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Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Soup

June 15, 2013 in Cassie, LIghter Side, Soup, Winter Eats

I know that it’s summer time and soup isn’t something that is really popular now, but this is a smooth, flavorful soup that is nice to have on hand for a quick lunch. It’s also super quick, easy and healthy.

The base takes less than 10 minutes to make, including prep and only another 20 minutes or less of simmering.

Not bad.

Did I mention it’s healthy?

I’m not sure where my mom got this recipe from, but it’s pretty incredible and deserves props.

Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients

1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T flour
3 1/2 C veggie broth (you can use chicken broth)
12 ounces cauliflower, chopped
1 large Idaho potato, peeled, cubed
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Stir in flour, cook for about a minute, then whisk in the stock a little at a time so the flour  doesn’t clump. Add cauliflower and potato and heat to boiling, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove about half the veggies with a slotted spoon and reserve. Puree remaining soup in food processor or blender.

Return soup to sauce pan, stir in reserved veggies, add half and half and cheese. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

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Applesauce Bundt Cake

March 7, 2013 in Breakfast, Cassie, Sweets, Winter Eats

I’m on a bundt kick, yes. But they make the moistest cakes ever and because of the fact that it’s missing a center, it’s less likely that you’ll over bake it.

Plus they’re pretty.

This is an applesauce bundt cake. It requires homemade applesauce, however, if you don’t have it, never fear, you can use store bought, but stick with the chunky kind.

This cake almost reminds me of a fall spice cake, with a hint of pumpkin. There’s no pumpkin in this, however. BUT, it makes a great breakfast cake.

Not that I’d know.

Not at all.

It’s extremely moist, light and completely unfilling. So cut a big slice.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Living

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey 
2 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups homemade applesauce (or chunky style store bought)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a bundt or tube pan with cooking spray and flour.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the honey. About 3-4 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl down between. Add in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients. Then mix in the applesauce.
Pour into the bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool until the cake comes away from the pan, about 15 minutes.
Top with powdered sugar.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili (with pumpkin)

January 22, 2013 in Cassie, LIghter Side, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker, Winter Eats

There’s a secret to making a thick, hearty, filling, healthy chili. What is it? A can of pumpkin puree. The real stuff – not the kind used for pumpkin pie.

This is coming from someone who loathes all things pumpkin. The chili will not, I repeat will not, taste like pumpkin. Trust me on this. This chili will, however, taste amazing and be super healthy for you. It requires little to no work to make it, either. It’s a set it and forget it kind of meal, and trust me, that’s gold.

This recipe is a base. Think of it as a jumping off point of adding in more things. I have three children, and they’re not a fan of spicy, so we have to add in some jalapeno sauce after the fact, but feel free to do as we used to – mince up a jalapeno and let it cook all day with the chili.

 

original recipe

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (24 oz)
1 can pure pumpkin puree (16 oz)
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
splash of olive oil
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto/black beans
corn (optional)
jalapeno pepper (optional)

Directions

In a slow cooker, add the first eight ingredients. In a small saucepan, saute the onion and garlic together with a splash of olive oil until the onion is transparent and garlic is fragrant. Combine with the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Add in the beans, corn and jalapeno.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-6. Be sure to stir from time to time.

Shred the chicken with a fork prior to serving.

Serve with sour cream and cheese!

 

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Bread Bowls

January 19, 2013 in Cassie, Side Dish, Vegetarian, Winter Eats, Yeast dough

It’s a hockey night in Pittsburgh, (well, afternoon,) and one of our staples on weekend game days is chicken chili with bread bowls.

Since we haven’t had hockey since last season, I haven’t made this in a long time.

I love chili in bread bowls. There’s really no other way of doing it.

And this, my friends, is the easiest bread bowl recipe ever.

Two of my three kids are sick, the one that isn’t is potty training and my husband is also sick. Today I’ve made these bread bowls, chili, peanut butter protein bars and shortbread peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I needed to find sanity somewhere.

So there will be an obscene amount of recipes coming soon.

You’ve been warned.

Let’s start simple, shall we?

recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast and the water together. Let sit for 10 minutes until it’s frothy.

Add the salt, olive oil and 4 cups flour and mix until well combined.

Switch out to using a dough hook, and add in a 1/2 cup of flour at a time. The goal is to have a solid dough, not overly sticky because you want the dough to rise upward not outward. I used 6 cups of flour, though the original recipe does say you may need a full 7 cups. Let the dough hook knead the dough for 5-6 minutes.

Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel in a warm place to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and roll the dough into 8 round balls. Optional to sprinkle the bottom of the cookie dough with cornmeal here. Slash the top of the dough balls with a serrated knife and cover again to rise for about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400, bake for 15-18 minutes, until light brown and baked through.

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

January 5, 2013 in Dinner, Jessica, kid friendly, LIghter Side, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker, Soup, Winter Eats

Believe it or not, it’s been a bit chilly in the South lately, and what with the three members of our family rotating through some evil upper respiratory virus, I’ve been looking for easy, healthy, hearty meals. Out comes the slow cooker.

This recipe for turkey chili is a combination of several I’ve found, with a few of my own additions based on what was available in the pantry (you know how that goes). The combination turned out to be a winning success.

This recipe is a bit on the spicy side, though to my great surprise, my almost two-year-old didn’t seem bothered at all by it. It you want it not quite so spicy, reduce the amount of red pepper you add to mix.

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey meat
1/2 white onion
1 can of fiesta corn, drained
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can of stewed, chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp of red pepper
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
Dash of black pepper
Dash of allspice
Salt to taste (we used about 1 tsp)
Shredded cheese and Fritos for garnish

Directions:
1. Brown the turkey meat and drain.
2. Coat the slow cooker in non-stick spray.
3. Add and mix all ingredients.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Serve with shredded cheese and Fritos!

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Roasty Toasty Pumpkin Seeds

October 23, 2012 in Fall Food, Jessica, LIghter Side, Snacks, Vegetarian, Winter Eats

It’s my favorite time of year. I can’t get enough of Halloween and all the fun that goes with it. This past weekend I carved a pumpkin. See?

And when I was done, I had all these pumpkin guts to contend with, so I decided to make an easy, tasty treat out of all those pumpkin seeds. And it’s only three ingredients!

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:

Pumpkin seeds
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. After carving the pumpkin, clean the seeds, removing all the pulp. Sit them on a paper towel to dry for several hours (I left mine out over night).
2. Once your seeds are nice and dry, preheat the oven to 350.
3. Put the seeds in a 9×13 glass dish.
4. Pour the olive oil over and the salt and stir them up.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes.
6. Pull them out and enjoy immediately, or sprinkle them over your salad!

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

March 28, 2012 in Cassie, Dinner, Soup, Winter Eats

Chicken and wild rice soup. That’s a childhood memory right there.

Being a native Minnesotan, this is a common soup, and most people know the recipe by heart.

(Please don’t ask me what I think of the stuff from the can. You can’t get this kind of goodness out of a can.)

When my mom set to meet my future inlaws, she made this soup. To say they loved it would be a huge understatement. I’m pretty sure that had a lot to do with why they allowed my husband and I to get married in the first place.

This soup changes lives, guys.

The best part? It’s so simple.

It’s chicken and almonds and carrots and wild rice and cream. You really can’t go wrong.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe is from my mom

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 cup flour
6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2-3 carrots diced or shredded
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using a non low sodium chicken broth)
1 cup half and half

Directions

I make my wild rice and chicken in the slow cooker, however, you can do this over a sauce pan. If going the slow cooker route, you’ll need 8 cups of chicken broth for the entire recipe. 4 cups for the slow cooker to make the wild rice and chicken and 4 cups for the actual soup base. To make it in the slow cooker, place chicken, 1 cup wild rice and 4 cups chicken broth in slow cooker and set to low for 3-4 hours, until chicken is cooked through and liquid has absorbed.

If making over the stove, simmer the wild rice in 2-3 cups of chicken broth for 30-40 minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside. Boil chicken and shred (or dice), set aside.

Directions are the same from this point on for slow cooker vs stove top.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add minced onion and saute for a minute until fragrant. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly. Slowly add 4 cups of chicken broth to the saucepan, continuing to stir constantly. Allow mixture to boil for a full minute, while stirring.

Add the wild rice, carrots, almonds and chicken to saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the half and half and serve immediately, or allow to warm up to serving temperature, about 2-3 minutes.

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Baked Potato Soup

March 14, 2012 in Cassie, Slow Cooker, Soup, Vegetarian, Winter Eats

Oh man, I went and did it. I made baked potato soup and I made it with half the fat.

I’m a little excited about that right now. So I’m going to go with it.

For those of you who believe that cream soups have to be made with actual cream are mistaken.

But don’t worry. There’s butter.

And if you want to make this soup in under 20 minutes, make the potatoes ahead by making them in the crock pot and it’ll be so much faster.

I love this soup.

 

Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients

5-6 potatoes, baked, skins removed and crumbled
4 T butter
1/2 cup flour, divided
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

In a large soup pan, melt the butter and mix in 1/4 cup flour. Slowly add in a cup of milk, stirring constantly. Mix in salt and pepper. Add the other 1/4 cup of flour and bring the soup base to a simmer.  Continue to stir constantly. Continue to add the remaining cups of milk and allow to simmer and thicken.

Add potatoes. Make sure they’re crumbled up in small enough pieces that they’ll fit on a spoon. Add the cheddar cheese and sour cream and continue to stir. Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes until cooked through and thickened up.

Top with additional sour cream and cheddar cheese if you prefer.

 

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Tomato Bisque and Fancy Grilled Cheese

February 23, 2012 in Cassie, kid friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes, Soup, Winter Eats

In the dead of winter, what’s better than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? It’s a staple in our house, that’s for sure.

I had been on a mission to find the perfect tomato bisque soup. I think I made about four different kinds before I came across this recipe and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Apparently the secret to a good, hearty tomato bisque is butternut squash.

I know. I was just as surprised as you.

This is one of those recipes where you really have to use the onion and the fresh garlic as opposed to onion flakes and garlic powder. You’ve been warned.

Please don’t let roasting a butternut squash keep you from trying this. It’s as simple as brushing your teeth.

The sandwich was an invention of my husband’s for my birthday a few years back. As I remember, that was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever celebrated.

It’s a very versatile sandwich as well, however, it needs a cheese with a presence. No mild anything for this one. Sharp, tangy, awesome. So don’t be afraid to play with the lunch meats or cheeses, but try to make sure it’s a good cheese. The first time I ever had it, we used extra sharp cheddar. Brilliance in a sandwich.

 

Here’s how to do it!

recipe from my Husband’s brain

Fancy Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread, cut thick
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs ketchup
1 tbs mustard
turkey, sliced thick from the deli
extra sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together egg, parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Prepare a griddle or pan, set to medium to medium low heat. This will burn quickly, so don’t over do it.

In a separate bowl, mix ketchup and mustard together.

Dip the bread in the egg mixture and place in a pan. Spread the ketchup/mustard mixture on the bread while in the pan. Add the turkey and cheese. Dip another slice of bread in the egg mixture and place on top of the sandwich, egg side up.

Be careful not to let this burn. Let cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes each side.

Tomato Bisque Soup

recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (for about 1 1/2 cups cooked squash)
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup finely diced onion
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can (20 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar (add more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup milk (I’ve used whole milk and 1%, as well as half and half)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set to roast the butternut squash by cutting the squash in half, lengthwise, so you have two long pieces. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side down in a 9X13-inch pan. Add water to the pan, filling it about half way. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour. Depending on the size of the squash, you may need to cook it longer. Test with a fork. The outside should give way easy when finished baking.

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the squash to a large cutting board or plate. Let it cool about 15 minutes before scooping out the flesh.

You can prepare the squash the day before, simply scoop out the inside and place in a tupperware. Make sure to let it cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

Otherwise, place the scooped out squash into a blender.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onion until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Dump the the mixture into the blender.

Add the canned tomatoes (undrained) to the blender. Set the blender to low, gradually increasing speed until the mixture is smooth. If it’s not blending easily, slowly add the chicken broth to the blender and continue to mix. Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and add the chicken broth (if you didn’t already add it to the blender,) salt, sugar, basil. Give it a good stir. Heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes to let the ingredients mingle. Turn heat down to medium-low and add milk. Heat long enough to allow soup to remain warm and serve immediately.

 

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