It's cold - how about some comfort food recipes?

This sounds good Sue. I
This sounds good Sue. I will have to try it. I love posts like this. I will post some recipes too.


Hugs, Megan

Rague said:

Cream of leek soup
I make a great Cream of Leek soup but the way I make it I'm sure Weight Watchers would not approve(LOL). It's like our maid in France made and it's quite 'rich' but I've given it to some and they've "de-riched" it some.

Red potatoes
leeks
sausage - like Kielbasa - not ground sausage (can also use ham cubes)
butter
whipping cream
milk
salt

Slice sausage and brown it. Put aside. Slice leeks and put in pot sausage was browned in, add a stick of butter. Saute them. Cut potatoes to the size you like (leave skin on for color contrast). Return sausage to pot, add a bit of water, milk, cream, the potatoes, salt/pepper to taste and let it cook for a while - the longer the better the flavors join together.

Susan

Tortilla Soup
This is my all time fav "comfort food". Good for a cold winter day, but also good anytime you need a boost.

TORTILLA SOUP
4 Skinless, boneless raw chicken breasts – diced
1 stick margarine
½ cup canola oil
6 ribs celery – diced
4 cloves minced garlic (or 4 Tablespoons crushed garlic)
1 large onion – diced
1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper
1-Tablespoon Salt
1-Tablespoon Cumin
1-Tablespoon Chili Powder
½ cup flour
4 Zucchini – sliced in rounds with peeling intact
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cans (10 oz) chicken broth or equal homemade stock
1 can whole kernel corn
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded & chopped (optional)
3 Tablespoons Hot Red Pepper Sauce (optional)
6 to 8 corn tortillas

GARNISHES:
Sour Cream
Diced Avocado
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Cilantro
Fresh Chopped Jalapenos
(I prefer not to have my soup too hot to the taste, and
therefore don’t use the jalapeno or red pepper sauce)

Heat butter and oil in a large kettle, and sauté chopped onion, jalapeno,
Garlic, celery and chicken. Simmer 5 minutes. Combine with cumin,
Chili power, salt, lemon pepper, hot pepper sauce and flour. Add
Tomatoes, corn, zucchini and chicken stock and simmer for 1 hour.

TO SERVE:
Cut corn tortillas into strips, and fry until crisp. Serve soup in a bowl, top
with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocados, and place fried
tortilla strips either on top, or on the side. (Add jalapeno and cilantro if desired)

ENJOY!

chenheart said:

I will give this some
I will give this some thought and post when the weather is colder..it is still upper 80-'s and may be in the 90's next week!

Like .. Sister, Chenheart .. I too live in
sunny Southern California .. so I will gather my wits, and search around for a few good 'cold' soups recipes ...


Vicki Sam

lizzie17 said:

Me, too
And in good ol' sunny Florida.....I am just happy that lately we can breathe better with a little drop in temperature.

3 words for those of you who shop at Trader Joe's:
Pumpkin. Swirl. Brownies.

These are the latest obsession at our house. You buy Trader Joe's's Truffle Brownie Mix and Pumpkin Bread Mix, mix them up in separate bowls, then swirl them together in a 9x13 pan and bake them. Then serve them with TJ's Pumpkin Ice Cream. (Don't leave out the ice cream -- it tastes like frozen pumpkin pie!)

I mean, SERIOUSLY good, like everyone in my house fights over them, and we now have FIVE boxes of each mix in our pantry!

The directions/recipe are on Trader Joe's's website: http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=91

You're welcome! :-)

Traci

debi.18 said:

Traci
That sounds awesomely delicious!!! Looks liks the only Trader Joes in FL in Miami, little too far from me and I didn't see where I could order online. Thinking I'll try with it whatever brand I can find. Hope it's as good as yours!

Hugs,
Debi

Should work, Debi!
I would buy a really rich, truffle-y brownie mix (maybe one of the Ghirardelli ones) + a pumpkin bread mix. Mix them up per the package directions in separate bowls. Spread the brownie batter in a 9x13 pan first, then pour the pumpkin batter on top and swirl them together with something stiff, like a large knife or metal spatula. The trick will be figuring out how long to bake them and at what temperature -- but experimenting could be half the fun:

"Oops, these didn't turn out quite perfect -- guess I'll have to sacrifice and eat them all myself, and then try again with a whole 'nother batch!" :-o

And Dreyer's/Edy's makes a pumpkin ice cream that's *almost* as good as Trader Joe's's -- maybe your grocery store carries it?

Traci

TraciInLA said:

3 words for those of you who shop at Trader Joe's:
Pumpkin. Swirl. Brownies.

These are the latest obsession at our house. You buy Trader Joe's's Truffle Brownie Mix and Pumpkin Bread Mix, mix them up in separate bowls, then swirl them together in a 9x13 pan and bake them. Then serve them with TJ's Pumpkin Ice Cream. (Don't leave out the ice cream -- it tastes like frozen pumpkin pie!)

I mean, SERIOUSLY good, like everyone in my house fights over them, and we now have FIVE boxes of each mix in our pantry!

The directions/recipe are on Trader Joe's's website: http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=91

You're welcome! :-)

Traci

Traci, your brownies were a
Traci, your brownies were a hit!


Sue

GreeneyedGirl said:

Hey Traci~
Did you know Trader Joe's carries Pumpkin cream cheese?? And when you mix your brownie mix/pumpkin bread mix, you can then drop small globlets of softened pumpkin cream cheese all over the top to kick it up a notch!!!!
For years I have bought Costco's brownie mix in the mega box, and substitute brewed coffee for the water, and then swirl globlets of either softened cream cheese, or bloblets of peanut butter!! Sometimes I swirl some ploplets of raspberry jam in with the peanut butter too!
I am going to TJ's today for your special concoction and baking them up~
Happy globletting, blobletting, and plopletting!
Melanie

Great recipes! Thanks!

Great recipes! Thanks!