Soup and Cookies

One of my favorite things to make is soup. I love all kinds, but I have a soft spot for creamy ones. One of my favorite recipes is Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup. (I also have a soft spot for my slow cookers. Yes, I have two- they really come in handy.) I don't bother to cook the onions first, and I usually cook the bacon in the microwave and add it to the soup just before serving. I also use 3-4 cups of regular chicken broth. I've used all different kinds of potatoes in this- reds, Yukons, and even the humble Russets. (I peel the russets but don't bother with the others). We had this potato soup for dinner last night with the New York Times No-Knead Bread recipe (using half white whole wheat flour). It was an easy recipe to make and yielded a crunchy-on the outside, soft-on the inside loaf, with a great texture and flavor.

I wanted to make some cookies today to say "Thank you" to a friend who has helped me out these past few months. I love toffee bits, and these cookies are sweet and tasty.

Frosted Toffee Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup English toffee bits

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup English toffee bits

For Cookies: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in toffee bits (dough will be stiff). Using a medium cookie scoop, drop scoops of cookie dough onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes (do not brown).

For Frosting: In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and milk. May need more or less milk. A hand mixer works well to get it nice and fluffy. Frost cookies. Immediately sprinkle with toffee bits, pressing down gently so they will stick on the frosting.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Time for Salad!

My husband teaches night classes a few nights a week and gets home very late on those nights. Lately, my kids don't seem to want to eat the dinners I make on those nights. I don't know what it is- even if it's something they would usually like, they don't seem interested. It's frustrating to spend time making a dinner that nobody will eat (except me). So tonight I decided to make it easy on myself and just make a big ol' salad. My 5-year old helped me and she even made her own salad! My 3-year old ate a bowl of Rice Chex, and my baby climbed onto the table and tried to poke my salad while I tried to feed him avocados and cucumbers. For fun, I made Raspberry Italian Sodas for us too.

My salad contained tender baby lettuce hearts, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, avocados, sunflower seeds, sliced hard-boiled eggs (leftover from Easter-oh yeah!), sharp cheddar, real bacon bits, and Litehouse bleu cheese dressing. (I took the pic before I piled the dressing on.... that way it looks a little healthier... if you ignore the bacon bits and cheese). I love Litehouse dressings, by the way. They are like good restuarant dressings.

Here is my daughter's salad and Italian Soda. We took our meal into the dining room and had a girls' dinner while the boys were in the family room (well, the baby wandered back and forth). She had fun preparing the meal with me, eating it, and talking with me.

For dessert my we had sliced Pink Lady apples with Litehouse caramel dip- that stuff is pretty good too!

Easter Season

Happy late Easter everyone! The Easter bunny came yesterday and left the babies too much candy, as usual. On Friday we all dyed Easter eggs together, after attending an Easter party held by a friend in the neighborhood. Everyone had fun! The weather is beautiful now and we can enjoy walks outdoors when the wind doesn't want to blow us away to oblivion. (You could argue that we are already in oblivion, but that's another post.)

For Easter dinner, we had Lemon-Thyme Cornish Game Hens, this Roasted Asparagus, potatoes, and a baguette (the par-baked ones from the grocery store that you take home and bake for a few minutes- we all love those!). We also had a strawberry pie. I love strawberry pies, especially the first of the season strawberry pies. I hate rolling traditional pie crusts, so I started making an easy, pat-in-the-pan shortbread crust for my strawberry pies. This crust is extremely crumbly, and does not present very well because of that. It's hard to get a peice on your plate without the crust cracking and crumbling. But it tastes so delicious that it is worth it! The photo I'm including shows how messy-looking (um, rustic) the pie is. Sometimes I'll do what my mom does, and put a layer of cream cheese between the crust and berries, but I forgot that yesterday. If you don't use salted butter, add a little salt (less than 1/4 tsp) to the dough. This recipe would probably work as a tart also. Here is my recipe:

Strawberry Pie with Shortbread Crust

Crust:
1/2 cup salted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Strawberry Filling:
1 cup crushed or pureed strawberries
1-1 1/2 quarts strawberries, hulled and sliced
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For the crust, blend butter, flour and sugar until crumbs form (using a food processor or a pastry blender). Stir in nuts. Press mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
2. For the filling, combine the crushed strawberries, water, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens; cool slightly. Arrange remaining strawberries in baked pastry shell; pour cooled strawberry glaze over fresh fruit. Chill until serving time. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Chicken in Cream Caper Sauce

Tonight's dinner was Chicken in Cream Caper Sauce. I know I got the title wrong, but I like it better my way. I used two chicken breasts instead of 4, but the ones I used where so humongous that they probably equaled 4. I tried to pound them, but I couldn't get them as thin as I would have liked. They took forever to cook, because they were so big! Despite the long cooking time, they were very tender.

I omitted the salt and increased the cream a little. I served this with Trader Joe's Organic Rice Pilaf. It was just OK- my daughter said she didn't really like the rice and I said "It's from a box." She said, "Oh, that's why. I like yours better!" She loved the chicken though- but not the capers so much. I wanted to class it up by using the rest of my asparagus, but the kids have been hit and miss on that lately, and my husband was still at work anyway (he might have been the only one to eat it with me) so I made good ol' frozen corn. I know, it doesn't really "go". I actually left it out of my picture on purpose. Ha ha.

St. Patrick's Day

Despite bouts of illness plaguing our family yesterday, we still had a good St. Patrick's Day. The whole family dressed in green and we had a great green dinner! I made Pesto Salmon, Pesto Mashed Potatoes, and steamed asparagus. I started by making my own pesto. I got 2 4 oz. boxes of fresh organic basil on sale for $.99 each. So I made two batches of pesto. I've made it so much that I just did it without a recipe this time. Here is what I did yesterday.

Basil Pesto

4 oz. fresh basil, rinsed
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup (or less) extra-virgen olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
splash or two of lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan or romano cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the basil in your food process with a metal blade. Pulse for a few seconds to break down the leaves a little. Add the garlic and pine nuts. With the food processor running, stream the olive oil into it through the open push chute. Add lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper and pulse again until blended to your preference.
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My 5-year old daughter loves helping me make pesto, and she loves eating it too. She saw me put the parmesan cheese in and she said "That's your secret ingredient! That's why I love pesto so much!" Silly girl. (She does love parmesan though. She'll eat it out of a bowl, with a spoon, if allowed.) She was my sampler and let me know if there was enough salt in the pesto.

I'm not a big fan of cabbage, corned beef and other typical St. Patrick's day food. That's why we went with a non-traditional, but green, St. Patrick's day meal. Yes, there is a lot of pesto in this meal, but it's yummy and green, to boot! The potatoes were kind of an olive green color, but still tasty. Pesto Salmon was yummy and easy. My fave type of salmon is Wild Alaskan Sockeye. I always go for the wild!

Pesto Salmon

basil pesto, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
1.5 lb fresh salmon fillet

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil. Place salmon in pan, and spread with an even layer of pesto. Lay it on as thin or thick as you like. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the salmon is done. (Opaque and flakes easily with a fork.) Be careful not to overcook.

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

3-5 medium to large red potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup milk, or as needed
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup basil pesto
salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes in a saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil. Boil until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and mash (I use electic beaters) with milk, butter, and pesto. Mix in salt and pepper.
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Asparagus was on sale for $1.49/lb, and you can bet that I picked some up! I just steamed it, since I was feeling too tired to do anything fancy (although I did think about it). To drink, we had a Lemonade Knudsen sprtizer. I added a drop of blue food coloring to each glass to turn it green. (Ya know.... blue + yellow = green?) It was actually very pretty. I don't usually like to use food coloring, but will make exceptions for such important holidays as St. Patty's.
For dessert, I made a Texas Sheet Cake and cut out servings with a shamrock cookie cutter. I used this recipe, but left out the nuts and used one cup of whole wheat pastry flour. Then I made some green buttercream frosting and piped a shamrock outline on each little cake. I have about 20 little shamrock cakes and a whole pan full of Texas Sheet Cake scraps. :) I hope everyone enjoyed St. Patty's Day!

Macaroni and Cheese

Today I decided to make a simple dinner of macaroni and cheese. I have mentioned that I don't make very many recipes twice, but there are exceptions. I use my Mom's recipe for Mac & Cheese; adding a few of my own touches. This is one recipe I have made over and over again. It was one of the first things I made when I was just starting out, learning to cook.

One thing I always do is use Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese. I love most Tillamook products, especially their cheese. Tillamook Cheese Factory is located in Oregon, and we go everytime we visit the Oregon Coast (which is usually at least once a year). A perfect summer day for me is picking blueberries at our favorite farm in Banks, Oregon, driving west through the beautiful forest (I stuff my face with berries during the whole ride until my stomach hurts), stopping at Tillamook cheese factory, tasting the yummy cheese samples and getting an ice cream cone, and then driving down to the beach and walking along it. Sometimes we'll stop and build a sand castle or let the kids swing on the swing sets that are right on the sand. Sometimes, if my husband is feeling crazy, he'll actually go into the water.... it's always way too cold for me!! The babies like to run up to the edge of the waves and try not to get wet.

Anyway, Tillamook cheese is so yummy, especially their sharp cheddar. Here is the recipe for my fave Mac & Cheese. It calls for elbow macaroni, and if I use that, I always use whole wheat. Any smaller pasta shape will work, though. I've used mini shells, mini wheat penne, wagon wheels, and gemelli. Tonight I used a mix of tri-colored radiatore and Trader Joe's new alphabet pasta. The original recipe called for 6 oz. of pasta, but I found that there was too much sauce in relation to pasta, so I upped it to 7 oz. and it's perfect. Also, all of the spice measurments are apporximate; I just sprinkle them in without measuring. I usually use 1% milk, and top the dish with tomato slices before baking. I didn't have any tomatoes tonight, though. You could also use buttered bread crumbs, or just leave it plain. You don't have to use Tillamook cheese, of course. It's good with many different brands, I'm sure. ;) I always serve this with fresh steamed broccoli, because we love the broccoli/cheese combination. Here is the recipe, and I really mean it this time:

Macaroni and Cheese

7 ounces elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Worchestire sauce

few drops hot sauce

12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

paprika

Cook pasta according to package directions. You may want to undercook it by a minute or so, as it will cook more in the oven. Drain; pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour with a whisk, then add milk; cook and stir until thick and smooth. Add pepper, dijon mustard, garlic powder, chili powder, Worchestire sauce, and hot sauce. Remove from heat, and add cheddar cheese, stirring in a handful at a time, until melted. Pour sauce over pasta, and fold gently to combine. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired, and any toppings you are using (sliced tomatoes, bread crumbs, etc). Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and very lightly browned on top. Yield: 6 servings

Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day, everyone! I am not a math fan, by any means. I even have (recurring) nightmares that I am back in High School math class and I haven't been attending class all semester, and I have to take a final. Just the thought of being in math class again, period is enough to make me sweat! I was more of an English class person. Especially AP English my senior year, where we read a bunch of books and discussed them. I loved that. Anyway... I digress. My husband just loves math. It's fitting, since he is a math teacher, after all. He was especially excited about math today because today is Pi Day! You know, 3.14. So, in honor of the day, I made some lovely pie-themed treats.

For dinner, we had Pizza Pie! (I put that exclamation point on the end so that you could imagine some Italian guy singing out "Pizza Pie!" That's how I say it, anyway. I'm not Italian though). I used Allrecipes.com's Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust. I've been using that recipe for years. About 3 years. But when I use a recipe more than once, it must be a good one! I try new recipes all the time (most days of the week) and it's rare that I make a recipe twice. So if you're looking for a great "healthier" pizza crust, give that recipe a try! I topped it with Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce, a mix of provolone, fontina, romano and parmesan cheese, turkey pepperoni, and green peppers. My husband arranged the green peppers in the shape of Pi. We loved how it turned out! And it was one of the best pizza's I've made, if I do say so myself.


Earlier in the day, I had made a lemon meringue pie- my first. I really hate working with pie crust. For some reason, it's so difficult for me. I've tried a lot of recipes and have never been able to find the "perfect" one, but I suspect it's just me and my lack of pie crust skills. I don't use shortening and I know that shortening produces a nice flaky crust. The one I made today used butter. The flavor was good, but the baked crust was soggy and chewy, and tough to boot. It also sunk down and got droopy when I baked it, and all the butter came to the surface. I think the next step for me is finding a good store-bought one. (Without trans fats, though!). Anyway, I'm getting off-topic again! I loved the lemon and meringue part of the lemon meringue pie. I was very happy with how that turned out! The lemon filling thickened perfectly, was a nice color, and had a great texture. The meringue turned out wonderful, as well. I used Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie ; a recipe I've been wanting to make for a long time. I measured everything out before preparing the pie so that it would be easier for me. Even so, I still felt like I needed an extra set of hands a few times as I was making the lemon filling. I want to try this recipe again, after I find that "perfect" pie crust. ;) (Or just learn how to do it right!)

I'd have to say that Pi Day was a success at our house!

Food Blog Fun

Lately, I've been really interested in reading other food blogs. I think I'm getting addicted, because I spend way too much time on the computer lately, and I have to pull myself away! I was introduced to the blog "Simply Recipes" by a friend, and I tried a great recipe from that blog last week. It was a Tuna Salad Sandwich recipe. I like tuna, but I don't eat it because of mercury concerns. I find that canned salmon makes a great substitute. So that's what I used when I made this recipe last week. It was my first experience using capers, and I liked the little guys! The cottage cheese was an interesting addition and I loved the Dijon mustard in it. I toasted a piece of whole-wheat bread, topped that with a romaine leaf, and piled the salmon salad on top for a delicious open-faced sandwich. The night before, I had made some yummy potato soup so I had a delicious lunch with the salmon sandwich and soup.

Here is the potato soup recipe. I got this recipe from my friend LadyJayPee's blog. I used regular cream cheese though, since I had that on hand. But I am a fan of Neufchatel, and use it all the time. And if you don't have one already, get an immersion blender! They are just great for soups, and can be used for other things as well.

Potato Cheddar Soup

2T olive oil

2c onions, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4-5 medium unpeeled red potatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large unpeeled carrot, chopped

3c chicken broth

1T fresh dill

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 scant tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

4oz Neufchatel cheese

1-1/2 c milk

1c grated sharp cheddar cheese

fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1) In a large soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.

2) Add garlic and sauté for one minute.

3) Add potatoes & carrot and sauté for 10 minutes.

4) Add chicken broth, dill, salt, black pepper, & cayenne pepper, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

5) Add the Neufchatel & milk.

6) Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, leaving some potato chunks.

7) Stir in the cheddar cheese and reheat gently.

8) Serve with garnish of chopped parsley.

This Tuesday, I made another delicious recipe recommended by one of my Cooking Friends. (I get so many good ideas from those ladies!). This recipe was for Oreo Truffles, and they were decadent! The recipe can be found here. That blog, Picky Palate, is full of wonderful-looking recipes and is great to look through. I've found a lot of recipes I'd like to make there. The Oreo Truffles were easy to make, although time-consuming. They were so delicious! And I usually don't like/don't use almond bark. I prefer real white chocolate, but was nervous that it wouldn't stay at a good consistency during the whole dipping process. So I went with the almond bark, which was still good. I might try the white chocolate another time and see how it holds up. I have dipped using real white chocolate before, but only on a small scale. :) I did use milk chocolate chips for the drizzle on top. I loved these little guys, and so did everyone who tasted them!!

Scone Fun!

Last month, I tried Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones from one of my fave recipe websites, Allrecipes.com. I was very pleased with them. I had to make my normal changes of using half whole-wheat pastry flour, and since I didn't have lemon yogurt, I used vanilla, along with some pure lemon extract. They were almost too easy to make, and very yummy. Almost everyone thought so. My baby was very eager to try them, and kept messing up my photo shoot:

I have to write about stuff that happened this long ago because I've been sick forever, and so have all my kids. Well, we had a nice Valentine's Dinner. We had Greek Steaks, Greek Salad, and Lemon-Pepper Pasta. I made a delicious cake too. It was a Chocolate Velvet Cake with Butter Pecan Frosting, from Southern Living. If that's how they live in the South, it's probably a good thing I don't live there! Ha ha. But I really enjoyed it. So much so, that I forgot to even take any pics of it and then it was all gone. On this fateful Valentine's Day, I was wondering when to put the steaks on when my hubby called me because his car had died and I needed to go pick him up. That car is dead now. That happens when one forgets to check the oil, and put oil in. Don't let it happen to you!