Curried Carrot Soup

This soup doesn't make sense. I don't know why it is so good! It's basically just carrots and broth pureed together, but something about this particular combination is magic. This soup is delicious and very healthy! Tip: Don't go crazy trying to chop your onions and carrots uniformly as they will just get pureed in the end.

Curried Carrot Soup
Source: Every Day Food's Great Food Fast
2 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 t. curry powder
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 cans (or 29 oz total) chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
optional garnish- chopped cilantro (I used a little basmati rice)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrots and 3 c. water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat , cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in blender. *Only fill blender about half full since you are working with hot liquid.  Allow heat to escape by opening the hole in the lid and covering it with a towel. This will prevent hot liquid from splattering. Stir in lemon juice and garnish.


Greta and Miles rating; Miles wasn't a huge fan, but when Greta tasted it she said she was going to eat the whole pot full of soup!

Baby Bella Pizza

Don't you just love recipes that are happy accidents? A few weeks ago, I gathered all the ingredients to make this recipe for Shaved Asparagus Pizza. When I went to make it, I realized that there were some nasty mold spots on my asparagus. Insert plan B--- We had some leftover baby bella mushrooms from my daughter's most requested meal, Mushroom Risotto. I substituted mushrooms for the asparagus and the result was fantastic! This is an easy, quick meal that is delicious and has mass appeal.

Baby Bella Pizza
Adapted from: Annie's Eats

1 homemade (or good quality) pizza crust
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and Pepper
5 oz. Boursin Garlic and Herb spreadable cheese
5 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
2/3 c. Parmesan, shredded

Roll pizza crust out and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, crumble Boursin Cheese over top of crust (like you would with feta). Top with sliced mushrooms and Parmesan. Season again with fresh black pepper. Bake at 450 for 10-13 minutes.

Asian Coleslaw

This is a recipe that my sister made for us in Switzerland. As soon as I took a bite, I knew that my husband would LOVE it! Joe is a huge peanut butter sauce fan. I really do not care for traditional coleslaw, but this is fantastic. My hubby said that sunflower seeds would have been a great addition, and you know what- he is right! I will add them next time for sure. My sister served this side dish with some delicious spicy chicken burgers. I served it over a maple-soy marinated steak.

Asian Coleslaw
dressing:
3 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T. vegetable oil
3 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. soy sauce
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. minced garlic
splash of fish sauce


slaw:
3 c. coleslaw mix
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. shredded purple cabbage
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, chopped
*1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional, I didn't use- my husband is allergic)


Combine dressing ingredients and whisk. Combine slaw ingredients. Toss in dressing right before serving.

Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce

Ok. This is a really, really good recipe. I would be very pleased to be served this dish in a restaurant. I can not believe how simple it is. This would be the perfect dinner to serve to last minute dinner guests. It is elegant and packed with flavor, but extremely simple to make. Oh, and did I mention that I don't even like mustard?? :)

Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce
Source: Fresh Food Fast

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. Olive oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. dried tarragon

Season each chicken breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.Add chicken and saute until cooked completely- 10-12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to plate and keep warm.

Pour the wine into hot skillet and cook stirring until reduced (about 1 minute). Whisk in cream, mustard and tarragon. Cook, whisking about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Right before serving drizzle sauce over chicken.

Greta and Miles rating: (5 year old and 3 year old) They could not eat this fast enough!

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart

This recipe is simple and impressive. It is elegant, yet easy enough to throw in the oven at a moment's notice. Nothing says spring like asparagus and our family could not get enough of this dish. While this may not be the most healthy thing you'll eat all week, I guarantee it will be one of the best!

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart
Source: Martha Stewart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 lb. asparagus, cleaned and rough edges trimmed
11/2 c. Gruyere, shredded
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll pastry dough into a 16x10" rectangle. With sharp knife, score dough 1" in from outside and using a fork prick the dough every 1/2".

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheese, top with asparagus, alternating end and tip. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.
Greta and Miles rating: They loved this and we actually ran out. I think they would have ate an additional 2 pieces. Best way I've found to get Miles to eat asparagus.

Skillet Lasagna

The fabulous Joelen strikes again! My lasagna hating husband loves this lasagna. I just love how little effort this dish requires. It's also a little more interesting than your run of the mill lasagna. I have made a few changes to the original. This is how we like lasagna at our house...

Skillet Lasagna
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 t. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 lb. ground turkey
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (dry and broken into 2" pieces)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded- plus additional for garnish
1 c. ricotta cheese
3 T. chopped basil

Pour undrained diced tomatoes  into 1-qt. liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 qt..  Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 t. salt. Cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey (beef or sausage would work as well) and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink.

Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low.Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20-22 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Season with additional salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta, cover, and let stand off heat for 5 minutes. Garnish with basil and additional Parmesan.

Greta and Miles rating: OK, so my kids really do not care for red sauces. They did OK with this one.

Best French Dip

The best French dip I've ever had! I found this recipe a few weeks ago on Joelen's blog. I've since made this recipe THREE times! Throw everything into a crock pot and when the meat is ready, just grill up some buns. FABULOUS.

Best French Dip
4 lb. Chuck Roast
1 c. soy sauce
6 c. water
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. minced garlic
3 bay leaves

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot set to low setting. Cook at least 4 hours (or until meat is done) but the longer, the better! Serve on grilled buns with au jus. Serves 10.

Greta and Miles rating: They are normally not big fans of red meat and they adored this!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I adore recipes like this! You know, recipes that have simple ingredients, but some how it comes together to make something divine! I heard raves about this recipe from some friends and when I read the ingredient list, I thought, "hmmm...can't be that good, can it?" Oh, yes it can! The best part is that this recipe is super quick. The original recipe is from Kraft foods website. I've made a few changes as noted below. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

6 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cut into bite sized pieces
1 t. oil
1 T. taco seasoning

4 C. low sodium chicken broth
1 C. salsa
1 C. frozen corn
*1 C. beans (I used black beans and pintos) optional
1 C. shredded cheddar

Cut tortillas into strips. Toss in a little oil and salt well. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy. Stirring every 3 minutes or so. Remove from oven and set aside.
 
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in taco seasoning until completely cooked. Combine remaining ingredients (except cheese) in soup pot and cook until hot. Serve with cheese, greek yogurt (or sour cream), avocado slices, or scallions. Top each bowl with tortilla strips.


Greta and Miles rating: They LOVE this. As with all soups, they are not crazy about the broth, so I just strain most of the broth from their bowls.

Brothy Chinese Noodles

I was recently fortunate enough to get to visit my sister in Switzerland! She is a fabulous cook! I promise to share some of the wonderful meals she made for us. This is a recipe she prepared for us that came from the EatingWell website. If you have not visited this site, it is a must! It is one of the few websites with healthy food that are actually tastes good! My sister substituted ground chicken for the ground turkey. I've made it both ways and the chicken is the best! Thanks, Jill for this recipe :)

Brothy Chinese Noodles
2 T. sesame oil
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 C. chopped onion (or scallions)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
8 oz. dried Chinese noodles
4 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. water
4 C. thinly sliced bok choy
3 T. soy sauce (I used Bragg's Aminos)
1 T. rice vinegar

Heat 1 T. oil over medium heat. Add chicken, onions, garlic and ginger. Cook until no longer pink and transfer to plate. Add noodles, broth, water, bok choy, soy sauce, vinegar and 1 T. of oil to pot. Cook, stirring until noodles are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Return chicken mixture to pot and serve.

Greta and Miles rating: The whole family loved this comfort dish!

Mushroom and Pecorino Tarts

Here is another hit recipe from the cookbook Fresh Flavor Fast. Puff Pastry and I don't have the best history. What I mean to say is that I absolutely LOVE the taste of puff pastry, but my previous attempts working with it have not been the most successful or attractive feats. This meal was quick and incredibly delicious. These would be great made into miniatures for an appetizer as well. The only change I made from the original recipe is the amount of mushrooms used. The original calls for 1 1/4 lbs. of mushrooms, and I used an 8 oz. package and even had extra.

Mushroom and Pecorino Tarts
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (mine took about 45 minutes)
1 T. olive oil
8 oz. fresh mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, button) thinly sliced
3/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 T. fresh chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Roll puff pastry out and cut into 4 equal squares. Score each square, leaving a 1" border and pierce the dough inside the border using a fork. (see example below). Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Bake until golden, turning sheet halfway through. About 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile in medium-high skillet heat oil. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender 6-8 minutes.

Sprinkle 1/2 c. of the cheese evenly over the center of the 4 squares. Top with mushrooms and remaining cheese. Return to oven until lightly browned. Sprinkle with chives to serve.

 

Greta and Miles rating: They both loved this and ate every last bite! Greta even ate some of my extra sauteed mushrooms.

Chicken Salad with Curry

On our vacation to Wyoming, we ate at a lovely cafe called "Lollipops". It was so good that we actually ended up eating there on three different occasions. And on each of those three occasions, Joe and I both ordered the Chicken Salad with Curry. It was that good! Naturally, I had to come up with my own copy cat recipe.  Here it is~
Chicken Salad with Curry
3 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/3 c. onion, finely diced
1/2 t. onion salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 c. mayo (I like the olive oil mayo)
Curry powder for sprinkling
4 large croissants
4 romaine leaves
Combine chicken, nuts, celery, onion, onion salt, garlic powder and mayo in bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve, generously fill croissants with chicken mixture, sprinkle with curry powder and top with one romaine leaf.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

I don't like meatloaf. I don't like meatloaf. I don't like meatloaf. I've never liked meatloaf...not the singer and definitely not the food. But this meatloaf I do like! I found the recipe on Running Mama Cooks. The only change I made was to use turkey in the place of beef and of course extra cheese! This recipe will not disappoint!

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 t. dried thyme
2/3 c. french's fried onions, plus more for topping
3/4 c. provolone, cubed
1 pkg. french onion soup mix
1/2 c. ketchup, divided

Saute onion over medium heat in olive oil until carmelized, about 5-7 minutes. Mix onion, turkey, egg, thyme, french's onions, onion soup mix, cheese and 1/4 c. ketchup and spoon into greased muffin tins. Top with remaining 1/4 c. ketchup and sprinkle with more french's onions. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and uncovered for the final 5 minutes.

Mexican Flat bread Pizza

Well, folks, we have a new family favorite. This meal is quick and easy and we LOVE it! If you are in a real hurry, you can prepare and refrigerate the beans and meat. I have made a few changes from the original recipe. These are great served with salsa and sour cream.

Mexican Flat bread Pizza
1 lb. ground turkey
1 pkg. taco seasoning (I use homemade)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. salsa

8 oz. Colby-jack cheese, shredded
1 pkg. Grands biscuits

Salsa and sour cream for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Brown turkey in skillet, and add taco seasoning as directed on package. Meanwhile combine beans and salsa in blender or food processor and blend. Roll biscuits on floured surface until they are about 1/4" in thickness. Bake for about 5 minutes until just turning golden. Remove from oven. Spread each with bean mixture, sprinkle with meat and cheese. Return to oven for about 3 minutes. Serve!
Greta and Miles rating: They both love this and usually eat an entire pizza each!

Adapted from This recipe.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

I love tilapia. It is cheap. It is good for you. And it is delicious! We make this recipe often. This is definitely a "melt in your mouth" good recipe. The amazing thing is that one serving is only 203 calories! I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. I usually serve this with rice or couscous and last time I served it with roasted sugar snap peas. Yum!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 T. mayo
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. dried basil
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. onion powder
1/8 t. sea salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler. In small bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Broil fish 2-3 min. on one side, flip. Broil another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and brush topping on the filets. Broil another 2-3 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden.

Greta and Miles rating: Both my 2 year old and 4 year old LOVE this dish.

Cheeseburger Bread

I think this could be more accurately described as a Cheeseburger Calzone, but either way- this is an easy delicious dish! The original recipe calls for premade pizza dough, but I made mine from scratch. This is a fun recipe that would be great to serve to dinner guests that might be a little less adventurous :) I used ground turkey, and it was fabulous!

Cheeseburger Bread
1 lb. ball of pizza dough
1 lb. ground turkey
Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 kosher dill pickle, chopped into small pieces
ketchup and mustard, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Brown ground turkey with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Drain. Stir in cheese and pickles; stir until well mixed.

Roll dough ball into a big rectangle. Spread the dough with ketchup and mustard (I skipped mustard). Put meat mixture in the middle of dough. Roll to make a loaf pinching edges to make a seam. Bake for 15-20 or until dough starts to brown.

Greta and Miles rating: They thought this was awesome!

Tom Kha Kai Soup

The photo, not so interesting...the flavor of this soup, WOW! You must try this! The original recipe calls for 1 c. cooked chicken and mushrooms- I substituted these for a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. There are so many amazing flavors going on in this soup. I've used both lemon and lime juice successfully. Try this--you will not regret it!

Thai Coconut Soup

3 c. chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 pkg. frozen stir fry vegetables
1 1/2 T. lime (or lemon) juice
1 T. fish sauce
2 T. Thai chili paste
3 T. brown sugar

Combine chicken broth, coconut milk and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Add veggies, lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce and chile paste and stir until veggies are cooked through. Serve.
Greta and Miles rating: This was too spicy for the kiddos. Next time I will try halving the chili paste and let them try it.

Blackberry Glazed Salmon

fast. easy. healthy.
Here is a recipe for an elegant dinner that is ready from start to finish in literally 15 minutes.

Blackberry Glazed Salmon
4- Salmon steaks
2 T. blackberry jam (I like habenero blackberry jam!)
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Preheat broiler. Mix jam, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic in bowl. Spoon glaze over salmon and broil for approximately 10 minutes (depending on thickness of steaks) until the meat flakes and is no longer translucent. Voila!

Sweet Potato Fries

This is one of my favorite side dishes. I don't even like French fries, but sweet potato fries are another story! This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe. The dipping sauce goes very well with the fries and also works perfectly on my open faced salmon sandwiches!

SWEET POTATO FRIES
3-5 Sweet potatoes, cut into 1x5" fries
3 T. olive oil
2 T. chopped fresh basil
2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

GARLIC MAYO DIPPING SAUCE
3/4 mayonnaise
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400.
Place the sweet potato fries on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. I like to place the fries on a cooling rack on the baking sheet to keep the fries from sticking to the sheet. Bake until golden, about 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

Cheesecake Won Ton Cups

I love short cuts. Especially when you can NOT tell that a short cut has been made! This is a recipe from my friend Stefanie. I have had these on several occasions and each time, everyone RAVES about them! This is one of the recipes that I made for my sister's bridal shower last weekend. Enjoy!

Cheesecake Won ton Cups

1 pkg. won ton wrappers
1 container Philadelphia cheesecake filling (premade, and at your grocery store by the cream cheese)
1 jar lemon curd (fancy jam or pie filling would even work)
whipped cream (the kind in a can works best)

fresh raspberries (blackberries would be terrific, too)
Using a mini-cupcake pan, press wonton wrappers into pan. Spray lightly with PAM (I used olive oil spray). Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake at 350 for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
Fill cooled shells with about 1 t. of cheesecake filling, 1 t. lemon curd. Top with whipped cream and place one single raspberry on top. Garnish by sifting confectioner's sugar over just before serving.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

I am working my way through the cook book, Everyday Italian, by Giada DeLaureniis. This recipe was great because it was all ingredients most people will have on hand. This would be great alone, on salad greens or even in a wrap or sandwich.

White Bean and Tuna Salad
2 (6 oz.) cans tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 T. red wine vinegar
*optional-grape tomatoes and fresh basil leaves

Combine ingredients in bowl and serve!

Greta and Miles rating: They both really liked this.