Potato Broccoli Soup

Soup, Soup, Soup. I love soup. :)

The Chicago Spring is taking its sweet time showing up this year. In order to beat the chill, I've been making a lot of soups. I'm kind of a soup snob. I hate canned soup. They are just too salty for me. So I make a lot of my own. Below is a fantastic potato soup that is creamy, but not packed with calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon, chopped (I used turkey bacon)
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 boxes of reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
2 tbsp dried thyme
1 cup skim milk
1 cup shredded cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Brown the bacon in the bottom of a large pot (Stock pot or dutch oven). Add in the chopped onion and salt and pepper and allow that to cook until the onions are translucent. Since the bacon is so lean, add in 2 tbsp olive oil and the 1/3 cup of flour. Mix this with the bacon and onions to create a roux. If you are using regular bacon, don't add any more oil and just add the flour.

Add in your chicken stock, thyme, and red pepper flakes and mix well. As the soup cooks, any lumps from the roux will dissolve into the soup. Add the cubed potatoes and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes or until they are fork-tender. When the potatoes are cooked, add the frozen corn and broccoli. Stir well. Add the milk and cheese and allow the soup to come back up to a simmer. When it is warm, serve.

Steak and Bell Pepper Stir-fry

In an attempt to be a teeny tiny bit more healthy, I've inadvertently avoided baking sweets. Sad I know. But the one upside to it - I've been cooking more instead of baking. Below is my first attempt at cooking with flank steak. I usually avoid raw meat at any cost, but the bf likes it...so I'm trying! The result: pretty darn delish.

Ingredients:

Marinade and Sauce-
2 tbsp. soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. honey
3 gloves of garlic, crushed (I used the pre-crushed kind in a jar)
1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (Rooster Sauce)

1 lb. flank steak, sliced thinly across the grain

When ready to cook, you'll need:
1 tsp. cornstarch
canola oil
2 red or orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
chopped peanuts or sesame seeds

To prepare:
Mix all the marinade/sauce ingredients together. Place the thinly sliced steak in a Ziplock bag and pour half the marinade/sauce over the steak. Make sure the bag is securely closed and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I let mine marinate for 24 hours. Place the other half of the sauce in a small Tupperware container and refrigerate that separately too.

When you are ready to cook, pour a small amount of canola oil in a hot pan on your stove top. Remove the marinated steak from the Ziplock bag and place it in the hot pan. Using tongs, flip the steak to make sure both sides are fully cooked. Removed the steak from the pan and let it rest in a bowl while you prepare the veggies and the sauce.

In the same pan you just took your steak out of, add your peppers and onions. Add more oil if needed. Allow the veggies to cook until the edges start to brown but the veggies are still slightly crisp. Add the reserved sauce from the day before and allow it to come to a simmer with the veggies. In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and a tbsp. of cold water. Add the cornstarch paste to the pan and mix in. Add the meat back in and allow it to warm up. Serve the stir fry over rice or noodles, and garnish with peanuts or sesame seeds, if desired. This recipe serves 2-3 adults.

Black Bean Soup

For me, 40 days of Lent means 40 grueling days without dessert: no cake, ice cream, cookies, pie, or candy. That’s the goal anyway! I’m on day 5, and I’m already regretting my choice in a Lenten promise. This totally means I’m getting into heaven, right?!

Since it is impossible for me to make dessert without eating it, I am taking a baking hiatus. I didn’t want the blog to suffer, so I’ve decided to post other foods I’m making, not just baked treats. So here goes…the first normal recipe is a quick and easy (and yummy) black bean soup. It’s a perfect meal come Friday when “good” Catholics abstain from meat ;)

Ingredients:
6 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups prepared salsa (I like the fresh stuff in the deli section – or make your own!)
4 cups vegetable stock
3 teaspoons ground cumin

How to:
In a large pot on your stovetop, over medium heat, combine the black means, salsa, stock and cumin. Allow the soup to come to a rolling boil. Using a potato masher, mash up the soup once it’s warm. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Apple Galette with ohmygod Syrup

You know you are getting old when your Sunday Funday consists of baking instead of boozing! Here’s another recipe I made while waiting for another dreary Chicago winter day to pass:

Ingredients:

1 pre-made pie crust, at room temperature

For the apple filling:
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large), cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (save the peels and cores)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4-5 tablespoons white sugar

For the ohmygod syrup:
Reserved apple cores and peels
½ cup sugar

Recipe adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place your pre-made pie crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and set it aside.

Peel and core all of your apples. Reserve the cores and peels for the syrup you’ll make while your galette is baking. Slice the apples very thin. Starting 2 inches from the edge of the crust, overlap your apples making a large circle. Continue making circular rows of overlapping apples until you fill the center of your crust.

Fold your edges of the crust up and over the outer layer of apples. Fold and crease the crust ever inch or so.

Brush the melted butter over the crust and exposed apples and sprinkle with 4 to 5 tablespoons of sugar over the entire thing. Make sure to get lots of sugar on the crust.

Place the galette in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all your reserved apple cores and peels in a pot and add ½ a cup of white sugar. Add enough water so that the apples are just covered. Place the pot on the stovetop and bring it to come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow the mixture to boil and reduce for about 25 minutes. Strain the syrup of the peels and cores. Once the galette is out of the oven and ready to serve, top the apple galette with this apple syrup and wait to hear the ohmygod comments from your guests. This syrup is ahhh-mazing!

Ice Cream "Cupcakes"

I’m still riding out the nasty Chicago winter. Since it’s icy and rainy and just plain gross out, I spent the majority of my Sunday inside cooking. It was long overdue! One of my concoctions was inspired by a recent post on www.thepioneerwoman.com. She made these cute little individual ice cream bites that are chilled in the freezer in cupcake pans. I love that the freezer is now stocked with tons and tons of ice cream. Who needs space for actual food?

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 sleeve honey graham crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
2 of your favorite pints of ice cream
1 king-size Hersey (with almonds) bar, chopped

To assemble:

Allow your ice cream to soften on your counter until you can easily remove it from the carton.

Line a cupcake pan with 18 paper liners.

Place the graham crackers in a ziplock bag. Make sure the ziplock is completely closed and then bash the heck outta the graham crackers with a rolling pin (really, when it comes down to it, anything will do for the bashing). Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker crumbs and mix it well.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the graham cracker crumbs into each liner. Press the crumbs firmly to the bottom of the liners to form a crust. Set these aside.

In a large mixing bowl, dumb your ice cream and your chopped Hersey bar pieces. (I did this step twice because I used two different ice cream flavors). Mix up the ice cream and chocolate with a large spoon. Pour the ice cream mixture on top of each crust. Place the cupcake pan(s) in the freezer until the ice cream is completely firm. Once you’ve reached this consistency, you can remove the liners from the pans and store them in the freezer in ziplock bags.

Peanut Butter Pie

Good God, this is one delicious pie! I was introduced to this little piece of peanut butter heaven in college by one of my roommates, Rachel Scanlan (Scan for short). I used to watch Scan make these pies just so I could be her taste tester. She always adjusted the amount of peanut butter from the recipe, so I’d help her reach the perfect peanut butter balance. All that tasting came in handy when I started making these pies myself (she graciously shared her recipe with me). The amount of peanut butter noted below is my personal perfect measurement. Trust me - I’ve had a lot of practice reaching this level!

Ingredients ( MAKES 2 PIES)

8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened
¾ cup smooth peanut butter
½ can condensed milk
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tubs Cool Whip, thawed
2 ready-made pie crusts (either graham cracker or Oreo, whatever you can find at your supermarket)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup candies, chopped, for garnish

*Make sure your cream cheese and Cool Whip are at room temperature before you start this recipe!

Using a hand-held mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese, peanut butter and condensed milk until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat.

Next, fold in both tubs of Cool Whip (one at a time) until thoroughly combined. Taste test here. The filling should taste more like peanut butter than cream cheese. If not – adjust – but I find ¾ of a cup of peanut butter to be perfect.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and sprinkle the chopped Reese’s candies over the top of each pie. Cover the pies and put them in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Remove the pies from the freezer right before serving. Store any leftovers in the freezer.

The Best Brownies I've Ever Tasted

I’ve done it! I’ve found the most fantastic, perfect, moist, chewy, rich brownie recipe ever concocted! A girl I work with brought them in as Christmas goodies, and it was love at first bite! After shaking her down for the recipe, I whipped up a batch for a Super Bowl party over the weekend. Apparently I’m not the only one that likes them! They were a hit!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups sugar (don’t skimp! It’s worth it!)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I used white chips)

To concoct:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9”x13” pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.

Using a hand mixer, beat the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add an egg in one at a time and continue beating.

Sift your flour, cocoa, and salt together. This is important if you want a smooth consistency. If you like chunky brownies, ignore this step – but I don’t condone it!
Next add a 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir by hand. Continue adding thirds until all is incorporate. Do not over mix! Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips.

Spread the batter in the bottom of the parchment-lined pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, and the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely.

Slice into squares and dust with powdered sugar.