Broccoli And Cheddar Soup

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
( This recipe is from Taste of Home's community forum. Reviews said this was better than Jason's Deli. I don't go to Jason's deli too often, but this soup was definitely DELICIOUS!)

I know this soup is kind of green, because of the broccoli. I put it in the Vitamix for a creamy and smooth texture, which turned out really good.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only, well rinsed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (I didn't have that so I used regular pepper)
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth (I recommend Better Than Bouillon)
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar (I  have added extra cheese)
• Croutons, for garnish, recipe follows

Directions

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)
Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.

Wisonsin Cauliflower Soup

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup   (very similar to Zupa's) 
Yields: 9 cups or 8 first-course servings (or 4-5 hungry adults :) (this recipe is from justcookalready.com )

2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

*note- i added the cheese when the soup was maybe too hot, it was slightly grainy- but it still was delicious. this is definitely a soup i will make again!

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Delights

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home website and it's REALLY good! It was really easy to make and definitely has the WOW factor in taste and presentation! Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips

Frosting:
1/2 cup white baking chips (I used white candy melts)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 tsp peppermint extract (not in the original recipe, but its GOOD)
1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Red food coloring (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peppermint extract, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in melted chips and food color. Frost cookies; sprinkle with peppermint candies. (I used a pastry bag with a large round tip to pipe the frosting on top- very pretty!)

Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large mushrooms

1 TBS oil

1 TBS garlic

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

crab meat (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Twist and remove steams from mushrooms and finely chop them.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add garlic and chopped stems. Cook until all moister is gone, careful not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool. When stems are cooled add the rest of the ingredients. Spoon into a Ziploc bag, cut off tip of the corner. "pipe" into the mushroom caps. Bake for 20 min.

Optional toppings: bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, cayenne pepper.

--Recipe from Kari--

Parmesan Baked Salmon

 I got this from Krafts website. Its really good, I have made it before. I made it last night and thought I would share.
 Parmesan Bakes Salmon
Prep time- 15 min    total time- 35 min      Makes 4 servings
1/4 c Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (i omitted this because i don't like spicey foods much)
4 salmon fillets (1 lb)
2 tsp lemon juice
10 ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 400*. Mix mayo, cheese and pepper until well blended. set aside.
Place salmon on foil lined shallow baking pan. Drizzle lemon juice evenly over fillets. Top with cheese  mixture; spread it evenly across fillets. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs.

Bake 12-15 min or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Pucker Up!

Layered lemon Pies

* Pastry for 2 single-crust pies

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 6 TBS cornstarch

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* 2 cups cold water

* 3 egg yolks, beaten

* 1/3 cup lemon Juice

* 1/4 cup butter, cubed

* 1 tsp. grated lemon peal

* 1 tsp. lemon extract

* 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Second Layer

* 8oz cream cheese, softened

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1 1/2 cups cold milk

* 2 small pkg. instant lemon pudding

Top Layer

* 8oz cream cheese, softened

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1 carton cool whip (16 oz)

1. Cook pie crust according to directions on package.

2. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch & salt. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over med-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, cook 2 min longer. Remove from heat.

3. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yokes; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 min longer.

4. Remove from heat, gently stir in lemon juice, butter, lemon peal, extract and food coloring. Cool to room temp without stirring. Spread lemon mixture into crusts. Refrigerate for 30 min or until firm.

5. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. gradually beat in milk. Add pudding mixes; beat 2 min longer. Let stand 2 min until soft set; spread onto pies. Refrigerate 30 min.

6. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and powered sugar until smooth, fold in cool whip. Spread over tops of pies. Refrigerate until set.

*Recipe from Taste of Home, Feb/March 2010

Herbed Onion Bread

This makes awesome bread (or rolls). Its great with soups, makes KILLER grilled cheese sandwiches, and is fantastic on its own with a little butter. This recipe works in a breadmaker, too (1.5lb loaf).

1 cup + 1 TBS warm water
1 TBS active dry yeast
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS butter, softened
2 TBS dry milk
1 TBS dough enhancer
1 TBS dried onion flakes
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried dill weed
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, & yeast. Add dough enhancer, dry milk, salt, onion, garlic, dill, poppy seeds & butter. Gradually add flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, form rolls or a loaf. Place on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan and allow to rise for about 40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter.

Yummy Chicken Salad

This is my favorite chicken salad recipe. It comes from my Aunt Sheri, who is a wonderful cook! The amounts of the ingredients are relative, so if you like more or less of something, then do it the way you like it :) It's great on rolls, croissants, cream puffs, etc.

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

5 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2/3 cup small grapes, sliced

1/2 apple, chopped

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I used a whole rotisserie chicken)

Mix well and enjoy!!

Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

I made this recipe today, it was the best ice cream recipe ever. So enjoy it! 

Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

A traditional cooked custard base is the key to this creamy ice cream with rich vanilla flavor. "It is a family favorite that has been handed down and enjoyed for generations," writes Mary Thompson of Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Whenever we serve it, we get lots of requests for the recipe."

12 ServingsPrep: 30 min. + chilling Process: 20 min./batch + freezing

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar (I used 1.5 Tbsp NuNaturals Stevia powder and just added it after I cooled the mixture)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Cook over
• medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick
• enough to coat a metal spoon and reaches at least 160°. Remove
• from the heat; cool quickly by setting pan in ice and stirring the
• mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight or freeze immediately. When ready to
• freeze, pour custard and vanilla into the cylinder of an ice cream
• freezer. Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Yield:
• about 1-1/2 quarts.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 303 calories, 23 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 123 mg cholesterol, 99 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 3 g protein.

Peanut Butter Creme filled Chocolate Chip Cookies

All I can say is that these are chewey- chocolatey -peanut buttery -heaven! My family LOVED them!

Cookies:

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter & sugars. Beat in egg, vanilla, baking soda, & salt. Stir in chocolate chips and flour. Drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Creme Filling:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 TBS sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together until smooth. Spread peanut butter creme on half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Gobble them up with a tall glass of milk!

Creamy Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
3 cups whipping cream*
3 egg yolks, beaten
2-3 tsp white stevia powder** or 2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

In a saucepan, whisk together whipping cream, (sugar if you're using it), egg yolks, cocoa, and salt. Cook over meduim low heat until mixture is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Cool completely, whisk in stevia powder. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into dessert cups & refrigerate overnight.

*If you want to make it lower fat and are not worried about carbs, use 1 cup whipping cream and 2 cups whole milk with 2 TBS flour.

**I use NuStevia brand white stevia powder. All brands are different, so always add it to taste. If you add too much, it can be really gross. Beware of brands that cost significantly less than others because they are often very bitter or really weak. I have also used Truvia brand and it has a good flavor but is a little weak so you may need to add more. Also, I have found that stevia does NOT like to be heated- it gets too strong and a little bitter, so be sure to add stevia to cooled mixtures.

Lemony No-Bake Cheesecake

This cheesecake is really light and creamy! I made mine sugar free and low carb (believe it or don't!), so I didn't make a crust, but there is a recipe for crust included. This makes a small cheesecake so I would recommend doubling the recipe and using a 9 or 10 inch pan for a larger group (no need to double crust or lemon topping). Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 pkg knox unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup water

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 TBS butter

2-3 tsp stevia powder* (to taste) or 2/3 cup sugar

16 oz (2 pkg) cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1 TBS stevia powder* (to taste) or 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

If you want to use a crust:

Combine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs, 2 TBS sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan and bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.

In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice, let stand 1 minute. Over meduim heat, bring to a boil and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved; measure out 1/4 cup and set aside to cool. Add water (and sugar if you're using it- do not add stevia yet!) to remaining lemon juice and bring just to a boil. Slowly whisk hot lemon mixture into beaten egg yolks, being careful not to cook them (you just want to temper them). Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium low heat until bubbly. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Cool completely and whisk in stevia powder.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, and stevia (or sugar). Slowly beat in reserved 1/4 cup lemon juice & gelatin mixture. Beat in vanilla and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Gently spread into an 8 inch springform pan. Pour cooled lemon mixture over cheesecake. Cover and chill overnight.

*I use NuStevia brand white stevia powder. All brands are different, so add it to taste. If you add too much, it can be really gross. Beware of brands that cost significantly less than others because they are often very bitter or really weak. I have also used Truvia brand and it has a good flavor but is a little weak so you may need to add more. Also, I have found that stevia does NOT like to be heated- it gets too strong and a little bitter, so be sure to add stevia to cooled mixtures.

Pepper Poppers

These are a favorite at our house. They are the best on a grill, but if you can't grill outside, they work well in an oven, too. Ingredients:

2 Large bell peppers* (any color)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

16 slices of thick-cut bacon

32 Toothpicks

Chop each bell pepper into 16 chunks. Cut cream cheese into 32 squares. Cut bacon slices in half. Press one cream cheese square into each chunk of bell pepper and wrap in bacon (it's better if it doesn't overlap too much). Punch a toothpick through the popper to hold the bacon in place. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on the baking sheet (so air can circulate and bacon fat can drip). Place poppers on the wire rack and broil** on high for about 14-16 minutes until bacon is crispy, turning halfway through.

* If you like spicy, try substituting jalapeno peppers for the bell peppers.

** If you don't like to use broil, you can bake them at 450 for about 30-45 minutes, until crispy. If you have a convection oven (one with a fan to blow air while they cook) they cook much better and faster. Many toaster ovens are convection. You can also grill them, which we LOVE, but DO NOT leave them unattended because the dripping bacon grease will boost the flame and burn the bacon.

Buttermilk Waffles

Buttermilk Waffles
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp b soda
1 1/4 tsp b powder
1 Tbsp sugar (I rarely add this if I use white flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c oil

Mix dry ingredients well first , then add the rest and mix. Batter should not be runny or very thick, add more flour/ buttermilk until its just right. Pour into your waffle iron. I have a large waffle iron (4 good sized squares) , and this recipe usually yields 3 large waffles.