Tomato and White Bean Soup

This is a lighter soup and is high in protein with yummy vegetables. I had french garlic bread on the side. I didn't follow the recipe exactly so my changes are noted

Tomato and White Bean Soup
Idea from: The Savory Notebook

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced (omitted)
3 garlic cloves, crushed (I used minced)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped(I used diced tomatoes.)
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained (I only used 1 can.)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
Splash of white wine (omitted)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Parmesan cheese rind (omitted)
Green Onions, for garnish (omitted)

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion, celery and carrot. Saute for about 7 minutes, until soft. And garlic, and sauté 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (tomatoes through pepper), and bring to a boil. (This is where I added the Parmesan rind.)
4. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. (I simmered for at least 20 minutes.)
5. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. (I added green onions, parsley and a splash of balsamic vinegar here.)

**I didn't puree this and I added a lot more vegetables than called for, so it was sort of a chunky tomato soup. You could definitely puree it if you wanted a smoother soup.**

Corn & Salmon Chowder

This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma Cooking for Baby. I googled salmon chowder and this recipe honestly looked to be the best recipe that I found so I decided to give it a try. I slightly changed the amounts of some of the ingredients so I made those notes. It was really delicious soup! Even tho it's from a baby cook book. :-)

Corn & Salmon Chowder
1/2 lb red potatoes (I used 3)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 celery rib (I used 4)
1 medium carrot, peeled (I used half of a small bag of baby carrots)
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf (omitted)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I used 1 can and a carton of V8 Southwestern Corn liquid soup mix)
3/4 lb skinless salmon fillet
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (I used canned corn - only one can since I added the V8 liquid)
salt and pepper
Peel and dice potatoes and set aside. Dice onion, celery, and carrot. Mince garlic.
In a soup pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf and saute until vegetables turn golden, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Cut salmon into 1-inch pieces.
Puree milk and 1 cup corn in a blender. Add corn puree, 1/2 cup corn kernels, and salmon pieces to pot. Return to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until salmon is cooked through and soup is hot, 5-7 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: If you are making this for baby, the recipe says that if the soup is too chunky to use a food mill or food processor for baby's portion.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs beef stew meat
1 onion, sliced
handful of baby tomatoes (I used one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes)
celery (1/2 a bunch)
carrots (half a bag of baby carrots and half a bag of shredded carrots I had in the frig)
2 cloves garlic, minced
green beans (I used one can)
mushrooms (omitted but only because I didn't have any fresh or canned)
2 cans beef broth (I used 1 can beef, 1 can chicken because that's what I had on hand)
1/4 cup red wine (I cook with the $3 wine from walmart since my wine of choice from Trader Joe's isn't closeby where I live)
1 t kosher salt
black pepper
1 t seasoning blend (whatever you have on hand for bbqing, stir-frying, etc. I used a grilling seasoning mix but even Seasoned Salt would work.)
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup frozen peas (omitted because peas are not always my thing)
Directions
1. Wash and chop all of your vegetables.
2. Put them into the Crock Pot.
3. Put the flour in a bowl with a little salt and pepper, and toss your meat in it to fully coat.
4. Put the meat into the Crock Pot.
5. Add dry seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Pour in the wine and beef broth.
7. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours.
8. Stir in the peas just before serving.

Chicken Salad

I was craving some chicken salad, it definitely is a summer staple! There are many different variations but this is the recipe I used and it can be altered to whatever works for you:

Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1 large cooked chicken breast, diced (about 1 cup)
1 stalked celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup grapes, sliced or diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or miracle whip)
1/4 c. almonds, sliced or slivered

Directions
1Pull apart the chicken into large chunks and either cut it into a small dice or process in a mini food processor.
2Place chicken in a large mixing bowl and add all remaining ingredients (except bread).
3Mix well.