Creamy Potato and Kale Soup

This semester has been incredibly busy for me. One full-time job, one part-time job, and finishing my degree. Cooking (and even more so, blogging) food has, unfortunately, been low on my priority list. I have been eating old favorites, quick meals, and going out to eat more than I would prefer. So, last night, I had two hours between jobs and decided to toss together this soup to eat when I finished my second shift. It was the greatest idea. I have made & blogged a lot of soups before, but I will say, not-so-humbly, that this is the more delicious one yet. This recipe makes many servings, which is great because it heats up so well. Enjoy!

Red Potato and Roasted Summer Corn Chowder

I love when the weather gets a little crisp and I can huddle around a bowl of soup. I've been dying to make some soup this week, but kept forgetting to buy ingredients, so I went with what I had in my pantry: summer corn and red potatoes. This recipe makes about four servings (about 1 1/2 cups each) and is adapted from Damn Delicious' recipe. So, fire up your slow cooker and get to it!

Slow Cooker Three-Bean Chili

I made some chili for a friend's work competition early last month. It was super-easy, since I just put it in my slow cooker all day and let it go. To make it stand out amongst the competition, I used cocoa powder (think mole sauce) and three different kinds of beans (since I wasn't using any meat). This recipe makes about five full servings.

Kale, Barley & Chickpea Soup

It's that time of year: kale season. If you're a CSA member, that's all that you've been getting in your share. It's all over the stores, the farmers markets, and now, in your slow cooker. This recipe is easy and makes about four servings. Enjoy!

Black Bean Vegetable Soup

Break out your slow cooker for this one. Low & slow is how I chose to make this black bean soup, for a few reasons, but the biggest being that I didn't want to have to watch the soup while I was watching Battlestar Galactica. I know, I know. This recipe makes about four servings & is perfect for the cooler temps that we've been experiencing lately. Enjoy!

Apple & Honey Grilled Cheese

L'Shana Tova! It is officially Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and it is traditional to eat apples and honey in celebration, so your new year is sweet. I decided to do something a bit different this year and made mini apple & honey grilled cheese sandwiches. This recipe makes four mini sandwiches (serves two people).

Vegetarian Chili

Tonight was one of those nights where I have a lot of food in the house, but nothing to really make. So, I took a bunch of leftovers and things in my pantry and decided to make a chili. This is really easy (especially because I used a slow cooker), and because I used a meat substitute, your carnivorous friends will enjoy it as well. I made a small volume of chili, but you can multiply the recipe as much as you want! This recipe makes three to four servings.

Thanksgiving Biscuits

I'm traveled for Thanksgiving this year, so I wasn't really involved in making any food. I did really want to be put in charge of something, so I made biscuits. Because of that, this holiday turned into that episode of Friends when Monica lets Chandler make the cranberry sauce and he makes too much of a deal about it. That's me. With biscuits.

I made two different kinds for dinner: cheddar and cranberry cream cheese (original recipes linked). Between the two recipes, this makes 24-30 biscuits.

Thanksgiving Pizza

Grab all of your Thanksgiving leftovers and read on. This pizza was born last year post-holiday, and the tradition continues this year.  Also, I was in a land of no WiFi over Thanksgiving and was unable to get a bunch of recipes out to you, so keep an eye out all week for new ones! Hope your holiday was filled with good company and delicious food.

White Bean Soup

Another soup to add to the Autumn Soup Exchange list! This one was really quick to make; about 20 minutes. It's a nice, light recipe and was perfect for lunch. This recipe makes three to four cups. The recipe's original source is here.

Miso Soup with Udon Noodles

This is a brothy, vegan soup to keep you warm and full in the colder months. This recipe creates six to seven cups of soup. Here's the recipe's original source.

Spaghetti Squash & "Meatballs"

I have heard of this mythical vegetable called the spaghetti squash, but I didn't know that it actually existed until today. It is surprisingly easy to prepare, and it is a perfect substitute for actual spaghetti noodles; it is a healthy (read: lower calories & fat) and tasty alternative. I am not yet ready to completely give up pasta, but this meal has really changed the game for me. This recipe makes four servings.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

I went to a Pick-Your-Own farm yesterday and came back with local pumpkin, squash, green tomatoes, and apples. I am all pumped up over making meals from each of these things, so keep an eye out; autumn recipes are coming! These cinnamon apple chips take awhile to bake (because you're essentially dehydrating them in your oven), but they are very delicious and healthy. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients
Three (3) seasonal apples
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Two (2) tablespoons of granulated sugar



Directions
Preheat oven to 200F degrees. Don't increase the heat because you want to decrease the cook time; we are dehydrating the chips, not cooking them.

Slice apples thinly with a mandolin or sharp knife.
Lay the apple slices out on a parchment paper-covered baking pan.
Mix cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture lightly on the apple slices. Flip them over and sprinkle the other side as well.

Bake in the oven for one hour, then flip the apple slices and bake for another hour.

Remove from oven and let cool for a delicious snack!

Tomato Chickpea Pesto Soup

This soup is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for my Autumn Soup Exchange. You can add your own spices to personalize the taste. The garlic, salt & pepper, and pesto really added enough flavor for me. This recipe makes 6-7 cups of soup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
One (1) medium onion, chopped
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
One (1) 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes -- You can make this at home, but canned works well too.
One (1) 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
One (1) tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
One (1) cup of water
Five (5) tablespoons of basil pesto
One (1) teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pepper to taste

Directions
In a saucepan, use the oil to saute the onions first, and then add the garlic. Cook until onions are soft.
Add the water and the crushed tomatoes. Heat until lightly boiling.
Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat.
Add the chickpeas and let simmer for ten minutes.
Finally, add the pesto. You can either dollop pesto on each serving or stir in if the soup will be refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Vermont Cheddar Apple Soup

A good friend of mine and I are doing an Autumn Soup Exchange and I couldn't be more excited. She is also vegetarian, which works out really well. This recipe is my first of the exchange. I will be posting all of my soups on here (and she might guest blog too!), so you'll see one or two soup recipes every two weeks.

This recipe makes about six cups of soup. When I made this recipe last week, I didn't have a food processor (but that has all changed now!), so it was more of a boil down and strain thing, but you can process all of the veggies to make a thicker broth (the original recipe using the food processor is here). I hope you enjoy!

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
One (1) stick of unsalted butter
One (1) large leek, chopped finely -- use the white part only
One (1) medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Two (2) medium celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
Four (4) cups of veggie stock -- Whole Foods also sells a "Chik'n" stock, which is vegetarian chicken-flavored, and that works well too.
One (1) cup of soy half-and-half creamer 
1/2 pound of Vermont white sharp cheddar, shredded
One (1) teaspoon of dry mustard
One (1) teaspoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce
One (1) apple, peeled, cored and finely diced -- I used a Honeycrisp apple because they're in season and delicious!
Pepper to taste

Directions
Melt three-fourths of the butter in a pot over medium heat.
Add the leeks, carrot and celery and sauté for about 3 minutes.
Add the flour into the mixture and stir for 3 minutes. Cook evenly.
Whisk in the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil.
Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Strain the vegetables out of the soup and keep the broth in the pot. Simmer.
Add the cream, cheddar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the cheese is melted.
Season with pepper. Set aside.
Melt the leftover butter in a separate pan and sauté the apple pieces. Make sure that they are slightly crisped on each side.
Add the apples to the soup. Enjoy!

Apple & Brie Appetizer

It is almost autumn! My friends and I are quick to celebrate this, and have already started drinking Oktoberfest/pumpkin beer. In fact, we had a fall beer get-together and we all made autumn-y dishes to share. This dish was incredibly easy as well as delicious.

Pair with: your favorite pumpkin beer!

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
One (1) baguette
Three (3) Granny Smith apples
One (1) wheel of Brie cheese
Two (2) tablespoons of shelled walnuts
One (1) tablespoon of honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Slice baguette into about twenty 1/2-inch slices.
Put bread into oven for ten minutes, or until slightly crisped.
Thinly slice apples and Brie.
Once bread is finished, place on platter.
Top bread with Brie slice, apple slice, small piece of walnut, and drizzle of honey.
Share and enjoy!