Flemish Carrot Soup

I found this recipe in a little bit of a round about way. Originally I saw a picture and description of it by Kristen on Whatcha Eatin' , that then linked to Food For a Hungry Soul by Katy. After seeing the glowing reviews and yummy looking pictures on both of them, I decided to give it a try too. The whole time it was cooking, I had hungry kids (large and small) popping their heads in to see what smelled so good. After we actually ate it they were totally smitten, asking if I could make it again sometime soon(a sure sign of a winner!) Thanks Kristen and Katy!

The ingredients:

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water

1-1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices

1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed

1 Tbs. fresh thyme or 1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup milk, plus additional if needed

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

croutons or French bread

Melt the butter in heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the green onions and onions, cook, stirring until wilted but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover, simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a little. Discard the bay leaf.

Puree the soup in small batches in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk, adding a little more if the soup is too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat gently and serve sprinkled with minced parsley. Serve hot with croutons or French bread. Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Swirl Cake

In honor of Mother's day I thought I'd include this fun little story about what sweet kids I have!

While my husband was sick in bed for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, my kids found this fun recipe in one of my cooking magazines and surprised me with it (even taking pictures of it along the way). They did not know what a springform pan was, so ours didn't look quite like this one, but boy oh boy for its fun quotient and complete simplicity it was SO, SO good! I hope they surprise me with it another day too. ;)

The ingredients:

1 package (13-oz.) Swiss cake rolls

2-3/4 cups cold milk

2 packages (3.9 oz. each) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

2 cups Cool Whip

Cut each cake roll into eight slices; set aside any chocolate coating that separates from rolls for garnishment. Line a 9-inch springform pan with cake slices, completely covering the bottom and sides.

Isn't that cute? They even knew enough to take pictures along the way, so I could put it on the blog.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Pour over cake. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with any reserved chocolate coating. They drizzled ours with a little chocolate syrup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 8 servings. Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy!

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Hearty Chicken Pesto Pizzas

Every Friday night is pizza night at our house. Sometimes we order out, sometimes I make traditional pizzas, and other nights I'm just in the mood for something totally different. When I found this recipe I got excited. It was fun, different, easy, and looked delicious. Glen and I thoroughly enjoyed this sophisticated twist on pizza. The kids, however, were a little scared off by the non-traditional toppings so I ended up just letting them make their own pita bread pizzas however they wanted.

The ingredients:
4 whole pita breads
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup prepared pesto
2 packages (6-oz each) ready-to use Southwestern chicken strips (I did my own)
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Place pita breads on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and pesto. Top each pita with onion mixture;
spread pesto mixture evenly over the onion layer.
Top with chicken, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

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Orange Jello Cream Cake

This easy peasy cake is cool, creamy, and perfect for hot summer days. My son chose this delightful moist cake as his birthday cake this year, except he wanted it lemon-lime flavored rather than orange. Substituting lemon-lime for orange worked great and I imagine any other flavor made by Kool-Aid and Jell-o would work well too!





The ingredients:

CAKE:
1 pkg. lemon cake mix (dry)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 envelope unsweetened orange Kool-Aid
1 cup water

JELLO TOPPING:
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3-oz. each) orange Jell-o

FROSTING:
1 pkg. (3.4-oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 pkg. (3-oz. each) orange Jell-o
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1 carton Cool Whip

In mixing bowl combine cake, Kool-Aid, eggs, water, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into ungreased 9x13" baking dish and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Using a meat fork poke holes in cake, then cool for 30 minutes. In a bowl dissolve one package of Jell-o in boiling water, stir in cold water, and pour over cake. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. In a bowl combine milk, pudding, remaining Jell-o, and beat on low for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip and frost.
(I'm not known for my pretty cakes, but next time I make this cake I plan on making it in 2 round cake pans, popping them out, then adding the Jell-o topping and then putting a Cool Whip layer between them before stacking and frosting.)

Enjoy!

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Tortilla Turkey Sandwiches

Need something quick and filling for lunch or dinner? Here's the perfect solution. Tortilla Turkey Sandwiches are filled with a tasty pesto sauce then combined with fresh veggies and deli meat. They're easy enough for the kids to make themselves and tasty enough for the adults to enjoy too!

The ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsp. prepared pesto
4 flour tortillas (8-inches), room temperature
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 lb. sliced deli smoked turkey
3/4 cup chopped tomato
1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and pesto until blended. Spread about 2 tablespoons over each tortilla. Layer with lettuce, turkey, tomato, olives, and cheese; roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

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Six Can Refried Bean Soup

This fast and simple dish is as easy as 1-2-3-4-5-6 dumping cans into a pot. It combines the ease of soup with the heartiness of chili and makes for a perfect last minute dinner or lunch.

The ingredients:
1 can (16 oz.) spicy fat-free refried beans
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/2 cup water
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup salsa
Tortilla chips
Sour cream (for garnishment)
Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnishment)

In large sauce pan combine all ingredients (except tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese). Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer or until heated through. Serve hot with tortilla chips, sour cream, and little sprinkle of cheese. Serves 8.

Enjoy!

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Avocado Chicken Salad

It's gotten hot really quickly here in the DC area and I've found myself searching through my recipes for lighter, summer-y food that I don't have to turn the oven on for. I found this simple recipe in a magazine and the fun variety of flavors quickly won over the hearts (and tummies) of my family.

Click here for printable recipe. (updated link)

The ingredients: The ingredients:
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
2 Tbs. lemon juice, divided
2 cups cubed cooked chicken ( I grilled mine)
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 medium tart apple, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Lettuce leaves, optional
Pita bread, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl, toss avocado with 1 tablespoon lemon juice; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, apple, celery, mayonnaise, walnuts, ginger, and remaining lemon juice. Stir in avocado. Serve on lettuce-lined plates or in toasted pita pockets. Serves 5.

Enjoy!

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Cream Filled Danish

My friend Becca is an amazing bread artisan. She brought me this homemade Danish one time and my family went gaga with excitement. It was like our Sunday morning Entenmanns...only way better and I was so excited when she shared her recipe with me. This recipe makes four pastries, so plan on freezing a couple for another day.

The ingredients:

PASTRY DOUGH:
1 cup butter
2 cups warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup warm water (to dissolve yeast)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
~8 cups flour (just enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands)

CREAM FILLING:
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. vanilla

In small saucepan on low heat whisk together sugar, salt, flour, egg yolk, and milk. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Let cool.

ALMOND FILLING:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together.

GLAZE:
1 egg white, beaten

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Combine together with fork into large crumbs.

ICING:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. milk or water
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients well until desired consistency.
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DIRECTIONS:
Place butter and sugar in large mixing bowl, pour heated milk over butter. Let stand while you mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 Tbs. sugar. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Add egg and yeast to butter/milk/sugar mixture. Add salt and flour. Beat together until you can barely handle dough without it sticking to your hands. (No kneading necessary)

Cover with cloth and let raise for 1-1/2 hours in warm place. Punch down and let raise for an additional 45 minutes.

Roll dough into a 10-inch x 15-inch rectangle.
Cut strips about 1-1/2 inches apart along the long sides of the rectangle. Spread cream filling covering the center of uncut section. Then place almond filling in chunks regularly on top of the cream filling. Fold in cut pieces.

Brush with egg whites.

Sprinkle with crumb topping and place in the oven. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until a very light golden brown.

Drizzle with icing and serve warm.

Enjoy!

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Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

This bright, flavorful side dish was the perfect accompaniment to a hearty chicken dish and with its cheese, vegetables, and pasta could even serve as a well-rounded light summer meal.

The ingredients:
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced in 3/4-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. orzo
4 green onions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 lb. feta cheese, diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

DRESSING:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula (mine only took 25-30 minutes before they were browned).

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7-9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add roasted vegetables to orzo, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on orzo and vegetables. Cool to room temperature. Add the green onions, pine nuts, feta cheese, and basil. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

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Basil-Garlic Cheese Bread

Fresh and flavorful, this garlic bread was SO much better than the store bought varieties!

The ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 tsp. dried basil
1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; spread over cut sides of bread. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned. Cut into 2-inch slices. Yields 10 servings.

Enjoy!

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