.curried carrot soup.

Back in November, my mom and sister were here from Seattle. Their visit coincided with a cooking class I was having here at the house. The topic for the class was "Soups, Stews, and Sauces". Nothing fancy, mind you, but I wanted to teach the ladies how to make a proper roux which is the root knowledge for making things like clam chowder, gravy, and alfredo!

I always try to offer a vegetarian dish too because I usually have a couple non-meat-eaters in the group. So I made a roasted carrot soup and added a dash of curry to it for a middle eastern taste and it was delicious! So delicious, that I decided to make it again for a church function yesterday.

**Note: Not only is this soup delicious and meat-free, it's VEGAN!

1. Begin by making vegetable broth. In a small soup pot, put water, carrots, celery, bay leaf, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Leave uncovered so the liquid can reduce. After it simmers on the cooktop for 1 hour, strain and reserve the liquid.

This stock can be made ahead of time and held in the fridge, or even put in the freezer!

2. Peel about 10 carrots and cutting them into 2-3 pieces. I use only organic carrots when I make this soup, but I can only imagine how delicious it would be with carrots grown from your own garden. I'm sure it would be so sweet!

3. Put the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pop carrots into a 350* oven and roast until they're fork tender (approximately 30 minutes). emove from the oven and put into a blender with 1 can coconut milk, 1/2 tsp curry powder and 1 tsp ground coriander seed toasted.

4. To toast the coriander seed, spoon into a small saute pan and put over medium high heat. Swirl the pan around so the seeds don't burn. The heat will draw out the oil and fragrance from the coriander and it smells slightly lemony. Remove from the pan after toasting 2 minutes and put in a spice grinder and pulse until fine.

5. I pulsed the blender for a minute, but found it too thick to really puree adequately, so I spooned in ladles full of the vegetable broth to thin it down. Once you get the desired consistency, taste and re-season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cold. I topped each bowl with some pine nuts and chopped cilantro.

Makes 6-8 servings

.carrot cake balls.

I've been thinking about Easter.  It's coming up soon, you know.  Well, I wanted to put together a variety of Spring-type desserts and foods and put them here on the blog.  

What do you traditionally have at Easter anyway?  I usually do a ham with herbed gratin potatoes, some type of veggie and/or salad, rolls, and a dessert -- usually lime pie.  I'm thinking of doing something different this year and would love to hear what you fix.

So back to these Easter-y, Spring-y recipes.  The lemon meringue cupcakes fit into this group as do these:  Carrot cake balls.  Yummy!  I'm sure your family and friends will enjoy these nuggets of goodness this Easter holiday!

Begin by making 1 carrot cake.  (recipe)

Then make some cream cheese frosting by creaming 1/2 cup butter and 1 8oz pkg cream cheese.  With the mixer on low, slowly add 4 cups powdered sugar.  When all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, add 1 tsp vanilla.

Now comes the fun part -- crumbling the cake!!  Get the kids involved if you want.  There's no wrong way to do this but just make sure they break it apart good enough so there aren't big chunks.

Spoon in the cream cheese frosting (yes, ALL of it!)  If you think this might be too sweet, then by all means, don't dump it all in.

Mix well with using a spatula.

I've heard people using a teaspoon, spooning some out, rolling it in their hands, and then dipping in chocolate.  I didn't have that kind of time because the hubs was taking these to work so I used my small (2 Tbsp) ice cream scooper.  It worked PERFECTLY!!!  I really suggest going that route.

My freezer isn't wide enough to slip a cookie sheet in there, so I used plates.  See how yummy those look?

Before dipping in chocolate, you're definitely going to want to put these in the freezer for awhile (like an hour or longer) to firm them up and make them not so sticky.

Recipes I have seen called for regular chocolate.  Chocolate and carrot cake doesn't sound good to me, so I used white chocolate. 

If you've never worked with white chocolate, it can be a total pain.  It needs to be melted on LOW heat and watched like a hawk.  If you start getting it too hot, it will begin seizing on you.  If this happens, add a little vegetable oil to bring some fat back into the equation and work out the lumps.  It's happened to me so I know. :)

However, what I did *this* time was use 1 1/2 bags Ghiradelli white chocolate and 1 bag Wilton vanilla candy chips.  The candy chips aren't nearly as fussy as white chocolate and I didn't run into any seizing problems.

I apologize for not having pictures of the actual dipping process but it's pretty straight forward.  You do NOT want to put the balls directly into the chocolate because it will 1) warm them too much and 2) they'll start breaking apart and you'll have cake pieces in your chocolate.  Not what we want.

So put a cake ball directly on a fork (or candy fork) and use a spoon to ladle the chocolate over the cake balls.  I kept a knife handy (just a small paring knife) to push the cake ball from the fork to a piece of parchment.  The parchment was sitting on  bakers rack.  Repeat this until all of the cake balls have been coated.  Put these in the fridge to firm up the chocolate.

I had leftover chocolate, so I tinted a little green, a little orange, and put into piping bags and made little carrots on top.  (That way they know what kind of yummy carrot goodness awaits them!)

These were a lot of fun to make and even though they were for my husband's co-workers, I did try one (poison testing!!) and they were fabulous!!!

Trim off any excess chocolate at the base of the balls if you want.  These need to be stored in an air-tight container in either the fridge or freezer.  They can be held up to a week in the fridge.

.roast chicken pot pie.

Roast chicken pot pie. Or as I like to call it - poor man's pie, because really... it doesn't cost a lot to throw something like this together. I had some roast chicken leftover from the other night and some corn from when I made corn muffins on Sunday. All I needed were some other veggies thrown into the mix, pie crust, and a cream sauce! A wonderful meal on a very chilly Georgia night.

Let's start with the sauce.


Mine is more of a herb-ish/garlicky sauce which adds a nice contrast to the root vegetables and the chicken. Start by melting 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan and add 1 clove minced garlic to saute.


While whisking, add 1/4 cup flour, a little at a time. Make sure you whisk while you add otherwise you will get lumps. Lumps are not our friends. Let this cook over medium heat for a few minutes.


Now we need 2 cups milk. Again, while whisking, add the milk gradually.


Add 1/2 tsp dill weed. You really don't need to measure. If you're confident enough, just shake the jar a few times and that'll be good.


Then add about the same amount of thyme. Thyme is a good herb for anything chicken. I also added some salt and pepper to properly season the sauce.


Kick up the heat to medium high and let this thicken up. Make sure you whisk it constantly so it doesn't burn on the bottom of your pan. When the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, it's done. Set aside.


Chop up some potatoes, carrots, and celery. I used 2 of each. You don't need more than you see here because it adds up quickly and your pie will be bursting at the seams! Yep.. been there. lol


Chop up some roast chicken. If you don't have roast chicken, cook some chicken breasts and use those. I don't play by rules. :D

At this stage, you could throw it all in a pie crust, seal up and throw in the oven. I have found my pot pies take way too long to bake through when I do this. So I do some cooking before putting it in the pie plate.


Start by melting 2 Tbsp butter. Add a little olive oil.


Add your chopped vegetables. Stir to coat them with the oil/butter. Saute for about 4-5 minutes. The potatoes will be glassy looking.


Here I added a variety of frozen vegetables. I added about 1/2 cup peas, 1/2 cup green beans, and 1/2 cup corn. Mushrooms would be a really nice addition but I didn't have any. Season well with salt and pepper then stir everything together.



Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in your cream sauce. We're almost there!


Add your chicken. I used 2 cups worth of meat. If you want yours more "chicken-y", then add more. I like a good balance of chicken vs. vegetable.


Make a double pie crust. Roll out the bottom shell and line the pie plate. Trim off any excess. Add your filling.


Roll out the top crust and put on top. Again, trim excess, then pinch closed. Mark the top with a knife to create vents.

You wouldn't think I was a pie baker by this pie crust. I totally mangled it. Oh well. Brush with a little milk and pop in a 350* oven for about 1 1/2 hours. The sauce will probably be oozing out the top and your crust will be golden brown. A sure sign it's time to feast!


Printable version:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_122mg2sb3fp

.beef minestrone soup.

This is the best soup you will ever make. It's rich, full of vitamins, full of vegetables, some meat, protein, iron and it's delicious!

Yesterday I was on the phone with a sister from Church who is very sick. She does so much for everyone, that I thought I would do something for her. So I told her to just relax and I was bringing a big pot of soup over for her and her husband.

My mom is a really good soup maker. I have actually gotten better at making soup the past 5 years or so. This one is my daughter's favorite because she plays a game -- figuring out what I put in the pot. So much fun. If you have kids that might shy away from soup, try this one and let them have a contest to find the most items in the pot!


First, chop up 2 stalks of celery. I left them in nice slices so visually they look good.


Find two skinny carrots.

Peel and chop. Again, I leave them in their round shape -- that's why I pick skinny carrots so they're bite sized.


Peel one big, or two small gold or white potatoes.

Dice into bite sized chunks.


Dice one small onion. I had some red onion that needed using so I used that. It's okay to use white, yellow, or red!


Mince two cloves garlic.


Take 1 lb stew meat or stir fry meat.

The stir fry meat, that I used, was cut into long thin strips. I cut those strips into smaller pieces.


In a soup pot, heat a little olive oil. Put the meat in with one bay leaf and cook.


When it's almost cooked, add all of the vegetables and garlic to the pot. Stir around and cook.


Season well. I used a brand from the Spice Depot. This blend is great on salad, but I used it in my soup because it had all of the herbs I wanted.

In my next entry, I want to share a little bit about this company and their products. Some great stuff. I think you'll be interested in hearing more about them.


When the potatoes start looking glossy, add 3 cans beef broth and 1 can chicken broth.

I always add a can of chicken to my beefy soups because beef broth can often taste very flat.


Then add 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained), and 1 can white beans - either great northern or navy. Do not drain these either. Just dump it all in.

Mix well and re-season with the spice depot spice grinder.

Bring to a boil.


Once the soup starts boiling, reduce heat to low and add 1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas.


Add 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen.


And add 1/2 cup green beans cut, fresh or frozen.

**At this stage, I did add about 1 tsp sugar to the pot. This is optional.

Cover the pot and let cook for about 30-40 minutes. Before serving, remove the bay leaf. Serve with rolls, bread, crackers, and salad.

NOTE: If you want to make this in the crockpot, first cook the meat almost to completion on the stove. Spoon into your crockpot and add all of the remaining ingredients. Season well. Cover with the lid and turn on medium or high. Cook until vegetables are cooked through - about 6-8 hours.


Printable version:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_119f6hgtqfs

.aunt vivian's carrot cake.

This recipe was added to our family cookbook from my mom, Carolyn. As children, we used to have carrot cake a lot... I think it was my mom's way of getting vegetables into us. This recipe was given to my mom from my great aunt Vivian. Preserving family recipes is a lot like preserving your family history. Food tells a lot about a person and I love having these to make for my family.



In a bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 2 cups sugar.









The key to this recipe is crushed pineapple. It gives the cake sweetness and makes it really moist. This can is huge. I only used a little over half of it and froze the rest. Make sure you either use a smaller can or only use half or so. Make sure you drain the juice out first. SAVE THE JUICE! We're going to need it later.













In a bowl, put 2 eggs, 1 cup oil, 2 cups shredded carrot, a little over 1 cup of crushed pineapple (8.5oz), 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional).

Mix together well with a fork.

Dump the wet into the dry and mix together using a whisk or spatula.

Pour into a prepared 13x9" cake pan. Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted will come out clean.

Doesn't that look yummy? Set the entire cake on a cooling rack so air can flow over and under it. Once the cake is cooled, slather on the cream cheese frosting.

In a mixing bowl, put 1/4 cup butter and 1 8oz pkg cream cheese. Use the beater attachment and mix well.

Add 5-6 cups powdered sugar slowly, one scoop at a time. Don't dump it all in otherwise when you turn the mixer on you'll get a huge mushroom cloud of powdered sugar. lol

Alternate adding powdered sugar and the pineapple juice you reserved.

When you reach the consistency you want, add a tsp of vanilla and mix well. Spread all over your cooled cake.

Printable version:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_53k2t94nc5