Gazpacho

1 seedless cucumber
1 medium sweet red pepper
1/2 medium onion (I used a red onion)
3 gloves garlic (chopped)
1 bottle 46oz. vegetable juice
3 tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper (I left out when I made for you guys)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. sea salt

I cut everything up and put it into the blender in batches. Or the recipe says to use a hand-held blender. Chill for 2 hours and serve. The recipe came out of a Wegman's flyer. Enjoy and share the love!

New England Clam Chowder

PREP TIME: 25 mins

COOK TIME: 30 mins

SERVINGS: 10-12



INGREDIENTS:

6-8 slices bacon (diced)

2 1/4 cups chopped onion

2 1/4 cups water

6 cups potatoes (peeled and cubed)

2 1/4 tsp salt

pepper to taste

4 1/2 cups half & half

1/4 cup and 1 tsp butter

5 (6.25 oz) cans minced clams



DIRECTIONS:

1. Place diced bacon in large soup pot over med-high heat. Cook bacon until almost crisp; add onions, and cool 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

2. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and half (or more) of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil.

Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider

Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider from Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 (1-pound) bag chopped kale
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple (about 10 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon; cook 5 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add kale, and cook 5 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Add cider and vinegar; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add apple, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon.

I prepare this recipe frequently. It is best fresh, but is a goes nicely the next day, on top of a bowl of warm brown rice.

Navy Bean Soup

Navy Bean Soup from Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 2/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups dried navy beans (about 1 pound)
• 6 cups warm water
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled
• 3 whole cloves
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 3 smoked ham hocks (about 1 1/3 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans; rinse and drain.

Return beans to pan; cover with 6 cups warm water. Stud whole onion with cloves; place in pan. Add celery, thyme, parsley sprigs, ham hocks, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

Discard onion, thyme, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf. Remove ham hocks from pan; cool slightly. Remove meat from bones; finely chop to yield 1/3 cup meat. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Add meat, kale, potato, chopped onion, carrot, salt, and pepper to pan; stir well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until beans and vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley.

Gluten-free Brownies

This recipe is from the April/May 2010 issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine.

Yield: 1 dozen

1-1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 egg whites
1 egg
2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules (optional)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, place the beans, egg whites, egg, coffee granules if desired, oil and vanilla in a food processor. Cover and process until smooth.

3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; add to bean mixture. Cover and process until combined. Gradually add the chocolate; process until blended.

4. Pour batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Cheeseburger Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes. It came from a Taste of Home Soup cookbook. I often add cooked, crumbled bacon to the recipe to make it Bacon Cheeseburger Soup. To speed preparation, I usually substitute frozen diced potatoes (often called Southern style hash browns) for the fresh potatoes.

Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts)

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1-1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cut into small cubes
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

In a 3-quart saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 1 Tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. If adding sour cream, remove soup from heat and blend in sour cream.

Sausage, Butter Beans, and Cabbage Soup

2 tbsp butter, divided
1 lg onion, chopped
12 oz smoked sausage such as kielbasa or andouille, cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 head savoy cabbage, coarsely shredded (Green cabbage may be substituted)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cans (14 oz each) butter beans, drained
salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until golden. place in 3 1/2 to 4 quart crockpot.

2. Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter in same skillet; cook sausage until brown. Add to crockpot.

3. Place chicken broth, cabbage, tomato paste and bay leaf in crockpot; stir until well blended. Cover; cook on low 4 hrs or high 2 hrs.

4. Add tomatoes and beans; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook on High 1 hr or until heated through. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Makes 6 servings

South Beach Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 (2 lb) head of cauliflower
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups water (I usually used broth instead or a mixture of the 2)
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cauliflower into florets and slice stems into 1/4-inch pieces. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and cover for 5 minutes. Add water and/or broth, cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.

Puree vegetables and cooking liquid in a blender or food processor until smooth, or use a hand blender. return to saucepan and whisk in sour cream and nutmeg. season with salt and pepper. Serve.

VARIATIONS: I usually add curry powder and cumin. You can also add ground sausage. Sometimes, I'll substitute broccoli for some of the cauliflower. This is a very versatile soup and many variations are possible.

Hazelnut Crescent Rolls

This recipe is from Taste of Home (one of my favorite cooking magazines).

Prep/Total time: 25 minutes
8 servings

1 tube (8 oz. ) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, warmed (ex: Nutella)
1/3 cup chocolate covered toffee bits
Confectioner's sugar

Directions:
1. Unroll crescent roll dough; separate into triangles. Spread each with 1 tablespoon hazelnut spread; sprinkle with toffee bits. Roll up from the wide end and place pointed side down 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Notes: I could not find chocolate covered toffee bits so I used the Heath bits found in the baking section of the grocery store (usually near the chocolate chips). I also no longer measure the amount of spread I put on each crescent. Just spread a thin layer over the entire triangle.

Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup

This recipe started with a recipe from recipezaar.com and I adjusted a few ingredients. It takes some advance preparation, but can cook all day while you are at work.

Prep: 30-60 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours (can be longer also)

Serves: 6-8

Meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey (I used the variety that is already seasoned with Italian spices)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Soup
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup boneless cooked chicken breast (Baked or broiled and cut into shreds)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 cups escarole or spinach, torn into small pieces
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup pastina or acini di pepe pasta
parmesan or romano cheese for serving

1. Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Form into very small balls. I used approximately 1/2 teaspoon for mine, but you can adjust them to your taste.
4. Bake about 10-15 minutes until all the meatballs have browned but are still soft (watch closely). I baked mine on a non-stick cookie sheet and turned them half way through cooking.
5. Remove from oven and drain on paper towel if necessary.

6. Soup: Place all of the ingredients, except the pasta and the escarole or spinach, inot the crock pot with the meatballs.
7. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add pasta and greens during last hour of cooking and salt to taste.
8. Remove bay leaves.
9. Top each serving with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Notes: The meatballs must be made before being put into the crock pot. Try making them the night before and storing them in the refridgerator or making them in advance and freezing them.

I tried to prepare as much as I could in advance so that all I had to do in the morning was put it all in the crock pot and turn it on.

Leftover rotisserie chicken works well for the chicken.

Dhall - Indian Split Pea Soup

Dhall - Indian Pea Soup (this recipe is from a Moosewood Cookbook)

3 cups dry split peas
9 cups chicken bouillon (OK to use dry cubes)
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. salt

Boil above together until peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Directions say to drain and reserve liquid. If you do, it will be thick like mashed potatoes, so I didn't.

4 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper (I don't like spicy hot, so I used less)

Saute' onions with spices until they are golden brown, stirring continuously. Mix with peas. Heat gently until hot.

2 cups coconut milk - stir in and heat gently.

If you drained peas earlier and it's too thick, add some reserved liquid to thin it.

Enjoy! My 14-year-old granddaughter and picky adult son both love this and ask me to make it.