Leek and Potato Soup

Some days I just feel like soup.  Today there is a chill in the air...the windows are wide open.  The day just screams SOUP!.  After looking around the kitchen pantry...and finding no cans of soup...I figured we were out of luck.  But then I remembered a soup I had a few months back...leek soup.  And I just picked up some leeks from the local farm down the street. 
After a few minutes looking through recipes and digging through the pantry and fridge to figure out how to make my soup dream become a reality...I came up with the following recipe. 

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 pieces of bacon - chopped (you can leave this out if you want to make a vegetarian soup)
2 Leeks, white and light green parts, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 small yellow onion - chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 bay leaf
1 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, wash and cubed
4 cups vegetable stock (or you can use chicken stock)
2 tsp rosemary leaves

directions:
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add oil
Add bacon.  Cook until soft and most of the fat is rendered (do not cook til crispy)
Add the leeks, onions and sea salt.    Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Until the onions soften and turn translucent.
Add the garlic and bay leaf.  Stir well.  Cook for 1 more minute
Add the potatoes and vegetable stock.  Stir together.  Cover and bring to a boil
Reduce heat to med-low to simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes
Remove the soup from the heat.
Ladle about 1/2 of the soup into a food processor. 
Add rosemary.
Blend until smooth.
Add the smooth soup back into the chunky soup. 
Warm over low heat until heated through.
Serve hot.

Now you can continue to blend all of the soup, until it is all creamy...but I like some of the chunkiness of the potatoes and leeks.

Hope you enjoy this fall soup.

My kitchen

Before

After

We changed the color of the cabinets to espresso.  Added a much-needed island and pantry.  Then dressed them all up with new handles.  We almost doubled the storage space.  I can't wait to get cooking.

Watermelon Salad

This salad is quite simple but surprising in taste.  I found this recipe in the "Vegetarian Times" magagine.  And it was too good not to share. 

A little side note...my kids did not like the lime juice, so I had plan watermelon for them.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
zest from 1 lime
2 cups seedless watermelon - cut into 1/2 inch cubes or balled
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 cup basil - chopped
1 tsp black sesame seeds (white will work also)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Whisk together lime juice, oil and zest. 
Add jalapenos, basil, sesame seeds and salt
Set aside
Place watermelon into large serving bowl.
Pour lime juice mixture over the watermelon and gently toss to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

It has been a busy summer for me...which means very little time was spent here.  But, there was a lot of cooking done.  Here is my summer lemon raspberry cheesecake.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

Crust:

10 graham crackers - crushed

4 Tbsp butter - melted

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake:

2 cups (12-oz package) Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese - softened

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1/4 tsp salt

3 large egg white

1 large egg

Directions:

Preheat over to 350.  Lightly grease 9-inch pie or spring form pan

Mix together crust items in a medium bowl. 

Press crust into pan to form the crust.

In a microwave safe dish, combine white morsels and cream.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Stir. 

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt until smooth. 

Gradually beat in melted morsels.

Beat in egg white and egg.

Pour into crust

Bake 35-40 minutes or until edge is lightly browned.

Cook completely on wire rack

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight

When serving, garnish with raspberries.

10 on 10...July 10, 2010

10 on 10 is a great way to capture what happen during your day.  Every tenth of the month, take 10 photos.

Here is what happened with us today:

My lavender is in full bloom and the bees love it

The kids love their leapfrog abc and farm animal set.  The pieces are usually all over the floor, I was able to get a photo of them before the twins started their day.

The delicious sandwich my hubby made for me...hummus, avacado, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. YUM! 

Eggs we picked up at the farmers market this morning

Yummy Whoopie Pies (or gooey gobs) I made for a birthday party

Fresh cantaloupe and raspberries we got from our C.S.A

My fish and flower from Ethan (both are fake)

A little bit of a Lego day

We went to Mount Washington and looked out on beautiful Pittsburgh

We are heading out to a wedding.

I hope your 10th was fun!

Greens-n-Beans Burger

I am always looking for vegetarian options for the summer cook-outs.  These vegetarian burgers hit the spot.  The combination of garbanzo beans, greens and herbs is awesome and they are super easy to make. 

I found this delightful recipe in the National Geographic True Food book.  Thanks Mitch for the book.  It gives you 8 simple steps to a healthier you.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp ground flaxseeds

12 Tbsp hot water (or hot vegetable stock)

2 1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans (look for organic beans)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, dill, etc) or 2 Tbsp dried herbs

1 onion, chopped

1 small orange, grated zest only

1 cup greens, finely chopped (spinach, dandelion, arugula, etc)

1 cup whole-grain toasted bread crumbs

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

*Mix the flaxseeds with hot water/stock.  Soak for 10 minutes until texture is gelatinous, like rice pudding

*Combine garbanzo beans, flaxseed mix, salt and pepper in a food processor. 

*Process until mixture is thick and creamy, but still a little chunky

*Pour into a bowl and stir in herbs, onion, zest and greens.

*Gently stir in the bread crumbs.

*Let sit for a few minutes, until it is easy to handle.  (note if it is too dry, add a little water, if too moist, add bread crumbs)

*Form into 1 inch thick patties

*Rub both sides of patties with olive oil and grill for 4 minutes per side

*Serve on hamburger bun, with a bit of mustard if you prefer

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Chickpea-Lentil Stew with Rice

Here is a simple meal to make.  A little bit of prep then your slow cooker does the rest...8-10 hours later it is finished.  It has a great spicy sweet taste to it.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1 medium yellow onion - chopped

3 medium chile peppers - chopped

4 cloves garlic - chopped

2 tsp garam masala

2-15oz garbanzo beans - drained and rinsed (or you can use dried beans, just be sure to soak them overnight)

1/2 cup dried lentils

1-28oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup pitted black olives (we didn't have any olives in the pantry this week...bummer)

1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:

*Heat oil

*Saute onions about 8 minutes until tender

*add peppers, garlic, spice.  Cook until soften, about 2-3 more minutes

*add everything to the slow cooker (EXCEPT the coconut milk)

*Cook on low for 8-10 hours

*Add Coconut milk 15 minutes before serving

*Serve over Rice (we used long grain brown rice)

Enjoy!

10 on 10

I found this idea on another blog:...thought it sounded like fun, and would give it a try.

Here are 10 things happening around here on the 10th of June:

My basil is finally starting to grow

The new hummingbird feeder I put up today...can't wait to see the birds

Honey from a local beekeeper (if you want to buy some, go to:  http://www.alwayssummerherbs.com/)

Tomatoes ripening on the counter...from the farmers market

Riley relaxing after a hard day of play

Yummy Air-popped Popcorn

Ethan after making mud soup

The oh-so delicious mud soup the kids made for me

Bandz that now cover the house

Spencer showing off all of his teeth

Hope you had a great 10th of June!

As the Wiggles say....

Fruit Salad....

Yummy Yummy!!

My wonderful hubby made this fruit salad for us...complete with:

strawberries, red grapes, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and kiwi.

Make sure you are getting a variety of fruits each day...they are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Gazpacho Salad

I got this recipe from a friend...well actually her blog (http://www.4littlemenandgirlytwins.com/).  She has inspired me to cook more organically, and become more green in our lives.

The gazpacho salad is quite amazing, and even more so with fresh home grown tomatoes. 

Chop and combine:

3 large tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 green bell pepper

1/2 onion

1 handful cilantro

1 jalapeno (remove ribs and seeds)

Whisk together:

3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

juice from 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

toss all together to combine...

Enjoy!

Pea-Cilantro-Rice

So I needed a change to my rice...I have tried brown rice, white rice, wild rice, rice pilaf....etc.  I found this recipe in Martha Stewart Living (I love this magazine...there are always so many great recipes...I will probably share them all).  Just smelling the cilantro makes me think of summer...add in some peas and you are set.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (save the stems)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, mined

1/4 tsp chili powder

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup long-grain rice

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

tie together reserved cilantro stems with kitchen twine (I didn't have the twine, so I used on of the stems to tie it together)

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat

Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes

Add chili powder and season with salt and pepper, cook for 1 minute

Add rice, stir to coat

Add cilantro-stem bundle and water.

Bring to a boil

Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, until water is absorbed...about 15 minutes

Remove from heat, add peas (do not mix)

Cover and let stand for 10 minutes

Remove cilantro-stem bundle

Stir in cilantro leaves

Serve warm

Mango-Radish-Cucumber Salad

Flipping though my Martha Stewart Living magazine I found this different, but awesome sounding salad.  Vibrant in color and flavor, this salad is a must have for the summer.  Make sure your mangoes are ripe (you can speed up ripening time by putting it in a paper bag at room temperature)

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled and sliced

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

8 radishes, quartered

1 tbsp finely grated lime zest

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp honey

coarse salt

directions:

whisk together lime zest, juice, oil and honey.  Season with salt.

combine mangoes, cucumbers and radishes in bowl

drizzle dressing over the salad

serve cold

DISHES

No matter how hard I try...

there are always dishes piled up in the sink!!

Coupons!!!

They are everywhere.  You can find them in magazines, the Sunday paper, weekly flyers, on-line....

and

all over my kitchen

I have done my best to cut coupons, in hopes that one day I will be able to use them before they expire (which almost never happens).  But I usually forget to take them to the store, only remembering I had coupons as I am paying.  *sigh*

I sat down the other day to go through my coupons book...get rid of those that have expired (which was most of them) and try to organize the ones I just cut.  What an ordeal!!!  As I was sorting...making more piles that necessary...I realized, I will most likely never use most of these.  Why have I been stressing over coupons??  I know I am trying to save money...but really buying 3 boxes of cereal (when I only want one) to save $0.30...is it worth it??  Most of the coupons I have are not healthy (cakes, ready-to-bake cookies, crackers, etc). 

And, in going through my grocery list, I buy mostly fruits and veggies...unfortunately I cannot find coupons for those.  I do buy eggs, milk, cheese, beans (the store brand organic...yes they have that at Giant Eagle...YAY)...but usually no coupons for these.

So I made a new pile, coupons I will actually use.  Diapers, Wipes, laundry soap, etc...

I headed off to the store with coupons in hand, and was able to save $12...not bad.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is really easy to make and full of flavor and smells quite heavenly. 

Though the picture below didn't quite capture it, the soup is delightfully colorful.

Ingredients

*2 boneless chicken breast halves

*1 onion, chopped

3 cloves, garlic, minced

*1 tbsp olive oil

*2 tsp chili powder

*1 tsp cumin

*1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

*32 oz chicken broth

*1 cup water

*1 (15oz) can whole corn kernels

*1 (15oz) can white hominy

*1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers

*1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

*1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

for serving:  sliced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped green onions

Bake chicken breasts until fully cooked.  Chop into bit-sized pieces

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat

Saute onion and garlic until soft

Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, broth and water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes

Stir in the corn, hominy, chiles, beans,

Simmer on low for 30 minutes

Add the cilantro and chicken.

Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk production today is much different than it was 50 years ago.  In the good old days, buttermilk was the liquid that remained after cream was churned into butter.  Today, buttermilk is made by combining low-fat/non-fat milk with a natural bacteria that changes the milk sugars into acids, producing a thick, soured milk.  When making pancakes, buttermilk acts as a leavening agent when combined with baking soda.  This creates gas bubbles, making light fluffy pancakes that are oh so yummy!!.

Chris is the pancake maker around here.  He has been on a quest to make the perfect pancakes.  This stems back from college, when my roommate Heather, would make pancakes.  Oh, they were mouth-watering good.  So, unbeknownst to Heather, this was Chris' challenge...to make pancakes better than Heather's.  Well, it took a lot of practice...many years of burnt and runny pancakes, but he finally perfected the pancake (well the pancake than came from a box and you add water to it.) **grin** 

Years after college, I took a trip to Vermont to visit Heather and her husband, Ben.  It was there, I tried his pancakes...oh he won hands down!!  His pancakes were made from scratch...and were delicious!!  Of course, I had to tell Chris...and he was then on another quest...to be better than Ben.

Thanks to Williams-Sonoma, we found a buttermilk pancake recipe that is simple to make and creates those pancakes everyone craves.

Ingredients:

*2 eggs

*2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

*2 tbsp sugar

*2 tsp baking powder

*1 tsp baking soda

*1 tsp salt

*2 1/2 cups buttermilk

*4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

*1/2 tsp vanilla extract (we always put in a bit more)

*nonstick cooking spray

*maple syrup for serving

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. 

Stir just until the batter is smooth and no lumps of flour remain....DO NOT OVERBEAT

Heat the griddle over medium-high heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it.

Lightly grease the griddle with nonstick cooking spray

Pour 1/3 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake.  Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set. 

Using a spatula, flip the pancakes

Cook until golden brown on the other side.

Continue until all batter is used.  This will make about 12 pancakes.

Serve warm with maple syrup.

I hope you love these pancakes as much as we do!!

Apples

An apple a day, keeps the doctor way....

Did you know there are almost 2,000 different varieties of apples??? 

However, in the grocery store, there are usually about 10 different varieties available....seems a little off, doesn't it??  Though, some of these varieties are in Europe, Africa, South America, and Australia.

I was able to find 8 different types at my grocery store...so I decided to bring them home and decide which kind I like best. 

Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold, Fuji.

I always buy the Gala apples...because the sign by them states they are great for snacking and have a thin skin, making it easy for kids to enjoy.  But really, these are not my favorite. 

I grew up on red delicious apples, loved the crunch they made when bit into.  These are still as wonderful as I remembered them...but I am not quite ready to label them as my favorite.

I tried the rest of the apples...they all had distinct flavors and smells.  But among them, I could not pick a favorite.  I mean, how can I choose which apple is my favorite, when I haven't tried them all. 

On the website:  http://www.allaboutapples.com/, you can find listings of the 2,000 varieties of apples and local apple orchards.  I was surprised to find how many are in my area.  I think this will be a field trip for the kids and I.  Maybe then I can find my favorite apple..I am sure it is out there somewhere.

What is your favorite apple??

Vegan Quinoa Tofu Casserole

No, we are not vegan, but I came across this recipe, made a few changes and found something the family loves.  We do not eat tofu often...maybe once a month.  This is mostly due to the fact that while I believe there are some benefits of soy, there are still many dangers (so the positives do not completely out weigh the negatives).  Some say you can eat soy in moderation (1-2 servings daily), but that seems like quite a bit to me.  So we go with the once a month approach...and the kids it.

I hope you like the recipe

Ingredients:
*1 cup Quinoa
*1/2 lbs extra firm tofu - cut into bite size cubes
*1 tbsp peeled minced fresh ginger
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1 small zucchini - diced
*2 medium carrots - peeled and diced
*3 stalks celery - chopped
*1 bay leaf
*1/4 tsp dried rosemary
*1 tsp dried basil
*1 tsp ground coriander
*1/2 tsp powdered fennel
*olive oil
*1 tsp sesame seeds
*1 3/4 cup water
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 cup parsley - finely chopped

Directions:

*Soak quinoa 15 minutes in water.  rinse, drain and set aside

*In a large saute pan heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil over low heat

*Turn the heat up to medium, and add ginger, garlic, celery, and carrots.  Cook for 5 minutes

*Add Zucchini.  Cook for another 5 minutes

*Stir in bay leaf, rosemary, fennel, basil and coriander

*Add the quinoa and stir until coated with spices

*Add 1 3/4 cup water and salt.  bring to a boil.

*Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low

*In a large skillet...heat toast sesame seeds on low for 2 minutes

*Add 1 tbsp olive oil and tofu

*Stir until tofu is browned

*Stir tofu, and parsley into the quinoa and veggies.

*Heat on low for 2 minutes

*Serve  and enjoy

Mother's Day

Okay, this is a little late...

and didn't take place in the kitchen...

but how can I resist these kiddos. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

I know I did

Hello

I haven't had time the last few days to blog.

I have so many recipes to share.

They are coming, I promise.

Just need to catch up on things in the kitchen (and around the house)

Orange-Balsamic Salmon

Delicious and having exceptional nutritional value (salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D), the pink-coloered salmon can be served in a variety of ways.

This recipe is a favorite in our house and is fast and simple to make.  I served this salmon with steamed carrots, brown rice and a tossed salad.

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinigar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion - chopped

1 clove garlic - minced

2 tsp parsley - finely chopped

2 tsp basil - finely chopped

2 tsp mint - finely chopped

pepper and salt to taste

4 pieces salmon

Pre-heat oven to 450-degree F

In a container with a lid, combine all ingredients (except salmon). 

Shake well.

Place salmon in a baking dish

pour the vinegrette over the fish

Bake for 12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily

Asparagus Risotto

I've eaten risotto several times at restaurants, but could not bring myself to cook it at home.  Every time I think of risotto I think of Hell's Kitchen.  They make risotto all of the time, however, I do not want to be the one getting yelled at by Gordon Ramsay as to why it is undercooked, mushy, too salty, not enough salt or whatever may come out of his mouth.  I mean. my goodness, these are chefs and they aren't able to make risotto most of the time, so how can I? 

Well, I decided that since Gordon isn't stopping by my kitchen anytime soon, I might as well give it a try.  I googled several recipes and finally settled on 3 different ones (and then I combined them to make them my own). 

Here is my version of Asparagus Risotto:

10 spears of Asparagus

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup Arborio rice

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (you could also use veggie broth)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
salt and pepper

*Trim off woody ends of asparagus

*cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces

*In a medium sauce pan, bring water to a boil.

*boil asparagus for 4 minutes

*remove from boiling water and put into an ice bath (to stop the cooking process and keep that beautiful green color)

*in a blender (or food processor), combine 1/4 cup broth and asparagus.  Puree.

Here comes the "hard part".  You have to constantly stir the rice...DO NOT STOP!!

*in a large sauce pan, heat butter on medium heat

*add onions, saute for 3 minutes

*add rice, stirring for 2 minutes

*stir in 1 cup of broth.  Continue cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed.

*gradually stir in remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup.

*add in the asparagus puree.  keep stirring!!  continue to stir and cook for 3 minutes

*add in the Parmesan cheese

*add salt and pepper to taste

*serve immediately

While I didn't have Chef Ramsay at my dinner table, I did have 3 little kids.  Ethan, who is 6, decided before he tried it that he wouldn't like it.  I finally was able to convince him to take just one bite...and he loved it.  He even asked for seconds!!!!   The twins, who are 1, well they eat just about anything I put in front of them.  It was a success!! 

Risotto is one of those flexible dishes that could be a side or main dish....or you could even have it for breakfast or dessert.  It all depends on what you add to it.   Try it with mushrooms, red peppers, peas, shrimp, chicken, pineapple and coconut milk...the list is endless.

Don't worry, I am sure I will have more risotto recipes for you in the future.