Really Awesome Soup Recipe I Invented - Santa Fe Chicken and Barley Soup

Well I don't know if I invented it or not.  I bet if you googled the ingredients a recipe already exists but since I created it with random ingredients in my kitchen I am going to claim ownership of it...at least on this blog anyway!

Rudy LOVED this soup.  We are big soup people and I am always on the hunt for good recipes.  I immediately wrote this down so I could make it again.  I have made it twice now and it has been great both times.

I am going to call it Santa Fe Chicken and Barley Soup.  Because I bet people in Santa Fe eat soups like this all the time.  :)

Santa Fe Chicken and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 can tomatoes and chilies
• 1 can navy beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 6 cups chicken broth (vegetable if you are vegan or vegetarian) or 6 cups water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes.
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon of cumin
• 1/3 cup quick cooking barley
• 1 cup cooked chicken (leave out if your are vegan or vegetarian)

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add barley and chicken and simmer for 20 minutes until barley is cooked and vegetables are tender.  Serve with corn muffins and enjoy!

Fruit Basket Turn Over/Rev Your Engines

We have a new addition in our kitchen.  And it is not just the basket of fruit hanging in our window.  I do think it adds a cute cozy feeling to our kitchen though.  But the real reason Rudy purchased it is because we are going to be eating a lot more fruits and veggies and we need somewhere to put it!

Rudy and I are starting the Engine 2 diet.  We thought about it before but I was nervous about making a big diet change after just having a baby.  I figured Reed was enough change, I didn't need anything else! 

Basically the concept is to eat a plant based diet - so no animal, not even eggs or cheese.  We are going to do the 28 day challenge and see what we think.  The success stories of people lowering their cholesterol by 50,80, 130 points in just 28 days is incredible.  It is about weight loss but more about lowering cholesterol and preventing disease.

The guy that created it is a firefighter.  I knew I liked him when he mentioned the MDA Fill The Boot (national fundraising program firefighters do for MDA that raises over $25 million a year) in the first chapter.  His name is Rip...how can you not try a diet created by a cool firefighter dude named Rip???

Rudy sent me this yesterday from Costco.  The title was "getting ready!"

I love it!  Rudy was very excited about it.  And I came to the kitchen this morning to find this.  Our cereal and snack bags that Rudy prepared.  I added some hummus and I was all set!

So we are armed with lots of fruit and veggies, quinoa, hummus, nuts and legumes.  Will keep you posted on our progress!

Ode To Peanut Butter's Grown Up Side - Peanut Satay Sauce

I looooove peanut butter and have been eating it every single day in some way (sandwiches - PB, PB&J, PB and banana, PB and Apple, PB and honey - crackers, by the spoonful, etc, etc. etc) since I found out I was prego.  I can't get enough of it!

So last night I was making Asian-ish food (sautéed okra, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, zucchini over rice) and I was wondering the best way to add some protein to the meal.  Rudy and I are trying to eat less animal and more plant.  I threw in some lentil sprouts to the veggie mix but then it hit me...peanut sauce.  Peanut butter has loads of protein.  And considering my trend of eating it daily, not having it in my meal was making me a little sad.  Also, we recently had it a month or so ago at a friend's house for dinner and it was so good.

Anyway, I thought peanut sauce and immediately went to my Joy of Cooking cook book and found a recipe for it.  That is hands down my favorite cook book in my kitchen.  It is such a great reference book to see how things are cooked, the basics and just general kitchen knowledge you should know.  And the awesome thing is that anything and everything I have ever thought about making has been in there.  It is quite amazing...but it is hundreds of pages in size 8 font so you would expect it to be complete.

I found a recipe but discovered I didn't have unsweetened condensed milk...no worries, I was making it anyway!  So glad I did because it turned out AWESOME!!!!!  Here is my recipe and instructions all in one...Joy of Cooking style.
Take 1/2 cup of water and zap it in the microwave until hot (or use the stove if you want).  Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, dashes of garam masala, garlic salt, curry and cumin.  Stir and taste.  Add more peanut butter if it is not thick enough and dashes of the other ingredients to taste.

Pour over stir fry and enjoy!  Or great for dipping too!

Doughnut Bread Pudding Experiment

I wanted to make a bread pudding from some doughnuts my mom brought down this weekend that I knew we were not going to eat. I found this recipe (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/doughnut-bread-pudding/)and was so excited that I already had all the ingedients! Sweet!
But when I got home I realized that what I thought was evaporated milk was really a can of sweetened condensed milk. Oops! But I was not going back out and decided to wing it. It was just for me and Rudy so if it didn't turn out very well no big deal.

But guess what? It turned out AWESOME!!
Here is what I did:

I added vanilla rice milk to the condensed milk until it got the consistency of slightly more runny than melted ice cream. I think skim would work just as well. I didn't add vanilla because it was in the milk. I added cinnamon and nutmeg and the poured it over 12 3 day old glazed doughnuts in a 9x13 baking pan. I added craisins and raisins and let it soak for an hour. I didn't bother with the double pan with water and baked at 350 until bubbly and oozy. It was sooooo good. Probably better than most bread puddings I have had. We served with butter pecan ice cream. Yum!!! Enjoy!

Tuscan Dinner Party

Have you been to Tuscany?  If you get the opportunity GO.  It's beautiful, relaxing, charming, surreal, inspiring, fragrant, intoxicating, tranquil...oh I could go on and on.  My sister and I went to Tuscany with Jean Cauthen, a local plein air painter and teacher several years ago.  My friends Ruthie and Theresa went back the next year and so from time to time we like to get together and relive those special weeks.  If you are interested in taking an Italian painting trip, the information about Il Chiostro is at the bottom of this post.

I was asked to bring the bread and appetizer.  I made an antipasti platter with roasted garlic over hummus, bruschetta, olives, pecorino cheese and sliced bread.

To roast garlic, you slice off the top and put it in the oven at 350 until it looks like this.  To get the garlic out you squeeze it like a lemon and it comes out soft and spreadable.  If it doesn't come out easily put it back in the oven.

 Jean hung little picnochio's from the chandelier with sprigs of rosemary, tubes of paint and paint brushes.  I think Jean really likes a theme too!

Each table setting was different - all with reds, greens and golds - the traditional colors of Tuscany.

 Of course there were candles everywhere.  On our trip we dined as a group each night and the Il Chiostro staff decorated the rooms with candles, rosemary, flowers, pinecones and anything they found in the hills of tuscany.  It was quite magical after a long day of painting.

Tomorrow I will post more about Jean's art and her AWESOME studio.  Her was all over the house and we had so much fun looking at all of the pieces. 

Here are a few to get us started...

Want more informaiton about Italy Art Trips?  Go to Il Chiostro's website.  They really take giving you the time of your life seriously.  If you aren't in to painting they offer cooking, photography, sculpture, cabaret singing (ha!) and others.

Rosemary Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I love when my experiments in the kitchen turn out!  I made this great pork tenderloin last night.  It was so tender and juicy and had great flavor.  Here is the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350.  Place1 large pork tenderloin in a roasting pan.  Cover it with about tbsp olive oil.  Sprinke it with a generous amount of rosemary, salt and pepper all over.  Mix together 1/4 cup dijon mustard and 1/2 cup warmed apricot preserves and pour over the tenderloin.  Flip the meat over a few times to make sure it is coated evenly.  Cook in oven, uncovered, for 1 hour.  Place on cutting board and slice.  Serve with extra sauce from the pan on top.

So good! 

Hummingbird Cake

I made this awesome cake when my two friends, Meggan and Lindsey came to visit.  There is something about company that brings out the baker in me.  I tweaked a recipe from this month's Southern Living.  It was very easy to make - enjoy!

3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened (Do not microwave it...I did and it was too soupy)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsp milk

1.  Prepare cake batter:  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan for 8-10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. 

2.  Stire together flour and next four ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next four ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Sprinkle 1 cup toasted nuts into a greased and floured 14 cup bundt pan.  Spoon batter over pecans.

3.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).

4.  Prepare Glaze:  Process cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbsp milk in a food processor until well blended.  Add remaining 1 tbsp milk, 1 tsp at a time, processing until smooth.  Immediately pour over cooled cake and top with the rest of the toasted nuts.

It was so, so good!  We had it for dessert and also for breakfast the next day!

Cinnamon S'mores with Dark Chocolate

When my friends Lindsey and Meggan came to visit, I was so excited to use my new fire pit and make s'mores. Unfortunately the rain set in and making a fire was impossible.

So we used the toaster instead.

 Meggan cleverly purchased dark chocolate in addition to milk chocolate as well as cinnamon graham crackers...yum! The were soooo good!  I feel like our s'mores were very grown up.

All you need to do is toast the marshmallow until golden brown on one side of the s'more sandwich and the piece of chocolate until slightly melted.  Otherwise you will have it all over.  Purchase Cinnamon graham crackers and dark chocolate and enjoy! 

Enjoy!

Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado

I had bookclub last week and the hostess, Stephanie, made the most refreshing salad.  This is the time of year that most of us have grapefruit.  It is great to eat in the morning but I have never really thought of eating it any time else.  Her salad had avocados, grapefruit, blue cheese and romaine lettuce.  You just chop it up and toss it all together with the slightest bit of raspberry vinagarette.  We all enjoyed it so much.  I can't wait to make it!

Freeze Ahead Turkey Meatballs

A good friend of mine is pregnant and due in just 13 days!  This is her second baby and I have the feeling that people don't bring as many meals when it is your second.  So I wanted to make some things to stock her freezer.  One of the recipes I dropped off was homemade meatballs.  I like to make them and then pop then in the freezer in a ziploc bag.  Then you can just pull out what you need.

Here is my recipe:

2 lbs ground turkey

1 tbs allspice

1 tbs nutmeg

4 eggs

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 tbs tarragon

dash of cumin

Combine all of the ingredients and form them into balls using two spoons dipped in water.  Arrange on a baking sheet and place in freezer.  Once frozen, store in a ziploc bag.

To cook, place on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes at 350. 

Hands Down Best Garlic Press Ever

Since Rudy and I have been married we have gone through 3 garlic presses.  This is so strange to me because my mother still has the same one she got in 1975 probably.  I don't know if was really 1975 but a long, long time ago.  Garlic presses are necessary but a little bit of a pain to me.  You have to have really strong hands to press the garlic properly and then you have to scoop it out of the holder with each clove.  The last press we had fell apart and cut my hand.  It was ridiculous...if I am going to cut myself in the kitchen it needs to be on a knife not a garlic press!  I now currently have the best press thanks to my sweet husband Rudy.  No way it can fall apart or cause any minor accidents.  Unless I decide to throw it at someone - just kidding!

It is made by Joseph Joseph and it is all one piece.

To use it you put the clove on your surface and rock the press back and forth over it until it comes through.  And you don't have to clear after each clove, you can just keep going one after the other.  Then you just scoop it out and put it in your recipe.

It's the little things in life right?

Almond-Lemonade tea

I made this tea for a party I went to last night.  I first had it at my baby shower last summer and knew it was the perfect thing to bring.  Everyone is so used to sweet tea that at a party it is nice to have something a little different.  Enjoy it at your next gathering!

Almond-Lemonade Tea

 

4 cups brewed tea, chilled

3 cups water

1 6oz. can lemonade concentrate

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix and serve over ice!

Salad with Roasted Salmon

For me, weight watchers opened up a whole new world of cooking. Of course I thought of it as a weight loss plan. But for me it was really a way to explore cooking and to learn new recipes. At each meeting I met people who had been able to bring out the full flavor of food...the true taste of a vegetable, meat, grain, or spice without masking the taste with butter or oil. It is like getting back to the basics and enjoying food in its truest and most purest form.

I prepared this dish for Rudy and I for dinner the other night for only 6 points. Enjoy, its a good one!

Ingredients:

Salmon Pinwheel packet from Trader Joes (4 points per serving, 2 servings per packet)

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen bell peppers

1 zucchini sliced and quartered

1 red onion sliced and quartered

1 1/2 cup frozen green beans

1/4 cup soy sauce

fat free cooking spray

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups mixed field greens

1 piece whole grain bread, toasted and sliced into 4 pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon pinwheels in shallow baking dish and bake as directed. Mix all vegetables besides tomatoes and lettuces, cooking spray, salt, soy sauce, pepper and Italian seasoning and place on roasting pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes along with salmon. Place romaine lettuce and field greens evenly on two plates. Top with roasted vegetables and salmon. Toss sliced tomatoes over top and place sliced bread around the plate for the final touch.

This was an awesome dinner...and only 6 points!

Holiday Lunch With Family

Because of Rudy's work schedule, we are not able to travel this year for Christmas.  I was so excited when my cousin called to say they wanted to come and visit so they could see us.  May I mention that coming to visit meant a 3 hour drive from Roanoke to Charlotte!  I wanted to make a special lunch for them since they were driving all that way.  I thought about doing a holiday spread but thought that would be too heavy of a meal.  Also, the fact that we were all going to be eating that in a few days anyway.  So I opted for a lighter fare of soup and sandwiches but not your run of the mill soup and sandwiches.

When looking for recipes, I stumbled upon the greatest cooking tool online.  FineCooking.com has a make your own creamy vegetable soup program.  Click here to start creating your recipe.  What is so neat about it is that you probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry and it puts them together perfectly.  In addition to soup they have a recipe maker for tarts, casseroles, meats and much more.  I cannot wait to try out some of the others.

I picked a cream of Asparagus soup and it turned out great!  I couldn't believe that adding orange juice would be part of the recipe!  Click here to get the full recipe I created using the site. 

I also made some yummy open faced sandwiches.  This was a big time saver because I had them all prepared and just popped them in the oven about 10 minutes before eating.

I made the sandwiches with yummy rosemary bread, topped with olive and basil tapenade, tomatoes turkey and ham and this awesome Irish cheese that flaked so pretty.  Then I sprinkled a little oregano on each of the sandwiches.

Here trhey are out of the oven - yum!

And the finished cream of aspargus soup topped with chopped cilantro.  So, so good!

I also served a salad - greens, chopped apples, pecans, mandarin oranges, cucumbers and a balsamic vinagarette.



Here is the full spread out our little table.

Here is little Reed with his namesake.  My Aunt Frances Reed Baldwin Hodges.  She is one of my most favorite people in the whole world and he is a lucky boy to be named for such a sweet lady.

Such a nice visit with cousin Carolyn and her husband Jeff.

Create Your Own Creamy Vegetable Soup with Asparagus

I created this awesome Asparagus soup recipe from http://www.finecooking.com/.  They have a great create your own program for soups, tarts, casseroles and much more.  Click here to create your own soup!

Here is the recipe I created - enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup thinly sliced celery (halve lengthwise then slice crosswise)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup medium-diced onions

Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

2-1/4 lb. asparagus, bottom of stems trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

5 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade OR 2-1/2 cups lower-salt chicken broth diluted with 2-1/2 cups water

3 Tbs. fresh orange juice

1/4 cup buttermilk

1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped basil

Directions:

In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low heat. When hot, add the celery, garlic, and onions and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt and the cumin.

Add the asparagus, broth, and orange juice, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is full-flavored, 7 to 20 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and let the soup cool for 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (fill the jar no more than half full and vent the lid, topping it with a folded kitchen towel to prevent hot splashes).  I used an immersion blender and it was so easy!  Wipe the pan clean and put the soup back into the pan.

Add the buttermilk and 1/2 tsp. of the vinegar. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.

Ladle into 8 soup bowls and garnish each serving with 1 to 2 tsp. chopped basil.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies - Christmas Goodies for the Neighbors

I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other.  I wondered if I would find that living in a large city like Charlotte and I am happy to say that I have.  I have a great neighborhood.  We have about 250 homes of people in all ages and stages.  Our neighborhood association is getting active and we care about each other.

I started putting together my Christmas goody list and was overjoyed that there are 22 neighbors that I listed.  22!  I love it.  I love to cook but am not the best baker so I was excited when I found this recipe for Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies.  I think these might just become a Hayden tradition.  They were simple and so good!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cups chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup heath toffee bits
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2/3 cups (11 oz) package butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all dry ingredients except sugar.  Mix butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar.  Then add to dry mixture.  Mix and place in refigerator.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes then cool completely before serving.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Bok Choy You Say?

I don't know about you but I did not grow up eating bok choy or any greens to speak of.  We did eat spinach in quiche and salads but that was the extent of it.  So when Rudy's friend brought us some kale I was excited to cook it for the first time. 

And since it is Sunday - i.e. make soup day - I decided to add kale to our soup this week.

First I cut off the end of ends and washed the leaves and stalks.

Then I chopped the stalk and leaves coarsely into large pieces.

To the soup I added three carrots, black eyed peas, a bit of onion and rice.  It turned out fabulous!

The bok choy has almost a buttery taste and was so fragrant.  I had a bowl right away.  See below for the recipe!

Bok Choy You Say? Soup

• 2 buillion cubes
• 5 cups of water
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 large head of Bok Choy, coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 small onion,, finely chopped
• 1 can black eyed peas, drained
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup rice

Directions:

Bring water, buillion cubes and garlic salt to boil.  Add the remainder of the ingredients except rice and cook at a rapid boil for 15 minutes.  Add rice and and continue to boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and cover until rice is cooked about 20 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

Soup!

I have a weekly tradition of making homemade vegetable soup and love getting creative with what we have in the kitchen.  Having soup on hand is great as the weather has turned colder.  My soups are low fat, chocked full of veggies and so much cheaper than buying cans of soup from the store.

Here are some general things I follow when making my soups...

1. I start with a big stock pot and only fill it halfway of water - more than that makes for soup that is too watery.  I kind of eye ball the soup as I am adding ingredients.  If I think it could be a little bit thicker I add something else. 
2. Bringing the soup to a simmer for about 20 minutes makes it more flavorful and reduces the broth so the soup is the right consistency.
3. Buillion cubes are great for flavor and for creating the base of the soup.  I put two in my water and bring it to a boil.  Then I add whatever vegetables I have on hand.
4. I always put some kind of bean in my soups for protein.  My favorites are black eyed peas, black beans, lima beans and navy beans.
5. The smaller I cut up my veggies, the more flavorful the soup tends to be.
6. Frozen or fresh - I use it all when it comes to veggies.
7. Broccoli, peas and spinach go a long way in flavor...don't add a ton of these.
8. Stewed or diced canned tomatoes really round out the flavor and I always add them if I have them.

Here is a recipe that my husband, Rudy, LOVED.  I wrote down the recipe so I could make it again.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 2 chicken buillion cubes
• 5 cups water or fill your pot halfway with water
• 1/2 small bag of frozen broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 small bag of shoepeg corn
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 3 large red potatoes chopped
• 3 celery stalks (including leaves) finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white or brown rice

Directions:

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large stock pot.  Reduce and simmer 20-30 minutes until all veggies are tender and rice is cooked.

Soul Full Food For Two

Whether you call it comfort food, soul food, cajun cuisine - these dishes are savory, sweet and hard to pass up. This easy menu was put together from basics in my kitchen and a little bit of my imagination. I didn't follow a recipe but I know you can follow this one to enjoy this easy to prepare plate.

The flavors of each ingredient compliment each other and do not leave you too full. Washed down with a cold glass of milk, this meal makes the everyday meal exceptional.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen whole okra
• 1/4 chicken broth
• olive oil
• 4 small sliced tomatoes
• 1 small yellow onion sliced
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh oregano
• 1 cup frozen yellow corn
• 1 cup frozen shoe peg corn
• 1 cup frozen mixed bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 box Zatarrains black eyed peas and rice
• 2 dinner rolls

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Arrange sliced tomatoes, and 1/4 of onion in round baking dish, sprinkle with dash of salt

Mix frozen corn, peppers, remainder of sliced onion and sugar with a little olive oil and place in separate baking dish, place in preheated oven.

Prepare rice as directed on box

When rice has 15 minutes left of cooking, place tomatoes and onions in oven

Sauté okra in a little olive oil when rice has 10 minutes left of cooking.

Toast rolls

Serve on plates with butter for your bread and big glass of cold milk.