Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup
This plnena paprika polevka also know as stuffed pepper soup has been lurking in my folder for about two weeks now. I held off on it to finish the boards to photograph it on and once I finally photographed it I realized I left thick soup all along the edge and it looks horrible; well to me it looks horrible. The plan to remake the soup continued to be put off since the weather is considerably hot here for this time of year. It probably just best to go ahead and share it. If we end up with another cold and rainy day I can always remake the soup and get some gorgeous shots.
Czechs generally make stuffed bell peppers a bit different then Italians do. My other half and I figured that out the first time we decided to make stuffed peppers together. He is full blooded Czech and well I’m Italian with other heritage but more prone to the Italian as I was raised with that cuisine and values. Czech stuffed peppers are simmered on a stove with paprika, rice, and ground beef while Italian stuffed pepper are baked in the oven without paprika and a small amount of tomato sauce. This stuffed pepper soup is a rendition of Czech stuffed peppers turned inside out to make a soup. Love Czech stuffed peppers with dumplings also known as knedliky. We just had garlic bread at the time but it would have been nice to pair them with this soup.
The board turned out nice in the photograph. I am working on several others and thinking about a DIY post. Anyone that would be interested? The boards I am working on are going to be chalkboard, crackled, and stained. Most of them will be painted with basic cheap acrylic paints you can pick up at any hobby store. Hoping to get the rest of them cut tonight so I can work on them over the next few days. Also in some serious need for heavy poster board. Looks like another run to the Dollar Tree.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, on medium high heat, add in diced onion, garlic, and peppers. Add in two tablespoons of olive oil and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in ground beef and cook with vegetables until meat is browned.
Add paprika to the beef once browned and stir well incorporating all of the paprika. Add in the rice, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Using the tomato cans put in a little water to clean off sides and add that water to the pot. Bring the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you would like the soup thinner just add any broth of choice. Garnish soup with parsley, dumplings, and fresh bell pepper.
http://mooshujenne.com/plnena-paprika-polevka-stuffed-pepper-soup/And now I am off to cut those boards… well make the other half do it while I eat fresh tortillas with salsa and butter. Guilty pleasure!
Baked Potato Soup
I have two favorite soups. Minestrone and baked potato soup! Just love all the toppings you can add to baked potato soup 
One week till the last Twilight Saga film Breaking Dawn Part II. How many of you plan to go see it? I’m definitely NOT doing the midnight showing. Might be a Saturday morning flick. It’s the start of Thanksgiving vacation and I am just counting the days till that week gets here.
I thought this might help warm up those that are freezing on the East coast. I feel for you all.
Next week I have a Fall festival to attend and I plan to bring 48 cupcakes and 2- 3 dozen cookies. Any suggestions?
Ingredients
Instructions
Peel all potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes. Add them to a large pot and cover with water. Salt and pepper the water. Cook on medium/high heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. After potatoes are tender drain off water and reserve a small amount to add thickness to your soup.
Replace pot on stove and add 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir in flour and add two cups of chicken broth. On a low heat, mash potatoes, and add more chicken broth as the potatoes are being mashed. The soup should be a thick consistency. Add one large container of heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about ten to twenty minutes until soup thickens.
Once the soup has thickened it is ready to serve. Top with crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and spring onions. Side with garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/baked-potato-soup/Hearty Dinner: Chicken, Pepper & Potato Brown Rice Soup
This is an argument that my other half and I have constantly. He swears there is a difference n rice brands. I used to disagree; however, recently we’ve tried all sorts of difference brands and blends. His favorite is Uncle Ben’s. I was not sold until I tried the brown rice. It goes perfect with jalapeno’s and red onions. I prefer to serve it with fish or chicken.
Though last night was one of those what I have in my arsenal is what I’m cooking tonight. I had a bag of Uncle Ben’s whole grain brown rice and since I am horrible at cooking rice and usually make the other half do it, this stuff comes in handy. I like to add it to soups cause it make the soup more hearty and filling. Brown rice is a great protein which makes it perfect to add to soups with just vegetables or those with meat too. hearty dinners are just up my alley when the colder weather comes in and the teen boys think they need to bear up for the winter. Do you have any brown rice recipes?
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, add in diced chicken, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add olive oil and fry till the chicken is cooked. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Add in potatoes. Add chicken broth and water till pot is three quarters full. Bring to a boil and lower to a slow simmer for about an hour until potatoes are soft.
After cooking for an hour, add in cooked brown rice per the package directions. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh French bread or garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/hearty-dinner-chicken-pepper-potato-brown-rice-soup/
I make this soup with or without brown rice. I enjoy both!
Smoked Chorizo Bean Soup
Swear to the gods, cooking beans never turns out the same. Soak them 24 hours and put them in the pan and half of them are still hard hours into it. This is why every woman/man wants to crockpot cook their beans. I am just not a huge crockpot person. It takes the talent out of cooking or at least I kind of feel that way about it. My picture of smoked chorizo bean soup looks so red from the chorizo.
Today, I want to tell you how I cook beans and make sure that they do not turn out hard. The no fail method is soak them for 36 hours not 24 hours. Drain them a few times and replace the water. Give them plenty of room to grow in the water by putting them in a larger bowl with a lid. After soaking, cook them for four hours and then let cool. Store them over night and cook for four hours again the next day. This allows for the oils and flavor to settle and you will have some of the best beans you’ve ever tasted. Adding a tad of liquid smoke really kicks in the flavor of the beans along with the bacon adding additional smoke flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, soak beans for 36 hour replacing the water two to three times.
In a large pot, add in onion, garlic, bacon, and jalapenos. Saute until onions are half way translucent. Add in chorizo and saute for about three minutes. Add in beans and broth; cover with water to 3/4 of the pot. Add liquid smoke and Worchester sauce along with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for four hours. Let cool and refrigerate over night. Cook again four hours on low before you plan to serve.
Serve with corn bread and top with cilantro or parsley.
http://mooshujenne.com/smoked-chorizo-bean-soup/Roasted Jalapeno Soup
A few college semesters ago, a friend of mine took me out to lunch. I had never been to Rockfish but I love seafood and thought it was worth a shot. We decided to just have a couple of appetizers. After a glance through, I saw Jalapeno soup on the menu and just knew I had to try it. It is one of my obsessions to eat everything spicy since when I was a kid I despised spicy food. When the bowl came out to my dismay it was white and creamy! Creamy Jalapeno soup? Yes, it was strange but after a few bites I was completely hooked.
I would like to share with you my copycat recipe for RockFish’s Roasted Jalapeno Soup. This is a simple and healthy lunch that can be served with crackers, croutons, or bread. The soup can be made in less then thirty minutes and pairs well with a BLT sandwich. Don’t go out and eat that greasy burger, stay in and enjoy a delicious bowl of Jalapeno soup.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F and place de-seeded and de-ribbed jalapenos faced down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast jalapenos for 10 to 15 minutes till the skin is lifting from the jalapeno. Pull from oven and peel skin from jalapeno. Removing the skins is optional. I like the flavor of the roasted skin so I leave the skin on.
In a medium sauce pot, add in the carrots, onions, and olive oil. Saute for about 3 minutes until the carrots are tender.
On a small plate, smash the butter and flour together until lightly incorporated. This is going to make your roux easier and with less lumps. Add flour and butter mixture to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes while coating vegetables. Add in the roasted jalapenos; stir well. Add in chicken broth and bring to a boil. The soup should have a creamy texture and be yellow in color. Add in heavy cream and wondra flour; stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes until the soup is thick and creamy. If not thick enough you can add more Wondra. Don't worry about lumps as you will be blending the soup anyway. Salt and pepper to taste.
Using a immersion blender or regular blender, cream the soup until all large pieces of jalapeno or carrots have diminished. ( I didn't blend mine in the picture cause I was in a rush and can't find a piece to my immersion blender). Serve with croutons, crackers, or by itself.
http://mooshujenne.com/roasted-jalapeno-soup/
Classic Minestrone Soup
We had a short dip in weather last week. It brought on my passion for creating soups. Minestrone soup is one of my favorite soups full of flavor and scrumptious vegetables. I’ll have to admit that my Italian side really shows through when it comes to noodles. It was an epic event to get the noodles for this soup. Ditalini noodles are perfect for minestrone. Many would use orzo’s but I believe orzo’s are great in chicken soup but get to mushy in a minestrone. What I love most about this soup is that I can hide the tender quarters of Italian zucchini in it and my family will eat it!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot add in olive oil and pancetta or bacon. Fry till bacon is almost browned. Add in onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and lightly salt. Stir fry for about 3 to 5 minutes till onions are sweated but not caramelized.
In another pot boil water to cook you Ditalini pasta. Cook pasta 6 to 8 minutes as directed on package.
Add in the tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, broth, zucchini, and beans (if your adding beans) and top with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Add in pasta and salt and pepper to taste.
Minestrone is best served with croutons.
http://mooshujenne.com/classic-minestrone-soup/Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset
Boeuf Bourguignon
In honor of Bastille day, I thought it would be best to post you my son’s favorite French recipe. Boeuf Bourguignon also known as Beef Burgundy. It is a beef stew braised in wine. My son and I just love the fresh ingredients that go into this recipe. The fresh basil and thyme keeps the dish so rustic! My version of this dish is cooked in a dutch oven pot on stove top. If you don’t have a dutch oven you can use a larger sauce pot. If you would like the recipe of how to cook this in a oven or over camp fire in a dutch oven just leave me a comment and I will send you the recipe.
Ingredients
Instructions
In large pot start out by frying your bacon a little till crisp reserving the oil. With bacon grease still in pot, drop in your garlic, pearl onions, carrots, mushrooms, and olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes just till carrots have tenderized a bit on the outsides. Add in your beef, salt, pepper, and cook till browned on the outside. Add in the flour stirring quickly to help the thicken the juices. Add in your potatoes and pour in wine to cover all ingredients. Add in 4 cups beef broth. Drop in your thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling you can bring down to a low simmer and cook for about 2 hours till the meat is tender.
You can cook your potatoes on the side if you prefer. Sometimes I cook them in with the rest and other days I will cook them in the oven in dill and butter. I really do suggest fingerling or small petite red potatoes so the skin keeps the starches from ruining the sauce.
http://mooshujenne.com/boeuf-bourguignon/Taco Soup
My brother and a friend of mine both had mentioned different versions of this soup. After hearing my brothers recipe and looking at many online I decided it was time to try to make this my way. Of course I used a few of my brothers ideas. Chili beans is a definite must in this soup. The other big battle was ground beef or chicken. I have to say hands down chicken, my style, makes the soup! So, don’t forget leave me a comment especially if you have your own version.
Ingredients
Instructions
In stir fry pan or sauce pan add in chicken, three tablespoons taco seasoning, and 2 cups beef broth. Add water till chicken is covered and boil on medium high till chicken is tender.
In a large pot put in onion, olive oil, and garlic on medium high heat. Saute till onions are tender. Add in your chili beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and can of rotel. Add in all the rest of the beef broth. Add water to cover. Then add in taco seasoning per your desired amount. I usually just shake in enough to cover top layer of water and then stir it in. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.
Once chicken is finished, take your chicken and shred it. To shred just pull the chicken apart with a fork. Take shredded chicken and add it to the soup. Stir the chicken into the soup. Cut your avocado to long slices to garnish soup. Grate cheese for garnish also. If you like sour cream add a tablespoon full to the top of your soup.
http://mooshujenne.com/taco-soup/Red Pepper Soup
So I had pneumonia, yes not fun! While I was sick in bed I found a wonderful soup recipe for Smokey Roasted Potato and Red Bell Pepper Soup. I have to say I am totally jealous of Teenie Cakes because she has a dutch oven and I do not. However, I plan to pick one up soon and when I do, I will make her version of this wonderful soup. With inspiration from this recipe I made a easy stove top Red Pepper Soup. It was simple enough that sickly me could even stand to make it. Surprisingly my teenagers loved the soup!
Ingredients
Instructions
In large pot put in 2 tablespoons olive oil, diced onion, and chopped garlic. Saute onions for about 3 minutes then add in the red bell pepper. Add in cubed chicken. Cook the chicken till it is lightly browned. Add in potatoes and saute for about 3 minutes. Add in chicken broth and salt and pepper. Cook for about another 10 minutes till potatoes are tender.
http://mooshujenne.com/red-pepper-soup/White Bean Bacon Soup
This is soup is very festive with color. You can use it Fall/Winter for a starter soup. It’s also great to have with rolls, french bread or cornbread.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large soup pot, put in the olive oil, garlic, bacon and onion. Saute till bacon is browned and onions are caramelized. Add in carrots and celery. Saute vegetables a for about three minutes. Add the drained beans and chicken stock.
Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender. Cooking time will depend on your cook wear. As a default, cook on medium to high for a few hours generally about 3 hours. Season the soup with salt and pepper while the soup is slow cooking.
http://mooshujenne.com/white-bean-bacon-soup/
