Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced (I just used all russet potatoes)
6 green onions chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 T parsley Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Optional garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:

1. In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon, half the green onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
6. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

Asparagus Frittata

3/4 to 1 pound fresh asparagus spears or one 10-12 ounce package frozen cut asparagus
8 eggs
3/4 cup cottage cheese
2 1/8 teaspoons dry yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Nonstick spray coating
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 green onions sliced thin
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tomato, cut into wedges, or 1/4 cup chopped tomato

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cook fresh asparagus spears in a small amount of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Or, cook frozen asparagus according to package directions; drain. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs until foamy. Beat in cottage cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside.

4. Spray a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with nonstick spray coating (or coat with butter). Cook mushrooms over medium heat until just tender. Stir in asparagus pieces and green onions. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and asparagus.

5. Cook mixture on stove top over low heat about 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles slightly and begins to set around the edges. Spread cheddar cheese on top.

6. Bake frittata, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 10-15 minutes or until set.

Garnish each serving with tomato.

Makes 4 servings.

Almost Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

There isn't anything quite as good as warm gooey cinnamon rolls, and right up there at the top are Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. Here is a recipe that my wife uses to make these heavenly rolls that taste just like Cinnabon rolls just a lot less expensive. Enjoy!

Rolls:
2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup melted butter (do NOT substitute margarine!)
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar (or more if you like)
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup butter (do NOT substitute margarine!)

Icing:
1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In you kitchen-aid or mixer dissolve yeast in the warm milk. Mix in sugar, butter, salt, eggs and flour. Mix well. Make sure the dough isn't too dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead into a large ball. Return dough to mixer bowl, cover and let rise for one hour. While it rises go ahead and get the filling ingredients ready, and make the icing. You probably have time to clean up a little bit too!

Icing:
Cream all the icing ingredients together with an electric mixer.

Roll dough into a 21" X 16" (approx.) rectangle. Soften 1/3 cup butter and use your fingers to spread it generously over the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar generously over the dough (you can use more than called for if needed). Now sprinkle the cinnamon over the now sugary, buttery, doughy, rectangle.

Roll the rectangle from long-side, once rolled pinch the ends. Using a very sharp knife (preferably a serrated one) cut into 1 inch wide rolls, making 16. If you want bigger rolls cut them wider.

Grease (butter preferred) your baking pan, I generally use a 11" X 14" pan. Place your rolls into the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes. While rising preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes, rolls should be just slightly brown and not doughy. Just don't over bake! When done remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cover in icing.

KFC Coleslaw

I don't usually care for coleslaw, and I don't particularly care for KFC most of the time except for the Delicious coleslaw they serve there. Maybe it is because it reminds me of the coleslaw my grandmother use to make, or maybe its just because it is delicious! I have searched the internet for a KFC recipe and have found several different versions. I took the parts I thought looked good and came up with this recipe. It is very good and possibly even better than KFS's.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk (you can make buttermilk by combining 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon white vinegar and allow to stand for 2 minutes)
2 1/2 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups of finely shredded cabbage (about 1 head, I found that running it through the grater on the food processor worked best!)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (ditto on the food processor)
2 tablespoons minced onion (again, the food processor)

1. Be sure the cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice). If you use a food processor just use the grater attachment and process the cabbage, carrot and onion all at once.

2. Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper in a large bowl and beat by hand until smooth.

3. Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion, mix well.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Black Bean Soup

Beans:
1 pound dry black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 ham steak, trimmed of rind and fat, cubed into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
2 bay leaves
5 cups of water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Soup:
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, chopped fine (3 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped fine (1 cup)
1 large carrot, chopped fine (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilis in adobo (these are canned usually in the Mexican food isle)
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
6 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lime juice

Garnishes (if desired):
Diced red onion
Diced avocado
Sour cream
Minced Cilantro
Lime Wedges
Chopped green onions

1. For the beans: Place the beans, ham, bay leaves, water and baking soda in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beans are tender (you may have to add more water as beans cook) approximately 2 hours. Do not drain beans. Discard bay leaves.

Note: The ham steak will turn black but tastes just fine!

2. For the soup: Heat oil in 8 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat: add onions, carrot, celery and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic and cumin; cook stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in beans, cooking liquid, chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and the reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.

3. To finish the soup: Stir the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until combined, then gradually stir about half of corn starch mixture into soup; bring to a boil to thicken, if soup is not think enough add more of the cornstarch mixture. Off heat stir in lime juice. Serve with garnishes.

Note: You can blend the soup with a stick blender or put into a food processor if you prefer a smoother soup.

Spiced Red Lentil Soup

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 cups water
1 1/4 cups red lentils, picked over, and rinsed
1 can coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
3 plum tomatoes chopped medium
Salt
Pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook until fragrant. Stir in the water, lentils, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the lentils break down to form a thick puree, 20-30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When serving sprinkle tomatoes into each bowl and pour soup over the top.

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

1 T Olive oil

1 Medium onion chopped

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Cup dry green lentils, rinsed and drained

1 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms, chopped

5 carrots, thinly sliced, about 2 cups

4 Stocks celery, chopped

4 Cup water

1 14oz. container broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Black pepper

1/2 Head napa cabbage, sliced into strips

1. In a 4-quart saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lentils; cook for 1 minute.

2. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, water, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, about 25 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender.

3. Divide among soup bowls; top with cabbage.

Makes approximately 6 servings