Stuffed Zucchini Soup

I was inspired to make this pot of soup after seeing a lot of different stuffed zucchini recipes and videos. I have to admit they all sounded delicious, but I must have been feeling lazy because I had no desire to go to all that fuss. All I could think was the flavors would make a great soup. Boy was I right! Using the same ingredients of Italian sausage, zucchini, tomato and Parmesan as the baked dish you can make a deliciously easy soup. There is no pre-cooking the zucchini. No using a spoon to hollow it out. No stuffing and no waiting for it to bake. The soup is a chop and drop recipe. Place your chopping board near the pot and just chop, then add to the pot. So easy but so flavorful. All the flavor is in the turkey Italian sausage, pasta sauce and Parmesan. I love the body the pasta sauce gives this soup. It is just the perfect consistency not too thick and not too thin. I will definitely be making this one over and over again. I am just sad that zucchini season is nearing it's end. Time is running out. So hurry! Go make a pot of this soup right now before it's too late. You will be glad you did.

Stuffed Zucchini Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 zucchini, quartered and chopped
14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes with celery
24 oz. jar traditional pasta sauce
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes
Handful of parsley, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place a soup pot over medium high heat; add olive oil and sausage. Cook crumbling up the sausage until browned. Add onions and garlic cook into onion begins to get translucent. Add zucchini, tomatoes, pasta sauce, stock and season with peppers. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes until zucchini are tender. Stir in parsley and serve garnished with Parmesan and more parsley.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Soup
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

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup is a modification to the Chicken Tortilla Soup I have already posted. Years ago I was looking for a way to reduce carbs and fat in the recipe. So I altered my original recipe to resemble a restaurant soup I had somewhere. The exact restaurant escapes me now. Oh well... It did inspire one great soup. This taste of the southwest is spicy and loaded with veggies. The zucchini and squash breaks down a little in the soup and makes a slightly thick broth. So good! The brown rice makes this soup a meal and also adds a great chewy texture. This pot of soup is made with all low/no sodium ingredients. I roasted my own chilies and added them to the can tomatoes to simulate rotel tomatoes. But if you are looking for a short-cut? Well I have great news. I have made it many times with one can rotel original tomatoes with green chilies and one can diced tomatoes. You can do the same just omit the roasted chilies and substitute a can of rotel for one of the cans diced tomatoes. More good news I have found no salt added rotel at Wal-mart this week. So you can have both convenience and low sodium. If you want to get this soup on the table fast use leftover chicken or chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken. I have made all these substitutions and it always turns out delicious. I hope you will think so too.

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup 

Servings:  12

Ingredients

1 or 2 Hatch or Anaheim (California) green chilies

1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast 
Olive oil spray

1 med. red onion, quartered and sliced

1 lg. or 2 sm. zucchini, halved and sliced 

1 lg. or 2 sm. summer squash, halved and sliced 

2 (14.5 oz.) cans no salted added diced tomatoes, with liquid  

6 cups fat-free, unsalted chicken broth 

1/4 tsp ground cumin 

3/4 tsp Seasoned Pepper 

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning 

Kosher salt to taste (omit for a low sodium diet)

1/2 cup instant brown rice 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

Directions

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

To grill the chilies: Place chilies on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side on medium high heat. Remove chilies and cover with plastic wrap. When chilies are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the chilies. Cut chilies in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins. Chop into small dice.

Place chicken in a 3-1/2 quart pot, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. At the first sign of bubbles lower to temperature to low. Poach chicken for 30 minutes. Discard cooking liquid and shred chicken. Set chicken aside. Rinse pot and return to heat. (You may use leftover chicken or pull chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken.)

Sauté onion in olive oil spray until they start to get transparent. Add the squash and zucchini. Sauté until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes, chilies, broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add chicken, rice and cilantro. Simmer until rice is cooked. 

Serve garnished with more cilantro, sour cream or sliced avocado.

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?
Back to the Basics: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Friday with All My Bloggy Friends
My Pinterventures: Souper Bowl 2015 Party

Recipe Review: Moroccan Roasted Veggies

This recipe is why I was so excited to find Spice & All. They had halloumi! I copied this recipe from the Weight Watchers recipe review board years ago. I made it once but had to substitute queso fresco for the halloumi. It was delicious with the substitution but I always wondered how would it be with the halloumi. Well question answered, it is still delicious! This recipe is full of delicious roasted vegetables, warm spices and bright lime flavor. Resist the urge to add salt. The lime, olives and halloumi seasons the vegetables just right. Don't worry if halloumi is not available in your area. Any non-melting, crumbly, salty cheese will work. Try queso fresco or feta. Leftovers re-heat well in the microwave. They are not bad as a cold salad either. I have also pureed some of the veggies in my homemade hummus; substituting lime juice for lemon. This is a great use of summer vegetables and Spice & All market.

Moroccan Roasted Veggies with Halloumi Cheese
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper  
2 tsp ground cumin  
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste  
2 medium fresh limes  
2 Tbsp olive oil  
2 bell peppers, chopped large  
2 small zucchini, chopped  
1 small eggplant, chopped  
1 cup uncooked red onion, cut into wedges  
2 cloves garlic, sliced  
7 oz Halloumi cheese, chopped  
2 oz kalamata olives, quartered 

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400. Mix together the cayenne, cumin, tomato paste, juice of 1 lime and oil. Place the peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onion and garlic in a large roasting pan and drizzle with the tomato mix. Put the squeezed lime halves into the tin. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the veg is golden and tender. Add the halloumi and olives and cook for a further 10 minutes until the halloumi is golden. Squeeze over the juice from the other lime just before serving. 

Notes: I found the recipe on a Weight Watchers recipe review board. When I research it's origin, I found the possible original source of Tesco Real Food.

Linking to:
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Vegetarian & Vegan

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Here is yet another soup from the WW Recipe Review board. I usually make it with California style veggies and light Velveeta. But for some reason I could not find the California vegetable mix at the store. I selected Italian style as a substitute. As far as the Velveeta goes, I have been hearing lots of hype about a shortage and even more comments about it being fake cheese. So I attempted to use a blend of shredded cheese. I saw a copycat recipe that used a blend of Colby jack, cheddar and Swiss. So I used one cup of Colby jack and three fourths a cup of both cheddar and Swiss. I really liked the flavor more than Velveeta but when it comes to melting you can beat Velveeta. The cheese did melt sort of, but it had some stringy ribbons of cheese that did not. I think Velveeta is the way to go for this soup. I may try one more time in the future. I read that adding a little flour or cornstarch to the cheese will help it melt into soups. We will see? I used the homemade chicken broth from the chicken I poached for the Curried Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps. It was so good! Here the the garlic flavor of the broth added so much to the soup. I will use homemade stock again in the future. This is a great cheesy vegetable soup. I look forward to another cup for lunch tomorrow.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 lbs. frozen mixed vegetables (California mix, Italian blend, etc.)
4 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can mild Rotel tomatoes
10 oz. light Velveeta cheese or mix of 2% shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby jack and Swiss)

Directions

Put first 3 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add the cheese, stirring to melt the cheese. When heated through, serve.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Call Me PMc: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Memories by the Mile: Treasure Box Tuesday
It's Your Life: Tuesdays with a Twist
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Mexican Vegetable Chowder

I know this is not a seasonal dish, but I have been thinking about Calabacitas. [Click here for the recipe I usually make] I love this dish! Zucchini and squash with spicy poblanos? What’s not to like! Well I had bought the ingredients, but for one reason or another never got around to making the dish. Last night sister was visiting and I decided to make us a vegetable soup with the ingredients.

The soup was the easy part. But I can’t believe how hard it was for me to name this recipe. I always come up with a name right away. This was a first! I came up with lots of names but I just could not commit to one. Even now as I type this I am wondering if I picked the right one. What do you think? Should I change it?

Mexican Zucchini Corn Soup

Mexican Vegetable Chowder

Spicy Squash and Corn Soup

Spicy Calabacitas and Corn Soup

Calabacitas Chowder

Calabacitas Soup

Calabacitas and Corn Soup

Creamy Mexican Zucchini Corn Soup

Spicy Mexican Zucchini Corn Soup

Sopa de Calabacitas (Mexican Zucchini and Corn Soup)

I finally decided on Mexican Vegetable Chowder. It was one of my first thoughts. And since this was totally invented by a Louisiana girl, I don’t think it is authentic enough to call it Sopa de Calabacitas. Well now that is done! Now I can tell you about the chowder. It was great! Spicy, creamy and filling. I thought it was creamy enough before adding the cream but sister kept saying, “Use the cream!” You could totally omit the cream or even use fat free half and half if you like. I do think it helps mellow the spice of the peppers a little. Since you never know just how hot a chili will be, you can use the cream to control the heat of the dish. The only regret I have is that I did not have queso fresco in the frig. I think it will make an amazing garnish for this chowder. There is always next time!

Mexican Vegetable Chowder

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced small

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 poblano, seeded and chopped

3 small zucchini, diced

2 medium yellow squash, diced

2 mirliton or chayote squash, seeded and diced

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. Black pepper, or to taste

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

4 cups chicken stock

16 oz. frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup whipping cream (optional or you could use fat free half and half)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

In a medium stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil onions, garlic, jalapeno and poblano.  Sauté until onions become translucent. Add zucchini, squash and mirliton; sauté for several minutes until the zucchini begins to become tender. Season with 2 Tbsp. cilantro, oregano, salt, and peppers. Add stock bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Remove about 2 cups of vegetables and set aside. Puree the rest with a stick blender (or in a blender in batches). Add corn and bring to a simmer. Return vegetables to the pot and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and add cream and remaining cilantro. Serve hot or room temperature, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Variation:

Add queso fresco for a garnish.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Turnips 2 Tangerines: The Four Seasons Blog Hop
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays
Townsend House: What I Am Eating

Vegetable Primavera Casserole

Over at the Law Students Cookbook she hosts a Pantry Party each month. The theme for October is casseroles. I have to admit I was a little stumped. I don't cook a lot of casseroles. My family maybe has three or four casserole recipes in their recipe box. I am cutting it a little close for getting this recipe to Elizabeth's party. It took me forever to decide on what to bring. I finally decided to create something new just for this party. I have had Vegetable Primavera on my mind so why not try it in casserole form. I have to say it turned out so good! I wanted to lick my plate. (You will never know if I did?) You must choose a spoon to eat this dish. A fork just doesn't work to scoop up all the delicious sauce. This casserole is so full of delicious veggies, pasta and garlicky good cream sauce. Most every ingredient is from the pantry or freezer. The only fresh ingredients you need to have on hand is Parmesan, tomatoes and garlic. This casserole is filling enough for a meatless meal, but would make a great side dish too. Between the seasoned veggies and Alfredo sauce this dish it well seasoned there was no need for additional salt or pepper. And you know me I add salt, black and red pepper to everything. This experience may just have me looking to build my casserole collection.

Vegetable Primavera Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dry Gemelli pasta

2 (10 oz) steam bags of frozen seasoned spring vegetable medley

1 (15 oz) jar light Alfredo sauce

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1 to 2 tomato, sliced

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Prepare vegetables according to package microwave directions. Drain reserving liquid. Measure liquid and add enough hot water to measure 1/2 cup. Stir in chicken bouillon.

In a bowl or the pasta pot, combine cooked pasta, vegetables, oregano and garlic. Add Alfredo sauce and reserved liquid mixture, stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into a casserole sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with tomato slices and Parmesan cheese. Bake 5 more minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Linking to:
Law Students Cookbook: Pantry Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Frugal Foodie Mama: Marvelous Mondays
The Chicken Chicken: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You do This Weekend?
Memories By the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - Michigan and Link Party
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Mommy On Demand: Create It Or Bake It
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Easy Life Meal and Party Planning: Four Seasons Blog Hop
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
My Mixing Spoon: Random Recipe Roundup

Veggies + Fruit = Delicious Salads

I have discovered I really like combination veggie and fruit salads. It all started with some of Mark Bittman's recipes for 101 Simple Salads. In many of his salads he combined veggies and fruit. Some of my favorites are:

1. Grate carrots, toast some sunflower seeds, and toss with blueberries, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Sweet, sour, crunchy, soft.
2. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half; toss with soy sauce, a bit of dark sesame oil and basil or cilantro. I love this — the tomato juice-soy thing is incredible. (Ok, no fruit in this one but it is too good not to share.)
3. Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette. You can substitute peach for the watermelon or the tomato (but not both).
4. Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.

Then Hungry Girl added cucumber to her fruit salad. She calls it Ginormous Fruit Salad Surprise. The surprise to me is that the cucumber tastes a little like melon when combined with the fruit. Delicious!

So when I saw this Zucchini Apple Salad in Taste of Home I knew I had to try it. It did not disappoint. It is sweet, tangy and crunchy. I knew I would like zucchini and apples. But I wasn't sure about Italian dressing and apples, I really like it! Sort of a sweet and sour thing. It is more apparent freshly made. It mellows the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Any of these salads would be great to take for lunch or to a pot luck.

If you have any favorite veggie and fruit combinations I would love to hear about them.

Zucchini Apple Salad

Source: Taste of Home

6 Servings

Ingredients

2 medium red apples, chopped

2 small zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2/3 cup Italian salad dressing

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the apples, zucchini and walnuts. Add salad dressing; toss to coat. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup (prepared with fat-free salad dressing) equals 114 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 383 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 fruit.

Grilled Vegetables

Oh Boy! I am so behind blogging. I have been cooking just not writing. Today I am going to catch up. You have been warned.

Last week my sister and I had burgers on the brain. We decided to put her grill to work again and grill vegetables with a side of burgers. These vegetables are so easy and go with almost everything. They are great hot, cold or room temperature. Great added to homemade hummus or soup. So I always make a lot, I fill the grill from one side to the other. The secret ingredient is a Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix. I found this recipe as a copycat recipe for Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. I did not like it as a salad dressing. It was not quite as good as the original. But I love it as a dry seasoning for vegetables. I hope you will too.

Grilled Vegetables

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2” rounds

2 red onions, sliced into 1/2” rounds

2 red bell pepper, quartered

2 portabella mushrooms

2 small zucchini, sliced in half length wise

2 small yellow squash, sliced in half length wise

Olive oil

Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Directions

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Rub all vegetables with a little olive oil. Season with Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix. Place vegetables on the grill, start with mushrooms they will take the longest. Grill for 6 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Cooking time will vary depending on your grill. Some vegetables will cook a little faster than others. I keep a serving bowl handy and place vegetables in the bowl as they cook.

Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Adapted from Copycat Good Season’s Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Garlic salt

1 Tbsp Onion powder

1 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Oregano

1 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Basil

1 Tbsp Parsley

1/4 tsp Celery salt

2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients well. Store in a pint mason jar. This seasoning can be used to season vegetables or as a salad dressing.

For Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup oil

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Combine all ingredients and shake well.

Linking to:
Mondays with Countrified Hicks

Moussaka Soup

The first time I heard about Moussaka was a scene in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula was getting teased as a young girl for bringing Moussaka for her lunch. I had to try it after hearing it mentioned in the movie. I love Moussaka! It is ... like a Greek lasagna? Without pasta and loaded with eggplant and at my Greek restaurant zucchini and potato too. It also has a fluffy, creamy, cheesy topping that is so different. Try it if you haven't, it is delicious.

Well a few days ago I got the idea to adapt my Spicy Beef Vegetable Soup into a soup with Greek flavors. Moussaka has beef and vegetables and seemed the perfect candidate to turn into a soup. This soup is loaded with roasted veggies and Greek flavor. I substituted roasted eggplant, zucchini, squash and red bell pepper for the mixed veggies. I also for went the pasta sauce for can tomatoes I could spice with Greek flavors. The spices are what make this so different. Usually cinnamon, allspice and cloves are used for baking. Here they are what makes the soup reminiscent of Moussaka. Without them this soup would be more Italian than Greek. The topping is also a important touch; it is the perfect creamy, cheesy garnish for this soup. Maybe Toula could have avoided the teasing if she could have said she just had soup for lunch.

Again my dear sister is keeping my blog stylish.
Thanks for the new place mats Sis!

Moussaka Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Olive oil cooking spray

1 lb lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 medium potato, chopped

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Topping:

1 Tbsp light butter

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup skim milk

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese(plus more for garnish)

1/4 tsp salt

1/16 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425º. In a large bowl combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and olive oil. Toss to coat vegetables with oil. Transfer to a large baking pan coated with cooking spray. Season with salt, black pepper and a little red pepper flake. Bake for 20 minutes.

Heat a large pot(at least 3-1/2 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook over medium high heat until brown. Add chopped onion and garlic; continue to cook until translucent. Season with salt, black and red pepper. Add other spices; ground allspice, through basil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, potato, roasted vegetables, beef broth and brown sugar; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

Serve in individual soup bowls; top with a drizzle of topping and additional Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts: Per Serving; Calories 335, Carbohydrates 32g, Fat 12g. Protein 27g, Calcium 17g, Fiber 7g. 8 WW Points +

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Mondays with Countrified Hicks Blog Hop 
My Mixing Spoon: Random Recipe Roundup Linkie Party
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Eggplant
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Cinnamon Saturday Dishes
Food of the World Greece
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays