Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup, with chicken and quinoa

It's been two years since my last attempt at this cooking blog. I have no idea why I'm deciding to start back up again. All I know is that I love to cook (and eat!) and I want other people to love to cook too, or at the very least not dread it like the plague.

My kids are still pretty picky (the 6 year old especially!), but the rule is that they have to take at least one bite, which was the inspiration of my new blog title (I hated the old title!) and then if they decide they don't like it, they're allowed fruit or vegetables instead. My husband is great about trying new foods and he never, ever complains about what I make for dinner, even though he'd probably be happiest eating pizza or Mexican food every night of the week.

I still try to cook a lot of vegetarian recipes, but we do eat meat in this house a couple times a week, usually turkey or chicken. This recipe has chicken in it, but you could very easily omit the chicken, use vegetable stock, and it would be vegetarian and still really good.

I found the original recipe here, but have changed it quite a bit.


1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-ince pieces
1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
1 bay leaf
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt
10 cranks of black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 - 1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1. Place butternut squash through black pepper in slow cooker and cook until chicken is fully cooked and squash is soft. My slow cooker runs hot, so for me, this was about 4 hours on High.

2. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Remove bay leaf and discard. Take an immersion blender and blend the squash, tomatoes and onions until desired texture is reached. I left it slightly chunky. Add chicken, quinoa, and olives to slow cooker and stir until everything is combined. Set on low or warm, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs. Nothing needs to be cooked after this point, so I set mine on warm and let it go until dinner time.

3. If soup is too thick, you can add more broth to thin it out, but we liked it thick. Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley. 

Review - Jay and I both enjoyed this thick soup. It's really filling, but there isn't any dairy in it, so you won't feel uncomfortably full afterwards. (I love dairy, but it doesn't love me) Eli (almost 4) was happily eating it until he heard his sister (6) declare that "this isn't soup" and "I'm just going to eat carrots." So both kids ate carrot sticks and milk for dinner. We're having this again tomorrow night (it makes quite a bit!), so hopefully they eat a bit more for Round 2. The olives add a really nice flavor, so definitely don't leave those out. Next time I might add a bit of the brine from the jar of olives for extra flavor.

16 Bean Soup

Prior to making this soup, I didn't even know those bags of 16 Bean Soup Mix existed. I've never noticed them in the bean section in the store. I have a vague memory of a 5th grade art project that used an assortment of beans that resembled the 16 Bean Mix. I believe I made a butterfly out of beans. 

On to the soup.

I kept this soup very mild so that the kids would eat it. Jay and I both doctored up the final product. If you like spicy soup you can add more chili powder or red pepper flakes. You could also add more vegetables if that makes you happy.

1 bag 16 Bean Soup Mix, soak beans overnight, drain and rinse (throw away the seasoning packet, it's full of stuff you shouldn't be eating)

1 onion, chopped

1 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, with juice

1 Tbsp cumin

1-2 tsp chili powder

1-2 quarts vegetable stock

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper

Grated cheese to garnish

Add beans, onion, tomatoes, spices and vegetable stock to slow cooker.  If you want a thicker soup add just enough stock to cover beans. If you want a soupier soup add the second quart. I don't know how much stock I added because I used the vegetable stock that I made the night before and it was already in the slow cooker. I'm guessing it was a little under 2 quarts. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Check the beans around 7 hours. Add garlic. Adding the garlic at the end of the cooking process yields a stronger garlic flavor than if you added it in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere. However, it's very possible that I'm making it up. Eh, I'm going with it either way. Continue cooking until beans are soft. Season with salt and pepper before serving. Top with grated cheese of your choice. We used grated Parmesan the first night and pepperjack cheese the second.

When I checked my soup at 7 hours it was too soupy so I added 1/2 cup of uncooked barley to thicken it up. I turned the slow cooker up to high and let it cook for another hour. You could also use rice or quinoa.

Review - This soup was perfect last week because we've been snowed in. Snowed in...in Texas. The temperature has been in the single digits. It's been downright nasty outside. I felt like I'd been teleported back home to Washington. Whether in Texas or Washington or Michigan, cold weather means soup weather. We all enjoyed this soup. You know Eli loved it with the beans and all. He did better with the big beans because they were easier to pick up with his chubby little fingers. Josie needed a little coaxing, but she ate it. I served it with a salad. This fed us for two days and lunch for me on the third day.

Semi-Spicy (but still kid-friendly) Black Bean Soup

Do you like the title? I was pretty nervous while preparing this soup after last week's fire chili. When I lifted the lid of the slow cooker at 4pm to assess the status of my soup, I had already prepared myself that I was going to need to come up with a Plan B for the kids. However, I was pleasantly surprised after the first bite. The heat from the jalapenos had completely cooked out and I actually had to add chili power (albeit, sparingly) before I served it. 

I read so many different black bean soup recipes, none of which screamed "try me." I decided just to wing it and made this up as I went along.

1 lb. dried black beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed, discard broken and discolored beans

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

1 medium onion, diced

2 Tbsp. diced jalapeno, seeds and all

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted with garlic)

3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Pepper jack cheese, lime, plain yogurt, cilantro (optional, but highly recommended, garnishes)

Combine everything in slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours, turn down to low and continue cooking for 6 hours or until beans become soft. Dried beans always seem to take forever to cook in the slow cooker, so I have the best luck cooking them on high for the first 2-3 hours and then turning the temperature down. If you'd like a thicker soup you can use the immersion blender before serving (I did). Serve with any or all of the following: grated cheese, fresh lime juice, plain yogurt and chopped cilantro. Serves 4-6.

What you can't see in this picture are the first two limes I tried to float on top of the soup. They sunk. I had to use the cheese as a lime life raft.

Review - Easy, healthy, and everyone liked it. I really enjoyed this soup. I will be enjoying a bowl tomorrow for lunch. Jay liked it. I fished out the beans for Eli. He seemed to enjoy them. There were only a couple stuck to his pants when I lifted him out of his highchair, which is always a good sign. Josie gave me more praise over this dish than ever before. "Oooh, I like this soup. Did you make this mommy? I like beans. I like black bean soup. This is good mommy. These beans are good." This went on for about 5 minutes. She was either in an exceptionally good mood or she actually really liked the soup. Maybe a little of both. Either way, this recipe is a keeper. The only change I'll make for next time is to decrease the stock down to 3 cups. I prefer a thicker soup and even after blending (and adding a little cornstarch) it was too thin for me.

White Bean and Apple Chili

This is another excellent Stephanie O'Dea recipe. The original can be found here. I have pretty good success with her recipes. She keeps the spices pretty tame for her kids, so I typically have to kick it up a few notches. Unfortunately, I kicked this soup up more than a few and it was too spicy for the kids. 

2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (or dried beans soaked overnight and then rinsed)

1 onion, chopped 

2 apples, chopped, no need to peel

3 cloves chopped garlic 

3 T butter

2 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp ground thyme 

1 tsp cumin 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper 

3 cups stock (I used chicken stock because I still have a ton in the freezer)

1/2 cup plain yogurt 

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Put the butter into the bottom of your slowcooker. Dump in the drained and rinsed beans. Add the onion, apple, and garlic. Add the spices, and pour in the broth. Stir in the yogurt.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. I used dried beans, so it took a little longer than 8 hours for the beans to cook. When everything is tender use an immersion blender and blend a few times to thicken the soup. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with Homesteader Cornbread.

Can you tell I'm playing with lighting techniques?

Review - This was good, but better the second night for one of two reasons, either a) the chili powder calmed down or b) my taste buds were still numb from the night before. This soup was not supposed to be spicy. When I make it again I won't free-pour the chili powder. I also think I'll skip the butter. I love butter, a lot, but I'm not sure it really added anything to this soup. 

The first night was too spicy for me. I added a dollop of plain yogurt to try and kill some of the fire, but it didn't work. There was a lot of water consumed and a lot of nose wiping. Sorry, was that TMI? For those of you who are afraid of trying savory dishes with fruit in them, don't be. You couldn't taste the apple at all. It adds the slightest hint of sweetness, but it's barely noticeable. Jay really liked this soup, heat and all. I didn't even try to give this to the kids because that would have been mean. Instead they ate frozen peas, apple slices and crackers with peanut butter. 

Black Eyed Pea Soup in the Slowcooker

1 pound dried black eyed peas
1 pound spicy sausage
6 cups chicken broth
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Tabasco sauce

Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (broken, discolored beans) in the morning.

Use a 5 to 6 quart slowcooker. Add diced vegetables and beans to slowcooker. Add sliced sausage. Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. Before serving, use a stick blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. Don't blend too much---just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking. Add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Review - Wonderful winter recipe. But it's spring time right? Ok, I'll admit it. Even though I'm posting this under Week 12, I really made it weeks ago. I've lost track of what I made when. I'm just proud of myself for keeping up with my resolution and it's almost April. Go me! Back to the soup...Josie called this "black eyes," which in toddler talk came out sounding like "black guys." Jay and I got a nice chuckle out of hearing our 2 year-old say, "I want more black guys." Mature, I know.

Chicken Enchilada Chili

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning
2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, undrained (or 1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion flakes)
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin

Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until flavors have combined. If you are using dried beans, you may need to cook longer to fully soften the beans. Shred chicken.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Review - This was good. I'd never purchased canned enchilada sauce before, so I just bought the cheapest (store brand) can I could find. I think the flavor was too mild and didn't have near enough spice. Next time I'll make sure to buy a better brand of enchilada sauce and taste it to make sure it's got enough kick to it.

Chile Verde

4 lbs. chuck roast or pork shoulder/butt
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
10 tomatillos
1 (4-ounce) can diced chilies
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. sage
1 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Trim fat from roast and place in stoneware. Add diced bell pepper and onion. Finely dice tomatillos or use food processor and pulse. Add chilies and tomatoes to slow cooker. Add garlic and seasonings. Add cilantro to the top of the meat. If your slow cooker releases a lot of steam, place a layer of foil over the top and then cover with the lid. Cook overnight on low, 8-10 hours. Shred with a fork. Let sit on low/warm all day so the meat absorbs the juices. Serve with tortillas, rice, pepper jack cheese, and sour cream.

Review - Really good! Definitely cook over night. You'll wake up to a kitchen that smells wonderful. The meat was very flavorful and was incredibly tender and juicy.

Tamale Pie in the Slow Cooker

Filling
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 egg

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Spray the insides of your stoneware with cooking spray. Dump in the filling ingredients (cheese too) and stir well to distribute the spices. You will not be able to stir this again, so make sure the spices are not clumped together. In a separate bowl, mix the topping ingredients. Pour over the filling and spread batter evenly. Cook on low for 4-7 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Review - This was good, but the cornbread topping almost doubled the filling. Either cut the cornbread topping in half or double the filling. The consistency of the cornbread was fabulous! It was incredibly moist. Next time I make this I'll add some bell peppers and shredded chicken.

Beef Stew

I found this on Allrecipes.com. I don't know who Kyle is, but his stew could use some work. This recipe yields ten servings. I cut everything in half and it made plenty for a family of four with leftovers.

Kyle's Favorite Beef Stew

3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 large potatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups boiling water
2 (1 ounce) envelopes onion soup mix
3 tablespoons butter
3 large onions, quartered
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup burgundy wine
2 (6 ounce) packages fresh button mushrooms, halved
1/4 cup warm water
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Toss the beef, flour, and salt in a sealable bag until the beef is coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the beef and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet; cook until the beef is evenly browned on all sides; transfer to a slow cooker, but do not clean the skillet. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper to the slow cooker. Combine the boiling water and soup mix in a small bowl; add to slow cooker.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until soft; transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker and return the skillet to the heat. Combine the wine and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the mushrooms begin to absorb the wine; pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Place the cover on the slow cooker and set to High; cook for one hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 6 to 8 hours. Whisk together the warm water and cornstarch; stir into the stew; cook uncovered until stew thickens, about 15 minutes.

Review - Nothing special. It tasted like regular beef stew. I'm not sure all of the extra steps (browning the meat, sauteing the onions, etc.) really made that much of a difference in the flavor. I'm pretty sure it would have tasted the same had I just thrown everything into the slow cooker. I'll probably save this recipe only because I don't already have a beef stew recipe. Hopefully by the end of this year I'll have found a tastier replacement.