Soups & Stews

Thumbnail image for In Defense of Pinterest [Recipe: Chicken-Tomatillo Chili with Sour Cream and Cilantro]

In Defense of Pinterest [Recipe: Chicken-Tomatillo Chili with Sour Cream and Cilantro]

March 10, 2012

My Canon Rebel is my achilles heel. I love to write, I love to develop recipes and I love to take photographs, but I only consider myself to be good at two out of three of these things. All things considered, this ratio is not a bad one since writing essentially helps pay my bills [...]

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Thumbnail image for Defining ‘In Good Taste’ [Recipe: No-Fuss French Style Beef Stew]

Defining ‘In Good Taste’ [Recipe: No-Fuss French Style Beef Stew]

February 7, 2012

When I started writing my blog in 2008, I was 23 and didn’t know that I wanted to create a space on the internet centered around cooking, recipes and the kitchen. I started a blog a) because I liked to write and b) because I didn’t have that many friends and I liked having something [...]

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Thumbnail image for Thai Chicken Curry Soup

Thai Chicken Curry Soup

January 19, 2012

This year I bought myself a new winter coat that I could only barely afford. For my birthday, I received a warm pair of snow boots that feel like slippers, that’s how comfortable they are. So, of course it goes without saying that since I finally have the appropriate winter outerwear after two years of [...]

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Thumbnail image for Lisa’s Smokey Tomato & Red Lentil Soup [New England Soup Challenge Voting]

Lisa’s Smokey Tomato & Red Lentil Soup [New England Soup Challenge Voting]

January 5, 2012

Even though I disparaged healthy new years’ resolutions in my last post, the cliched truth is that most of us make them. At least, if the crowd in my Body Pump class on Tuesday night was any indication, a lot of us make them (unrelated: the act of walking has since become extremely difficult). When [...]

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Thumbnail image for Curried Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche

November 17, 2011

Growing up I had very mixed feelings about Thanksgiving. When my family of four was together without interruption, inevitably, someone would probably bicker and being the bratty firstborn that I am, I like to be surrounded by people and activity.  Thanksgiving has never meant hordes of relatives, backyard football and too much pie. It always [...]

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Thumbnail image for How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree [Recipe: Pumpkin Chili]

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree [Recipe: Pumpkin Chili]

October 15, 2011

Let’s talk about pumpkin, shall we? I hope you aren’t sick of it yet. Since it’s mid-October, we’ve all realized by now that pumpkin is everywhere. It’s at the farmer’s market, it’s on sale at the grocery store and on almost every blog I’ve read since the end of August, there is a glowing tribute [...]

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Thumbnail image for A Tasty Recipe: Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato Chili

A Tasty Recipe: Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato Chili

March 15, 2011

Last week I shared a recipe for Chipotle Spiced Sweet Potato Chili on Tasty Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman’s recipe community. While you should certainly already be reading the Tasty Kitchen blog, I thought I would re-post it here in case you missed it in all it’s spicy, sweet potato-ey glory. I have a theory that [...]

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curried pumpkin soup

Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes (Gluten-Free Curried Pumpkin Soup)

November 15, 2010

Last week I wrote a series of Thanksgiving side dish recipes for Craft Magazine. It was a fun series, and one that challenged me because all of the recipes had to be gluten-free. I don’t have any dietary restrictions or sensitivities (unless you count the fact that I hate chocolate and peanut butter together. I [...]

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white bean apple chili

Worknight Dinners: White Bean & Apple Chili Recipe

October 12, 2010

There is nothing that will keep me from cooking. I’ll cook when I’m tired, when I work late and when I don’t have a lot of groceries in the house. The only thing that will ever make me postpone homemade dinner plans in lieu of something a little more, pizza is if a feeling of [...]

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spicy sausage spinach soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Spicy Sausage, White Bean & Spinach Soup

October 4, 2010

Remember when I used to write one of these every single week? For almost two years you had visual proof that I cooked dinner at least once a week but these days, you’re forced to place actual trust in my word and give me the benefit of the doubt. Well, I promise. I would never [...]

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ratatouille

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Ratatouille with Basil & Parmesan Cheese

September 12, 2010

When I first learned to cook there were about three recipes that I would make with fairly consistent regularity: whole-wheat beer bread, turkey chili and spinach artichoke dip. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when your skills are limited. But what if I told you that there are so many things you can [...]

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

June 7, 2010

It’s June. Barbecues, sundresses, flip-flops and frozen margaritas. School is out, summer Fridays are on and your neighborhood pool is open for the season. So why am I making soup? Not a cool summer soup like chilled avocado soup but a creamy, comforting soup that will stick to your ribs and heal all that is [...]

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moroccan chickpea soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Moroccan Style Chickpea Soup

April 15, 2010

You might have noticed that there is a new category over in this here right sidebar. Or, maybe you didn’t notice at all. Maybe you’ve never even looked at the right hand sidebar. Maybe you didn’t even know that there was a right hand sidebar. In any event, I find that more often than not, [...]

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red bean and andouille jambalaya

Mardi Gras Recipe: Jambalaya with Red Beans & Andouille Sausage

February 15, 2010

Since I grew up in New Jersey, it wouldn’t be fair to say that Mardi Gras,which begins tomorrow, was ever a big part of my life. It would be fair to say that in college, Mardi Gras was an excuse to go out celebrate. And by celebrate, I mean drink alcohol on a school night. [...]

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lentil soup with spicy italian sausage

Let It Snow: Lentil Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage

February 11, 2010

I am, very easily, one of the world’s lightest sleepers. Somehow, I’ve honed the ability to sleep more soundly as I get older, but I only attribute that to the fact that I get less sleep and therefore, I crash harder when I eventually do drag myself to bed. Very early Wednesday morning, there was [...]

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Worknight Dinner Recipe: Beef & Pinto Bean Chili

January 31, 2010

January presents somewhat of a conundrum. On one hand, it’s cold out and the weather lends to hibernation, dim light and fireplaces. The holiday season and abundance of cookies and calorie-laden treats seems long-ago but they’ve left a lasting presence on your jeans. It’s sluggishness versus the gym; comfort food versus healthy food. Luckily, things [...]

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corn chile chowder

Two Beliefs and a Chile Corn Chowder Recipe

January 22, 2010

There are two things that I really believe in: six degrees of separation and self-fulfilling prophecies. Six degrees of separation is pretty simple. My college best friend Sarah’s now-boyfriend Mike went to college with my high school best friend Jen. All three of them live in different states. We only know it because Jen saw [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Every Vegetable Chili

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Every Vegetable Chili

December 13, 2009

Ever since I moved to Chicago I’ve been fascinated by some of the unusual architecture in the city. It seems that on every corner, in every park there is a different statue – a different interpretation of classic American or modern art. Even though the American Gothic is both awe-inspiring and fascinating (and bone-chillingly creepy. Yeah, I went there) [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Classic Turkey Chili

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Classic Turkey Chili

November 15, 2009

Chili is one of my favorite foods to make. It’s versatile: you can make it with spicy, like my spicy chicken cornbread chili. You can make chili with white beans and apples or you can fill your soup pot with plenty of veggies for a vegetarian chili. You can even make it hearty, with chunks [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Winter Vegetable Soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Winter Vegetable Soup

November 8, 2009

When I was in high school, I was at a local diner with my mother one night and she ordered a glass of white zinfandel. The waitress, confused, told her that they didn’t have white zinfandel, but they had the “pink kind.” Well, yes. White Zinfandel is tinted pink. Similarly, black kale is actually green. [...]

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butternut squash bisque

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Butternut Bisque

November 5, 2009

Last week I came home from work and found that I had placed a container of half-and-half in the microwave. A few days later, I couldn’t find the aluminum foil that I typically store in my pots and pans cabinet only to locate it later on top of the baking stone in my oven (uncooked, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Stew

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Stew

October 4, 2009

Did you know that you can make soup or stew in under an hour? Stews are one of the easiest meals you can make: you throw everything in a pot or slow-cooker and you pretty much just leave it there, maybe stirring occasionally. I made this on a Sunday, my favorite time of the week [...]

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chilled avocado soup

Cool as a Cucumber: Chilled Avocado Soup

August 27, 2009

When I was in Chicago for BlogHer this summer, I visited a college friend named John. Since he’s fairly new to Chicago and his kitchen was less-than stocked, I had the opportunity to drag him to every restaurant in Chicago that I wanted to try. One night, we started with happy hour and wound up [...]

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black and white bean oup

Worknight Dinners: Black & White Bean Soup

May 17, 2009

There was a period in my life – a very dark, seldom discussed period, where I avoided eating cheese. After college I used Weight Watchers to lose the beer-and-late-night pizza pounds that I had put on over the past four years and successfully dieted down to my goal weight. A change I made in my [...]

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Thumbnail image for Last Hurrah for Winter: Sweet Potato Soup

Last Hurrah for Winter: Sweet Potato Soup

April 2, 2009

Even as the weather starts to warm up, I remain dedicated to eating soup. No matter how warm it is outside, when lunchtime rolls around I’m often at work indoors, bundled up in sweaters and scarves (yes, you read the plural correctly) to mitigate the strength of industrial central air conditioning. In the summer, I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Garden Vegetable Soup, Remix

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Garden Vegetable Soup, Remix

February 24, 2009

Those of you who have ever been on the Weight Watchers diet are undoubtedly intimately familiar with Garden Vegetable Soup. Made with broth and a variety of low-calorie vegetables, this soup has been a lifeline for dieters everywhere, most likely since it was created in the test kitchens at Weight Watchers. Per cup, it has [...]

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Thumbnail image for A Grilled Cheese’s Best Friend: Winter Tomato Soup

A Grilled Cheese’s Best Friend: Winter Tomato Soup

February 8, 2009

In a recent post, I shared a recipe for Grilled Apple and Cheddar Cheese sandwiches. Grilled cheese is a versatile and widely treasured sandwich favorite, but there’s nothing better than pairing the sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup. I’m fairly ambivalent about tomato soup. On one hand, it’s often low-calorie and packed with lycopene, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Enough Cold Weather: Cannellini Bean & Sausage Stew

Enough Cold Weather: Cannellini Bean & Sausage Stew

January 22, 2009

(Photo: Central Park, New York City) Today the high temperature in New York City today was, oh, 24 degrees and that’s being generous (not that I expect all of you in Chicago to pity us AT ALL). If you ask me, it’s perfect weather. Perfect weather if you plan not to leave your house. Which [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Spicy Chicken Cornbread Chili

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Spicy Chicken Cornbread Chili

January 9, 2009

I like making chili because it’s one of those meals that seems indulgent but can be relatively good for you. This is a meat-free version that in line with my attempts to streamline my grocery shopping to once/week, I threw together with a bunch of ingredients that I had in the house.

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Thumbnail image for Freezer Meal: Italian Beef Stew Recipe

Freezer Meal: Italian Beef Stew Recipe

January 7, 2009

I’ve been severely hesitatant to post this recipe simply because the picture, oh, the picture does not do this thick, classic stew justice. I took a lot of shots of this dish and either they were out of focus (par, course) or they were in focus but they just looked sloppy because well, let’s be [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

January 5, 2009

I’m starting a personal campaign (not to be confused with a new year’s resolution) to convince myself that comfort food doesn’t have to be fattening. We all think of “comfort food” as big bowls of cheese and chocolate that we eat when we’re consoling ourselves – a hard day at work, a heart-wrenching break-up. Sometimes, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Easiest Indian Stew

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Easiest Indian Stew

December 9, 2008

I’m not shy about my lack of exposure to ethnic foods. Growing up, pork lo mein was about the most exotic thing that passed my lips. And even then, I’d pick out the onions and the “green things.” (Scallions? Herbs? No way, no how). Though my palate has certainly expanded beyond Chinese takeout, I’ve yet [...]

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Thumbnail image for Worknight Dinner Recipe: Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Worknight Dinner Recipe: Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

October 24, 2008

This weekend I bought myself a present and decided to immediately test it out on a big pot of soup, perfect for one of the first real, true fall afternoons where you really couldn’t wear flip flops because it was just too damn cold and the leaves are turning COLORS like yellow. Butternut Squash & [...]

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Thumbnail image for Sunday Plans: Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Ham

Sunday Plans: Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Ham

October 17, 2008

On Sundays I always fantasize about getting all of my laundry, errands and exercise out of the way early so that by 3 or 4 PM, when the sun is still out but the air is turning crisp, I can be planted in the kitchen prepping meals for the week. That almost never never happens. [...]

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Thumbnail image for A Chili Kind of Day

A Chili Kind of Day

August 31, 2008

I woke up to pouring rain this morning, which immediately reminded me that summer is on its way out, and my favorite season is on its way in. Actually, that’s a lie. My first thought after waking up was more like a continuous trail of colorful four-letter words about the rain pelting against the AC [...]

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