Potato Leek Soup

The mighty leek is a member of the onion and garlic family - no surprise if you've ever eaten or cooked one. I find they have an onion-like taste and a similar consistency when cooked.  

Historically, according to Wikipedia, dried specimens were found in ancient Egyptian archeological sites and were concluded to be a part of the early Egyptian diet. (History geek alert!!)  Personally, I find them at the grocery store and purchase them several times a year.

After a recent trip to Trader Joe's, I found myself staring at a bag of frozen, chopped leaks at dinner time.  I also noticed a bag of shredded potatoes.  It occurred to me that between the two, this would be easy-peasy to prepare.  I decided it was time to make them part of an evening's meal.

The result: some mighty tasty soup.  At one point in it's creation, it was a mere clear soup - the sudden urge to make it a cream soup was masterful, if I don't say so myself!  I had purchased the powdered milk to make a cream soup base mix, but hadn't gotten to it yet.  That will be an upcoming blog post, for sure.  Have a gander at the resulting recipe.

Potato Leek Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 onion 
1 rib celery
6 mushrooms (more or less to taste or what you have available)
dash of each, salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 bag Trader Joe chopped leeks (equivalent of 1 leek. by my eye, at least)
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe shredded potatoes (about 1/3 bag)
1 cup dry, powdered milk (No powdered milk?  Use milk or cream instead)
32 oz container chicken or vegetable stock (or your equivalent)
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp rosemary

Directions:

1. Pour olive oil, salt and pepper in pot.
2. Chop onion and celery.  Slice mushrooms.  Add to the pot and saute on medium heat for about 4 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
3. Put in leeks (chop first, if you have fresh) and 1 cup of stock, continue stirring.  Cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Add the rest of the stock, shredded potatoes and herbs, cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Pour in powdered milk (or your other milk) and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

I brought this out to Bri to try (first course, I told him...being fancy).  He wanted to know what it was.  I said, "Try it first."  He did.  He loved it!  Yahoo!  Score one for me!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Carrie

Cream of **** Soup Mix: Quick, Easy & Healthy!

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on the back of a can of soup?  Don't.  Well, actually, do, but it might frighten you.  The number of things we can't pronounce and don't grow naturally are, well, scary.

To that end, there is less and less processed food finding it's way into our kitchen.  I say "less and less" - I am not the canned food police - I used what I need to.  But I am trying to make more informed choices.  That means NO cream of blah-blah soup.  Period.  That one I can control and replace with a super easy mix.

I did a bit of searching and found several recipes.  I tried some out and made up something that works for me.  Take a gander and then get yourself some powdered milk and give it a try!

 
Cream of  *** Soup Mix

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered milk
1 tbsp dried onion
1/8 cup chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp Italian Seasonings
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients in a bowl and still with a whisk to combine thoroughly. 
2. Store in a glass jar or other marked container.

To use:

For one can of cream soup, combine in a saucepan, 1/3 cup of mixture and 1 1/4 cups of water and cook over medium heat.  Stir continuously until thick.  You are ready to go!

NOTE: This is NOT thick and gooey... but works well mixed in with other things.

Want cream of mushroom?  Slice, dice & saute several fresh mushrooms in olive oil.  Add to above mixture.  How about cream of celery?  Chop a stalk of celery and saute in olive oil  Add to cream mixture.

Get the idea?  What a delicious, simple way to cut out some of the additives and such in your diet!

Any more ideas?  Let me know.

Have a great day,
Carrie

Strawberry Topped Cinnamon Cheesecake

 Hello, all!

With strawberries in season here, I wanted to share a guest post I did for Seduction in the Kitchen recently.  As you might know, some recipes are born of mistakes.  This is one.  It was communication, or the lack of it that led to the error.  The good news?  It was all just fine in the end.

We were whipping up a cheesecake for hubby's birthday while trying to watch our grandsons, 3 & 2, at the same time.  Between making this and having their "help," I didn't get a chance to tell my daughter NOT to put cinnamon in the mix (as the recipe called for) and to make it plain.  So... we had a cinnamon cheesecake to work with.

The strawberries were a part of the plan from the get-go, all cut by my almost 4-year-old grandson using my Pampered Chef strawberry slicer.  Great way to get his help, safely.  He was pretty excited to be making a "strawberry cake" with me.

Some how, the tastes worked!  The strawberries blended with the creamy, cinnamon-y cheesecake for a tasty new dessert.  How wonderful!

Take a look:

Strawberry Topped Cinnamon Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed (approximately 5 oz worth)
1/4 cup of butter, melted

Filling:
3 packages cream cheese (8 oz each), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Topping:
sliced strawberries, soaked in sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Slice strawberries, put in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar.  Refrigerate.
3. To make the crust, put graham crackers in a food processor and pulse till fine crumbs.  Pour into a small bowl and stir in melted butter.  Press mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan (perfect job for 3, almost 4-year-old!).
4. To make the filling, in a large bowl cream the cheese, sugars, cinnamon and vanilla.  Then beat with a mixer till creamy.  Add your eggs one at a time, incorporating each one.
5. Pour the filling into the spring form pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the center is set.  Cool and then remove from pan and refrigerate for several hours. 
6. When ready to serve, top with strawberries and share!

This was one of our best "accidents" so far!

Have fun in the kitchen,
Carrie

Flavored Water - Citrus Style

I saw several ideas on Pinterest for flavored water and thought "I can do this..." so I gave it a try.  The jist of it is, we all NEED to drink plenty of water.  I am a coach and am encouraging my players all the time to be sure they stay hydrated.  I am the WORST at taking my own advice.  So, I thought this might help.

The idea is to add fruit to water.  Period.  No sugar.  Nothing artificial or unpronounceable to it.  Just fruit and water.  I'm in!

I've tried a citrus water and one made with pineapples.  I am a HUGE fan, so far!  They are really easy to make and good for us as it's just fruit and water - nothing added.

Citrus Water

1 each: orange, lemon, lime (or combination = 3)
ice
water
1. Slice each fruit and place in pitcher.
2. Fill pitcher half full with ice.
3. Fill rest of the way with water and put in the refrigerator.
4. Leave for at least 2 hours and then enjoy!

NOTE:
We found that this was only good tasting the first day, at which point it was delicious.  On the second day, it became very bitter from the rind of the fruits.  Downright nasty, actually!  So, drink it up on day #1!

 
Pineapple Water

1/2 bag of Trader Joe Frozen Pineapple Tidbits (16 oz bag, so 8 oz)
ice
water

1. Pour 1/2 of the bag of pineapple into the pitcher.
2. Fill pitcher half full with ice.
3. Fill rest of the way with water and put in the refrigerator.
4. Leave for at least 2 hours and then enjoy!

NOTE:
This seems to last better.  No bad taste on day #2.  Really enjoyed this one.  It was fresh tasting and refreshing!

We will be experimenting with more flavors over the summer as fruit comes available.  I've also   read about people adding herbs and such, like mint to pineapple flavored water.  Sounds like something I'll need to try!

Have you ever tried this?  Did you like it?  What flavor/flavors did you try?

Happy creating,
Carrie

Monday Menu #8

We were off in PA visiting our daughter this weekend (made the YUMMY Sweet & Sour Chicken with them!  LOVED IT!)

We are back and ready to rock another weird week!  So be it... Life is Good!  Click on the links to head to sites with great recipes for the meal pictured.

Sunday - Breakfast for dinner (we can finish off some Dunkin' Donuts) - My goal with this one is whatever I have available!  It's an 8 hour drive home.... might just be cereal!!

Monday - Pepperoni Pizza

Tuesday - Lasagna (Says it's World's Best...guess we'll give it a try!!)

Wednesday - Sandwiches & Pasta Salad

Thursday - Taco Salad (use rest of burger from Tuesday's lasagna - that's I'd cooked up and then frozen till today)

Friday - Salad night: Tossed Salad, Pasta Salad and Potato Salad - What's your best recipe for these??

Saturday - Dinner out to celebrate our 30th Anniversary (which was Tuesday... but hubby was at Wrestling Camp in PA!!)

Super Easy, Super Sweet: Caramel Sauce

While having a sweet attack the other day, Shauna decided she NEEDED some caramel sauce.  In particular, to add to some iced coffee to try and replicate Dunkin' Donuts.

We found a quick and easy version that tastes great over at The Lady Behind the Curtain.

 

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add the brown sugar, half and half, butter and salt to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.  Whisk for approximately 6 minutes, until it gets thicker.  
2. Add the vanilla and cook another minute.  Turn off the heat, cool and pour into a jar or other container. Refrigerate. 

Tuck this in the frig and it's ready for whenever you need want desire it.

Enjoy!
Carrie

Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob

Seriously?  When I saw this video I thought there was no way to improve on delicious corn on the cob.  Hmm....might have to rethink that.

This video shows you how to make bacon wrapped AND brie corn on the cob.  Two things I would NEVER have thought of on my own.  Wow...

Take a peek:




What do you think?  It's all about the bacon!  :O)

Happy eating,
Carrie