Edible Wednesday: Wonton Soup (Semi-Homemade)

So I kind of made this soup by accident. And I just love a yummy accident. I was really hungry and was really only in the mood for a nice brothy style soup, but wasn't happy with the canned soup I had to choose from! At the same time, I was being tempted by this (new to me) bag of mini frozen wonton's in my freezer, ever so softly calling out my name....

I grabbed the bag and saw that you could cook them up a couple of ways, IE: microwave, stir fry, or in a soup. And I thought - hmmm...I could do that.

So I just grabbed what I was in the mood for (chicken broth), julienned some carrots, re-heated some frozen broccoli (needed some good color), and once that was all nice and warm, I added the mini wonton's. It literally took me all of 10 minutes to prep and cook. My husband was eyeing it the whole time, so I did have to share, but wow - it was so delicious!

So if you are a fan of Semi-Homemade recipes...this one is for you! You can't help but love it!

Here's what you need:

Annie Chun's mini wontons (pick any flavor that speaks to you!)
1 1/2 cups of Chicken Broth (you can also use Vegetable broth if you'd like - or a combo)
1 cup of frozen Broccoli (or fresh)
1 Small - Med carrot stick - julienne

(you can also add Garlic, Ginger, or any other extras you'd like. I kept mine simple.)

Here's what you do:

1) Defrost your broccoli in the microwave if you are using frozen.
2) Pour your broth into a stove top safe dish and turn stove onto medium heat.
3) Julienne your Carrots and immediately add this to the broth.
4) add the Broccoli with the carrots if using it fresh or add once defrosted.
5) Once your soup has come to a boil and your carrots are a little soft, add your frozen wontons. and continue to heat until almost boiling again.

The great thing is - The bag of mini frozen Wontons was only $3.69 and there are 4 wontons to a serving, with 6 servings to a bag. 4 Wonton's is only 100 calories, so you can easily have 8 (for 200 calories)- and really that's only $1.23 for 8 minis. That rocks! Once you add the broth and the broccoli and carrots, you are only at maybe 330 calories total and maybe $3.00?! What a deal!

My husband is just as hooked as am I, and while I was just buying 3 more bags from my frozen food isle, I called my sister and now she's on a mission to get some too! Dude - you have to try this!

I hope you have a great day!!! I'm off to make Wonton soup for lunch!

Edible Wednesday: Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Sorry for the long pauses between posts...I am trying to juggle life and kids, and volunteering in school and church, and working my craftiness...my blog seems to get the brunt of the "I have no time left"! Today and for the past couple of months, I have wanted to share this awesome recipe...tried and true...

This is the best soup! This was taken prior to being pureed! Enjoy!

My family took a trip this past fall, to the one and only Fryeburg Fair in ME. After a long day of walking the grounds at the fair, my husband decided it was time to go and we headed 45 minutes west to our hotel in NH. Within hours of eating lunch he got sick. As dinner time rolled around, I wrangled up my girls and took them out to get some yummy food at this near by (amazing) restaurant with a literal "hole in the wall". (Called Delaney's). We have been going there for a couple of years since first discovering it...but that night we got our dinner to go (because my hubby was sick and I felt bad he was in the hotel alone)...and they had this awesome soup that sounded too good to pass up.

I got a cup and of course went back the next day for lunch and got a bowl! lol! I was very brazen and asked the server if I could bribe the chef for the recipe and swore I wouldn't share it!

(ok - I know - first I mention my husband getting sick from eating something - and now I'm telling you I swore I wouldn't share the recipe - so why would any of you want to make this recipe now!)...but wait I'm getting to the point....

They didn't give it to me. The Chef wouldn't divuldge his secret recipe! The server told me only a couple of things that were obviously in there...The Butternut Squash and the Apples...and then I mentioned I tasted nutmeg and cloves. That was all I got - oh and the cream!

So I came home with the taste fresh on my mind and got to work. I scoured the internet for all the recipes I could find...but none that looked right according to the flavors I remembered.

Well folks...I did it. I just pulled up my sleeves and combined and fudged 5 different recipes to recreate the soup that I remembered and it worked! So - since it's not just one persons recipe and I fudged it all anyway...here is my recipe...

Here's what you'll need:
2 medium - Large Butternut Squash - diced into equal cubes (Man that Butternut is tough! Try to buy them already halved and peeled - save your back and knuckles!!)
5 large Macintosh Apples - peeled and diced into equal cubes
2 medium Onions - diced (use 2 large if you really like onions!)
3 cups of Chicken Stock (I used 2 cups the first time - and 3 the second time - I wanted it thinner than the above picture - 3 is better.)
1 1/2 cups of Apple Cider
1 cup Half & Half
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Butter
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Ground Curry Powder

1/3 tsp Nutmeg
1/3 tsp Cloves

Here's what you do:
1) Dice all your Butternut Squash, Apples, Onions.
2) In a large stock pot, saute your Onions in the butter until soft and golden - don't cry - just do it.
3) Now drop in your Butternut Squash, Apples, Chicken Stock, Apple Cider, Salt and Brown Sugar and mixing gently.
4) Continue to mix once in a while as the soup warms and comes to a boil. Once at a boil, cook on med-low until the butternut squash is soft to mash with a fork, stirring occasionally.
5) Add your spices: Cinnamon, Curry Powder, Nutmeg & Cloves.
6) Using a potato masher, begin to breakdown the chunks of Butternut Squash.
7) Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
8) Slowly stir in your Half & Half.
9) Using any stick blender, or other food processor, puree all of your soup. (The picture above is prior to blending - I was so excited to eat it, that I forgot to take another picture!)
10) Now all you have to do is enjoy it. Probably putting it in a bowl and using a spoon would be most appropriate - but please do enjoy!

I've already made this again and it was well received as an appetizer for Thanksgiving! I've also frozen quite a bit to avoid the prep work each time. I don't know officially how much this yields - but it's alot - so you can halve it if you need to!

Thanks for stopping by and if you try this recipe - I'd love to hear your feedback! Have a great week. I'll post again soon!

Edible Wednesday: Easy Pea...sy Soup

Here' the split pea soup recipe I mentioned last week...even though I'm sure you've eaten dinner by now and have slipped into dreamworld!

I've always liked Split Pea Soup and always thought it was so time consuming to make. I even remember a time when my sister made some with an actual Ham Hock - but that thing was nasty. So - I created my own way of making it really easy and still tastes just as good!

Ingredients:
1 package of Dried Split Peas - 16oz (1lb)
1 package of Ham Steaks total of 12oz (I prefer lower sodium - 22% or less and even that is too much for kids!)
1/4 cup Dried Minced Onions

Basically, follow the directions on the package for the Split Peas. You begin by taking a look through them and discard any that look weird - or are yellow.
Then you rinse them really well with cold water, and then put them in boiling water to start cooking mine could have used at least 1 extra cup of water).
You dice up your Ham Steaks into 1/2 cubes. (or smaller if you'd prefer).
Add the diced Ham to the boiling water and Split Peas.
Let that boil for at least an hour but stir occasionally. Add the minced onions here.

You'll begin to notice some of the peas are becoming mush (the second picture). Keep cooking it. Once all of it is mush - it's ready. Some cooks suggest taking the Split Peas and blending them to a puree. But this is the easy recipe people...no need for that! All you have to do now is serve it up. Add some salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! This also freezes well. Just grab some of the Ball freezer containers and save some for a while! -kg