French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is one of my very favorite soups. I remember eating it for the first time at a little restaurant on the Rhine River called Noah's Ark in Wiesbaden, Germany. I was around eight or ten years old and my sister and I would get the French Onion Soup every time we had dinner there. It was served in shallow metal "skillets" that were always too hot to touch. There was a thick layer of cheese covering a thin slice of German bread and the cheese was always bubbly and golden brown from the oven and overflowing down the sides of the metal bowls.

With winter just not letting go this year, I am back in a soup kick. It was -1 degree here this morning after all!

Ham & Swiss Sourdough Pancakes

This is a great recipe to use up excess starter and can easily be halved. It is easy to keep a sourdough starter (I promise)! - please check out my Quick Start Guide for more information.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My husband makes really delicious chicken enchiladas from scratch, but they are quite labor intensive and so we don't have them very often. I made this recipe to be able to enjoy all the flavors of chicken enchiladas with less work.

Hamburger Skillet (Easy & Flexible)

I have a confession... my husband and son love hamburger helper. LOVE IT. Before I married my husband, it was one of his regular meals. Now, when I am away for work sometimes I will come back and see the boxes in my cabinets. I have a fit. They thinks it's scrumptious.

I have never eaten the stuff. I think it sounds terrible - I mean you can't hardly get much more processed than hamburger helper.

So anyway, all that being said, and with love for my family and a desire for this journey to be easy for them (and a reason to throw away that last box of hamburger helper peeking out from behind jars of pickles) I thought I would try to make something reminiscent of hamburger helper without all the nastiness in the box version.

Stout Mac and Cheese

Every month, I am excited to receive the new issue of Cooking Light magazine for the new dinner ideas I find after perusing the pages of this magazine. I usually have to "real foodify" the recipes, but that's ok by me! My family enjoys the new ideas that wind up on our table. This recipe is one from the April 2013 issue, which I've switched up a bit.

Seven Layer Dip

My husband loves this dip, which we make at least once a year for the Super Bowl. But, it is so easy and so good, I think I will start making it more often.

Ham & Cheese Stuffed Crepes

This is a great way to bring crepes to the dinner table in a savory dish that will soon be one of your favorite "comfort food" meals!

 

Simple Pesto

If your garden is anything like mine, you're looking for something to do with a ton of basil right about now....

Stuffed Peppers II (with Stuffed Pepper Bowl variation)

Breakfast Quiche

Ingredients:
1 medium Russet potato, sliced very thinly (use a mandolin if you don't think you're up to the task)
2 cups corn (I use organic frozen because it's easy, but fresh off the ear would be awesome)
4 pasture eggs
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed (or 1 chopped fresh tomato or about 1/2 cup chopped grape or cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup whole milk, try to find a good local source
About 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a combination of Manchego and Cheddar, which I had in the house)
Butter (about 2 tbsp. divided) or ghee (try Organic Valley or Kerrygold)
Sea salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper or less)
3 dashes of tabasco sauce (or other similar type sauce)
1/4 tsp chili powder

How To:
1. Prep/ Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 and arrange potato slices in a deep dish pie plate that has been prepared using about 1 tbsp of the butter. Overlap the slices so there are no gaps. When done arranging, pour remaining butter (melted) over top and stick in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes start to brown and are tender. You'll remove from the oven when done and set aside.

2. Prep/ Filling: While the crust is cooking, grate your cheese, dice your peppers and tomatoes as needed, and slice your onions. In a blender, combine the milk, corn, eggs, salt, tobasco, and chili powder. Blend until just mixed but don't over mix. You will still want to see chunks of corn in the mixture.

3. Put it all Together: Sprinkle half your cheese on the bottom of the pie pan (on top of the potato crust). Then pour your egg mixture and arrange the peppers, tomatoes, and green onions on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and stick back into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool ten minutes, then slice and serve.

Comments:
This takes about 30 minutes leisurely prep time and then cook time. Definitely not something you would want to make when you were in a rush, but nice for the weekend and you can store in the refrigerator for about a week for quick breakfasts when you really need them. My husband ate half a quiche on his own, so I am not sure what to label the number of servings, but honestly, I think one to two slices for a regular person!

 

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Grilled Ham and Cheese

About 8 slices of no-sugar added sliced bread, like French Meadow Bakery brand
About 4 ounces of organic cheddar cheese, sliced thinly (for 4 sandwiches), try Organic Valley
Butter (softened) try Organic Valley
Ham, four slices, I recommend organic and nitrate-free

Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the bottom and spread around. In the mean time, prepare your sandwiches by arranging the cheese and ham inside two slices of bread. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread. Then, add your sandwich to the saute pan, butter side down (I find two at a time works well). Spread a little butter on the top side and cook a few minutes, until browned. Flip and cook another few minutes, until that side is also browned and the cheese inside is melted. Serve warm.

Comments: This makes four sandwiches. As far as the butter goes, try to use as little as possible and if the butter is soft, a small amount will go a long way. This is fairly quick to make and so extremely good. Grilled cheese is a real favorite in our house and you can make this a more nourishing option by using a high quality bread and high-quality, organic dairy. We serve with tomato soup.

Mashed Potato Cassarole

I have been off my game when it comes to mashed potatoes for the last couple of years (yes, years!). So, I like to try various mashed potato recipes that I occassionally run across. This one is adapted from the November 2011 Cooking Light, a really excellent-looking issue.

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt, divided
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup organic milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan/reggiano cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 green onions (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes, garlic, and 1/2 the salt in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes (until tender). Drain.

Using a food mill, hand masher, or hand mixer combine potatoes, remaining salt, milk, and cream cheese. Spoon into an 11x7 glass dish coated with cooking spray (or butter), sprinkle the grated cheese and panko on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes until browned.

Comments: Terrible picture, but this got thumbs up from husband, dad, and six-year old. I thought it was good too. We used 1% organic milk. I did not garnish with green onions, but my panko breadcrumbs were "flavored" garlic and herb-- it was all I had on hand and they were good. However, I think this would have been equally good with home made breadcrumbs from your favorite bread. Also, I cooked mine in a 9x13 and extended the time to 30 minutes.

Smoked Salmon on Rye Crackers

This is a quick and easy appetizer that makes a truly lovely presentation.

Ingredients:
4-6 ounces lox, sliced in 1x1 inch squares (approximately)
4 ounces softened mascarpone cheese
2-3 tsp chopped fresh dill
2 tsp lime juice
About 16-20 rye crackers, or your favorite crackers
Finely diced red onion and/or bell pepper and/or jalepeno and/or cucumber, or capers, olives, pimento, etc. for optional garnish (about 2-4 tbsp)

How To:
Blend cheese, dill, and lime juice. Spread cheese mixture on crackers and top with smoked salmon as well as any garnishes used.

Comments:
This recipe is from the Vital Choice website. Really delicious snack that we all enjoyed. Ok, well, to be perfectly honest the six-year old only liked the lox and cream cheese and said the crackers were "disgusting". I thought the crackers were great though! You'll have to try for yourself.

 

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Potato Cheese Dumpling Buttons

This is not really a quick recipe at all, but these little dumplings are so tasty, I think it's worth the effort from time to time. In addition, if you like pierogi or are looking for a cute appetizer or really like mashed potatoes, or just have plenty of time to kill, you will really enjoy this recipe. I find myself craving these little dumplings a few times a year and I plan a little time on the weekend to make them, and the whole family is very, very happy when I do.

So anyway, that's my disclosure statement on the time involved and now on to the recipe.....

 

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (or some onion combo- I used half a medium and several green onion stalks)

2 - 3 tbsp olive oil or ghee plus more as needed to cook the dumplings

3-4 medium to small potatoes, chopped in one inch small pieces - I use Russett because they are high in antioxidants

3/4 cup grated cheese, like Muenster, Gouda, Jarlsburg, Cheddar

One package dumpling wrappers (I used Nasoya Round Wraps)

Sea salt to taste

How To:

1. Make Your Filling: Peel, chop, and add potatoes to a medium saucepan. Boil in salted water until tender, about ten minutes. In the meantime, cook onions in butter over medium heat until golden brown, about 15 minutes. When potatoes are done, drain and mash (just use a potato masher). Then add onions and grated cheese, mix well.

2. Make Your Buttons: Put a rounded tablespoon in the center of a wrapper and cover with another wrapper. Press and curl up the edges to seal. Form remaining dumplings in the same way. Make sure your fingers are a little damp to help with the sealing process.

3. Cook, and Cook, and Cook: Cook dumplings, seam side up, in oil/ ghee (covering bottom of a medium sized to large saute pan) over medium to medium low heat for about 2-3 minutes each, until golden brown. Then flip and press down gently with a spoon and cook another 5 minutes (approximately) until golden brown. Unless you have the largest saute pan I've ever seen, you will need to cook in batches. I did about four or five at a time and then allowed the finished ones to rest on a plate covered with a paper towel. You will probably need to add a little more oil or ghee here and there.

 

Comments:

I believe this makes about 27-28 dumpling buttons. They taste like crispy pierogi so I cooked up a quick batch of carmelized onions and served mine with the onions on top. Very tasty. I also dipped a few in chili my husband was cooking and that was also good! I can hear my husband in the kitchen right now sneaking more of these.....

 

 

As a really good variation, I made a super quick marinara sauce (sauteed three cloves of chopped garlic in about 1/4 cup olive oil, maybe a little less, until just starting to brown - add a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, or chop two or three fresh tomatoes, and about 1-2 tsp Italian seasonings and simmer five minutes). I had sauteed onions from the night before, so I threw them in as well. Sprinkled with grated parmesan. Delish.

These little pain-in-the-butt dumplings ended up going a long way and being a really nice treat. The six-year old only tried the leftovers but he loved them--said they were better than pasta.

 

 

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Breakfast Cassarole

This is a "make-over" recipe of a favorite breakfast of my husband's that seems so unhealthy in its original form that I cannot imagine the horror one's body feels after eating it. This version improves on the original version vastly by switching out all of the processed ingredients for real food ingredients. You will not miss the junk ingredients in the least bit.

Black Bean & Pork/Chicken Enchilada Cassarole with Ranchero Sauce

Looking for an excellent comfort food recipe with nourishing ingredients? Look no further. Don't let the long ingredient list keep you from trying this one. Most are the spices included to season the dish. Also, you could make your ranchero sauce in advance and freeze and then this would be a super quick and super easy meal to make.

Ingredients:
About 1/2 pound cooked pork or chicken, diced -- use leftover if possible, and more or less than half a pound. You'll want enough for one layer
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
1 small to medium onion chopped and divided (about 1/4 cup to sprinkle)
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups broth, low-sodium organic if possible (any flavor, I used vegetable)
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste, no added salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about one lime juiced)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups "Mexican-style" cheese, grated (I used a chipotle cheddar I found, but use whatever you can find in your store)
10-12 corn tortillas, the small ones
Olive oil

How To:
1. Prep Chilis: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the ancho chiles and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Boil, reduce heat to low and simmer five minutes. Turn off heat and let sit another 5 minutes. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Set aside.

2. Make Ranchero Sauce: Add onion to olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until soft, add garlic and salt. Cook another five minutes until lightly browned. Add broth, oregano, paste, and cumin. Cook about 5-8 minutes until thickened, stirring occassionally. Then pour entire pot into a blender, add chiles and reserved liquid. Blend until smooth (remove center piece in lid to allow steam to escape, but cover with a towel so the hot liquid does not splatter). Stir in lime juice and cayenne pepper. This is your ranchero sauce.

3. Make Cassarole: Using about 1/2 cup of the ranchero sauce, cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan and line with half the tortillas. Sprinkle on beans, chicken or pork, onions, and half the cheese. Cover with sauce, about half what you have left. Top with the remaining tortillas, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese. Cook uncovered about 15-20 minutes.

Comments:
This is modified from a vegetarian dish in the October 2011 Cooking Light magazine. I added meat (for my husband) and we had this pork tenderloin to use up. I also eliminated the steps in the original recipe that made this actual enchiladas. The "cassarole-style" is much easier to make. We also served with sauteed poblano peppers on top and over short-grained brown rice and this was SO delicious.

This looks kind of complicated, and did take more time than I usually like to spend. The original recipe says 55 minutes hands on, but I think that is way over-stated and perhaps I save a lot of time with my version by not actually making enchiladas, but just layering the ingredients. I think it was 30 minutes hands on and then the 15 minutes of cooking. Also, the original recipe I followed says you can make the ranchero sauce a day or two ahead to save time (or even freeze), and that really is the part that takes up most of the time. I also keep a few containers of this ranchero sauce in my freezer for an easy dinner when we are short on time.

DELISH!

 

 

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Ham & Cheddar Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
8 slices whole grain bread with seeds, like Ezekial Genesis 1:29 Sprouted Grain and Seeds
A little butter (to grease ramekins)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese on hand)
1/3 cup diced onions (white, green, red)
3/4 cup whole milk (raw is great if you have it)
1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth (homemade stock or low-sodium, organic store bought)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 - 4 ounces cooked ham, diced (no added nitrites/nitrates, lower-sodium if possible)
3 large pasture eggs
4 tsp sour cream or greek yogurt mixed with a sprinkling of thyme and chives or other fresh herbs (optional garnish)

How To:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into cubes and place onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted (turning once). Alternatively, toast bread and then slice into cubes. Remove from oven and let sit to cool for a couple of minutes.

In a large bowl, combine bread, most of the cheese (reserve a small amount to sprinkle on top), onions, milk, broth, pepper, ham, and egg yolks (lightly beaten). In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork about 30 sec. and then gently fold into bread mixture.

Spoon one-fourth bread mixture into each of four (7 oz) ramekins coated with cooking spray (or greased otherwise). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Top each with sour cream or greek yogurt when serving.

Comments: This recipe is a modified version of one from the September 2011 edition of Cooking Light magazine. If you have ghee or organic butter from grass fed cows, add a tablespoon to your bread mixture. Otherwise, don't worry about it. This was a great recipe to kick off fall weather, very much a comfort food. We all enjoyed it.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

This recipe is modified slightly from a recipe from Ms. Scratch.Love. This is so good, you will not believe that it is cauliflower!

Cheddar & Green Onion Almond Flour Muffins

These little muffins are so delicious that we actually made them almost every weekend for about a month when we first tried the recipe! They are super easy too - you will really enjoy them. This recipe is from Mrs. Scratch.Love, modified only slightly.

Mushroom & Feta Stuffed Chicken

You will really enjoy these chicken breasts, which have such a good flavor and are super easy to make.