Kathie's Tortilla Soup

We make this for our Youth Committee mtgs at church. I like the green version for a change too. I think I'll add olives next time and a bit more rice.

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Chopped Onion

2 cans Ortega Chilies

1/2 Cup Rice

2 Cups Chicken

4 tsp Cumin

Fresh Lime Juice

In large pan combine: Broth, onion, chilies, rice, chicken and cumin.

Bring to a boil and cook until onions' are soft.

Right before serving add the LIME juice.

In bowls on the table:

Cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, onions, sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Quinoa & Black Bean Burger

I'm always trying to find new Quinoa recipes. I don't cook it nearly as much as I ought to. But this was heavenly and may become a new favorite. Everyone of my kids at every bite.

I think I'll be frequenting What's Cooking Good Looking? some more.

Prep Time / Cook Time
20 minutes / 25 minutes for the beans & quinoa to cook + 10 minutes to cook the patties

Makes
5-6 burgers

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked quinoa (cooked in chicken stock)
2 cups of black beans (Canned is fine as long as it is organic, no sodium. If you're using dried, rinse your beans and soak them overnight and drain when ready to use.)
1.5 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of cumin

1/4 tsp paprika
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
olive oil
* toasted buns (I loved Brioche hamburger buns for this)Directions

• While you are cooking your quinoa, combine the black beans, turmeric, cumin, and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover partially, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Drain the beans.
• In a large bowl combine the beans, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the ingredients are well combined (mashed), add in the quinoa and combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Form the mixture into patties. Depending on how big or small you make them, you should get around 5-7 patties. Transfer the patties to a plate, cover and refrigerate while you are preparing your avocado spread or until you are ready to use (they will keep for about 3-4 days).
• For the avocado spread: In a bowl, mash the avocado until it is smooth. Add in the tomato, smoked paprika, red pepper (if using), season with salt and pepper and combine.
• In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cakes (maybe 3-4 at a time depending on the size of your pan) turning over once it has browned (about 5-7 minutes per side).
• Serve immediately on a toasted bun, or bread with the avocado spread.
  

Butternut Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons

I went to NYC a week ago. We had lunch at Bouchon. I was told I couldn't leave without getting the Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. But when I saw the special of the day was Butternut Squash Soup, I caved. I'm glad I did. The Tomato Soup was lacking and I may a way better grilled cheese. (Perhaps I should post that sometime.)

So I'm home now and desperately had to recreate their Butternut. It was all vegetables. No cream! Can you believe it? Although, again, I caved in my version. I viewed several recipes who tried to mimic Bouchon and this is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbs butter
1 butternut squash
2 leeks
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs parsley
2 Tbs sage
4 ish cups of chicken stock
3 Tbs honey
1 ish cups of heavy cream
1-2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

375 degrees. Cook the butternut squash until you can stick a knife cleanly into it. About 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the butter and simmer the onions and leeks for about 10 minutes. Peel the squash and cut into chunks. Add to the pot along with the chopped parsley, sage and garlic. Let simmer on low. After about 10 minutes add the stock and cumin.

Blend it well.

Just before you serve it add the cream.

GRUYERE CROUTONS

8 slices sourdough bread cut into small chunks
olive oil
gruyere

Place the bread chunks on a silpat with some olive oil - just enough to cut most of them. Toast them at 350 in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until lightly toasted. then sprinkle gruyere and toast for another 3 minutes.

Mac n' Cheese

Martha Stewart and Smitten Kitchen pulled through for this one. My kids needed to have REAL Mac n' Cheese. This was a hit.

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Granola

So I've tried making a few different granola recipes. So far this is my favorite. I adapted it from Smitten Kitchen.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds (1 oz)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas (1 1/2 oz; not roasted)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mild honey
Healthy shake cinnamon
Pinch salt (flaky sea salt preferred)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together all ingredients. Spread mixture evenly on a large (17-by 12-inch) shallow baking pan lined with a silpat and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown for 15 minutes.

Here is the secret ... Check it every 3-5 minutes after that. It burns really quickly. Transfer granola, in pan, to rack to cool stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Granola keeps, frozen (the fruit’s moisture softens granola if not kept frozen) in an airtight container, a few months.

Natalie's Neat-O Banan-O Punch-O

For the shower. I made this drink. The invite list was 70 people! So I doubled this recipe ... and didn't even get through a quarter of it! IT MAKES A TON!

And I officially named it after Natalie ... because you know ... well she gave it to me.

6 ripe bananas

1 large (46 oz) can of pineapple juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen orange juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen lemonade

6 cups water

4 c sugar

3- 2 liter bottles of grapefruit soda or Fresca

Mix bananas and all juices in blender. You'll have to do this in groups as not all will fit at once.

Boil water and add in sugar until it dissolves (1 minute) let cool.

Mix everything altogether and freeze in large tupperware (or ziploc bags) containers

Take out of freezer before party. Use a potato masher to mash up frozen mix. Add soda and enjoy!

This makes A LOT, about 3 gallon ziploc bags worth of just the mix, not including the soda obviously.

Peach Cobbler Muffins.

Hosted a big shower this weekend. Made these. They were tasty. Thank you A Few Short Cuts.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups white sugar
2 cups cannedpeaches


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 16-18 muffin cups.
In the mixer, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour to the oil mix until well incorporated. The batter will be thick! Fold in the peaches. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Streusel Topping Recipe
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped, optional
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together all of the above ingredients. Fingers work best. Sprinkle a Tbs on top of each muffin before you bake!

Eggs Benedict

Oh my goodness! Did you know what is really in that hollandaise sauce? Okay then don't continue and just go to your favorite breakfast nook and order Eggs Benedict before you look at the ingredients below and have a heart attack.

It is sooooo good. And quite possible my favorite breakfast treat. The Pioneer Woman pulled through again with a tasty easy recipe that just hits the spot.

Ingredients

• 3 whole English Muffins
• 3 slices Canadian Bacon
• 3 whole Eggs (plus 3 Egg Yolks)
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste

Toast English muffins. Heat up Canadian Bacon in a fry pan. I like to cut it up so my kids can eat it easier. Your choice.

Boil water. When it is boiling hot, take a whisk and spin it really good. Then crack your eggs into. This swirling motion helps your eggs coagulate together instead of just spreading out in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter. Separate three eggs and place the yolks into a blender. Turn the blender on low, then begin pouring the very hot butter in a then stream into the blender. Add lemon juice and cayenne.

Plate it ... English muffin first, then ham, poached egg on top, and LOTS of hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and indulge.

Spinach Sauteed with Garlic and Shallots

I needed a side dish for our BBQ tonight and since we had a birthday party today with lots of pizza and cake and ice cream, we needed some healthy sides. I looked in my freezer hoping to find some petite peas, and found only a lonely box of frozen spinach. I'm not a big fan of frozen veggies or canned veggies for that matter. But, I had only frozen spinach and found this recipe to make it wonderful. Thank you Fearless Kitchen. We ate all of it! And I had three servings.

Spinach Sauteed with Garlic and Shallots

1 bag frozen spinach, slightly thawed

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced to form garlic chips

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup water

1. Heat the oil and add the shallots. Saute until the shallots soften.
2. Push the shallots to the sides of the pan and add the garlic to the middle. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden and fragrant. Don't burn the garlic.
3. Add the salt and spices.
4. Add the frozen spinach. Let it steam up for a minute or so and give a good stir, so that the spinach is liberally distributed with the spices and aromatics.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water. Clamp the lid down and cook 5 minutes or so, until done.
   

Tasty Sweet Pork Loin

I had a pork loin that needed some love. This recipe hit the spot perfectly. It was very sweet and I actually used half the sugar it asked for. But it was so tender and wonderful.

The Best Pork Loin Recipe Ever

Ingredients:

Paste: (Marinade)

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Pork Loin:

• 2 tbsp Season All
• 2 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp minced fresh parley leaves (I didn't have any in my garden and used Sage instead)
  
• 1 pork loin

Method:

In a small bowl, combine shallots, garlic, thyme, oregano, Season All and parsley. Rub the mixture all over pork, pressing firmly, and refrigerate overnight. (Or a few hours like I did)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pork loins in a roasting pan that just fits it. That way it keeps the juices surrounding it and keeps it super moist. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove pork from the oven.

Spread the paste all over the loin. Return to oven and cook until it has developed a good crust on the outside and is cooked to your desired doneness. About 25 minutes. (Place a cookie sheet under your roasting pan if it’s shallow, the brown sugar will foam after about 20 minutes in the oven, and could spill over in a shallow roasting pan.)

Remove pork from pan and let rest for 15 minutes. cut into slices, drizzle with pan juices and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Serve immediately.

Faux-jito

I don't drink alcohol. But I do enjoy a good drink. So this is my current favorite. We made a few years ago when I was in a Gourmet Club in NYC. I brought it out again for a Cinco de Mayo Mocktail Party this year. It was the favorite.

So instead of the Mojito ... here is my favorite Faux-jito.

15 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. Raw sugar
1 oz. Fresh squeezed lime juice (or more depending on your preference)
½ oz. Simple syrup
ice
4 oz. Chilled Ginger Ale

In a glass, muddle/crush the mint, then add sugar, lime juice and syrup.
Add ice. Top with Ginger Ale. Garnish with a fresh lime wheel and
a sprig of mint. Enjoy.

Simple Syrup

• 2 parts sugar
• 1 part water

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. (Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick.)
4. Allow to cool completely and thicken.

Amaranth, Quinoa and Dark Chocolate Cake

It was my friend Tara's baby shower today. We surprised her today at the park. I made the flourless chocolate cake. But knowing my friend, who loves healthier foods, I found this recipe and HAD to try it simply because there was Amaranth flour and Quinoa flour. And since I had both on hand, I was in.

I think this turned out to be the favorite for most people there. Yes I had to make two flourless chocolate cakes. This one and another traditional one from The Best Recipe. (Which I'll post one of these days.)

This has a very hearty nutty and delicious flavor.

Thanks to the Washington Post for this recipe. I will make it again. But I'll add strawberries next time.

From Beatrice Peltre's blog La Tartine Gourmande

Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, about 70 percent
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons amaranth flour (1 ounce)
3 tablespoons quinoa flour (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup pecans, chopped coarsely (1 ounce)
3 eggs
Pinch of salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a springform pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter the sides and the paper.

Melt chocolate with the butter.

Separate egg yolks from whites.

Beat yolks with sugar and vanilla until very light in color.
Add the melted chocolate to yolk mixture and mix until well incorporated. Add nuts and flours to batter until smooth in texture.

Add a pinch of salt to egg whites and beat them until you have stiff peaks. Gently fold into cake batter, making sure not to overmix and deflate.

Pour the batter in the mold. Surround it with foil and fill the foil with boiling water about halfway up the outside of the pan and cook for about 35-40 minutes. Check if cake is done by inserting the blade of a knife or a skewer. It should come out almost dry, but not totally (the cake is moist).

Remove the cake and let cool slightly before unmolding. Let cool on a rack.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes with Mint Fudge Sauce

Okay so I promised for about two months that I would make chocolate lava cakes for bookclub. I sampled 2 different recipes. Ugh. Overcooked by 2 minutes. It was too spongy anyway. I tried recipe #2 and there was only a 10 second window to either over or under cook. I tried cooking this one three different ways. No luck.

Melissa was distraught when I told her two days before that the lava cakes weren't going to happen and immediately said she knew of a great recipe. Unfortunately she gave it to my husband the next night at an activity that I couldn't attend. Charlie failed to tell me and assumed I'd just find it on the desk. He was right. I found it ... ONLY 45 MINUTES BEFORE SHOWTIME!!!

So with the Chocolate Raspberry Tart already made as well as Briana's Shortbread already prepared and ready for a last minute pull together fondue, I decided ... What the heck. So made them extremely last minute and tried them first to make sure they worked.

I was more than surprised. And this fudge sauce makes a huuuge difference.

SAUCE
4 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
1/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

Stir both chocolates on top of a double boiler, or in my case, a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. Once melted, add the remaining ingredients. Remove from water and cool slightly. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat before serving.

LAVA CAKES
5 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
10 Tbs unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large eggs yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat to 450 degrees. Butter 6 3/4 ramekins or whatever else you choose to serve them in. Stir chocolate and butter over medium heat. Cook slightly. Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture and flour. Pour batter into dishes. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Bake cakes until sides are set but center remains soft and runny. 11-14 minutes. WATCH CLOSELY. You can run a small knife around the edges to loosen it and turn it upside down if you'd like. I served min in the ramekin with a scoop of vanilla ice cream right next to it and aaaaalll drizzled with the yummy fudge sauce.

Briana's Shortbread

I went to a very inspiring Funeral last week of Briana Blackwelder. It was a celebration of her life on her 29th birthday. I took notes on how I need to be a better woman just from listening to her closest friends and family talk about her life. She was a lover of fine foods like myself. They passed around this recipe as one of her favorites. After making these, I wish I had her whole cookbook!

These are from Tartine one of her favorite bakeries in San Francisco. I must go there next time I am there. I made these cookies for bookclub last week and they were almost entirely gone by the end of the night.

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 Tbs unsalted butter, very soft
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbs flour
1/2 cup +2 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup super fine or granulated sugar for topping

Yields one 6 by 10 inch pan, about sixty 2 by 1/2 inch bars
or a gazillion tiny little cookie cutter sized one bite cookies.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a glass baking dish.

Mix the soft butter and salt so it dissolves completely. Add the sugar to the butter mix until just combined. Sift the flour and cornstarch together in a separate bowl and then combine just until a smooth dough forms.

Pat the dough evenly into a prepared dish. It should be no more than 2/3 inch deep. I then cut out little cookies and put then on top of my silpat.

Bake until the top and bottom are ever so slightly browned, about 30 minutes. The middle of the shortbread should remain light. Let cool.

Sprinkle the shortbread with the sugar.

If you made a baking dish of them, use a very sharp thin knife to cut into rectangular fingers. If they are too cold, they will not cut well. The first piece is the trickiest.

They will keep for two weeks in an air tight container.

Chocolate Raspberry Tart with Pecan Crust

YUM! So easy and YUUUUUM!! Did I say that already?

I tried to make Chocolate Lava Cakes for bookclub recently. After two failed recipes, I resorted to Gloria's delicious treat. (Turns out I found a lava cake recipe 45 min before the party started and ended up making that too! Both were winners.)

Raspberry-topped Chocolate Tart
with Pecan Crust

2 cups pecans (about 8 ounces), toasted
6 Tbsp. (packed) golden brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup whipping (heavy) cream
6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ½ pint baskets raspberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely grind, pecans, sugar & cinnamon, in processor. Add butter and process until moist clumps form. Press dough into bottom and up the sides of 10 inch tart pan or 4 4-inch-diameter tart pans with removable bottoms. Bake crust until golden brown and firm to touch, about 30 mins. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Bring cream to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; sir until melted and smooth. Pour mixture into crust, dividing equally. Chill until set, about 1 hour. (can be made ahead. Cover and
chill.)

Arrange raspberries over tops of tarts.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese

Inspired by a new blog I may consider stalking when it's recipe hunting season is Sutterbean. It is where I found this recipe and modified it a bit for my tastes.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

• 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bunches arugula, washed, dried, and trimmed
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves (or sugared almonds in my case)
  
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles (sooooo worth it)
• thin slice of red onion, chopped
  
• a quarter of a red pepper chopped
  

Put pecans on baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered, with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together another tablespoon balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

To the strawberries, add vinaigrette, 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, and 2 bunches arugula, trimmed and thoroughly washed and dried. Toss to combine, and serve. Add a bunch of goat cheese crumbles to push it over the top!

Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Red Beet Chips

Okay sometimes a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do. I know it's usually Pizza and Movie night on Friday night like tonight, but we've had two birthday parties in two days and one more tomorrow where I'm sure pizza will be served once again. So I broke tradition more than 100% and went with an absolute kid un-favorite.

But knowing their little bellies were plenty filled on cupcakes, tootsie rolls, peanut butter cups and juice boxes, I had no problem serving this soup, knowing they wouldn't eat it. At least they were extra ready for bed after coming down rapidly off of their sugar high. =)

But as for me, I thought this soup was heavenly. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. It is rich and smooth and a very full flavor. My cousin gave this recipe to me over a year ago. (The same cousin who once tried out for America's Next Top Chef.) It was time I gave it a try.

(And just so you know, tonight I just made the soup and not the beet chips or the fancy floret toppers. Come on! I've got three little kids. Never enough time.)

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP with RED BEET CHIPS
(adapted from Keller’s “Ad Hoc”)

1 head of cauliflower
2 T butter
3/4 cup chopped yellow onions
1/8 tsp curry powder
kosher salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 + 1/2 cups water

peanut oil for frying beet chips
1 beet
1 tsp white vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground

Make the soup….
Remove the leaves and core of the cauliflower, separate about 1 cup of good-looking florets, not larger than a quarter, and reserve them. Chop the rest of the cauliflower in chunks of similar size. Melt 1.5 T of butter in a large saucepan, add the chopped onions, curry powder, and cauliflower, sprinkle 1 tsp salt, and cover. Cover the saucepan with its regular lid, cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower starts to get tender.

Add milk, cream, and water to the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, and blend until fully smooth. Adjust the seasoning.

Make the red beet chips….
Peel the beet (wear gloves) and make paper-thin slices using a mandoline. Ideally, you want to use only nice, full circles (good luck!). Heat the peanut oil (about 1 inch of oil in a deep pan), and once it is hot but not smoking, add a few beet rounds. Fry them until they stop bubbling hard, it should take a little over 1 minute. Place them on a baking sheet over paper towels, seasoning with a little salt right after frying. If needed, keep them warm in a 200F oven.

Cook the reserved florets….
Bring some salted water to a boil, add the teaspoon of vinegar, and cook the reserved florets until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain them. Right before serving, melt the remaining 1/2 T butter in a small pan and allow it to get dark golden. Watch it carefully, because burned butter is nasty, and tastes bitter. Once the butter is turning a nice golden brown, add the florets and saute them until golden too.

Serve the soup….
If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little water. Ladle it into a bowl, add some cauliflower florets in the center, and a few beet chips on top. Serve more florets and chips alongside.

White Beans and Spicy Swiss Chard

Okay this turned out really good! I was inspired by a dear friend of mine over at Cafe Johnsonia when I read this recipe. However, I didn't have chicken. And I wasn't about to make my own beans when I had 30 minutes to whip together dinner while my kids were taking baths.

So I took what I liked and modified the rest. And what I came up with was pretty tasty if I do say so myself. I had one kid eat his entire portion. The other had a very sore arm and decided falling asleep on my lap was a much better idea than eating dinner. And the last, well he's three, so we don't expect much yet.

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon (and the grease for flavor if you'd like)
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 can of cannellini beans
1 can of tomatoes diced
red pepper flakes (a couple shakes)
1 bunch of swiss chard (stems removed)
chicken stock

Cook the bacon and then remove the slices and chop into small pieces. Pour the excess fat into a bowl and and add later at the end if you want more bacon flavor.

Pour the wine into the pot to deglaze the pan. Sautee the onions for 5-10 minutes. Add garlic.

Dump in beans and tomatoes. Throw in the red pepper to kick up the spice. About now is when I start adding a little chicken stock as the juices evaporate. Add the chard about 5 -8 minutes before you are reading to serve the dish.

Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

The title alone is all you need to know. It's perfection.

Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1 lb powdered sugar

2-3 cups of rice krispies

2 bags of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt PB & butter together in microwave. Stir in powdered sugar. Reheat if necessary before you add the rice krispies. It makes it so much easier to stir them in when it is hot. Roll into 1/2 balls and place on cookie sheet. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or however long it takes you to sweep or vacuum your home. Melt chocolate chips in microwave (though be careful not to burn them because you get chunky chocolate). Dip PB balls in chocolate and chill. I like them best when they are cold, plus they don't melt all over everything. I usually just keep them in the fridge.

Amish Bread

This was the first bread recipe that I learned to cook. It deserves much attention. It was given to me by Miss Glenna Mae, one of my YW leaders back when. Her direct quote was, "This is the easiest recipe and you can't mess it up." Weeeell, I have messed it up before and I've tried variations.

And I think I've made it into perfection.

Amish Bread

2 ½ cups milk (or water, but milk makes it much more moist)

5 Tbs sugar or honey)

3 Tbs butter

1 Tbs salt

… mix and heat in microwave until slightly hot to the touch.

add ...

2 pkgs (or 4 ½ tsp) of rapid rise yeast

Then pour into your mixer and add...

flour

You want the dough to be soft almost sticky. The less dry it is the less hard the loaf will be after cooking. Mix in blender just until mixed and then hand knead it a little bit. Do not over knead. Grease bowl and dump it in. Put in oven with no light to help the dough rise.

Let rise 8 minutes and punch it down. Repeat this 4 times total. Ooooor, just forget about it like I do and punch it down in an hour and again when you remember.

Divide the dough in two pieces. Roll into a log and bend it like an arch. For decorative purposes, cut ½ inch deep along top of bread. Brush egg yolk and 1 tsp milk over bread.

Place in oven and THEN turn it on to 360 degrees. When your oven tells you it has reached that temperature, then set your timer for 20 minutes.

Artichoke Dip

If you don't like Artichokes, leave now. This is perfection. I could have eaten this all night at the baby shower, but I was hosting, so I had to soooome mingling. Thank you Kyndra for bringing this one to the party.

Ingredients.

2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
2 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can artichoke bottoms, drained and chopped
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

350 degrees
Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Chicken Verde Stew and Hominy

I was sick the other day. My friend said that if she lived closer she would make me this stew for me. So since I was feeling better that day I went to the grocery store and bought it all and made it. Tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 Anaheim chiles
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 (29-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Halve, stem, and seed chiles. Place chiles, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil for 5 minutes or until charred. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Arrange tomatillos on prepared baking sheet, and broil 14 minutes or until blackened, turning once. Combine the chiles, tomatillos, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin, and oregano in a blender. Add 1 cup broth; process until smooth.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Place onion mixture in a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of chicken; sauté 3 minutes. Add browned chicken to onion mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and 2 teaspoons oil. Combine remaining 1 cup broth, tomatillo mixture, onion mixture, and hominy in pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Ladle 1 2/3 cups stew into each of 6 bowls, and top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Kale and Cashews

Okay so I forgot to change my Organic Delivery Box that comes from Farm Fresh To You. So this week I was given two bunches of Kale. I had to cook at least one bunch. So I did tonight. This was the most eclectic dinner I think I've ever made. I just had a lot of foods that I needed to use. So I baked my 7 tiny new potatoes, baked 3 small spicy sweet potatoes, thawed out my tamales from Christmas, and sauteed Kale. None of that blends together at all. But I had to use them or lose them.

This recipe for Kale won for the night. I had three helpings and my husband had two. I just looked at about half a dozen recipes and made my own. I'll make it again b/c it's very simple.

Ingredients
1/4 -ish of toasted cashews
1 onion diced
1 bunch kale
1-2 tbs lemon juice
red pepper flakes

Toast the cashews in the pan until you can start to smell them. A little brown is okay. Remove them and set them aside.

Saute the onion for about 10 minutes. Add the kale. Chop it up good. It's easier for the kids to get down when the bites aren't that intimidating. Saute for about 10-15 min more.

Add the lemon juice and red pepper flakes and viola!

Summer Broccoli Salad

The famous. Yes I'm sure everyone has a variation on it. But this one works for me. I haven't made it in years and I forgot how good it is.

3 heads of broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
3 green onions chopped
1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
3 hard-boiled eggs
red onion
slivered almonds
craisins

Sauce
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs vinegar or 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Mix all together and chill before serving.

Belgian Endive stuffed with Apples, Goat Cheese & Walnuts

This was part of the Teacher Luncheon we hosted last week. Tasty. I could eat this often.

Ingredients

4-8 firm heads of Belgian Endive
2 Apples cored
4 oz plain Chevre log crumbled (goat cheese)
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Orange Zest
1 Tbs fresh Orange Juice
2 Green Onions, finely sliced, included tops
1/2 cup Walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Balsamic Dressing for drizzling

Rinse and dry endives. Trip the bottom (root end) to separate leaves. Set aside. Toss diced apples, goat cheese and olive oil and orange juice. Add green onions, nuts, cranberries, salt and pepper. Stir gently.

Place a small spoonful on the endive leaf. I've forgotten every time I've made this to drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top. And I've loved it that way. One day I'll drizzle it on top and love it that way too.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

YUM! Last week I helped host a lunch for the teachers at our school. We made this soup from The famed Barefoot Contessa. YUM! I added a few changes like eliminating water and adding much cream. I tried the original way which was still good. But Oooooh I like it my way muuuuch better.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3)
2-4 Tbs curry
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples (4 apples)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2ish cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups of apple juice or cider

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper to the pot. Cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Blend it all together in my favorite VitaMix.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough cream to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Dreamy Cream Orange Cranberry Scones

So I have to help cook a breakfast for the teacher's next week. I am SOOO making these. I just made them tonight. I modified Smitten Kitchen's take on it and just couldn't resist adding an Orange Glaze.

These are perfect.

Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped into smaller bits
1 cup heavy cream (oh yeah baby)

1. Turn on the oven to 425°F.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl.

3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. I like forks or using the food processor but just for a few seconds. Stir in cranberries.

4. Stir in cream.

5. Knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball. Form scones by pressing the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut pieces with a biscuit cutter. Press remaining scraps back into another piece.

6. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are baaaarely light brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

Orange Juice

Orange Zest (about 2 teaspoons)

Mix all together. Add just enough Orange Juice to get it to a liquid consistency.