Here is another great recipe for Spring Fever! The original recipe comes from Simply in Season, but I have adjusted the ingredients and the method of serving. The first set of ingredients and directions is more or less the original, with some additions. The second set is my own creation, created to compliment the flavors in the chowder.

I created this meal to celebrate a new apartment for my friend Leah. On the first evening in a new place, I felt the kitchen needed to be “broken in” as a welcoming gift. Both she and I loved this dish, and it makes plenty of leftovers for lunch (or enough to feed a crowd). Of course, I had to serve this with my favorite Coconut-Ginger Rice. We also had fresh cantaloupe on the side, which complimented the dish perfectly.

2 tbsp butter
2 ribs of celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2-3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups water
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (or chicken)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 can (14-16 oz) diced tomatoes, not drained
1 can (14-16 oz) corn kernels, drained
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) evaporated milk

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onions, saute 3-5 minutes until tender. Add zucchini and basil, saute an additional 3-5 minutes until tender.

Stir flour, salt, and pepper into vegetables. Gradually stir in water to make a smooth stock. Add bouillon cubes and lemon juice, mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until bouillon cubes have dissolved.

Add tomatoes and juice, corn, and evaporated milk to pot. Return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for 5 minutes until corn is tender.

At this point in the original recipe, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese are stirred into the chowder just before serving and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on top of the serving bowls. In my recipe, the sauteed beef is prepared while the chowder cooks and everything is served over hot, cooked rice.

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips 
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
6 scallions, cut into half inch pieces, white and green parts separated
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup water

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Add celery, onion, and white scallions to skillet and saute 3-5 minutes. Remove onion mixture from skillet and set aside.

Toss beef in cornstarch, cumin, cayenne pepper, and allspice until coated. Add beef to hot skillet and cook 2 minutes on one side, do not stir. Add water to pan and turn beef, scrapping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

Return onion mixture to pan and toss with beef. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve sauteed beef and zucchini chowder over hot, cooked rice. Top with green scallions.

 Dinner is served!

When I made the Apples Roasted with Root Vegetables, there was enough to feed a small army! I still had half of it left in the refrigerator, and decided to turn it into soup! You could either follow the original recipe and reserve half, or follow the recipe below if you just want to make the soup.

Here is the recipe, halved:

1 1/2 cups tart apples, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup carrots, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/2 lb small red skin potatoes, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 cups parsnips, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch chunks 
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried thyme or 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/4 tsp salt

For soup, add:
2 tsp minced garlic
4-5 cups water or chicken stock
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of red pepper

Preheat oven to 425F

Combine apples, carrots, onion, red skin potatoes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme,  and salt. Toss to coat and spread vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize. 

Saute garlic over medium heat in a large saucepan for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add 4 cups chicken stock or water, plus nutmeg and red pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add reserved vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are warm (if using leftovers). Blend in batches, filling the blender halfway each time. Combine batches in a clean pot and add additional water or stock if too thick. Top with fresh ground black pepper.   

Shown below, garnished with a cinnamon stick:

This recipe has appeared in several different forms, and here is the latest reincarnation. If you like cheesy broccoli soup and one-pot dishes, this is the recipe for you.

1 small onion, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 cups chicken broth
1 pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1 pkg (12-14 oz) processed cheese, such as Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Coat a large stockpot with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add paprika and saute 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add chicken broth and broccoli, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk flour into milk and add to soup. Add pepper and stir well until thickened, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

Remove from heat and stir in cubed cheese. Stir until melted. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Another adventure in Autumn’s produce, this soup combines rich butternut squash and tart Golden Delicious apples with a touch of curry and cinnamon. The produce used below was grown locally. There were several recipes online for this type of soup, but none really matched what I was looking for, so this is more of an original creation with a little help. Great for a rainy day! This is also going to be Turmeric-mania Recipe #8.

1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
3-4 small or medium tart apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tbsp butter or oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups vegetable stock (chicken broth can be used instead)

In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt butter or heat oil and add onion and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes until tender and fragrant. Add salt, curry powder, and cinnamon. Saute 2-3 additional minutes.

Add vegetable (or chicken) stock, butternut squash, and apples. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, until squash and apples are tender.

Working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Reheat if necessary. Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch of nutmeg (if desired).

The author of one of my favorite blogs Vanilla Garlic, listed to the right under Cool Food Blogs, posted this fantastic recipe for Garbanzo Garlic Soup that I just had to try. Part of the appeal of this soup is that it is a “pantry-scraper,” to borrow the phrase, meaning hopefully you have all the ingredients on hand like garlic, onion, chicken broth, thyme, and garbanzo beans (fortunately, I’m really into chick peas right now, so I did have everything!). It was delicious and perfect for autumn.

To view the recipe, please visit the blog by clicking here.