Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

Two Boxes of Organic Chicken Broth (turns out to be about 8 cups of broth)
1 whole yellow onion (diced)
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 Cup Butter (unsalted, 1 stick)
6 Red Potatoes (4 of them cubed, 2 of them diced...bite sized)
In total about 8-10 cups broccoli, chopped....you can leave 2 cups whole b/c it will be blended later
4-5 cups Medium Cheddar Cheese
1 cup water
7 TBSP flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1% Organic Milk)
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp dill

Directions:

Saute onions and garlic until translucent in bottom of a stock pot with the EVOO. Add the 4 cubed red potatoes, the stick of butter and one box of chicken broth (4 cups). Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes....for the last 8 minutes add the 2 cups of whole broccoli florets and cover.

Once broccoli is steamed and fork tender, use hand blender (or food processor/blender) to blend the soup together. This will create a base to make your soup thick later on. Add some salt and pepper, dill, and 1 tsp of garlic powder.

Once blended add 2nd box of chicken broth, milk, and the green onions. Allow soup to come to a boil. Once boiling, add the 2 diced potatoes and 4 cups of broccoli. Bring back to a boil and then turn down heat until your soup is at a low simmer. In the meantime, dissolve flour into the water.

After about 15 minutes, turn the heat back up to medium and add water/flour mixture, 1 more tsp of garlic powder and more salt and pepper if you think it's needed.

Cook another 20-25 minutes (on medium low to low) until soup starts to get to a good thick consistency, stirring every 5 minutes or so to keep anything from sticking to the bottom. In the mean time shred your cheese.

Next, add about 2.5 cups of cheese and stir. Allow cheese to melt and add next two cups. Again, stir and allow to melt. Add the last 2-4 cups of chopped broccoli and allow to simmer until broccoli is fork tender (about ten minutes). Check one more time on the seasoning and add any extra salt, pepper, or garlic powder as desired.

Serve each portion with some of the cheese that is left over and croutons (if you have any). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes
From the Kitchen of Heather Thomas

1 1/3 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup pumpkin
4 eggs (seperated)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 stick of butter (melted)
1 1/3 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

On low speed mix egg yolks, milk, pumpkin,sugar, and vanilla. wisk in butter. wisk in dry ingredients. In seperate bowl beat egg whites. Fold egg whites into batter.

* I think the recipe is from a Bon Appetit magaine a few years ago if you wanted to try to look it up. They are delicious and sooo fluffy:) Hope you like them!

Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread Cake
From the kitchen of Amy Day


My FAVORITE fall recipe just hit me like a bolt of lightning. Look up a gingerbread cake recipe and make it according to directions, except replace the water with the juice from canned or jarred pears. At the bottom of a bundt pan (which will become the top when the cake is inverted), place a small amout of butter (too much will make the cake fall apart), sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon, and line the entire top with a thin layer of canned/jarred pears. Pour in the gingerbread cake and bake. Serve with fresh whipped cream, not too sweet. It's amazing!!

Apple Spice Muffins

Apple Spice Muffins
From the Kitchen of Kim Taylor

1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
2 cups peeled, diced apples
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts

beat oil, eggs, and sugar until smooth. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and gradually add to sugar mixture. Mix well after each addition. Stir in apples, raisins, and walnuts.

Spoon batter into greased muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

I go to Albertson's (or wherever) and have the butcher preslice 1/2 pound of raw chicken breasts
Slice on red bell pepper, one green bell pepper and one yellow onion
I season with Mrs. Dash (I'm watching sodium) south western seasoning, lemon pepper and lime seasoning

I cook the chicken in a pan with just a drop of EVOO until almost done then I throw in the peppers and onions and
cover for about 5-7 minutes (until the veggies are done to the crispness or softness you prefer).

I lay out flour tortillas, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, scallions, salsa, and sour cream and have a fajita bar.

Lemon Buttermilk Bars

Lemon Buttermilk Bars
From Williams-Sonoma Baking Cook book

Ingredients:

6 TBSP Unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 cup + 2/3 cup Granulated sugar
2/3 cup + 2 TBSP Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 TBSP Lemon Zest
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Buttermilk
Powdered Sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

MIX THE DOUGH AND BAKE THE CRUST:

Position Rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter the bottoms and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until creamy. Add the 2/3 cup flour and the salt and mix on low speed until blended. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and press evenly into the pan bottom. Bake until the crust is golden, 15-18 minutes.

MAKE THE FILLING:

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using the electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and the remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar until blended. Add the remaining 2 TBSP flour, the lemon zest, and juice, and the buttermilk and beat until smooth. Pour the filling evenly over the baked crust.

BAKE THE FILLING:

Bake until the top of the filling is set and barely browned at the edges, 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small ones, dust with powdered sugar shaken through a sieve and serve.

Beef Slices and Stuffing

Beef Slices and Stuffing
From the Kitchen of Marchelle Kern

An Easy 5 minute recipe for busy people like me who have kids in soccer, etc:

Stove Top Stuffing Mix,
Deli Roast Beef Slices (Thicker),
Canned Gravy. Make stuffing according to directions.

Put 1/2 cup stuffing on one end of Roast beef and roll up.
Top with gravy and microwave for one minute.
Look like gourmet, and tastes great!

Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin Dip
From the Kitchen of Tiffani Hampton

1 15oz can pumpkin
1 8oz container whipped cream cheese
Sugar to taste (a fair amount)
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to taste
A tiny pinch of ground cloves
Optional: a splash of orange extract or orange zest

Blend together and serve cold with Ginger snaps for dipping.

Carrot soup w/ginger

Carrot soup w/ginger
From the kitchen of Katie Springer


saute ginger in oil until brown. remove, set aside. add 2 tbps minced shallots and saute until translucent. stir in 1 lb cut up carrots and add 2 cups chicken broth and 1/2 tsp salt. bring to boil and then simmer 20-25 minutes. remove and Blend the concoction until smooth and add a little seasoning to taste. Return to saucepan.

Garnish with a teeny-weeny bit o'ginger or sour cream. Enjoy

Gooey and Sweet Baked Apple Treat

Gooey and Sweet Baked Apple Treat
From Sparkpeople.com/recipes

2 Cups sliced apple (peeled and cored)
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
3 tsp Brown Sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pkg Quaker Instant Oatmeal 33% less sugar (Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavor) Not Prepared


Directions

Core and slice apples and place in baking dish. Combine brown sugar and water and pour over apple slices. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon and Instant Oatmeal. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes at 425F. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately or allow to cool before serving. Makes four servings.

Number of Servings: 4


Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 90.6
Total Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 43.8 mg
Total Carbs: 21.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g
Protein: 1.0 g

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro
From Biggest Loser Recipes

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed and minced (don't use the seeds)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt
12-ounce bottle beer
(3) 15-ounce cans black beans*, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lime juice
Low fat yogurt
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and jalapeno and cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add a sprinkle of water if needed to keep from sticking.
2. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour beer and 1 cup water into pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until alcohol aroma fades, about 3 minutes.
4. Add beans and bring mixture back to a boil.
5. Remove 2 cups of beans from pan and puree in a blender. Return to pan.
6. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste. Reheat if necessary.
7. Serve soup in bowls, swirl with yogurt, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cool Cucumber Salad

Cool Cucumber Salad
From: SparksPeople.com Recipes

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Pepper, to taste


Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cucumber slices and onion slices; set aside. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add dressing to cucumber and onion, toss well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Nutritional Info
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 106.4
Total Fat: 10.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 304.1 mg
Total Carbs: 3.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.5 g

Makes 4 servings.

Candy Corn Martinis

Candy Corn Martinis
From the Kitchen of Carolyn Schroder

candy corns in the bottom of martini glass

3/4 OJ (more or less depending on your taste)
1/2 vodka (more or less)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cocoa powder

shake above in a shaker thing- with ice. pour over candy corns.... it tasted like orange sherbert. made about 3 martinis