Soup and Chili Round Up

I know it's the summer and hot out everywhere,

but I'm a fan of soup and chili at any time of the year.

I have blogged about quite a few of those over time,

and today I'm sharing a round up of some of my favorites!

Baked Potato Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup*

Corn Cheese Chowder

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Spicy Turkey Chili*

Taco Soup*

*These soups are easy to make in a large batch and freeze for future meals.

I like to freeze mine in pint sized mason jars for easy individual portions.

I didn't include any soups in this group with potato, squash or cream 

as I find those don't freeze and reheat as well.

This post contains affiliate links meaning I may get a paid for certain purchases.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I'm a biggggggg fan of eating soup.

It doesn't really have to be cold out either.

I eat soup year round and always have a bunch in my freezer.

So when I ran across this recipe last Fall I knew I would be making it.

Not too long after finding it, I made it and it was so darn delicious!

I've made it a few more times and knew I had to share because it's that good!

And the best part is that it's made in the slow cooker!

So not only is it really tasty, but it's super easy to make too.

Let me show you how simple it really is.

The Goods:

Chicken Breasts

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Jalapenos

Corn

Bell Pepper

Black Beans

Cilantro

Diced Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Chicken Broth

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Cumin

Pepper Jack Cheese

Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.

Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.

Now time to add the chicken broth.

And finally the spices and tomato paste.

Stir everything up until it's mixed well.

Cook on high for four and a half hours.

Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Cook for about 30 more minutes.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.

Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Dig in and enjoy as is!

Or add something extra like soup cream or avocado!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Adapted from Carolina Charm

2 large Chicken Breasts

1 Large Yellow Onion - Diced

4 Cloves Garlic - Minced

2 Large Jalapenos - Minced

2 Cups Frozen Corn

1 Bell Pepper - Diced

1 Can Black Beans - Rinsed and Drained

1 Bunch Cilantro - Minced

(2) 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Tomato Paste

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

1/2 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese - Shredded

1. Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.
3. Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.
4. Now time to add the chicken broth.
5. And finally the spices and tomato paste.
6. Stir everything up until it's mixed well.
7. Cook on high for four to four and a half hours.
8. Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese and cook for about 30 more minutes.
9. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. 
10. Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Five Favorite Vegetables

This was supposed to be posted yesterday,
but somehow my day just got away from me.
WHOOPS

Anyway...

I'm back today for another Friday Link Up (but a day late)!

This week, I'm linking up with THREE different groups.
Make sure to check them all out at the bottom of this post!

I'm a really big fan of eating vegetables.

I'm not picky and like pretty much all vegetables,

and since this is mostly a food blog I thought today I'd share my 

FIVE FAVORITE VEGETABLE TO EAT!!!

These are in no particular order because I honestly love eating them all,

but my favorite changes depending on the time of year

Lucky for me though because living in California,

means I can get them all pretty much year round!

Enough yapping outta me, let's get to the vegetables!

Asparagus

My favorite way to eat asparagus is to roast it.

I drizzle a little olive oil and then sprinkle salt and pepper on top

before roasting at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Broccoli

I can't decide if I like roasted or steamed broccoli more.

I prepare my roasted broccoli the same way I do the asparagus,

but I sometimes add a little fresh Parmesan at the very end. 

Brussels Sprouts

I didn't know how much I loved brussels sprouts until I was an adult.

And since I discovered how much I love eating them,

I haven't found a single way of preparing them that I don't like!

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is the most recent vegetable I've realized I love to eat.

Again, I think the method of preparing it I like the most is to roast it.

Adding a lemon juice and zest gives it a little extra flavor too!

Corn on the Cob

Fresh, sweet corn on the cob roasted or grilled in the husk is AMAZING!

I've been known to make extra to have as leftover too.

Can't wait for Summer to get here because that means fresh corn!

Now for more Friday Link Up Fun, check out the blogs below!

Andrea and Erika's blogs from Friday Favorites.

April and Christina's blogs from 5 on Friday.

Karli and Amy's blogs from oh hey friday!

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

One of my friends is always posting pictures of dinners she makes.

They always look so good and make me so hungry!

She recently posted Stuffed Peppers that she made.

They looked amazing and I couldn't help but ask for her recipe.

She didn't follow a recipe, but instead just made it up herself.

I was impressed and couldn't wait to make them!

And now here I am sharing their deliciousness with YOU!!!

The Goods:

Cooked Quinoa

Ground Turkey

Onion

Garlic

Jalapeno

Bell Peppers

Corn

Black Beans

Green Chilis

Tomato Sauce

Taco Seasoning

Cheddar Cheese (Not pictured - oops!)

Saute your onion and garlic until fragrant.

Add chipped jalapeno and ground turkey.

Cook until the ground turkey is browned.

Season with taco seasoning and then add tomato sauce.

Stir to combine with ground turkey mixture.

Add your corn and black beans, then stir again.

Now time for the quinoa!

Add that and stir.

Last, add the green chili and stir one last time.

Prep your peppers by washing, deseeding and cutting them in half.

Then stuff, and I mean STUFF, them with your turkey quinoa mixture.

Spray your covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the number of peppers you want to bake and cover with cheese.

I only baked three of the eight I prepared,

but froze the remaining ones to bake sometime soon!

Cover the baking dish and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Ta da!

Now time to dig in and enjoy!!!

If you want the peppers to be less crisp, you can do one of two things:

1. Cook a little bit longer 

or 

2. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the dish before baking.

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

4 to 5 bell peppers

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 onion - chopped

1 garlic clove - minced

1 jalapeno - minced

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 cup corn

1 can green chilies - diced

7 oz can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

fresh cilantro

fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

cheddar cheese - shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. 
3. Add jalapeño and cook one minute.
4. Add ground turkey and brown.
5. Season with salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
6. After five minutes or so, add tomato sauce 
7. Once cooked, combine in a bowl with quinoa, black beans, corn and green chiles.
8. Add chopped cilantro and parsley to your liking
9. Put mixture into peppers. 
10. Spray a Dutch oven. Put the peppers into a Dutch oven and cover the peppers with cheese. 
11. Put the lid on and bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Decorating for Fall

Seeing that Thanksgiving is on Thursday - yes as in FOUR days from now,

I thought it was about time I showed you my Fall Decorations for this year!

I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times I'm sure,

but I really LOVE to decorate for holidays and have for years!

If you're interested, here and here are two post from years past. 

Now, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking!

All the decorations - waiting to be put in just the right place.

It feels like Fall as soon as you see my front door!

And continues right as you walk in.

The TV stand is festive too.

And of course the fireplace gets some Fall love too!!

I have small little touches of Fall...

In many different places...

Scattered around my apartment!

And the hallway is filled with falling leaves.

With a leaf garland over the den french doors.

The bathroom is festive too.

Some wheat, pumpkins and inspiration!

And you can't forget the cornucopia!

Sending you Thanksgiving wishes from me to you!

Check back soon for even more fun,

when Christmas takes over my apartment!!!

Edamame Quinoa Salad

I've been out of town for a bit watching my two adorable nephews

(look for a VERY LONG post on that soon!),

so today I'm posting a recipe I've been meaning to get posted for awhile!

And I think it's great timing because I haven't posted about quinoa for a bit,

so I figured now would be a great day to post another delicious recipe using the super grain!

When reading a Better Homes and Gardens a few months back,

I ran across for a quinoa recipe that looked amazing.

It was simply called Edamame Quinoa Salad,

but it had LOTS of goodies I loved.

I couldn't wait to make this new quinoa recipe!!!

The Goods:

Cooked Quinoa*

1 Cup Shelled Edamame, thawed if using frozen

1 Cup Corn Kernels, I used fresh but frozen is fine

1/2 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Combine everything in a large bowl, toss and combine.

Package salad for lunches. Or as seen above, 

individual containers for co-workers to enjoy too!

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!!

*To cook, start with 1/2 Cup quinoa and 1 Cup water.

In a saucepan, combine water and quinoa.

Bring water to a boil, reduce heat

and simmer until water is absorbed. 

See THIS post for quinoa cooking/cooling pictures.

Homemade Soup: Vegetable Soup!

Now that it's practically Summer, it's pretty warm out

so I doubt many of you are in the mood for some soup.

That's a shame because I recently made an AMAZING Vegetable Soup.

I researched recipes online for awhile and I didn't find anything I loved.

So, I combined two recipes (here and here) and sorta just did my own thing!

So take a look below at how I made my Homemade Vegetable Soup.

The Goods:

Frozen Lima Beans 

Frozen Corn 

Frozen Peas 

Spinach 

Garlic 

Onion 

Leeks 

Broccoli 

Green Bean 

Carrots 

Tomatoes 

Potatoes 

Parsley 

Salt 

Pepper 

Vegetable Broth

Chop and measure everything out.

Cook the leeks, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes, carrots, green beans and broccoli.

Season with salt and pepper again!

Cook for three or so minutes.

Add the broth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, corn, peas and lima beans.

Stir and then add the spinach and stir again!

Season with salt and pepper once more!!!

It made A LOT!!

It was so light and delicious.

And I cannot wait to make it again!!

If soup isn't your thing during the Spring and Summer, 

remember this recipe and make it when you are in the mood for soup!