Sweet Potato Soup

1/2 stick of butter (I used smart balance)
2 cups finely chopped onion
6 cups chicken broth
5 cups peeled and cubed fresh yams or sweet potatoes
5 cups peeled and cubed russet potaoes
1 cup peeled and shredded russet potatoes (about 1 med)
1/2 cup heavy cream (I am going to try using fat free half and half)
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. salt
ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and saute until soft. Add broth and sweet potatoes, bringing to boil, then lowering heat and simmering for 10 min. Add the potatoes, return to simmering and cook until the potatoes are soft. Stir in the cream, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring often until heated through.

(This recipe is from the Farm Chicks in the Kitchen book. This soup is so good, you will be tempted to swallow the spoon you are eating with!)

Cheesy Artichoke Triangles

I actually don't use the refrigerated crescent rolls because I think they are gross. I just make a batch of my favorite bread dough and add some garlic powder and some dried parsley. This is so good and so worth the effort :)

2 pkg (8.5 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tsp oregano and basil (or Italian Seasoning)
2 pkg (8 oz. each) cream cheese softened
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained, chopped
1 cup (4 oz.) fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 chopped garlic clove (I use two cloves ‘cause I love garlic!)
2 eggs
2 plum tomatoes sliced (you might need more depending on the size of your pan)
2 tbsp parsley

Unroll 1 pkg of rolls with longest sides of dough across width of pan. Repeat, filling pan. Roll dough to remove perforations. Press up sides for crust. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Microwave cream cheese on high 1 minute until soft. Wisk until smooth. Add ½ cup of parmesan cheese to bowl. Add eggs and 1 tsp of seasonings. Blend well. Add artichokes and garlic. Mix well. Spread artichoke mixture on rolls. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top. Sprinkle parsley on top. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese and seasonings on top. Bake 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees or until golden brown and set (do not over-bake! The texture turns funny.). Cool ten minutes. Cut into 12 squares. Cut squares in half diagonally.

Favorite Salmon Cakes

My kids love salmon cakes! Here's a quick and easy recipe.

Favorite Salmon Cakes

Ingredients
* 1 can salmon
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups stuffing (I use Pepperidge Farms cornbread stuffing--or whatever is on sale! Except Stovetop. Not such a fan of that one. Too salty.)
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk (may need more . . .)
* 1 tsp dill
* 1 tsp parsley

Directions

1. Dump salmon into bowl and pick out bones and skin. (This step sounds icky but it's actually really easy). Mix in all other ingredients.

2. Heat skillet or griddle over medium low heat. You can fry these in olive oil or butter, but I don't like fried things so I just spray my pan with nonstick spray.

3. Form little cakes out of salmon mixture and cook like pancakes: a few minutes on one side (until they are golden brown) then flip and do a few minutes on the other! Serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce. You can even use them in place of burgers!

Golden Corn Chowder

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com but made a few modifications. It was a yummy, mellow soup. Just right for a winter evening!

INGREDIENTS

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup diced onion
* 1/2 cup diced celery
* 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 28 ounces all natural vegetable broth
* 6 ears frozen corn--cooked with the niblets cut off
* 1/2 cup chopped carrot
* 1 can evaporated milk
* 3/4 cup skim milk
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 pinch salt
* a few dashes of red pepper sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onions, celery, and carrots in butter 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 6 minutes more, until light brown. Whisk in broth and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn,evaporated, milk, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Simmer over low heat 10 minutes more.

Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Curry

For being so easy, this recipe is surprisingly good. It makes for a great lunch the next day too.

1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon ginger
Diced tomatoes (1 if fresh, or a can)
Garlic
Curry powder or paste
2-3 Tbs. oil
water

Saute onions in oil 2-3 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, and garlic (I didn't include quantities on curry and garlic, it really depends on how strong you like the flavors -- so experiment with different quantities). Add chickpeas, a bit of salt, and water (about a tablespoon). Cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cook about 5 minutes, adding water as necessary.
Serve with rice, pita, or whatever you like with curry.

Spaghetti Squash With Vegetables & Mozzarella

I bought a spaghetti squash at a garge sale (of all places) last week and we had this recipe for dinner this week. It's really yummy and rather filling on it's own.

1 spaghetti squash
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 C grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 6-8
Cook spaghetti squash by your favorite method and remove flesh. I cut mine up and put it in a 9X9 pan in the microwave, covered with a little water in the pan for 5 minutes. It took three batches to cook the entire squash. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Top with half the cheeses, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Seed of Knowledge. There are also some other recipes for spaghetti squash.

Overnight Refrigerator Pickles

I got this recipe from our CSA discussion board. We got seven cucumbers last week and there was no way we could eat all of them and since we also got a ton of dill over the last few weeks from them pickles seemed like a natural choice. I ended up using a mix of apple cider, white, and balsamic vinegars because I didn't have enough of any one kind. I also substituted ground mustard and ground pepper for the seeds and fresh dill for the dill seeds. They turned out a lot like bread and butter pickles if you've ever had those. They were great on a ham and cheese sandwich.

Slightly Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles

1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui), thinly sliced
2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, scrubbed, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 large bunch dill, coarsely chopped (stems included)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons dill seeds

Divide sliced onion between two 1-quart wide-mouth glass jars. Pack cucumber slices horizontally in jars. Top each jar with dill.

Using mortar and pestle or resealable plastic bag and mallet, crush mustard seeds and peppercorns together. Place crushed spices in medium saucepan. Add vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, coarse salt, and dill seeds. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Ladle mixture evenly over cucumbers. Leave jars uncovered and chill 24 hours. Cover glass pickle jars tightly with lids. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Tiny Carrots with Dill Butter

This is found in the Better Homes and Gardens cook book (my staple). Anyway, my family loves these. They are a great side dish for just about anything. Enjoy.

1 16oz package tiny whole carrots (3 1/2 cups)
2 Tbs butter or margarine (or olive oil if you prefer)
1 Tbs fresh snipped dill or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water until crisp tender (usually 15 minutes or so at high altitude). Drain. Stir butter/margarine/oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into carrots; toss lightly to coat. Makes 4 servings.

Cilantro Pesto

Another cilantro-intense recipe. Yummy, Yummy! Sorry, we've been watching a lot of Wiggles lately. Another allrecipes. View the original here.

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle pasta
1 bunch fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

Hummus without Tahini

This is a Middle Eastern dip that can be served with crackers, pita bread, beagle chips, fresh vegetables, or whatever else you like. This hummus is more mild then most. My kids don't like the strong taste of tahini (sesame paste), but they love this version.  You can also try using other varieties of beans such as great northern or black beans.

1 can Garbanzo beans/chick peas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups soft cooked beans)

1/4 C. Olive oil

1 Tbs. Lemon juice

1 tsp. Cumin (ground)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. If needed, thin with 1 Tbs. water or olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

Black Bean Burgers

This is one of our favorite finds in our vegetarian cookbook! They're not exactly hamburgers, but they make a pretty decent hamburger-like sandwich. (I usually buy dry beans and cook them myself, and then add spices.)

1 can black beans with cumin and chili spices, undrained
1 can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Place beans in food processor or blender. Cover and process until slightly mashed; remove from food processor. Mix beans, chilies, bread crumbs and egg. Shape mixture into 5 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each patty with cornmeal.
2. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook patties in oil 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and thorougly cooked on both sides.
3. Serve on hamburger buns with toppings of your choice!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Quoted from:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/California-Grilled-Veggie-Sandwich/Detail.aspx

Bush's Black Bean Burgers

Cami was telling me about her black bean burgers and said she would post the recipe up here. She didn't and so I was forced to scour the internet for something else. Here's one that I tried and liked. It was a little more pancake-y than I expected but it was good. They actually tasted better the next day. We don't have a grill so I cooked them on my stove.

2 cans (15 ounces each) BUSH'S BEST Black Beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup chunky salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Hamburger buns

Place beans in food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin and garlic salt. Process until well combined. Spoon mixture into 6 balls on a large plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before cooking.

Heat barbecue grill or ridged grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill or pan lightly with oil. Form each ball into a 4-inch patty about ½-inch thick. Place the patties on the grill or in pan and cook until browned and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

I got this one from allrecipes.com. It's easy and nutritious. I think it works great as a vegetarian main dish (just add some rolls or biscuits on the side) or if you want meat, just throw in a handful of diced chicken.And, um, yes, I do like black beans this much. MMMM, fiberific!

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can Mexicorn, drained
1 1/3 cups chopped peeled avocado
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat

Eggplant Parmigiana

I would always see eggplants on sale at the grocery store but wouldn't know what to do with them, until I found this recipe by Mario Batali. It's simple enough but looks rather fancy and tastes yummy. I use one eggplant to feed my family and adjust recipe from there.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large eggplants-about 1 lb each
salt and pepper
3 cups basic tomato sauce (I use jared pasta sauce)
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves removed and cut
1 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch think slices-you will need 12 slices
1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano
1/4 cup lightly toasted bread crumbs
1 pkg spaghetti noodles

Preheat the oven to 450. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil.

Cut each eggplant into 6 slices. Lightly season each disk with salk and pepper and place on oiled sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until deep brown on top. Transfer to a large plate and let cool. Lower oven temperature to 350.

Arange the 4 largest disks in a 9x13 baking pan, spacing them evenly. Spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce over each disk, and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 ts of parmigiano. Top with 4 more slices of eggplant and repeat layers. Sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and tops are lightly browned. Cook noodles and warm remaining sauce.

Serve eggplant with noodles and sauce.