Vegetable Curry Soup

It is no secret at this point that I go through seasons of learning and enjoying certain flavor profiles.  Then, after a while I move on to the next flavor obsession.  Well, right now, it is Thai and other Southeastern Asian flavors.  I am so proud of this soup!  I love the light, clean feeling of vegetable soup, but I don't like giving up my flavor.  This. soup.  Try and enjoy!

Making broth.  Cook sweet potato, onion, garlic, and ginger til soft.  

Puree.

Chop some beautiful and tasty vegetables,

 then add to the broth.

Enjoy!

how is that picture for a southern girl enjoying Asian flavors?! ha!

- 1 red onion, divided, sliced and then quartered
- 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 -1 1/2 in ginger, sliced
- 1 medium sweet potato, chunky dice
- 2 quarts chicken broth, or vegetable broth to make vegetarian
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt and pepper each

- bok choy, 1 head, chopped
- 6 Roma tomatoes, diced
- carrot, 1 medium, thinly sliced

- 2-3 oz bean thread noodles (optional)
- chicken breast, 1-2, cooked, seasoned and diced (optional)

Saute 1/3 of the onion, garlic, ginger for one minute over medium heat to soften.  Then add the sweet potato, seasonings, and enough of the chicken or vegetable broth to cover the sweet potato.  Simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork.  Puree and then add back to the pot.  Slowly stir in the rest of the broth.  Taste the broth and season with extra curry, salt, and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer.

Add in the vegetables.  Simmer for 20 minutes or longer depending on how crisp you would prefer the vegetables.  If using, add the bean thread noodles (which  my kids love and call them "slippery noodles") for the last 5 minutes.  Or, if using, add the diced chicken as you add the vegetables.

This was so good!  Enjoy!

my Vegetable Soup

"Wow, you hit a home run with this one!"  Okay, so recipe accolades from the husband might be slightly biased, but I will take them any way!  

After Thanksgiving turkey and dressing, I was craving Mexican.  I was also craving lots of vegetables.  This soup was born!  This is inspired by some of the other soups and sauces I have made in the last year.  I created the broth for the soup from scratch and then added my vegetables!  It really is a winner, even the kids ate it!

I couldn't resist this picture...I had just gotten out some of our Christmas decor and the blender looked like a nice blend of red and green Christmas yumminess!

For the broth:

- about 12 cherry tomatoes, or 5-6 plum tomatoes

- 1 poblano pepper, veins and seeds removed (keep flavor remove heat)

- 1/2 of white onion

- 5 garlic cloves

- 14 oz of chicken broth

- handful cilantro

Broil tomatoes, pepper, onion for 3-4 minutes, until slight char.  Place in blender with garlic, broth, and cilantro.  Puree.

Putting together soup:

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1/4 red bell pepper, diced

- 1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, diced

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- puree from above

- additional 28 oz chicken broth

- 1 potato, peeled and diced

- about 10 oz frozen corn, carrots, and green bean

- 2 stalks of kale, leaves removed and chopped

- seasonings to taste, salt, pepper, cumin

Add about a tablespoon olive oil to a large pot (or pretty dutch oven!).  Add diced onions, peppers, jalapenos.  Saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add tomato paste and stir in (Rachael Ray always says heat tomato paste until fragrant.)  Add puree, broth, potato, and frozen vegetables. Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and allow to simmer.  Adjust seasonings as needed.  In last ten minutes add kale.  Serve as is or with quesadilla wedges or quiche or...

Change up vegetables with other fresh or frozen vegetables to suit your family's favorites.  Add beans for protein or even shredded chicken.  But, if you want a flavorful, veggie-filled soup, this one was great!  

a Porger or a Ribette

As you can tell, I was not sure what to name this one.  

About two weeks ago, we hosted my neighbor for his birthday.  The barbecue and jalapeno poppers are both recipes that make a ton!  I love that!  So, almost half the meat and about half the poppers went into the freezer.   Since then, my neighbor mentioned that he loves the McRib at McDonalds.  Uummm, no thanks.  I informed him that I would use his birthday leftovers to make him the Simmons version!  Last night was that night!

- left over pulled pork, diced (I probably used about a pound)

- 1 egg

- about 1/2 tbsp flour

- about 1 tbsp barbecue sauce

For the sandwich:

- rolls

- pickles

- onions, sliced or diced

- barbecue sauce

Combine the diced pulled pork, egg, flour, and barbecue sauce in a mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Divide into eight equal portions.  Mold into a patty shape.  Heat a tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add patties.  Brown one side, and then flip to the other side.  Brown and heat through.  (Remember, just like with hamburgers, put into saute pan and don't move or stir until it is time to flip.)

Eight equal patties makes slider size portions.  Put one patty on roll.  Garnish with sauce, pickles, and onions (for the same effect of the McRib garnishes.)

Little Porger sliders or Simmons Ribette, served with jalapeno poppers for the adults, apple slices for the kids, and roasted carrots for everyone.  Yum!!

One thing to note... the kids ate the pulled pork slider much better than they eat pulled pork.  I don't know if it is the fact that it is stringy or what, but they have never been great pulled pork eaters.  Both my 1 year old and my 4 year old at the slider really well!  Dipped in ketchup of course!  

French Onion Asparagus

This meal was wonderful!

Marinated beef tips (bought these already marinated, can't take credit for their yumminess), with Squash and Tomato Spiral, and these French Onion Asparagus.  The whole meal was delicious!  One of our new neighbors has gone out of his way to be kind, so we prepared this as a thank you meal to share with him.  Definitely worthy of a thank you meal!

This recipe was inspired by Pinterest as well.  My sister-in-law made French Onion Asparagus Pasta, a recipe from Pinterest.  I made this side dish inspired by the pasta dish she made.  Here is the recipe as I made it:

- 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tbsp oil

- 2 onions, sliced

- tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp sugar

- 1 1/4 beef broth (or 1 cup beef broth and 1/4 cup red wine)

- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped in half or thirds

- salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil.  Add onions.  Cover onions and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring often.  Uncover.  Add salt and sugar (sugar helps with the caramelizing process).  Continue to cook onions for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly.

When onions have caramelized, add broth.  Bring broth to a boil.  (Add wine if using.)  Add asparagus, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cook to desired asparagus tenderness, 4 minutes to 30 minutes.

This was wonderful!!  And, the pictures...

...because the onions are too pretty not to share!

As the onions are starting to brown

Aaah, now the onions are caramelized, so pretty and so yummy!

The finished dish

Butternut Squash Casserole

Have you ever tried William Sonoma's Butternut Squash Casserole?  My sister-in-law introduced it to my family her first Thanksgiving with us.  It was so yummy!!  But, I will admit, I struggle to pay that much money for one casserole.  So, I have been trying to figure out a way to imitate it.  With that yumminess as my inspiration, this is what I have come up with.  (In case you are curious, this was the third attempt.  The first two only mediocre.)

- butternut squash, cubed

- chicken broth

- 3 cloves garlic, whole

- 1/4 onion

- salt, pepper, thyme

- 1/4 - 1/3 cup milk

- 1 egg

-1 or 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 4 or 2 tbsp flour

- 4 or 2 tbsp butter, melted

- cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg

Put squash in a pot with enough broth to just about cover.  Add onion, garlic, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until squash is tender.

Transfer squash to a blender.  Discard onion and garlic.  Add 1-2 tbsp seasoned broth to blender, along with milk and egg.  Puree.  Pour into casserole dish.

(For a 9x9 or other larger casserole dishes, use large amounts.  For small casserole dish, use half amounts.)  Mix the brown sugar, flour, and melted butter with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Place by dollops on the butternut squash puree.  

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Stir to swirl the brown sugar throughout the dish.  Serve and enjoy!

Okay, this recipe does not have the brown sugar crust (by accident).  The brown sugar mixture sunk into the squash puree.  To deal with my accident, I swirled the brown sugar throughout.  It turned into brilliance.  The squash puree is quite savory, so the swirled brown sugar is the perfect sweet complement! 

As with any recipe I create, I would LOVE to know if you cook it.  Or if you cook an inspired version.  Do you try any of my creations?  do you trust my measurements?  did you take my recipe and improve it?  Would love to hear about it!  

Enchilada Casserole

Oh friends!  I am so excited about this one!  

Do you like authentic-tasting Mexican food?  Will and I are always on the hunt for good Mexican food, not just okay, but good Mexican food.  This is it!  I really wonder if the guajillo pepper is one that the Hispanic families I used to visit used a lot in their cooking.  Those families, when I entered their home, would insist I taste what was on their table.  Yes please!  This red sauce is reminiscent of that flavor.

The red sauce is an adaptation from a recipe I tried recently, Chilaquiles.  I think it is defiinitely my replacement for the red enchilada sauce in a can.  The chicken mixture I dreamed up on my own.  I am so proud of this chicken mixture!  I am looking for ways to incorporate this more.  This recipe was going to be traditional enchiladas (red sauce, chicken mixture rolled into their tortillas, red sauce and topped with cheese), but I was running low on time, so I turned it into a casserole.  I admit, because I made this one up, I would love to know if you try this one.  It really is good and it really is easy!!  (TRY the Guajillo peppers!!  They are in the bright yellow and clear bags, dried peppers.  They are not spicy, just flavor-filled.)

For the red sauce:
- 3 dried Guajillo peppers
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (fresh tomatoes would be awesome too!)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 white onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
- a little (about 1/4 cup) fresh or (about 1/2 tbsp) dried cilantro

Broil the peppers about 90 seconds per side.  Then combine all ingredients in the blender.  Pour from blender into sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Then allow to simmer while making the chicken mixture.

For the chicken mixture:
- 2/3 white onion, sliced in thin rings or strips
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2/3 - 3/4 can black beans
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- salt to taste

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the onions and garlic.  Saute until soft (maybe 4-5 minutes).  While sauteing the onions and garlic, blend the black beans with the chicken broth.  Add the bean puree and the shredded chicken to the pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Then reduce to simmer.

Putting Together Casserole:
- red sauce
- chicken mixture
- 8 corn tortillas, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Manchego or favorite Mexican food cheese)

Layer a little red sauce, then chicken mixture, and chopped tortillas.  Repeat.  Top with a little red sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 uncovered for 15 minutes.  Then uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

I forgot to take the finished picture!  Whoops!  I'll add it if I take it layer. Notice we had one for that night and one for the freezer.  Love those!

What do you think? 

Eggplant Parmesan - for kids!

Most of the time my creativity comes by copying an idea I have seen someone else do.  But, every now and then, I get a pretty good idea.  I think this is one of those!  I wanted something special for Anna-Kate (now 3) in honor of her first dance class and her first full week of preschool.  Normally something special means ice cream with sprinkles or a cookie.  I am pretty proud of myself for coming up with something that was healthy and still translated to "special!"

Eggplant Parmesan 

To make it exciting for Anna-Kate, I created some stars out of the eggplant. Then gave her marinara for dipping rather than poured over it.  She thought the stars were really cool!

I used graffiti eggplant, a smaller variety.  AK had seen these in the store about a week ago and thought they were pretty.  

I first cut them in the traditional discs.  Then I used my knife to draw the outline of the star.

a closer view

Then, I cut the negative space away with my knife.  (The discarded portion would be great in a ratatouille or something the next day, especially if made at the same time.  You would have lunch the next day.)

I breaded and sauteed using a traditional breading station and method. (I'll add recipe at bottom.)

I served with steamed broccoli and angel hair with marinara.  So yummy and so fun!

Confession:  my girlie girl didn't like that her hands got dirty holding the eggplant to dip.  She ate it better after I cut it up for her to stab with her fork first and then dip.

I used this marinara and a traditional breading station for the eggplant:
- first bowl with flour
- second bowl with 2 eggs, beaten
- third bowl with bread crumbs mixed with Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese

Dredge the eggplant first in the flour, shaking off any excess.  Then in egg.  Then thoroughly in breadcrumb mixture.

Heat a few tbsp of olive oil in saute pan.  Place eggplant in pan until browned, about 3 minutes.  Then flip, allow that side to brown, another 3-4 minutes.  Don't crowd the pan.  It will take you a few batches (above took me 2 batches), depending on how much you are cooking.

Hope you enjoy this! and that it inspires you to do something creative for your family!

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Wanting eggplant, loving the last dish I made, putting any nesting energy I have into cooking, ... this dish is what I came up with. It was good!

- 8-12 thin slices of eggplant
- flour
- 2 eggs
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

- ~half box of pasta, cooked to al dente, 1-2 minutes less than pkg directions (optional. I didn't have any meat for this dish, so I wanted to add a little pasta to add to the heartiness factor.)

- half to full jar of favorite marinara sauce (we are spicy marinara people here!)

- 1 1/2 tbsp of butter
- 1 rounded tbsp of flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg

- mushrooms
- 1-2 tbsp butter

- 2/3 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, or other Italian cheeses

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan on medium heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then egg, and then breadcrumbs. Saute slices in pan until browned, approx 2-3 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Heat marinara on low heat.

When finished with eggplant, saute mushrooms in pan with butter.

In last pan, melt butter. Whisk in the flour, then the milk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If desired, stir in some of the shredded cheese.
Build the lasagna. First, half of the eggplant slices. Half marinara sauce, half mushrooms, half pasta, half bechamel sauce, and then top with a little cheese. Repeat layers, ending with enough cheese to top.

So tasty!! Worth the effort, especially if you love eggplant parmesan the way I do!

Vegetarian Lasagna Casserole

This dish was wonderful, probably one of my favorite own-creation recipes! Will's comment was, "This is restaurant-quality. I would order this again when I came back to the restaurant." Will loves my cooking, but this was higher than normal praise! Enough humble commentary, on to the recipe:

I love watching cooking shows, so that I can drool and wish I had more culinary skills and learn as much as I can from them. Yesterday I watched Rachael Ray's show, her Best Recipes of 2011. There were two different lasagna or lasagna-type recipes. This recipe is those two combined with some tweaks of my own. Definitely try it!

- 1/2 box of favorite pasta, cooked about 1-2 minutes less than package directions

- 2 portabella mushroom caps, diced
- about 1/3 - 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
- 1/2 jar of favorite marinara sauce (we are currently in love with Harris Teeter's arrabiata sauce; it's quite spicy and rich in flavor); your favorite homemade [spicy] marinara would also be yummy here
- few splashes of broth (I used beef broth) for thinning

for Bechamel Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 rounded tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg

- 1/2 to 2/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta.

At the same time, saute the diced portabella mushroom until tender. Add the thawed spinach to the pan. Stir until well mixed.

Add the spicy (or favorite) marinara sauce. Add a few splashes of broth to thin (if needed). Allow to simmer.

In a separate pan, make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk, and let thicken enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.


Toss the pasta with the mushroom sauce and then arrange in a (9x9) casserole dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with parmesan cheese. Broil in the oven to brown the top.

Enjoy!This would be an easy one to double for a 9x13 or to freeze half and eat half. You could really play with the flavor by choosing any sauce. I really liked the bechamel combined with a spicy marinara, because it made it into a creamy spicy marinara. So yummy! This would make a good side dish. Or, a good vegeterian night with some roasted broccoli on the side or a salad starter.

Cheesy Vegetable Chili

This yummy dish was inspired by several things: 1) the anticipation of fall that brings beautiful colors, cooler temperatures, and comfort foods like chili; 2) trying to trick a toddler into eating more vegetables; 3) trying to avoid turning vegetables too soft for this pregnant woman's tongue; and 4) Rachael Ray's Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole found HERE.

The verdict, if you like one-pot meals as I do, is two thumbs up! The toddler's opinion is yet to be determined; one no-go does not mean a dislike. The husband, who is not a huge fan of one-pot dishes, did say that he enjoyed it and it had good flavor. So, I say, "Try it!"

- 1 medium squash
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin (as usual, I don't actually measure seasonings, so this is a good idea of what I did)
- 2 tbsp chili powder, or 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder with 1/2 tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (I had intended to use fresh chopped garlic but forgot)
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander seed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
- 1/2 bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
- 1 cup (or more :) shredded cheddar cheese

Grate, using the large side of the grater, the squash and zucchini into a collander. Toss with a tsp of salt. Allow to drain (30-40 min), squeeze to remove excess water.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in pan. Add ground beef to brown, season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and other seasonings. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 min. Add the beans, tomatoes, and chiles with their juices and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or more. (When assembling before putting in oven, either leave in iron skillet like I did, or transfer to a 8x11 baking dish.)

Combine hashbrowns, cheese, and grated zucchini and squash in a large bowl. Scatter the mixture over the chili. For good measure, I sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, approx 25-30 min.

I loved the colorful presentation of the final product in the pan as well as once plated. Love getting some green in my chili! If I compared it to the Rachael Ray dish that I made before, I would say that you can't beat adding some veggies to cut down the carbs and to sneak in the veggies. The husband and I both agree that the flavor of the vegetables was not overwhelming, therefore not a distraction. (Someone who didn't like squash/zucchini would probably not taste them.) The squash and zucchini really did just add to the health of the dish and the colorful appearance. I used her chili as my starting place but then played with the spices and added the chiles.

Hope you like it!

Sausage and Spinach Ring

I had half a package of Hillshire Farms sausage in the fridge. I had forgotten to freeze it, so I needed to cook it. And, my pregnant body can't handle vegetables that are mushy, from green beans to spinach to... It needs to be crunchy. So, I have been trying to sneak them into recipes to make sure the little one gets some healthy veggies. Those facts combined with inspiration from Pampered Chef, I created this recipe. (I am always proud when a recipe I create is worthy of the recipe blog :)

Because I created this from random things in my pantry, there are no exact measurements.
- 1/2 package of Hillshire Farms sausage, cooked and sliced
- frozen spinach (maybe 1 cup or less), thawed
- shredded cheese, 1 cup or less
- mustard, yellow and spicy
- mayonnaise, only a little, maybe 1 tbsp
- salt
- pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- 1 can of 8 crescent rolls


Preheat oven to 375.

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. The mayonnaise is to help hold it together; I don't like these type things really mayonnaise-y so I don't use much. The mustard is for the flavor. I used both yellow and spicy so that the spicy wouldn't overpower and be too much for toddler Anna-Kate.

Place crescent rolls in a circle, as pictured below, with points of triangles overlapping. Spoon the mixture onto the large side of the triangles. Bring the smaller side over the mixture to cover.

Bake for approx 20 minutes.

I served it with my favorite roasted carrots. We all liked it! I am a sucker for any recipe that uses crescent rolls. Will liked it, but still says it is girl food. Anna-Kate ate almost an entire section! Hope you enjoy!