African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

We had this last night and it was wonderful -- a great meal on a cold, fall evening.


2 Tbs. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
32 oz low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans chickpeas (15 oz), rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped tomatoes (if canned, drain)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
1 cup brown rice
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. In large stock pot, heal oil. Add the onion, red pepper and jalapeño; cook, stirring periodically until softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. 
3. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, black pepper and rice, bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 30 minutes until rice is done.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Quinoa Salad

Had a version of this a few weeks ago at a friend's cookout. Delicious! Made up my own last night. You can really added any vegi you've got, but this was a huge hit. One of my son's friends even had seconds!

1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/3 c. chopped red onion
4 oz muenster or swiss, diced
1/4 c. fresh herbs, rinsed, dried and chopped (I used oregano)
2-4 Tbs. vinaigrette

1. Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. Make this a few hours ahead of time so it can cool.
2. Mix in vegetables, cheese and herbs.
3. Toss with dressing and serve.

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Chili

A friend told me about a recipe for chicken chili that included a maple chipotle sauce. I don't have any maple chipotle sauce, but I do have a bottle of raspberry chipotle sauce, so I thought I would give it a try with this substitution. We had it the other night and it was fabulous -- the spicy sweetness of the raspberry chipotle is wonderful. Not a huge hit with the kids, but at least they ate it.

2 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used a mix of boneless, skinless breasts and thighs)
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
32 oz chicken broth
1/3 cup chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups Raspberry Chipotle sauce (Kirkland brand)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the chicken in olive oil until done. Shred into bite-sized pieces
2. Saute the onion in olive oil until starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken, chicken broth, chili powder, cayenne and Raspberry Chipotle sauce. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Salt and/or pepper to taste.
4. Serve over rice.

Tofu Enchiladas

These are super easy and really yummy!

1 block firm tofu

1 package flour or corn tortillas (the small size)

1 1/2 cups corn

1 cup salsa

1 bunch chopped, fresh cilantro

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 can enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a large baking dish.
3. Mash tofu in large mixing bowl.
4. Add corn, salsa, cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese. Combine.
5. Put a few spoonfuls of the mixture in a tortilla and roll up. Place, seam-side down in the pan. Continue making until pan is full and mixture is used up. You'll need to gauge how much to use in each one.
6. Pour the enchilada sauce over each enchilada -- try not to leave any tortilla exposed. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
7. Bake 34-40 minutes, until bubbling on top and beginning to brown.

Lemon Ice Cream Pie

I made this over the weekend -- Meriel said it was so good, she wants me to make it for her wedding when she grows up.... well, first she asked if people ever have pies at their wedding, then she said that this is what she wanted. :-)

The crust recipe came from a cooking class Meriel took this summer, but her filling used Cool Whip and lemonade mix. While it was good, I had a feeling we could make it better and I have enough distrust of the chemicals in Cool Whip to want to try something with ingredient names I can pronounce. This is a wonderful combination of salty-sweet, so if that's your thing, you'll probably love this dessert!

Ice cream filling:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar plus 2 Tbs. sugar

4-5 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest

1/8 tsp. salt

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Crust:

1 1/2 cups ground pretzels (I did them in a food processor)

1/4 cup sugar

6 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1. Heat cream, milk, sugar, zest and salt over medium head, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Whisk yolks in a bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking the whole time. Pour custard back into saucepan with cream mixture and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and it registers 175-180 degrees F, 3-5 minutes (do not boil).
2. Poor into a clean bowl and stir in lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover the surface with wax paper and chill until cold, about 3 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker.
3. CRUST: Combine ground pretzels, sugar and butter. Press into pie plate and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Scoop ice cream into crust, smoothing the top. Cover with plastic and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, put pie in fridge to soften.

Bacon-Date Tasties

We had these appetizers while visiting friends in Dayton last weekend. They were awesome! I have never seen fresh dates in my grocery story, so I'll probably use re-hydrated prunes when I make them again. My kids liked the bacon and cheese part, but weren't big fans of the dates... oh well, perhaps they'll develop a taste for them eventually.

1 lb of thick cut bacon

Fresh dates or prunes (same number as you have slices of bacon)

4 oz goat cheese

2 tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. cumin

toothpicks

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Partially cook the bacon on paper towels in the microwave. The slices should still be completely flexible, but you want to try to get rid of some of the grease.
3. Combine the brown sugar and cumin in a small bowl.
4. Lay out each slice of bacon and sprinkle with 1/2 of the brown sugar/cumin mixture.
5. Take about 2-3 tsp. of goat cheese in a wad and press it against one side of the date. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date/cheese cupping the bottom of the cheese with the bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick and stand upright on a cookie sheet. Repeat with each slice of bacon. Sprinkle remaining sugar and cumin on the top.
6. Bake for around 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

This sauce is so delicious, you will never want to buy the manufactured stuff again. Just don't forget to share!

1 cup heavy cream

6 Tbs. unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (make sure you use dark chocolate powder and not the regular -- I use Hershey's)

Combine cream and butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a slow boil. Add the sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Reduce heat and add salt and cocoa, whisking gently until smooth. Remove from heat and serve.

You can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container -- a spoonful in the middle of the afternoon is as good as a candy bar! Reheat over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power.

Coconut Cilantro Sweet Potatoes

A friend described this to me the other day and I went right home to try it because as far as I'm concerned, you can never go wrong with coconut milk and cilantro. This is absolutely fabulous and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. My kids still prefer sweet potato fries, but they didn't object too strenuously.

4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can coconut milk

5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place sweet potatoes and coconut milk in a crock pot. Cook on low until very soft, perhaps 6-8 hours.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Add garlic, cilantro, red pepper, salt and pepper
4. Serve immediately.

This makes a lot, so I froze half of it for a later dinner.

broccoli soup

1/4 onion

2 carrots

1 celery stalk

3 small potatoes

5 cups vegetable broth plus 1 cup water

1 bay leaf

4-5 cups head of broccoli chopped

2 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon curry powder

cheddar cheese (optional)

Saute onion, carrot and celery in about 1/4 cup of vegetable broth until tender. add salt, pepper and curry and mix together. Add vegetable broth, water, potato, bay leaf and broccoli. Cook until potato is tender, about 30-45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender. Serve as is or add a few tablespoons of cheddar cheese to each bowl to make broccoli cheddar soup. This soup is healthy, quick, easy and yummy.

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

This is incredibly yummy on a cold day.

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, cut into medium dice

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced (1 if you don't like things spice, more if you do)

1/2 tsp. freshly group pepper

1/4 cup flower

1 medium head broccoli, chopped

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

1 quart chicken broth

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cup milk

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

salt to taste

1. Melt butter in a stock pot. Cook onion until softened. Add garlic, jalapenos and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add flour and stir until combined.
3. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Add potatoes. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower and continue to simmer until all vegetables are tender. Add milk.
5. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Reheat to a low simmer.
6. Add salt to taste and then cheese. Stir until combined. Serve immediately.

Linguine with Leeks and Prosciutto

Cindy mentioned this recipe when we walked on Tuesday and she's so busy I thought I would post it for her. I made it for dinner the other night and it's truly fabulous... not low-cal, but so delicious it's worth it. The original recipe calls for asparagus, but since it's out of season Cindy substituted peas.

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. butter

3 leeks, cleaned well and chopped coursely

1/2 lb. prosciutto, cut into 1/2" strips

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 cups grated parmesan

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lb. linguine

1. Prepare linguine according to directions on box.
2. Saute the leeks in the olive oil and butter over medium heat until very soft and starting to brown. Add the prosciutto and continue cooking 2-3 minutes.
3. Add peas and cook until heated through.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add whipping cream and parmesan. Heat until cheese melts.
6. Drain linguine and add to leek / prosciutto sauce. Gently combine.
7. Serve with additional grated parmesan.

Mexican Turkey Stew

I made this up last night for my kids and one of their friends, and they all loved it... they even asked for seconds! It's a fairly thick stew, definitely something you could eat with a fork, so if your kids like something closer to soup, this may not be for them.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or use roasted turkey cut into small pieces, about 2 cups)

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1 cup corn

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1. In large sauce pan, brown the turkey and break it into little chunks as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
3. Put turkey back in pot and add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chilis and spices.
4. Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with corn bread on the side and grated cheese on top. (Some of us also added some Hot Giardiniera and it tasted wonderful).

Chicken Barley Chili

We had this last night and all loved it. It's great on a cold and blustery night.

3 can low sodium chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1 cup barley

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

1. Combine broth, salsa, barley, chili powder, cumin and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
2. Add chicken and heat through.
3. This is great as is, but it's also wonderful served with grated cheddar, avocado and tortillas.

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry Stew

I had this at a book group a few weeks ago and loved it. It's a beautiful orange color, very flavorful and super hearty. I wasn't sure how my kids would react, but was excited to give it a try. Gavin liked it and Meriel just ate the couscous. Oh well, at least one of them had a decent serving!

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil

1 chopped onion

1-2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces

1 Tbs. minced garlic

2 cups sweet potato chunks

1 cup chopped carrots or parsnips

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 can chicken broth

1/4 cup golden raisins or chopped dried plums

2 tsp. curry

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. red pepper

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large stew pot. Once softened, remove from pan and set aside. Saute chicken is same pan until no longer pink. Add back onion and garlic.
2. Add sweet potato, carrots, chickpeas, raisins, lemon juice, chicken broth, raisins and spices.
3. Simmer for around one hour.
4. Serve over couscous or rice with a dollop of plain yogurt and a handful of nuts.

Chocolate Ice Cream

This is the best chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten in my entire life... and that's not hyperbole. It's so smooth, so creamy, so chocolatey -- you'll feel like you've gone to chocolate heaven. The recipe is from "The New Best Recipe" cookbook.

8 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in microwave at 50% power. Set aside to cool.
2. Position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water.
3. Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm, about 5 minutes.
4. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
5. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.
6. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the sauce pan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until steam appears and the mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil, or the eggs will curdle.
7. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla, cover and refrigerate until it's cooled to 40 degrees or lower -- at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
8. Pour custard into the ice cream machine and churn for up to 1/2 an hour. (Longer and you risk getting flecks of butter in your ice cream.) It should resemble soft-serve ice cream. Transfer to airtight container and freeze until firm, around 2 hours.

Whole Wheat Crepes

Meriel LOVES crepes for breakfast, so I've come up with a recipe that makes three crepes -- just the right amount for one person. You can easily double or triple the recipe if you want to make more.

1 egg

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

6 Tbs. milk

1/2 tsp. sugar

pinch salt

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan and pour in 1/3 of batter.
3. Fry until starting to brown and flip over.
4. Meriel likes them with a little sugar and lemon juice, but they're also good with jam, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, or sliced fruit. Just put on what you like and roll the up.

Gateaux aux Poires (Pear Cake)

This recipe came from my friend Cindy. I made it last night for book group and everyone seemed to really like it. The quantities below are a little different from the ones she gave me as I needed to make a larger amount for all the gals in my book group. If you want to original, let me know. Cindy counseled that it's really important to not delete the rum -- she's made it without and said it was really bland. It's really a perfect dessert for a fall evening.

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup vanilla yogurt

2 Tbs. Rum

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 lb. pears

1 Tbsp. soft butter

1 Tbs. sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1. Mix together flour, sugar, eggs, yogurt, rum and oil.
2. Spread half of butter on the bottom of a pie plate or tart pan.
3. Cover bottom of pie plate with peeled and cored pear slices.
4. Cover with dough and spread bits of the remaining butter on top. Bake at 400 degrees F, for 25-35 minutes, until it starts to brown around the edges and the middle looks kind of spongy -- it should be firm.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the sugar/nutmeg blend.

Besto Dip

This dip recipe has been floating around my family for years. At my parents house, it's not a party without this among the appetizers. I think the original name was Parmesan Parsley Dip, but since it's kind of like pesto which is made with basil, I started calling it Besto since it's made with parsley... make sense?

Perhaps because it's served on crackers and it's an appetizer, my kids seem to really like it. No doubt it I offered it during dinner they'd turn up their noses since it's green.

2 bunches parsley, washed and spun dry

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1 16 oz. package shredded parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

lemon juice

1. Place all ingredients in food processor.
2. Process until well blended. Add lemon juice to taste.
3. Test on a cracker to confirm its deliciousness.
4. The left-overs are wonderful on top of a baked potato.

Gramma Mary's Meatballs

This is a fabulous meatball recipe. How I acquired the recipe is kind of funny. About 9 years ago I had to go to a black tie event with my husband. For whatever reason, I was seated next to this very italian Chicago lawyer. Back then I was teaching myself to cook and was always on the lookout for a good recipe. The lawyer and I started talking cooking. I discovered during the night that his gramma made unforgettable meatballs. I made a deal with him when I learned this, I'd swap my girlfriends cuban flan recipe for the meatball recipe. The next morning his secretary sent me an email with this recipe and I've made it at least monthly since then.

(can be multiplied with no changes, I always made a double batch)

1 lb ground beef (ground round 85%lean)

1/2 lb ground pork (not italian sausage)

1 tsp. salt

3/4 Cup grated romano cheese (use pecorino romano imported it's the best)

1 Cup saltine cracker crumbs (I used puffed rice or rice krispie cereal, gluten free)

3 eggs, slightly beaten (I never, ever beat them)

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup milk

Place meat in mixing bowl an dmix them together. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the eggs to the meat mixture. Fold the dry ingredients into the meat mixture. Add half the milk and mix. Add the rest of the milk.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cooking tips:

use an ice cream scoop to assure uniform size (occasionally dipping scooper in water helps meatballs roll in hand easier and with less sticking.)

The more hand pressure used the more dense the meatballs.

Place meatballs in a shallow roasting pan which has been sprayed with non stick spray or lined with parchment paper.

Place meatballs in pan (ensure enough space between meatballs so they may brown, cook 15 minutes per side.

Meatballs will flatten out a little while cooking.

Meatballs should be placed in sauce for at least 3/4 of an hour to affect the flavor of the sauce.

Meatballs may be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer to use at a later time.

Doubling or tripling the recipe and freezing the extras saves trouble for future.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, 15 minutes per side.

Stuffed Shells

When I've made stuffed shells in the past, Meriel usually complains if there's "TOO MUCH" cheese. In this version, I've reduced the amount of cheese and added some ground turkey. If you don't have time to stuff the shells, skip 'em and mix the filling with any shape of cooked pasta -- it'll taste just the same.

1 lb ground turkey

12 oz package of pasta shells

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

salt & pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

16 oz. grated mozzarella

26 oz jar pasta sauce (you probably won't use the whole thing)

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat, breaking up into little pieces. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Cook shells (or other pasta shape) according to directions. Add a bit of oil to the water so they don't stick together. Drain.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, herbs, salt & pepper, garlic, 1/2 of the mozzarella and the ground turkey.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" lasagna pan.
5. Stuff each shell with the cottage cheese/turkey mixture and place in pan. (Or, mix the cooked pasta into the cottage cheese/turkey and spread around pan.) Spread sauce over top (don't feel like you need to use the whole jar) and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese starts to brown, about 10 more minutes.