Garden Vegetable Soup

When I am having an especially busy week and late afternoon meetings or a heavy work load coupled with my commute have me walking in the front door around the same time I am usually trying to get dinner on the table, it's easy to moan and groan and resort to sub-sandwiches and a salad, or prepared or processed foods. Something quick and easy to get on the table and call it 'good enough'.

But really I know it's not.

Last week was one of those weeks and when I walked in the door on Thursday night at 6:00 pm, the last thing I wanted to do was make dinner. However, my body was craving red peppers. No sandwiches, no frozen entree's, not even chicken or meats. I wanted fresh vegetables... and I wanted something hot and filling. I really, really wanted my homemade soup.

Although the thought of making a homemade soup seems daunting at first, once you make the decision however, it goes quickly and you can have a hot, healthy soup on the table within 15-20 minutes. Why does it seem like so much more work than it is!? It goes so quickly and we always feel so good after eating it!

Garden Vegetable Soup it was. 20 minutes later my husband and both our teenagers exclaimed how happy they were to see soup on the menu. My 14 year old said her body was craving vegetables and this soup was exactly what she wanted. When you make it, use what vegetables you have on hand. If you have other veggies like leeks or 1/2 c spinach, feel free to throw it in. Your family doesn't like jalapeno's? Leave them out. Play with it and make it yours!


Garden Vegetable Soup

4 T butter
1/2 c water
2 small jalapenos, chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 lg. carrot, chopped or grated
1 lg. green pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 c chicken broth
3 T flour
2 c heavy cream or half and half (or use milk in a pinch, it just won't be as thick or rich)
1-2 c cheese (cheddar, smoked, even Velveeta... use what you have on hand for different flavors each time)

In a saucepan melt 2 T butter Add about 1/2 cup water. Cook onion, carrot and peppers over medium heat until tender. Remove all from saucepan. Melt 2 T butter, whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes while whisking. Gradually add the broth and cream. Whisk smooth, increase heat and just as it wants to boil, reduce heat immediately. Add the mixture of cheeses and the cooked veggies. Let simmer and heat about 10 minutes. Serve!

Meltaway "Ocean" Cookies

When I decided to go back to work after being home full time as a wife and Mom,  I actually fell into my first job in our new city by word-of-mouth from the Welcome Wagon lady that I called to visit my home to tell me about the area.

That was just two weeks after we had moved to this city and state and although I was just working part time then, five years later I am at a different job and working full time hours. This really puts a damper on some of my baking and cooking, but once in a while (usually on a weekend) I get the urge to bake and I have to rearrange my schedule and give into that urge.

These cookies were one of those urges.

With vacation, ocean, sun, sand and surf on the mind, I used 3 recipes condensed into one and made up what I called "Ocean Cookies". The melt-away base reminds me of the sand castles we build on the beach. I tinted the frosting turquoise to represent the ocean water. Biting into one is like taking my own little vacation to the beach instead of being surrounded with deep drifts of snow and icy roads.

Ocean 'Meltaway' Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 T almond flavoring (I used sugar free almond syrup flavoring)
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 t salt
1 recipe for a basic icing or frosting

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix butter, sugar & vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on ungreased sheet. Use your finger/thumb or the handle of a wooden spoon to make impressions into each cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes until they are just barely starting to turn golden on the edge. Let cool for about 3 minutes and fill with a simple icing recipe. It will melt from the cookie heat to 'pool' into the indentation and then cool smooth.

Marinated Beef Tenderloin

In our household we love to grill. It would be easier to enjoy this form of cooking year round if we still lived in California or Tennessee, but alas - we live in the heartland of America where winter can last 7 months of the year and snow drifts of almost 20 feet line our country roads.

That doesn't mean we don't grill though!

This morning I have a quick and simple marinade that goes great with a beef tenderloin, but can be used for almost any cut of beef. Hopefully you live in a part of the country where you can enjoy it this week without having to don a parka to do your grilling.




Marinated Beef Tenderloin

2 (16-ounce) bottles zesty Italian dressing
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c Burgundy or other dry red wine
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t lemon pepper
1 (5- to 6-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed

Stir together first 5 ingredients, and pour into a large shallow dish or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add tenderloin. Cover or seal, and chill 8 hours, turning meat occasionally. Remove tenderloin from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) turning occasionally for about 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to medium-low heat (less than 300°); grill, covered with grill lid, 10-15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. If grilling is not an option, you can place the beef in a shallow roasting pan and bake at 450° for 30 to 40 minutes.

Potato Appetizers with Smoked Salmon

The recipe is one of many I saved 'online' for quick reference. Potato Appetizers with Smoked Salmon. I think these would be absolutely perfect for an Easter gathering!

Potato Appetizers with Smoked Salmon

1 1/2 pounds large russet potatoes
1/4 c thinly sliced smoked salmon (2 oz.), plus a small amount for garnish
1 T grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 t salt
black pepper to taste
parsley leaves for garnish

In a large saucepan, bring unpeeled potatoes and enough cold water to cover to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer potatoes until just cooked, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, let cool and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold.

Pulse the smoked salmon and lemon peel in a food processor, scraping down bowl. Add sour cream and process until combined. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease 32 mini-muffin-tin cups. Peel and coarsely grate potatoes. Gently toss potatoes with salt and pepper in a bowl. Place about 1 heaping Tbsp. potato mixture into each muffin cup and press against bottom and up sides, allowing some mixture to extend above rim. (Do not spread mixture too thin or holes will form while baking.)

Bake potato bowls until edges are dark golden, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the bite sized potato bowls from pans and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to set for up to 4 hours at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place potato nests on a clean, large baking sheet and bake until heated through and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer potato nests to a platter. Using a small spoon, dollop about 1 tsp. sour cream mixture into each potato nest and top each with a tiny strip of smoked salmon and, if desired, a parsley leaf. Serve immediately.

Apple Iced Tea

Our hearts however, are forever in the South and during the long winter months, I remember life in Tennessee and take joy in some of my recipes from 'The South', like this one from Southern Living for Apple Iced Tea.

Apple Iced Tea

3 cups boiling water
4 cinnamon-apple tea bags
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (6-ounce) can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
2 cups cold water

Pour 3 cups boiling water over tea bags; cover and steep 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar, juice, and 2 cups cold water. Serve over ice.