Soup and Oatmeal Pancake Recipes!

We has "soup" weather a few weeks ago so we had soup!! Two really good ones I wanted to share and then I'm posting a recipe my sister in law gave me for oatmeal brown sugar pancakes. They are DELICIOUS! My husband said he doesn't care if I never make the regular kind again.

First the pancakes.
I always double this recipe and we have a few left over for the next day.
(PANCAKE TIP FOR YOUNG CHILDREN We use a pizza cutter to cut up the kids pancakes. It makes quick and light work of it!! Once you've tried it you'll never go back :). )
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes













10 T. oats (I use the quick oats)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 T. vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I just use milk)
(I usually add 1 T. of lemon juice - don't know why)


Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the egg, oil and milk together in a small bowl and then add to the dry ingredients. You may need to add a bit more milk to get the right consistency - so they aren't too thick to pour onto the griddle.


Spinach, Orzo and Chicken Soup














4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in cubes
salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch of cinnamon
32 oz. chicken broth (I think I just used 4 bullion cubes and added 4 cups water)
2/3 cup orzo pasta
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
lemon wedges

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat Olive oil in 4 quart sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until lightly browned; remove to plate. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic, and saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add spices and stir for one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken, bring soup back to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Divide spinach among 6 bowls and ladle hot soup over spinach. Garnish with parmesan and lemon wedges.


This last recipe is one I got years ago from Top Secret Recipes. I subscribed to their emails years ago and from time to time one comes up that I really like. This has been my favorite. I don't have a picture of it - but I didn't want that to stop me from posting! This is their version of:

TGI Friday's Black Bean Soup

2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 cup diced white onion
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 T. minced garlic
4 15 oz. cans black beans
4 cups chicken stock (again I use chicken bullion cubes + water)
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I never use this)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp HICKORY flavored concentrated liquid smoke (A MUST!!!! yummmy)

Garnish
shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend
chopped green onion

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium/low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly (or "sweat" as it's called), for 15 minutes or until tender. Don't brown the veggies. While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and drain and rinse. Measure 3 cups of the drained and strained beans into a blender with 1 cup of chicken stock. Puree until smooth. When the veggies are ready pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken stock, and every other ingredient in the list to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 50-60 minutes.

Some notes of my own :)
I never cook it as long as 50-60 minutes. I don't think it's necessary especially if the veggies are arlready tender. I don't like the veggies too soft!
Cooking it that long may help it to thicken but I've never been patient enough to wait that long. Sometimes I have tried to thicken it a tiny bit with a cornstarch mixture or more pureed beans.
Try it and see what you like best!