Asparagus and Ham Stuffed Potatoes

Have you ever cooked a meal using just your microwave?  No, I'm not talking about TV dinners here.  I'm talking about a home-cooked from scratch meal.

Today's recipe was the perfect way to use up my remaining Easter ham meat and it was sooooo easy because it was made (almost) entirely in the microwave.  If you don't have leftover ham, you could easily use lunch meat, ham steak, or buy some of that pre-diced ham.  The whole meal is on the table in about 30 minutes and has a good mix of carbs, veggies, meat, and dairy.  Talk about getting in the entire food pyramid!

Honestly I was surprised by how much I loved these.  Just like these potatoes looked visually bursting at the seams, they were also bursting with powerful flavor bits.  I can only imagine the possibilities of this base recipe with other fillings - cheddar, broccoli and chicken; steak, caramelized onions, and blue cheese?  Oh the possibilities of quick, wholesome meals are endless!

I made a few modifications.  The biggest being substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  The nutritional swap is awesome and your tastebuds won't know the difference.  I added more of it and the cheese because I love a creamy potato. For an extra punch, I added parmesan to the topping.  Divine!

Two Years Ago: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Three Years Ago: It was a breakfast themed dinner club with Country Fried Steak and a Belgian Waffle Bar with Strawberry Topping, Pancake Syrup, and more then rounded out with easy Bacon Egg and Toast Cups.

Asparagus and Ham Stuffed Potatoes

 Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each) 
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody stems and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 1 cup diced ham 
• 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
• 4 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, divided 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper 

Directions

1. Use a fork to pierce potatoes all over. Microwave on MEDIUM, turning the potatoes once or twice, until soft, about 20 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile,steam asparagus in a steamer basket on the stove until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Combine the steamed asparagus with ham, Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup Swiss cheese, 6 tablespoons chives or green onions, salt and pepper in a bowl. 
4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut off the top third then gently scoop out the flesh, leaving enough to keep the sides intact; Combine with the ham mixture.
5. Place the potato shells in a microwave-safe dish and evenly divide the ham mixture among them. (They will be very well stuffed.) Top each stuffed potato with 1 tablespoon of the remaining Swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan.
6. Microwave on HIGH until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with the remaining chives or green onions.  If desired

Source: Modified from Eating Well

Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie

I love traditional foods with a twist such as Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf and Chicken Marsala Risotto.  They make classic favorites into something new and exciting without completely offending those that enjoy routine. Here's another one of those types of recipes.

I knew the moment I saw it that it would be a winner.  And I was actually in so much of a hurry to dig into this dish that the only photo I got of it was on my iPhone!  Clearly you can see  where my priorities lie haha.  The cheesy mashed potatoes scream creamy comfort while the filling is flavored with tangy and spicy hot sauce.  It was even one of those dishes that tasted better the next day after it had been reheated.  I didn't have enough to freeze but I'm willing to bet it would do well as a freezer meal, too.

Since my husband is anti-blue cheese, I made his half with cheddar in both the mashed potatoes and topping.  Feel free to do the same or go all one type of cheese based on your family's preferences.

One Year Ago: Apple Cider Beignets with Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce
Two Years Ago: Who Loves Ya Baby Back?

Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 4 celery ribs, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (suggest Frank's Red Hot)
• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled and divided (alternatively you can use cheddar or both)
• Chives, chopped for garnishng

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add the chicken and cook until browned.  Add the celery, onions and garlic.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and paprika.  Deglaze the pan with the stock and add the tomato paste and hot sauce.  Stir to combine.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add half (2 oz) of the cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
4. Prepare a 9-inch pie plate (I found I had too much filling so used a large rectangular pyrex baking dish) by spraying with cooking spray.  Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared pan.  Spoon potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are golden and chicken mixture is bubbly.  Sprinkle with additional paprika and chopped chives.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: as seen on Fried Ice and Donut Holes from The Jey of Cooking

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

This week I wanted to feature recipes that remind me of Summer.  The Tomato and Corn Pie that I shared on Monday definitely did that.  This one is one that reminds me of picnics and Summer BBQs and hence it was my contribution for our BBQ Themed Dinner Club.

It has all the flavors of loaded baked potatoes but is lightened up a bit by my substitution of Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  Nobody could tell I did this and upon being told it was "healthier", some went for seconds.  I like the way it looks, too.  All those delicious bits of bacon, cheese, and green onions really gives this potato salad a pop of color compared to their rather anemic looking white or yellow run-of-the-mill potato salad.

Make this for Labor Day as Summer brings on its last hurrah!

One Year Ago: Grilled Maple Chili Salmon

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds red potatoes (or 4 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes)
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped chives or green onions, divided
• 6 strips of bacon (4 for the salad and 1 for topping), cooked and crumbled
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and Greek yogurt.  Add half of the chives, cheese, and pepper, stirring until well combined.  Season with salt and hot sauce, to taste.  Let chill in the refrigerator.
2. Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes into bite size pieces.  Put in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain and set aside to steam dry and cool.
3. Put potatoes in a large bowl or dish and combine with dressing and yogurt mixture.  Top with remaining chives and crumbled bacon.  Chill before serving.

Source: Modified from Dishing with Leslie

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Do not let this mundane looking photo fool you.  These are no ordinary mashed potatoes.  In fact, these mashed potatoes are SO FULL OF FLAVOR that they don't even need gravy.  Everybody (especially my now blog-famous friend Emily) knows that caramelized onions make any dish irresistible.  And that, my friends, is what sets this mashed potato recipe apart from any other.  Those craving more flavor can add a hit of garlic (roasted for more mellow flavor or raw for a bite) and parmesan cheese.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, washed, peeled, cubed
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup hot milk
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely minced
• 3 Tbsp butter
• Garlic (optional, roasted or raw)
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Put prepared raw potatoes into a large pot and submerge in water.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Drain and allow to steam dry.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat butter until it begins to bubble.  Add sliced onions and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned.
3. Transfer half of the onions and all of the milk to a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Mash the potatoes and stir in the hot onion milk.  Add a little extra butter and check the seasoning.  Stir in the remaining caramelized onions and the minced parsley.  If desired add garlic and parmesan cheese for a boost of flavor.

Source: Kayotic Kitchen

Recipe Swap: Strip House Potatoes Romanoff

These potatoes were, in the name sake of my recipe swap partner for the week, DeLish!  My husband went in for second servings (shhh, nobody tell him that there's a good helping of sour cream in this dish!) and we easily cleaned out half of the casserole dish (supposedly 6 servings) between the two of us.

It's a bit time consuming to make with the pre-baking of the potatoes prior to the final casserole assembly and bake but cheesy flavor is amazingly comforting.  I'm sure in a rush you could substitute hash brown potatoes and go straight for the final bake.  I may try that in the future but if someone else gets to it first please let me know how it goes.

I baked my potatoes and assembled the casserole in the same day (still allowing to cool to room temperature first).  My potatoes were on the small side since they came from my farm share and probably could have benefited from a reduced pre-baking time to shred more easily.  I did not have white cheddar so used a combination of sharp cheddar and some leftover three cheddar cheese (which, I guess technically has *some* white cheddar in it).  In lieu of shallots which I forgot to buy I just used a medium onion and 2 garlic cloves.  Also, I cut back the salt to 1.5 tsp but still found it to be a little too salty.  Might scale it back to a single teaspoon in the future.  I used fat free sour cream with success to trim some calories.  I'm sure hubby will be asking for this dish again!

Please visit A Taste of Home Cooking for the swap roundup and check out the equally cheesy and comforting Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe (my go-to!) that I submitted and Hezzi D's Books and Cooks recieved in this week's swap.

Strip House Potatoes Romanoff

Yields: 6 Servings


Ingredients

• 3 large russet potatoes, about 2 lb. total, unpeeled and scrubbed  
• 3/4 cup minced shallots  (I used a medium onion and 2 cloves garlic, which I grated on the small side of the grater)
• 2 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese (I used 1 & 1/2 cups sharp and three cheese cheddar)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt (I used 1.5 tsp but would recommend trying 1 tsp)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)

Directions

1. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and pierce several times with a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Place the potatoes on a plate, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF. 
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes, including the skins. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle the shallots, 1 3/4 cups of the cheese, the salt and white pepper on top. Using your hands, gently toss the mixture together to combine, then fold in the sour cream in 2 additions. 
4. Transfer the potato mixture to a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish; do not compress. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

Source: Originally from Strip House as seen on DeLish

Coconut Potato Curry with Basil and Pecans

This was a quick vegetarian curry that was perfect for a cold night.  I considered making it in the crockpot while I went to work during the day but it comes together so quickly that you don't even need it.  My only wish is that I had made rice to go with this dish to sop up all the delicious juices!

Two Years Ago: Grandma B's Brownies - This recipe comes from Chris' grandmother and she made THE BEST brownies.  Yep, we're letting you in on the secret recipe ;).


Coconut Potato Curry with Basil and Pecans

Yields: 4 Servings (1.5 cups each)


Ingredients

• 500 g new potatoes, steamed for 10 minutes
• 1/3 cup pecans (or nut of your choice), chopped
• 1 cup green beans (or peas, or mixed vegetables), fresh or frozen
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Handful of basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large pan, heat the oil and cumin.  When they begin to sizzle, add the pecans and gently roast.  Add the steamed potatoes and toss to coat.  Add 1/2 cup water with the tomato paste and incorporate.  Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
2. Add all of the spices.  Stir well to coat the potatoes.  Mash any tomatoes that are cooked through.  Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk and red bell pepper and green beans (or other veggies).  Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add chopped basil to garnish.  Serve as is or over rice (or caulirice)  if desired.

Source: Very slightly modified from Prevention RD

Green Bean Ham Potato Casserole

Fair warning.  This picture doesn't look like much and in real life, it's not exactly breath taking either.  It is, after all, a casserole.  But, it is a tasty dish and is something I wouldn't hesitate to serve with say, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner because it has that homey comforting goodness to it.  What this casserole has going for it is that it doesn't use cream of ___ condensed soup so fear not!


Green Bean Ham Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 3/8 cup of butter
• 3/8 cup of flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cup grated Cheddar or American cheese
• 4 cups of cooked green beans
• 4 medium, diced, cooked potatoes
• 3 cups diced cooked ham
• Bread crumbs (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter and stir in flour.  Add milk, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until melted.  
2. Arrange potatoes in a buttered casserole dish and cover with green beans,  Pour half of cheese sauce over the green beans.  Add ham and remaining cheese sauce.  Top with buttered bread crumbs if desired.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

Source: Cedarmore CSA Newsletter

Potato and Tomato Gratin

Summer's coming to an end which means that local red fresh tomatoes are, too :(.  If you make one more dish with your fresh tomatoes this summer I highly suggest this one.  The time needed to caramelize the onions and bake the dish are a bit long for a weeknight (unless you prep and assemble in advance) but it's definitely worth it.  This was a great departure from traditional potato gratin.  Really fresh and lighter in taste and texture.  I'll make it again when tomatoes are at their best again next year.

Two Years Ago: Finn Nisu Bread - A tribute to my husband's heritage

Potato and Tomato Gratin
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Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, divided
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled or not...whichever you prefer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/4 pound ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4" thick slices
• 1/4 cup sliced basil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat until hot, then add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the onions, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often, then turn down the heat to medium and add the butter. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes, scraping with a spoon or spatula until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking until the onions are a deep golden brown, another 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Thinly slice the potatoes (using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife) into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Toss them in a bowl with the cream, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.  Arrange sliced tomatoes on a plate and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
4. To layer the gratin, first spread half the caramelized onions in an even layer in a 9×9 inch baking dish. Top the onions with one layer of alternating potatoes and tomatoes (using about half of each), then drizzle with 2 tablespoons cream (from the potato bowl) and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a healthy pinch of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and half the basil.
5. Repeat the layers, making the top potato/tomato layer pretty since this is the top presentation layer of the gratin. Pour the remaining cream (from the potato bowl) and remaining tablespoon olive oil over the gratin and season with 1/4 salt, a pinch of pepper, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme and the remaining basil. Press all the vegetables down with your fingers; the cream will come up through the layers and coat the vegetables evenly.
6. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees F, uncover the gratin, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Source: Originally from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin as seen on Eggs on Sunday

Herbed Potato Salad

Do you cringe at the meer mention of potato salad because it conjures up images of heavy mayonnaise laden caloric nightmares?  Or, do you fear the potato salad because said mayo laden food has been sitting out at the family picnic for who knows how long?  Fear no more, friends.  Fear no more.

Just say no to calorie bombs and food-poisoning threats.  This potato salad is none of that.  In fact, this potato salad's flavor actually comes through more when it's room-temperature rather than cold.  This is the potato salad of the 21st century.  Fresh and light yet still packed with pure flavor.  Use FRESH herbs in this dish and you'll thank me.  It's a winner.

Herbed Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb potatoes
• 2 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• fresh dill, finely chopped
• parsley, finely chopped
• pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste
• garlic, minced (optional)
• fresh lemon juice (optional)

 Directions

1. Peel, wash and cut the potatoes in bit-size pieces. Boil them in lightly salted water until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Take care not to overcook.
2. In a large bowl, combine 3 tbsp (extra virgin) olive oil with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar.  If desired, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra freshness and acidity.  Pour in 2 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth, 1/2 a tsp Dijon mustard, and garlic if desired then whisk away. The vinaigrette will become thicker. Add the finely chopped fresh dill and parsley to the vinaigrette and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
3. Drain the potatoes, let them steam-dry for a few minutes and then add them to the dressing while they’re still hot so they'll take on the flavors. Sprinkle the chopped scallions in there and let the potato salad cool off.  Serve at room temperature or cold by refrigerating until ready to serve. 

Source: Kayotic Kitchen

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite crockpot recipe.  It's rediculously simple and tastes so good!  The meat makes its own gravy as it cooks!  A hot, comforting meal that's ready for you when you come home.  I like to add some veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions, celery) to mine to make it a one-pot meal and usually serve it over rice or egg noodles.  This time, I only had a 2.5lb piece of beef so I halved the recipe and we ate it plain like a stew.  I've made the full recipe before and it does freeze well if you want to do easy freezer meals (like this one isn't easy enough to begin with, though!).

Now for an interesting story...because every recipe has one.  One of the ingredients in this recipe is onion soup mix.  I usually buy whatever is on sale or cheapest for these types of ingredients and Kroger brand was significantly cheaper when I went shopping.  I made the meal on a Friday and when I went shopping the following Monday, the cashier notifies me that my Kroger Plus Card shows that we may have purchased a product that was recently recalled.  It turns out that the onion soup mix was being recalled for potential Samonella contamination.  Awesome!  Bad news is that I had already used some of the product.  Good news is that 1) We ate it and didn't get sick (I suspect either because it cooked in the crockpot for over 8 hours and probably killed anything bad or ours wasn't contaminated to begin with) and 2) by having Kroger stalk our buying habits with the plus card, we now know that our product is bad.  I had leftovers (at least 2 more meals worth!) but out of fear I'm throwing them out.  The remaining product is being returned to Kroger on my next shopping trip and we'll get a full refund.  Wonder if they'll refund me the cost of the other materials like my meat, condensed soup, and veggies, too...sheesh.

Try to ignore my photo...I know it looks like...vomit...or something.  Do you realize how hard it is to photograph certain types of food??  And I must have stirred mine too much this time because it was much more shredded than normal...usually it's chunks of meat rather than shreds.  Anyway, I assure you it tastes AWESOME, just as the namesake says it will :).

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
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Yields: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (I like to sub a cream of celery soup for one of the cream of mushrooms and always use the low fat versions...you can use your favorite cream of whatever soup)
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water (if desired, for a more sophisticated taste can substitute with a dry red wine)
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast
• 3 large potatoes, scrubbed and diced (optional)
• 1 large onion, sliced (optional)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced (optional)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons flour (optional)

Directions

1. If desired, add vegetables to bottom of slow cooker.  Then, mix in cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.  If a thicker gravy is desired, add about 3 Tablespoons of flour to the crockpot 30 minutes before serving and stir well.

Source: Modified from All Recipes

Vegetable Soup (With Optional Sausage for the Men)

The vegetable soup purists out there are going to groan.  I never understand why many vegetable soups aren't truly vegetarian...many use chicken or beef broth and then sometimes even chunks of beef meat in the soup.  Why the heck is it even called vegetable soup, then??

The recipe that I was using started out almost purely vegetarian (it called for chicken broth but you can easily substitute vegetable broth to make it truly vegetarian) and in my mind the potatoes and all the veggies should add quite a bit of "substance".  But then, I thought about my husband and his NEED to have meat in a meal.  He complains that "soup runs right through" him as it is - including the really rich, filling, meaty soups like chili!  So I gave in and added some sliced smoked sausage to the broth but you don't have to.  That's why I'm calling this one Vegetable Soup (With Optional Sausage for the Men).  Because if the man (men) if your life are anything like mine, they will protest about the lack of meat in this soup!

As you already know I'm a soup fanatic.  This one was no different.  I made a few modifications (such as adding the sausage, reducing the amount of oil used to sautee the veggies, adding some beans for extra fiber, and adding a splash of red wine for depth - a tip I learned from my favorite Minestrone Soup recipe).  I think this one is a keeper.  A nice lighter soup that's quick to put together.  Don't forget that soup is also very forgiving...don't have an ingredient on hand?  Leave it out or use something else.  When all else fails, frozen veggies are your friend :).

Vegetable Soup (With Optional Sausage for the Men)
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Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth (substitute low-sodium vegetable broth if you prefer to make this truly vegetarian)
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (substitute tomato sauce if you want less chunky soup)
• 1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 14.5 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 smoked sausage, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
• Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the broth, water, red wine, potatoes, thyme, and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, green beans, kidney beans, sausage, and broccoli and cook 5 to 10 minutes more or until all the vegetables are tender.  Ladle into bowls and serve hot.  Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Source: Modified from Real Simple Magazine, February 2003

Ham and Potato Soup

I was very pleased with how easy this recipe was and how delicious it turned out.  Chris gave it his stamp of approval and it warmed us up on a chilly winter night.  It was also not overly heavy but with enough substance so that I could go to my Jazzercise class an hour later.  (Leftovers reheated well, too!).  Speaking of Jazzercise, I've yet to find the balance between going to class, cooking goodies, and eating them without feeling sick when I'm jumping around.  Soups seem to work well so far so you may see more of that for awhile...

For my personal taste I felt the chicken buillion overpowered the ham (bought packaged pre-diced John Morell ham) and overall it was a bit too salty so I made some changes to the recipe by cutting down the buillion and removing the added salt.  In its place thought I added some shredded cheese to the soup base...because I love love love cheese!  I also used green pepper in place of the celery and of course added some garlic powder(!) as a matter of preference.

The way that the roux and milk mixture came together was also impressive.  So much so that I will consider using it for other cream based soup recipes that I try in the future.  It really added a smooth and comforting aspect to the soup!

Ham and Potato Soup
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Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min
Ready In: 45 Min
Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced green peppers
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Parsley

Directions

1. Combine the potatoes, green pepper, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, garlic powder and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly add in milk and whisk until smooth. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through. Remove from heat and add shredded cheddar cheese.  Ladle into bowls and serve immediately, garnishing with additional shredded cheese and parsley, if desired.

Source: Modified from All Recipes

Zuppa Toscana

Who needs Olive Garden when you can make this by yourself at home?!  This soup was extremely easy to make and tasted like the Zuppa Toscana you order at the restaurant but better.  Add some fresh garlic bread and a salad and you've got yourself a hot meal on a cold night!  (Or, if you're like me and eat soup year round, it might even be a hot night haha!).

I modified Joelen's original recipe because I felt it could use some more seasoning.  The spiciness was also a little more than I think this soup should have so I reduced the amount of cracked red pepper in my modified recipe.  You can always see her original recipe by clicking on the source link.

This soup was part of the birthday dinner that I made for my mom.  The other items that I made can be found in separate posts:

• Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Muffins
• Shrimp Scampi Bake
• Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling ("Pineapple" Custard Bun)

Zuppa Toscana
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Ingredients

• 4 cans (8 cups) low sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb italian sausage, removed from casings
• 3 baking potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon italian blend seasoning
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch fresh kale
• 1/2 cup 2% condensed milk or half and half

Directions

1. In a large dutch oven or large stockpot over high heat, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
2. While the broth is coming up to a boil, prepare the potatoes by slicing in half lengthwise and then cutting each half into 1/2 inch cubes with the skin on. Set aside.
3. With the italian sausage removed from the casings (or you could use bulk italian sausage too), crumble the sausage into the hot broth.  Add the potatoes to the pot, season with spices and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  If desired, skim grease off the top at this time.
4. As the potatoes soften, prepare the kale by cutting away the tough core and stem. Slice the leafy greens into slices and place in a bowl.
5. Once the potatoes have softened up, remove from heat or turn the heat off. Stir in the kale (don't worry, it will cook down!) and condensed milk or half and half.  The heat of the soup will cook the kale without turning it brown.
6. Serve hot.

Source: Modified from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I was torn on what soup to make next so I posed a poll on a local message board that I frequent.  For awhile, Zuppa Toscana was winning but in the end, Loaded Potato Soup edged out for the win.  I'm glad it did because this was fabulous.  Definitely worth keeping in the soup files :).  It made for a quick lunch (I'm pretty sure peeling the potatoes was what took the longest!  I'm a slow peeler!) and some leftovers for the week.  Mmm mmm good...and  much better than Campbell's hehe!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ready In: 30 mins
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 5 bacon strips, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups (2 cans) chicken broth
• 2-3 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup half-and-half cream (used 1 cup evaporated 2% milk; regular milk would also work)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt, to taste
• Green onions or chives, sliced
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving about 1 tablespoon of drippings. Set bacon aside on papertowel covered plate to drain.
2. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender, taking care so  that garlic does not burn. 
3. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well.
4. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add most of the potatoes (reserve some in case mixture is too thin), cream or milk, cheese, and hot pepper sauce; heat through but DO NOT BOIL, stir continuously.  If mixture is too thin, mash some of the potatoes and add to broth or add some potato flakes.  If mixture is too thick, add more liquid (broth, cream, milk, or water).
6. Garnish with bacon, sour cream, green onions, and additional cheese, if desired.

Source: modified from All Recipes

Classic Pot Roast

I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed with this recipe.  Maybe it was the cut of meat that I had bought (it was labled as being for a pot roast!) or I just did something wrong but the gravy that this created was so oily it just turned me off...and made my stomach hurt!  Not what I was expecting from a Cooking Light recipe :(.  I also found it to be rather bland...something was definitely missing even though I even used fresh thyme leaves from the plant my Aunt Ying gave us for our housewarming and freshly ground pepper and sea salt.  I much prefer my other Crockpot Pot Roast recipe (which, I'll probably make sometime this winter and post...or if you really want it now, leave a comment).  It was more complicated than my other recipe, too (I even did the crockpot version that Sara developed!).  The flouring and searing of the roast didn't seem to add anything versus the recipe I typically use. 

Net, I probably won't be making this one again but here it is for those who are interested.

Classic Pot Roast
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Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3 ounces roast, about 3/4 cup vegetables, and about 3 tablespoons cooking liquid)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3-lb boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Flour
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 14-oz can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces (used about 3/4 of a small bag of baby carrots)
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Directions:

Oven method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper, and evenly coat the roast with flour.
3. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan.
4. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
5. Return browned roast to pan.
6. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; De-glaze pan and bring to a simmer.
7. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
8. Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.
9. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard.
10. Shred meat with 2 forks.
11. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid.
12. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Slow Cooker method:

1. Place chopped vegetables (carrots and potatoes) into the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Follow steps #1-#6.
3. Place crusted pot roast into your slow cooker on top of your vegetables.
4. Pour the red wine mixture on top of your pot roast.
5. Cook the roast on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Source: Cooking Light October 2006 as seen on The Piggly Wiggly

Home Fries

I love breakfast.   Breakfast, brunch, brinner...gotta have it all.  Tonight I used some of my wheat english muffins and sausage patties to make little breakfast sandwiches.  I then searched my arsonal of cooking blogs that I follow for the perfect side...home fries!  I'll admit this took a bit more work than I would have guessed but the end result was delicious.  Shout out to my in-laws who were so kind as to give me a couple potatoes so I didn't need to buy a giant bag nor get ripped off by buying single potatoes.

Home Fries
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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 onions, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Seasoning of your choice: Garlic powder or salt work great, as does smoky Spanish paprika or chopped chives

Directions

1. Arrange potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl, top with 1 tablespoon butter, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until edges of potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large regular or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.
3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and pack down with spatula. Cook, without moving, until underside of potatoes is brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue to cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring potatoes every few minutes, until crusty and golden on all sides, 9 to 12 minutes.
6. Stir in onion, seasonings of your choice and salt and pepper to taste (I used seasoning salt and chives) .

Source: Smitten Kitchen