Comfort in a Bowl

I made this soup the other day to take to my friends house. She had a baby about a month ago (her fourth) so I wanted to bring her a dinner. I made her a big pot of this chili one evening and put it in the fridge to chill overnight so the flavors could get to know each other and marry.
I tried a little bit of this soup to make sure it tasted okay, then ended up serving myself up a whole bowlful because it was so good.
Then, circumstances made it impossible for me to visit her on the day I had planned, so now I have a whole pot of soup to enjoy. Next week when I try to visit again, I will have to make it again - but that's okay, because it is pretty fast and easy-peasy. It is so delicious and oh - so- comforting!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (18.75 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 bag frozen corn

1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat

1 (15 ounce) can white beans

1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Swedish Meatballs

We had these for dinner Saturday night. Dan loved 'em. MaryGrace loved 'em. I thought they were so so. They are labeled an appetizer in the cookbook where I found them but we ate them as a dinner and then as sandwiches the next day for lunch. I also froze half of them to pull from the freezer at a later date because this makes about 30 pieces.

Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 T cream (used half and half)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup grape jelly

Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, and cream together. Add just enough flour to hold mixture together. Make miniature meatballs (1/2 to 1 inch diameter) and place in a shallow baking pan in one layer. Bake at 350 for 20 mintues. Turn once to brown evenly. Drain off excess fat.

In large saucepan, combine chili sauce and grape jelly. Heat to simmering. Add meatballs, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Enchilada Casserole - My first recipe submission!

Hi ladies!

I asked Anne to add me to the recipe blog awhile ago, but if follow-through had an expiration date, I'd be that bag of shredded cheese you found under one of the seats in your car.

But I come with tidings of good Mexican food. :)

Though I can't say that this is traditional faire, I can say that it's fantabulous! My roommate made a version of this the other night and, I'm not gonna lie, I had a piece for breakfast the next day.

I know what you're thinking..

"Caitie.. Seriously? Mexican food in the morning?"

Yes, friend. Mexican food in the morning.

So here's the recipe (which, I pronounce ress-eep).

1 package of ground beef (or turkey.. I guess.. ugh) and 1 packet taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
1 packet Mexican or Spanish rice
1 package flour tortillas (recipe initially called for corn, but I refuse to use them - ugh)
1 can tomato sauce
1 package Mexican mix cheeses (you can try low fat/part skim cheeses too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet brown the meat. (Duh) Add packet of taco seasoning mix to meat, following instructions on the taco seasoning packet. (Duh) Drain. (Duh).

Follow directions on your Mexican rice packet to prepare rice. P.S. Try to choose one with minimal tomatoes cuz the recipe (again, ress-ipe) calls for them.

Cook the refried beans (you can add water to them so they are not to thick).

Combine rice, refried beans, diced tomatoes to the Morning Star meat and cook on low heat.

In a separate skillet heat tomato sauce. (Yes, I realize that the way I'm telling you to do this is calling for two dozen dishes. Don't hate me.. I know you can find a better way!)

Dip a tortilla into the tomato sauce and put on the bottom of the casserole dish, then add a layer of the meat mixture and some of the shredded Mexican mix cheese. Continue this process until all ingredients are gone and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 15-20 or until cheese has melted and is browning.

Healthy Thanksgiving Leftovers!

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

We hosted far-flung friends AND family this year, and while I tried to keep the dishes cholesterol-friendly, in honor of my dear Father in Law, we did kind of tend towards the fatty (bacon draped turkey legs, anyone?) and the buttery and the creamy...so when Sunday rolled around, and all our guests (a houseful and a half!!) had departed, Matt and I (and no-longer-Baby Eddie) were ready for some healthful fare.

I found this in Mothering magazine and want to save it, and then thought I'd also share it here.



Sweet Potato-Lentil Burritos


4 large sweet potatoes, roasted in 425 oven ~one hour (leave oven on after removing potatoes), mashed

2 c. cooked lentils (we did brown rice and black beans together), adding

1 tbs cumin

2 tsp chili powder (We added 2 tsps of Thai Spice, since we ran out of chili powder)

Cilantro

Sour cream

Salsa

~2 c shredded cheese of choice

6 whole wheat tortillas (this was four flour for us, two corn for Eddie)



Assemble the burritos, tucking into oiled casserole dish, and sprinkle any remaining (or extra!) cheese on top.



Bake in the 425 oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are golden.



(We omitted the baking step, since Eddie was really hungry. These burritos are just fine unbaked, but who doesn't like melted cheese on top??)

We loved them, but Eddie was not such a fan until we dissected his burrito and served him the main components with a spoon for his use...




:D

How To: Make a Butterfly-Shaped Birthday Cake

First, bake two 11 x 13 rectangular cakes.  I made one chocolate, and one vanilla.

Then draw a butterfly wing on a sheet of paper, and cut it out.  This is your template.

Place template on first cake.  Cut around cake according to template.  Do the same to the second cake.

You will have cake "scraps."

Time to decorate!  Gather your supplies, such as: colored frosting, decorating bags, couplers, tips, candies, etc.  This is the fun part!

Decorate any way you wish.  There are lots of different ways to decorate a butterfly.  First I piped frosting on the entire butterfly, alternating pink and yellow stripes.  Then I chose to make the "body" out of M &M's and the "antennae" out of frosting that I drew on the board.  I also made the hearts and spelled my daughter's name in M & M's.

I wrote "Happy 3rd Birthday" on the board to not take away from the design on te cake.

The birthday girl, who seemed very pleased with the result!

Winter Squash (pumpkin) Bars

I brought these into work today and they were gone before lunch. They make a VERY moist crumb. Absolutely delicious and a good way to use of leftover canned pumpkin which is exactly what I used it for! This is from the "Fall" section of my new cookbook, Simply In Season. I made a half recipe, but I will post the full.

As the title is Winter SQUASH Bars, I am very interested in trying to make it with a different kind of squash, I wonder if the flavor will change at all. Has anyone every done that? Have you used a butternut or acorn squash in place of pumpkin for a dessert recipe?

Winter Squash Bars
Yields 24 "bars" when cut in bar form. I just left it in the pan and scooped it out.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 cups winter squash or pumpkin
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar (WOA, that's a lot of sugar, I cut it down a bit..)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Beat together in a mixing bowl all of the above ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Sift all of the above into a separate bowl. Mix the wet in with the drive. Don't overmix. Pour into a lightly greased 11x17 inch jelly roll pan (or whatever fits/is the equivalent that you have). Bake in preheated over for 25-30 mins.

Mine baked for about 15 mins longer at least.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Another gem from www.smittenkitchen.com who adapted it from Bon Appetit magazine. She suggests seasonings for an alternative taste and it was this way that I made it. It was delicious!!

Roasted Eggplant Soup
adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

3 medium tomatoes, halved (I quartered them)
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds) halved lengthwise, or 3 smaller ones
1 small or medium onion, halved (I quartered it)
6 garlic cloves, peeled (I used 3 )
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
4 cups chicken or veg stock
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, or more to taste)
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (opt, I omitted because it didn't need it IMO)

Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet (you'll need two). Brush or drizzle vegetables with olive oil and roast for 20 mins. Remove garlic so it doesn't burn and return the trays to the oven for an additional 25 mins until the vegetables are browned in spots and tender soft. Remove from the onion and scoop the insides out of the eggplant (though since you puree it all, next time I am not throwing away the skins) and scoop into a large soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, thyme and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook until onion is very tender. (Here is she says about 45 mins or longer, but since I had chopped some of the vegetables smaller mine were practically ready to puree after boiling). Cool slightly.

Puree soup. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add additional spices. I used 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp red pepper. Sprinkle with goat cheese if using.

Chicken and Noodles

I posted this recipe last winter and thought it was so good. Little did I know. I made true homemade chicken and noodles tonight. It was given to me from a friend from church. I didn't make the noodles but I bought from the Amish who make them from scratch. This dish screams love as it takes a good half a day to prepare but most of that is just letting the meat cook.

Ingredients
6 to 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut a few times
3 to 4 celery stalks
1/2 to 1 onion, quartered
2 to 3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
1 package of good noodles

Put all ingredients (except noodles) in a pot big enough to fit everything in and fill with water to where it's just covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Take the chicken out and let cool. Once it's cooled remove bones/skin/nastiness from thighs. Set Aside.

Back to the water that's now broth, remove all the veggies and then run through a strainer. I don't have a strainer so I put a dish towel over my crock pot dish and poured the liquid over that to catch all the stuff I couldn't pick out. Once it's strained let cool so you can skim the fat off the top. There wasn't much on mine so I'm sure you can skip this step if time is an issue.

Bring the broth back to a boil and boil the noodles. (After the noodles were done I could tell it was going to be too soupy for our liking so I poured some of the broth back out and froze it for later use.) After noodles are done put chicken back in and mix about 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup cornstarch together and mix in the pot of goodness (or until your desired thickness is reached.)

Served with mashed potatoes and a salad.

It's worth every minute spent on it. And that's all folks.

Goat Cheesecake with Hazelnut Brittle and Blood Orange Caramel Sauce

I only made this once, years ago. It was delicious, though, so when a friend who has gone dairy-free for her nursling asked if a goat-cheesecake was possible, I responded in the affirmative. And I typed this whole thing out while MY baby slept. All that hard work should be shared with MANY wonderful ladies, I think, so, without further delay...

Goat Cheesecake with Hazelnut Brittle and Blood Orange Caramel Sauce


1 egg
1 Egg yolk
10.5 oz goat cheese
5 oz crème fraiche
3.5 oz granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300, grease six indivudal sized ramekins
Mix eggs, sugar and salt together, whisk until smooth.
Add goat cheese and and whisk smooth
Add crème fraiche and whisk unstil just combined. (Do not overwhisk, or cake will be grainy.)
Pour into molds, and bake 20-25 minutes, ratating halfway through. Centers should be just set.
Remove from oven, allow to cool. Chil in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Loosen with knife to unmold. These will keep refrigerated for 4 days.

Brittle:

1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ c toasted skinned and finely ground hazelnuts
¼ tsp finely ground salt
1/3 c water
Preheat oven to 350, line an 11x17 baking pan with archement (or silpat, love those)
Place sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small sauce pan, cover. Heat on high until it boils, uncover, reduce heat to medium high and cook until sugar is dark golden brown. Pour onto prepared shhet to cool and harden. Break into small pieces and grind fine in food processor.
Stir in ground hazelnuts.
Place clean parchment or silpat on baking sheet, spread caramel/nut mixture evenly in a thin layer.
Bake until caramel melts and bubbles, about four minutes. Remove, and sprinkle sea salt over hot caramel.
Cool, and regrind, will keep in airtight container for up to three weeks.

Blood Orange Sauce:

4.5 oz granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ c blood orange juice
¼ to 2 tbs water
Combine sugar, cream of tartar and water in a saucepan. Cover and dook over high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to med. High until sugar is dark goolden brown.
Remove from heat and CAREFULLY add OJ (it will bubble!)
Return to heat and whisk so caramel dissolves and mixes with OJ
When mixture boils again, remove from heat, transfer to heat proof container, and place in fridge to chill and thicken before using. (Keeps for a week).
Coat cheesecakes with hazelnut brittle dust, dot or drizzle with sauce, and enjoy!

Cookbook Suggestions

Hi ladies,

I want to ask for suggestions on a cookbook. I got a gift card for my birthday back in August and was told by the gift giver that she wanted to give me a cookbook, but had no idea which one. I have seen references to several cookbooks over this blog's lifetime (anne, I think you have one called Simply in Season? Or Always in Season or something like that?) I think the best way to judge whether or not you will like a cookbook off the bat is the flip through it and if more recipes make your mouth water than not, then it's likely to be a good fit. I looked at several cookbooks in Barnes and Noble and am just not inspired by any of them.

These are the 2 cookbooks I have (in addition to all the Barefoot Contessa that my mom owns):
Tyler Florence - "Tyler's Ulimate"
Molly Katzen - The New Moosewood Cookbook
My own binder of collected recipes

I'm not looking for a do-everything cookbook like Silver Spoon or Betty Crocker etc. I think i'd like one that leans on the vegetarian side (or is entirely vegetarian). I am far from vegetarian, but the more I learn creative ways to cook without meat, I think the better off I will be. I'm also not a pasta person so I'm looking for a cookbook that doesn't focus on that. Any suggestions? What's your favorite cookbook?

UPDATE: I got the Simply in Season cookbook and i LOVE LOVE it!!! I am very excited to start using it, I have already bookmarked several recipes :) thanks for the advice girls!