TOMATO VEGGIE SOUP

We have already had frost a few times this fall and the yellow leaves are starting to fall; that means its SOUP time!! This recipe is a wonderful use for all of those extra garden veggies you have this time of year. Tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, celery and anything else you can think of to add to the soup; this recipe is very versatile (and yummy).

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups water
2 large tomatoes (I used a ton of cherry tomatoes)
1 (15 ounce) can ro-tel tomatoes with juice (I use mild)
4 cups beef broth  (not bullion)
1/3 cup uncooked barley
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon)
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans (or your favorite bean)
pinch of red pepper flakes if you like heat (optional)

Spray a large soup pot with vegetable spray and sauté the onions, celery and carrots until the onions turn soft and a little sweet.

Put the undrained can of rotel tomatoes

PLUS the two fresh tomatoes into the food processor and blend until smooth, then add to the pot.

Add everything else to the pot and simmer SLOWLY for 45 minutes, that's it; just stir it once in a while.

I'm SURE this could be easily done in the crockpot as well.

ENJOY !!

EASY OVEN BROWN RICE

We've been trying to eat healthier lately, and "nutrition empty" white rice has been replaced by brown rice at our house.

Before now, I have only had moderate luck making brown rice. Not only do you have to babysit brown rice on a burner for 40-ish minutes, but the end result can be a little crunchy, (or worse yet), it can be gummy and sticky. Then, of course, there is the dreaded layer of rice that always cements itself to the  bottom of the pan (insert frown here).... not fun!!

Well, my cooking friends, your brown rice "issues" are over!! This super easy method will give you fluffy brown rice every time (with every grain cooked) and NOTHING sticks to the pan....super easy!!

 

This recipe makes three cups of cooked rice, which is a lot of rice for smaller families. So, I divide the leftovers into 1/2 cup or 1 cup portions and I freeze it. This way you can have brown rice ready in a flash for a weeknight meal (or to add to soups, etc.)

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375° and spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with vegetable spray.

Put the dry rice in the prepared baking pan.  Heat the water, butter and salt until it just comes to a boil, then pour over the rice and stir everything just enough to get the rice to an even level in the pan. Then cover the pan with aluminum foil.

COVER PAN TIGHTLY

I use heavy duty aluminum foil and crimp the edges tight on all four sides. It is important that you trap the steam in the pan.

Bake at 375° for one hour. After an hour, remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil. Fluff the rice with a fork and that's it!!

 

 

If you aren't going to eat the rice as soon as it comes out of the oven, make sure you still remove the foil so that the condensation doesn't drip back into the rice.

ENJOY !!

PERFECT BLUEBERRY CREAM MUFFINS

This muffin is sweet, moist, light, full of flavor and pretty to look at (I love muffins than have nice rounded tops). They are very quick and easy to make and they freeze well; what more can you ask for?

 

BLUEBERRY CREAM MUFFINS       MAKES 24

3 large eggs
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 + 1/2 cups sour cream
1 + 1/2 cups blueberries

In large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until well combined. Leave mixer running and drizzle in the vegetable oil, stir in vanilla.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this dry mixture (to the egg mixture)alternately with the sour cream (I added it in thirds).

Gently fold in the blueberries.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners and fill about 3/4 full (I use an ice cream scoop). 

Bake in preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes (my electric oven takes 23 minutes).

* Adapted version of recipe found on Allrecipes.com

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Do you have a lot of zucchini this summer? If so, this is a great way to use it. This treat is super chocolate-y, super moist (in fact it gets even more moist on day two), super easy to make and freezes very well.

(2) one ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate (melted)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry then measured)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 + 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Things to do first:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Toss the chocolate chips into the measured flour to get them well coated,that way they won't sink to the bottom of the bread as it cooks.
3. Grease two large (9" x 5") loaf pans. I lined mine with parchment and then greased the parchment (this bread tries to stick to the pan if you go light on this step, but with the parchment paper, the zucchini bread tips right out.

4. Shred the zucchini then squeeze some of the water out of it (with your hands) before you measure it.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

Next, add flour (that you've stirred the chocolate chips into), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined, smooth and shiny (just takes a 30 seconds or so).

Pour batter into 2 well greased large loaf pans and bake at 350­° for 60 to 70 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 60 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into tallest part of the bread comes out clean. Don't over cook.

Cool in pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap while they are still hot.  This keeps a lot of the moisture inside of the zucchini bread as it cools.  Don't slice the bread until it cools down completely.

If you are going to freeze them, cool completely, then double wrap them or wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a Ziploc freezer bag.

FUN TIP: If your children are picky eaters, just peel the zucchini before you shred them, that way you won't hear "Mom, what are these green specs?" They won't even know that the zucchini is in there!!

ENJOY !!

BEST EVER STRAWBERRY TOPPING

This topping rates 5 out of 5 stars for an ice cream topping, but it is also DELICIOUS over pancakes, pound cake, cheesecake and right out of the jar with a big spoon!! It is nice and thick and bright red (not a hint of watery-ness........is that a word?) 

It is economic to make for a large crowd and it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Only TWO ingredients!!

 

 

2 pounds of frozen strawberries

1 cup of sugar

 

I buy large bags of bulk frozen strawberries from our local discount store. I let them thaw for about 1/2 hour or so, then I pulse them in the food processor several times until you get a fairly small dice.

 

Add 1 cup of sugar, stir and put it in a heavy bottom kettle (heavy bottom kettles help it cook but not scorch). Cook on medium high heat until you get a good boil going, then turn down the heat to a medium low boil and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

 

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and skim off any pink foam. That's it!!  Chill in the fridge before using. Makes 4 cups of topping.

 

 

ENJOY !!



SUPER EASY FLOUR TORTILLAS

I throw away a lot of tortillas, do you? I use 5 or 6 out of a package and freeze the rest with good intentions of using them later, but I never do. Before long they are covered with ice crystals and hiding in a dark corner in the freezer.

So I recently decided to teach myself how to make flour tortillas.
I was pleased to discover that they are very easy to make in the food processor and very inexpensive as well. They also taste worlds better than the ones from the store, I promise!! It is like the difference between store bread and bread out of the oven.

This recipe makes (8) 8" tortillas

1+3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (see note below)
1/2 cup of hot tap water

In a food processor, place the flour, baking powder, salt and vegetable oil.  Pulse several times until it looks like coarse corn meal.

While the food process is still running, stream in the hot water (it doesn't have to be super hot, just hot right from the sink). When dough starts to form a ball, stop the food processor and dump the mixture out on the counter.

Knead it together with your hands a few times until it makes a  nice smooth ball (only takes a minute or so). Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball (cover them and only roll out and cook one at a time).

Using a rolling pin, roll each ball (I don't use extra flour, but some people do) out into a large circle. Roll it as thin as you can, then roll it even more. My rule of thumb is to roll them thin enough so you can see the color of your counter just a little........well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much (wink) the thinner the better

DO NOT WORRY IF THEY ARE NOT PERFECTLY ROUND,

THAT WILL COME WITH EXPERIENCE

One at a time, cook on hot UNGREASED pan (I use my electric griddle at 375F, for about one minute a side or until bubbles start to appear like this

 

 

 

As the bubbles appear, very gently press them down a little with a spatula. After it has cooked for about a minute (peak under and make sure that there are little golden brown spots on the underside), then flip it over and cook the other side for another minute. Keep them warm inside of a clean dish towel until you get them all cooked.

These tortillas are truly delicious.  Now, if you want to live really dangerously, you can replace the heart healthy canola oil with un-healthy but over-the-top delicious bacon fat.  Talk about WOW!!  I don't recommend this very often, but on a special occasion, you just have to try it with the bacon fat, it is excellent. (Note: on the days I fry bacon, I put the bacon fat into a clean jam jar and keep it in the fridge or freezer).

ENJOY !!

CROCKPOT PORK LOIN

This recipe is ultra easy, ultra fast and ultra delicious!! What more can you ask for? And, oh, did I mention...it cooks by itself in the Crockpot!!

The end result is moist, fall apart tender, sweet-ish, completely full flavored and very versatile. It is going directly into my "make often" recipe box!!

2 pounds (approx.) pork loin (tenderloin will work too)
1/4 cup LOW SODIUM soy sauce (regular will be too salty)
1 tablespoon regular old yellow mustard
1/4 cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
2 tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Put the oil in your crockpot and rub it around to cover the cooking surface. Put the pork loin in.

Mix everything else and pour over the meat.  Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Turn it over half way through if you can, but its  not necessary.

After 6 hours, remove meat and thicken the sauce (if you want to) and put the meat back in. Whether you thicken the sauce or not, is just a matter of preference, it tastes the same.

NOTE: I use this recipe using a 2 pound pork loin roast, but a tenderloin will work too. I haven't tried the recipe with any other cut of pork.

NOTE: Make sure you use low sodium soy sauce or the final dish might be a tad salty for you.