The Peppertree

Broccoli-pistachio soup with Avocado

peppertree — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:22:15 +0000

Can you guess where I found this recipe? Yep. Pinterest. This soup was so good, I could hardly believe it. Again, how can only a handful of ingredients magically transform into a bowl of goodness? I did add 4 more cups of veggie broth to the pot, because it looked like there wasn’t going to be enough soup for us all. I used my immersion blender for this one. Don’t leave out the avocado because it really does add a lot of creaminess to the soup. I didn’t need the ricotta at the end (I didn’t have any, anyway), and thought about maybe doing a swirl of sour cream, but I didn’t. GOOD SOUP.

rating: 9.5

Broccoli-pistachio soup with Avocado
(http://zaikazabardast.com/)

Total time: less than 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 HUGE head of organic Broccoli (About 4 to 5 cups of florets)
¾ cup of roasted Pistachios + ¼ cup to garnish
1 big ripe firm Avocado – chopped/sliced (leave some out to garnish)
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 cups of Organic vegetable broth (I used 8 cups)
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice
Low-fat Ricotta cheese to garnish (I omitted)

Instructions:

Heat Olive oil in a saucepan to a medium heat.
Add broccoli florets and cook until bright green. I allowed mine to get bit burnt for some charred taste. Choice is yours.
Add some chopped garlic and ¾ cup of roasted pistachios. Season with some salt and pepper.
Pour vegetable stock and cover the saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes or just until the broccoli is tender.
Purée the soup in blender in small batches and purée well I mean really WELL to get smooth, silky, creamy texture. Also do not forget to add avocado while pureeing. Avocado will add extra creaminess and will make soup even more delicious. Add Avocado while pureeing only.
Return pureed soup to the saucepan and let it simmer on low heat for few minutes (3 to 4 minutes). Or heat it up when you are ready to serve.
Taste for salt and pepper and add a Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Garnish with one floret of broccoli, a few pistachios, a TBsp of ricotta, some chunks of avocado and few drops of olive oil.
Enjoy with sliced toasted bread.

Roasted Garlic Pasta Salad

peppertree — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:53:52 +0000

If you haven’t joined Pinterest yet, you are really missing out! I am finding some really good recipes there! This isn’t one of them, but still! Don’t get me wrong, this was ok, but nothing great. It was very bland, and a little too cheesy. But, in the recipe’s defense, I did use cheese tortellini instead of plain ol’ pasta shells. Maybe that made a difference? I did, however, find a quick and easy way to roast garlic!

rating: 7

Roasted Garlic Pasta Salad
(http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/)

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. pasta shells
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
to taste salt & pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach

Directions:

STEP 1: Using a sharp knife, cut approximately 1/2 inch off the top of the head of garlic. Place the garlic bulb in a small bowl or dish and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed cloves. Cover the bowl with an inverted plate. Microwave on high, in one minute increments, until the garlic is soft and fragrant (about 2 minutes). Use caution when touching the dishes, they will be very hot. Allow the garlic to cool.

STEP 2: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook for 7-10 minutes or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

STEP 3: While the pasta is cooking, squeeze the garlic cloves from the head and mince well. Add the minced garlic to a medium bowl along with the ricotta cheese, a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper, and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Add the 1/2 cup of hot, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir until it forms a smooth sauce.

STEP 4: Drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the warm pot (the burner should be turned off). Add the fresh baby spinach and pour the ricotta sauce over top. Slice the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pot as well. Stir until everything is well mixed. Add in the parmesan cheese and stir again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm!

Key Lime Coconut Bars

peppertree — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:14:44 +0000

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I knew I had to make it. Is there anything in the world better than sweetened condensed milk? I mean, really?? This recipe took no time at all to make, and boy, is it sweet! I used regular lime juice, and that plus the zest really lime things up. Liam said this was too sweet for him, but I loved it.

rating: 9

Key Lime Coconut Bars
(http://projectsforyournest.blogspot.com/)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (I just buy a container of crumbs so I don’t have to bash crackers)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. sweetened, flaked coconut
1/3 c. butter, melted

Filling:
3 cans sweetened, condensed milk
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. key lime juice
1 Tbsp. grated lime zest

Topping:
Whipped cream and toasted coconut for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 square baking pan with parchment paper, overlapping the paper over the sides to create handles for later. Mix crumbs, sugar, coconut, and butter in a bowl and press into the pan; bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.

While crust is cooling, make the filling. (the FUN part!) In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients: sweetened, condenced milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest. Whisk to combine until smooth and creamy. Pour on top of crust; bake for 8-10 minutes until firm to the touch but not browned at all. Cool at room temperature, then chill completely.

Top with some homemade whipped cream and toasted coconut.
(to toast the coconut, line a baking sheet with parchment paper; spread a thin layer of sweetened, shredded coconut on top, and bake at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes until it’s lightly golden brown)

Carrabba’s Bread Dip

peppertree — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:58:51 +0000

I wonder how many loaves of bread I could eat at Carrabba’s, if I had their bread dip in front of me? I could make a meal out of that! I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it’s pretty good! It’s a little spicier than the dip at Carrabba’s, but it tastes pretty darn close to what they serve. It’s weird, Liam said his wasn’t spicy at all. I looked on Pinterest and there are several different recipes for this out there, so I might try another one and see how it compares. But in the meantime, “welcome to Carrabba’s!”

rating: 9

Carrabba’s Bread Dip
adapted from Chef 2 Chef

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

In a to-go container, combine all the ingredients together. Store mixture in the refrigerator until needed.

Put 1 Tbsp of mixture per person in a small saucer with raised edges. Pour extra-virgin olive oil over the mixture, and dip warm sourdough or French bread into the mixture.

Banana Chips

peppertree — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:23:59 +0000

My 5 year old says he doesn’t like bananas anymore, so I figured I would try this recipe for my husband and myself. I made these yesterday, and when they came out of the oven they looked, well, interesting. I tried one and didn’t really like it, but it hadn’t hardened yet, so I decided to give it another taste later. I put them all on a plate and set them out to harden, then put them in some tupperware and into the snack drawer they went. Later that evening I saw that Liam had found them, and they were almost all gone! I tried another, and although it wasn’t like the banana chips I can get at the grocery store, it was OK. And then I had another. These things are strangely addictive. We ate them all, and Liam wants me to make more today.

rating: 9

Banana Chips
(Food Network Magazine)

Slice a banana into 1/8″-thick rounds and lay on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees F until golden, 2-3 hours. Let harden at room temperature.

Pesto Egg Salad

peppertree — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:42:23 +0000

This is a nice variation on egg salad. The flavor of the pesto is there, but it’s not overwhelming. Liam even liked this! Toby said that “the flavors go together very well.” If you like pesto, you will like this! PS: I left out the crunchy stuff in the recipe because egg salad shouldn’t be crunchy!

rating: 9

Pesto Egg Salad
(Food Network Magazine)
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
8 eggs, hard-boiled
1 cup chopped celery (I omitted)
2 tbsp minced red onion (I omitted)
Whisk mayo, pesto, olive oil, and lemon juice together. Fold in the eggs, celery, and onion.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

peppertree — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:51:32 +0000

This is one of my favorite desserts, and there’s only one place in town that has these (they have vanilla, too, although they aren’t as good as the chocolate). Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for these, except hers are flavored with orange. I didn’t have any Grand Marnier on hand, so I left that out and used vanilla instead. I was afraid to use my blender for this, because I have had really bad luck with blenders and hot liquids. I thought about using my food processor, but I decided to try my immersion blender. Mixing up the chocolate chips and the eggs was loud and crunchy-sounding, but once I poured in the coffee, things quieted down. This recipe only made 5 small glasses-full (see pic) for me. I made some homemade whipped cream and put that on top (after they had cooled for several hours in the fridge). These were really good (although not as smooth as the restaurant’s). Liam didn’t like his (maybe because of the coffee?), but Toby said that this was good and he had “no complaints”.

rating: 9

Chocolate Pots de Creme
(www.thepioneerwoman.com)

prep time: 2 hours
serves: 12 (not for me)

Ingredients:

12 ounces, weight Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier, More To Taste (I used vanilla extract)
1 dash Salt
1 cup Very Hot Strong Coffee
Fresh Whipped Cream, For Serving
Thinly Sliced Orange Peel, For Garnish (I omitted)

Preparation Instructions:

Place the chocolate chips into a blender. Crack in the eggs, then add Grand Marnier and salt. Blend for a few seconds, or until combined.
Pour the coffee in a thin stream through the blender lid until it’s all added. Blend another few seconds, or until smooth.
Pour mixture into small cups or jars, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until chilled and set.
Top with plenty of sweetened whipped cream, then garnish with sliced orange peel.

Olive Garden’s “Chicken” and Gnocchi Soup

peppertree — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:39:52 +0000

I’m back! Sorry for the week of no posts, but my husband was away on a business trip, and I didn’t cook at all. I told my 5 year old that he could pick his four favorite restaurants, and we would go eat there while Daddy was gone. It was nice, but I am ready to get back to cooking!

I am not sure where I got this recipe, maybe my mom emailed it to me? In any case, I have never had Olive Garden’s Chicken and Gnocchi Soup before, so I had nothing to compare it to. This was simple to prepare, and was really good. Toby had 4 bowls of it! Liam said “This is a good dinner, Mommy!” I only had one bowl since I am trying to lose the five pounds I gained last week eating restaurant food. I didn’t add the corn starch at the end to thicken it, but it was still good.

rating: 8.7

Olive Garden’s Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

2 – 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces (I used 1 bag of MorningStar Farms® Meal Starters® Chik’n Strips)
4 cups chicken stock (I used vegetarian chicken stock)
2 cups half-and-half
1 stalk celery, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (I left the spinach leaves whole)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp. chicken bouillon or to taste (I add a little extra vegetarian chicken stock)
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening, if desired)
Freshly grated parmesan (I forgot!)

Directions:

Saute the onion, celery, garlic, and carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and throw in the gnocchi, gently boil for 4 minutes. Then turn down to a simmer.
Add half and half, salt and pepper, thyme, bouillon and nutmeg. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Do not boil or your cream will curdle.
Add spinach and chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and grate fresh parmesan cheese over each serving.

NOTE:
(For a thicker soup add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp of cold milk and add to simmering cream mixture)

Zesty Honey-Lemon Dressing

peppertree — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:11:19 +0000

This is a very simple and quick dressing to throw together. I liked it because the honey makes it sweet. Toby didn’t like it because the honey makes it sweet. And the Dijon gives it a little kick.

rating: 8

Zesty Honey-Lemon Dressing
(Southern Living, April 2009)

Yield: Makes about 3/4 cup (serving size: 1 tbsp.)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Directions:

1. Whisk together chopped fresh parsley and next 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 5 days. If chilled, let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Whisk before serving.

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

peppertree — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:12:35 +0000

Here’s another recipe I found on Pinterest. The picture looked so good, I knew I had to try it! These are easy to assemble and don’t take very long to make. They were good, but they weren’t as good as I thought they would be. Liam liked how he could pull of bites of the bread, and actually ate two. They are cute, though.

rating: 7.5

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/)

adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen
2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
6 Tbl. butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbl. dried parsley flakes
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
plus 2 Tbl. to sprinkle on top

Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over biscuit pieces. Gently toss to evenly coat. Use a greased 12-cup muffin tin and place 6-7 pieces in each cup. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tablespoons of cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12.