Curried Pumpkin Soup
September, I start thinking about what wonderful recipes I can create and take advantage of the abundance of fruit, vegetables and meats that are just beginning to come into season. Our apples are falling from the tree, the weather is starting to change, and we say this every year, “I can’t believe the stores are already displaying items for Thanksgiving.”
Around here on the farm, there is lots to be done this time of year and what better way to keep our energy going than with a delicious bowl of soup.
Wonderful flavors are joined together to make a healthy, creamy and savory soup!
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
6 cups pumpkin puree (can use canned or fresh roasted pumpkin)
1 cup coconut milk
8 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon Thai Red Curry Rub
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions:
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil and butter. Once butter has melted, add onion, carrots, celery and apples. Sauté all ingredients until tender. Add the pumpkin and coconut milk. Stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until all ingredients are combined.
In a small bowl, add seasonings. Stir the seasonings together and add to pumpkin mixture. Next, slowly add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and use a hand blender. Puree until ingredients are smooth. (This can also be done in a food processor, but be sure to do 2 cups or smaller portions at a time to avoid spillage or burning yourself.)
Garnish with some sour cream or flat leaf parsley.
Enjoy!
Need more Pumpkin Recipe Ideas? Give some of these a try!
Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
What are some of your favorite pumpkin recipes?
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my A Busy Mom’s Kitchen Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Desserts For Less:Easy Baked Apple Crisp
An easy inexpensive dessert recipe with sliced apples and a crunchy topping. Serve alone or with old fashioned vanilla ice cream.
Desserts For Less
If you’re looking for a fast, inexpensive dessert recipe, this is a really yummy one!
Easy Baked Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter or may use cooking spray to lightly coat baking dish
8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 lemon, plus juice
1 Tablespoon molasses
3/4 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 stick of butter (8 Tablespoons), cut into chuncks
Caramel ice cream topping (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place apples in a 9×12 lightly greased baking dish. Add the zest of one lemon and juice, and molasses. Toss apples until coated. Spread apples evenly in baking dish.
In a small bowl add flour, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and butter. Using fingers mix ingredients together until butter is incorporated into ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over the top of apples.
Bakes in oven for 25 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Serve alone or on top of vanilla ice cream.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Kitchen Gadgets That Make Wonderful Meals
Simple Tuesday Weeknight Menu: Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Greens, with Brown Rice Couscous served on a bed of lettuce with a drizzle of your favorite dressing
Tender Grilled Chicken Breasts make this a delicious meal for your family
Kitchen Gadgets That Make Wonderful Meals
Yesterday while I was out and about, I stopped in at one of our local thrift shops. I’m a sucker for a bargain and I love searching for new kitchen items old and new. While I was there, one of the items I came across was a Stove Top Grill. You place it directly on one of your stove burners and cook directly on it. One of the simplest and most effective cooking gadgets.
I had grilled chicken planned for dinner, but I wasn’t looking forward to grilling outdoors while it was 101 degrees. The grill cost me a $1. I thought to myself, if the results are good, what a bargain! So I decided to experiment and ended up with wonderful results. The chicken and broccoli tasted just like I had grilled them outdoors. Here’s a wonderful and delicious recipe you can create with a stove top grill.
Grilled Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head of lettuce of your choice
2 cups broccoli
Your favorite dressing
Directions:
Marinate chicken breasts in refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. Remove chicken breasts from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking, bringing them to room temperature. This allows the chicken to cook evenly.
Preheat your stove top grill for 8 minutes on high heat or per user manual. Reduce heat to medium and place chicken breasts flatly on grill. Grill on each side for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from grill and place on cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Slice lengthwise and place on lettuce greens on a platter.
I served the grilled chicken with grilled broccoli and a brown rice couscous. We drizzled a little bit of our favorite dressing on top.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Homecooked Meals Don’t Have To Be Expensive
Homecooked Meals Don’t Have To Be Expensive
Family dinners, don’t have to be complicated or expensive. With simple ingredients you can make wonderful hearty soups for your family and stock your freezer. Today, I’d like to share a few of those recipes I created over the weekend. But first, let me take a few minutes to share why I love making soups that have simple ingredients.
Make-Ahead Freezer Meals
Soups can be prepared days or even weeks ahead of time and at your convenience. Some soups actually improve the longer they simmer, as all the different flavors blend and mingle with each other. Most of all, they freeze well! I make large batches, then freeze them in ready-to eat meal size containers or one gallon freezer bags. Every time I serve the soup, I may add different things just to vary the tastes.
Some great classic soups are Split Pea Soup and Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. Both of these freeze well.
Here’s a brothy vegetable soup that is hearty and delicious! It’s one of those soups that tastes best when given the chance to sit overnight. The flavors really blend together.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 28 ounce can organic diced tomatoes with juice
1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh zucchini or yellow squash
1 cup french green beans
1 cup Mostaccioli noodles
6 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a stock pot, over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil until lightly brown. Add tomatoes with juice, zucchini or squash, kidney beans and green beans. Stir until ingredients are combined. Slowly add chicken stock and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Reduce heat to a simmer andcook for 2 hours. Rember, the longer the soup simmers, the more flavorful it becomes.
When ready to serve, grated fresh Parmesan cheese over the top or add some croutons.
Recipe Note: When soup is fully cooled, transfer to a freezable container or ziploc freezer bags. Freezes well up to one month.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
This weekend has been a cook-a-thon for me in the kitchen. Rummaging around the pantry to cook up some last minute recipes and stocking our freezer. I started off with a simple Homemade Split Pea Soup than moved onto making crepes, pinto beans and a chicken and mushroom filling for a croissant recipe I have in mind. Looking in my pantry, I had one can of black beans left and a couple cans of pumpkin puree. I’ve been craving the idea of another pumpkin soup recipe and I found this one rather tasty. It’s amazing what delicious recipes you can create with just a few simple ingredients. It’s also another quick and budget friendly meal for the family. The combination of flavors is fantastic. Very healthy too.
Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 30 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
In a stockpot, saute onions and garlic in butter until translucent. Add black beans, pumpkin and tomatoes, stirring until combined. Add sugar, cumin, chili powder, pepper, paprika, beef broth and cream. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Recipe Note: This soup can be pureed in a blender or serve as is, garnished with chives, celery leaves or croutons.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Split Pea Soup
This past grocery shopping trip, I decided to pick up a few new pantry items to make some new recipes and stock our freezer. Split Pea Soup is one of my Make-Ahead Meal Planning recipes. It’s delicious, easy to make and great on the food budget.
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin oilve oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 bag (2 cups) split peas, rinsed, drained and sorted
1 Tablespoon Spanish paprika, plus a pinch
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 cups water
1 Ham hock
Salt to taste (if needed, I omitted)
Directions:
In a medium stock pot, saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add split peas, paprika, pepper, water and ham hock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove ham hock and set aside. Using a hand blender, puree soup until it becomes a creamy consistency. Ladel into serving bowls. Garish with a pinch of paprika.
Recipe Note: Carrots and celery would make a great addition to this soup.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
First Day Of School:A Fresh New Start
Today is an exciting new day! I’m not sure who’s more excited us or the kids. Both our kids start school today-our son, is now a fourth grader and our seven year old daughter is now a second grader. Our two older kids have started a whole new world of adulthood and another year of teen age years in high school. Our oldest son, just turned 18 yesterday. He has become a very talented young man. He will be attending junior college while working part time and practicing with his band. Awesome talented group of young musicians. Their name…The Dehlingers. You can find them on Facebook, My Space and YouTube. They have another concert this weekened at Unity Music in Santa Rosa, CA. Concert tickets are $8.00, so if you’re in the area go check them out. Our oldest daughter, a sophmore juinior( my heart wishes she was still younger) in high school, is transitioning into more rigorous classes, has become a very talented young girl exploring music and has the love for drawing. How times flies!
Our two younger ones getting ready to leave for school:
Now that the kids will be away from the house and at school for the day, I want to be sure they have nutritious snacks and a healthy lunch. Their lunch today consisted of a turkey and cheese sandwich, apple slices with a peanut butter dip, a frozen yogurt tube, pretzels and a juice.
If you’re looking for lunch ideas, try a tasty twist to that grilled cheese sandwich. This Grilled Cheese, Ham and Apple sandwich is something your kids are sure to love!
Grilled Cheese, Ham and Apple Sandwich
Ingredients:
8 slices of bread (we enjoy whole wheat)
8 slices of Cheddar or American cheese
8 slices of ham (deli-sliced works perfectly)
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
Honey mustard
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Directions:
Melt butter in the microwave. Preheat skillet over medium heat.
Using a basting brush, lightly brush outer slice of bread. On inner pieces of bread, spread honey mustard. Place buttered side down in skillet and add cheese, ham and apple slices. Top with another slice of bread and lightly brush butter on top.
Grill until lightly brown and flip sandwich. Repeat with remaining slices of bread, cheese, ham and apple.
Definitely a classic sandwich. How could kids not give this sandwich 5 stars?
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Breakfasts That Boosts Energy:Kid’s Breakfast Burrito
Kids always love foods wrapped in a tortilla. It’s easy to make, portable and freezable. I always make a huge batch on my meal planning day and freeze. The kids can grab, heat for 40-60 seconds and go! Perfect for the days when you’re running late!
Kid’s Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter
8 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 10-inch regular flour tortillas (wheat tortillas is also a good option)
Filling:
½ cup grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 tomato, diced
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup green or red pepper (mixture of both is colorful)
1 cup bacon or sausage, cooked and drained
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup salsa
Optional Ingredients:
Black olives, sliced
Mild green chiles, diced (adds a little kick)
Avocado, thinly sliced
Chives
Directions:
Over a bowl, crack your eggs. Using a whisk, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper until the yolk and egg whites are mixed together. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, cook bacon or sausage. Drain any excess dripping. Let cool and crumble bacon or chop sausage. In another skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Once the butter is melted, pour eggs into skillet. Using a *Silicone spatula, scramble the eggs until they are no longer runny.
Meanwhile, to make the tortillas easier to work with and keep them from tearing, warm them for a few minutes on the rack of a 250 degree F oven or microwave for 30 seconds.
In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese and salsa. Take a tortilla and lay it on your cutting board. Spread cream cheese and salsa mixture over tortilla. Scoop your filling ingredients onto tortilla and spread evenly. Top with shredded cheese.
Fold over the top and bottom edges of the tortilla so they meet in the middle. Roll the long edge of the tortilla up until it meets the opposite edge. Continue with remaining tortillas.
Serve with additional salsa.
Recipe Note: To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, than foil. Label and freeze.
*This kitchen tool is available at www.NoelsKitchen.com
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Easy and Quick Egg Salad Sandwiches
A creamy, zesty and flavorful egg salad sandwich your whole family will love!
Easy Egg Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients:
12 eggs, boiled, cooled and peeled (click HERE to learn how to boil the perfect eggs.)
1/3 cup light mayonaise
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1 Tablespoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dill seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Directions:
In a medium size mixing bowl, mash eggs with a *Mix ‘N Masher or *Mix ‘N Chop tool until egg white and egg yolk is combined. Add remainer of ingredients and stir until well combined.
Cover and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to an hour. Serve egg salad on homemade sandwich bread, in pita pockets, on a bagel or on a tortilla. Serve with lettuce and sliced tomato.
This recipe takes approximately 10 minutes to make and would make a perfect school lunch sandwich. Our kids love it!
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Make-Ahead BBQ Sloppy Joes:A Kid’s Favorite Sandwich
By cooking up several pounds of seasoned ground beef on your meal planning day, you can create a Make-Ahead meal your kids will love! These BBQ Sloppy Joes make the perfect kid’s meal.
Make-Ahead BBQ Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
1 portion (2 cups) Seasoned Ground Beef
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Directions:
Add BBQ sauce to Seasoned Beef mixture. Stir until well combined.
Cover and refrigerate for two days until ready to reheat or freeze in labeled freezer bags, freeze flat.
To Serve:
Ingredients:
6 hamburger buns
1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Directions:
Spoon BBQ Beef Mixture onto hamburger buns, top with shredded lettuce and cheese.
A Kid’s Favorite Sandwich
Not only is this a kid’s favorite sandwich, it is easy for kids to make. You can help your kids make these and have a fun time doing it. So if you are a beginner, a mom with kids, or a kid cooking with your mom, this a great recipe.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
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