Champagne Risotto

As part of an early Valentine's Day dinner, I chose to make this recipe with my other recipe, Champagne Chicken, to have a whole Champagne-themed meal.  I've never made risotto before and my husband had never eaten risotto before, so this was a slight risk...we both really enjoyed this and I will make it again!  It had very creamy, rich flavor and was very delicious, though slightly tedious in the adding/stirring/etc...

Champagne Risotto
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 12 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 3/4 cup Champagne
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken stock for 2 minutes. 
• Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken stock at a low simmer.
• In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. 
• Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. 
• Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. 
• Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. 
• Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. 
• Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. 
• Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. 
• Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto. Serve immediately.

Pastor Ryan's Pan-Seared Mushrooms

What goes better with a great steak than sauteed mushrooms?  Not much, aside from a big glass of wine....  I had this recipe for sauteed mushrooms starred in my Google Reader for quite some time and am so glad I finally made this one!

Pastor Ryan's Pan-Seared Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Pastor Ryan via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbs. butter
  
• 2 shallots, chopped finely

Directions

• Place a stainless steel pan or an enameled cast iron pan/dutch oven on stove over very high heat.
• Add vegetable oil & heat until almost smoking.
• Add mushrooms & let them sit for a minute or two.
• Stir & add salt.
• Let sit again, you want to form a crust on the mushrooms.
• At this point, I noticed that my mushrooms released a LOT of liquid...so I just kept cooking/stirring until the liquid reabsorbed/evaporated.
• Then add the butter, shallots & pepper.
• Stir & cook until shallots are soft.
• Serve over steak, in a side dish or even as a side dish on their own.
  

Mushroom Garlic Orzo

What side dish goes well with Eggplant?  After thinking about that while I picked up some other groceries, I decided to make a new side dish I had never made before...or even worked with!  Orzo pasta.  I had it before in salads and in restaurants, but I had never made it at home.  No time like the present!   I felt that a few simple additions would make that pasta more flavorful and I sure was right, it turned out delicious, was really easy and looked beautiful, I will be making this dish again when we have company!

Mushroom Garlic Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 c. orzo pasta
• 1 tbs. butter
• 1 c. mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tbs. olive oil

Directions

• Boil water and cook orzo pasta as directed.
• In a separate non-stick pan, melt butter and add chopped mushrooms.
• Cook mushrooms until soft and add garlic, mixing well.
• Drain pasta and return to pot.
• Add mushroom mixture to pasta, then add salt, pepper, parsley and olive oil, stirring well to mix.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Happy first day of fall!  Though these aren't made with typical fall ingredients, you have to try them!  These turned out so wonderfully, I will definitely make these again in the future!  Each bite was so flavorful and was full of a Spinach & Artichoke Dip-type filling.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Buns

Filling

• 3/4 c. chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 c. drained chopped artichoke hearts
• 2 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
  
• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
• In a bowl, combine spinach, artichoke, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese and all seasonings.  Mix well to combine.
• In a seperate bowl, combine turkey, breadcrumbs and seasonings.  Mix well with your hands.
• Form turkey into 4 equal parts.  Then divide each of the 4 parts in half.
• With each half, flatten into a thin patty.  Lay on cutting board, take a large spoon of the filling and place in the middle of the first patty.  With the second half, flatten into a patty and lay on top of the filling, crimping the edges together, then pick up the patty and press all around the sides to trap in the filling.
• Repeat with other 3 burgers.
• Lay burgers into hot skillet, cooking for 10-12 minutes on first side, then flip and cook and additional 10-12 minutes until cooked completely through.
• Serve on your favorite bun and enjoy!
  

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Casserole

I am convinced there is no good or flattering way to photograph a casserole!

My husband has made this recipe several times in the past for dinner. It's easy, quick and very tasty. My mom made something similar to this when I was growing up, Chicken Divan, and I always looked forward to whenever she made it.

I made a few tweaks to the recipe, as I was out of mayo and I like it a little "saucier" and with more curry flavor...and of course, most dishes in this house have garlic added, regardless if the recipe calls for it or not.

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients

• 2 c. chicken, cooked and cut up
• 10 oz. fresh broccoli florets
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 can milk
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. black pepper
  
• 8 oz. sharp cheese, grated

Directions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put broccoli on bottom of casserole dish; put cut up chicken over broccoli.
• Put next 6 ingredients plus 5 ounces of cheese in bowl, spoon & spread over chicken.
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole. Heat until hot & bubbly, around 1/2 hour.
• Place under broiler until golden on top.

Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

As the summer flies by, our patio garden is just flourishing. While we're still waiting for our tomatoes to ripen, our jalapenos are getting along just fine...we've picked 4 so far and the rest are just growing more every day. Though I don't like a ton of heat, one thing I love is Jalapeno Poppers, but didn't want to drag out the fryer or the hassle of breading them, so I whipped up a filling and baked them. They turned out great! The heat really mellowed out and the filling was delicious.

Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

Ingredients

• 4 jalapenos, sliced in half, ribs and seeds removed
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
• Cut a very thin strip off the back of each jalapeno half so they will sit flat on the baking sheet.
• Mix the last 5 ingredients together until well combined.
• Spoon mixture to fill each jalapeno half & lay onto baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until jalapenos are just tender & the filling is bubbling & brown on top.

Makes 8.

Mushroom Broccoli Mac & Cheese

When grocery shopping calls and I'm not feeling like running out after work, I scour the fridge and cupboards to see what I can whip up that is tasty and easy...hence this dish came to be. I found macaroni, a bag of cheese, mushrooms and broccoli that both were needing to be used up. The results turned out great, the mushrooms and broccoli kicked up your every day mac & cheese, giving it great flavor and texture.

Mushroom Broccoli Mac & Cheese
Recipe courtesy of me

Ingredients

• 1 c. dried macaroni
• 2 c. fresh broccoli florets
• 1 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped in large dice
• 4 tbs. butter
• 4 tbs. flour
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium low heat.
• Add mushrooms and saute until just slightly softened.
• Add flour 1 tbs. at a time and stir to combine with mushrooms, cooking off the raw flour taste for about 2-3 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk while stirring. Turn heat up to medium high & let it come to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
• Turn heat back down to low & add in cheese, salt, pepper & garlic powder, stirring to incorporate & melt the cheese.
• Boil macaroni for the directed amount of time on the package & when there is about 3 minutes left, add the broccoli in with the macaroni to cook the broccoli at the same time.
• Drain the broccoli & macaroni in a colander & then add into the cheese sauce, mixing to coat.
• Serve & enjoy as a side or a main dish!

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

I had my parents over for a nice dinner today of Lasagna Rolls, Pillow Soft Dinner Rolls & cheesecake with strawberries for dessert. Inviting them over early in the day, I wanted to provide a little appetizer for everyone to snack on before dinner. I found some button mushrooms on sale at our local grocery store & picked up a few packages. I am slightly obsessed with Feta cheese lately & since the Lasagna Rolls had spinach in them, I had a lot left over, so these fit the bill perfectly!

A little tricky to "stuff", they might have worked better with larger portobello mushrooms, however, they tasted so good, they were gone in no time...even my mom, who isn't a Feta fan, thought they were delicious.

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Food Geeks

Ingredients

• 15 to 18 mushrooms, depending on size
• 1 bunch fresh spinach-stems removed, washed well & chopped
• 4 oz. feta cheese
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stem mushrooms & place cup up on a cookie sheet. Blanch spinach 1 minute in boiling water & plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out all water. Crumble feta and mix with spinach and remaining ingredients.Stuff mushrooms & bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Dinner Spanakopita

I had a small bag of spinach needing to be used & I've been eating Feta like it's going to be pulled from the shelves any day...don't ask me why, I've been on a major Feta kick & this little recipe popped into my head. I cracked open my Back to Basics cookbook I scored at TJ Maxx and trusted Ina with her recipe for a good spinach pie...she sure did deliver! My husband took one bite & told me that this was the best spinach pie he's EVER had....then ate 2 more of them! I'll be making this again for sure. Just forgive my bad filo dough folding....it tasted good, that's all that matters.

Dinner Spanakopita
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Makes approximately 6 dinner-sized strudels

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts - I omitted
  
• 24 sheets frozen filo dough, defrosted
• Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling
• I added 2 cloves minced garlic to the onion sautee mixture
  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp. bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place on sheet of filo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of filo dough on top of the first, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of filo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers on top of each other this way brushing each with olive oil and sprinkling each with bread crumbs.

Cut the sheets of filo in thirds lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the filo up diagonally as if folding a flag. They fold the triangle of filo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed. Place each finished strudel, seam side down, on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.

Continue assembling filo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling or all of the sheets have been used. Sprinkle sea salt over the finished strudels and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

A fantastic way to eat your veggies...

OK, I'll warn you right now, this is NOT the healthiest vegetable dish...pretty much far from it, but man did it taste great. It is a Paula Deen recipe, so hold on to your butter!

I didn't necessarily want her version of the dipping sauce, so I used Guy Fieri's recipe for a Garlic Aioli - was that ever a hit....Paul & I love going to Carrabba's & getting their Zucchini Fries & Dipping Sauce - this was as close to that dipping sauce as I have ever gotten, it was zesty, garlicky & wonderful!

I paired this with pan cooked chicken.

Beer Battered Asparagus
Recipe courtesy of David Tutera/Paula's Party/Food Network.com

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup beer
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, salt, pepper lemon & zest in a bowl. Add beer & whisk ingredients until smooth. Dip asparagus in batter to coat. Remove excess batter before frying. Gently transfer battered asparagus to oil & fry until golden. Stir gently to prevent asparagus from sticking together.

Transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with paper towels & keep warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven.

Garlic Aioli
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri/Food Network.com

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zested
• 4 tablespoons finely minced garlic - I pressed 4 cloves
  
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients well. (I just whisked everything together) Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Roasted Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

Paul's favorite veggie these days is roasted broccoli - hands down. It's like his crack. ha ha
He saw the pan of broccoli sitting on the counter and got positively giddy! I said it would be a little different this time and tossed the roasted broccoli and roasted garlic in with some angel hair pasta and added Alfredo sauce to make a quick weeknight comforting meal.

Paul loved it and though I would never make this ALL the time, it was a much needed dose of comfort food after a rough work day.

Roasted Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 head of fresh broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• Pasta of your choice, we like angel hair
• Salt
• Pepper
• Alfredo Sauce, recipe found *HERE* (you could use jarred...nah, just make it!)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the broccoli florets, garlic, olive oil, some salt & pepper to season and place mixture on a sheet pan. Roast for 12-15 min. until golden brown edges appear.

MEANWHILE, start your pasta water and cook as directed and make your Alfredo sauce, which takes about 15-20 minutes, so if you start it prior to putting the broccoli in, it will all be done at the same time.

Drain pasta, put back into pot, add the roasted broccoli and pour Alfredo sauce over, mix well and plate up! Enjoy!

Lebanese Feast!

I had a craving for some Lebanese food today....mmmm...falafel, garlic dip, hummous, pita bread! Sounded so good to me. I had never made the falafel or garlic dip (Toum) before....the falafel turned out great, the Toum, not so great....I know what I did wrong, so it will be MUCH less watery next time...the flavor was great (GARLIC!! AND LOTS OF IT..my mouth was burning at one point!) but the texture needs some improvement. Next time!

Falafel (Chickpea Fritters)
Recipe courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, Oct. 2007

The chickpeas in this recipe must be soaked overnight; you can not substitute canned beans or quick-soaked chickpeas because their texture will result in soggy falafel. A wire spider comes in handy here when cooking the falafel. Serve the falafel in lavash or pita bread with lettuce, pickled vegetables, and chopped tomatoes or cucumbers, or as an hors d’oeuvres with the tahini sauce as a dip.

This recipe was published in our cookbook The Best International Recipe.

Ingredients

6 ounces dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
5 scallions, coarse chopped
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. For the falafel: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Drain the chickpeas, discarding the soaking liquid. Process all of the ingredients except for the oil in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed. Form the mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized disks, about 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch wide, and arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (The falafel can be refrigerated at this point for up to 2 hours.)

2. Heat the oil in a 5-quart large Dutch over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fat thermometer onto the side of the pan.) Fry half of the falafel, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain 375 degrees, until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon or wire spider and keep warm in the oven. Return the oil to 375 degrees and repeat with the remaining falafel. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Toum - Lebanese Garlic Dip
Recipe courtesy of Virundhu

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, smashed and then peeled
1/4 cup oil, (more or less). I used Olive Oil.
salt, as per taste
1 lemon, juiced

Directions

This recipe does not come with correct measurements. Cooks from the Indian sub-continent are quite familiar with these words. Most of our recipes does not have exact measurements. It’s not like baking a cake. Each cook has his/her own way with the spices. Remember that when gathering ingredients for this recipe. Be a bit more generous. But, dont be suprised if you don’t get to use up all ingredients.

Traditionally, a mortor and wooden pestle were used to make Toum. Read the wikibook recipe. But modern cooks use a Blender. You need a blender and not a food-processor.

First, blend garlic and salt to a nice paste.

Add olive oil in small amounts and blend for a few seconds. for every two time you add the olive oil, add half a teaspoon full of lemon juice and blend away. Mind you, the blender should run only for a few seconds each time.

As you keep alternating between the olive oil and lemon juice, a nice white cloud would start to form. Keep building on it to reach the amount you need.

Taste and add salt if you want.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

My aunt Darlene had made this for past family gatherings and I hadn't had it in so long, I decided that this would be a perfect side dish for the ham dinner I was making for my in-laws who were coming over. Just as I remembered it! I doubled the below recipe and it made a 9x13 pan full.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Recipe courtesy of my Aunt Darlene
Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Minute Rice
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 small jar of Cheez-Whiz

Directions

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, transfer to a baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp

Paul and I love this recipe for roasted broccoli that I found on Amateur Gourmet. I just love Adam's blog, I think he has a fabulous sense of humor and his recipes are great as well. This is another winner...simple and filling, I served this over rice. An easy and quick weeknight meal! I love those.

Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp
Recipe courtesy of Adam at Amateur Gourmet

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. broccoli florets
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds (I omitted)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder (I used paprika)

• 1 lb. peeled & deveined shrimp
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

• Heat the oven to 425.
• On a large baking sheet, toss together 2 pounds of broccoli cut up into florets, 2 tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 tsp. ground), 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp. ground), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper & 1/8th tsp. hot chili powder (I used paprika). Spread into a single layer & put in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss together one pound large shrimp, shelled & deveined, with 2 tbs. olive oil, lemon zest from one lemon, 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. pepper in a bowl. When the broccoli's been in the oven 10 minutes, add the shrimp to the broccoli and toss.
• Roast another 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the broccoli is tender & browned.
  
• Serve in a big bowl of rice & squeeze some lemon on top...& I added Parmesan.

Creamy Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe is a Shawna original...I try lots of ways to change up the typical stuffed mushroom recipe and these were flavorful, creamy and delicious! It was a great way to use up some pesto from the giant batch I made! Of course, Paul is always a willing guinea pig!

I would change up this recipe a little bit...I would add in Italian bread crumbs to make the filling more stable. I forgot that the mushrooms would release liquid while cooking, so they came out just a little watery...I think the addition of bread crumbs would help tighten it all up while it cooked!

Creamy Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of me

Ingredients

• Button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed & reserved
• 1/2 brick of cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbs. fresh Pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• *In the future, I would recommend adding 1/2 cup or so of bread crumbs here*
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Goat cheese to top

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix cream cheese, pesto, parmesan cheese, *bread crumbs*, salt & pepper in a small bowl.
• Using a spoon or scoop, fill each mushroom with a scoop of cream cheese Pesto filling.
• Set each mushroom on a baking sheet that has been drizzled with olive oil.
• Slice a small piece of goat cheese (YUM) and set on top of each mushroom.
• Pop in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until hot.

Polish Mushroom Soup

Ok, I've made Hungarian Mushroom Soup recently, but it didn't give me the Mushroom Soup fix I was craving...you see, for the majority of the holidays I have been with my husband, we have visited his Grandma and Aunt, where they have fixed us lovely meals complete with a delicious Mushroom Soup and that soup is absolutely spectacular. His step-mother also makes this soup when we visit their house too...so I decided this is a recipe I just have to be able to make in my own home as well!

I was inquiring about it with my lovely mother-in-law and she said she would be able to tell me how to make it myself...I love to gather family recipes and master them, so I will be able to make them at home for my husband and eventually be able to pass them on to our children one day. She told me how to make this and though mine turned out a teeeeeny bit too thin, with a little adjustment, I will be able to get the texture down better. It did, however, have the same tangy, mushroom-y flavor that I was aiming for. With some practice, it will *almost* be as good as the soup that comes from the other wonderful women's kitchens in Paul's family, but *almost* as good is great for me!! You really can't mess with perfection anyway.

Mushroom Soup
Recipe courtesy of: Mom (Sofia)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water + 1/4 cup
• 2 small containers of fresh white button mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped (with stems) into a small dice
• 3 tbs. butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced finely
• 4 tbs. flour
• 1 16 oz. container of sour cream
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Green onions, sliced very thin, to garnish

Directions
Place chopped mushrooms and 6 cups of water into a large pot (I also added salt and pepper at this point, but not much). Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onions in butter in a separate small pan until soft and golden. Set aside.

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk sour cream, flour and 1/4 cup of water together until all incorporated and smooth.

After about 30 minutes of simmering you will see the water has turned a nice deep brown, whisk in the sour cream mixture into the soup....whisk quickly while you pour to mix fully and have no lumps. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add onions and mix. I added salt & pepper at this stage as well. Then simmer for another 10 minutes or so until it's all warmed through and the flavors have all mixed.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with green onion & serve...you can add some small chunks of boiled potato at this point or small pieces of kielbasa, or eat it as is.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I was browsing through my Google Reader and saw that I had this recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup starred from Carrie's wonderful blog, Carrie's Sweet Life. I had all the ingredients on hand and it would make for a spectacular dinner. I decided to make focaccia bread to go along side, using this recipe that I had made before.

My husband's first reaction was "WOW" and after we both began eating, we loved this soup! It is creamy, hearty and comforting. Of course, I did a few very minor tweaks, but it didn't need many tweaks at all!!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Recipe courtesy of Carrie's Sweet Life

• 3 tbsp. of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup of yellow onions or sliced leeks (use only the bottom white part) *I used shallots*
  
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of ground pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of chopped garlic *I used about 1 tbsp.*
  
• 1/2 tsp of chopped fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp of dried
• 3 tbsp. of flour
• 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed & separated or 2 to 3 cups of fresh
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups of shredded medium Cheddar *I used 2 cups of cheddar blends*
  

Directions

In a medium pot, melt 3 tbsp. of butter over medium-high heat.

Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook until soft about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Stir frequently for 20 seconds while it cooks.

Add the flour and stir until throughly mixed for about 3 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth while whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened for about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and cook for 10 minutes until tender.

Add the cream and barely bring to a simmer. Then add the cheese and lower heat till the cheese is melted.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter. Stir until it is mixed throughly.

Garlic-Zucchini Pasta

As soon as I saw this recipe on My Wooden Spoon, I said "Mmmmmmmmm" out loud...I had made the Grilled Zucchini pasta previous and this was a good variation on that recipe! We had an appointment to go to this evening, so this made a very easy, quick and filling dinner before we had to run out the door. Warm and comforting on this chilly fall day, we both really enjoyed this dish!

Garlic-Zucchini Pasta
recipe courtesy of A Cowboy's Wife's lovely mother at the My Wooden Spoon blog

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large or 3 medium zucchini - *I used 2 medium size
  
• 1 head garlic - *I used about 8 cloves
  
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Shred zucchini and mince garlic. Prepare pasta as directed on box.

While cooking the pasta Sauté garlic in Olive Oil for a minute or two. Add the zucchini and sauté 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Add the cooked pasta and the shredded cheese and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. (we grate the cheese and use probably use about 1 cup or more) not packed)

Pasta with Grilled Zucchini

I had to use up the other half of my giant zucchini. I originally planned on making a smaller side dish of pasta to serve with grilled zucchini and shrimp...however, I wasn't too thrilled with how the shrimp turned out (though Paul liked them), so I made more pasta and kinda tossed some ingredients together and came up with this little dish...quite tasty if I do say so myself!Ingredients:
Sliced & grilled zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
Angel hair pasta
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
1 shallot - finely diced
Lemon - zested and 1/2 juiced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese to finish

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions.

While pasta cooks, melt butter with olive oil in a pan. Add shallot and garlic, season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and the juice of 1/2 of one lemon. Cook over medium low heat until soft and just barely browning.

Remove the pasta when finished cooking and add to pan with the butter/garlic mixture. Add zucchini and toss all together so it's all coated equally.

Plate up and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!!!

Zucchini Muffins!

After realizing that I had better learn to make some kind of zucchini-based item after receiving the world's largest zucchini (not true, but it seems pretty darn huge!), I found this recipe for zucchini muffins from the Simply Recipes blog....easy to mix together, they came out beautifully and smelled heavenly. This is one you want to try for sure!! I am also submitting this recipe to Joelen's Marvelous Muffin's Blog Challenge!

Recipe courtesy of Elise at Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Method

You don't need a mixer for this recipe.

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add these dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture. Fold in the walnuts and dried raisins or cranberries if using. (I did not add any of these last ingredients)

2 Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Note, if you are including walnuts and dried fruit, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins. I got about 14 muffins from this batch, and that included filling the muffin cups up as far as they could possibly go (above the surface of the muffin tin). (I used a large silicone muffin pan and got 10 large muffins out of this recipe - filling them to the top)