recipes – Swimming With The Rain

Shrimp, Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup Recipe

July 25, 2020

I’ve been on a soup kick lately because it is such a great way to add veggies in to my food. Not that I don’t normally eat veggies, but I just don’t get creative with how they are prepared so I tend to get bored.

Yesterday and today, I searched Pinterest looking for some kind of Shrimp soup recipe but I just wasn’t feeling it. Plus, as I have said before, I do not like buying ingredients that I will probably only use once. So, knowing that I had to stock up on certain food anyways, I decided to come up with my own little concoction, while still being healthy.

The great thing about this is that you can make it Keto by leaving out the potatoes and adding additional meat. OR, you can add more seafood to make it more of a seafood chowder. OR, you could leave out the sausage and seafood, add more veggies, and have it that way. The great thing is, this is a pretty versatile base.

Since I prefer when trying new things to have step by step instructions, that’s what you will find here. But, if you prefer to just skip to the ingredients and do it your way, just scroll on down to the bottom.

Green pepper, red pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Here’s the thing, while I love the flavoring of the green & red peppers, and onion, I HATE biting in to them. Something about the texture… I don’t know. So, I diced them up even finer than this. You do it how you like.

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, “I love Pampered Chef!” Their manual food processor makes it super easy to get the veggies just the right size. You can use a regular food processor, also, but I don’t have easy to get to outlets so this one comes in super handy. No, I am not being paid for that statement nor do I receive any kickbacks from it.

***Use a nice sized pot with your temperature at Medium Low. After each step, cover. It will help to keep the temp in and slowly meld all of the flavors together.

While your veggies are slowly sauteing, dice your potatoes in to bite size pieces. Remember, they will get mushy when cooked so you don’t want them TOO small.

Break up your Italian Sausage and throw it in. I used Butterball Sweet Italian Turkey sausage to keep it healthy. Now comes the part with kale… Some people like it, some people don’t. I really don’t notice the taste of it when mixed with other things. So, if you don’t want kale, use spinach. The point is to make the most out of getting as many veggies in as possible.

Kale has a tendency to shrink when cooked. So, the recipe calls for two cups, that means FIRMLY PACKED. Get as much kale as you can in to that measuring cup. Now, put all of that kale back on to your chopping board and chop away! Mix it in to what you already have and this is what it should look like, everything sauteing and steaming nicely.

My kitchen was smelling quite nice by this point! One of the benefits to making this soup is that it is easy enough to make, but you feel like you are actually doing something and creating your own personal dish. I had a podcast going and was just chopping away, feeling awfully relaxed.

Let’s talk seasoning. This is when you make it your own and add whatever you have in your house. I added in a teaspoon each of these, plus sea salt and black pepper. Oh! And four rosemary leaves.

Now, the liquid… I used the low sodium chicken broth and vanilla flavored almond milk. Why use low sodium broth when you are adding in sea salt? Great question! Because I can add salt, but I can’t take it away. Make sense? Regarding milk, if you want to use normal milk, go for it! I can’t use regular milk (lactose intolerant issues, good times!) and I really like the flavor that the vanilla almond milk adds to things.

My personal opinion, let this simmer for awhile. Remember, you want to make sure that your potatoes and sausage are cooked through. Plus, the seasonings need time to meld together. (I sound like an expert here, huh? haha)

Shrimp. I could eat it every day. LOVE IT! Now, I bought two bags of the frozen large shrimp (raw, tail off, deveined), and let them thaw. Not to when warm, just that they weren’t frozen like a rock. Then I rinsed them. Why? Because I didn’t want to add too much of the seafood “juice” to the flavor and take away from the other spices. I then cut them up in to bite size pieces. Yes,I could have bought small or medium shrimp and may not have had to do that, but they were out at the store.

Pour the shrimp in, stir, cover, and go do something else. Let it slowly simmer for however long you want to, just make sure the shrimp is cooked when you pour yourself a bowl. Shrimp is cooked when it pinkens.

Based on the ingredients I used and the calorie counter, all of this comes in at 2,541 calories. Since you’re not eating all of this in one seating (but it is good enough that you will want to), and it measures approximately 10 cups, it is only 254 calories. But, if you’re like me, you poured 2 cups and called it a good meal!

This soup is hearty enough for a cold winter day, but doesn’t feel so heavy as to make you feel blah on a hot day, thanks to the shrimp.

For a list of ingredients and quick instructions, HERE.

Enjoy!

Entertainment

Blueberry Cream Cheese Won Ton

July 25, 2020

Oh my goodness, I think I just created the greatest thing ever!

I am not big on using 15 million ingredients when it comes to making things. Or at least ingredients that I will not have on hand or be willing to use again. While at the grocery store this morning, I saw this HUGE basket of fresh blueberries for under five dollars and was super excited because I’ll just eat those by the handful. Moving on to the section with the pre-made guacamole, I saw won ton wrappers, which I have never used. But, ideas started to pop in to my head and at only 50 calories for three of them, I could make something bite sized, right? Wait! I have blueberries in my cart and some whipped strawberry cream cheese at home… This could be interesting.

You do not have to even be good at cooking to figure this out, trust me. And with these photos, it makes it even easier! First, turn the oven to 350. By the time it is done preheating, you’ll be ready to put these amazing things in.

Mix 4 tablespoons of whipped cream cheese with 2 ounces of blueberries. I used strawberry cream cheese because that is what I had.

Put a “dollop” of mixture in to the center of the won ton and bring the corners up, however you want to.

There is just enough mixture for 6 of these heavenly tasting things.

The hard part… Wait 14 minutes. I timed it and just before the 14 minute mark is when they started bubbling up, getting ready to spill over.

You will then have the easiest masterpiece you have ever created! I was on the phone with a friend when I took my first bite and I believe the words I used were, “Oh, my dear God, these are amazing!”

The best thing is, 253 calories for all six, because, yes, I ate all of them!

Enjoy!

Food

11 Different Types Of Pasta

July 15, 2020

Lately, I have been on a whole wheat pasta kick. Surprisingly, it is much better than you would think! I have found that the trick is that just before it’s completely done, drain the majority of the water (I just use the lid to drain instead of breaking out the strainer) and mix it in with the sauce. By letting it finish cooking this way, the noodles soak up the flavor of the sauce, and I can’t even tell if I am missing out on anything!

For some reason this morning, pasta crossed my mind and I thought, “Why are there so many types of pasta and are they used for different things?” So, off to Google Land I went. But, here’s the thing… The first two things that came up, were almost EXACTLY the same exact wording. Now, I know from writing blogs for work that there is a percentage you can get away with, but I prefer to write my own words. So, because I am nosy and want to know WHY, I kept researching for even more in depth information.

Would you put spaghetti noodles in Mac & Cheese? No way! But, WHY??? Because, we want the shell that holds all that ooey gooey goodness, so it makes perfectly good sense that different types of pasta, due to the thickness, texture, and shape, will be beneficial to different types of sauces. But, how was this all discovered of what noodle goes best with what sauce? One theory explains it as this ~ Italians appreciate and love artistry in all aspects of their lives. Doesn’t that make you have this wistful feeling? Then there is this theory that will make you think of your own Grandma and her cooking or quilting ~ Old Italian women didn’t spend time making every family member a new quilt, they perfected their slow cooked meals and passed that down.

Are you ready for your pasta lesson? FYI – from the website (SwimmingWithTheRain.com), you can print this out for reference.

Angel Hair (Capelli d’angelo) has the clue in its common name… It is more delicate and cannot hold the chunky sauces. Great for soups, oil based sauces, or my personal favorite – Shrimp Scampi!

Cavatappi has tight spirals that pull in flavor, which is why it is generally referred to as “Corkscrew”. Suggested to use in thicker sauces, with chunks of meat and vegetables, which can get “caught” in the spirals. A great idea for pasta salads, too!

Elbow Macaroni isn’t just for your kid’s art projects! This pasta is used with sauce, baked dishes, soups, macaroni salad… Probably one of the most versatile and popular.

Farafelle or better known as Bowtie Pasta, is one of my favorites. Why? It looks fun! It is a thicker noodle that can hold its own with a variety of sauces, but is perfect to mix with vegetables of the same size. The next time you are making a creamy type of sauce, use this and see if you can notice how the sauce sneaks in to the center.

Fettuccine ~ Long cut and flat, generally used with heavy cream sauce. For instance, Fettuccine Alfredo with it’s heavy cream, thick chicken cuts and vegetables.

How do you say “little tongues” in Italian? Linguine! It’s not as wide as fettuccine or as round as spaghetti or as thick as fettuccini, so it is perfect for the lighter sauces such as pesto, or white wine and Shrimp (my favorite).

Orzo seems to be gaining popularity these days. Larger than rice, it would be lost in a normal sauce, so it is best used in soup when needing to add in some “bulk”, or by itself with some butter and parmesan cheese.

I have to admit that the first time I had Penne Pasta in my mid-20’s, I felt like I was in the “high class” life. I had never heard of such a thing and fell in love with the way the Alfredo flowed inside the pasta and stuck to the ridges. This is why the edges are cut diagonal (main difference between Ziti and Penne). Try not to use as chunky of a sauce so that the mixture can move through the tubes.

Rigatoni is similar to Penne but is slightly larger, and instead of an angled opening, it is simply round. With the space being even more hollow, you can use the chunkier version of sauces.

Conchiglie or let’s just call it what it is ~ Shells! These can be used for Mac & Cheese, soups, cold pasta salads or one of my favorites if you buy the large variety ~ Stuffed Shells.

Spaghetti… Does it really need an explanation? Typically served with tomato sauce, but it is really the most versatile of all pastas. Thick enough it doesn’t get overpowered by a traditional meat sauce, but thin enough to mix with some olive oil, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes. So, go ahead and swirl that fork around and around!

Now that your taste buds are heightened, remember that the concept is to have the perfect balance of pasta and sauce. While some pasta lends an aesthetic look to the meal, they each serve a purpose to compliment the sauce and the type of meal you are preparing. Just remember, thinner sauces go with thinner noodles, and heartier noodles go with chunkier sauces.

Or better yet, you do you! Just enjoy your meal and be proud of the creation you have made!

Food

Pampered Chef Bell Pepper Herb Rub

May 27, 2020July 25, 2020

No matter how often I have tried, I just can’t eat a bell pepper. Something about the texture. It’s not about the heartburn, although I have heard that a lot of people do have issues with that. Strange thing is, I love the flavoring of it, though.

Anyways, there I was doing an order through a Pampered Chef party and I needed to spend just a few dollars more to get the freebie. I am a firm believer in the Pampered Chef products, so I figured they would do halfway decent with their seasonings. If it was bad, I was only out $6.

This stuff is amazing! I add just a bit of it to almost everything I make, just to give it an extra pizzazz! Scrambled eggs, canned spaghetti sauce, soup… You name it.

So, there you go. Give it a try. You won’t regret it. And while you’re ordering it, if you don’t have a Pampered Chef stone, invest in the pizza one or a flat bar… You’ll understand the loyalty of them.

Entertainment

How to cut a pineapple

May 22, 2020June 14, 2020

Years ago, I had this boyfriend and we loved to have people over and entertain. Whether it was for a football game, pool time, Saturday night… You name it! He supplied the house, I supplied the kitchen duties. Sometimes it’s easier for me to keep busy instead of having to make polite chit chat.

Well, one day I get there and here is how this conversation went…

Boyfriend, “I bought you a pineapple!”

Me, “Okay. Why?”

Boyfriend, “To cut up to go with the other food.”

Me, “How?”

Boyfriend, “I don’t know. I was hoping you knew.”

So, I figured it out for him. Because that is what good girlfriends do, right? Please remind me why I’m still single…

Well, in case you needed a bit of help because it really can be quite intimidating (speaking from personal experience), I’m here to give you a step by step guide with pictures! And once you know how, you’ll never go back to the canned stuff!