Finally, A New Recipe and an Answered Prayer

Hello!  I'm so sorry it's been forever since I posted.  My hard drive on my laptop crashed just after Christmas.  So we found an old drive and limped along for a little bit.  My hubby was so busy at work he just didn't have time to get it up to 100%.  Then that old drive crashed...WTH?!  Luckily the original drive was still under the 1 year warranty.  I know, I know, it didn't even last a year...what is UP with that anyway DELL!? 

So...we sent the corrupt drive off, and finally got the new one last week.  My techie spouse worked for hours to get my laptop set up again, so now I can finally blog again.  I could have gone upstairs and used the kids' computer, but loading pics from their old CPU is not fun...that's all I'm going to say. 

And...David was laid off for the second time the first week of June.  Good news...he as a contract job for 4 days/week. Please pray it will become a permanent position! It will take a year recoup financially, especially since our first round of unemployment in 2013 lasted 6 months. Thank you! 

Now, on to a NEW RECIPE! I'm sorry it's been SO LONG. I also started working 2 days a week last year and well...between that, homeschooling, and five kids...I honestly needed to sleep more than I needed to blog, although I missed cooking and posting recipes dearly. 

Over the summer, we harvested some beautiful beets from the garden.  I've had beet greens in salads plenty of times, but I confess, (gasp!) I've never cooked beets before.  Of course, I didn't dream of wasting them, so I polled my Facebook friends to get ideas.  I made a yummy Roasted Beet Salad...

and borscht!  I had borscht when I was younger, but didn't like it.  Thank goodness taste buds do grow up.  I made a big batch, and didn't regret it one bit.  I used fresh dill from the garden too...amazing!  There's a few more beets ready to pull from the vegetable bed...I can't wait to make another batch.  Best of all, borscht is meant to be served cold...perfect for a refreshing, healthy, summer lunch.

Borscht

 (adapted from Weight Watchers)

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups water

5-6 fresh beets, scrubbed clean and finely diced/shredded

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 cups finely shredded red cabbage

3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (plus more for garnish)

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken stock, water, beets, scallions, and brown sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and dill. Continue to cook (covered) until the beets and cabbage are completely soft. 

Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Leave the soup chunky or pureed in a blender (or use an immersion blender). My borscht was a little chunky but that was fine with me. Pour the soup into a nonreactive container (glass or plastic) and chill for 2-4 hours. 

Serve in pretty bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of fresh dill. Isn't it pretty? I hope you can make this and enjoy it where ever you are. It's still hotter than heck here in Houston, so a cold soup really cools us down on a scorching hot day! 

God bless your table tonight! 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Around these here parts (lol), the flu is going around like crazy, and people are dropping like flies.  Literally.  My four older kiddos were all down for the count 2 weeks ago, and my sweet Gabriel only started to feel better last weekend.  Poor little guy!  After making homemade applesauce and letting the kids nosh on graham crackers and sprite for about a week, I decided to make a pot of soup.  I mean...who doesn't want chicken noodle soup when you're getting over the flu, right? 

I firmly believe good chicken soup starts with good stock, and that means cooking the chicken with the skin on and bone-in.  None of that "boneless, skinless chicken" stuff here!  You wanna make some hard core soup?  Stick with me...and we'll make a pot with a lot more flavor if you have the bones...all righty?  Trust me, there's nothing to it...just takes a wee bit more time.  

I used just chicken drumsticks (I had two big family sized packs in the freezer), but you can use a whole, cut up chicken, bone-in thighs, whatever you fancy.  Just please...for the love of heaven get you some chicken with bones in it...they sell cut up chickens right in the poultry case at the grocery store.  I promise...I saw some at my local Kroger just today.  ;-)

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (bone-in thighs, breasts, legs, or a combination)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 stalks celery, diced

2 cups diced carrots 

2 medium onions, diced

2 teaspoons fresh sage or thyme, chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes (seasoned with basil, thyme, and oregano) 

12 ounces wide egg noodles +

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken and enough water to just cover the meat.  Bring to a boil and let gently simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender (juices should run clear if pierced with a knife). 

Remove from the pot, and let cool. 

SAVE THE BROTH!  Shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones.  Chop coarsely into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the celery, carrots, and onions and saute until tender, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  

Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.  Remove from the heat. 

At this point, the broth will have settled a bit, and you may see some fat at the surface.  Skim it off, along with any visible bits of marrow or skin.  You can leave them in, but it makes for an unattractive broth...and if you kids are like mine, you will hear cries of, "EWW...what's THAT!" at the table.  So if you want a peaceful dinner, I would skim it out.  Just sayin'.  ;-)

 Now, add the cooked vegetables to the broth, along with the chicken and the undrained tomatoes.  Bring back up to a boil and add the egg noodles.  Cook the noodles in the soup according to the package directions (probably about 8 minutes or so).  At the last minute, stir in the fresh sage, dill, and parsley.  

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with some crusty bread for sopping if desired.  

My kids were grateful for warm bowls of comfort to ease their achy throats and stop the fever shivers.  Even the baby (who was the only one to escape the flu bug) happily slurped down a few noodles.  Yeah! 

I pray everyone at your table is healthy and stays that way!  Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!  

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Like most people, I am trying to lose weight this year.  I put on a couple over the holidays (who doesn't right?), and I still want to shed 10-12 pounds from my last pregnancy.  I lost 10 pounds last fall, but fell off the wagon a little after my husband started to work late in the evenings and I wasn't able to get out and exercise.  

So now, I'm back on track.  I'm walking 1.5 miles 3 times a week (hoping to increase that gradually), and lifting weights to get rid of those "bat wings" under my arms.  I really want to lose these last few pounds...not because I have to, but because I know I should, and in the long run, I'll be healthier for it.   

So, I'm trying to make healthy meals for a while.  I'm actually doing double duty.  My hubby is trying to lose weight too.  His father had a major heart attack last month, and I think it was a bit of a wake-up call for him.  So I'm cooking 2 meals every few days...one for us to eat at home, and one for David to take to work for lunch.  He really likes hot meals (no cold sandwiches!), and I'm hoping I can send him with tasty leftovers as much as possible. 

The funny thing is, David doesn't like this soup.  He hates anything that tastes even remotely like winter squash, and he said this soup tastes like squash to him.  I think it tastes likes carrots.  (I made pork roast and turkey sausage for him instead).  But you'll have to be the judge.  It's easy to make, only takes a few ingredients, and you can have 2 bowls of it without feeling one bit guilty!  

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 small (or 1 medium) apple, chopped
5 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste


In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onions and carrots for about 5 minutes.  

 Add the garlic and ginger and let it go for another 5 minutes.  

Now toss in the apples and cook for another 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Pour in the vegetable/chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, and let the soup gently bubble for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots are tender.  

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot.  Still don't have one?  I told you to ask for one for Christmas! ;-)  (The soup will be smoother if you use a blender, and a bit chunkier if you use the immersion blender).

Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Add a pinch or two of nutmeg (freshly ground is divine, but ground nutmeg is just fine!).  I also added about 1/4 cup of cream (it was in the fridge and needed to be used up.  By all means you can leave it out).  
Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.  This freezes beautifully for 3 months.  Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.  

I've been eating this soup every day for almost a week now, and haven't gotten tired of it yet.  Theresa has had some as well...and she loves it!  Every time I heat up a bowl, she crawls into the kitchen and won't stop fussing until I give her some.  Silly baby girl. :-)

I hope this is a recipe you can use to kick-start your weight loss goals for the new year. 

God bless your table tonight!

My Current Favorite Kitchen Tool

Theresa has been on solid food for several months now.  She LOVES to eat, and hasn't turned down a thing I've offered her.  In fact, I'll go so far as to brag that Theresa is my best eater yet (don't tell Rebecca! ;-).  We even put her in the tomato costume I made for Rebecca 9 years ago for Halloween. 

Isn't she PRECIOUS? 

Nowadays, I will throw random, frozen cubes of pureed food in a bowl for her, zap it in the microwave, and that's it..lunch or dinner is ready.  I've combined carrot with mango, strawberries with lentils, and peas with peaches.  Whatever I come up with, Theresa has eaten it all.  She's not crazy about solid food for breakfast, but admittedly, it may be because we don't have much time in the mornings.  I have to get the older girls ready and out the door by 7:30 to catch the bus, and then get Joshua and Gabriel off to school by 8:30.  There's not much time for a little one to eat, although I try to give her a few bites of toast or yogurt off of my plate.  She is pretty apt at picking up cheerios too, and other small bits of food, so that helps if I'm trying to get her dinner ready and she's hungry, but her portion is still in progress.

Lately, now that the weather has cooled off, I've made 2 batches of soup over the past 3 weeks.   I love to stir a big pot of comfort when it's nippy outside, plus I was hoping Theresa was ready for a puree with more texture and tiny chunks of veggies. 

So I made Broccoli Cheese Soup about 2 weeks ago, and last night I made Potato Chowder.  The broccoli cheese soup is already pureed, so I didn't have to process it further for Theresa.  She LOVED it.  I gave her a bowl for lunch/dinner for 3 days straight, and she inhaled it every time.  Who says babies don't like broccoli? :-)  The chowder can be left chunky, but the potatos and sausage were too chunky for my girl, so I broke out my immersion blender and blended the soup to a consistency that was better for Theresa.  Guess what, she loved it too!

I have to give my immersion blender a shout-out.  I've been using it several times a week to process whatever we're having for dinner so Theresa can eat it too.  It's perfect because doesn't take up as much room as a standing blender or food processor, it's easy to clean, and it doesn't make a big mess at all.  In fact, I pureed the potato chowder in the same container I used to store it in the fridge.  See?

Obviously the best reason to have an immersion blender handy is whenever you're making a soup that needs to be pureed.  Besides the Broccoli Cheese Soup and the Potato Chowder, I also use it for my Roasted Tomato Soup and Black Bean Soup.  Just stick it right in your soup pot, and blend away.  No pouring hot soup back and forth from a blender to the pot, and less dishes to wash at the end of the night.  I'm telling y'all...this handy tool could be your best friend, especially if you have a baby who loves soup. ;-)  And it works for other things too, like homemade salsa, whipped cream, and smoothies (although it doesn't like ice...too hard). 

Don't have one of these gadgets?  Christmas is right around the corner ladies.  Get it on your wish list...mine is about 6 years old, and isn't made anymore. 

But here's a whole slew of immersion blenders on amazon.com.  A decent quality one will only set you back about $50 (or less!).  Your husbands can thank me later for making their Christmas shopping so easy..lol!

I'm sorry I haven't posted a new recipe lately.  I'm been pretty busy, and up to my eyeballs in a 3,000 envelope mailout for my hubby's work.  Yes...3,000.  I have to have 1,500 done by the end of next week...I have 1,050 done so far.  So um...yeah...it's taking nearly every spare minute I have.  Someone remind me not to volunteer to do this mailout next year, okay?  Thanks!

I'll try to check back in sometime next week, and post something new and fun for y'all to make.  In the meantime, God bless your table tonight!

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Parsley Pesto

 When David tore up the last of the winter garden 3 weeks ago, he brought me a HUGE pile of cilantro...enough to feed a horse.  I promptly put it in the kid's wagon, and sent Rebecca around the block offering it to all the neighbors.  We got rid of just over half of it this way...so I had to figure out what to do with the rest.

We had a perfectly marvelous dinner with a Legionnaire priest and seminarian about 10 days later...and I made a simple roast chicken, rubbed with this amazing pesto recipe I found on the internet.  Even after making a triple batch, I still had fresh cilantro in the fridge.  So I made another triple batch of the pesto and froze it...which finally used nearly all of it. 

I am pretty darn sure as this pesto was so good on roast chicken, a small dollop in some black bean soup would be fabulous.  Not to mention equally as good on a piece of fish, steak, pork, or whatever else you fancy. 

I stuck to the original recipe, except I substituted toasted almonds for the pine nuts--which can be difficult to find and expensive to boot.  I also left out the red pepper flakes, because I knew they would be too spicy for my kids...but if you like a pesto with attitude, then leave them in. 

One last thing...I made Cheesy Green Chile Cornbread to serve on the side.  Simple and delicious, because it starts with a boxed cornbread mix. 

Hopefully it is getting to be spring where you are...if not, this meal is one last warming, rib-sticking meal to say goodbye to winter!

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Parsley Pesto

FOR THE SOUP:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, undrained and divided
Pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14.5 ounces) low sodium chicken/vegetable broth
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel tomatoes
1 can (11 ounces) yellow corn, drained
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Place one can of beans in a blender.  Add the sautéed onion mixture, red pepper flakes (I left them out) and cumin.  I used my immersion blender.  If you like to make pureed soups, you really must get one...no transferring hot soup back and forth to the blender!

If you're using a blender, cover and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture back into the pot. 

Place second can of beans and broth in blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth, and stir into the pot along with the first batch of beans. 

Stir the third can of beans (do not puree first), Rotel, and corn into the pot.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Serve with a swirl of sour cream and a tablespoon of the cilantro-parsley pesto. 

Y'all...you just have to make this pesto.  I tried a bit of the soup without the pesto, and then a bite with.  It just about blew my mind.  The pesto added a wonderful layer of flavor...the lime zest and lime juice complimented the beans perfectly.  Even my hubby said, "I really like the pesto with the soup." And that's saying something!
 
FOR THE CILANTRO-PARSLEY PESTO:
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pine nuts/almonds
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
Juice and zest from 1 lime
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and pine nuts/almonds until they are finely minced.  Add the cilantro, parsley, lime juice, lime zest, red wine vinegar, cumin seeds, chile powder, and red pepper flakes.  Process for about 10-15 seconds, and scrap down the bowl.  Slowly add the olive oil until the pesto is viscous (not pasty, but not really liquidy either).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  This will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.  You can also make it in advance and freeze it in ice cube trays.  Pop the cubes out once they're frozen and place in a zip-top freezer bag.  They will last 3-6 months. 

I apologize for the lack of pictures...I made the pesto a couple of weeks ago and froze it...and didn't take any pics of the process...sorry!  I can offer a close-up, but that's all. 

* To toast the cumin seeds, place them in a dry skillet over low heat, and shake the pan every couple of minutes until they are lightly golden brown.  Watch them carefully...it won't take long.  If you can smell them, that usually means they are done.  I found whole cumin seeds in the Mexican section of my grocery store.

This soup is simple, hearty, AND healthy!  If you use light sour cream, it won't add much.  Yes, there is a lot of olive oil in the pesto, but you only need a tablespoon in your bowl.  It adds such a great flavor...I hope you make it too! 

God bless your table tonight!

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Rosemary Parmesan Bread

I am kicking myself for not making this before we had our first cold snap last year.  After that, the broccoli succumbed, and I had to buy broccoli at the store to make this soup...boo hoo!

But, in order to ease my sorrows, I made some homemade bread to go along with the soup, and one slice instantly soothed all my woes about store-bought broccoli. ;-)

I know some people are intimidated by making bread, but if you have a bread machine...break it out and let it do all the work for you.  I let the bread machine do all the mixing and rising (except the final rise), and baked it in two loaf pans.  Sometimes my dough collapses during the final rise in the machine, and I end up with a short, slightly dense loaf...which irritates me to no end.  Having the final rise and baking it in loaf pans eliminates that problem, plus I don't get the indention at the bottom of the bread from the mixing paddle. 

I'm posting this now so you can make this tomorrow for Ash Wednesday...pics will follow shortly!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups broccoli florets

1 large carrot, diced

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until tender. 

Whisk in the flour and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Gradually whisk in the half-and-half until the mixture is nice and smooth.

 

Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. 

Lower the heat to medium/medium low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the soup thickens.

 

Stir in the broccoli and carrots and simmer another 20 minutes. Make sure it's a gentle simmer, or you risk scorching it on the bottom of the pot. 

Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Puree the soup in a blender in batches (or use an immersion blender like I did) until creamy and smooth.  There will still be visible flecks of broccoli and carrot.

 

Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cheese over medium heat.  Add a little bit of water (up to 3/4 cup) if you think the soup is too thick.  Serve immediately and garnish with more cheese if you'd like.  In our house...we always put more cheese on top!

Rosemary Parmesan Bread

Makes 2 loaves (or a 2 pound loaf in a bread machine)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4 ounce envelope)

4 teaspoons olive oil

4 cups bread flour

2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.  If you don't see lots of little bubbles, either 1) your yeast is too old, or 2) you water was too hot, and you killed the yeast.   If this happens to you, start over with new water and another packet of yeast. 

Once your yeast has been activated, stir in 1 cup of the bread flour, and dump into a large bowl. 

In the pan of your bread machine (or a large bowl if you're doing this entirely by hand), combine the olive oil, the remaning 3 cups of bread flour, parmesan cheese, rosemary, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Add the yeast/flour/water mixture and set your machine according to the manual's directions.  I used the "basic white" setting. 

If you're hands on...dump the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until it's nice and smooth.  Lightly oil the bowl you just used, place the dough in it and turn it over to coat.  Let rise in a warm, draft free place for about an hour, or until double in volume.  One neat trick is to preheat your oven for 30 seconds, and then turn in off.  Quickly place the bowl of dough in the oven--now you have a warm, draft free place for the dough to rise. 

At this point, you can let the bread machine finish your bread for you, or you can punch it down, let it rise again until double in volume, and then punch it down a second time.

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of the bread in progress...I tried to take some, but they just didn't come out right...too dark inside the bread machine!  And it wasn't easy to keep washing my sticky hands off to try and get a pic...so please forgive me. 

Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.  Divide the dough in half, and place the 2 portions into the prepared pans.  Let rise one last time for about 30 minutes or until double in volume.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.  If you tap the top of the bread, it should sound hollow. 

Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Or wait about 20 minutes to slice and serve warm. 

Update:  Would you believe  Christina ate this soup?  Our little girl who will not eat a single vegetable, green, orange, yellow, or otherwise gave it a taste at dinner, and said,

"Mommy, this is YUMMY!"  She gave it 2 big thumbs up and ate the entire bowl!  When I told David, he was really suprised too. 

So if your child avoids veggies like the plague, maybe this soup will change their minds.  I'll be making this more often for sure...I am still amazed Christina loved it!

God bless your table tonight!