An Old Family Recipe

There are a lot of these, but this one is a particular gem in the recipe treasure chest.  Hamburger Soup is one of the best parts about cold-weather cooking.  The name underestimates this flavorful dish.

Hamburger Soup

1 LB ground beef

1/2 LB mild Italian sausage

2 diced onions

1 C diced carrots

1 diced rutabaga

1 C diced celery

1/4 C pearl barley (you can use quinoa or brown rice)

1 LG can stewed tomatoes

1 can (10 1/2 OZ) beef broth (or 10 OZ water + 2 bullion cubes)

2 TBSP ketchup

2 TSP seasoned salt

1 pinch dried basil

4 C water

Brown the beef, sausage, & onions.  Drain.  Add the other ingredients and simmer about 2 hours. 

I am making this recipe in the crockpot tomorrow, and I will let you know how it goes!

Salted. Caramel. Bar.

Three words that are great on their own, but fantastic together.  I had to run an errand this evening--fought traffic across the metro and decided to take a break from it on my way back home when I drove by Luci's--a "healthy marketplace" stuffed full of organic goodies and boasting a delightful little coffee shop.  As I got in line to get my usual medium latte--to see if Luci's would pass the milk and espresso test--something wonderful caught my attention.  The Salted Caramel Bar.  It was even better than it sounds.  Flaky crust toped with gooey caramel that was jeweled with salty roasted nuts.

Oh, and the latte was good too. 

Thai Beef w/ Basil

One of my favorite Thai restaurants in Minneapolis has bumper stickers by the door that say, "Thai It, You'll Like It!"  This cracks me up more than it ought to, every time.  However, the phrase rings true about this Thai Beef w/ Basil recipe!  In fact, I'll go one step further -- Thai It Or Else...you will regret it.  Trust me.  So, without further ado, I'm going to get writing so you can get Thai-ing!

 

The photo on the bottom is my lovely little basil plant -- a great investment if you like to have a versatile fresh herb on hand -- especially if you like to make pesto, because that can get spendy!

**This recipe was taken from Bon Appetit, however, I have altered it a bit to be a little more practical for the "cooking after work" crowd.**

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 6-10 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 jalepenos sliced, de-seeded to taste
• 1 LB ground beef
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 water + 1 cube beef bullion
• 2-3 C fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 a bag of grated carrots (found near baby carrots in produce section -- or grate a few of your own carrots)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TSP sugar
• steamed brown basmati rice

Saute garlic & jalepenos in 1 TBSP oil 1-2 minutes; add beef, salt, & pepper -- cook through, about 8-10 MIN.  Add water + bullion cube and basil; cook and stir until basil is wilted and bullion mixed in.  Turn off heat and keep warm while making carrot slaw: pour 1 TBSP oil, sugar, and soy sauce into bowl -- whisk together.  Mix in carrots and onions until thoroughly coated.  Layer rice, beef, and slaw in a bowl, and...Thai It, You'll Like It ;)

Healthy & Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

I just discovered this delightful & delectable blog, Pinch of Yum, over the weekend and made her amazing pumpkin muffins.  Follow the link above.  It will take you to a wonderful place. 

I made a few edits to the recipe (because, much to Caitlin's constant chagrin, that's what I do) --

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 TSP baking soda
• 1 TSP baking powder
• 1 1/2 TSP cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 1/2 C honey
• 2 C pumpkin puree
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1/4 C real maple syrup
• 3 TBSP milk
• 3 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, milk, and eggs).
2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined. Fill each muffin tin almost to the top with a scoop of batter – I like to use an old fashioned ice cream scoop with the little thumb press to get a nice rounded top.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are puffy and spring back when you press them. Remove from the muffin pan and let cool before glazing.

I made the best chili!

Try it.  You will thank me :)

Kileen’s Fabulously Spicy Three-Meat Chili

Ingredients

·      1 LB hot Italian sausage (de-cased if necessary – I could only find it in uncooked links)

·      1 ½ LBS ground turkey

·      1 ½ LBS ground beef

·      juice of 1 orange

·      ½ C of water + 2 beef bullion cubes

·      2 medium onions, chopped

·      2 red peppers, chopped

·      3 jalapenos, chopped and seeded to taste

·      8 smashed garlic cloves

·      1 TBSP salt

·      1 TBSP cumin

·      4 TBSP chili powder

·      1 twenty-eight OZ can diced tomatoes

·      4 OZ can of tomato paste

All you have to do is put it all in a large crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours!

It's fall. And, you know what fall means.

Apples.  Pumpkins.  Cinnamon.  Caramel.  Repeat.

If there is a recipe for happiness, that is it.  The other day, I was telling my mom that I have about 30 fall dessert recipes that I want to try.  She laughed politely in a tone that insinuated that might be slightly excessive.  However, by the end of the conversation, I had convinced her that not only was this perfectly reasonable -- because one has to take advantage of fall baking season as much as possible -- but also that we should try a new pie recipe for Thanksgiving this year.  Usually, my mother is the one advocating for new recipes, and I am the adamant traditionalist.  However, when I came across the recipe below, I new it was time for a new tradition:

And, of course, we are making the "twice as nice" version, because you can never have too much whipped cream, no matter what anyone tells you.  **If you would like the PDF of the recipe, let me know.

As long as we are talking about pumpkin, here is a recent pumpkin cookie recipe I tried.  I skipped the glaze but added white chocolate chips, which were a big hit at Bible study and the office.  

Pumpkin Cookies from Food Network Mag 2013 Thanksgiving issue:

Beat 6 TBSP softened butter and 1 1/2 C sugar with mixer (or get a workout with a good, old-fashioned wooden spoon ;) ) until fluffy; beat in 1 C pumpkin, 1 egg, and 1 TSP vanilla.  Whisk 2 C flour, 1 TSP each baking soda and cinnamon, and 1/2 TSP salt; stir into the pumpkin mixture.  Drop by spoonfuls onto oiled baking sheets (or use parchment paper, like I do), and bake at 400* for 12 MIN.  Cool and glaze with, 1/2 C powdered sugar + 1 TBSP milk whisked together (if I were making the glaze, I would use a little pure maple syrup, too).