Have you ever been at the garden center and say to yourself, "Hey, self, that looks interesting. I'll buy that for 3 bucks. Hmm, a four pack. I don't even like these that much, but what the hey?" And then you go to the fancy pants section and buy what you really went there to get. And then you go home, lovingly manure, mulch, and give pep talks to your planned plant purchases that you pined for all those winter months. And then you forget about the impulse buy for a week, until you notice it withering in its black plastic container. And then you remember and half-heartedly stick them in the ground just to get them off of your deck. And then a stupid Bambi and Thumper cohort eat your expensive farmer's market seedlings while your discount banana peppers thrive on weed crowding, zero irrigation, and general neglect. Yeah. You know what I'm talking 'bout.
We've been collecting what seems like a bushel of sweet banana peppers a week from our four little plants in the garden. I don't even like them that much. I would rather have a hot pepper than a sweet pepper any day... and banana peppers don't exactly stand in for bell peppers in recipes. I've tried. I've willed it to work. But, alas, they are quite a useless vegetable in my kitchen. So I thought that maybe I should kick it out of the kitchen and onto the deck instead. There, on the charcoal grill, they found redemption in their pairing with cheese. That strategy works with pretty much any food, I think. When in doubt, add cheese.
(Side-note: My lactose-intolerant brother really throws a kink in this philosophy when he visits. Our conversations about meals usually turn into me reciting a monologue that sounds something like "Hey, you want some cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast? Oh... I'll just whip up some of my incredible cream cheese dani... Oh, sorry... Well, I can't wait for you to try the three cheese stromboli recipe I've been work... Oh... How about we just go out for some ice crea.... Oh.... There's this great frozen yogurt place... Crap. Here's a carrot. Enjoy.")
Not only are these stuffed peppers a good way to use up the end of summer bounty, but they make great appetizers for a party. They cook quickly while the grill is heating up for the main course. I never like to waste any effort (or charcoal). Make them up just before guests arrive and stick them in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, or make up the cheese mixture and put your friends to work. It's about as complicated as spreading some weird process cheese ball on a cracker anyway.
Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Banana Peppers
4 sweet banana peppers, halved and seeded
2 oz. goat cheese
2 T sour cream
2 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp chopped chives
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Fire up the grill to about 400 degrees. Mix cheeses, herbs, and a dash of salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Divide the cheese equally between the pepper halves. Throw the peppers on the grill, cheese side up, for 2-3 minutes over direct heat, then move them to indirect heat for about 5 minutes. Remove to a serving platter and enjoy warm.
Makes 4 appetizer servings.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Organizing Recipes
Every home cook has one - a disorganized stash of recipes that you've clipped from a magazine, printed from your computer, or scribbled down on the back of an envelope. The question is... what's your recipe hoarding style? Do you stuff them in a drawer? A cute little recipe box that is so packed that the lid won't even balance on top? A cardboard box hiding in a cabinet? A file folder that spews a few papers every time you pick it up? Or my choice - crammed in between my cookbooks. The trick is to stuff them far enough in that no one can see them...
As an avid explorer of new food territories, I really rack up quite a collection of recipes. Between Pinterest, my favorite food blogs, and my Cooking Light subscription, I've been cooking up 3-7 new recipes a week this summer. Some worked out wonderfully (and I share them here), and some need some work. Usually, I don't just toss a mediocre recipe away; I tweak it until it's yummy. Combining the volume of recipes I collect and all the changes I make to the originals can get a little ugly. Add in the fact that I'm a terribly messy cook, and you have a recipe (ha!) for trouble.
I've kept a 3-ring-binder for recipes for years, but it was becoming so overloaded that the binding was breaking. And it wasn't pretty. It wasn't terrible either. It was just a plain white binder splattered with various dried sauces from my culinary experiments. But if it isn't pretty, I'm not going to be motivated to keep it organized. Enter the $2 recipe binder overhaul.
The great thing about this project is that I only had to buy one thing - the tabs. Everything else I had already. I had two white view binders out in the garage as part of my school supply storage. The clear page protectors were already in use from my previous binder, and the scrapbook paper was part of a huge pad that I had purchased for another project. I already had the cupcake punch as well. You can see it at the top of the desserts binder. Just 'cause it's cute, and I had it. Why not? Cupcakes make everything better. EVERYTHING. Except diabetics. Doesn't make them better. Sorry.
The labels came together very quickly because I already had created the template for organizing my pantry. So yes, my recipe books and pantry match perfectly - fonts and all. Those who know me well are not surprised in the least.
First, I sorted out all the recipes I'd never tried or weren't that good. If I don't love it, it's not worth keeping. I had to come to terms with the fact that if I haven't made a recipe in the past 5 years, I'm never going to make it. Make room for the good stuff, people! Life is too short to spend making and eating crappy food.
Then I separated out my main dishes from all the other stuff. For the entree binder, I created categories for breakfast, poultry, beef/deer, pork, fish/seafood, and meatless. For my etc. binder, I have tabs for small bites (appetizers), side dishes, drinks, cakes/cupcakes, breads, and other desserts. After I decided on my categories, I made a label and attached to a different, coordinating pattern of scrapbook paper. Slip the paper into a plastic sheet protector, add the corresponding stick-on tab, and you're practically done!
I've discovered an unexpected perk to this kind of recipe keeping. It's great for someone who messes with a good thing - moi - because I can note any changes I made while cooking with a dry erase marker. When we taste-test the meal, I have notes to remind me if the tweaks worked well. If not, I simply wipe away the marker, because the recipe is encased in plastic. I should have thought of that sooner, since I've used the same sheet protector technique for cheap personal dry erase boards in my classroom for three years. C'mon, Mrs. N, let's work on generalization of knowledge here. Duh.
If the recipe is really good (a 7 out of 10 on the Drew scale) or I think I can improve it to that level on the next try, it gets a permanent spot in the binder. If not, I don't waste space or calories on it.
There you have it. My way of conquering the hidden mountain of kitchen paper clutter. The next frontier? My bulging binder of recipes that I "want to try sometime..."
As an avid explorer of new food territories, I really rack up quite a collection of recipes. Between Pinterest, my favorite food blogs, and my Cooking Light subscription, I've been cooking up 3-7 new recipes a week this summer. Some worked out wonderfully (and I share them here), and some need some work. Usually, I don't just toss a mediocre recipe away; I tweak it until it's yummy. Combining the volume of recipes I collect and all the changes I make to the originals can get a little ugly. Add in the fact that I'm a terribly messy cook, and you have a recipe (ha!) for trouble.
I've kept a 3-ring-binder for recipes for years, but it was becoming so overloaded that the binding was breaking. And it wasn't pretty. It wasn't terrible either. It was just a plain white binder splattered with various dried sauces from my culinary experiments. But if it isn't pretty, I'm not going to be motivated to keep it organized. Enter the $2 recipe binder overhaul.
The great thing about this project is that I only had to buy one thing - the tabs. Everything else I had already. I had two white view binders out in the garage as part of my school supply storage. The clear page protectors were already in use from my previous binder, and the scrapbook paper was part of a huge pad that I had purchased for another project. I already had the cupcake punch as well. You can see it at the top of the desserts binder. Just 'cause it's cute, and I had it. Why not? Cupcakes make everything better. EVERYTHING. Except diabetics. Doesn't make them better. Sorry.
The labels came together very quickly because I already had created the template for organizing my pantry. So yes, my recipe books and pantry match perfectly - fonts and all. Those who know me well are not surprised in the least.
First, I sorted out all the recipes I'd never tried or weren't that good. If I don't love it, it's not worth keeping. I had to come to terms with the fact that if I haven't made a recipe in the past 5 years, I'm never going to make it. Make room for the good stuff, people! Life is too short to spend making and eating crappy food.
Then I separated out my main dishes from all the other stuff. For the entree binder, I created categories for breakfast, poultry, beef/deer, pork, fish/seafood, and meatless. For my etc. binder, I have tabs for small bites (appetizers), side dishes, drinks, cakes/cupcakes, breads, and other desserts. After I decided on my categories, I made a label and attached to a different, coordinating pattern of scrapbook paper. Slip the paper into a plastic sheet protector, add the corresponding stick-on tab, and you're practically done!
I've discovered an unexpected perk to this kind of recipe keeping. It's great for someone who messes with a good thing - moi - because I can note any changes I made while cooking with a dry erase marker. When we taste-test the meal, I have notes to remind me if the tweaks worked well. If not, I simply wipe away the marker, because the recipe is encased in plastic. I should have thought of that sooner, since I've used the same sheet protector technique for cheap personal dry erase boards in my classroom for three years. C'mon, Mrs. N, let's work on generalization of knowledge here. Duh.
If the recipe is really good (a 7 out of 10 on the Drew scale) or I think I can improve it to that level on the next try, it gets a permanent spot in the binder. If not, I don't waste space or calories on it.
There you have it. My way of conquering the hidden mountain of kitchen paper clutter. The next frontier? My bulging binder of recipes that I "want to try sometime..."
Monday, June 25, 2012
Get-out-of-my-house Bars
These peanut butter bars are so delicious, so addictive that I tried any way I could to get them out of my house. First, I halved the recipe to reduce the amount to tempt me. Then I gave them away to our neighbors to snack on while they watched my husband and I make fools of ourselves on the front lawn (more on that in a minute). The next day, I brought another load over to my dear friend, Suzanne, to share with her family. Thank goodness I did... because I ate nearly every single "ugly" square that didn't look quite right and promptly got a stomachache from it. AND I KEPT EATING THEM. If I had made the whole batch and kept them, I'd be in the hospital from peanut butter cup poisoning.
While the hubs and I waited for the squares to firm up in the fridge, we went out for our nightly game of badminton. We don't play every night, but we hit the birdies back and forth a few times a week. We're such nerds that our net has stayed up since Memorial Day, and we just mow around it. Eventually, we succeeded in destroying every single shuttlecock we had. I'd like to say it was because of our strength and sheer mastery of the sport that did them in, but really, it was because we are cheap. We bought the bottom dollar, flimsy fluorescent birdies that broke apart if you stared at them too hard. Add that Tater likes to "retrieve" said birdies when they go out of bounds, and you have pile of useless, neon plastic quickly.
That night, we were celebrating the purchase of NEW shuttlecocks. Of course, I couldn't bring myself to purchase the pro line, so we got more cheap ones. But these were WHITE and DIFFERENT. As soon as I smacked the sucker with my racket, we watched it peter out about halfway to the net. I pouted. The engineer was not deterred. He ran down to my craft room, whipped out my glue gun, and hot-glued a penny to it. A frugal fix! I love that guy. We continued walloping the new birdie at each other, all the while yelling and laughing and causing a general ruckus.
Meanwhile, our neighbors across the street sat on their porch in rocking chairs, probably questioning our maturity, intelligence, or both. The next day as I was weeding in the garden, our neighbor down the road leaned out her car window and asked if we were playing badminton tonight. Apparently, she had watched the whole show from her porch and quite enjoyed our antics. Better than TV. Looks like next time I'll have to bring her a snack, too.
These squares are like Reese's cups, but even better. The larger the crumb of graham cracker, the more crunch you will get in your square. I prefer pretty finely crushed, but not to the point that it's just dust. You can save yourself even more time and effort by purchasing graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle, but (like I said) I am cheap and wanted to use as many calories as I could making these. I pondered churning my own butter, but it would take a week of that to work off one of these little delights.
If you dare make these, have a few disposable containers at the ready to pass out to neighbors. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Ingredients
1 c butter, melted
2 c graham cracker crumbs (about 15 squares)
2 c confectioners' sugar
1 1/4 c peanut butter, divided
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. (Tip: An off-set spatula works great for this.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer, again using your spatula to make things nice and smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Yield: Way too many to keep in your fridge safely.
While the hubs and I waited for the squares to firm up in the fridge, we went out for our nightly game of badminton. We don't play every night, but we hit the birdies back and forth a few times a week. We're such nerds that our net has stayed up since Memorial Day, and we just mow around it. Eventually, we succeeded in destroying every single shuttlecock we had. I'd like to say it was because of our strength and sheer mastery of the sport that did them in, but really, it was because we are cheap. We bought the bottom dollar, flimsy fluorescent birdies that broke apart if you stared at them too hard. Add that Tater likes to "retrieve" said birdies when they go out of bounds, and you have pile of useless, neon plastic quickly.
That night, we were celebrating the purchase of NEW shuttlecocks. Of course, I couldn't bring myself to purchase the pro line, so we got more cheap ones. But these were WHITE and DIFFERENT. As soon as I smacked the sucker with my racket, we watched it peter out about halfway to the net. I pouted. The engineer was not deterred. He ran down to my craft room, whipped out my glue gun, and hot-glued a penny to it. A frugal fix! I love that guy. We continued walloping the new birdie at each other, all the while yelling and laughing and causing a general ruckus.
Meanwhile, our neighbors across the street sat on their porch in rocking chairs, probably questioning our maturity, intelligence, or both. The next day as I was weeding in the garden, our neighbor down the road leaned out her car window and asked if we were playing badminton tonight. Apparently, she had watched the whole show from her porch and quite enjoyed our antics. Better than TV. Looks like next time I'll have to bring her a snack, too.
These squares are like Reese's cups, but even better. The larger the crumb of graham cracker, the more crunch you will get in your square. I prefer pretty finely crushed, but not to the point that it's just dust. You can save yourself even more time and effort by purchasing graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle, but (like I said) I am cheap and wanted to use as many calories as I could making these. I pondered churning my own butter, but it would take a week of that to work off one of these little delights.
If you dare make these, have a few disposable containers at the ready to pass out to neighbors. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
from Let's Dish RecipesIngredients
1 c butter, melted
2 c graham cracker crumbs (about 15 squares)
2 c confectioners' sugar
1 1/4 c peanut butter, divided
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. (Tip: An off-set spatula works great for this.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer, again using your spatula to make things nice and smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Yield: Way too many to keep in your fridge safely.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Raspberry Linzer Cheese Danish
I've been in the habit of searching for new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. Currently, I'm on a breakfast foods kick. I could say that it's because Drew has a tendency to get stuck in a rut with breakfast, eating the same thing every morning for a month or two and then never wanting anything to do with it for another six or more. I could pretend that it's about being a thoughtful, loving wife. But that would be a lie. I need to win. No, I need to CRUSH all competition. BLOW them out of the water. EMBARRASS them with their novice attempts at baked goods and bow down and worship me, goddess of sugar and butter. Okay, maybe not that bad.
See, I've got this class coming up next month. Each person signs up for a day to bring "snack." It was suggested that you bring in a box of doughnuts, maybe some juice. Then one of the facilitators casually said, "I've made quiche and scones, but you don't have to be that fancy." Then there was murmuring about her food and how great it was. After the murmuring died down, another facilitator chuckled, "Yeah, there was a little bit of competition going on last year."
My ears perk up. Food making? Competition? I MUST WIN. My eyes bug out at my friend sitting next to me, who knows I bake and was part of the same class last year. She also knows that I have a complex about being the best at everything. Without missing a beat, she whispers, "Don't worry, you'll win." I smile to myself, but quickly mouth something that should have come across humble. That's what I was trying to fake anyway. She knows better.
Later that class, I meet with my mentor, who happens to be the aforementioned competitive scone and quiche lady. I learn that not only does she have an agent for her food memoir book, but she used to own a restaurant. Crap. This should have busted my crazy competitive bubble, right? No, of course it just makes me work harder to find a kick-butt recipe or two to wow everyone. I contemplate signing up for more snack days. I mentally run through how I might bribe someone to give me their snack day too - maybe one of those people who think that an acceptable edible is something that has been sitting on a supermarket shelf for three weeks and is packed so full of preservatives that it wouldn't decompose in my backyard compost pile in less than a decade. Drew had the common sense to point out that I'm a tad bit crazy, so I'm scaling it back. But I think I found the Golden Recipe. I may go broke buying the ingredients to make several dozen of these, but by golly, I'll win!
See, I've got this class coming up next month. Each person signs up for a day to bring "snack." It was suggested that you bring in a box of doughnuts, maybe some juice. Then one of the facilitators casually said, "I've made quiche and scones, but you don't have to be that fancy." Then there was murmuring about her food and how great it was. After the murmuring died down, another facilitator chuckled, "Yeah, there was a little bit of competition going on last year."
My ears perk up. Food making? Competition? I MUST WIN. My eyes bug out at my friend sitting next to me, who knows I bake and was part of the same class last year. She also knows that I have a complex about being the best at everything. Without missing a beat, she whispers, "Don't worry, you'll win." I smile to myself, but quickly mouth something that should have come across humble. That's what I was trying to fake anyway. She knows better.
Later that class, I meet with my mentor, who happens to be the aforementioned competitive scone and quiche lady. I learn that not only does she have an agent for her food memoir book, but she used to own a restaurant. Crap. This should have busted my crazy competitive bubble, right? No, of course it just makes me work harder to find a kick-butt recipe or two to wow everyone. I contemplate signing up for more snack days. I mentally run through how I might bribe someone to give me their snack day too - maybe one of those people who think that an acceptable edible is something that has been sitting on a supermarket shelf for three weeks and is packed so full of preservatives that it wouldn't decompose in my backyard compost pile in less than a decade. Drew had the common sense to point out that I'm a tad bit crazy, so I'm scaling it back. But I think I found the Golden Recipe. I may go broke buying the ingredients to make several dozen of these, but by golly, I'll win!
Raspberry Linzer Cheese Danish
recipe from Rachael RayIngredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup marzipan or almond paste
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and refrigerated
- 4 teaspoons raspberry jam
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and marzipan at high speed for 1 minute. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and salt.
- Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out to form a 10-inch square; cut into 4 equal squares and place on the prepared baking sheet. Dollop the cream cheese mixture evenly in the center of each square; top with 1 teaspoon jam. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork, then lightly brush some of it onto the pastry. Lift 2 opposite corners of each pastry and cross over the center, overlapping slightly; pinch to seal. Brush the tops with more egg white and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and the heavy cream with a fork until smooth; drizzle over the cooled pastries.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Surprise Daylily Garden
Last fall, I made a special trip home to see my folks. Not to see them (though that was a bonus), but bring home dirt. Well, clumps dirt with a few hundred day lily bulbs crammed inside. Mom needed the day lilies thinned out (for more than 10 years), and I was willing to do it for some free flowers. Since it was fall, the blooms were long gone, and we had no idea what was where. It appeared like just a row of overgrown grass that escaped the weedwhacker all summer long. So I did what any good optimist did. I declared that I would plant a surprise garden - one in which I don't know where the hell anything is. Makes for less weeding that way.
Now that summer is here with its suffocating humidity (but moderate temperatures, thank you LORD from the girl without A/C), the day lilies have made their brief appearances in front of the garage. And there are a few in there that startled me today, but I never remembered them in my mom's garden. I'm sure they were there, but I didn't notice for my entire childhood and adolescence. I mean, I only started getting into this gardening thing a couple years ago. When I was just out of college I couldn't tell the difference between an iris and a peony. Granted, I still am not sure that I'm pronouncing PEE-o-nee correctly, but I can pick out one from 20 yards away in late June. And if you don't know that's something, then forgetaboutit. Just go pick your tomatoes. I bet you don't even prune them. Humph.
These were the ones that caught me off-guard today. I seriously had a panicked moment when I saw them, thinking that I had accidentally stolen some from a neighbor while digging them up. AND THEN CROSSED STATE LINES. That's ridiculous, of course, because these were near our neighbors bushes and no where near their gardening area. Not that they gardened much. The lady didn't go outside much at all. She always gets in and out of her car inside the garage. I think I've seen her three times in my life, and they've lived there since I was six. In fact, we used to yell for everybody to look out the window if we saw her. It was more exciting than finding an exotic bird at the feeder. Seriously, we would wouldn't have watched closer if a toucan landed on the patio and ate a live squirrel.
And, Mom, if you see some that aren't actually yours, let's not say anything.
How come I never remembered one with TWO colors in it? These ones below are the ones that I remember would pop up year after year, thriving on neglect. I probably remember these better because they bloom first. Mom used to ask me to pick off the whithered blooms at the beginning of blooming, but forgot tonag politely request that keep doing so for the later bloomers. You know those, the ones that wow everyone at their high school reunions. HA! Without a captive audience of fourth graders, my bad jokes have to go somewhere.
Can you see the coreopsis in the background on that last photo? Also swiped from my mom's garden. I am not one to refuse free perennials. This fall I'm going to hijack that mystery flower in their front yard. No one knows what it is, no one know who planted it, no one will mind if it gets relocated. Yes, I have the perfect spot reserved in the Mystery Garden.
Now that summer is here with its suffocating humidity (but moderate temperatures, thank you LORD from the girl without A/C), the day lilies have made their brief appearances in front of the garage. And there are a few in there that startled me today, but I never remembered them in my mom's garden. I'm sure they were there, but I didn't notice for my entire childhood and adolescence. I mean, I only started getting into this gardening thing a couple years ago. When I was just out of college I couldn't tell the difference between an iris and a peony. Granted, I still am not sure that I'm pronouncing PEE-o-nee correctly, but I can pick out one from 20 yards away in late June. And if you don't know that's something, then forgetaboutit. Just go pick your tomatoes. I bet you don't even prune them. Humph.
These were the ones that caught me off-guard today. I seriously had a panicked moment when I saw them, thinking that I had accidentally stolen some from a neighbor while digging them up. AND THEN CROSSED STATE LINES. That's ridiculous, of course, because these were near our neighbors bushes and no where near their gardening area. Not that they gardened much. The lady didn't go outside much at all. She always gets in and out of her car inside the garage. I think I've seen her three times in my life, and they've lived there since I was six. In fact, we used to yell for everybody to look out the window if we saw her. It was more exciting than finding an exotic bird at the feeder. Seriously, we would wouldn't have watched closer if a toucan landed on the patio and ate a live squirrel.
And, Mom, if you see some that aren't actually yours, let's not say anything.
How come I never remembered one with TWO colors in it? These ones below are the ones that I remember would pop up year after year, thriving on neglect. I probably remember these better because they bloom first. Mom used to ask me to pick off the whithered blooms at the beginning of blooming, but forgot to
Can you see the coreopsis in the background on that last photo? Also swiped from my mom's garden. I am not one to refuse free perennials. This fall I'm going to hijack that mystery flower in their front yard. No one knows what it is, no one know who planted it, no one will mind if it gets relocated. Yes, I have the perfect spot reserved in the Mystery Garden.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Express Potato Cheddar Soup
I thought this was going to be "just soup," but Drew loved it. He raved about it while he ate and for a day afterwards. Then he had leftovers for lunch and talked about it some more. I think I'll make a double-batch soon so he'll shut up about it already. Jeez. It's just soup!
Adapted from Cookling Light Jan 2012
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (garnish)
Preparation
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly. Add potato, milk, broth, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Add cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Top each serving evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions.
Adapted from Cookling Light Jan 2012
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (garnish)
Preparation
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly. Add potato, milk, broth, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Add cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Top each serving evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
Mom, this is way too spicy for you. Don't even think about it.
Bobby, you're going to love this. Don't up the chile sauce very much, because even Drew said it had a good kick to it. It's super fast and easy if you pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store on your way home. Use your fingers to pick off the meat. You'll also have plenty of chicken left over for other meals, too, like chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, or just eatin'.
Next time we make this, we're going to serve it over some cooked rice or maybe add in some noodles.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, December 2011
Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms (up to 1 1/2 cups, I used baby bella)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (3-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise (I used 2 stalks)
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste - you can find it next to the Sriracha in the Asian food aisle)
3 cups Chicken Stock or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is easy)
1/2 cup green onion strips
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (save a couple thin slices for garnish)
Preparation
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, ginger, garlic and lemongrass; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chile paste; cook 1 minute. Add Chicken Stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass. Top with onions, cilantro, and juice.
Makes 4 servings, about 6 WWPointsPlus each
Bobby, you're going to love this. Don't up the chile sauce very much, because even Drew said it had a good kick to it. It's super fast and easy if you pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store on your way home. Use your fingers to pick off the meat. You'll also have plenty of chicken left over for other meals, too, like chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, or just eatin'.
Next time we make this, we're going to serve it over some cooked rice or maybe add in some noodles.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, December 2011
Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms (up to 1 1/2 cups, I used baby bella)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (3-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise (I used 2 stalks)
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste - you can find it next to the Sriracha in the Asian food aisle)
3 cups Chicken Stock or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is easy)
1/2 cup green onion strips
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (save a couple thin slices for garnish)
Preparation
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, ginger, garlic and lemongrass; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chile paste; cook 1 minute. Add Chicken Stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass. Top with onions, cilantro, and juice.
Makes 4 servings, about 6 WWPointsPlus each
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