Skinny Veggie Soup

It's after Christmas and I ate WAY too much the past week (ok, maybe it's a month!), time for something light and basic that tastes great!
Nothing better than soup, and I LOVE soups! This soup is great as a side, or as a quick and easy lunch.

This recipe is based on an old Weight Watchers recipe called Zero Soup, but I found that I would get hungry after a few hours and needed to add more veggies. This is super flexible, if you hate some of the veggies, substitute them for something you love.

Recently I gave in and got an Instant Pot...so you're gonna see some of my favourites with Electric Pressure Cooker options.

Skinny Veggie Soup

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 onion (1 cup), diced

1 cup Carrot, diced

1 cup Celery, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

3 cups Cabbage, finely cut/shaved in 2 inch ribbons or bigger chunks if you like the crunch

1 large can of diced tomatoes (796ml/28oz)
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1/2 cup green beans (I use frozen)
3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup Zucchini, chopped

1/2 tsp dried Basil

1/2 tsp dried Oregano
bay leaf

Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop veggies. Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion, carrot and celery in the oil for 5 minutes, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients except for Zucchini and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes until carrots have your preferred texture. Add Zucchini and simmer for 5 more minutes.

If you want to use your Electric Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot, saute veggies as above then set Pressure for 1 minute, and do a manual release to let the steam out of your pot right away.

This soup freezes well and is amazing with Biscuits or Buns on the side! 

Happy fitting back into your clothes season!

~Adel~ 

Turkey Soup Broth

Every time I make a turkey, I get excited about the thought of delicious broth to make soup with, why would I waste all that delicious flavour still in that mangled pile of meat and bones.

So I make broth.

It's pretty simple.

Turkey Soup Broth

In a large slow cooker

1 Turkey carcass (I had to squish mine in there)

2 carrots, whole

2 stalks of celery, whole

1 onion, quartered with skin on

2 bay leaves

4 peeled cloves of garlic

Cover with water and let cook on low for up to 8 hours.

This is actually the second round for these bones, earlier in the morning I boiled this same mixture on the stove in my huge dutch oven for an hour and got the first batch of delicious broth to make Turkey Soup with.

Strain the broth to get rid of bits of bones and meat and store in your favourite containers, I love old canning jars.

Now to make Turkey Soup!

~Adel~

Mexican Stroganoff

Delicious flavourful comfort food, perfect for your next freezer meal day and a hit with the whole family. You can make this in your crock pot or pressure cooker for an easy weekday solution. 

This creamy tangy meal has a little twist with the addition of mexican flavours.

Mexican Stroganoff

2 lbs beef steak (round or inside steaks work nicely), sliced thin

1 cup Onion, finely diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 can Sliced Mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 cup Beef Broth

1/2 cup Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Paprika

2 tsp Seasoning Salt

1 tsp Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Allspice

1 cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

3 Tbsp Flour

Cooked Broad Egg Noodles

Combine all ingredients except for sour cream, flour and egg noodles. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Defrost before using. Cook in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Cook in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes.

Whisk Sour Cream and Flour together. Add to mixture in slow cooker 15 minutes before finished (when you get the noodles going). Cook until thick and serve over hot cooked broad egg noodles.

Dig in!

~Adel~

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

This deliciously easy side is a staple for family gatherings! 

I can't tell you how many casserole dishes of these I've made in the past couple years, but I know I bring one to every Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gathering, plus the many times I bring it to other family gatherings or other communal meals with friends. I've started making mine in the slow cooker so I can have them without heating the kitchen in the summer or a great way to make more room in the oven for busy holiday meals, but it works great in the oven too! 

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes (Slow Cooker or Oven)

1/2 cup Butter (melted)

1 Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced or your favourite garlicky seasoning (like Johnny's from Costco...yum)

1 can cCondensed Mushroom Soup

1 cup Sour Cream (substitute Greek Yogurt for some or all)

250ml container of Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese

7 cups Frozen Hashbrowns (one of the smaller sized bags)

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Corn Flakes

Slow Cooker: I like to brown my onions before tossing them in the slow cooker, but it's not necessary, just adds more flavour to the dish. Combine the melted butter, diced onion, garlic, soup, sour cream, cream cheese together in a saucepan and heat until all the cheese melts and everything mixes together in a gooey sauce. Add Hashbrowns to the slow coker and pour cheesy sauce over. Mix well and cook until potatoes are heated through, about 2-3 hours on high. Top with corn flakes before serving (you can put them under the broiler for a few minutes if you want the top to be golden brown.

Oven: Melt butter in a saucepan, add onions and cook until slightly browned. Add garlic, soup, sour cream, cream cheese together in a sauce pan and heat until all the cheese melts and everything mixes together in a gooey sauce. Mix with hashbrowns and pour into an oven safe dish. Top with corn flakes. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes until sauce starts bubbling and the top is golden brown.

This recipe freezes really well, perfect for a big cook/freezer meal and makes a great alternative to Mashed Potatoes!

~Adel~

Ravioli Soup

I haven't posted with any regularity since February 2015. Life happened - big things. We had another little Ladybug (I'll introduce Little Bee later), we moved, we changed careers. Life kind of went upside down for a while, but I'm feeling the inspiration and need to return to the things that bring me joy. That and I keep having to unsuccessfully try to remember how I made that recipe that I didn't write down here in my virtual cookbook!

So here's the inspiration that has changed things as I lay awake in the dark well past my bedtime last night, thinking about food...mmm...that would taste really good, I need to make it and write it down! Time to find the camera and blog again! This ravioli soup is inspired by the classic hamburger soup with a little italian pasta twist. A lovely hearty cozy meal, an easy crowd pleaser, and perfect make-ahead/freezer meal for busy people.

Ravioli Soup

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 lb Ground Beef

1 large Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Cup Carrots, diced

1/2 cup Celery, Chopped

4 Cups Beef Broth

4 cups Water (or beef broth if you want more flavour)

28 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1/4 cup Bread, cubed in small pieces (add more if you like it less soupy and more stewy)

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (the good kind, or substitute honey, sugar or another sweetener to taste)

2 tsp Italian Seasoning Mix (or 1 tsp dried Basil, 1/2 tsp dried Oregano, 1/2 tsp dried Thyme)

1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped

Fresh Ravioli, Family Sized packaged (I used beef for this recipe)

Brown Beef in a large soup pot. Once brown, add onion, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until tender. Add in beef broth, water and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil, lower temperature to a simmer. Add in bread, parmesan cheese, maple syrup, seasoning and parsley and let cook for 5 minutes until all the flavours combine.  Just before serving add fresh ravioli to the soup base and cook as long as the package instructs.

This soup is perfect for a make ahead meal or to have in the freezer. If freezing this soup, don't add the ravioli until serving time as it soaks up the liquid and becomes mushy. Better to add fresh ravioli just before serving.

mmm. Perfect make ahead meal with Aged Cheddar Biscuits or Grandma's Dinner Buns!


~Adel~

20 Fall Slow Cooker/Freezer Meals

Life has been busy and different over here at the Ladybug House! 

Between juggling the demands of a new baby and navigating the change from full-time at home to full-time school for Lady and Bug, while still trying to keep the house running and managing several businesses, I need to get organized and plan meals. 

Here is my fall list of slow cooker freezer meals to make life a little easier!

Slow Cooker Beef Bulgogi (Korean Beef)

Chicken Provençale

Slow Cooker Pizza Bake

Comfort Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma & Garlic Sauce

Slow Cooker Amtat Mongolian Beef

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Bacon Maple Dijon Chicken

Thai Peanut Chicken

Slow Cooker Herb & Garlic Chicken Stew

Easy Slow Cooker Roast Beef & Gravy

Mexitalian Chicken

Sweet & Sour Pork

Orange Chicken

Salsa Chicken Tacos

Easy Rootbeer Pulled Pork

Warming Chili

Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Enjoy the beautiful fall colours! It's nice to be back sharing my kitchen with you!

~Adel~

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Delicious, sweet, and full of wonderful spices, this dish is a great alternative to your regular rainy day comfort food.

Moroccan Chicken Stew

2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

4 Chicken Breasts, large cubes

1 Eggplant, 1" pieces

4 cups Yams or Sweet Potatoes or Butternut Squash or a combination, 1" pieces

4 large Carrots, 1" pieces

2 Onions, diced

6 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Ginger, fresh grated

1/2 cup Golden Raisins

3/4 cup Dried Apricots, chopped

1/2 cup Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Cayenne (optional)

1/2 cup Almonds (any kind)

1 Tbsp Honey (Optional for a sweeter dish)

Freezer Instructions: In a saucepan brown chicken in oil, add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until onions start to brown. Add Chicken mixture to freezer bag and remaining ingredients. Freeze. To use, defrost for 24 hours.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Brown chicken and onions. Pour into a slow cooker and add eggplant, yams, carrots and onion with garlic, ginger, raisins, and apricots. Combine broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon and pepper in a bowl and pour over vegetables. Top with almonds and cook for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. Add cornstarch (mix with a little water) if the sauce is too thin when serving.

If you happen to be lucky enough to own a real tagine, use it instead of the slow cooker - I can only dream!

Serve with couscous, rice, pasta or pita or eat on it's own for a clean meal!

Yum, a little taste of North Africa to brighten up a cool rainy day.

~Adel~

Freezer Meals: Big Cook Fall 2014

If you've been following my blog, you know this is coming when you see a whole bunch of slow cooker & freezer meals pop up! This fall's Big Cook was more of a Big Cook week rather than a day.

Life's been a little busy and I haven't really had a whole day to dedicate to this project, so I made 2 meals each day and tucked them away in the freezer. I found this to be less stressful for me than previous big cooks, so I might try this tactic again next time! The best part was that each day I just had to throw whatever I planned for dinner that night into the crock pot and make 2 extras for the freezer. It took a little longer but the freezer's still full!

I bought a bigger freezer this year, but I still keep the old little one just for freezer meals, works great and helps me keep my frozen foods a little more organized.

Here's my this Big Cook's meals for Fall 2014!

Slow Cooker Chicken Provençale

Slow Cooker Korean Beef Bulgogi

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Slow Cooker Pizza Bake

Individual Beef & Cheese Enchilada Wraps

Comfort Beef Stew

Herbed Meatballs

Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

Easy Meatloaf

Moroccan Chicken Stew

3 of each meal make 30 meals in my little freezer and I should be able to survive for a few months without much cooking.

Ready for a busy fall!

If you're planning your own big cook, check out my previous Big Cook posts and freezer meal ideas on my Freezer Meal page!

~Adel~

Comfort Beef Stew

It's rainy today...really rainy! I'm happy for the rain after several months of hot, dry weather, but that doesn't mean I don't crave comfort food on these days! 

As you probably know, I'm working on making more food for my family that is homegrown, organic or as homemade as possible. This meal almost fits, a family member raised the beef for us, carrots, potatoes, onions, peas, and garlic came from the garden, and the mushroom soup, tomato sauce and onion soup mix are homemade. 

Whew, all that hard work this summer makes a yummy meal!

Comfort Beef Stew

1 lb Cubed Beef Stew Meat

2 cups Baby Carrots

4 Red Potatoes, large cubes

1 Onion, large cubes

4 cloves Garlic, minced

2 cans Condensed Mushroom Soup (or make your own)

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1 cup Frozen Peas

1/3 cup Onion Soup Mix (or make your own)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tbsp Cornstarch & water (add last 1/2 hour of cooking)

Freezer Instructions: Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a freezer bag (double bag if you want, it will be pretty full!). Freeze. To use, defrost for 24 hours.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add Cornstarch and water (make a paste) for the last half hour of cooking to thicken the gravy. 

Serve with delicious warm biscuits - try my Aged White Cheddar Biscuits for a delicious comfort meal on a cool rainy day!

~Adel~

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Daddy Ladybug is a huge fan of wings made with Frank's Hot Sauce from a certain local joint, so I attempted to make him happy today. They weren't wings and they weren't deep fried, so I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I made a few adjustments to make it a healthier meal. Even in it's non-deepfriedness, it was yummy with a nice little kick and a crunch!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wraps

6 Chicken Breasts 

1 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce 

1/2 cup Chicken Stock

1 Tbsp Butter

1/4 cup Celery, diced small

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

1-2 tsp Blue Cheese, crumbled (optional)

Wraps or Kaiser Buns (your choice)

Place chicken breasts into the base of the slow cooker. Melt butter and mix with hot sauce and chicken stock and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until chicken shreds easily. Remove chicken from liquid and shred. Add celery, greek yogurt and blue cheese (optional). Serve on a wrap or bun.

If you're a fan of hot sauce, this is delicious and easy!

~Adel~

Slow Cooker Beef Bulgogi (Korean Beef)

Daddy Ladybug and I went to North Korea (DPRK) last summer with Koryo Tours (ya, you really can go to North Korea, it was perfectly safe!). As many of you know, my favourite part of travel is food - surprised?! The food wasn't very good there for the most part as they have such heavy sanctions that things we take for granted like spices and variety of food are not available to them. They are an extremely poor country and eat a very basic diet of rice, meat, and vegetables - only things they can grow. Everything comes from their country, it's hard to imagine that coming from a place where I can get anything I want from any country in the world. It was an eye opening trip for me to see the suffering, pride, ingenuity, and determination of a people who live in total self-sufficiency. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to meet North Koreans and to seem them as real people and not just the image we are given in our western media or by our governments.

We did have a few interesting meals along the way...Dog Soup...yup, we had to try that one. An Emperor's Meal with 12 different tiny dishes and rice served in bronze bowls (delicious and interesting), a make-your-own Hot Pot (yummmmm), a Korean BBQ, and Bulgogi. 

I've been trying to re-create the flavours of the Bulgogi we had and I think if my taste memory serves me right, I've done pretty good, it's great, my family loves it, and best of all, it's slow cooker friendly!

Slow Cooker Beef Bulgogi (Korean Beef) 

Serves 6

1.5 lb Beef Steak (sirloin or flank are good choices, but any thick cut will do)

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce or tamari
1/4 cup Beef Broth

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tsp Sriracha (chili sauce or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes also work)

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Fresh Ginger, Minced

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

2 Tbsp Cornstarch + a little water to make a paste

4 stalks Green Onion, diced

Sesame Seeds

Slice meat in thin strips & place in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a Separate Bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, ginger and salt & pepper. Pour over meat and stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Add Cornstarch mixed with a little water for the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Top with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with rice.

Freezer Instructions: Combine all ingredients except cornstarch, green onions and sesame seeds in a freezer bag and freeze. To use, defrost in a fridge for 24 hours. Empty contents of bag and cook as directed above.

Yum. A little taste of my travels on a cool rainy day.

~Adel~

Freezer Meals: Big Cook Summer 2014

This summer I'm going to try not to use my stove or oven to make dinner. Lets see if that works, I'm planning to just use my slow cooker and grill, so I guess that means I need to do another big cook.

Today Lady & Bug were spending the day with Nana & Papa Ladybug, so I had some time to get a Big Cook done. A little leisurely grocery shop with a coffee and then it was getting down to work!

I seem to be going with themes lately, and this Big Cook is all about food from hot countries just in time for the hot weather of summer. As many of you know, Daddy Ladybug and I love to travel and my favourite part of travel is the food (of course!). I try all the local specialties I can find (except the bugs - that's Daddy Ladybug's thing) and I'll try to take a cooking class if it's available. One of my favourite activities is to go to the local market and check out what kind of food they sell - looks so different from our supermarkets! Once I'm home I try to recreate the dishes - sometimes successfully, and sometimes I have to go hunt down a neighbour to find out what's really in those dishes! 

At home I check out the local market too. On my shopping trip this morning I discovered another great way to make Big Cooks easier, a jar of peeled garlic! Perfect for this big cook day - I almost used the whole jar.

Mmmm....Garlic!

I started with my beef dishes: Simba Stew (Inspired by South/East Africa), Salsa Verde Beef (Inspired by Mexico), Vietnamese Beef (recipe from a Cooking School in Hoi An), and Grilled Pineapple Ginger Beef (Inspired by China). 

Then it was onto the chicken dishes: Chicken Shawarma (Inspired by a delicious sandwich I had in Cairo), Thai Red Curry (recipe from cooking school in Bangkok), Greek Chicken (Inspired by Greece), Lime Chicken (Inspired by Costa Rica) and Butter Chicken (Inspired by India). 

Meals made in this Big Cook:

• Simba Stew
• Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef Tacos
• Vietnamese Beef
• Grilled Pineapple Ginger Beef
• Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma & Garlic Sauce
• Slow Cooker Red Thai Curry
• Greek Chicken
• Limey Chicken
• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I tripled each of the recipes so if you're counting that's 9 different recipes and 27 meals in about 3 hours. So satisfying! The freezer is full and I have about 2 months of summer oven/stove free meals ready to go. 

Bring on the heat!

~Adel~

If you're looking for more freezer meal ideas, try my Freezer Meals page for Big Cooks and freezer friendly meal ideas.

You might also like: 

Simba Stew

I'm always looking for new flavours and travel has been a great way to discover new spice combinations. 

New isn't always easy when you've got kids, but I can usually get my kids to eat something new or different if I call it something cool, even if it's not the prettiest looking meal.

Simba would probably love this African inspired dish!

Simba Stew

2 lbs Steak, cut in thin strips

5 cloves, Garlic, minced

1 Onion, sliced thin
4 Potatoes, cubed (optional)*
3 Carrots, 1 inch chunks (optional)*

1 & 1/2 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Allspice

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

796 ml can Diced Tomatoes (28 oz)

2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt

*I usually make this dish with just the shredded or cubed meat on rice with chapati, but if you add the potatoes & carrots, it becomes a stew, good both ways.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Combine all ingredients except greek yogurt in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Stir in greek yogurt before serving. 

Serve with rice or your favourite flatbread. 

Freezer instructions: Combine meat, garlic, onion, spices and tomatoes in a freezer bag and freeze. To use, place in the fridge 24 hours before cooking to defrost. Add contents of bag to slow cooker and follow cooking instructions above.

Another great summer slow cooker option.

~Adel~