Stat Counter

Hey Friends!  I thought it would be cool to see how many hits our blog gets every day so I installed a free stat counter.  You can see the count underneath the "followers".  If you click on it, it will take you to a website where you can sign in with our blog username and password and see how many people viewed the blog today, this week, this month, etc.  Just thought it would be fun to see!

Sarah

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

2 carrot, diced

2 ribs of celery diced

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

½ teaspoon dried ground rosemary

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 cup white beans, soaked (or canned)*

5 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ pound kale stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped into bite size pieces

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Dice onion, carrot and celery into even ½ inch pieces.
2. In a medium pot, heat oil than the onion, carrot and celery and sauté vegetables for 4- -6 min till onions are translucent.
3. Add fresh garlic and dried herbs and sauté 1 min more
4. Add beans, salt, pepper, bay leaf and 5 cups of water
5. Cover the pot and bring up to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 50-60 min till beans are tender. *If using canned beans reduce cooking time to 20 min.
6. Add ½-1 cup more water till desired consistency.
7. Add kale and simmer stirring occasionally till kale is tender 10-12 min
8. Serve soup garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

*Recipe from: http://www.examiner.com/healthy-food-in-boston/hearty-white-bean-and-kale-soup-recipe

- Sarah

Baked Spaghetti and Mozzarella

Ingredients

course salt

2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes

2 T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3/4 lb. spaghetti

2 cups packed basil leaves, torn

3/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch peices

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Set a large pot of salted water to boil.  In a food processor (or blender), pulse tomatoes until coarsely chopped.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Cook at a rapid simmer until sauce thickens, about 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta 5 minutes (it will still be crunchy).  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add tomato sauce, basil, and half the mozzarella and toss to combine.  Transfer mixture to a 3-quart baking dish and top with remaining cheese.  Bake until cheese is golden and edges are bubbling, about 25 minutes.

I used whole grain pasta to add an extra bit of healthiness and had it with some salad.  It was very delicious!

*Recipe from Everyday Food Issue 75

-Sarah

Green Beans with Cider Vinaigrette

A very tasty assistance to the ordinary green been side!

Green Beans with Cider Vinaigrette

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

1.Set a steamer basket in a pot. Fill with enough salted water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

2.Place green beans in basket; top with garlic. Cover, and steam until green beans are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Reserve garlic. Transfer green beans to ice water; let stand until cool. Drain; pat dry.

3.Make vinaigrette: Using the flat side of the blade of a chef's knife, mash reserved garlic into a paste. Place in a small bowl; whisk in oil, vinegar, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate green beans and vinaigrette separately, up to 1 day.) Toss green beans with vinaigrette, and serve.

~Lynn

Everyday Food, June 2008.

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

This is a fun, easy change up to the traditional "breakfast for dinner" nights.

Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
6 slices bacon
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

2.In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

3.Standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. Nonstick pans are nice but not essential. Beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. Place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

~Lynn
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Everyday Food, September 2010

Chocolate Mousse

I tried my hand at mousse for the first time; I looked to none other than Food Network's Tyler Florence.  This mousse turned out light, fluffy and chocolatey rich!

Chocolate Mousse

6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1-inch of barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool slightly. Then grab a whisk and beat the egg yolks into the chocolate, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.

Now that you've got the elements prepared, put it all together. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual glasses, preferably Moroccan glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

From FoodNetwork.com

~Lynn

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

My friend Sara Chidester posted the new Cooking Light cover recipe on her blog last week:  Peanut Butter Banana Bread.  Instead of retyping the recipe, I thought I would just give you the link to her page.

It was very, very moist and tasty! I loved using yogurt. 

Enjoy!

Lynn