14 October 2017 Mini Meatball Tomato Basil Soup

Mini Meatball Tomato Basil Soup

October 14, 2017 By

My guy’s been asking me to make his childhood favorite – tomato soup with mini meatballs, for a while now. I just didn’t get it…what could be better than rich tomato soup on its own, or perhaps served with a melty grilled cheese? Mini meatballs and tomato soup is actually better, that’s the answer.

Last weekend, I finally agreed to try to replicate this soup from my hubby’s childhood in The Netherlands and he loved it! I used my tomato basil soup as the base and just made tiny, the size of large marbles, meatballs that simmered in the rich soup.

To make things really easy, I used my stick blender to pure the soup but you could follow the recipe and use a standard blender also – up to you how much clean up you’re looking to do!

Ingredients:

  • Recipe for Tomato Basil Soup
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. each, salt, black pepper and dry basil

Directions:

  1. Make the soup according to the linked recipe. Once the soup is cooked and has been pureed, turn the heat to low and keep warm.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and stir to fully combine, making sure to not over mix. I use my hands for this. For meatballs the size of a large marble. Add the mini meatballs to the simmering soup and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Filed Under: American, Beef, Dutch, Soups Tagged With: , , ,
14 October 2017 Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup

Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup

October 14, 2017 By

Rich, comforting, decadent…just some words to describe this cheesy soup. To take this soup from starter to entree, I sometimes serve it with a bacon grilled cheese…can there ever be too much cheese?

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half (or light cream)
  • 2 1/2 cups white Vermont cheddar cheese, grated (10 ounces)
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash Tabasco
  • 1/4 cup parsley

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onions, celery and garlic and sauté 5 minutes.
  3. Mix in flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
  4. Gradually stir in broth, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. 
  5. Using a stick blender or standard blender, purée the soup until completely smooth.
  6. Add half and half to soup and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
  7. Add cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until cheese melts after each additions. 
  8. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and parsley. 
  9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yields 6 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Soups Tagged With: , , ,
11 October 2017 Easy Apple Butter

Easy Apple Butter

October 11, 2017 By

It’s fall and since I love to go apple picking at our local orchard, I’m always looking for recipes that involve apples. My main issue with apple recipes – I don’t like cinnamon! With this simple apple butter recipe, one could use or leave out the cinnamon – brilliant!

This recipe yields about 4 8-ounce canning jars and they can be kept refrigerated for a month. They make great hostess gifts!!  

I replace regular butter with this fab concoction on my toasts in the morning – it’s incredible.

Ingredients:

  • 12 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size chunks (I always use my old favs – McIntosh)
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon, optional
  • ½ cup softened butter

Directions:

  1. Add the apple chunks and the brown sugar to a heavy pan over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes partially covered, stirring occasionally. If the apple mixture gets dry, add ¼ cup water. Some apples are juicier than others are. After the 15 minutes have elapsed, add the vanilla and the cinnamon (if using).
  2. Add the cooked apples to the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and continue to mix until fully incorporated and creamy, another minute.
  3. Add the apple butter to 8-ounce canning jars and keep refrigerated up to a month.
Filed Under: American, Canadian, Fruits Tagged With: ,
29 September 2017 Sesame Beef Lo Mein

Sesame Beef Lo Mein

September 29, 2017 By

I’ve been using Blue Apron on and off for a few years and always love their recipes, fresh ingredients and simple-to-follow-directions.

Last week, our favorite of three meals was the Sesame Beef Lo Mein with its big flavors and slightly chewy, fabulous noodles.

Blue Apron’s allowing me to publish this recipe that I can’t wait to try again.

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces ground beef
  • ½ pound fresh lo mein noodles
  • 3 ounces fresh shishito peppers, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • ½ pound baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1 tsp. each chopped fresh cilantro and fresh mint
  • 2 Tbsp. sushi sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Sambal Oelek

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
  2. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high.
  3. Roast the peppers: Place the peppers on a sheet pan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Roast 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Remove from the oven. Set aside in a warm place.
  4. Start the beef: While the peppers roast, in a medium pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Add the garlic and bok choy to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant. Add ⅓ cup of water and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like (I used the full amount), depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until saucy. Turn off the heat. Stir in the juice of 2 lime wedges. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Cook the noodles: While the bok choy cooks, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water (carefully separating with your hands before adding). Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Reserving ½ cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly.
  6. Finish the noodles & plate your dish: To the pan of cooked bok choy and beef, add the cooked noodles, roasted peppers, sesame oil, sushi sauce, and half the reserved noodle cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium high, stirring vigorously, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining noodle cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Divide the finished noodles between 2 dishes. Garnish with the cilantro and mint (tearing the mint leaves just before adding). Serve with the remaining lime wedges on the side.

Makes 2 servings.

Filed Under: Asian, Beef, Pasta Tagged With: ,
20 September 2017 Coconut Milk Roasted Chicken

Coconut Milk Roasted Chicken

September 20, 2017 By

I had a couple of whole chickens in the freezer that I wanted to cook now that fall is here and I need the space in the freezer for bags of foods from my summer crops.

This recipe follows in my goal to make tasty dishes even when “there’s nothing to eat in this house” so I opened the pantry and gathered leftover produce and made a roasted chicken with tons of Thai/Indian flavors that was a huge hit at my home.

I know roast chicken and white rice isn’t the easiest to photograph BUT, this was definitely a tasty dish that took about 20 minutes to prepare (plus roasting time).

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 pound whole chicken, washed under cool water and patted dry with paper towels
  • 1 tsp. each salt and black pepper
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass
  • 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. garam masala (use curry powder if you don’t have)
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 13-ounce can coconut milk (I used light)
  • 1 cup chicken broth (or 14.5-ounce can)
  • Slurry – 1 Tbsp. cornstarch whisked with ¼ cup water
  • Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Rub the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
  3. In a small bowl, combine garlic, lemongrass, ginger, thyme and olive oil to create a paste.
  4. Rub half the garlic mixture on the chicken, reserving the other half. You can use the chicken right away or store it for a day, wrapped in the fridge.
  5. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, allow the vegetable oil to warm for a minute. Add the chicken, breast-side down and brown for about 5 minutes then turn and brown the other side of the chicken for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven to a platter.
  7. To the hot Dutch oven, add the second half of the garlic mixture, the paprika, the garam masala and the cayenne pepper and cook for a minute until fragrant.
  8. Add the diced onion to the spices and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
  9. Add the coconut milk and the broth to the onion mixture and stir.
  10. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until very tender, basting the chicken with the broth periodically.
  11. Remove the chicken from the pot to a serving dish and place the Dutch oven on the stove over high heat. When the broth is simmering, add the corn starch slurry and whisk for 2 minutes until the sauce has thicken.
  12. Carve the chicken and serve with Easy Basmati Rice and the sauce. I love adding a squeeze of lime juice to this dish, but it’s optional.

Serves 6.

 

Inspired by this recipe.

Filed Under: American, Asian, Chicken, Entrees Tagged With: , , ,
17 September 2017 Salmon with Maple Glaze

Salmon with Maple Glaze

September 17, 2017 By

I’m Canadian – you know I have to put maple syrup on things! This is a VERY simple and delicious recipe for salmon, which can be a boring fish. Serve this with green beans or asparagus and you’re in business on busy weeknights.

Don’t have a grill? Live in the frozen tundra and don’t want to go outside? Sear the salmon skin side down in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat then finish in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the brown sugar, maple syrup and butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger.  Let cool.
  2. Preheat grill to medium heat.  Brush salmon skin with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Brush some of the glaze over the salmon fillets.  Grill for 10 to 12 minutes to medium doneness, with the lid of the grill closed.

Serves 2.

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Entrees, Fish, Maple Syrup Tagged With: , ,
16 September 2017 Easy Apple Crumble

Easy Apple Crumble

September 16, 2017 By

Last week, I visited family in Quebec where it’s apple season. While I love a crisp apple picked right off the tree in our orchard, I’m not typically a fan of apple desserts. It’s really not the apple part I don’t like in those desserts, it’s the cinnamon that seems to always be prominent. I do NOT like cinnamon! I know, I’m weird. Come to find out my sister is also weird and doesn’t like cinnamon either, so when she made an apple crumble for dessert one night, she just left out the cinnamon – delish dessert!!

This easy dessert is best served with vanilla ice cream and warm.

Ingredients:

  • 8 medium apples, peeled and thinly-sliced (used Cortlands)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup quick cooking oats

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter (or coat with cooking spray) a 3-cup baking dish or an 8” pie plate.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice and the water. Place in the baking dish.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter for a minute. Add the brown sugar and beat for another minute. Add the flour and oats and beat until just combined. Cover the apples with the flour/oats mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until top of the crumble is browned and slightly caramelized around the edge.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yields 6 servings.

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Desserts, Fruits Tagged With: , ,
11 September 2017 Cremini Mushroom Freekeh

Cremini Mushroom Freekeh

September 11, 2017 By

I try to stay faithful to Meatless Mondays and that’s a bit easier when I can incorporate “meaty” mushrooms to my recipes. This is one of my “not really a recipe” recipe that takes very little effort to make and is pretty darn tasty.

I use freekeh from Freekehlicious, the leading importer of Greenwheat Freekeh, a product of Australia and toss it with some slowly sautéed Cremini mushrooms. Yes, you could totally make this with regular button mushrooms, but I like the beefiness of Cremini. I’ve also topped this dish with some grated Parmesan and it was delish.

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups vegetable broth (could use water or chicken or beef broth)
  • ½ cup freekeh
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1½ pounds small Cremini mushrooms (or large ones cut in half)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
  • 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the freekeh, stir, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (or follow package directions). Turn the heat off, keep the lid on and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat then add the mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, tossing frequently, until the mushrooms are browned and softened. Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook for a minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the soy sauce, the sage and the salt & pepper and cook for another minute, tossing the mushrooms in the “sauce” to coat.
  3. Add the cooked freekeh to the mushrooms and toss to combine.
  4. If using, top the freekeh/mushroom mixture with the parmesan.

Yields two servings.

Filed Under: American, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,
18 August 2017 Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

August 18, 2017 By

I’ve been smoking pork shoulder/butt for a few years on the Weber kettle grill since I don’t have a smoker (yet). The pork is always super moist, flavorful and delicious, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to try the method by “MNLang” he posted on Instructables – wow, amazing!!

Smoked Butt

I followed the instructions very closely and I must admit, it was some of the best pulled pork I’ve had, and god knows I get around a pork butt.

Here are his instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Pulled-pork-on-a-Weber-kettle-grill/

Once I had my cooked/smoked pork, I made several dishes with it, including fabulous pulled pork sandwiches lightly dressed with my World’s Best BBQ Sauce. I also made some pulled pork quesadillas with grilled onions, sharp Cheddar and Jack cheeses, cilantro and salsa verde.

I hope you try this technique if you have a kettle grill. It’s definitely not a “set it and forget it” method, but it produces some of the best smoked pork you’ll be able to make without a smoker.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Pork, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
2 August 2017 Grilled Peach Mascarpone Bruschetta

Grilled Peach Mascarpone Bruschetta

August 2, 2017 By

In celebration of National Peach Month in August, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas, shared this easy and tasty recipe for grilled peach bruschetta.

Makes 12 bruschetta

Ingredients

    • 1 loaf of rustic bread, cut into 12 slices about 3/4-inch thick 

 

    • 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

 

    • 3 peaches, thinly-sliced and grilled

 

    • 3 tsp Maldon Sea Salt

 

    • 1/4 cup honey 

 

    • 1/4 cup of chiffonaded basil

 

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

    • Place the bread slices on a hot grill for 1 – 2 minutes per side until toasted with some char but not burnt. 

 

    • Spread the mascarpone cheese on each piece of bread.

 

    • Place grilled peach slices on top of the mascarpone with Maldon sea salt.

 

    • Drizzle honey on top of peaches.

 

  • Garnish with the basil and almonds.
Filed Under: Appetizers, Cheese, Fruits, Italian, Snacks, Starters, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,
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