Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Last year, I really wanted to make a broccoli cheese soup. I had the hardest time finding a decent recipe that didn't have Velveeta or a "cream of" soup in it. I found this from the Food Network. It was very good. I didn't puree all of it because we like to have chunks in our soup. They also suggested homemade croutons for a garnish.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Croutons
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only, well rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)
Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.

Bean Burritos

I got this recipe from Everyday Food on PBS (photo is also from website). It's pretty quick (it didn't take me an hour to make) and easy. I used the organic frozen sweet corn from Costco, which made the burritos have a sweet flavor. It makes quite a bit and can be frozen.

Bean Burritos

Serves 8 Prep time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour

¾ cup rice (brown or white)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
8 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
Salsa and sour cream (optional)

1. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add beans and 1 ½ cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
4. Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.
5. Assemble: Mound ¼ cup rice, ¾ cup bean mixture, and ¼ cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
6. Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

Per serving: (without salsa and sour cream) 519 calories; 18.6 grams fat; 18.7 grams protein; 70.5 grams carbohydrates; 7.4 grams fiber

Note: Before wrapping individually, freeze burritos on a baking sheet so they don’t come apart in the process; then put back in freezer.

Reheating From Frozen:
Microwave and oven: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450° until crispy, about 10 minutes. This is our favorite quick method.
Oven only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 450°, 40 minutes; remove foil, and bake to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. (To reheat defrosted burritos, remove any wrapping, and bake for 10 minutes.)
Microwave only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a microwave-safe bowl, and defrost at high power for 3 to 4 minutes; uncover, and microwave on high, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Indian-Style Curry

I made this for dinner last week and loved it. It took me over an hour to make but it made quite a bit. I just served it with white rice. Pretty tasty.

Indian-Style Curry with Potatoes, Cauliflower, Peas and Chickpeas

from americastestkitchen.com

This curry is moderately spicy when made with one chile. For more heat, use an additional half chile. For a mild curry, remove the chile's ribs and seeds before mincing. Onions can be pulsed in a food processor. You can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the garam masala.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course


2 tablespoons curry powder (sweet or mild)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (see note above)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
12 ounces Red Bliss potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 - 1 1/2 serrano chiles , ribs, seeds, and flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 medium head cauliflower , trimmed, cored, and cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , pulsed in food processor until nearly smooth with 1/4-inch pieces visible
1 1/4 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
Table salt
8 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

1. Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove spices from skillet and set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes are golden brown on edges, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium if onions darken too quickly.)
3. Reduce heat to medium. Clear center of pan and add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, chile, and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add toasted spices and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute longer. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring constantly, until spices coat florets, about 2 minutes longer.
4. Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in peas and cream or coconut milk; continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve immediately, passing condiments separately.


Step-by-Step: Key Steps for Building Flavor for Vegetable Curry
1. Toast the curry powder and garam masala in a dry skillet.
2. Rather than simmering potatoes in the curry, brown them with the onions.
3. Add tomato paste to the traditional garlic, ginger, and chiles for sweetness and depth.
4. Add the toasted spices to the pot to infuse the dish with flavor.
5. Sauté vegetables in spices following a simple Indian technique called bhuna

Breakfast Bars

Okay, sorry for taking over the blog, but here is another recipe. It's for yummy breakfast bars. It's a recipe that I got from my Aunt Sarah.

Breakfast Bars

5 cups of oats
2 ½ cups milk (rice, soy or dairy)
4 medium eggs or flax seed egg replacer, see below
¾ cup honey
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 pinch of salt
1 Tsp vanilla extract
½ cup raisins
Add dried apples, nuts, and seeds-whatever you think would taste good!

Mix together and pour into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown This re-heats well. Assemble ahead overnight and bake it in the morning, it will soften all the dried fruit in it. After you cut it up, wrap it in food wrapper and freeze.

Flax Seed Egg Replacer
Grind: ½ cup flax seeds. Blend until a fine meal (use a coffee grinder, it will ruin your wheat grinder with the oil $10 at Walmart) Add 1 ½ cup cold water and blend 2-3 minutes until thickened and has consistency of eggs (I just make it first and let it sit on the counter, this directions for the substitute will make 8 eggs, which will make you 2 of the recipes above. If you want to make 1 recipe, use half of this egg replacement recipe). Use ¼ cup flax seed egg replacer mixture to replace one egg in baking.

To make it a little extra special, try pouring half of the batter in the pan, then placing fresh, canned or sliced fruit over top. If you use dehydrated fruit, try softening with water first. Use bananas, kiwi, apples and others. Now, pour the remaining batter over the fruit and spread evenly to cover. Bake as directed.

I made 3 batches a few weeks ago and they are so good. I made a blueberry (you can also add coconut-didn't have any), banana (I was out of pecans) and rasin spice. You just cut them up into whatever size you want, then wrap them up in saran wrap and store them in the freezer until you are ready to eat them. Because of the protein (flax seed), they stick with you very well. I usually am not hungry again for at least 3 hours.

Mexican Style Lasagna

I made this for dinner last night. I thought it was really good. You must really like spinach though. I also doubled the beans. We love beans around here. The photo is also from the website.

Mexican Style Lasagna (from PBS Everyday Food)

Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes



1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)



1. Preheat oven to 425°. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

2. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

3. Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.



Per serving: 446 calories; 21 grams fat; 21.6 grams protein; 48.2 grams carbohydrates; 10.4 grams fiber

I also made a Cuban Black Bean soup this week. You can get that recipe here.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Hi everyone!

Challey has asked me to post several recipes on this blog. I am sort of blog-challenged (I never seem to have my computer on and then I never seem to find time to look at it), but I love cooking and recipes so I will try to get them all on here. Plus, I am excited to see what you all have added already!

This is my version of a recipe that Sarah from Sarah Baking Co. uses. Her bread products are delicious and if you ever see her at a boutique, you should pick up a few things.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Blend in Bosch mixer:
4 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat gluten
1 Tbs yeast

Then add:
3 cups very warm water

Blend 1 minute. Turn off mixer and cover for 12 minutes to sponge. Should rise to about double.

After sponging, add:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
3 tsp. salt

Run mixer, then add:
3+ cups flour, 1 cup at a time. (If making ½ wheat, ½ white bread, use white flour at this step.) Flour should be added JUST until the dough starts to pull away from or clean the side of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes on power level 1 on your Bosch.

Check dough. If too sticky,add 1/4 cup flour at a time until dough is not too sticky. If too stiff, drizzle warm water over it while kneading.

Preheat oven to warm/lowest setting, just for a minute, then turn it off.

With oiled hands, turn dough out onto oiled counter/plastic mat. Divide and shape into 3 loaves for 8x4" loaf pans. You can use 2 larger bread pans instead if you prefer the bigger size. Place dough into oiled (pam) loaf pans.

Put into warm oven (make sure oven is off). Let rise until the dough is about 1 to 1 ½ inches over the top of the pan (usually 45 min to 1 hr). Leaving loaves in, turn oven on to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of pans immediately and put on a rack to cool completely.

I like to make the 3 smaller loaves. I freeze one of them and leave the other two out (wrapped up) on the counter. Once we've used the first loaf, I thaw out the frozen one. This gives us enough bread for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, depending on the week.

Enjoy!

The Mansion on Turtle Creek Tortilla Soup

The Mansion on Turtle Creek Tortilla Soup

3 tsp. corn oil (I use olive oil)
4 corn tortillas cut into long strips (use more for a thicker soup)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups fresh onion puree
4 c. fresh tomato puree (you can use canned, I use some of both)
5 dried New Mexican chilies (fire roasted & seeded-look for these in the Mexican food aisle, they come in a package of about 10)
2 jalapeños (depends how spicy you want it)
1 T. cumin powder
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 large bay leaf
1 ½ qts. Chicken stock
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chicken breast, cut into thin strips (optional)
Avocado, cut into cubes
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Tortilla Chips

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas and garlic and sauté until tortillas are crisp and garlic is golden brown (4-5 minutes). Add onion puree and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (until reduced by half). Add tomato puree, chilies, jalapeños, cumin, coriander, cilantro, bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 40 minutes. Skim fat from surface. Process through a blender, can be thinned with more chicken stock. Season to taste with salt, lemon and cayenne.

Don't let Stratton fool you, it's a very tasty soup. He basically looks that way every night at dinner unless it's Macaroni & Cheese.

Quinoa

Dang it--I'd been meaning to do a post for ages about how much I love quinoa, but had just not gotten around to it. Now there's an article in the NYTimes about it that beats me to the punch. It really is a fabulous grain that is as easy to cook up as cous cous and a great substitute for rice if you're looking for a hearty side. We use it in soups, flavor it with curry and mint, or just eat it plain when cooked in broth. Whatever the case, you'll love it....and it's so good for you.

Here are 3 of my most-used quinoa recipes:

Basic Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
butter (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the quinoa and the stock in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until all the stock has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Add butter (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.

Additions: add freshly chopped parsley, chives, or mint before serving.


Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing (from Martha Stewart Living, Oct. 2004)

1/4 cup raw whole almonds
1 cup white quinoa
1 tsp honey
1 Tb finely chopped shallot
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb dried currants
1 small McIntosh (or other crunchy) apple cut into 1/8-inch thick wedges
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish


1. Spread almonds in a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop nuts.
2. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve; drain. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir quinoa, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until quinoa is tender but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork; let cool.
3. Whisk together honey, shallot, curry powder, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until dressing is emulsified. Add quinoa, currants, apple, mint and nuts; toss well. Garnish with mint.


Peruvian Chicken Ragout (from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2004)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (although, I've used breast pieces when I have those on hand) cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tb all-purpose flour
1 tsp chili powder
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb cooking oil
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can chicken broth
1 meduim potato, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
finely shredded lemon peel (set aside)
2 Tb lemon juice

1. Place chicken, flour, chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat.
2. In a 4-to-6-quart Dutch oven cook chicken mixture, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until browned. Add undrained tomatoes, broth, potato, corn, and quinoa. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes and quinoa are tender. Stir in spinach and lemon juice; cook until spinach is just wilted. Garnish each serving with shredded lemon peel.