Category: Appetizer

Pumpkin Soup

The Sunshine Inn BlogLeave a comment

Pumpkin Soup

  • Servings: 8 1 cup portions
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Is there ever a wrong time for pumpkin? What you will find here is a soup that is great as is, or can be used as a base. The puree I used was one I froze from a pumpkin I cooked, you can use canned puree (just be sure not to use pie filling)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 4 cups of pumpkin puree
  • 6 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp of cajun spice
  • 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat
  2. Add onion and cook until tender.
  3. Add garlic cook for approximately 2 minutes.
  4. Add puree, broth and spices.
  5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes.
  6. You can either serve or if you want smoother, use your blender to puree it even more.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 107
  • Fat 1.8 g
  • Sugar 3 g
  • Carbohydrates 11.6 g
  • Protein 5.1 g
  • Fibre 3.3 g

This is an easy soup that is both nutritious and low calorie. It can be served as an appetizer or as a main course. As a main course, use two servings. You can serve it with a nice sunflower and flax seed bread (see recipe), white bread (see recipe) or country biscuits (see recipe). You can use this as a base for a vegetable soup. You can thicken it with a little flour and use it as a sauce. So basically, have fun and make it your own.

Hamburger Soup

The Sunshine Inn BlogLeave a comment

Hamburger Soup

  • Servings: 10 of 1 cup
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Cold weather is upon us. Comfort food is a must. I love seeing the leaves turning colours, cooler nights for sleep, but salads get pushed aside for cozier foods. Here is one of them.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves or 1 tsp of garlic powder
  • 19 ounce can (540ml) of chopped tomatoes
  • 10 oz can (284 ml) tomato soup (preferably sodium reduced)
  • 1 tsp worchestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cups of low sodium beef broth (I use campbell)
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced (relatively thin)
  • 1 cup chopped cabbage

Directions

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the meat and drain off excess fat.
  2. Add onions and garlic and cook on low heat until onions are tender.
  3. Add tomatoes, tomato soup, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and broth.
  4. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. Add the vegetables and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 122
  • Fat 4.8 g
  • Sugar 5 g
  • Carbohydrates 8.5 g
  • Protein 11.2 g
  • Fibre 1.7 g

This is an easy soup that is both nutritious and low calorie. It can be served as an appetizer or as a main course. We had it as a main course and it made 6 bowls. You can serve it with a nice sunflower and flax seed bread (see recipe), white bread (see recipe) or country biscuits (see recipe).

Overall, it was a nice comfort food for a cooler night. If you want it spicy, you can add a little cayenne pepper to taste. You can add extra veggies like frozen corn. Possibilities are endless, so have fun and make it your own.

Seafood Chowder

The Sunshine Inn Blog1 Comment

Seafood Chowder

  • Servings: 4 or 8
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Who doesn’t love a chowder? It can be a full meal or a tasty appetizer. It’s rich, it’s decadent, it’s sinful. It’s just good.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 3 branches of celery chopped up small
  • shrimp tails about 30
  • 4 cups of water
  • 6 ounces of cooked cod
  • 1 can of corn niblets 341 ml or 12 oz
  • 1 can whole baby clams 142 g or 5 oz
  • 1 can of crab meat 120 g or 4 oz (doesn’t have to be high end)
  • 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp of dehydrated chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp of old bay spice
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups of coffee cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In one large pot put the 4 cups of water and shrimp tails and bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. In a stock pot, heat oil and cook onions until translucent and add celery and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes
  3. Skim your shrimp tail broth of the froth and remove tails with your skimmer.
  4. Add shrimp broth to the onions and celery.
  5. Add remaining ingredients except cream and simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Add cream and stir.

Nutrition Per Serving

    First number is fully meal 4 plates,
    second number is appetizer size 8 servings
  • Calories 342 / 171
  • Fat 14 / 7 g
  • Sugar 10 / 5 g
  • Carbohydrates 22 / 11 g
  • Protein 27 / 13.5 g
  • Fibre 2.6 / 1.3 g

This chowder is hearty and it’s great on a cold rainy day. Or when you just want to indulge yourself a little. If you don’t like cod, change the fish. You can add shrimp. (I don’t as I find they get too rubbery) You can add extra veggies likes carrots and/or broccoli stems, chopped fine. If you would rather use fresh shellfish, just remember that it has to be cooked to go in this chowder.

If you serve this as a main course, just add a little salad and some Country Biscuits or Homemade White Bread to complete the meal. Remember have fun and make it your own.

Fresh Spring Rolls

The Sunshine Inn BlogLeave a comment

Fresh Spring Rolls

  • Servings: 15
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

For those who love Fresh Spring Rolls in rice wrappers, here is an easy recipe to follow and just as good, if not better, than most restaurants, as they are your own design.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of spring roll rice wrappers, found in asian food section of most grocery stores, some are square some are round. Doesn’t matter which.
  • 1 package of vermicelli rice noodles, also found in the same section as spring roll wrappers
  • 2 mangos, peeled and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cut into thin strips (I use the peeler to make very thin slices)
  • 1 large english cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 lb of small, cooked shrimp
  • 1 bunch of mint leaves (fresh)
  • 1 bunch of basil leaves (fresh)
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water, as per package instructions, usually 3-5 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Gather all topping ingredients together, including veggies, herbs and cooked shrimp.
  3. Add about 1 inch of water to a large deep dish or pie pan. Place none rice wrapper into the water and let soaker just 10-15 seconds. It should still feel firm as you remove it and lay it on your counter or plate. (It will soften up as you add the filling ingredients, but if you let it soak for too long it will get too soft and start sticking together or rip when you roll it up.
  4. Layer 1-2 slices of each veggie, a few shrimp, a few leaves of each herb and a pinch of noodles on the 1/3 of the wrapper closest to you.
  5. Fold the sides of the spring roll in over the ingredients. Then roll from the closest to you out, sealing everything tightly together.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 80
  • Fat 0.5 g
  • Sugar 4 g
  • Carbohydrates 18 g
  • Protein 1 g
  • Fibre 1 g

When you place them on your serving platter, make sure they don’t touch. They will stick together. If that is the case, wet your fingers with a little water and gently rub at the two stuck rolls to separate them.

This is a nice cool light appetizer. You can serve with your favourite dipping sauce. A nice peanut butter sauce or a spicy chili sauce. The fun part of this is your filling. I have altered mine with spinach, cooked chicken, crushed peanuts. You can add bean sprouts, sliced avocado for a nice creamy texture, bell peppers, romaine lettuce. The possibilities are endless. They never have to be the same. Remember have fun and make it your own.