Although it might not look good, but it tastes great and provides rich collagen for skin. Ladies, here we go! Eat pretty!

Ingredients:

6 organic chicken wings

1 celery, leaves only

1 green onion, diced

4 ginger slices

1 curry cube

salt, pepper as you like

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring chicken wings, celery leaves, green onion, ginger slices and water to a boil. Simmer for an hour.

2. Add curry cube and stir. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add pepper and salt as desired.

Simple, Delicious, and Pretty!

Yesterday when I got up and walked downstairs to the living room, I was surprised seeing the view outside through my balcony – Fall is here at Miami!!! You might say what? Fall? Miami has no falls, only summer hot! Well, yes there is no actual fall in Miami. But why don’t we call this cooler weather in October Miami Fall! Because then we have good reasons to treat ourselves with delicious Chinese fall soups.

You might be wondering what I mean by Chinese fall soups. Is there any differences? Sure there is. Chinese fall soups can prepare your body into the best condition for the coming winter. Tired of summer hot and humidities? Have unexplained heavy head feelings? Traditional Chinese medical science believes it’s the fault of the hot humidities inside your body. A bowl of warm Chinese fall soup could help you remove the humidity and feel the energy again. Sounds magical? You may have another question lingering around in head. Do these soups taste like Chinese medicine? Aha~ They are soups, as delicious as you can ever imagine, that can be made of chicken, beef. sea food, duck, and various herbs.

I’m starving now looking at these pix. Probably I should cook a pot of chicken soup for this weekend. Well, be patient! I’m gonna upload my chicken soup for sure! LOL! These soups won’t let you down!!!

As a child, the vision of my mother ~ who hated to cook ~ preparing the family meal was very comforting. One of her specialties was split pea soup with ham. She would use the packaged split pea soup mix from the grocery store as a base, and would simmer it for hours with a meaty ham bone, onion, and carrots until it was, as they say, “as thick as pea soup!”  It was rich and smoky, and especially delicious served with buttered matzo crackers.

I remember when I first met my husband George and invited him to stay for dinner after he remarked on how wonderful the house smelled. One of 12 kids, he was used to pretty basic meals made in mass quantities to feed the hungry brood, and had never tasted the likes of pea soup.  Imagine, if you will, the look on his face when I told him what was gracefully simmering on the stovetop. He reluctantly took a bowl of the thick green “mess,” most certainly contemplating whether to eat or run! Graciously he took the tiniest of bites, quickly delighted (and relieved) by the savory flavor that had just graced his palette.

So today, split pea soup with ham is definitely a favorite in our home and hearts. And with the crisp chill in the air, it would make the perfect dinner tonight. Here’s my version of my mother’s split pea soup with ham ~ my kids freak out over onions, so I don’t include them, but my mom used to simmer a whole onion with the soup and remove it before serving.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

• 2 packages of Manischewitz bagged Split Pea Soup Mix
• 1 meaty ham bone ~ you can use a leftover bone from a ham dinner or buy a small bone-in ham
• Cut carrots
• Whole onion (optional)

1. Place peas, water, whole onion (optional)and ham bone in a large Dutch oven and simmer covered for an hour or two until the peas are completely cooked.
2. Remove the ham bone and let it cool while the soup continues to simmer. Once the ham is cool enough to handle, cut the meat off the bone into bite-sized pieces; discard the bone.
3. Put the ham pieces, spices from the soup packages (one or both according to your taste preference) and carrots in the pot and continue to simmer with the cover off until the carrots are done and the soup thickens. Remove the onion before serving.
4. Serve with crusty bread, saltines, or buttered matzo crackers (the lightly salted variety).

Enjoy!

This may be one of the best soups I have ever made. The lime brightens the soup which makes it very different from the traditional squash soups. I really love them all, but this one stands out in its complex flavors, but simple ingredients.

2 small butternut squash
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (can use other oil)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 limes
1 can coconut milk (I used full fat organic)
2 tbsp green curry paste
bunch of cilantro

Peel and chop butternut squash. Peel garlic. Saute both in large pan with coconut oil for 20 minutes. Add stock and cook until squash is soft. Add juice from 3 limes, coconut milk and green curry. Blend. (either in blender or with immersion blender). Stir in chopped cilantro leaves at the end. (I put mine in a mini cuisinart and stirred in)

Other soup links to check out:

Butternut squash, apple and turnip soup

Moving into Fall Flavors

As soon as I start to feel and smell the Fall weather roll in, I find myself craving the comfort and warm spices of this soup.  It’s very easy to make and perfumes your kitchen with natural exotic aromas.  I paired this soup the other night with a glossy, citrusy and floral noted bargain wine: Now & Zen 2007 Wasabi White (Alsace, FR) that I picked up in the PLCB for about $8! It was a great pairing as the spices in the soup really softened the citrus pithy notes, and that glossy texture really stood up to the richness of the tomato broth and earthy carbs.

  Ingredients:

2 Med-Large White Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced

1.)  Warm oil in a large soup pot over Med heat.  Add onion and sauté 3-4minutes until soft.  Add tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes,

All ingredients added to soup pan

cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, chicken broth and pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-30 min until veggies are tender (time will depend on your tenderness preference).

2.)  If soup is too thick, add an extra 1/2 cup of chicken stock to attain desired consistency. Add more salt to taste if desired.

*To toast walnuts, spread them out single layer on a piece of tin foil and bake in oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes until toasty. golden, brown.  Be careful not to burn them.

Note:  If reheating soup, it may seem too thick.  Add a little chicken broth for desired consistany.

Other Suggestions:  For a more hearty soup and a dose of protein I experimented with adding Chorizo Sausage to the soup and it worked perfectly (for instructions, see below)

Cook 5 chorizo pork sausage links, dice, and add to soup before serving.  The spiciness in the sausage interlaced well with the sweeter cinnamon and coriander notes in the soup.  It was actually an explosively exotic combo and still worked fantastic with the Wasabi White wine!

There’s something about fall weather that makes me crave comfort food. When the temperature drops, I want food that sticks to my ribs and warms me up from head to toe. My mom has one of the best recipes when it comes to comfort food.  

When I was younger, there was nothing better than coming home on a cold day to one of her big pots of soup on the stove for dinner.  But I’m in college now. For most people, that means coming home to a bowl of Ramen Noodles. Not me. I whip up one of my favorite comfort food recipes. My mom calls it Poor Man’s Stew—fitting for a college student. It’s easy, cheap and scrumdiddlyumptious.

Ingredients:

There are two. If you mess it up, seriously, get out of the kitchen, find the phone, & order take-out.

            12 breakfast sausage links

            48 oz. jar of Northern Beans

1. Brown the sausage links, and cut them up into bite-size pieces. My mom uses rosemary sage sausage. I’m not that fancy. Do not, I repeat, do not drain the grease. It gives the soup amazing flavor.
2. Pour the entire jar of beans into the pot along with the sausage.
3. (Optional) Add water. How much is up to you.
4. Let  simmer for about 30 min.

It’s not very pretty, but don’t knock it till you try it. My family likes to add salt, pepper and Tabasco. I like soaking it up with buttered bread.

Have any favorite comfort foods for a chilly day? Tell me about them. Post some recipes.  If you don’t have any, here are some great fall soups to try. Also, check out Dana McCauley’s food blog for a great recipe for my second favorite comfort food. Mac & Cheese!

Jessica at Turkeycookies is hosting a soup swap!

Yum!

Fall is here and the weather could not be more cooperative. It is cold and damp, 63 degrees and the sky is a moody grey color.

My daughter’s most favorite soup is this Irish Potato Soup she loves, loves loves it and she requests it every fall once the weather turns. It is my pleasure to make it for her, I have never met a soup I did not love, this one does not disappoint.

It is perfect every time! I used 4 leeks instead of 3, I also use them from tips to stem, in other words, the whole thing.  I also put in more potatos then called for, and I added about a 1/2 cup of milk to thin it out a drop. Topped with cracked pepper and parmesean cheese~ YUM!!

The only thing you need to add to make it perfect and darn I don’t have a loaf made is this~