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 In the Kitchen
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Welcome to In the Kitchen. If you are like me you spend much of your time
cooking for the family. In my home we have gone from purchasing processed
food to pretty much making everything ourselves. Well, myself (lol)
Come back often and check out the new recipes. Also you can watch a
cooking show. Just scroll down for the link.
[ Sack Lunch Ideas ] [ Breakfast Recipe ] [ More Recipes ] [ And still more recipes ] [ Recipes1 ] [ My Kitchen ] [ Cookie Game ]
Recipe List
Kitchen Safety at The Safety Zone®
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Creamy Soups
by Cindy Sanchez
Whether serving as an appetizer to a meal or as a meal all its own, cream soup
hits the spot! It provides a taste of richness and the power to warm your
stomach.
But what about cream soups made with tomato sauce? Cream cheese? Oatmeal? Or how
about cornmeal? Are they as rich and filling as those cream soups that start
with a milk or cream base? These recipes prove that they are!
~*~
Cream of Potato Soup
4 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each)
9 cups water
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
dash thyme
1/2 cup cashews (split in half)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes or until they are
done. Cool the potatoes. Discard skin, then put the potatoes into a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes for 30 seconds so that they are not lumpy.
Spoon the mashed sweet potato into a large saucepan over medium heat, add the
remaining ingredients and stir to combine. When the soup begins to boil, reduce
the heat and simmer for one hour more or less.
Add Cashews as a garnish. Serves 6.
~*~
Cream of Tomato Soup
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons flour
3-1/2 cups milk
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
Sugar
Pepper
Herbs of your choice, fresh or dry
Dry mustard (optional)
Make basic white sauce with the butter, flour and milk: Melt butter over medium
heat; when bubbling, remove from heat, add flour and work it into a loose paste.
Add cold milk gradually and whisk until smooth. Return to heat, cook over low
heat, stirring almost constantly, until thickened and starch taste has
disappeared.
Alternatively, you can do this in the microwave, which eliminates all that
stirring. Melt butter on high, about 90 seconds. Add flour, then milk, as above.
Cook on 70% power, until desired consistency, whisking every 3 minutes. Should
take about 10-12 minutes.
While the sauce is doing, break the tomatoes up into bite-size pieces, then warm
them gently in a saucepan with generous sprinkles of sugar, freshly ground
pepper, your choice of herbs (basil, thyme, tarragon, dill are all good) and up
to 1 tsp dry mustard. When the tomatoes are warm and the sauce completed, add
the sauce to the tomatoes, stir well, and continue warming until piping hot.
Dress it up for a special occasion by using about 1/2 cup less milk in the sauce
and adding 1/2 cup of dry sherry,
white vermouth or sake just before serving.
~*~
Creamy Cheese Soup
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 8. oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
Combine chicken broth, carrots, and green onion in a Dutch oven pan and heat on
medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine milk, flour, dry mustard, and pepper and
mix well. Stir into chicken broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, till thickened
and bubbly. Remove 1 cup of the broth from the pan and place in a medium mixing
bowl. Add softened cream cheese and stir until blended well and cream cheese is
almost melted. Pour this back into the heated broth mixture and stir well. Heat
through. Just before serving, add sharp Cheddar cheese and stir until all is
melted.
Serves 8.
~*~
Spinach Soup
2 pounds fresh spinach
8 cups chicken stock or reduced sodium canned broth
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Rinse spinach well. Remove stems. In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup stock,
garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add spinach and cook,
stirring, 2 minutes. Add remaining chicken stock and bring to a boil. In a small
bowl, combine cornmeal and flour. In a slow stream add to stock, stirring as you
pour. Cover and simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Puree soup, in batches if
necessary, in a food processor or blender. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Serves 6-8.
~*~
Viennese Pea Soup
1 10-1/2 oz. can condensed pea soup
1/2 soup-can water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon thyme
Mix soup and water, a little at a time. Stir until smooth. Add sour cream and
thyme. Heat but do not boil. Garnish with an extra spoonful of sour cream.
Serves 2-3.
~*~
Cream of Artichoke Soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 pounds artichokes, washed
1 3/4 pints water
1 tablespoon oatmeal
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt
Steam the artichokes in 2 cups water until tender, this should take
approximately 45 minutes. Reserve the remaining liquid. Allow the artichokes to
cool. Scrape the flesh from the bottom third of each leaf and save along with
the artichoke liquid. Remove fuzzy choke from each artichoke bottom and discard.
Coarsely dice the artichoke bottoms and save to add to the soup pot.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onion and rosemary for 5 minutes. Add
the artichokes and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30
minutes. Blend the soup until smooth with the crushed garlic, soy sauce and
salt.
Serves 4.
~*~
Cream of Asparagus Soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus tips, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Mace
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup whipping cream
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and
cook, stirring often, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and bring to a
boil. Add the asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and mace.
Remove from heat. Slowly stir in the cream. Reheat to a gentle simmer. Serve
with chopped egg sprinkled on top of soup for garnish.
Serves 6.
~*~
Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 bunch of broccoli
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
2 medium onions
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cups chopped celery
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Trim broccoli and cut into one-half inch thick slices. Steam in salted water
until tender. In large sauce pan, melt butter and sauté onions, celery and
garlic until brown. Stir flour gradually into butter mixture. Slowly add the
milk, then add chicken broth and herbs. Stir over low heat until soup thickens
and boils. Add broccoli, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Serves 10.
About the Author:
Cindy Sanchez is the owner and editor of
www.PracticalKitchen.com
Sign up for our Practical Recipes Newsletter for delivery of many savory recipes
to your mailbox each week.
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Five Healthy, Easy Party
Appetizers
by Renee Kennedy
There are a few ingredients within these appetizers that contain fat. However,
we've chosen the healthier fats like olive oil. Olive oil is better for you than
butter because it is mostly unsaturated fat.
1. Artichokes with dipping sauce: Kids love this
appetizer because it's a fun, unique finger food. Take
whole artichokes and boil or steam them for about 20 minutes, until the outer
leaves pull off easily.
Dipping sauce: ¼ cup any type of vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and
pepper to taste.
To eat: pull off the leaves of the artichoke, dip in the sauce and scrape off
the flesh at base of the leaf with
your teeth. Don't eat the whole leaf, just the soft parts. When you get to
the center of the artichoke, you must
scrape out the prickly part with a spoon. Then dip the heart of the artichoke
into your sauce and eat the
whole thing (this is the best part).
2. Low Fat Baked Tortilla Chips with three kinds of dip.
(Frito Lay has a good low fat tortilla chip with only two
ingredients - corn and salt!)
Dips:
- Salsa - choose a variety that is low in fat with healthy ingredients.
- Avocado - 2 or 3 ripe avocados, smash with a fork add about a tablespoon of
lemon juice. Avocados are very high in fat, but it's a healthy fat.
- Refried beans - choose a variety that is low in fat, mix up with a little
non-fat sour cream to give it a more dip-like consistency, you might even put in
a packet of taco seasoning for a spicy dip.
3. Hummus on whole wheat pita bread. In the deli section
of your grocery store, you will find many different flavors of prepared hummus.
Hummus is made out of chick peas and the flavored varieties are actually quite
yummy. You can also make it yourself by cooking chick peas (garbanzo beans)
according to package directions and blending in a food processor with any types
of spices you like. Chick peas are bland, so they will pick up any flavor you
add to them. Whole wheat pita bread can be found in the bread section of the
grocery store.
4. Crostini and toppings. Crostini are just little pieces
of toast; their original topping is chicken liver pate. However, you can really
top them with anything. Use any type of small width bread (like a French
baguette), slice, single layer on a cookie sheet, and cook for a few minutes in
the oven. Watch carefully so they don't burn. You may spread olive oil on these
pieces of bread before toasting, but it's not necessary.
Give your guests a selection of low fat toppings:
- roasted red, yellow or orange peppers
- diced tomato with basil
- low fat or fat free mozzarella sliced thin
- roasted eggplant marinated in balsamic vinaigrette dressing
- 1 can tuna or 1 package imitation crab mixed with low fat
mayo and/or low fat sour cream, capers, salt and pepper to taste
- low-fat cream cheese with black and green olives on top
5. Bread with dips. Healthy, hearty breads are
pumpernickel and whole wheat rosemary. Buy the bread freshly baked in un-sliced
loaves. Right before serving, rip off chunks of bread for dipping - a great
thing to have the kids help you do or even let your guests rip off their own
pieces.
Dips:
- Warmed olive oil with fresh ground pepper (especially easy when you don't have
a lot of time)
- Prepared vinaigrettes made with unsaturated oils make excellent dips for
bread, heat in the microwave until warm
- Hot artichoke dip: 1-14 oz can artichokes diced,
1 cup of low-fat or fat free mayo,
1 cup of low-fat cheese shredded,
2 cloves minced garlic.
Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 in oven proof dish
for 20 minutes. (I've tried this with low fat mozarella cheese
and fat free mayo, it's pretty good if you like artichoke.)
You may also want to read
http://www.nutricounter.com/articles/low-fat.htm
Five Low-Fat Party Appetizers.
Come and visit the NutriCounter web site at
http://www.nutricounter.com/news.htm
for an extensive selection of articles on health, nutrition and exercise.
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