold new potatoes, halved
   - 1 bunch parsley, chopped

2 ears of sweet corn, shucked and cut into 1" coins

1 (14.5 oz.) can no salt added corn (undrained)

1 (14.5 oz.) can green peas
2 bay leaves
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy, black pepper to taste

Kosher salt to taste (optional)

Directions

Boil meat in water with black pepper. Simmer 1 hour. Add tomatoes, onions, shallots, cabbage, celery and turnips. Simmer 1 hour. Add carrots, potatoes, corn on the cob, corn, peas and parsley. Add bay leaves and seasonings. Taste for seasoning add more salt (if using) and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender about 1 more hour.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Anyonita Nibbles: #tastytuesdays

Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Wow! I thought I was getting better at the photography thing. And then this happens. Here are some really weird pictures of another creamy vegetable soup with no cream. I am always looking for veggie soups for lunch, a snack or as a starter. I usually want them low cal so I don't have to worry about having another serving. I have been wanting to make Broccoli and Cheese Soup, so I decided to make a Creamy Broccoli Soup and garnish with light cheddar cheese and light sour cream. This soup was so good! You don't even need the garnishes. In fact, I liked it better without. The shallot and carrot add a lot of sweetness. This soup is a great way to spoon up your broccoli. I used frozen broccoli but fresh would work well too. Another great go to veggie soup.

Creamy Broccoli Soup
Serves 4 to 6; Makes approx. 6 cups

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 small clove of garlic, minced
16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli florets
4 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
2% sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
light sour cream (optional)

Directions

Melt butter in a soup pot, add shallot, carrot and celery. Saute until shallot begins to get translucent. Add garlic and cook until vegetables are tender. Add broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Use a stick blender to partially puree the soup. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Serve hot. Garnish with cheddar cheese and sour cream (optional).

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?

Cream of Tomato Soup

I have been interested in veggie soups lately. I am looking for soups for lunch, snacks and starters. This is my adaptation of someone else's adaptation of a Suzanne Somers' recipe. I have not seen the original recipe so I have no clue what we or I have changed about the recipe. I can tell you it is delicious. I actually like it even more the next day. It is warm and sweet from the sauteed shallots. I love how fast it comes together. It takes no time to prepare. I can see putting this soup on the plate next to a grill cheese real soon.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. Kosher Salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

4 cups low sodium, fat free Chicken Broth

1 cup half and half

Directions

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic until soft and translucent. Add seasonings, tomatoes and broth. Puree with stick blender or puree in blender then pour back into soup pot. Bring soup to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Turn off heat and add half and half. Stir to heat through and serve.

Nutritional Information per serving*: Calories 113.0, Total Fat 7.1 g, Cholesterol 12.1 mg, Sodium 646.3 mg, Potassium 341.5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 9.4 g, Dietary Fiber 2.0 g, Sugars 1.7 g, Protein 4.0 g

WW P+ 3

*Information from the Sparkrecipes calculator. NI may vary depending on the brand or size of the ingredients used to prepare it.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Plate of Crumbs: Random Recipe Roundup
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop
It's Your Life: Tuesdays with a Twist

Yellow Bell Pepper Soup

I just know any day now soup weather will be here to stay. Every morning I open the door and it feels like it is here for only about a hour. Then the temperature spikes and it is still sweltering hot.

Well I just could not wait any longer, I had to make a pot of soup when I saw bell peppers on sale. I bought some beautiful yellow bell peppers to make Yellow Bell Pepper Soup. This recipe was inspired by a cup of soup I had at a local Italian restaurant called Chianti. One of my clients is an Engineer who specializes in aviation and sport fields. I do spec writing and presentations for him. One Christmas he took all of us to lunch at Chianti to celebrate. The Yellow Bell Pepper Soup was his first recommendation. It is a chef special from their menu and not always available. It was so delicious. I had never had anything like it before. So of course I set out to make it a home. I started with a red pepper soup recipe and tried to make it with as little fat and cream as I could. It turned out wonderful. It is such a beautiful color and very creamy. I have made it several times now. Once I roasted and peeled the peppers and then made the soup. It gives it a smoky flavor in the background. I do think it is sweeter made with fresh peppers though. Believe it or not it is also great as a chilled soup. Enjoy this soup as a starter or lunch with half a sandwich. I think I need to make a double batch next time. It is that good!

Yellow Bell Pepper Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 large yellow bell peppers, deseeded, chunked

2 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup fat free half and half

Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

In a 4 qt soup pot saute the shallots, garlic, and yellow bell pepper in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the herbs, salt, pepper and stock. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes covered. Take off the stove and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Or pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to soup pot and add half and half, do not let it simmer or boil after adding half and half. Taste for seasoning; adjust to taste, then serve.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Monday's
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories By the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - Arizona and Link Party
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
My Turn For Us: Freedom Fridays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Green Tomato Gazpacho

Mom and I drove out to Ed Lester Farms last Wednesday. Last week was the last week they would be open this year and my very first visit. I was very impressed. The farm stand is under a beautiful ancient looking oak tree. They have fashioned a wood deck to walk on and provide plenty of shade to shop under. They also play very pleasant music and have two large rockers to sit in if you need a rest. I went with the pre-conceived notion that I wanted to make gazpacho and caponata. They had everything I needed. I bought green tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, two types of eggplants, red peppers, green peppers, and zucchinis. So I have a lot of cooking to do.

The first recipe I made was Green Tomato Gazpacho. I looked at lots of recipes and they called for lots of olive oil and bread. The gazpacho I usually make is a lighter recipe and uses half the olive oil of a traditional recipe and no bread. So I did some experimenting. I was very pleased with the outcome. I thought the green tomatoes would be tart compared to ripe tomatoes. They turned out to be sweet and crisp. The finished gazpacho had a great texture, sort of crunchy like pickle relish. It was also creamy tasting as if I added cream but I did not. I loved the herb combination too. I used some purple basil I have growing on the patio and I thought the color combination was beautiful. It would be a beautiful starter for summer meal. I enjoyed it as a light lunch and a mid afternoon snack. I will make this recipe again when I find green tomatoes.

Green Tomato Gazpacho

Serve 6; Makes approx. 6 cups

Ingredients

6 green tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 English cucumber, almost peeled and chopped

1 shallot, diced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced

2 tsp cilantro, minced and divided(1 tsp to be stirred in)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp light agave nectar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1 tsp mint, minced

2 tsp basil, minced

Directions

Combine half of the first six ingredients in a blender, blend until there is room in the blender for other half of the ingredients. Blend until finely chopped and well combined. With blender running, gradually add agave, then oil; purée until a “salsa” consistency. Add lime juice, salt and pepper, blend to incorporate. Place in a large plastic or glass pitcher, stir in remaining cilantro, mint and basil. Refrigerate until chilled. 

Linking to:
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Call Me PMc: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia-Ohio and Link Party
Premeditated Leftovers: Hearth and Soul Hop
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Cucumber

Farmer's Salad

I saw this recipe in one of those recipe magazines you pick up in the check-out line. When I saw it I knew I had to make it. My family loves green beans and sweet corn. I was a little concerned about the number of jalapenos in the recipe, but after removing the seeds it is really not that spicy. What did surprise me was the bite of the red onions. The recipe said to serve immediately. I liked it better the next day. By then the red onions had mellowed. If you plan to serve right away I suggest soaking the red onion in water or vinegar to remove some of there bite. This was my first time trying Cotija cheese, it really adds the finishing touch to this salad. I like the salty creamy flavor it adds to the salad. I may have used a little more than the recipe called for. So don't bother measuring a little more is great. All in all, I really enjoyed this salad and will definitely make it again. 

Farmer's Salad (Ensalada Grangero)

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

3 ears fresh sweet corn, husks and silks removed

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

3 cups grape tomatoes

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup olive oil

3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 shallots, chopped

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced roasted garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (2 oz)

Directions

In a Dutch oven cook corn in a large amount of boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Remove corn from Dutch oven; set aside to cool. Add beans to the boiling water in Dutch oven; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain beans in a colander; rinse with cold water and drain well. Cut kernels from corn cobs.

In a large bowl combine corn kernels, beans, grape tomatoes, and red onion. Toss gently to combine.

For dressing, in a food processor or blender combine cilantro, oil, chile peppers, shallots, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Cover and process or blend until nearly smooth. Drizzle dressing over vegetables; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia Link Party - Kentucky

Salmon Macaroni Salad with Cucumbers

Many years ago my Mom would make this salad with Salmon from a can. Do you remember this stuff? You had to drain it and remove the skin and the bones. Gross! Even so, I did enjoy this salad. Mom said she did start from a recipe, but she doesn't remember where it came from. Today we set out to make it with the leftover Salmon from Girl's Night. It turned out so good. You just have to go out and buy a whole side of salmon and roast it, then make this salad. So much better than the salad of my childhood. You could add more mayonnaise if you like but I think you just need enough to ensure a moist salad. You don't want to mask the taste of the other ingredients. All I can say is GO FISH!

Salmon Macaroni Salad with Cucumbers

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked

14 oz Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Salmon

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 large shallot, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp dill weed, dried

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

Directions

Boil macaroni according to package, drain and chill. Flake salmon with a fork. Dice cucumber, and mince shallot. In large mixing bowl, add macaroni, salmon, diced vegetables, and seasonings. Toss until seasonings are distributed evenly. Add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Note: If you decide to use can salmon. I suggest seasoning it to taste with salt, garlic powder, black and red pepper. I would also add some parsley and fresh lemon juice.

Linking to:
Buns in My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Frugal Foodie Mama: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Life on Lakeshore Drive: Bouquet of Talent
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
Taste and Tell Blog: Taste and Tell + 40 Soups, Stews and Chilis
Tried and True Recipes From Our Families
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Cucumber