Creamy lemon chicken Soup

 This is slightly altered from a HelloFresh recipe that I fell in love with and wanted to have here. I think it might be my favorite soup ever. 

Ingredients

8 cups chicken broth

2-3 large chicken breasts seasoned, boiled, shredded (or a shredded rotisserie chicken is easier)

A bunch of sliced green onions, white and greens separated

A cup of fresh dill, chopped

3 Carrots, chopped 

3 sticks of Celery, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous 

3/4 creme fraiche or Mexican crema (you can sub regular sour cream, but the texture's not as smooth)

1 large lemon, zested and juiced 

Steps

Sautee the carrots and Celery in oil in a large soup pot until softened, add garlic and onion whites, cook until fragrant.

Add chicken broth, heat until boiling

Add Israeli couscous, cook 7 minutes 

Reduce heat to low. Add shredded chicken, lemon zest and juice, creme fraiche. 

Add salt to taste.

Add onion greens and dill. 

Serve with crusty, warm bread and butter.

Lentil soup

 

I’ve posted this on the family group but wanted to put it in a more permanent spot. It’s super fast and delicious! I always do mine in the instantpot but there are directions for stovetop too. Source:mel’s Kitchen cafe(with my adjustments)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup chopped white or yellow onions
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups red or brown lentils, rinsed and picked through (see note)
• 1 ½ cups (about 255 to 340 g) small diced carrots
• I also chop up 2-3 celery stalks
• ½ to 1 cup canned coconut milk, reduced fat or regular(I use a full can)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice(I use half a lemon)
•  Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS 

• For the Instant Pot, using the Sauté function, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they start to turn translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is sizzling and fragrant.
• Add the chicken broth, lentils, and carrots. Give the mixture a good stir. Secure the lid, making sure the valve is closed. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes (I select Manual and then dial up or down to 12). The Instant Pot will start on it’s own and beep when finished.
• Let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 10 min and then quick release the rest of the pressure. If liquid bubbles and spurts through the valve, close the valve and wait a few minutes before trying again.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the coconut milk (adding more if you want extra creaminess), lemon juice, and additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• You can leave the soup chunky or you can puree in a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot) to desired consistency. The soup will thicken as it cools.
• For the stovetop, in a large saucepan/pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they start to turn translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is sizzling and fragrant.
• Add the chicken broth, lentils, and carrots. Give the mixture a good stir. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are tender. Stir often to prevent sticking (and moderate heat if needed).
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the coconut milk (adding more if you want extra creaminess), lemon juice, and additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• You can leave the soup chunky or you can puree in a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot) to desired consistency. The soup will thicken as it cools.

Vegetable Curry by Marianne

I made this for Mom and Dad at the cabin and they loved it. 

Vegetable Curry

 1 1/2 sweet onions, diced

3-4 tsp fresh garlic

3 tsp fresh ginger, diced

Sautee the aromatics until golden around 10 minutes

In a separate bowl mix:

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

5-6 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander and/or garam masala

Stir spices to combine, then add to the sautéed aromatics and cook for 2-3 minutes

Then dump in:

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can coconut milk

1 cup broth

1 can chick peas

1 can green peas

All the fresh diced vegetables you want. Some ideas: potatoes, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash, also cauliflower or broccoli, also carrots or kale or any other veggies you like. 

Let them simmer 20 minutes until tender. 

Finish by stirring in 1/2 cup of either cream, plain yogurt, or plain kefir to make the sauce creamy.

Serve with lime wedges and fresh cilantro and brown rice. Delicious! 

Pumpkin pecan caramel cheesecake

 This is our Thanksgiving go-to instead of pumpkin pie. Sorry it’s taken forever to post! 

Crust:

1 cup Graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling

1 cup chopped pecans, divided

3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened 

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Caramel sauce

Place one oven rack in lowest position in oven; place second rack in center of oven. Heat to 350. Grease inside of springform pan. Line outside of pan with tinfoil. 

In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients. Press into bottom of pan. I use a the bottom of a cup to press it smoothly/evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the pecans over the crust. Bake 5 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 325.

In a large bowl, beat ROOM TEMP cream cheese until smooth. Then add sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. One at a time. If you dump it all in at once. The texture will be lumpy. Beat all until smooth and creamy. Reserve and set aside one cup of batter. Then beat in the pumpkin purée and cinnamon into remaining batter until we’ll blended. Pour into crust.  Evenly spread reserved batter over top. 

Fill shallow positing pan with water, place on bottom rack of oven. Bake cheesecake on center rack for 1 hr and 15 minutes- 1 hr and 30 minutes or until edges are puffed and top looks dull and is dry to the touch. Center will be less set than edges and will move when pan is tapped but it should NOT ripple as if liquid. If it does, then cook it longer. 

Once cheesecake is done cooking, cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Spread caramel sauce of choice (I love Trader Joe’s or I make homemade) over top and sprinkle with tensing chopped pecans. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. 

To serve, wipe knife with damp cloth after cutting each slice to keep edges near. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 16.

Cauliflower and Tofu Stir Fry

 Cauliflower and Tofu Stir Fry

I made this recipe tonight and it made everyone happy. It's not often I come across a vegan recipe that does that, but it's the sauce that sells it. Easy, yummy dinner!

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu, pressed and cubed

1 head cauliflower chopped 

2 tbsp cornstarch

green beans, washed and trimmed

Sauce:

1/2 soy sauce or coconut aminos

1/2 cup water

4 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2tbs sriracha sauce

To serve:

3 cups cooked rice

1 Tbs sesame seeds

1/2 cup diced scallions

1/2 cup diced peanuts or cashews

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place cubed tofu, green beans, and cauliflower in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch

Lay them on oiled baking pan and bake 10-15 minutes 

Meanwhile, put all sauce ingredients in pan and whisk until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. 

Pour the sauce over the baked tofu and veggies, then return them to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove and serve over steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds scallions, and nuts. 

Pressure Cooker Carnitas Tacos

 For the Meat

3.5-4 lbs pork shoulder (butt) roast

• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (if using regular table salt, only use 2 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Scant pinch of ground cloves
• 
  
• Combine the spices. Rub the meat all over with spice mix. Set pressure cooker to saute. Drizzle oil in the pan. When it is shimmering, sear the roast so it is browned on all sides. Add 2 cups of any kind of broth. Set the pressure cooker on high for 1 hr 15 minutes. Allow to decompress for 30 minutes before removing the lid. Shred the pork in its juices. 

Topping

Finely mince the flesh of a jalapeño pepper, removing all seeds and ribs. Finely mince half of a red onion. Chop a bunch of fresh cilantro. Combine these with a bag of coleslaw mix. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of 2-3 fresh limes. Salt to taste. 

Also cut as much avocado as you would like for toppings and top with lime juice and salt.

Serve with warmed tortillas. 

Best Green Bean Casserole

 So, I like green bean casserole but I wanted a more sophisticated version and found this at daringgourmet.com

I made it for Thanksgiving and it was the best green bean casserole I've ever had so I wanted to post it here to share and also to save for the future. The only thing I changed is that I subbed gruyere instead of white cheddar, because, of course. 

INGREDIENTS

  

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon , diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 12 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms , chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh green beans , trimmed, halved, and blanched (boil 5 minutes, place beans in ice water for a couple of minutes, drain)
• 1 can quality French fried onions
• or gluten free French fried onions

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Melt the butter in the same skillet and whisk in the flour. Once combined, continue whisking for another 2 minutes until the mixture has slightly deepened in color. Add the half-and-half and chicken broth while constantly whisking to prevent lumps. Once slightly thickened, add the cheese and whisk until melted and combined.
• Next add the mushroom/bacon mixture along with the salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the green beans. Stir to combine.
• Pour the bean mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle the French fried onions all over the top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbling and the onions are golden and crispy. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.