I combined Half Baked Harvest's Lasagna soup with Carlsbad Cravings Lasagna Soup and came up with a wonderful variation.  Carlsbad Craving's recipe calls for you to break lasagna noodles in half and simmer  in the soup.  Well, have you ever tried breaking dry lasagna noodles?  All they do is fly all over the kitchen and break unevenly.  So then I found Half Baked Harvest's recipe and Tieghan called for cooking the lasagna noodles separately, then cutting them into manageable pieces because they are pliable after you cook them.  That made a lot more sense to me, and it was much easier.  Anyway, this is my variation of both of their recipes for an excellent cold winter evening soup, full of all the lasagna goodness we all love so much.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef 
1 yellow onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 24 oz. jar Prego Traditional Italian Sauce or marinara sauce
6 cups chicken broth - I use a big tablespoon of Chicken Better than Bouillon instead of chicken broth
1 14 oz. can can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried oregano, salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 whole bay leaf
8-10 oz. cooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cup heavy cream,optional**

CHEESE GARNISH:

shredded mozzarella cheese
freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese
ricotta cheese, whipped

Steps

Heat large Dutch oven/large soup pot over medium high heat. Add beef and onion and cook, stirring occasionally until beef is browned. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds. Drain off any excess fat.

Add Prego Sauce, 6 cups chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally (approximately 20-30 minutes).

 Discard bay leaf and stir in cooked lasagna noodles and heavy cream (optional).  Garnish individual servings with desired amount of cheeses.

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#lasagna #italian #yummy #jancooksrealfood #soup #italiansoup #lasagnasoup #lasagnalover #lasagnarecipe #comfortfood #homemadefood #halfbakedharvest 

 

Who doesn't love soup on chilly winter days. It's soul soothing, warm and wonderful.

The best of the best, this tomato bisque soup is the only recipe you will ever need.  ~ Jan

1 gallon, serves 10

1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 qt. heavy cream
3 quarts chicken stock quality or broth
1/3 cup sugar or to taste
2 bunches fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper, one dash
2 large cans tomatoes, chopped or crushed

cooking wine or sherry -

Preparation time 1 hr.

chop veggies and saute in olive oil with garlic, about 5 minutes. deglaze pan with wine or sherry. add stock and tomatoes, let reduce about 20 minutes. add cream, let come to boil. puree with emulsion blender or in a food processor in batches. thicken with cornstarch slurry or roux. season and add fresh chopped basil at the end. you may at this point leave the soup with texture to it or strain the solids out for a smooth texture.

Per serving, excluding unknown items - 343 calories, 35 grams fat, 90.4% calories from fat, 2grams protein, 6g carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 131 mg cholesterol, 48 mg sodium

This was absolutely delicious.  Okay, so my picture isn’t perfect, the patty-melt is in the front, the soup has been slurped up a bit.  But this is real life, not a photo shoot. :)

This was so simple, and it turned out perfect.  If you don’t have a Vitamix, I’m sure you could achieve same results in a regular blender and then heat on the stove.

2 cans of diced tomatoes (original recipe called for italian style with oregano, basil and garlic)  I didn’t have those, all I had was a can of stewed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes, so that’s what I used, and added a bit of basil leaves and garlic powder.

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese 

A dash of sweetener (I used 3 drops of EZ-Sweetz) or sugar, about 1-2 teaspoons to cut the acidity.

I put all of this in the Vitamix and set it to soup, in 6 minutes, I had hot wonderful tomato soup.  It keeps well, leftovers are great!

Since I used the Vitamix I didn’t soften the cream cheese to room temp, I just put it in cold, but if you’re blending in a regular blender I would soften cream cheese first...

I think I’ll try this same recipe with broccoli or cauliflower and add some cheddar cheese along with the cream cheese.  Who would have thought soup could be so easy...

 

 

 

Who wouldn’t enjoy a collection of great kopy-kat Olive Garden Recipes.  Six Sisters Stuff has published all of the above.  You can grab their recipes here...

Recipes courtesy of Six Sisters’ Stuff

 

This has always been a family favorite of ours, perfect for this January weather...

I've lived the low carb lifestyle since May of this year, May 23rd, 9:30 am to be exact, only veering away  for a few meals, mostly pizza. and never eating sugar.  And how's it working out for me? Oh, I did gangbusters at first, dropped eighteen pounds, then stalled, and have gained and lost the same pound since the beginning of September.

I keep telling myself that it's a lifestyle, but we all know I've lost and gained back a badzillion pounds over the years and have little hope for anything long term.  But that's not the point of this post to talk about my success or lack there of with what I put in my mouth, I merely wanted to some recipes because they're really good.

oa know, it's not all that bad.  I'm sitting here sipping a cup of that wonderful Trader Joe's Ruby Red Chai tea, liberally laced with cream. It's a perfect treat on a cool fall day.

And dinner tonight?  Sausage pumpkin soup, such a good recipe,  (I'm trying it tonight with Italian sausage) you really don't taste pumpkin at all, it just thickens it and gives it depth and richness.  Also Cheddar Bay Biscuits (leaving out the Old Bay Seasoning, I'm not a fan), they're almost a dead ringer when they're warm for Red Lobster's Biscuits, except made with almond flour.

And dessert?  Warm, Brownie in a mug with a scoop of Breyers Carb Smart Ice Cream.  It's pretty awesome, too.

I know, I know, you're saying to yourself, "no wonder she hasn't lost weight."  But this shouldn't affect any weight loss, it's the way you eat on low carb, it's normal to stall for a month or two, and at least I'm not gaining.

So, do you want a look at the recipes?  Just click on the following pictures.  I've made all of these, they're  "tried 'n true."  It's what I do, I cook, every.single.day and I'm always trying something different.   If anybody is interested in low carb links and more recipes, just email me.  ~ Jan

 

Soup Tweaks:  Simmer the soup uncovered so that it reduces and thickens.  Warm the cream in the microwave for 1 minute before you add it to the soup.  Cream curdles easily if you pour cold cream into hot soup, heating it prevents that.  I don't add the half cup of water at the end with the cream, I just stir in the half cup of cream and simmer it for a minute until it all blends.  If you add water, then you have to reduce it again.  Too much trouble.  I also added diced red pepper to this.  I prefer the Italian sausage to regular sausage, it gives it a really good flavor.

 

 

 

Soup Tweaks:  Simmer the soup uncovered so that it reduces and thickens.  Warm the cream in the microwave for 1 minute before you add it to the soup.  Cream curdles easily if you pour cold cream into hot soup, heating it prevents that.  I don't add the half cup of water at the end with the cream, I just stir in the half cup of cream and simmer it for a minute until it all blends.  If you add water, then you have to reduce it again.  Too much trouble.  I also added diced red pepper to this.  I prefer the Italian sausage to regular sausage, it gives it a really good flavor.

I make the most amazing corn chowder, it’s adapted from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook from the 70’s.  It’s a big recipe, I never cut it down, leftovers are great, and you can give it to family and friends, it reheats beautifully, too.

5 large potatoes, cubed and cooked in salted water (do not overcook, this will only take about 10-15 minutes for them to cook).
8 cups milk (part half and half is awesome, whole milk is good, 2% milk is acceptable, but skim milk is not rich enough)
1 large onion,diced
1 lb. bacon
3/4 cup flour
2 cans cream style corn
1 bag frozen corn
shredded cheese, chopped scallions and crumbled bacon for garnish

While potatoes are cooking, saute bacon in large skillet.  Remove when crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble.

Put onions in bacon drippings and cook until tender.  Remove onions with slotted spoon and put 3/4 cup flour into drippings, stirring constantly.  I usually take this off the burner, as it thickens really quickly.  Then I stir in 2-3 cups of the milk, and put it back on the burner for a minute or so, whisking constantly.  Meanwhile put the remaining milk in the microwave and nuke it until it’s warm.  If you put cold milk into warm drippings, it can curdle, so always warm everything.  I warm the bag of frozen corn as well.

Put the 2 cans of cream style corn, the bag of warmed frozen corn in a large stockpot, add the onions, drain the cooked potatoes, add them, and I use a strainer to add the flour mixture to the ingredients in the crockpot, as you don’t want any lumps from the flour.  Add salt and pepper to taste, I usually add 1-2 teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of pepper.  Heat until thick, but not boiling.

I served it with this great cornbread, quick and easy and delicious.

Note:  The drippings from a pound of bacon is not too much, don’t decrease the amount of bacon grease, this is a really big recipe, and you need that much to flavor it.  I sometimes add 2-3 tablespoons of butter as well, if I’m making it with 2% milk to give it a richer flavor.

Directions

    I’ve made this soup many times, after listening to Lynn Rosetta Casper talk about it on NPR’s Splend Table.  I always make it with dried chickpeas, never with canned, and use the immersion blender to thicken it.  This is great soup, if you like the flavor of chickpeas.

~ jan

*  1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover if time allows (see below for variation with canned chickpeas)
    * 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in slices
    * 3 sprigs rosemary or thyme
    * 1 medium to large carrot, peeled and cut in small dice
    * 1 celery stalk, peeled and cut in small dice
    * 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in small dice
    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    * 1/2 pound smoked sausage, grilled or broiled and cut into thin slices 
    * 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    * 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste

1. Combine the chickpeas, sliced garlic, and herb in a large saucepan with fresh water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for at least 1 hour, or until fairly tender. Add additional water if necessary, and skim any foam that arises to the top of the pot.

2. Scoop out the herbs and add the carrot, celery, onion, salt, and pepper to the pot. Continue to cook until the chickpeas and vegetables are soft, at least another 20 minutes. Remove about half the chickpeas and vegetables and carefully puree in a blender with enough of the water to allow the machine to do its work. Return the puree to the soup and stir; reheat with the minced garlic, adding additional water if the mixture is too thick.

3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, drizzled with the olive oil

I’ve made this recipe for years now.  The family loves it, it’s total comfort food…

~ jan

1 lb. polish kielbasa, I use Oscar Mayer Turkey Kielbasa, less calories and fat) cut into fat 1/2 inch slices then dice each slice cut into four sections - you can stack these and do several at once with a chef knife
1 large bag shredded coleslaw mix (the kind with carrots)
1 large onion, diced
3-4 large potatoes, diced, or you can use frozen hash browns, real potatoes are much better
1-2 cups chicken stock
4-5 cups 2% milk, part fat free half and half
about 2/3 cup flour to thicken -
big piece of Velveeta cut into small chunks (when I say a big piece, I mean almost half of a 2 lb. loaf)
salt and pepper to taste, I use a lot of fresh cracked black pepper

Simmer kielbasa, onions, potatoes and shredded coleslaw mix  in stock until tender.

Put flour and some milk into a shaker container, shake well and then strain it into the broth so that it doesn’t lump. add the rest of the milk and half and half, don’t boil this, just get it hot and remove from heat.

This will thicken as it heats, I don’t boil it because I’ve curdled it at the last minute by boiling it, now I just get it really hot, the cheese melts and it’s finished.

Note:  Use chicken stock instead of broth (Swanson makes it in a box, it’s next to the chicken broth at the grocers, of course, homemade stock is even better) and don’t use any more stock than necessary to cook the veggies without sticking – check vegetables frequently as this can easily boil dry.  I don’t like to use a lot of broth because it dilutes the soup.  You can make this with 1%  milk, but it isn’t nearly as good, you need the 2% milk for a rich taste.  Add as much fat free half and half to this as you want, I don’t use an exact recipe, as you can see, I’ve made it so many time I just wing it.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small chicken bouillon cubes
1-1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 cans black beans, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a pot, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.
3. Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot).
4. Add the rest of the beans to the soup.
5. Combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.
6. Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened.

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.
Drain off most of the fat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts
of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until
pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.
5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve. Serves 8.

1 can Campbell's Clam Chowder
1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup
1 small can of petite shrimp, or clams, whichever you prefer, well drained
small carton of heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste..

Mix together, heat and serve! It's AMAZING!!!!

I talked to Nish this morning - she made this soup and said it's a keeper.....

1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups Fat Free Half and Half
1 small onion, small dice
1/2 small bell pepper, small dice
2 cup corn kernels
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno, seeds and veins removed
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt, pepper to taste
tabasco to taste
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional

Combine potato, onion and bell pepper in 1/2 cup water. Simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Then spoon out half the potatoes, mash them with a potato masher and return to pot, to thicken the soup. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer until hot.

Nisha added a bit of butter to this, and said that if the soup is too thin, you could add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of COLD milk or water, and add it to the simmering soup to finish thickening it.