roasted garlic bread and black bean soup

Wow, it has been way to long since I last posted. Life has been busy, and unfortunately, the blog got pushed down on the list. Apparently, my husband posted a link to this blog on his facebook, so I guess I had better get it update.

So what have I been cooking lately? I am still on my bread kick. Last week I made a half recipe and stirred some roasted garlic cloves in while mixing it up. I then let it rise for about an hour before splitting it in half and placing in two loaf pans. Let that rise for a couple more hours and baked it for some roasted garlic bread. Very good with the soups we have been eating during the cold weather.

One of my favorite soups right now is a creamy black bean soup. I usually make it in the Crockpot so I have dinner ready when I get home from work, but it would be just as easy to make on the stove.

Black Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS
4 cups chicken stock
3 cans black beans – divided
1 can of corn or 1-2 cups frozen corn
1 (16oz) jar of salsa
1 small onion - chopped
1½ tsp cumin
1½ cups cooked chicken – shredded or cut into bit size pieces
Shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, diced onion, lime (optional for topping)

DIRECTIONS
Dump the stock, 2 cans of beans, corn, salsa, onion, and cumin into the Crockpot.
Cook on high for 6-8 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
Blend the soup until it becomes creamy. I have an immersion blender but if you don’t then just use a traditional blender in batches.
Added the 3rd can of beans and chicken, and let them heat with the soup for a minute.
Serve topped with whatever suits your fancy.

I leave you with a picture of some sweet rolls Brett made for me the other morning using the bread dough.

broccoli cheese soup

I made broccoli cheese soup the other night and we ate it with some crusty sour dough bread. Brett loved it and the leftovers were just as good if not better then the first night.

INGREDIENTS
• 2-3 T of butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 cups chicken broth – set aside ½ cup
• ½ a “loaf” of Velveeta
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 2 cups milk or half and half
• Some minced garlic - I used a lot :)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
1. In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes.
2. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk.
4. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into ½ c chicken stock until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.