Summer Corn Chowder Ingredients 8 ears fresh sweet yellow corn, husked and silks removed and kernels cut from cob 3 Tbsp butter 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 clove garlic, minced 5 cups water 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup half and half 1 Tbsp honey 2 - 3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional) Directions Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the flour and garlic and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then stir in corn kernels and potatoes. Remove bay leave then transfer 2 1/2 cups of the chowder to a blender and blend until smooth.
Baked Cheesy Chicken Bake Today’s recipe is a cheesy baked pasta that I found over at Our Best Bites . Sara based the recipe on a Martha Stewart recipe. This yummy dish consists of a cheesy pasta blended with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms. Now I know the sun-dried tomatoes aren’t something most of you probably keep on had, so you could just leave them out if you like. Then just up the amount of chicken or mushrooms by 1 cup or I was thinking some broccoli or asparagus tips would also work well in place of the tomatoes. I did however really enjoy the sun-dried tomatoes in this dish but some of my family did eat around them. Another great thing about this recipe is it makes two – 2 quart dishes. When I made this recipe I also decided to try it with some pasta samples that I had received from Ronzoni . Finally, the winner of the “Nourish Your Inner Goddess” giveaway from Yoplait and MyBlogSpark is: Kate who said: I always love any kind of berry yogurt. Congrats Kate! Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne
Cheeseburger Paradise Soup Cheeseburger Paradise Soup Ingredients 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 small carrot, grated 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeno pepper 3 cups water 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds ground beef 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms 2 tablespoons butter 5 cups 2% milk, divided 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 package (16 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed Directions In a Dutch oven, bring the first nine ingredients to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Garnish with bacon.
Bacon & Eggs in Toast Cups * Updated post from archive: Originally posted March 29, 2009 If you where to ask me what is my favorite meal of the day without a thought my response would be breakfast! I love breakfast! I love brunch! I love bacon! I love breggs! These little goodies are all of the above in a little two bite package. The other day I was scanning through my copy of William & Sonoma’s: Tools and Techniques. And, they are crazy easy to make. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the crust and the corners off the bread, making wonky looking circles. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the bacon strips on it. Shape the cooled bacon into the toast cups, with the meaty side out. Also, if you aren’t a fan of creamy delicious runny eggs you can beat 4 eggs with a bit of milk, season and spoon into the cups. Lower the temperature of the oven down to 350 degrees. Run a knife along the edges and use a small spoon to pop them out. For the love of eggs, bacon and toast! Ingredients 6 slices of bread 6 eggs
Best Tomato Soup Ever Ingredients 1 medium white or yellow onion 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice 3 to 6 tablespoons sugar 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup sherry, optional 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Directions To begin, dice the onion. Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add in the sherry if desired. Serve the soup warm!
Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks Who would have ever thought I would get excited about seeing something green on sale in the grocery store? Not me. But that’s what happened when I walked by these super thin asparagus spears. How often do I find thin asparagus that doesn’t look half dead and is on sale? And I sort of like asparagus. The whole upchucking thing usually doesn’t happen until the third of fourth spear. But I figured I could possibly prevent that mess if I coated these in something crispy and cheesy. These were so incredibly easy to make and tasted delicious – kind of like little asparagus “fries.” I also think that these will taste even better with thicker asparagus spears. [print_this] Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks 1 bunch of asparagus (mine had about 30 spears) 2 egg whites 1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour) 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup parmesan cheese salt and pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Snap off the tough ends of each asparagus spear. [/print_this] Okay.
Healthier Potato and Cauliflower Soup Healthier Potato and Cauliflower Soup Ingredients 5 cups chopped cauliflower 4 cups fat-free chicken broth 4 cups water, or more as needed to cover 3 cups diced potatoes 10 cloves garlic, smashed 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or to taste Directions Stir cauliflower, chicken broth, water, and potatoes together in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer until potatoes and cauliflower are soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Mash potato and cauliflower mixture using an immersion blender or potato masher until pureed. Bring pureed soup to a simmer; cook until consistency is smooth and flavors are blended, about 30 minutes.
Italian Roasted Cauliflower Salad As we head into the weekend, I thought we’d explore Southern Italy a bit more as part of my Culinary Staycation series. Last week, we dined on a simple Tuna Salad Caprese on the gorgeous island of Capri. Today, we’ll travel south to the tippy-toe of the Italian boot, to the region known as Calabria. The Church on the Island – Tropea, Calabria, Italy Calabria’s geography, with direct access to the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, made it desirable to a number of conquering nations throughout history. Calabria, Italy – Tropea la Costa Some of the most important ingredients in Calabrian cuisine were introduced by the Arabs– eggplant, citrus, artichokes, and raisins are all major players in Calabrian cooking. Le Castella, Crotone – Calabria, Italy I adapted this salad from a wonderful cookbook (now out of print) called “The Food of Southern Italy” by Carlo Middione. This salad is super healthy and flavorful. Organic Olive Oil from Israel Citrus Juicer Cook’s Knife Ingredients Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Rich French Onion Soup Ingredients 6 large onions, chopped 1/2 cup butter 6 cans (10-1/2 ounces each) condensed beef broth, undiluted 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 3 bay leaves 10 slices French bread, toasted Shredded Parmesan and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Directions In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until crisp-tender. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until the onions are tender. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls. Yield: 10 servings. Mashed Potatoes w/Bacon & Cheddar 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. 2. 3. 4. Like this: Like Loading...
Crockpot Minestrone Soup Ingredients 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 2 cups carrots, chopped 2 cups potatoes, chopped 1.5 cups celery, chopped 1 white onion, diced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 bay leaves 4 cups vegetable stock ( I prefer low sodium broth) 2 cups water 3 cups V8 ( or tomato juice) 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 oz) cannellii beans, drained and rinsed 1½ cups zucchini, diced 1 cups tubular (ditalini) pasta 1 can (15 oz) green beans, drained Directions Place your diced tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, white onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaves into your crockpot. Add in vegetable stock, water, and V8. After cooking time is up, add in red kidney beans, cannellii beans, zucchini, green beans and pasta , and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes until pasta is tender.