White Bean Fennel Soup

On Saturday we received fennel in our bountiful basket.  I didn't have a clue what to do with fennel- I don't even think I've ever eaten it before.  So I found this recipe on allrecipes.com that had a high rating and tried it.  I never even thought to take pictures because it was just a test, but it turned out super yummy!

This is not my picture.  I took it from the original recipe.

White Bean Fennel Soup by Donna Quinn (my changes in parenthesis)

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (2 cans)
• 1 (15 ounce) can white kidney or cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (2 cans)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (none, I don't like thyme)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (1 tsp pepper)
• (2 tsp kosher salt)
• 1 bay leaf (2 leaves)
• 3 cups shredded fresh spinach (none because we were out, but it would be really good)
• 
  
• In a large saucepan, saute onion and fennel in oil until tender. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, pepper, (salt) and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 (45) minutes or until fennel is tender. Discard bay leaf. Add spinach; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.

Ghost Chili

A creamy chili that’s good on the taste buds and the budget.

• Prep Time 5 Minutes
• Cook Time 45 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Chicken Breast, Cubed
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 cans (15.5 Oz) Great Northern Beans, Rinsed And Drained
• 1 can (14.5 Oz) Chicken Broth
• 2 cans (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Whipping Cream

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream.

If you like your chili very mild, reduce the amount of chilies to 1 can, or rinse and drain the chilies well.

To make a less rich, healthier version, use 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup milk.

Chicken Taco Soup

Uh yeah, I like cheese. A lot.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped (or onion flakes, gives flavor without the big chunks)
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) chicken broth (original recipe called for beer, I guess you can try that if you want...)
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

 -A bunch of the reviews said to add chili powder and Cumin so I threw a little of both in.
-I didn't have time to put it in the crock pot so I boiled the chicken, shredded it, and then heated everything on the stove. It was still amazing.
-I added cilantro on mine and it was DELISH!

Jack's Dump Chili

Chili

1 1/2# of hamburger (browned)
1 lrg can of chili beans
1 lrg can of diced tomatoes
1 can of Nally's chili (any flavor you wish)

Add: Salt, Pepper, & Season Salt to taste

Dump ingredients together in a pot. Heat to a boil and then simmer 1 hour. Sometimes I skip the simmer part! I also like to add a can of corn on occasion!

Sometimes I serve this with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream. Or it could be served over a baked potato!