Broccoli and Potato Soup

Here’s another recipe from Paula Deen’s magazine. This one originally calls for ham, but I just left that out. This one turned out ok. Not bad, not great. I didn’t have a second bowl of it, let me put it that way. It was actually kind of bland, and Toby , of course, dressed his up with some various hot sauce-spice concoctions from the cupboard. Maybe I should have thrown in some fake meat of some sort? Anyway, there’s more soup in the sea, as they say. Oh, the bread that I served this with was actually really good, and I will post that recipe next week. Happy New Year!

rating: 6

Broccoli and Potato Soup
(from the Nov./Dec. 2009 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen)

1/4 cup butter
4 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup frozen chopped onion (I used fresh)
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetarian chicken broth)
2 cups whole milk (I used Silk plain soy milk)
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 (8-ounce) package mini diced cooked ham (I omitted)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 (5-ounce) package shredded Swiss cheese

In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add hash browns, onion, and garlic; cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until hash browns are tender. Add flour; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth and milk; cook for 5-6 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add broccoli, ham, salt, and pepper; cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sour cream and cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and soup of heated through.

 

Mexican Veggie Casserole

I bought another issue of Paula Deen’s magazine “Cooking with Paula Deen”. I probably should just subscribe. It’s just FULL of great (sounding) recipes! I am not a fan of corn tortillas (I prefer flour ones), but I thought I would give them another try. This recipe was super-easy to throw together. My only problem was spreading out the cream cheese/sour cream/cheese mixture. I just kind of dropped little spoonfuls in, hoping they would spread out a little in the oven. I wondered if I should leave out the zucchini (Toby hates it), but then decided, nah, I love it. This was REALLY good. We all had two helpings of it (even Liam!). Toby’s only comment was “What’s the white stuff (the cream cheese/sour cream/cheese mixture)? I could do with less of that.” Oh, come on, that’s what MAKES this dish! With this, we had a green salad.

rating: 9

Mexican Veggie Casserole
(from the Nov./Dec. 2009 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen)

makes 4-6 servings

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can ranch-style beans (I couldn’t find these- subbed another can of black beans)
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 (1-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
2 cups 2% shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened
1/2 cup light sour cream
12 (5-inch) corn tortillas, divided
Garnish: chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onion; cook for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Stir in corn, black beans, ranch-style beans, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream.

Layer 4 tortillas over bottom of prepared pan.

Top tortillas with half of zucchini mixture; top evenly with half of cheese mixture. Place 4 tortillas over cheese mixture; top with remaining zucchini mixture. Top evenly with remaining cheese mixture. Cover top of casserole with remaining 4 tortillas. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with green onion, if desired. Serve immediately.

 

Product Review: Celebration Roast

I’ve heard talk of this “Celebration Roast” for years. Seriously. I’ve always wondered what it was like, and a couple of weeks ago at Wegmans I saw it in the freezer section (along with vegetarian “sausages”). I had to buy one. We had this for dinner last week. I was going to have big ol’ fake sausages with German cabbage and mashed potatoes (a meal by MIL makes that I like), but instead I made this Celebration Roast. Celebration Roast is made by the Field Roast Grain Meat Company (http://www.fieldroast.com/). This is supposed to be like your typical meat roast, and it’s got stuffing in the middle. I basted it with Wegmans Basting Oil beforehand (just olive oil and herbs) and then baked it. I have to say that I didn’t love it. Toby liked it more than me and ate the rest of mine. I think it had a weird spice that I don’t love. Anyway, it was kind of a letdown, since I was so excited about FINALLY finding it.

rating: 6

http://www.fieldroast.com/

 

Pioneer Woman’s Simple, Hearty, Chicken and Rice Soup (veggie version)

I thought this soup sounded so good, and especially on a cold winter’s (snowy) night! I made this last week during our crazy snowstorm, and it turned out ok. Not great, but not bad. I, of course, left out the real chicken and substituted Quorn Tenders (which I browned in a skillet beforehand with some cooking spray). I also left out the food coloring (I didn’t have any on hand). Toby liked it, although he said he bet it would be better the next day, after all the flavors had blended (who does he think he is, Martha Stewart?). I DID eat this for lunch the next day and it tasted the same to me. In my opinion, it lacked something. Not sure what. Anywho, I served this with some hot biscuits.

rating: 7

Pioneer Woman’s Simple, Hearty Chicken & Rice Soup
(from www.thepioneerwoman.com)

Ingredients

* 1 cup (before Cooking) White Rice
* 2 whole Chicken Breasts (I used Quorn Tenders)
* 8 pieces (to 10) Chicken Bouillon Cubes (I used vegetarian “chicken” broth)
* 2 quarts (plus 2 Cups) Water
* ¼ cups Onion
* ¼ cups Green Bell Pepper
* ¼ cups Pimento (drained)
* ¼ cups Celery
* 6 Tablespoons Butter
* 4 Tablespoons Flour
* Yellow Food Coloring (I omitted)

Preparation Instructions

Cook up some rice. Wash two whole chicken breasts (skin, bones and all) and place them in a pot; cover with 2 quarts of water. Add 8-10 bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is done, about twenty minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for a few minutes. Cut all the meat from the bones and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the can of pimentos. Finely dice the vegetables. In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. When it is all melted, make a roux by adding 4 tablespoons of flour. Stir until thickened and then add it to the pot of chicken broth. Stir well.

In a skillet, melt another few tablespoons of butter and throw in all of the diced veggies. Stir, then add the chicken. Sprinkle with a dash or two of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken mixture to the broth.

Add in the cooked rice. (You can vary the amount of rice based on your preferences). Add in 2 to 3 drops of yellow food coloring.

 

Product Review: Gardein’s Chick’n Scallopini

The other night at the grocery store I was looking for some Quorn Tenders, when I spied a whole new section of frozen vegetarian mock-meat products! I about did a little jig right there in the aisle! This is the first product that we are trying, the “Chick’n Scallopini”. There are several ways to prepare this, but I chose to pan-fry it in a little bit of olive oil. We tried these this past weekend, when our area was hit with a huge snowstorm (we got 2 feet of snow!), and we couldn’t go out to dinner. I had to prepare a meal on the fly with no prior preparation! Zoinks! So I made this, some mashed potatoes, some stuffing, some poppy seed rolls, and then some of that awesome vegetarian mushroom gravy from a couple of weeks ago. Toby tried one bite and said “wow, this is very-chicken-like, almost disgustingly chicken-like.” I think that’s good? Anyway, it was good!

rating: 8.5

 

Chocolate Nut Bark

Last year I made 3 kinds of cookies for some of my neighbors and my best pet-sitting clients. This year I was trying to decide what to make for them, and I came across this recipe in Real Simple magazine. And it IS (Real Simple). I needed “bark” for 8 people, so I believe I quadrupled this recipe. You could totally tweak this recipe too, by using maybe white chocolate one year, and then different nuts another year, etc. SO EASY. And good. I had to taste it before I gave it away, right??

rating: 9

Chocolate Nut Bark
(from Real Simple magazine)

Makes: 2 gifts (22 ounces in all)

What You Need

* 12 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
* 2½ cups mixed nuts

What to Do

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally.
2. Spread the chocolate evenly on a parchment-lined 9-by-13-inch baking pan and sprinkle with the nuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Break the bark into pieces. Keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

 

Chicken Potpie Casserole

I love “chicken” pot-pie. It’s comfort food, you know? Usually I make it in a pre-made pie crust. This recipe looked kind of interesting, so I thought I would give it a whirl. Toby took one bite of this and said “Oh man, this is GOOD!” I again used the Morningstar Farms fake chicken strips for this (I cut them into little pieces). The only thing I did differently (besides the fake chicken) is at the very end, where it calls for plain olive oil to be brushed onto the bread slices. Our grocery store, Wegmans, has this stuff called Basting Oil. We used it alot this summer when we grilled veggies outside. It’s basically olive oil with some herbs in it, and maybe a little crack, too, because it’s SO DANG GOOD. Anyway, so I brushed that onto the bread instead. This was really good, and a nice change from the typical pot pie.

rating: 9

Chicken Potpie Casserole
(from www.rachaelraymag.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* Salt and pepper
* One 8-ounce container sliced mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)- I used Morningstar Farms Chick’n Strips
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for sprinkling (I used dried)
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
* Six to eight 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread

Directions:

1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top; stir for 1 minute. Stir in the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, parsley and parmesan; season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the chicken mixture to an 8-inch-by-10-inch baking dish. Trim the bread slices to fit on top of the chicken mixture in an even layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle parsley and the remaining parmesan on top. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

 

Tomato Alphabet Soup with Parmesan Crisps

First of all, let me say right off the bat that I could NOT find alphabet pasta. I instead used “o’s”, or as they are officially called, “rings”. This soup seemed almost TOO easy. Once it was done, it sat on the stove for a little bit while Toby made us a salad, and it got a little bit thicker than a soup. I think Toby summed it up perfectly: it’s an “adult version of spaghetti-o’s!” This was REALLY good. REALLY good. The parmesan crisp kind of melts in the soup and gets it all cheesy and good. Liam loved this and asked for seconds and thirds, and then we ate it again the next day for lunch. You would think that all pasta shapes taste the same, but there is something about these o’s…I will keep looking for the alphabet pasta, because I think that would be fun for Liam (considering that he says his ABC’s about a million times a day). I can’t wait to make this one again!

rating: 9.5

Tomato Alphabet Soup with Parmesan Crisps
(from www.rachaelraymag.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
* One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
* 1/2 pound alphabet pasta
* Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Sprinkle four 1/4-cup mounds of parmesan about 2 inches apart onto each prepared baking sheet; slightly flatten with a spoon. Bake until golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool for 30 seconds. Using a thin metal spatula, drape the crisps over a rolling pin until hardened into shape, about 3 minutes.
2.In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes, cover, and bring to a boil.
3.Using a blender, puree the soup with the butter. In the soup pot, stir the pasta into the soup,and cook until al dente, Stir in 1 to 2 cups water, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Ladle the soup into 4 mugs and top each with 2 parmesan crisps. The parmesan crisps can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

 

(Vegetarian) Pigs in Blankets

Here’s the third thing I made for our holiday party this past weekend. We used Yves Veggie dogs in place of the real thing (and I am still upset that Morningstar Farms discontinued their veggie dogs- WHY???!!!).  I used almost a whole box of the puff pastry (comes 2 sheets to a box) and then 2 packs of hot dogs (I think there were 5 dogs to a pack). People LOVED these! We had over 20 meat-eaters at the party, and no one knew these were veggie! I filled the platter 3 times with these and at the end of the party there was one sad little pig left over. Try these! *Note: the pic is right before I cut them into thirds!

rating: 9

Pigs in Blankets
(from www.countryliving.com)

Ingredients
* 2  sheet(s) frozen pastry dough, thawed
* 12  all-beef hot dogs (I used 2 packs of veggie dogs)
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
* Poppy seeds, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 puff pastry dough sheet into a 12- by 14-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces for a total of 6 pastry pieces. Repeat with second pastry.
2. Pat hot dogs dry with paper towels and pierce each several times with a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and salt for egg wash. Roll each hot dog in 1 puff pastry piece, then seal with some egg wash.
3. Place pastry-wrapped hot dogs on parchment-lined baking sheets and lightly brush with remaining egg wash; sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Slice each pastry-wrapped hot dog into 5 sections and serve warm with spicy mustard, if desired.

 

Mushroom Canapes

Here’s another appetizer I made for our holiday party. My mom actually gave me this recipe a while back and I couldn’t find it, but this one is pretty similar. I had several people comment on these: “These are SO good!” “Wow, these are great, what’s in them?” And they couldn’t be much easier. I always use the pumpernickel (because rye bread is the devil).

rating: 9.5

Mushroom Canapes
(from www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 2-ounces canned mushroom pieces and stems, drained
* 1/2 of a 2.8-ounce can french-fried onion rings
* 1 loaf (8-ounce) party rye or pumpernickel bread

Directions

In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, mushrooms, and onion rings. Spread on lightly toasted party rye or pumpernickel. Place the canapes on a baking sheet and broil until the topping is bubbly.

NOTE: I forgot to take a picture of the ones I made, so this photo is from the Food Network website.