Simple Potato Soup

Hey y'all! I hope you are all doing well! I'm doing alright, just relaxing at home while I have dinner cooking away in the slow cooker. If the recipe turns out as expected, I will definitely have a post on it with the recipe. Tonight's dinner is not what this post is about. No, what this post is about is how it's spring time here in North Carolina, but we have had freeze warnings and temperatures in the 20s recently. Are you serious, mother nature? Anyways, this weekend is supposed to be much warmer, with highs in the mid-60s, so I wanted to take advantage of a soup...just once more. 
     Don't get me wrong, I can eat soup during spring, summer, fall, or winter, but it's just so much more appealing in the colder months. Let's face it, when it's 95 degrees outside, do you really want to be stuffing your face with 98 degree soup?! I think not. Anyways, for lunch, I decided on some potato soup. I have been craving it recently and decided on making some. I did want to lighten it up a bit, as most classic potato soups have heavy cream. I will tell you this: I succeeded. Give this recipe a try, you won't regret it. You will never miss the cream in this tasty soup! 


Simple Potato Soup

Yields: 2 servings

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large potato, cubed
¼ c. onion, chopped

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 ¼ c. chicken stock

¼ c. milk

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. water

     

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic clove and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Next, add the onions and allow to cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, and parsley and cook, stirring frequently about 3 minutes.

Carefully add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Continue to cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Using a potato masher, break some of the potatoes up. This is optional, but I think it helps add a little more thickness.

 Create a slurry using the cornstarch and water, by mixing them together and adding to the soup. Bring to a boil, once again, and stir for 1 minute. Once you are satisfied with the texture and thickness of your soup, remove from heat and stir in milk!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 214.7

• Total Fat: 6.6 g
• Cholesterol: 20.2 mg
• Sodium: 645.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
• Protein: 5.3 g

Oh, honey! It's chicken!

     This recipe is so simple and so tasty, you'd be insane not to try it! The sauce that is poured over the chicken is so yummy. It's the perfect balance between sweet and salty and I can't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner. The next time I make this recipe, I'll definitely be bumping up the flavor of the ginger! Sometimes, ginger can be too pungent in dishes, especially when it's grated in something. I walked on the safer side of the road this time, but I suggest adding ½ tsp. of ginger. 

     A little about our lives now! We had a few issues with the current house we are under contract with and weren't quite sure we were going to be able to follow through with the purchase. Well, the kinks worked themselves out and we don't have an exact closing date, but we are "full steam ahead" and have put it our 30-day notice to vacate our apartment and have begun shopping for furniture for our new home. I'm so excited! 

Honey Soy Chicken

Yields: 2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips

6 tbsp. soy sauce

6 tbsp. honey

¼ tsp ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic until well mixed and the honey is no longer thick and set aside. Make chicken breast about ½" thick. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, cook chicken for approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until done. Place chicken strips in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken breasts. Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 346.6

• Total Fat: 1.3 g
• Cholesterol: 81.3 mg
• Sodium: 3,021.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 56.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
• Protein: 32.1 g

Chicken Kiev

     If you are wanting to impress your guests or impress your significant other, chicken kiev is definitely something you should try. I didn't cook this to impress Michael, because he already knows I'm an amazing cook. (; I did want to try something different and extremely tasty; this is what i came up with! I'm sure the rest of you are with me when I say this: "Where is spring?!" The Saturday before the first day of spring was BEA-U-TI-FUL! Ever since then, it's been frigid; anyone want to explain this? I'll sit here and ponder this as I sip on my warm and tasty coffee.

Here you go!

Chicken Kiev

Yield: 2 servings

1 1/2 tbsp. butter, unsalted, softened

1 tsp. parsley, dried

1/4 tsp. basil, dried

1/4 tsp. rosemary, dried, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes

1 sleeve saltines, crushed

2 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick

1/2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 425D.

Spray 8"x8" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small dish, combine the parsley, basil, rosemary, garlic powder, and dried onion with the softened butter.

 

Reshape into a rectangle and form with cling wrap. Allow to chill in refrigerator until hardened.

Meanwhile, pound two chicken breasts out to 1/4" thickness.

Once the butter has chilled, slice in half and put in center of pounded chicken breast. Fold in the edges and begin to roll the chicken and secure with a toothpick. Next, carefully roll the breast in flour, then egg, then crushed crackers and place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, turn and bake 10 minutes more. Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 314.0

• Total Fat: 12.7 g
• Cholesterol: 213.8 mg
• Sodium: 412.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 11.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
• Protein: 39.2 g

Oh my, chocolate pie!

     This is a DELICIOUS version of chocolate cream pie. Not only is it for those who prefer dark chocolate, but it's also a lighter version. It's still just as creamy as the regular pie, but hardly the same amount of calories. You can of course, change the milk you use, or combine two different milkfat percentages. Either way, you can't go wrong with chocolate.  I had no real reason to make a pie, but I hadn't had one in quite sometime. I remembered that March 14 was "pi" day (3.14), but didn't get around to making a pie. I hopped on the wagon and have made a pie, like most others did...just a few days later! I can't believe how much this tastes like the richer version which uses heavy cream, as opposed to milk! 


Light Chocolate Cream Pie
Yield: 8 servings

FILLING:
1/4 C. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 C. skim milk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
CRUST:
5 tbsp butter, melted
12 oz. animal crackers, crushed

TOPPING (IF DESIRED):
1 C. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

CRUST: 

Crush crackers and combine with butter until all crumbs are moist. Press into a 9" pie plate.

FILLING:

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, combine cornstarch, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and sea salt. Place over medium heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Continue whisking until the mixture reaches the boil. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes (mixture will become thick) then remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth and pour into prepared filling.
  

TOPPING (IF DESIRED):

In a medium sized clean bowl, beat the whipping cream and sugar on a low speed for about 1 minute. Slowly increase the speed until the cream is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Nutritional Info (Amounts given reflect no whipped topping)

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 292.9

• Total Fat: 6.6 g
• Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
• Sodium: 488.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 56.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
• Protein: 7.0 g

Coffee Cubes!

     I'm sure during the winter, most of you enjoy drinking coffee or hot chocolate or something similar. It's something tasty that warms you up inside! The winter months are gone and the cold temperatures are slowly disappearing. It's almost time for spring weather and then the scorching months of summer-at least where I live. Anyways, I love to drink iced coffee year-round, but especially during warmer weather. I like to make my own iced coffee, but don't do it as often as I'd like because I don't like watering it down with ice cubes. I started brewing the coffee before bed and letting it cool down in the refrigerator overnight and then adding ice in the morning, but then I didn't get the fresh-brewed taste that I like. I then started brewing my coffee EXTRA strong to see if that would counter all the ice I had been adding...nope.
     Here's where today's blog post comes in: coffee cubes! Simply make a cup of coffee to your liking, let it cool just a bit, then pour the coffee into an ice cube tray and place it in the freezer. Let it harden and then you can either remove them and put them in a resealable bag or leave them in the tray for later use. I end up using about 10-12 for my coffee (I love extremely cold drinks) and it won't water the coffee down! It's always going to melt back to the coffee you love!

Pasta e Fagioli- YUMMY!

     It's a cold and rainy day here in North Carolina, very rainy. We had dinner at Michael's parent's house tonight; pot roast, green beans, and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy, the roast was tender and juicy. Dinner was absolutely delicious; sometimes it's nice not to cook dinner and just enjoy it with family. Even though I didn't cook dinner, I still have a recipe to provide you with that is one I'm sure you will enjoy! It's absolutely perfect for cold and rainy days and is very tasty.
     Whether you like Italian flavors or Italian restaurants, this dish is sure to please! The acid of the tomatoes balances perfectly with the herbs, beans, and pasta. Choose whichever cut of pasta you prefer, but I will recommend choosing a short cut pasta and I chose rotini because there's something about those little twists that I absolutely adore! 


Pasta e Fagioli
Yields: 6-8 servings

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 c. vegetable juice

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. basil

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans beef broth

1/2 pound pasta al dente, uncooked

Start with browning 1 pound of ground beef in a large stock pot over medium high heat, drain excess fat.  Add the prepared veggies to the browned meat. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce,  vegetable juice, vinegar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and thyme. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour then add 1/2 pound of pasta cooked al dente. Simmer 10 more minutes and serve.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 289.0

• Total Fat: 10.4 g
• Cholesterol: 34.0 mg
• Sodium: 1,823.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 34.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
• Protein: 15.8 g