Cheesy Tortellini Soup

So, I never measure things for soup exactly, which sometimes gets me in trouble, but it often works out well (usually it just needs a little more salt). So adjust this as needed to your tastes.

3 T butter

1/2 C chopped onion

3 T flour

1 C half & half (could use cream)

salt

pepper

1 C milk

4 C chicken broth

2 carrots grated

1 celery stalk chopped

1/2 c chopped spinach

1 T garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1-2 packages tortellini

1-2 cups cheese

Melt butter, with onions, in a suacepan until onions are transluscent and aromatic. 

Whisk in flour. Add a dash of pepper and about a teaspoon of salt. Slowly add half & half, stirring and letting it thicken (making a roux). Slowly add 1 cup of the chicken broth, stirring as you go. Add the veggies. Cook 5-10 minutes letting the veggies become tender. 

At this point I take an immersion blender so that the kids don't know there are as many veggies in the soup as there are (in this case it's celery, carrots and spinach; I always use some carrots and sometimes will put in cauliflower or broccoli depending on what's on hand). 

Add the rest of the broth, a cup of milk, the garlic and seasoning.

Add the tortellini and cook at a low rolling boil for 15-20 minutes. Add the cheese at the end (grated parmesean or asiago work well, cheddar or colby jack can also work).  

Baked Granola

When my wife was in high school she went on a couple summer-long missions trips overseas. At their "base camp" where they trained, they often had baked oatmeal for breakfast. A few years ago she was able to track down the recipe. It has become a family favorite (we call it Baked Granola as it tends to be a more kid-enticing name than Baked Oatmeal). Often we'll make it for a dessert with friends and have the leftovers for breakfast (but we'll often just make it for breakfast as well).

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

3 c. oatmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 c. milk

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Mix oil, sugar and eggs. Add other ingredients and mix.

Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with cinnamon on top if desired.

*Notes:

We often double the recipe (it still fits in a 9x13 pan).

You can lessen the sugar amounts and it still tastes delicious.

I frequently mix in cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon into the mixture.

Sometimes we top it with fresh fruit and a little ice cream. Otherwise we eat it with just some milk poured over top. It's also delicious plain.

No Bake Cookies

We were down for making dessert for our small group recently and Anders had been begging for his favorite cookies. He was so excited about making them that he copied down the ingredients list into his notebook so that he could get them himself. We don't make sweets too often (we still have some Halloween candy in the cupboard, I believe); somehow the peanut butter and oatmeal make it a little healthier.

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 c. oatmeal

In a sauce pan bring sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a rolling boil. Let boil for one minute.

Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Stir until thick.

Drop mixture by spoonfulls onto waxed paper and let cool.

Ham and Potato Soup

We had ham this week. So tonight it was time for some yummy potato and ham soup. I used the ham bone to make some stock.

I added some water so that I had probably 4-6 cups of liquid.

Then I added 5 medium sized potatoes.

Next came a cup or two of chopped ham, a chopped celery stalk and a diced onion.

I sprinkled in some thyme, dill and paprika. I let it all boil for about 15 minutes.

In a separate sauce pan I melted 5 tablespoons of butter and stirred in 5 tablespoons of flour. After this mixed together smoothly I added 2 cups of milk and brought it to a boil until it was thickened. I stirred this into the soup.

We served this with some cheese. It was delicious.

Creamy Rutabaga Soup

My almost-4-year-old has been going through a phase lately. And not one of the fun ones. Part of it involves complaining every time he comes to the table--which we don't put up with. So he often doesn't eat, by his choice. One of the things he did eat recently was Creamy Rutabaga Soup (I know, right? Who is this kid?).

I'm all about fresh, seasonal produce and rutabagas (along with other root vegetables) were available at the farmer's market lately. So, I found a soup recipe online (soups are a staple in our house this time of year) and tweaked it a little. Here's the recipe:

1 medium rutabaga, about 2 pounds
1 small carrot
2 bay leaves
3 T. butter
4 T. soft unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black peppercorns
2 c. milk
grated nutmeg

cheese/cream cheese

Peel the rutabaga, and cut it into thin slices. Put them in a large pot with enough water just to cover them, and the bay leaves. Peel, slice and add the carrot to the pot. Bring to a boil, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the butter, flour, salt and pepper together in another pot until well amalgamated. Lower the heat, and add the milk, a little at a time and stirring constantly to prevent it from forming lumps (this is a basic white sauce). Once the mixture is thick, set it aside until the rutabaga is done.

When the rutabaga is done, put the white sauce into a blender or food processor with the pieces of rutabaga and carrot, which should be lifted out of the cooking water with a slotted spoon. Purée the rutabaga, carrot and white sauce until very smooth.

Put the soup back into a pot that the white sauce was in. Put three cups of the cooking water from the rutabaga into the food processor, and whizz it around to clean the sides. Pour this water into the soup, and stir well until smooth. Grate a little nutmeg over the soup, and mix it in.

Reheat the soup just before serving. Serve garnished with parsley, chives or a little more grated nutmeg.

Knowing that my family might need some coaxing, I added a bit of cheese and cream cheese to the soup to lessen the rutabaga flavor and make it a little creamier. I probably used about a quarter cup of cream cheese and another quarter to half cup of whatever cheese was already open in the refrigerator (it may have been muenster or farmers or possibly some cheddar).

Pumpkin Guts

My favorite part of Halloween is carving pumpkins. Not because of the carving itself, but because of pumpkin seeds. Honestly, the seeds are my favorite part (other than getting to rifle through my kids' candy stash). Roasted pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite snacks.

Thankfully, even though pumpkins aren't around for too long, squash seeds are just as delicious (and often it's far cheaper to purchase squash than pumpkins). If you haven't tried them yet, roast some seeds.

After scooping out your squash, pick out as much "guts" (pollination stems) as possible. Wash the seeds. I don't worry too much about getting them too clean--I figure extra squash on them is just extra nutrients. I only dry them through the colander; I don't worry about them being overly dry (though you can let them dry more if you want). Turn your oven on to 350 degrees (I've seen many different recipes with different temperature settings--I'm often baking the squash at the same time, so I just keep them at the same temperature). Spread the seeds out on a cookie sheet. Spray them with cooking oil. Sprinkle salt and other seasonings on top (chili powder, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, etc.). Roast for about 15 minutes (I'm not positive on the time--just keep an eye on them. When they're turning brown, they're ready.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

I love soups during this time of year. They're usually pretty easy to prepare, typically can be done in a slow cooker and often can be made in bulk and frozen for later use.

I came across a couple pounds of mushrooms recently and found a good use for them online. My wife doesn't normally go for mushrooms, but she enjoyed this soup. Here's my slightly-altered-version of Hungarian Mushroom Soup:

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
• 
  
• Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, Worcestershire and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil.

My kids enjoyed eating it with bread toasted with melted cheese on top. Bread with soup is always a must.

Green Chips (Kale Chips)

This past weekend some friends brought over kale and Swiss chard from their garden. I haven't had much experience with either plant before, but I have come across recipes lately for kale chips and have had friends rave about them. I found that any heavy green can work for the chips (kale, chard, spinach, etc.). If you search for kale chips or chard chips recipes you'll find many of them out there (Weelicious is a good kid-focused recipe website). The basic ones go like this:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove the stems from the kale (or whichever green you're using).
• Cut the kale into chip-sized pieces
• Lightly coat the leaves with oil (or spray them with a cooking spray). I used olive oil, pouring it over the leaves in a bowl. Not knowing how many leaves were in the bowl, I can't exactly tell you how much oil I used either. My advice is not too much (I over coated them, I felt)--just enough to lightly coat each leaf.
• Place the leaves on a cooking sheet in a single layer (if you're using parchment paper underneath you should be able to get by with even less oil).
• If desired, season (some recipes just skip seasoning as the chips will have a decent flavor as they are, others add a light amount of sea salt--you don't need much at all we found, we even tried some Parmesan cheese and garlic salt).
• Bake for about 15 minutes (watch closely--lighter leaves like chard will take less time). As soon as the leaf is crisp, they're done--don't let them get too brown.

We had a neighbor kid over when we tried these last night and they were a hit with all the kids. They really end up just like a chip. It's a good way to sneak a good dose of vitamins into them.

BLT Pizza

I don't like to turn the oven on a lot in the summer--but I had been wanting to try making a BLT pizza, and since some rain brought cooler weather today (and the fact that we had garden tomatoes and I had purchased some bacon), I gave it a try.

I used my pizza crust recipe.
Bake the crust for about 5 minutes (I just put it in the oven while it is preheating to about 400 degrees)

For the "sauce" I used a mayo-based spread:
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. mayo
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
Mix all the above ingredients and spread on the crust.

Then I layered:
1 sliced garden tomato
6 sliced of bacon, crumbled
roughly 2 cups of spinach leaves
mozzarella cheese

Bake at 400 for roughly 15 minutes (until cheese is browned)

*The mayo-spread came from a recipe (Pampered Chef, possibly) that just used tomatoes on top with another cup of mozzarella sprinkled over them. We've used it with a variety of veggies. The kids will often eat a bit of it (though we usually have a second "regular" pizza) that they eat more.

Creamy Asparagus & Mushroom Soup

This is one of those recipes I'm posting for my sake--it turned out well tonight (the boys seldom eat soup, but they ate this--Anders even had thirds!) and my wife prompted me to write it down. I make no promises that your kids will like it, but soup can be a good way to sneak in some veggies. Plus, I love fresh spring-time asparagus.

Creamy Asparagus & Mushroom Soup

4c. chicken stock
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cream cheese/neufchatel
1 T. butter
2c. asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2c. mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion diced


Add chicken stock, cream cheese and spices to a large pot and heat over medium-low heat.
In a sauce pan melt butter on medium-low heat and add the chopped asparagus. After 5-10 minutes add the mushrooms and onion. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Turn burner off and let cool for about 20 minutes.
Laddle about a half cup of the stock into a blender/food processor and add half of the vegetables. Puree well. Return to soup pot. Add another half cup of stock and the rest of the vegetables. Return to soup pot after pureed.
Whisk soup to help cream cheese melt. Let simmer for a while to let flavors blend.
I like to serve with some bread or croutons.

All measurements are guesses. Nothing was measured. So feel free to add more or less of an item as your tastes desire. It could easily take a little more stock and asparagus. This wasn't an overly creamy soup, but it was really good. Just add some more a whole package of cream cheese instead of half.

Giveaway #2! (And Mediterranean Lentils)

Our next giveaway is for a Rold Gold Cookbook. To enter, just post a comment to this post (please make sure you're registered or leave your email so there is a way to connect you if you win). One entry per person, please. I will be choosing the winner using random.org. I encourage you to include one of your favorite recipes using canned tomatoes in your comment. Drawing will close at noon on April 19.

Here's one of our family's (and it's crockpot-based, too!). We first had it at the home of some friends when we lived in British Columbia.

Mediterranean Lentils

2T olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne (more or less as desired)
1 tsp salt
3/4 c lentils
2c vegetable broth or water
1 can (14 oz) crushed/diced tomatoes
1/3 c dried currants (can use raisins, craisins or something similar)
Crumbled feta or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil, adding onions, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft.
Add lentils & broth/water. Stir in tomatoes & currants.
Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 hours (until lentils are tender).
Serve over rice (quinoa could also work). Top with cheese.

We've only ever used raisins as we never have currants on hand. My wife did substitute black olives recently (as our family all loves them) and it worked well. We always use feta on top--it really makes the recipe.


Now, don't forget to post your own recipe (or just say hello) under the comments so you can have a chance to win a cookbook.

Pizza Crust

A made a pizza for a friend of mine who just had a baby. I had offered to make them a meal after the baby was home. They requested pizza--I had made some for them when they were over for supper a while ago. I was told they ate the whole thing; he also requested the recipe. So, while I was typing it out, I thought I'd include it here. Everyone's got their favorite recipe, I know. This one has always turned out delicious, and it's very easy to make.

Easy Pizza Crust


1 1/4 c warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 to 3 1/2 c flour

Stir water, yeast and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add oil and salt after the yeast has activated (about 5 minutes). Add the first 2 cups of flour. Mix. Slowly add more flour until the dough is firm and no longer sticky.

Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough so it is all coated. Cover the bowl (plastic wrap works, I use a glass lid for a saucepan so I can see it rise).

Once the dough has doubled (after an hour or so), divide in half and roll onto a pizza stone (or a backing sheet), sprinkled with corn meal.

My notes: I like to sometimes add paprika, basil, oregano or other spices to the warm water to give the dough added pizazz. I also will use garlic salt instead of table salt. I also sometimes like to make a whole wheat crust (1 1/2 c whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 c white flour).

The key to getting it to turn out well is activating the yeast (using hot enough, but not too hot water) and kneading well. Those can take a little practice, but the effort is worth it.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

My boys don't always eat spaghetti sauce. So I've tried to mix it up with Alfredo sauce on our pasta every once in a while. I came across a recipe with ingredients we have on hand (we're more likely to have cream cheese in the fridge than actual cream).

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 pkg (4oz) cream cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 c milk
3 oz (6 T) Parmesan cheese
dash pepper (1/16 tsp)

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add cream cheese and garlic powder; whisk until smooth.
Add milk gradually, whisking out lumps.
Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Heat until thickened; remove from heat & toss with pasta.

I halved this recipe from the original, but we still end up with leftover sauce when it's just our family eating.

Making Mac & Cheese Edible

Until recently, only my 3-year old would eat Macaroni & Cheese. My 5-year old ate it in Canada (where it's called Kraft Dinner), but he hasn't eaten it since we moved back here almost 2 years ago. I've tried making it a lot of different ways. I came up with a mixture using canned tomatoes that had a bruschetta taste to it, I've tried salsa in it--I just haven't made it with the traditional hot dogs because he doesn't eat those, either.

The way I've managed to get all of us to eat it (even I enjoy it--heck, I'll even eat the leftovers, which leftover Mac & Cheese is usually terrible) is to add corn and broccoli to the water when I put the noodles in. (Some grated carrot could work, as well. I'm also thinking pepperoni, but haven't tried that yet.) Tastes good, plus they get some veggies in their diet.

Beef Noodle Bowl

I just located this recipe in Kraft's Food & Family magazine; it's been a family favorite.

8 oz. linguine
3 c broccoli
3 medium carrots, peeled & sliced
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut in strips
1/4 c zesty Italian dressing
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1 tsp ground ginger

Cook pasta as directed, adding broccoli & carrots during the last 2 minutes of the cooking time Drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.
Stir in dressing, teriyaki and ginger; cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Toss pasta & meat mixtures in a large serving bowl.

For added crunch, top with peanuts.

Kid-Friendly Wraps

I'm all about cheap meals made with things we usually have around the house. We had these wraps for lunch today.

Ingredients:

1 package tortillas (the smaller size ones are better--I end up cutting the full-size ones in half for my kids)
hummus
lunch meat
string cheese
lettuce/spinach
other fillings: shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes (or salsa or spaghetti sauce depending on how messy you want it to be), black olives, sprouts, etc. (the more veggies you can sneak in, the better, in my opinion)

Spread hummus lightly on a tortilla (you could use other things like mayo, of course, but hummus is healthier and adds a nice flavor, plus it holds things together).
Thinly layer veggies on the tortilla.
Wrap lunch meat around the string cheese (you won't need to use a lot of meat, since the humus has protein as well; I also cut the string cheese in half lengthwise).
Lay string cheese & meat on one end of tortilla, then roll it all up. Use a toothpick to keep it together if needed.

My 3-year old ate several bites and then started picking out what he preferred (but most of it was eaten); the 5-year old ate it all. Fill it with what they like, but don't hesitate to sneak in less-flavorful veggies to increase the nutrition in it. There are a lot of flavor options for hummus out there (even at Aldi, where I pick up mine). My kids probably wouldn't eat it on a cracker, but they didn't notice it in the wrap (actually, my 3-year old thought it was peanut butter). It's worth a try if your kids haven't had it before.

Faux Toffee Bars

A friend requested this recipe, so I thought I'd post it here. My boys enjoy helping with it. My youngest likes to line the crackers in the pan. My oldest helps put the butter and brown sugar in the sauce pan and stir. And, obviously, they like to eat the finished by-product. Here's what you need:

Graham crackers (approx. 12)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line graham crackers to fill a cookie sheet.
Melt butter & brown sugar in a saucepan on the stove. Stir until bubbly. Pour over graham crackers. Spread evenly over crackers.
Put cookie sheet in oven. Bake until sugar/butter bubbles (just a few minutes--don't let it go too long).
Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top (won't take the whole bag). Spread melted chips evenly over the graham crackers. Let cool & serve.

Notes: some recipes call for soda crackers instead of graham crackers. Either can be used. Some recipes also call for 3/4 cup of butter and brown sugar. I usually use the 1/2 cup since there's plenty of sugar as it is. They can also be topped with chopped walnuts.

Slow Cooker Turkey Tetrazzini

This was a tasty way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. It was also handy to have another slow cooker recipe.

1 c hot water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c sliced mushrooms (or one can)
1/2 onion, diced
2 c diced cooked turkey
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
2 c broken uncooked spaghetti

In a saucepan, saute the mushrooms and onion with a little butter.
Remove from heat and add the water and soup.
Stir in the turkey, cheese and seasoning (in addition to the parsley, I added some Italian seasoning; the recipe called for a dash of nutmeg). Add broken up spaghetti. Stir to combine and pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until spaghetti is tender. Mix before serving.

I sprinkled grated Parmesan cheese on top a few minutes before it was ready to serve.

If you mix this up the night before, do not add the spaghetti--it will become mushy when cooked.

Peanut Butter Soup

2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T veg oil
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14oz) chicken broth
4 c water
2 large yams, peeled & cubed
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t salt
2 c cooked chicken pieces
1/2 c peanuts, crushed

In a soup pot, saute onions & garlic in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, broth (I used homemade chicken stock), water and yams (I used sweet potatoes).
Cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes or until yams feel soft (smaller pieces will make this happen quicker).
Stir in the peanut butter, cayenne pepper, and salt; cool for 30 minutes.
Puree the soup in a food processor; pour back into the saucepan and warm.
Sprinkle with the chicken and peanuts.

I didn't bother with putting chicken on top, since there was protein in the peanuts. My Ghanaian friends serve it over soft rice balls--but their recipes are slightly different, too (maybe some of you can post some in the comments?). It wasn't as big a hit with our boys, who are big peanut butter fans, but we loved it & will try it with them again.

Side note: There is a difference between sweet potatoes and yams. They're not related. Yams are tubers like potatoes; sweet potatoes are roots like carrots. But yams are pretty rare in the US--though some sweet potatoes are labeled as yams.

Here's the Library of Congress's explanation: "In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties."

Tater Tot Casserole

I suppose I should call it "Hot Dish" since we're in Minnesota, but this is a family favorite.

1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion (or more depending on taste)
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 carrot
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (can also substitute another cr. of mushroom or celery)
1/2 can water
1 pkg cheese
1 pkg. tater tots

Preheat oven to 350. Brown hamburger and onion in saucepan. Grate carrot (again, my secret for sneaking more vitamins in the dish. Mix with corn, beans, both cans of soup and water in bowl. Combine everything into a 9x13in baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top (I like a mix of Velveeta & cheddar, any kind could be used; use amount desired--I just make sure there's a thin layer over everything). Over everything place rows of tater tots (or if you're not so into tedious work, just throw them over top so they cover everything). Cook at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Variations: Use any sort of vegetables: peas, parsnips and rutabagas have all been used in our house at one point or another.