Zucchini Bisque

It's Zucchini season here, so its time to find some good recipes to use up all of the massive squashes our summer garden is producing.

I found this soup recipe to be excellent!

photo & recipe from tasteofhome.com

• 4 medium zucchini, shredded
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed (I only used about half as much butter)
• 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (I use skim milk and its just as good)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• Sour cream and additional nutmeg, optional
• 
  
• In a large saucepan, saute zucchini and onion in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly.

• Transfer to blender and puree until smooth.
• Return to the pan & stir in the cream, salt, basil, pepper and nutmeg.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
• Garnish with sour cream (I use plain yogurt) and a pinch of nutmeg if you want.
• 
  

Grilled Talapia & Mango Salsa

This recipe came from my sis-in-law who found it from here.

(photo thanks to google images)

When she made it for me I knew it was a keeper.....

• Fish part:
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tilapia fillets
• 
  
• Mango Salsa part:
• 2/3 cup chopped mango
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 4 teaspoons minced red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced green bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

  Directions

  1. Stir the olive oil, garlic, basil, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Put the tilapia fillets in a resealable plastic bag; pour the olive oil mixture over the fillets and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  2. Make the salsa by stirring the mango, lime juice, orange juice, jalapeno pepper, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, parsley, and black pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.
  3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
  4. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, shaking off any excess oil, and wrap each fillet in a piece of aluminum foil.
  5. Cook the tilapia on the preheated grill until the flesh easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Spoon the salsa over the tilapia to serve.

aunt jan's White Bean & Chicken Hash

My aunt jan used to make this for us when we'd visit her house way back when we were tiny kids.

What's funny is that her own kids don't remember it, but it's the ONLY meal I remember eating at her house.

Anyway, the other day I just had the biggest craving for it, so I made some phone calls and got the recipe.

We made it last night and it was just as I remembered it:

SCRUMPTIOUS.

aunt jan's

White Bean & Chicken Hash

2 cans of chicken in water undrained

1 can white navy beans undrained

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp salsa (or more)

Heat all the ingredients together (with juices from canned ingredients) in a saucepan until boiling.

Let simmer about 10-15 minutes to thicken up

Serve hot with tortilla chips

*You can sprinkle cheese over the top (pepperjack is best) if you want

Super easy, super quick, super delicious.

My hubby fell in love with the meal instantly!

That's always a good sign.

Irish Soda Bread

IRISH SODA BREAD

(image taken from here, though the recipe isn't)

St. Pattie's Day is one of my favorite holidays---and one of the foods that the Irish eat is Soda Bread. This is more like a gigantic biscuit type bread as it doesn't use yeast for its leavening.

This bread is great to eat with stew, with ham & potatoes, or with breakfast.

Its easy, its quick, and its delicious! Enjoy!

BLEND TOGETHER UNTIL SMOOTH:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, you can use 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 Tbsp lemon juice as substitute)

3 Tbsp honey

1 egg

4 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup flour

STIR INTO SMOOTH MIXTURE UNTIL WELL MIXED:

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2-1 tsp salt

3 cups flour (I do 2 cups white, 1 cup wheat)

Knead on a floured surface until its a smooth ball

Cut an big "X" on the top of it and place it on a cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (check at about 50 minutes)

Spread warm butter over the top and serve with jam or honey

Garlic & Herb Red and Sweet Potatoes

10 small red potatoes

1 medium sized sweet potato

1 medium yellow onion

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Lawry Salt

2 Tbsp Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Parsley

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Cut potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes into medium size chunks and dump in a bowl

Pour olive oil over potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes

Pour spices onto p,o,&sp and mix, mix, mix until fully covered

Spread in a roasting pan or baking sheet and bake at 450 for an hour, stirring every so often to that each side of potatoes get cooked. Yummy!

Blackberry Cream Cheese

Picture from google images

My sweet sis-in-law calls this BLACKBERRY DREAM but its really nothing special...just something I made up on a whim to put out with some fruit and crackers. So easy, so yummy.

8 oz softened Neuftchal cheese (you can use cream cheese too)

2-3 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar (less or more depending on how you like it to taste)

1/2 cup fresh blackberries (less or more depending on how you like it to taste)

Blend it all together until smooth and "dreamy"

Serve with crackers, on toast, to dip fruit in, whatever.

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

I originally posted a recipe similar to this but with much more yucky (well, fattening) ingredients. I have since played with the recipe and feel much better about its contents, so, I will post my NEWER version here but also leave the more fattening one below it if you are still interested in the calories. The fam and I ALL decided the healthier version tastes better, but you decide...

HEALTHIER VERSION
8 cups tomatoes (chopped)
4 cups tomato juice
1/4-1/2 cup white cooking wine
1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
14 leaves of FRESH basil
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish *We are not even a sour cream fans but it totally adds to the soup!*

Bring tomatoes, onion, tomato soup, and garlic to a boil and let simmer for about half an hour. Puree the soup in a blender with the basil leaves until soup is smooth.
Return soup to the pot and add butter, milk, and salt & pepper.
Heat for another 10 minutes or so or until the table is set and serve with bread or crackers.

FIRST VERSION
4 cups tomatoes (chopped)
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half to ease the calories)
14 leaves of FRESH basil
1/2 cup butter (1/3 cup still does justice)
Salt and Pepper to taste + a little garlic if you like it

Bring chopped tomatoes and tomato soup to a boil and then simmer for about a half an hour. Puree the heated tomato mixture with the basil leaves and return them to the pot.
Add cream and butter, salt and pepper, and a pinch of garlic if you want.
Heat it all together and serve hot with nice bread or crackers.
*You might want to add one or two teaspoons of sugar at the very end, too depending on the taste you're looking for.

Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Soup

About 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 bunch green onions
2 lbs fresh raw carrots
1 1/2 to 2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup heavy cream or milk
1 Tbsp parsley
About 1 tsp salt (I like a little more)
About tsp pepper (I like a little more)

Chop both kinds of onions and sautee' in a large pan with the olive oil. When clear and soft, add carrots (that you've chopped into small pieces) and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until carrot pieces are soft.

Using a blender, transfer one or two cups of broth + carrots & onions, and puree until smooth. Return each pureed batch to a large pot until all of carrots & broth are pureed. Heat well while adding finely grated fresh ginger, sugar, salt & pepper, and cream. If soup seems to thick add more broth; if seems to runny, let it simmer for another half hour or so.

Serve with hot bread (and garnish with chives if you so crave). Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

The credit for the recipe goes to my dad. It's the best butternut squash soup recipe I've ever tried. Let me know what you think...Especially you, Shannon.

4 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup chopped leeks
1/2 cup shallot
1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash chunks
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

dallop of sour cream and/or orange zest for garnish

Melt butter in a large pot
Saute leeks & shallots until brown in the butter
Puree broth and squash chunks (which have been steamed or baked until softened---about an hour prior) and add to the large pot. Bring to a boil...once boiling, reduce to a simmer.
Add heavy cream & orange juice & spice (do not bring to a boil again)

Serve when ready. Add sour cream & zest as garnish

Healthy "Funeral Potatoes"

I just kind of made this up since I was assigned to make Funeral Potatoes for a church function and didn't want to lead astray my fellow church-goers with those nasty fat-filled potato casseroles. Surprisingly, they turned out DELICIOUS. See what you think...

1 x 10 oz bag of frozen potato chunks (the hash kind that isn't grated)
1 x 8 oz block of Neuftchel Cheese (a goat's milk, less fat version of cream cheese)
1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 yellow onion chopped and diced
2-5 stalks celery chopped and diced
1 Tbsp (ish) melted butter
2 tsp (ish) salt
3 tsp (ish) black pepper
1 Tbsp (ish) celery seed
1 1/2 tsp (ish) sage
Several handfuls of crushed corn flakes or corn chex
4 oz block (ish) cheddar cheese (optional)

Mix together frozen potato chunks, Neuftchel cheese, plain yogurt, onion, and celery until creamy. Add butter, salt, pepper, celery seed, and sage and mix thoroughly.

Meanwhile, line the bottom of an an extra large casserole dish with crushed corn flakes/checks. Spoon creamy potato mixture over corn flakes/chex and then cover potato mixture with another layer of crushed flakes/chex. Grate cheese over the top (or not...) and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve hot. Yum.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Tastes just like the soup at Olive G.)
Makes: 6-8 servings


INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage (You can use the spicy Italian sausage and omit the red peppers)
1½ tsp crushed red peppers (or can use a fresh hot pepper)
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces (Can use Turkey bacon)
2 tsp garlic puree/ finely chopped
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale (or spinach)


Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Sweet Potatoes/Yams

Mix together:
3 cups cooked & mashed sweet potatoes (2-29oz cans)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ stick of butter
5 oz. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Place in greased 9 x 13 x 2 dish

Mix together:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup Pecan pieces
½ stick melted butter
Sprinkle over top of mixture in pan.

Bake @ 350 for 30-35 min. or until set.

Delicious Mashed Potatoes

**Peel and cube desired amount of potatoes (about to 2 med. Sized potatoes per person)
*Butter
*Evaporated milk

Boil potatoes for 25 min. or until soft and drain.
Add some butter (about 4 Tbsp for 10 med. Potatoes), and then add enough evaporated milk to reach desired consistency. Mix with electric mixer or potato masher.

* you can use margarine or regular milk if you prefer.
** Red or Yukon potatoes are the best tasting!

Yummy Cranberry Salsa

1 bag Cranberries
2-3 Jalepenos
Cilantro (handful)
Green onions (abt 5-6 sticks)
2 TBSP White sugar
Pinch of Salt
Cream Cheese
Crackers (Townhouse crackers work great. Use plain crackers)

Use a food chopper and chop up the Cranberries, Jalapenos, Cilantro, and Green onions. Add Salt and Sugar.
Grab a cracker and put cream cheese on it, then a spoonful of your new yummy salsa! Its delish!!

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Eggs need to be room temperature (or as close to it as possible)

1. Fill a sauce pan with water 3/4 full
2. Add a dash of salt to increase boil
3. When water is boiling and bubbling, add eggs one at a time carefully
(I use a wooden spoon to dip the eggs in with)
4. Let boil for exactly 10 minutes
5. Separate water from eggs and let eggs cool on their own in the room temperature air until they are fully cool. DO NOT run under cold water as shells may break and yolk will not set correctly.
6. Mark hard-boiled eggs so that they aren't mistaken for normal eggs

Quick Egg Fact:
The cholestrol in eggs is actually not that bad for you, but yolk is what carries most of the calories in an egg. The egg white is mostly all protein.
One egg white is only 17 calories where as a yolk alone is nearly 55 calories.

Cranberry/Orange Sauce

This is a delicious and nutritious cranberry sauce to serve with Turkey on thanksgiving, or make and use as jam on bread, or eat with a spoon (as I often do).

1 quart fresh cranberries
2 oranges, ground
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup apple, ground
2 stocks (ribs only) of celery
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup sugar

Mix together in food processor or blender and let stand in fridge for 24 hours before serving.

Cafe Rio dressing

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch (pwdr mix)
1 c. mayonnaise
2 cloves chopped garlic
4-6 tomatillos (picture above)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk (for thinner dressing add more milk up to 1/3 c.)

Put it all together and mix it in a blender.

*we now use this dressing on everything, especially quesadillas.

Chili Cheese Dip

I made this in a LARGE quantity for a big party - so I will put the ingredients I used to get the taste, and you can make less or more as you would like.

2 lb. block of velveeta cheese (size they come in at Costco)

3 cans Hormel Beanless Chili

2 cans Rotel tomatos - lime flavor

Just heat and serve!

You can add or take away anything as you like or dislike. My hubby hates beans so I served it like the above recipe for a family party - then I added one can of black beans (drained) to the leftovers to stretch it for another party.

Everyone loved it - great appetizer and a big hit!

My picture heavy How-To for Roasting Garlic

I intended on putting my recipe for my very favorite, sinfully delicious, ridiculously awesome Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes here. Then, however, I realized that I would first have to explain to most people how to roast garlic!

So that's what I'm going to do today. Another day, I'll give the mashed potato recipe. I always post recipes with step-by-step pictures, so.. if that's annoying let me know and I won't do it next time. This time, just deal with it. ;-)


HOW TO ROAST GARLIC
(which, p.s., can be put in/on pretty much anything. or eaten plain. it's friggin' delicious. I'd buy roasted garlic candy, I really would)

1. First step is to get a few bulbs of garlic. I usually do about five, since I can find a million things to do with roasted garlic. Make sure you get big, sturdy bulbs. What we don't want is a head that will break into a million teeny, tiny pieces instead of a few big, beautiful cloves.

Cut off the top of the bulb, so that the little garlic clove's heads are exposed.




2. Put the bulbs in a pie tin or a cake pan, open side up. While you do this, pretend that my pictures are taken in nice light and with better post-processing. It will make me feel better.


They look freakishly like little pod animals. I can't look at it too long or it weirds me out. And kind of makes me feel sick, despite how much I love garlic. Eesh. Okay. Next step.

3. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil liberally over the top, ensuring that you cover all exposed cloves. Like drowning all the little pod bodies so they won't take over the earth.



4. Salt and pepper the cloves. I like to live by the rule that you can never have too much salt. I know what you're thinking: It is OBVIOUS that I am the prime example for healthy living. =/ With that in mind, use your own judgment. But remember: Salt Tastes Good.



Note that I'm using Kosher Salt, here. It's not necessary, but I find it much better for most cooking purposes. It's called Kosher salt because it is used in making meats Kosher. Because of its flat surface, it sticks more easily and brings the blood out. It should also be noted that you typically need nearly twice as much kosher salt to equal the same amount of saltiness that you'd get from table salt.


5. Cover the pan with tinfoil, and place it in a 375 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes.


Pretend like you don't see the grease on the back of my oven. I really loathe cleaning ovens.


6. When the time is up, pull them out. They will look beautiful and ravishing. Like this.




7. Important: WAIT UNTIL THEY COOL DOWN. You'd think this would be common sense, but I don't want any lawsuits on my hands, here. Give them 20 minutes. Then proceed.

Squeeze the cloves out of the bulbs. They will just POP out. Kind of like birthing a baby. A little garlic baby. Only without the blinding pain, and hours of pushing. And also, no uterus.






8. Et Voila! You now have a beautiful plate full of soft, incredibly flavorful garlic cloves that you can do pretty much anything with.



You can throw the garlic peely stuff (does it have a name??) away. Unless you are attached to it, and want to bury it in your backyard under a tree like some people do with their placentas.

I think I just took the birthing analogy a little too far. Moving on.




Put them on baked potatoes. Put them in salads, pastas, meatloafs. Stick them in marinades, stuff them into chicken breasts. Keep them in a bag in your purse and munch on them all day long. Not only are they delicious, but they will also raise your immunity. Also ward off vampires.

Just be sure to carry some breathmints. Not everyone shares my adoration for the smell of garlic.

Classic Potato Salad

We just tried this for the first time tonight and we LOVED it.

• 8 medium potatoes, cooked and diced (we used red potatoes)
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 cup minced onion
• 5 hard-boiled eggs
• paprika

Directions

1. Boil peeled potatoes in salted water till done. Cool to room temperature.
2. Place diced potatoes in lg bowl.
3. Mix next 7 ingredients in another bowl.
4. Add to potatoes.
5. Add celery and onions and mix well.
6. Stir in eggs.
7. Sprinkle a little paprika on top.

*We left out the celery, onion and paprika because we didn't have it and it was still delicious. Enjoy!