Chili Bar

Chili Bar

Here's a simple idea for serving something easy to a crowd.  I've seen these around, more elaborate in some cases, but.....this fit the needs of some people I invited over a little while back for a sporting event.  I cooked up chili, and hot dogs in a crock pot (I blogged about that yesterday).  I added mini buns, fritoes, crackers, cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, and bowls to fix up a bowl however the mood fit.  I was in the mood for it all.  I'd say it was a success, there was nothing left at the end of the evening, so.....I'll be filing it away for another occasion.  I just love build your own bars. 

Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

1.     1 butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled, seeded & diced into cubes
2.     3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced into cubes
3.     1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
4.     1 onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges
5.     3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6.     Salt & pepper
7.     8 cups vegetable broth
8.     1/3 cup pine nuts
9.     Cooking spray
10.     1 granny smith apple, cut into small cubes
11.     2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

•     Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
•     Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with foil. Divide squash, potatoes, carrots and onion between baking sheets. Drizzle oil, salt & pepper over the veggies. Toss veggies to coat. Roast until lightly brown, about 25 minutes. Stir veggies around the 15 minute mark.
•     In a soup pot, combine oven roasted veggies & vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
•     Puree the soup by using an immersion blender or a blender working in batches. Taste and season with salt & pepper. Bring soup back up to a simmer.
•     In a skillet, toast pine nuts. Remove nuts from skillet. Spray skillet with cooking spray. At a medium heat, saute apple cubes for 3 minutes. Set aside.
•     When soup is ready, ladle into bowls and top with pine nuts, apples and parsley.

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

1.     2 Tbs. olive oil
2.     3 cloves garlic, minced
3.     ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
4.     1 medium onion, chopped
5.     2 medium carrots, sliced
6.     2 ribs celery, chopped
7.     1 small zucchini, sliced
8.     ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
9.     2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10.     2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
11.     1 15-oz. can small white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
12.     1 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Get the ones that aren’t packed in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag, can be found in the produce section.
13.     8 basil leaves, torn plus more for garnish
14.     8 oz bag baby spinach

Directions

•     Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and thyme.  Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.
•     Add broth, 1 can tomatoes, and beans. In a blender, add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil leaves and 1/2 soup liquid. Purée until smooth. Add more soup liquid to get the consistency you want.  Stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes.
•     Add baby spinach and simmer 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil garnish.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

1.     1 cup uncooked wild rice (I used Uncle Ben’s and included the spice packet.)
2.     2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3.     1 small onion, diced
4.     1 tsp fresh thyme
5.     3 celery stalks, sliced
6.     3 carrots, sliced
7.     2 garlic cloves, minced
8.     2 potatoes, peeled and diced
9.     3 cups chicken stock
10.     3 cups skim milk
11.     1/3 cup flour
12.     4 to 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
13.     2 cups cooked skinless boneless chicken breasts, chopped
14.     Salt & Pepper
15.     Parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

•     Cook rice according to package directions. When cooked, set aside.
•     In a large dutch oven, bring the heat to medium and add oil. When the oil is warm, add onion & thyme. Stir & cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; bring to boil. Cover pot; reduce heat to a simmer until potatoes are tender.
•     Combine milk and flour; stir with a wisk and make sure there are no clump. Pour milk mixture into soup and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese. When all of the cream cheese has dissolved, add in rice & chicken. Let all of the ingredients fold into the soup and warm up. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed. Garnish soup with parsley.