Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon

It's pumpkin season again! First up, pumpkin soup! I've been longing to make pumpkin soup for years. I've read through a lot of recipes, and even tried a few--none very good, the one I made last year ended up in the trash. This year I decided to make my own based off a delicious butternut squash soup I made a couple of years ago. It was love at first taste.

Since Eric isn't a big pumpkin fan--at least when it's used in savory dishes--I made him a little tasting bowl. His reaction: If I liked pumpkin, it'd be really good. He did absolutely love the sage croutons though.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Soup
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
2-3 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium)
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
4 bacon slices, cooked
Dried parsley, garnish, optional

Sage Croutons
3 slices of sandwich bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Directions:
Sage Croutons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cut bread into 1-inch squares. Toss bread with olive oil and spices. Spread the bread into a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until croutons are brown and crisp. Flip half way through baking.

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Soup
In a saucepan, saute garlic and onions in the butter until they are translucent.  Remove from heat.

Place pumpkin and cream cheese into a food processor. Pour in sauteed garlic and onions. Blend until well combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer back into saucepan. (If you don't mind little pieces of garlic and onion floating in your soup, you can skip this step). Add 2 cups chicken stock, sage, and pumpkin pie spice to saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Whisk ingredients together until well combined. If soup is thicker than you desire, add more chicken stock (I like my soup a little on the thick side). Season with salt and pepper but remember, you are going to add bacon so that will add a lot of sodium to your soup.

Once soup is thoroughly heated, remove from heat. Divide soup between four bowls. Garnish with parsley if desired. Add croutons and crumble 1 slice of bacon over each bowl.

Eric's tasting bowl

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Parmesan Sauce
Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 

Sage Croutons

I made these to go with my pumpkin soup, but they were so good that I can't wait to put them on salads or try them in other soups (tomato soup, baked potato soup, etc.) for a hint of those autumn flavors.

Ingredients:
3 slices of sandwich bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cut bread into 1-inch squares. Toss bread with olive oil and spices. Spread the bread into a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until croutons are brown and crisp. Flip half way through baking.

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Recipes:
Baked Potato Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Baked Ziti
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Homemade
Savory Apples Stuffed with Sage and Sausage

Sauteed Kale with Bacon

I love kale. I didn't know that I loved kale until I made this recipe. I had made kale chips before and liked them. But I could have eaten bowl after bowl of sauteed kale. When I had Eric tried it, part of me hoped he wouldn't like it so I'd have the whole batch to myself. But he fell in love with it too.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon onion, minced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt
pepper
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook until soft but not colored. Pour in stock and kale. Toss to combine.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook, stirring continuously until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in bacon. Drizzle with vinegar.

Sauteed kale with cheese stuffed chicken and corn.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Side Dish Recipes:
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Twice Microwaved Loaded Potatoes
Very Simple Roasted Potatoes
Simply the Best Macaroni and Cheese

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas

Most often I season my roasted chickpeas with garlic powder and onion powder, but when I want something special I make sweet and salty chickpeas and roasted pumpkin chickpeas. Since cinnamon-sugar everything is delicious, and I was craving something sweet, I made cinnamon-sugar chickpeas. Sooooo good. I seriously love roasted chickpeas.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar; set aside.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Using paper towel, dry the chickpeas well (this ensures they'll be crunchy). Roast chickpeas for minutes. Remove from oven and toss with olive oil then toss with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roast for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container (but beware, they don't stay crisp for more than a day).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Snack Recipes:
Baked Apple Chips
Buffalo Chicken Dip 
Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Roasted Peas

Soy Wax Beans with Sesame Seeds

I don't think I had a wax bean until my mother-in-law handed me a big bag of beans (we also walked away with garden fresh kale, cabbage, and cucumbers). I now had to figure out what to do with them. After looking through a dozen recipes, I finally just chose one, nearly at random. It must have been fate because Eric and I devoured our entire supply of wax beans and immediately wanted more so we can make these again.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 pound wax beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pinch ground ginger
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the wax beans with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans are tender and browned in spots. Toss beans halfway through.

Mix together soy sauce, ginger, lemon, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add roasted beans and toss. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Soy wax beans with Melt-your-mouth chicken

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Veggie Recipes:
Parmesan Veggie Crisps
A Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Baked Potato Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole  

Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

This recipe finally converted Eric--he has resisted ground turkey for years, but these Parmesan turkey meatballs have changed his mind. I've always been a fan of ground turkey, but even I will admit that it tends to dry out. But these meatballs couldn't have been more tender and moist and cheesy. We had all of four meatballs leftover and even a day old they were still delicious.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
20-ounce package of ground turkey
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 egg, scrambled
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 tablespoon olive oil

Tomato sauce or marinara sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, Parmesan, green onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Shape meat into golf ball size meatballs (I made 20) and transfer them to the cookie sheet. Brush meatball with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with tomato or marinara sauce. (To freshen up my spaghetti sauce, I sauted some onions and garlic and threw in some oregano and basil. It's make a world of difference).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Dinner Ideas:
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Margarita Chicken and Steak Fajitas 
Turkey Burger with Avocado Sauce
Spicy Parmesan Sausage Meatballs with a Whiskey Barbecue Sauce 
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 

Captain Morgan Chicken with Ginger Rice

I might have to start a compilation of boozy entrees because I feel like I've been cooking with alcohol a lot lately. Whether it's in a main dish or a dessert I just love the extra kick liquor gives to a recipe. I've especially fallen in love with spiced rum, which is the inspiration behind this dish. The ginger rice--made from instant rice--is the perfect side for this chicken.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Chicken
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 ounces Captain Morgan's spiced rum
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Rice
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups instant white rice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt, to taste
 
Directions:
Chicken
Grease an 8x8-inch dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix together cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil then rub both sides of the breasts with the spices. Place chicken breasts in prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is even better).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, rum, and brown sugar.

Uncover the chicken and pour the lemon mixture over the chicken breasts. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through, basting with juices every 10 to 15 minutes.

Rice
Bring the water and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add rice, and cover. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Stir in ginger (for me, a little ginger goes a long way) and salt until you get the desired flavor.

Serve chicken over the ginger rice.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Lemon Pepper Chicken with Garlic Potatoes
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Lime Mustard Chicken 
Margarita Chicken and Steak Fajitas 
Pizza Inspired Chicken 
Orange Chicken with Fried Rice 

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

I was making pita bread and decided I needed something to go with it so I decided to make a dip. I had a head of garlic and a can of Great Northern beans in the pantry. Did a little googling, found a recipe, then changed it up to suit what I had in the house, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The best part--I get it all to myself. In general, Eric doesn't like any type of white beans (I think I have one recipe he'll eat them in) but I love them. He wasn't thrilled with the dip which mean I get it all!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, roasted (recipe below)
1 15.8-ounce can of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Roasted Garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic head skin, however, don't peel the skins of the individual cloves. With a knife, cut off the top of the cloves--about1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top--so you can see the inside of the individual cloves.

Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap the garlic head in tin foil. On a cookie sheet, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cloves feel soft.

Allow the garlic to cool. Separate the individual cloves from the head then pinch the end of the cloves so the garlic inside shoots out.

Hummus
Place the beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, and cumin in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour in olive oil and process. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Appetizer Recipes:
Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs
Cheese Puffs for Cheese Lovers!
Homemade Bread Sticks
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Jalapeno Popper Wontons

How to Roast a Head of Garlic

Roasted garlic. Milder and sweeter than raw garlic. Good to eat plain. Also delicious in recipes such as dips, spreads, and sauces. I thought I already had a post about roasting garlic, but when I went to look for it to make some for my white bean hummus, it didn't exist. So I wrote one up.

Ingredients:
Head of garlic
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic head skin, however, don't peel the skins of the individual cloves. With a knife, cut off the top of the cloves--about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top--so you can see the inside of the individual cloves.

Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap the garlic head in tin foil. On a cookie sheet, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cloves feel soft.

Allow the garlic to cool. Separate the individual cloves from the head then pinch the end of the cloves so the garlic inside shoots out.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More How-to's:
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Kool Aid
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Homemade
How to Make Buttermilk Substitute 
How to Make Potato Chips in the Microwave
How to Roast Red Peppers
How to Toast Sesame Seeds 

Homemade Baked French Fries

It has probably been close to a year since Eric and I made homemade French fries. We used to do it all the time. They require a little more prep than just roasting diced potatoes, but they are worth it. Much better than the frozen ones you buy at the store. And healthier than the fries at fast food joints (though those are yummy).

Homemade fries and fish sticks

Ingredients:
Potatoes (I've used russet, white, red, just whatever I've had on hand)
olive oil (vegetable or canola oil works too)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
any other season you'd like (We usually do garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Grated Parmesan is really good too!)

Directions:
Turn oven to broil.

Cut potatoes into sticks. Rather than trying to explain how to cut a potato into fries, here is a video for you. It really isn't that difficult. Mix olive oil (about 1 tablespoon for every large potato) and seasonings in a small bowl. Toss with fries.

Place the fries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the fries and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the fries are crisp.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Potato Recipes
Potato Chips in the Microwave
Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes
Very Simple Roasted Potatoes