Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Great for soup and panini night.

9 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

Extra virgin olive oil

2 T unsalted butter

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T fresh thyme, minced

Salt and pepper

1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

1 cup fresh basil, torn

1 T sugar

2 cups chicken stock

2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spread tomato slices on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Heat oil or butter in a large pot over medium high heat (I like to use both).

4. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for another minute.

6. Add crushed tomatoes, basil and sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

7. Add the stock and roasted tomatoes into the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

8. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. 

9. Stir in the cream and heat through. 

10. Top with homemade croutons or dippable panini/grilled cheese. 

Fish Taco Slaw x 2

 Awhile ago, Keith and Marsha had a group of us over for fish tacos and they asked me to make coleslaw. I don't eat coleslaw. Passionately hate cabbage. But I made it and Keith loved it. Then I completely forgot how I made it. 

Flash forward a few months, and they invited us over again. And asked me to make slaw again. The second batch was no where as good because I couldn't remember how I did it.

Flash forward again, and they invited us over again. I did some research and refreshed my memory and came up with these two versions. Everyone seemed to like them, so I am preserving them for memory sake.

Mix all ingredients together per recipe. Prepare in advance to allow breakdown of cabbage.

Cilantro Slaw

A bag or two of shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix/purple cabbage mix

Handful of cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 T honey

Salt and Pepper

Cilantro Lime Slaw

A bag or two of shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix/purple cabbage mix

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh cilantro

1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice

1/2 t ground cumin

Salt and Pepper

3 green onions (just the green parts)

2 garlic cloves

Jalapeno or serrano pepper, stemmed and cored, chopped

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

 Delicious with any special meal. We had this the first time with Christmas Dinner 2020.

Warm Bacon Dressing

1 T warm bacon grease

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T maple syrup

Pepper

1. Cook the bacon and reserve bacon grease. Crumble bacon and set aside.

2. Whisk together bacon grease, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and pepper. Immediately serve with prepared salad.

Spinach Salad

Spinach

Bacon crumbles

Hard boiled eggs, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. In a small bowl, add sliced red onion, cover with cold water and allow to soak while the remainder of the salad is being prepared.

2. Toss spinach with bacon, eggs and onion.

Heirloom Tomato Galette with Caramelized corn, Shallots and Herbed Goat Cheese

Farmer's market bounty of heirloom tomatoes inspired this recipe. 

Dough

1/2 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

1/2 cup cold water (approximately. You don't want the dough too wet but also not crumbly)

Filling

Shallots, thinly sliced

2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

6 ounces herbed goat cheese, softened

2 - 3 sweet corn ears, kernels cut off

Fresh basil, chopped

Pinch of brown sugar

3-4 heirloom tomatoes sliced (or a mix of different color cherry tomatoes)

Olive oil

3 T Butter

Salt and pepper

Balsamic reduction (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Prepare dough. Using a handheld cheese grater, grate butter into a small bowl, then freeze for 10 minutes.  While butter freezes, combine flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Whisk cold grated butter into flour mixture until a mealy texture takes hold, then slowly begin adding water. One T  at a time, add water until dough takes shape. Gather dough in a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes until dough is firm. 

3. While dough chills, combine shallots and butter. Saute over medium-high flame until shallots are  lightly caramelized (approx. 5 minutes). 

4. Stir in a pinch of brown sugar and continue to cook scraping the bottom of the pan frequently until the onions are caramelized. Add the corn and cook another five minutes or until the corn has browned lightly and caramelized. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Season with Salt and Pepper.

5. Remove dough from fridge. Flour work surface and roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Spread the goat cheese over the dough leaving a 3 inch border around the edges. Spread most of the corn and onion mixture over the goat cheese. Layer the tomato slices over  over the corn. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the rest of corn and onion mixture. 

7. Fold the edge of the dough over the tomatoes, Brush the crust with the beaten egg. 

8. Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until the crust is golden and tomatoes are lightly charred. Allow to cool 5 minutes and then slice and serve with a drizzle of balsamic reduction if desired. 

Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar Maple Glaze

Kenny's favorite.

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 1" lengths

1 T olive oil

Water

2 T unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T brown sugar

1 T maple syrup (can sub honey or additional brown sugar)

1 T lemon juice

1 t balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper

1/4 t EACH - dried thyme, cinnamon 

1/8 t EACH - ground ginger, chili powder 

1. Heat olive oi over medium - high heat in a large skillet with a lid. Add carrots and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then continue to cook and stir for an additional 3 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and carefully add enough water to reach 1" deep in the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 12-18 minutes or until carrots are barely fork tender. 

3. Drain carrots of excess water and add carrots back to skillet.

4. Add butter and garlic to carrots and cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and all seasonings. Continue to cook and stir until glaze thickens, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

I am calling this clean despite the orzo. It's delicious and feels healthy.

1/3 cup pine nuts (note, I have never added these because I can't find them yet), toasted at 350 for 6-7 m

1 package of Crimini mushrooms, de-stemmed and sliced

1 red and 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, de-seeded and diced

1 lb asparagus (or zucchini, or eggplant or all), cut into 1"  pieces

Cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil, dived

Salt and Pepper

1 cup orzo

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup garlic and herb feta, crumbled (or plain or goat cheese)

2-3 T chopped fresh basil

2-3 T chopped fresh parsley

For the dressing:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T lemon juiced, about 2

Salt and pepper

Roast the veggies:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper. Place veggies on the pan and sprinkle with olive oil and Salt and Pepper. Spread veggies in one layer making sure there's no overlap. Roast for 35-40 minutes. Rotate pans 1/2 way through roasting.

Cook the Orzo:

2. In a large saute pan, heat 1 T of olive oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the orzo and stir, coating the orzo thoroughly. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the orzo is toasty and golden. Add the vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir and remove from heat.

Dressing:

3. In a small bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk until all the ingredients are emulsified.

Mix it all up:

4. Add the roasted veggies and all their juices to the pan with the orzo. Stir in the dressing, feta, and pine nuts. Garnish with basil and parsley.

Broccoli Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes

Use this homemade Ranch Dressing to make it Whole 30.

3-4 potatoes
Olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
3/4 - 1 cup Ranch Dressing (see link above)
1 T ghee (for Whole 30) or butter
Chopped chives
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub olive oil on the outside. Place potatoes in oven and bake for one hour. Remove when done and let cool to touch.

3. Slice each potato in half and scoop out the inside and place in a mixing bowl. Combine with Ranch Dressing, salt, pepper, and ghee. Mix until smooth consistency.

4. Add chopped broccoli and stir into potatoes.

5. Spoon mashed potatoes into skins and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

6. Top with chopped chives.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin

I halve this if it is just two or three eating it, but full recipe would be good for a party.

1-3 small zucchini, sliced
1-3 small yellow summer squash, sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups half and half, amount depends on number of squash
1 T flour
1/2-1 t garlic powder
1 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, divided. I used the full amount when I halved it, so use more if using full recipe
1 T butter, melted
1/2 cup Pank breadcrumbs

1. Prepare oven to 350

2. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and coat with oil.

4. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes.

 5. Add half and half and flour. Stir to mix well and heat until thickened, about 3-4 min.

6. Add garlic powder and 1 cup Parmesan. Stir and remove from heat.

7. Combine the remaining Parmesan with melted butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top of squash.

8. Bake in pot or a glass pan for ten minutes. Broil for a couple minutes if not brown enough.

Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash

1 T olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 each red and yellow peppers, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup spinach
1 T chili powder
Salt and pepper
Sausage (no sugar added for Whole 30) (I like the chicken sausage from Earthfare)

1. Preheat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes and half of chili powder and salt. Sauté 15-20 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, slice and brown sausage in another pan coated with olive oil.

3. Into the sweet potato pan, add bell peppers, onions, remaining chili powder and salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. Stir in sausage and spinach and cook until spinach wilts.

Baba Ganoush

2 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 T tahini
Salt and pepper
3 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut eggplants lengthwise and season with salt. Brush eggplants with 2 T olive oil. Place eggplants cut side down on the baking sheet.

3. Roast eggplants for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Let them cool.

4. Scoop eggplant flesh with a spoon. Discard the skin. Place eggplant flesh in a sieve over a bowl. Leave in sieve for ten minutes, stirring to release moisture.

5. Discard drippings. Place eggplant in food processor and process until smooth. Add the garlic, lemon juice, remaining 1 T of olive oil and mix well. Add tahini and mix until well incorporated. Add cumin, chili powder.

Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots

3 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup butter melted
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
Salt

1. Place carrots in slow cooker. In bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Pour mixture over carrots and toss to coat.

3.  Cook on high for three hours or low for five hours, until carrots are tender. To thicken glaze, cook on high uncovered for however long it takes.

Thai Cucumber Salad

Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Salad (any veggies you want)
1 large cucumbers
Red onion
Shredded carrots
Jalapeño

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl

2.  Peel and slice/chop veggies. Mix in a big bowl with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and serve cold.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 T plus 4 T unsalted butter, divided
Sweet onion, chopped small
3-4 garlic cloves, minced finely
1/4 cup flour
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups half and half
2-3 cups broccoli florets diced into pieces
2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/2 t dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne
8 oz grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a small saucepan, add 1 T butter, onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large pot, add 4 T butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened to make a roux.

3. Slowly add vegetable stock and half and half, whisking constantly.

4. Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Whisk intermittently to reincorporate the skin.

5. Chop broccoli and carrots. Add broccoli, carrots, and reserved onion and garlic mixture. Simmer for additional 25 minutes.

6. Grate the cheese and add to soup after simmering and allow to incorporate.

Tomato Basil Zucchini Noodles

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 T white balsamic vinegar
1 T chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1/4 t garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Spiralized zucchini noodles (I bought from Harris Teeter prepared)
1 avocado, cubed
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Pearl sized mozzarella balls

1. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.

2. Add zucchini noodles, avocado, tomatoes and mozzarella to the dressing and toss to coat.

Roasted Poblano Pepper Hummus

Roasted poblano peppers (or any other roasted pepper, I had a mixed bag of half dozen peppers roasted at the farmers market over the weekend. The mixture was amazing!)

2 or 3 cans chick peas, drained
3 garlic cloves
2 T tahini
Zest and juice of one lemon
Salt
1 t cumin
Olive oil
Liquid from canned chick peas

Roast peppers and remove skins. Remove seeds and roughly shop peppers.

Mix all ingredients except chick pea juice in food processor and mix up. Add chick pea juice until desired consistency.

Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Carbonera

1 lb asparagus
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fettuccine
Bacon or pancetta cut into 1 in pieces
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Freshly cracked pepper
Salt
Parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus and tomatoes in oil, salt and pepper. Roast on prepared baking sheet until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

2. Cook pasta

3. Cook bacon and our off all but a T of grease, add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and turn off heat.

4. Mix egg, cheese, pepper, salt, and parsley in a bowl.

5. Drain pasta and reserve a cup of pasta water.

6. Mix pasta, egg mixture, asparagus and tomatoes into the bacon and garlic pan, adding reserved pasta water until desired texture.

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili

And here is sweet potato "soup" number 2.

2 big skinless chicken breasts

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 large sweet potatoes, cubed

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can petite diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons Chili Seasoning http://foodaccordingtomitchande.blogspot.com/2015/12/chili-and-taco-seasoning.html

5 cups chicken broth

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place chicken in slow cooker with rinsed quinoa.

2. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, untrained tomatoes, garlic, chili seasoning, and chicken broth.

3. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Return to slow cooker and stir.

4. Serve!

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

We had an over abundance of sweet potatoes. So this is one of the two soups I made today.

Olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 green apple, peeled, cored and cubed
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup of light coconut milk from the can in the Asian aisle (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pot and cook 5-7 minutes.

2. Add squash, sweet potato, apple, vegetable broth, spices from cinnamon to nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. Turn heat up to medium-high, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup, adding in the coconut milk and additional sea salt.

Cheesy Corn Souffle

From Foodnetwork.com

3T unsalted butter, plus more for coating
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 t ground nutmeg
3 cups frozen or fresh sweet corn kernels
3 cups shredded Gruyere (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and arrange rack on bottom rim. Coat a 2 qt baking dish with butter and set aside. Bring a large pot of water, over low heat, to a simmer.

2. Melt 3T butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the garlic, onions, salt, and black pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Separate egg yolks and whites. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, half and half and nutmeg. Stir in the corn, cheese and cooled onion mixture. Finally mix in the flour and combine well.

4. Beat the egg whites until they just hold onto the whisk. Stir in about 1/3 of whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Transfer the batter into the prepared dish and set inside a roasting pan or baking dish. Fill the pan halfway with simmering water and put in the oven. Bake until the pudding is golden brown and set in center, about 30-45 minutes.

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Courtesy of Martha Stewart (.com)

2T Olive oil
1 medium white onion
Coarse salt and black pepper
2t ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2t ground cumin
4-5 sweet potatoes (2 lbs total), peeled and cut
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Sour cream, for serving

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 T oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20-25 minutes.

2. Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Top soup with sour cream, if desired.