White Bean & Cabbage Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 12 ounces of cubed salami 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 half red onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into circles
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into circles
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

--- Place butter, saLami, garlic, onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, beans and OREGANO INTO a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water until Ingredients are covered. 

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. Stir in Cabbage about 20 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

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TWD: Peanut Butter Change Ups

       SHARING.... That is my first word choice from the gratitude list. And that is because, I was so excited to find out our "Tuesday's with Dorie" was starting up again with a whole new cookbook from Dorie Greenspan entitled "Dorie's Cookies". 
       For our first challenge I chose to make the "peanut butter change up" cookies on page 152-154. I was a little surprised that the recipe called for nutmeg, I would have never thought to add nutmeg to my peanut butter cookies. They were very yummy and I loved SHARING them with my family. 
        If you want more details or would like to join our group, check out my blog at www.tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com

TWD: "Baking with Julia" - Pain de Campagne

I love it when our "Tuesday's with Dorie" challenges involve bread! This week I chose to try my hand at PAIN De CAMPAGNE... Very easy to make and it reminded me a lot of Irish Soda Bread.

TWD: "Baking Chez Moi" - Matcha Financiers

Our "Tuesday's With Dorie" challenge today was to make Matcha Financiers, instead of making the in small cakes, I chose to try mine as one long cake. This was a great recipe, a little dry, but it could have been because of the way I baked mine.

TWD: "Baking Chez Moi" - Soft Centered Chocolate Tea Cakes

        These were so good! We know them as Chocolate Lava Cakes and we make them often. They are so easy and a "main stay" dessert on our menu.
        One of the biggest reasons I really like this recipe is that you can adjust it to make as many or as few as you need. They are great to serve at a large party.
        We don't have ramekins like Dorie suggests, so we just use our mini souffle cups (might be the same thing) and they worked just a well.



Check out the group and other great recipes at  "Tuesday's with Dori"

TWD: "Baking with Julia" - Buttermilk Bread

       

        So we actually had two challenges today, first our "Tuesday's With Dorie" challenge was to make Buttermilk Bread. Next in our bread making techniques class, we learned how to twist and braid loaves of bread. We decided to combine the two together. My loaves are not pretty, but they tasted good.

And of course, no recipe included because we would like to encourage everyone to join us and cook from Dorie's Cookbook... "Baking With Julia", 

Make-Over Broccoli Salad

I am not sure how many of you are like us and consider the Super Bowl another "Food" holiday. You know... one of those holidays that you start talking about and planning the menu for months in advance.... Well, we do. We have some traditional items like wings, chips and sliders, then you always try a few new things too. I love a large variety of salads and one of my favorites is Broccoli Salad. This year, since I am focusing on reducing my calorie counts. This is one of those salad that I have been able to make over and yet been able to save the integrity of the yummy taste.

Ingredients

4 cups small broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup frozen sweet peas  

1 cup chopped green or red onion

1 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese (grated)

1/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

(You can add 1/2 cooked turkey bacon. It only adds 25 more calories to the whole salad)

Preparation

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture, and toss well.

Chill for 1 hour.

Side note: This salad 195 calories, original salad 328 calories.

Turkey Taco Ring

• We are all familiar with the "Pampered Chef " infamous Taco Ring.... I was craving one the other day, but because I am trying to lose weight and eat more healthy I decided I would make try and make over the recipe. 
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• 2 lbs. lean (90%) ground turkey
  
• 1 can black beans (drained)
• 1 small onion (diced)
• Salt & pepper to taste (can use 1/2 package taco season mix)
• 1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 batch of your favorite homemade pizza dough
• 1   egg white, lightly beaten 
• Optional toppings: salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped green pepper and tomato, sliced olives and sour cream
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• Directions:
• 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook ground turkey, diced onions and salt & pepper or taco seasoning mix in frying pan over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink, drain. Add beans, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and water. Stir until blended.
  2. Roll pizza dough out in large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, cut into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on large pizza stone or round pan with the wide ends 4-in. from edge of baking stone. (Points will extend off the edge of the baking stone.) Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create a 5-in. opening.
  3. Spoon filling evenly over dough in a continuous circle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring. (Filling will show.) Brush with egg white. Bake 20-25 minutes, Sprinkle with
     remaining cheese and finish baking for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Place toppings in the center
     and Serve. 

  Yield:

  • 8  servings

  Nutrients per serving:

  Original taco ring with beef.... Calories 400, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 30 g, Protein 16 g, Sodium 1100 mg, Fiber 1 g
  Today's taco ring with turkey... Calories 232g, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 20 g,  Sodium 490 mg,  Fiber 1 g, 
  

TWD: "Baking with Julia" - Caramel Apple Babas

Babas?

Definition: Babas are little sweet yeast egg bread pastries, often made with currants and rum soaked raisins, then they are soaked in rum syrup and then filled with whipped cream. 

   
Well, these are new to me and my crew. I have had savarin before and it was not my favorite style of dessert. Also after reading the recipe and watching Julia's video show... I have some reservations. We are not drinkers, so I have no rum and I don't have the molds to bake them in either. After doing a little more research on the internet I saw a lot of photos of them being round, similar to a small cake or doughnut.
       So we gave them a try... We gave ours a little twist and make ours Caramel Apple. They have both diced apple and caramel on the inside and the outside. We soaked ours in a Caramel Syrup. Then
served them with ice cream and more caramel and apple slices.


                                                                         

Make Over Crab Salad

I'm feeling "crabby" today... so for my "Monday makeover" I am going to makeover my favorite crab salad. This will be a typical makeover recipe, where I put the made over recipe first and then my original recipe. That way you can make which ever one you want.

Make-Over Crab Salad (175 calories) 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup imitation crabmeat
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots 
• 1/4 cup green pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 green onion chopped
• 1 small clove garlic minced 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon parsley 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Directions:
2. In a medium bowl, gently pull apart (flake) the crabmeat. Next mix mayonnaise, vinegar,
3. sugar, parsley, salt and pepper with crab meat. Toss in chopped veggies and fold with 
4. ease until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally. Stir again 
5. just before serving.

Original Crab Salad Recipe  (500 calories) 

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• 2 cups imitation crabmeat
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup red onion chopped
• 2 clove garlic minced 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Directions:
2. In a medium bowl, gently pull apart (flake) the crabmeat. Next mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally. Stir again just before serving.

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Homemade Honey Butter

Earlier this week I came a crossed this very interesting handout about the Chemistry of Honey, I decided to share it for my "Fruitful Friday" today. aLong with that I thought I would share my favorite homemade honey butter recipe (from start to finish).

First you need to make your butter....

• Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• A  quart sized Mason Jar with a lid (baby food jars work great for kids)

 Preparation:

1. Fill a jar halfway with heavy cream and screw the lid on tight.
2. Shake the jar up and down until the cream thickens and begins to stick together.
3. Open the jar and pour any remaining liquid, this is actually buttermilk. Everything else is butter.
4. Fill jar with 3 tablespoons of cold clean water and shake the butter in cold water for a few minutes to work out any remaining buttermilk.
5. Sprinkle with a pinch salt, shake and enjoy.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Then take your butter and add the following ingredients...  

• 1 cup homemade butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup  honey
• 1 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the remaining ingredients on medium speed until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Taste. Add more salt (up to 1/4 teaspoon) if desired.

To Serve... drizzle with more honey and/or a sprinkle of sea salt. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or so. Best served on Baking Powder Biscuits

For longer storage... you can freeze the honey butter. To do so, chill the honey butter in the refrigerator and then spoon onto a piece of plastic wrap. Then wrap it up tightly with a couple layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

TWD: "Baking Chez Moi" - Fluted Carrot Tangerine Cake with Tangerine Glaze

You would think that Spring was here by the look of the very yummy "Fluted Carrot Tangerine Cake with Tangerine Glaze" that we made for our Tuesday's with Dorie Challenge. I couldn't find my fluted pan so I doubled the recipe and baked mine in my deep dish pizza pan. I loved this recipe.... With candied carrots and tangerine bits mixed in the glaze.

Out of respect to Dorie, we don’t publish the recipes on our blogs, but you are welcome to purchase Baking Chez Moi and then join us as we bake our way through the book.... 

Milk Bread

   Okay... So this week, my Fruitful Friday is based around exploring all the wonderful options and recipes that can be baked in my new Terracotta / Clay cooker, known as a "Cloche" I have been making bread since I was a little girl, but this past year since I started baking with the artisan bread group here on Facebook, I have been intrigued with the clay baking pots. I got one for Christmas and I was so excited to finally get time to play with it today. Here are are a couple of links that I found very helpful...

www.artisanbreadinfive.com
www.thefreshloaf.com

 The photos are of my first loaf of "Milk Bread" baked in my clay baking dish. please share any info or tips you have if you use one of these styles of baking dishes. I am very interested in what everyone thinks.

You will need:
 1 1/2 cup warm whole milk
1 large egg (at room temperature)
 1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoonactive dry yeast
1 teaspoons salt
 In a large bowl or a mixer, add the milk, egg, sugar, melted butter and salt. Using wooden spoon or the dough hook attachment, mix to desolve sugar and salt. Add yeast, Let it set for 15 minutes. Next add flours and mix well, occasionally stopping to push the dough together. If you’re in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more all purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time until it comes together. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.

New Year's Eve Party

We always try to start the NEW YEAR with a table full of NEW to us recipes... This year was no exception. The only problem was that everyone started eating before I could snap the pictures. So you get plates with spaces... Lol!

Mozzarella Caprese Bites with crusty bread

Teriyaki meatball

  

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
With Brown Sugar BBQ 

Homage Chessy Pizza Bites