Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

This was a wonderful soup that I made last night that is full of wonderful veggies and good for you.  I couldn't find a recipe that I liked so I just put it together as I pretty much do all my recipes.

1 large head of (washed chopped) Cauliflower
3 large (chopped finely) stalks of celery
1 large (chopped)  carrot
4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped fine)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like the spice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 quart Chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream or half and half
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoon butter
1 dash of Cayenne pepper

Chop up all of your veggies. Make sure everything excluding the cauliflower is finely chopped. You  want medium size pieces of Cauliflower unless,  you prefer it large/smaller pieces it's up to you.

Place butter and veggies in a large soup pot and saute for about 8 minutes until veggies are tender.  Add the Chicken stock and cook over medium heat until all veggies are soft.  Add in the milk, or half and half and your cheese. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes over low heat. Add in your seasonings.  Adjust to taste if needed. 

At this point when the veggies are soft and soup is well mixed and cheese is melted then you can take a your smart stick (which is a hand blender for soups) and blend to the consistency you like. I left some large chunks of Cauliflower for great texture. Some people like it nice and smooth. It's your choice.

For the picture I just place some fresh basil on top which added wonderful flavor for the short time it was in there just for the picture.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Turkey Meatloaf (by Mary Wachel Noble)

One of my high school girl friends made the BEST turkey meatloaf. So I thought I would share it with you guys as well. I'll ask for a pic later and post it. 

2 pkg Jennie O turkey
One 95% lean
One 85% lean
1 pkg sweet Italian turkey sausage
(squeeze out of casing)
I egg
1 can Rotel
Seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2 cups chicken broth
( turkey gets dry and the broth gives a great flavor and keeps it moist)
You can add minced fresh garlic..I didn't have any on hand .
Season with salt and pepper
Then form your loaf in pan and pour I small can of V8 juice on top
Bake 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 min.

It was soooooo good!
Enjoy

Chicken Yummy rice casserole

Preheat oven to 350

2 cups of rice (un cooked)
1 green bell pepper  chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 can chicken soup
1 can french onion
 1 1/2 sticks of butter'
1 can rotel tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
parsley flakes
cooked chicken (in boiling water

Dice pepper, onion and melt butter till soft.  Mix soup, eorwl rotel tomatoes all together.

When the chicken is cooled then dice in small pieces. Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and stir together.  Pour in a baking dish 9x13 and bake for 45 minutes..

Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Avoid thin chicken breast for this recipe; they are difficult to stuff without tearing.  Whole milk block momozzarella with provide the creamiest filling; pre-shredded or part skim mozzarella with also work but the filling will be grainy. To make fresh bread crumbs process 2 slices of hearty while sandwich bread in the food processor.

1. sup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced (salt and pepper)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast 6 to 8 ounces each

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cheese, 2 tablespoon basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper to taste in medium bowl.

2. Cut pocket in chicken breast (make sure you don't cut all the way thru) Stuff with cheese mixture and seal with a toothpick or I use the wooden large skewer.

3. Combine bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons basil and 1 tablespoon oil.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.

4. Toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.  Arrange in baking dish around chicken.  Bake until crumbs are golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, about 35 minutes.

Fire Crackers

1 box Premium Wheat/Multigrain Crackers (all sleeves)
1 Pkg Ranch dip
2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups oc canola oil


Mix all ingredients together and pour mixture over crackers (Which you put the crackers in the gallon size Zip lock baggie.  Seal and shake crackers gently every 10 -20 minutes for about 1 hour.

These are the best crackers ever. I now it should weird but once you have you won't want any other crackers. Serve with cheese or any spread that you like.

Enjoy.

Applesauce Bread Recipe

 

 

Applesauce Bread Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups store-bought or homemade applesauce, at room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions

• 1. To make the applesauce bread, preheat the oven to 350˚F (176°C). Lightly butter 2 standard-size loaf pans or place paper liners in 24 cupcake or muffin tins.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fit with a paddle and beat until the mixture is lemon-colored and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the applesauce and then the butter, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture will break and appear curdled, and while you may think you’ve ruined it, just keep on going because everything is fine.)

4. Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix well. Stir it into the applesauce mixture and beat to combine. Add the nuts, if desired, and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans or, if making muffins, use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon to fill the prepared tins. Bake the applesauce bread until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour for loaves and 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool

Get more deliciousness at Applesauce Bread Recipe | Leite's Culinaria

Oh Sugar!!!! Slashing Sugar Made Simple

WHAT'S SO BAD?

IT CAN ADD BELLY BULGE!

After years of saying that calories are the only thing that counts, experts now say what you eat matters too. Sugary foods are rapidly absorbed, precipitating insulin spikes that cause rebound hunger and elevate triglyceride levels (increasing your risk of heart disease), say a family physician Mark Hyman author of The Blood Sugar Solution.

Scarier still, surplus fructose can build fat deep in the abdomen, which is the worst place in terms of health risks says registered dietitian Janis Jibrin of wellness site Thebestlife.com

Don't be a Faker:

So why no just grab a diet drink, right? turns out, satisfying your cravings with artificial substitutes isn't a smart sway. Though they don't have the cause, researchers have found that people who drink diet sodas are more likely to gain weight. One possible explanation? The faux stuff primes your palate to crave sweets, making it harder to scale back.

Slashing Sugar Made Simple:

Don't skimp on lean protein:

• Foods like meat,s fish and nuts are digested slowly, which can help stabilize blood sugar and keep you fuller longer so you're less likely to have cravings.
• Watch out for energy bars and shakes - they're loaded with sugar. Instead, go for lean protein, such as turkey, grilled chicken, fish and plain low fat Greek yogurt.

Sip Smarter:

• At firs Glance, juice may seem health savvy; witness the ubiquity of the juice cleanse craze. Most fruit juices are high in sugar,.
• Your best bet Eat the whole fruit. It's more filling for fewer calories.
• Dilute your juice with increasing amounts of water or seltzer.

Avoid Hidden sugar:

• Sweeteners go by many names and can be lurking where you least expect them.
• Common sources include breads, ketchup, pasta sauce, peanut butter, salad dressings, and soups.
• Bone up on the aliases you may find on labels, such as brown rice syrup, corn syrup solids, dextrin, galactose, and malt syrup.

Pick the Finest Fruit

• You don't get fat on fruit.
• Focus on low sugar, high fiber rich choices like blueberries and peaches over super sweet fruits like pineapple.

Grilled Chicken Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

Grilled Chicken Ravioli

Ingredients:

4 to 5 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
1 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing or any of your favorite Italian Dressing
1 pack Artisan Fresh Spinach and Three Cheese Ravioli
4 roma tomatoes - sliced in half
2 Tbsp. daily Chef or any of your favorite Brand Extra Virgin Olive oil
8 Tbsp. Artisan Fresh Pesto Sauce (or use my recipe below)
100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Marinate chicken in 1 cup of Italian dressing for 2 hours
Cook ravioli as suggested. Set aside.
Coat sliced tomatoes with oil
Grill chicken breast until no longer pink and lightly grill tomato slices
Slice chicken breast, place on 1 servings of ravioli, 2 slices of tomatoes and garnish with 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese

Pesto sauce (home made)

4 peeled garlic gloves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch of fresh basil (about 1 cup packed)
1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts (I like to roast mine in a frying pan for about 2 to 5 minutes)

Place all of the ingredients above in a blender and blend on pulse (low) until all blended. If you like it chunky or more of a softer texture then blend some more. If you see that you need to add more olive oil then don't be afraid to add a tad bit more.

Chicken Marsala (recipe from The Chew)

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 6 boneless (skinless chicken thighs that are pounded thin)
• 1 pound mushrooms (cremini or white - sliced thinly)
• 2 shallots (sliced thinly)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 3 tablespoons butter (cubed)
• 1/3 cup parsley (chopped for garnish)
• salt and pepper to taste
• flour (for breading)
• 1 cup water (optional) 

 We've Made Cooking As Easy As 1-2-3!

 

1. Ingredients    
   instructions Preheat two saute pans over medium high heat. 
2. Ingredients - 6 boneless (skinless chicken thighs that are pounded thin)
   Salt and pepper
   flour (for breading) 
   instructions Season pounded chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour on both sides.
3. Ingredients - 5 tablespoons olive oil
   instructions Add the olive oil to the hot pan and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Ingredients - 1 pound mushrooms (cremini or white - sliced thinly)
   2 shallots (sliced thinly)
   Salt and pepper
   1 cup marsala wine
   3 tablespoons butter (cubed)
   1 cup water (optional)  
5. Instructions Add the shallots and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, letting mushrooms brown. Once they have released all their liquid, and it has cooked off, add the Marsala wine. Reduce for a minute, cooking off the wine, then stir in the butter to emulsify. If the sauce is too thick, add water to loosen.
6. Ingredients 1/3 cup parsley (chopped for garnish)
   instructions Remove the chicken thighs onto a platter and cover with the Marsala mushrooms. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Pasta Alla Gricia

Pasta alla gricia

Recipe from: Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced bacon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound linguine
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano, or more to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a saucepan, combine the olive oil and bacon, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Salt the water and cook the pasta until tender. Reserve about 1 cup of water before draining the pasta.
3. Toss the drained pasta with the bacon and its rendered fat; stir in the cheese. If the mixture is dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water or olive oil. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 4 servings

Black Eyed Pea Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

 

Black Eyed Pea's Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield: 8 servings.
1 1/2 lbs. Broccoli – fresh
2 C. Water
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Cornstarch mixed with 1-cup water
1 pint half-and-half
1 pound pasteurized processed cheese (Velveeta)
Steam broccoli until tender. Place half-and-half and water in top of double boiler. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted. Add broccoli. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.

Butternut Squash Pie with Gingersnap Crust

1 2-pound butternut squash (if you prefer, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin for the squash

1 1/4 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookies

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil; set aside. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.  Place squash halves, cut sides down, in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender.  Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375.
2. Scoop squash pulp from shells and mash with a potato masher; measure 1 1/2 cups. Set aside. (Save remaining pulp for another use.)
3. For crust, in a medium bowl toss together crushed gingersnaps and the 1/3 cup melted butter.  Press mixture into 9 inch pie plate.  Bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until edges are light brown.   Remove from oven.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
4. In a large bowl combine eggs, condensed milk, sugar, and the 3 tablespoons melted butter.  Stir in squash.  In a small bowl stir together flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.  Stir flour mixture into squash mixture just until combined.
5. Place crust lined pie plate in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Pour squash mixture into crust.  Bake about 45 minutes or just until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill pie for 2 hours.

To make the leaf pattern: Place a leaf shape cookie cutter on the center of the pie.  Sprinkle crushed gingersnaps inside the cutter; remove cutter and pull a wooden skewer through crumbs to make veins.



Shopping for Affordable Wines

It's getting close to the season for festivities and family gatherings. Often when attending family gatherings you want to take something refreshing so here are some tips for shopping for affordable wines.

Use these five tips to save money without sacrificing flavor the next time you need wine for a large crowd.

• Buy in Bulk
• Many wine shops will offer a discount if you buy a particular wine by the case. Ask your local store for their policies before making your purchase.
• Shop Sales
• Frequent local wine shops to get a sense of how their sales work - which means you'll be ready to purchase perfect party wines when you see them hit the sale display.
• Go Global
• Look for wines from less-trendy wine-producing areas, such as white wines from Paso Robles or Santa Barbara rather than Napa Valley, or red wines from Argentina rather than France.
• Think Bubbly
• Sparkling wines are festive, fun, and a pleasant change of pace. Bonus: Many sparkling wines are less expensive than Champagne but are just as flavorful. Look for Cava, Prosecco, sparkling Pinot Noir, and Brut Rose.
• Trust your taste buds.
• Ask for staff recommendations for inexpensive wines based on what you're serving. Buy a few, taste, and go with what you like. Just because a bottle is more expensive doesn't mean you'll like it more.

Bacon cheddar cheese Quiche (Mom's)

Here is the breakfast quiche that I made this morning.  Easy to make and you can put any of your favorite veggies etc that you like. However this is so simply. It's just eggs, pie crust, bacon and mix cheese (mexi cheese).


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 pie crust (deep dish)
12 slices bacon
8 eggs
1 cup mexi mix cheese (three cheeses)
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Place your pie crust on a backing sheet to prevent any spillage.

When oven is pre-heated place your pie crust in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Next brown bacon and drain on a paper towel then crumble up (set aside)  Mix together eggs, milk salt and pepper. Make sure the egg mixture is well mixed.

Break up the bacon and sprinkle over the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese and pour 1/2 of the egg mixture on top.  Next crumble more bacon over the mixture; then the cheese and the remaining egg mixture.  Do this until all ingredients are used.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is done. Insert knife in the middle and if comes out clean then it's done.  Set aside and allow for quiche to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.  Top with salsa or any of your favorite toppings.

NOTE: if you like you can use any of your favorite cheese instead of what I used and add chives, green or red bell peppers is also yummy. Be creative.

Bacon Mushroom Quiche with Gruyere and Thyme

I have to admit this from my Holiday (make ahead) meal magazine and not my picture.  However, I made this without the mushrooms this morning and will share that pic and recipe with you after this one.

1/2 of a 15 ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (1crust)
4 slices of bacon
1 1/3 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (2)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 8 ounce carton sour cream
3/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let pie crust stand according to package directions.  Ease pie crust into a 9 inch tart pan that has a removable bottom.  Press pastry into fluted sides of pan; trip edges.  Do not prick pastry. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil.  Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until pastry is set and dry.  Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.  Crumble bacon; set aside. Add mushrooms to the reserved drippings; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid is evaporated.

Stir in crumbled bacon, green onions, and thyme.  In a medium bowl combine eggs and sour cream.  Stir in bacon/mushroom mixture and cheese. Pour into crust.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 20 minutes to cool.  Top with salsa or a topping of your choice.