Super Fast and Easy Pumpkin Soup

If you want an emergency soup or different pumpkin soup other than the classic soup made with heavy cream, this is it!  The fastest, easy, and delicious pumpkin soup.  I promise.

My son, Justin wasn’t able to go to school yesterday because he had an episode of severe stomach pain.  I took him to his doctor and we were there until after lunch time.  Justin repeatedly reminded me that he was famished.  Since we live nearby the hospital, I took him home instead of dining out.  Unfortunately, all he wanted to eat was soup…and fast because he was starving (he didn’t eat breakfast because he refused to eat).  Just my luck, I ran out of his favorite noodles.  The only thing I had was cream of chicken soup that I was going to use for the recipe I came up with.  I looked at it for a moment and asked myself, how can I make this soup a little healthier without Justin chewing anything except sip?  As I searched in my pantry, I saw the canned pureed pumpkins and I thought perfect!  Wait!  Chicken soup with pumpkin?  Why not?  The cream of chicken alone was flavorful enough, but I wanted to add some fiber.  Justin loves broccoli, but not today.  I asked him if he wanted pureed pumpkins added in the soup.  A quick, repeated nod ensued.  But just in case, I warned it might be too thick for his tastes (it wasn’t too thick or too thin.  It was perfect).  Well, he only wanted soup; thick or thin it didn’t matter.   The result?  Well, Justin said “I don’t just like it, I love it, mom!  Ah, so good! Thanks, mom!”

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) 98% Fat-free cream of chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom spice
• 2 cans of water (using the empty cream of chicken soup can)
• 1 cup of canned or homemade pureed pumpkin or butternut squash
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (adjust according to your taste)

Garnish:

• a dab of sour cream
• breadcrumbs ( I used the leftover bread crumbs from making the Pandesal)
• shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese
• green onions ( see note)*

Preparation Methods:

• Empty can of chicken soup and add into a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add water, cardamom spice, chicken bouillon, and pumpkin.  Whisk until well mixed.  Bring it to a boil.  Turn off heat.
• Scoop the soup into a bowl.
• Garnish with sour cream, breadcrumbs, shredded Parmesan cheese and green onions.

…and slurp its goodness.  Mmm…delicious!

For the leftover pumpkin, save it for breakfast or lunch.  You can get the recipe here.

*Note:  For adults, the green onions are delicious addition to the soup.  It’s a must!  Trust me, try scooping a pumpkin soup with all the recommended garnishes and you are in for a treat.  Seriously!  The combinations are so good you would want to keep adding all the garnishes listed in the recipe until you finish the soup.  That’s what my son, Justin and I did.  Well, I made him try it at first and he liked it so much, he actually savored the soup. The oohs and aahs were endless.  🙂  

Pho At Home!

It’s noodle soup time!

Fall is officially here.  It’s getting colder and I wanted something hot to eat.  I went to an Asian store a few days ago and discovered they sold fresh Vietnamese noodles for making Pho soups.  I had been searching for this!  I was using the dry noodles which took longer to cook.  I was so excited I wanted to go home and make a bowl of soup right away.  Talk about perfect timing since I was craving for soup that day because I felt cold.   I also found an excuse to use the meat we had in the freezer.

As I was making the soup, my children came home from school.  My youngest mentioned that he was cold, so I asked him if he wanted soup.  Both my children responded in unison and said “Oh, yes! Soup!” 🙂

The chilies you see were just a garnish.  I had to removed them because they were too spicy for my children.

Anyway, I didn’t take a picture of the noodle package because my children wanted to have the soup right away, but I changed my mind when I put it all in a bowl.   It looked so appetizing.  My children could hardly wait to have the soup, but I told them I had to take a picture first 😀   It was worth the wait.  We all enjoyed it although I had to give up the meat to them.

Cooking the meat, I used the cooking technique I learned when I was young making the popular Filipino soup, Bachoy.

Bachoy-Filipino noodle soup
Photo courtesy of rhysjuplo @ http://www.tumbler.com

Bachoy is a noodle soup with pansit mami (similar to Japanese noodles, Yakisoba) and meat garnished with green onions and fried garlic then adding soy sauce and lime juice to flavor the broth.  The texture of Yakisoba noodles is different compared to pansit mami.   Maybe because the Yakisoba noodles I had were previously frozen.  The Pansit Mami noodles back home were made fresh.  This soup is popular among Filipinos.  It’s sold in roadside eateries and restaurants.  I remember my mother would buy each of us a bowl after Sunday mass.   It was one of my childhood memories I cherished very much.   Looking at the picture makes me crave it, Oh, my goodness!   Don’t you agree? I wouldn’t mind having soup for breakfast in a cold morning. 😀

Anyway, if you can’t find fresh Vietnamese noodles in your area, try using any noodles and just put all your favorite toppings.  Or, you can make the Bachoy soup using the technique below for the broth without adding the Shitake mushrooms, spinach, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Vietnamese noodles
• Beef, chicken, or shrimp
• bean sprouts
• Thai basil leaves
• Spinach ( optional)
• Shitake mushrooms
• Cardamom spice (to your taste)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Methods:

• Before you start cooking the noodles, tenderize the meat by boiling it over medium heat for at least an hour or so.  You will need the broth for your soup, so don’t throw it away.  If you want the broth to be flavorful, add just enough water to tenderize the meat.  Make sure you have enough water as water evaporates as it cooks.  Season with salt, pepper, and Cardamom. Cover.
• Add the Shitake mushrooms 5 minutes before end of cooking time.  Add the spinach and cook just until wilted.  Remove the Shitake mushrooms and spinach.  Set aside.
• Follow the directions on how to cook the noodles on the back of the package.   Place the cooked noodles in a bowl.
• Remove the cooked meat and slice thinly in bite pieces.
• Arrange the bean sprouts, spinach, cooked beef, Shitake mushrooms, and Thai basil on top of the noodles.  Pour the steaming hot beef broth into the bowl.
• Garnish with chillies and Thai basil leaves

Enjoy!

If you like this post or my blog, don’t forget to Subscribe or Follow to get the latest recipes.  Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!

~A. B.

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©annascuisine.wordpress.com (2013)   Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material herein without expressed and written consent from this blog’s author, Annabelle Bedell, is strictly and completely prohibited.

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Warm Shrimp Salad

My children and I went to visit my sister in North Carolina ( I call it “the countryside”) this past weekend.  She lives in a small town where grocery stores are miles away from her home and the availability of certain vegetables as well as seafood are scarce and over priced.  This is why she grows her own “international” vegetable garden.  In her garden,  you’ll find Chinese long eggplant, Kabucha pumpkin, okra, jalapenos, mint, green beans, different tomatoes, bitter melons, cucumber, and green sweet chilies, bell peppers, and Thai basil.  I had the privileged of using some of her vine-ripe tomatoes, which tasted really sweet.  I was pleased I brought my own spices, some shrimp, avocado and cilantro or I would have searched everywhere for them.  I needed them for the dish I had in mind.  Here’s another way of creating a healthy meal using the same spices in my previous posts.

Prepare the ingredients.

*Note:  Depending on the heat of your stove, cooking time may require adjustments.

Ingredients:

• 9 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined leaving the tail on or off; your choice
• a handful of spinach
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1/8 of large red onion, sliced
• 1 avocado, pitted and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Weber’s Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning
• juice of 1/2 lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bib lettuce leaves
• 3 sprigs cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cooking Methods:

Generously, sprinkle the shrimp with roasted garlic and herbs seasoning.  Set aside.  Combine the avocado, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Set aside.  Heat skillet over medium heat and coat with olive oil when hot.  Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until opaque.*

Turn and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until opaque. *

Sear the side of the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes. *

Remove shrimp from pan and immediately add into the bowl of avocado mixture.

Mix to incorporate.  Let them get to know each other.

Place spinach at the bottom of the plate.  Put the bib lettuce on the side.  Arrange shrimp salad on top of the spinach.   You can serve the shrimp  by leaving the tail off, or…

… leaving the tail on- it’s your choice; either way, it’s delicious!  You can drizzle it with your favorite olive oil dressing or just as is.   I chose to not add any dressing on mine for less calorie intake.  This dish was tasty enough without it.   Mm-mm… good!  Bon appetit!

Baked Salmon with Mango and Raspberry Salsa

When you are on vacation, you eat whatever is available and sometimes indulge with some unhealthy snacks.  Well, when we went to explore downtown Chicago, I bought a scoop of Haagen Daz Sea Salt Caramel Gelato.  Oh, my…it was so delicious!  I almost did not want to share it with my husband. 🙂 Then, we had Chicago’s famous and authentic pizza for dinner.

When we arrived in Virginia, I wanted to have seafood and salad for dinner after indulging foods that were high in carbohydrates.

This recipe is great when you don’t have that much time to prepare a meal for more than 30 minutes.*  It’s fast, simple, easy, and delicious.

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 6 or 8 oz. salmon fillets
• Weber Zesty lemon seasoning
• Weber Roasted garlic and herbs seasoning (not in the picture)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 cup diced fresh mango
• cilantro, chopped
• 10 pieces of raspberries, halves
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Directions:

Lightly coat the baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the salmon fillets.   Season the fillets with lemon and roasted garlic and herbs seasonings.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Prepare the salad or a side dish you prefer at this time.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the salsa.  Combine the mango, raspberries, cilantro, lime juice,  a pinch of salt and dash of ground black pepper in a small bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Set aside.  Remove salmon from the oven. 

Arrange the cooked salmon on a plate.  Add any of your favorite starch or side dish.  Garnish the cooked salmon with mango and raspberry salsa.  Serve immediately.

You can create scrumptious meals like this one.  This dish is presentable enough to serve at a wedding in my opinion.  Don’t you think?  Bon Appetit!

*Note:  Due to variations in ALL ovens, cooking time may require adjustment.

If you like this post or my blog, don’t forget to Subscribe or Follow to get the latest recipes.  Thank you!

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©annascuisine.wordpress.com (2013)   Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material herein without expressed and written consent from this blog’s author, Annabelle Bedell, is strictly and completely prohibited.

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Chicken Bites with Purple Potato Chips

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I seldom take my children to a fast food chain restaurant, but when they want chicken nuggets, I take them there.   However, four pieces of chicken nuggets really won’t fill them up and they are hungry again after an hour.   So, I decided to make it at home. As I was cooking them, my family couldn’t stop popping the cooked chicken in their mouths.   These chicken bites were  so good my children begged me to make them again as well as the purple potato. Nothing beats homemade.

Ingredients:

• 4 halves chicken breast; cut into bite sizes
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon and pepper seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 medium purple potato, thinly sliced
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Combine all purpose flour, cornstarch, lemon and pepper seasoning, and shredded parmesan cheese in a large Ziploc bag and mix well.  Set aside.
2. Combine lemon juice, salt, and buttermilk in a separate medium bowl.
3. Add the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and marinate for at least 3o minutes in the fridge. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
4. Meanwhile, heat the deep pan with oil over medium heat.
5. Fry the purple potato until golden brown.  Removed and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.
6. Remove the chicken from the fridge.  Take about three to four pieces of chicken from the marinade and place in the Ziploc bag with the flour mixture. Close to secure the bag then shake it for 10 seconds making sure the chicken is well-coated with the flour mixture.
7. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
8. Carefully, put the chicken in batches in oil and fry until the chicken is golden brown.
9. Remove the chicken and place them in a bowl lined with paper towel to  drain any excess oil.
10. Arrange the chicken bites and potato chips on a plate lined with wax paper(optional) and serve with ketchup.

Enjoy!

If you like this post or my blog, don’t forget to Subscribe or follow to get the latest recipes.  Have a great day!

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©annascuisine.wordpress.com (2013)   Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material herein without expressed and written consent from this blog’s author, Annabelle Bedell, is strictly and completely prohibited.

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