Asparagus Corn Chowder

It snowed in Reno. A lot. Last week it was sunny and dry and even got up to 67*. It was wonderful. Now it's freezing and snowing. So I decided to make soup to warm everyone up and it hit the spot. I even made some Parmesan Cheese Toast to sop up all the goodness. We were lucky enough to stop at Schat's Bakery on our way home from Disneyland and got some lovely Sourdough Rosemary Bread which worked very nicely with the soup. If you have never been to this bakery, I highly recommend stopping there next time you are skiing in Mammoth or going to Bishop, CA. The second you walk in the door your over-zealous craving for carbs kicks in and you want to buy everything in sight. The quality is outstanding as everything in sight is made by hand. Good luck deciding. We managed to get out of there with two loaves of delicious bread, a turkey sandwich to share, and one M&M cookie picked out by John 5. Out of all the delicious treats in that beautiful case he picked an M&M cookie. Tragedy. And onto the main event, I loved this chowder.

Asparagus Corn Chowder

Serves 4-6

4 strips turkey bacon, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, small diced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups chicken stock

dash red pepper flakes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 lb asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup cream

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; add chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.

Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add broth, potato, Italian Seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and simmer until potato is just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in asparagus and corn; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until asparagus are tender, about 8 more minutes. Place immersion blender in soup pot and blend just enough to thicken the soup a little, but still leaving plenty of veggie chunks in sight. Add cheese and stir to melt.

Serve with cheese, bacon crumbles and some yummy Parmesan Cheese toast

Parmesan Cheese Toast

1 slice bread

butter

Parmesan cheese

Turn on your oven to broil. Place buttered bread on a baking sheet and shred some Parmesan over the top. Broil for 2-3 minutes. Yum.

Sugar Cookies for Valentine's Day

The credit for these delicious cookies goes to my sister Mendi, who makes the best sugar cookies. I am very picky about this type of cookie because I hate cookies that are hard, crispy and stale tasting. I like sugar cookies to be soft and moist and delicious, which these are! They do require a stint in the refrigerator so plan for that, but let me tell you they are worth it! I have to admit that I enjoy them more when Mendi makes them - food always tastes better to me when you don't have to make it.


So whip up a batch and get to rolling, cutting, baking and frosting with your kids, they will love you for it.

Mendi's Sugar Cookies
makes 5 dozen


1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk


Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Add beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix and sift dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Put dough in bowl with lid ; cover and chill one hour in refrigerator.

After chilled, roll out dough in sections 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Cut out with floured cookie cutters.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes, do not let brown.


Frosting:

Mix sugar, butter and vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency.

Frost and decorate cooled cookies. Get crazy and creative.

Beef and Barley Soup

This recipe is for Kristi, who inspired me to make this by asking me if I ever have. So delicious! Kristi has since moved to San Diego where her husband got a new job, so yay for employment and boo for friends leaving. I got this recipe from a food blog that I love, Prudence Pennywise. She made it in the slow cooker, which I would have done if I had the time, but I didn't so I made it on the stove. Everyone who eats in my family loved it.

1 lb. stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh
Add later:
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley (quick cooking is fine)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
fresh parsley, for serving

Slow Cooker version:
Add meat through parsley to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Add barley for last hour of cooking. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Stove top:
Heat 2 Tbsp oil a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook until onions are translucent an mushrooms have browned, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add garlic and stew meat and sprinkle with salt. Brown the outside of the meat for about 3 minutes then pour in beef broth.
Bring to a boil; add red pepper flakes, bay leaf, parsley and barley. Let simmer, covered, for 35-45 minutes, until the barley has cooked through. Add vinegar and sugar. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

I started realizing how much pasta my family eats when I noticed how many posts I have for it on here. It's cheap, it's fast, and it's good (insert joke), so we eat it a lot. For this recipe you can essentially use any veggies you want - just try to cut them to the same relative size so they cook evenly and pick ones with complimentary tastes.

1 pint grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 red onion, cut into eighths
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
8 ounces Penne pasta (or any other short pasta)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded


Preheat oven to 425*. Place tomatoes, garlic, onions and cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

Peel roasted garlic and mash with the flat side of your knife. Add to pasta pot, along with veggies, pasta water and Parmesan cheese. Cook over medium-high until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bun Carmel Popcorn

Yeah in your face! Here is another post and it's one of Mendi's recipes.....So our sister made this on New Years Eve and it was amazing! I wish I was eating it right now. Also if you don't love cooking or are a challenged cook, it's all made in the microwave. I usually pass on anything popcorn because I can't stand the kernals in my teeth, but this was worth all the flossing.

12 c. popped popcorn
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 c. brown sugar
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ c. light Karo syrup
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. baking soda
3 sq. almond bark

Put popcorn and pecans in a big bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix. Chop butter and put on top, put corn syrup on top of that. Microwave 30 seconds, stir, microwave 2 minutes, stir, microwave 2 more minutes. Put vanilla, soda into hot mixture (will foam). Pour into popcorn mixture and then put onto foiled jelly roll pan. Bake at 250 for 30 minutes.

Pour baked mixture onto wax paper. Melt almond bark, drizzle over popcorn. Break into chunks.

Makes 5 small containers worth.

Brown Sugar Muffins

Ok first, you are the only one who posts recipes because if I remember correctly you went to cooking school. Second, everyone likes your recipes........so here is my 2nd post

½ cup softened salted butter (1 cube) (if you use unsalted add ¼ teaspoon salt)
1 egg
¼ tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups of flour (I did 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white flour)
1 tsp soda
1 c. milk

Cream brown sugar, butter, add egg, vanilla and mix. In a small bowl mix flour and soda. Then add alternately flour mixture and milk into the creamed mixture. Don’t over mix. Fill greased muffin tin ½ to 2/3 full.
BAKE 15 minutes 375
Makes 12 muffins.

Lightened-Up Potato Cheese Soup

When it's stormy and freezing outside there are few things that warm you as well as a good bowl of soup, especially if it is a creamy, delicious bowl of cheesy potato soup. The only downside is that you will have to wear stretch pants to eat it and still be comfortable. The original recipe comes from my Aunt Pat who is an amazing cook, but since I would like to continue to button my pants I needed to lighten up her recipe a little. If you want the original recipe e-mail me and I will gladly send it to you.

2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small dice
2 tsp olive oil
4 cups water + 4 tsp chicken bouillon OR 4 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2-3 cups 1% milk
4 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions are almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Add water and bouillon (or stock) to pot and bring to a boil; once boiling add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

In a medium pot melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly to combine, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in 2 cups of milk. Heat through and add cubed Velveeta, stirring until melted. Add to potato pot and stir to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes. If soup is too thick add another cup of milk and stir to combine.


Note: cut your potatoes into small to medium size chunks so that when you eat them you don't get a big hunk of bland potato.