Celery soup

This celery soup was a perfect recipe to use leftover celery... and a good variation from asparagus soup.

• 1 teaspoon butter or oil
• 1 large onion
• 6-7 stalks of celery, cleaned and chopped
• About 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 4 cups water/stock
• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• Fresh herbs (I used parsley)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in butter/oil.  Add celery and potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add other ingredients and simmer covered until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.  Purée with a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.  Serve topped with cheese.

Cream of Asparagus soup

This recipe was easy and good. I will add at least 2 potatoes next time to make it thicker.

2 lbs asparagus (2 bunches)
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp low fat sour cream
salt and fresh pepper to taste
In a large pot, melt better on low heat. Add onion and sauté on low for about 2-3 minutes. Add potato to the pot with the onions. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus into 2 inch pieces. Saute onion, potato, and asparagus in butter. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 20-25 minutes or until asparagus is very tender. Remove from heat, add sour cream and transfer in batches to blender, puree until smooth.

Honey Champagne Vinaigrette

got this recipe from the class at the Curious Gourmet... it is a good spin on the traditional vinaigrette.

Honey Champagne Vinaigrette

-1 cup sesame oil

-2 teaspoons dijon mustard

-1/4 cup champagne vinegar (you can substitute red wine vinegar, but if you do, use canola or olive oil instead of the sesame oil)

-3 tablespoons honey

-zest of 1/2 lemon

-salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients but oil; slowly drizzle in oil while whisking to emulsify. Serve over mixed greens.

Spinach Salad with pine nuts and Parmesan

This is a Bon Appetit recipe... the original recipe calls for a hot dressing, but I used a regular vinaigrette. Here's my shortcut version:

Spinach Salad with pine nuts and Parmesan

baby spinach

prepared vinaigrette with one minced shallot

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

shaved Parmesan cheese

Toast pine nuts in a pan. Shave parmesan with a vegetable peeler. Toss spinach in shallot vinaigrette. Top salad with toasted pine nuts and shaved cheese.

Roasted Pear Salad

From Culture Magazine:

Roasted Pear Salad

6 ripe (but not mushy) pears, cored, and sliced into 8 wedges

kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

10 cups mixed greens

2 cups cornbread croutons

sliced Camembert cheese

prepared vinaigrette

Preheat a cast-iron skillet of heavy baking sheet in oven at 475 degrees. Toss pears with salt, pepper, and 1/3 of the oil. Once the oven is hot, work in batches, adding a light drizzle of oil to the pan and laying enough pear wedges flat side down to cover the surface of the pan. Roast in the oven for 2 minutes, then flip the pears over and roast 1 minute longer.

Toss greens in vinaigrette. Arrange on 8 plates. Place 6 roasted pear slices on each plate, several slices Camembert cheese, and a few croutons.

Carrot Salad

Carrot Salad

from Pamela

grated carrots

crushed garlic

chopped parsley

vinaigrette dressing made with lemon juice

Tuna, white bean, and roasted red pepper salad

we made this Bon Appetit recipe last week and it was quite tasty!

Tuna, white bean, and roasted red pepper salad

with creamy Dijon dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

5 cups mixed greens

15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained

2/3 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers

1/3 cup chopped red onion

12 oz can chunk light tuna

2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved

Whisk first for ingredients in small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Toss beans, red peppers, and onion in medium bowl with enough dressing to coat. Top greens with bean mixture and tuna, and garnish with olives.

California Salad

California Salad

recipe from Pamela

dressing:

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon pepper

salad:

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1/2 head Boston lettuce

2 avocados, sliced

1/2 cup walnuts

diced cheese (Swiss, etc)

In a large salad bowl, mix dressing. Tear lettuce into bowl, add avocados and toss gently. Garnish with nuts and cheese. Serves 8 as first course.

Asparagus Garbanzo Pasta Salad

Asparagus Garbanzo Pasta Salad

recipe from Pamela

serves 10

16 oz corkscrew pasta

2 lbs fresh asparagus, cut into 2" pieces

1 can tomatoes

1/3 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips

8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks (good if you can find the small mozzarella balls, and cut in half)

16 oz garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Cook pasta in salted water. Cook asparagus in 1 tablespoon olive oil with salt until tender-crisp. Combine pasta, asparagus, tomatoes, basil, cheese, and beans. Top with dressing: lemon juice, sugar, pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt.

Spinach Soup

Spinach Soup

recipe from Pamela

serves 8

20 oz frozen chopped spinach

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup water

3 1/2 - 4 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

pinch pepper

1 cup light cream (or several dollops creme fraiche)

dash nutmeg

Cook spinach with onion and water until tender. When cooled a little, pour into blender, add one cup broth, puree. Melt butter in pan, add flour, salt and pepper, and add remaining broth, bring to a boil. Add spinach mixture, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add cream and nutmeg. Serve garnished with lemon slices.

Tarte aux asperges

I made this recipe of Pamela's today... it was delicious and sooooo easy!

Tarte aux Asparges (Asparagus Quiche)

10 asparagus stalks, cut into 1" pieces

1 can evaporated milk (unsweet!)

3 eggs

1 pie crust (pate feuilletee- puff pastry, if possible)

10 slices bacon (cook 5 slices)

salt and pepper

Cook the asparagus for 10-15 minutes in boiling salted water. Beat the milk and eggs, add salt and pepper. Unroll the pie crust into a dish. Place the cooked bacon on the pie crust, pour egg mixture on bacon, then top with asparagus. Layer the uncooked bacon across the top of the tart. Bake at 460 degrees (240 c) for 25 minutes.

Potage de Cresson (Watercress soup)

Pamela made this for lunch today- it was very good, light, and versatile. It was also VERY easy.

Potage de Cresson

(about 3 servings)

4 large potatoes, peeled, and cut into small chunks

6 oz fresh watercress

1 quart water

salt and pepper (or you could add a bouillon cube for flavor)

creme fraiche

Cook the potatoes and watercress in the seasoned water. When the potatoes are tender, put soup into a blender (or use immersion blender) to puree and blend. Return to the pot and add a dollop of creme fraiche or more until desired consistency. Serve with croutons.

Mediterranean salad with green beans and feta

Doug made this delicious Martha Stewart Everyday Food main-dish salad last week. It is great for spring!

Mediterranean salad with green beans and feta

coarse salt and ground pepper

8 oz green beans, trimmed and halved

2 navel oranges

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar (or red wine or balsamic)

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (6 oz)

1 head (about 1 1/2 lbs) romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

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

1) In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 4-6 minutes. Drain green beans and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

2) Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the oranges : slice off both ends, cut off peel, following the curve of the orange. Halve the fruit from top to bottom and thinly slice each half crosswise.

3) In a bowl whisk together oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Add feta, oranges, lettuce, onion, beans, and green beans. Toss to combine.

French Onion Soup

This was DELICIOUS!!

I cut the recipe in half since it was just two of us... you could also make the whole recipe (as follows, 8 servings) and then freeze what you don't eat.

French Onion Soup

6 tablespoons butter

4 pounds onions (about 6), thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups beef broth (or 2 cups water mixed with 2 beef bouillon cubes)

8 slices country bread or 16 slices baguette

2 cups Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or a little dried thyme)

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (less if you are using salted butter), 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium/low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown, 45 minutes to one hour.

Return heat to medium and add wine and cook about 2 minutes. Increase heat, add beef broth and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bread, place on a baking sheet, and top with cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted, 1 or 2 minutes.

Place bread into each bowl and pour soup on top. Top with thyme.

Zucchini Quiche

This recipe is very good and pretty easy to make!

Zucchini Quiche

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 2-3 zucchinis)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups (8 oz) crumbled or grated mozzarella cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 uncooked pie crust

Sautee the zucchini and onion in butter over low heat until tender... it may take a while.

Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, basil, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, and cheese. Stir in zucchini and onion. Spread mustard over the pie shell, then pour in zucchini mixture. At this point, you can cover and freeze. Or, to bake same day, bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Creamy Potato Soup

I had a little extra evaporated milk after making pumpkin pie, so I found this recipe on Carnation's website. It was so simple, and Doug loved it!

Creamy Potato Soup

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 lbs potatoes (about 2 large potatoes), peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces

3 1/2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 tablespoons flour, mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 can evaporated milk

Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onions for 1 or 2 minutes. Add potatoes, water, and bouillon, and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour mixed with water and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in milk and bring to a simmer. Serve with cheddar cheese, green onions, or bacon bits

Winter Chicken Salad

This Whole Foods recipe is a great spin on a traditional chicken salad.

Winter Chicken Salad

3 large roasted chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (about 3 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup roasted chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 Belgian endive, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted walnut oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Black pepper to taste
Smoked salt to taste
Frisée lettuce for serving

Place chicken, walnuts, cherries and endive in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the walnut oil into the balsamic vinegar and season with black pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the chicken mixture and toss well to coat. Season the chicken with smoked salt and toss gently to combine all of the ingredients. Serve over a bed of frisée lettuce.

Mâche-beet-nut salad with honey-balsamic vinaigrette

I made this delicious salad for lunch today... we'll definitely have it again!

Mâche-beet-nut salad with honey-balsamic vinaigrette

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
8 cups mâche
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, slightly chopped
1/2 cup cubed beets (I used cubed steamed beets, from the produce section)

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine, then add nuts and beets. Serve immediately.

Chicken, Red Potato, Green Bean salad

We had this hearty salad tonight... it was very good! I changed a few things based on ingredients I had and since our market has really good and inexpensive rotisserie chicken, I used that instead of boiled chicken.

Chicken, Red Potato, Green Bean Salad

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  
• Salad:
• 1 pound small red potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound frozen green beans
• 1 1/2 cup rotisserie chicken, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 or 2 heads of lettuce, washed and chopped

Whisk together dressing and refrigerate. Place potatoes and salt in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until just soft. Add green beans and simmer for another 4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Cut potatoes into fourths and toss all salad ingredients with salad dressing in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

• 
  

Quiche Combos

We've made 2 good quiches this week with our basic quiche recipe (3 eggs and about 6oz creme fraiche)....

Quiche #1:

Paris (white) mushrooms, quartered and sauteed

yellow onion, diced and sauteed

bacon, diced and cooked

gruyere cheese

Quiche #2:

Broccoli florets, steamed and diced

yellow onion, diced and sauteed

deli ham, diced and sauteed

emmental cheese

Prepare the basic quiche filling in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, herbes de provence, nutmeg, etc. Add cooked veggies/meat and then pour into prepared crust.