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!

Yellow Squash-Zucchini Fritters

As you can tell, I am definitely on a squash/ zucchini recipe "kick" since I have so much to use up from my CSA box. We have made these fritters several times now and they are husband and kid approved. 

Summer Squash Couscous

I have been searching the internet for squash recipes this month to try to find ways to use up all the squash I've gotten from my CSA box. Even after giving some away I find myself with an abundance and a need for new recipes. This light summer dish is really wonderful.

Yellow Squash Crustless Quiche

We have lots of yellow squash showing up in our CSA box and while we do love Dilled Yellow Squash as a side dish, we just weren't eating enough of it to use up our supply. This recipe came along with one of our deliveries and we made it with some minor modifications. The result was very good, a crustless quiche with a rich, buttery flavor.

Ground Beef and Cabbage

Have you ever had one of those days where you decide what you're going to make for dinner 5 minutes before you start cooking? Well, I have them all the time! And this recipe is one of the success stories. Now it doesn't sound like much, but I hope you'll give it a try because it is surprisingly delicious and so easy to make.

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.

Creole Shrimp

It's that time of month again when I peruse the pages of my recent Cooking Light magazine and re-vamp one of their recipes for my dinner table. I really enjoy this magazine for the new ideas it inspires, but don't necessarily agree with several of their ideas of "healthy" foods  (often their elimination of butter or healthy fats of any kind as well as subsitutions with low fat or no fat milk and their use of "fake" foods like margarine). However, these types of ingredients are easy to replace with more nourishing options.

In their latest issue, the June 2013 magazine, I found a wonderful shrimp recipe that my family thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, it was so good, it will likely be on the regular rotation and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did. Here is the link to the original recipe. I've changed it up a bit below.

Ham and Beans

You can probably tell we have a ham to use up from New Year's Day. This ham and bean soup is delicious and would be especially yummy served with cornbread, like this pumpkin cornbread.

Bolognese Sauce with Green Olives

I love pasta. I mean, looooove pasta. And one of the most disappointing parts of transitioning to a real food lifestyle (for me) was eliminating pasta, since it was primarily made using white flour. However, as food choices have improved over the years, there are now really great alternatives to the white flour pasta noodles of days past and my family enjoys pasta once or twice a month now. If you have not tried the Jovial line, I highly recommend it. This meat sauce goes really well with whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta, or even rice. Or get creative and try serving over gnocchi, pierogi, spaghetti squash, Portobello mushrooms, or even potatoes.

Lentil Soup

This is another recipe from my grandma, and she always said that her best friend, Anita, taught her how to make this soup. Not only does it taste incredible, but it's very nutritious, easy to make, and freezes well. As such, this is a great soup to make on the weekend to have later in the week. If you've cooked the barley and bacon in advance, prep time is not long.

If you have not, simply cook while the soup is simmering to be added near the end of the process. I like to let my soup simmer on a very low heat for about two hours (maybe a little more, even) but you don't need to simmer that long. Also, if you do, you may need to add a little water as you'll certainly lose some during the process--depending on how thick of a soup you like. You can learn how to soak your lentils here.

Pico de Gallo

This recipe makes use of garden vegetables and is a great side dish, appetizer, or snack. It's also really easy to make, although takes a bit of time due to all the chopping and dicing. Also, quantities are approximate as I know the size of your summer vegetables varies, so keep that in mind when you are making your own. Also, you could use any type of tomato or pepper or onion, so feel free to substitute with whatever you have in your own garden.

Roasted Beet Salad

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time in Raleigh-Durham and had a really great dinner with friends at a popular local restaurant with a highly acclaimed up-and-coming chef. One of the courses included a beet salad and, while I had not really been a big fan of beets in the past, the salad blew me away and changed my opinion completely. While everything they served was very good, the beets were really special. That meal, combined with the really wonderful health benefits of beets and the fact that they are in season now, inspired this dish.

 

  

Chicken with Garden Vegetables

You will truly appreciate the flavors of your summer garden in this meal.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cold winter days bring out my desire to cook soups of all kinds. Cream of mushroom is such a warm, comforting soup and really pretty quick and easy to make. Also, you can make a double batch and freeze for all those recipes calling for cream of mushroom soup so you aren't tempted to buy a quick and easy, but processed "frankenfood" can of the "old standby". This soup calls for simple yet nourishing ingredients and I really think you'll love the creaminess and wonderful flavor.

Corn Cakes II

The corn cakes we made last week were so delicious my husband wanted them for every meal. Well, that didn't happen, but I did make them again tonight with chili and he thought this second version so much more delicious that I just had to present the variation. The only reason there was a variance is that I was out of ingredients needed to make the other version exactly the same, I was in a hurry, and had a million other things going on. So, the result is this variation (tastier, more delicious) corn cakes.

White Chili

This is a great twist on a classic.

Salisbury Steak

I think this is the second Salisbury steak recipe that I've posted, and in my opinion, the better tasting version. This was not a quick and easy recipe, however, but only about 5 minutes chopping and the rest involved "over-seeing" the various ingredients cooking. Finally, this takes about 3-4 pans to cook, which is not ideal, but the end result is very delicious and I would recommend as an occasional treat.

Overall, it takes about 45 minutes, which is not horrible, and it's not a lot of hands-on, but you would mostly want to be in the kitchen watching over your pans, etc.

Pork Chops with Plum Sauce

In my house, we get stuck in the chicken rut, chicken Monday, chicken Tuesday, chicken Wednesday, etc. (ok, you get the point) and the little one swears he hates chicken (not true, but I start to feel that way too after four nights in a row). Anyway, this little treat is super easy and such a great flavor change from the standard fare. I think you'll love it if you give it a try.

 



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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This post is linked up to Fat Tuesday, Busy Mondays, Freaky Friday!, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday, Sunday School at Butter Believer, Whole Foods Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Countdown to 2013: Best Breakfast Recipes.

 

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Tomato Soup

With the weather turning colder, grilled cheese and tomato soup is the perfect quick dinner. Try this version of tomato soup, which is an even better choice when made with nourishing home made stock.

Ingredients:
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
5 1/2 to 6 cups diced or whole peeled tomatoes
About 6-8 fresh basil leaves (approx 1/8 cup if I had to guess), rough chopped
1 1/2 cups homemade stock or broth
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp maple sugar
1/2 cup milk
Olive oil to sauté

How To:
In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and carrot in olive oil until soft, about ten minutes. Add garlic. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes until garlic smell is strong. Carefully add tomatoes, stock, salt, pepper, basil, and maple sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor or using a food mill or immersion blender (whatever you prefer), blend all until smooth. If using a blender, be sure to remove center piece in lid so steam will escape and cover with a towel so there is no mess. Return to the pan, add the milk, and simmer on low for another 10 minutes or so.

Comments: Very good, perfect for a fall night. Both boys love this version of tomato soup, which I served with grilled cheese.

I bought a wonderful book, The Healing Spices, which offers simple guidance on how to use herbs, their benefits, and other interesting information. Regarding basil, the book indicates that it may help prevent or treat a variety of ailments such as acne, cancer, stress, ulcer, gout, type 2 diabets (and on and on), and it is a "revered plan in India, where the root is carved into prayer beads (Tulsi Beads)".