Carrot Ginger Soup

 Fall is upon us.  And Soup.  I took some liberties with this recipe I found and made some swaps as noted. This is mild in flavor and I think it might be good with a bit more spice.  Maybe a bit of cumin, red pepper flakes, or thyme?

Carrot Ginger Soup

1 T. butter (I used leftover bacon grease---naughty!)

1 large onion, chopped

1 16 oz. bag of baby carrots

1 T. fresh ginger, grated

3 c. vegetable broth

1/4 c. sour cream or coconut milk (I used greek yogurt)

Chives for garnish

Melt butter (or the fat you use) in a large pot. over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until they are soft.

Add the broth, carrots and ginger.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

Add the sour cream (or your substitute).

Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

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oz  = ounce

T = tablespoon

c = cup

Cauliflower Mash

 I can't get enough of this right now.  I LOVE potatoes and this are a really decent substitute!  Feel free to experiment with the amounts and types of seasoning or cheese.  There are no rules here!

Cauliflower Mash

1 large or a couple of medium heads of cauliflower cut in florets for about 3 lbs. total

3 or 4 T. butter

4 T. minced garlic

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/3 c. shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)

1/3 c. plain greek yogurt

chives (I used about 1 T. dried--didn't have fresh)

salt and pepper 

Steam the cauliflower until it is soft.  

Put cauliflower in a food processor with the butter and blend it.  Add the other ingredients and blend it until smooth.

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c = cup

T = tablespoon

Buttermilk Oven Baked Chicken

 So, the leftover buttermilk from the homemade butter recipe?  Here is how I used it.  You can be totally flexible in the seasoning you use.  In the mood for mexican? Try taco seasoning.  Or a lemon pepper type thing.  Or Italian seasoning.   Emeril's cajun seasoning.  You get the idea.

NEW NOTE!  Looking for an awesome flavor combination?  Use the alternate seasoning with Emeril's cajun seasoning and serve with the pumpkin pancake recipe with syrup.  OMG so good.

Buttermilk Oven Baked Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. or so chicken breasts, cut in tenders seasoned with salt and pepper

1 c. or so buttermilk

3-4 c. cornflakes, crushed but not super fine

1/2 c. panko crumbs

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. poultry seasoning

1/2 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Alternate seasoning:  3-4 c. corn flakes, ground coarsely, 1/3 c. bread crumbs, 1 T. Emeril's Cajun Seasoning.

Put the seasoned chicken in a container or bag and pour the buttermilk over it.  Let is sit in the fridge at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Combine the cornflakes, panko crumbs, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper in a baggie.  Add the chicken breasts and coat them with the breading.

Put a rack sprayed with cooking oil on a sheet pan.  Place the coated chicken on the rack and bake at 350 degrees for 30 or so minutes, until cooked through.

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t = teaspoon

c = cup

lb = pound

Homemade Butter

 This is not a recipe!  It's a method.  I was curious--could I actually make butter?  Answer: YES!  Super easy.  And I love the salted butter my flight attendant neighbor brings back from Europe.  With this, I can add the saltiness I crave.  You will have buttermilk as a bi-product.  I'm going to try buttermilk chicken this week with that!  

I got about 8 ounces of butter and about a cup of buttermilk out of this recipe.

Homemade Butter

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 t. kosher flaky sea salt (or other salt of your choice)

A bit of course Salt to taste (Optional for extra saltiness and crunch)

Get your Kitchen Aid stand mixer out and put on the whisk attachment.  Pour the cream in the bowl and start to mix on low.  Increase it to medium after a couple minutes.  Continue whisking until the butter forms a solid and separates from the buttermilk.  This will take probably 10 minutes.  Add the salt toward the end.

Drain off the buttermilk and save for another purpose.

Put the butter in a bowl and press out any remaining buttermilk.  Pour some ice water on top of the butter and press again.  Drain off the liquid.  Repeat 2 more times.

Stir in a bit of course salt if desired and store in a container.

Thai Pork Shredded Tacos with Sriracha Slaw

 Yum, Yum, Yum.  This would be good at any time of year.  I used a bargain pork loin instead of the pork tenderloin and it turned out great!  I think it came from EatingWell magazine (?).  Top the tacos with the delish slaw.  I used my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe from October 2017 as a side.  It will make enough for at least 2 dozen tacos.

Thai Pork Shredded Tacos

2 16-oz pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat (I used about 3 lbs pork loin, trimmed)

1/4 c. lime juice

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 T. honey

2 T. grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

tortillas (corn or flour, you choose)

Put meat in a slow cooker.  (I cut my pork loin into 4 pieces.)  

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and red pepper.  Pour over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.  Remove the meat to shred and then put back in the slow cooker and stir into the sauce in the cooker to moisten.

Sriracha Slaw

3 c. packaged coleslaw mix

1 1/2 c. finely shredded or chopped red cabbage

3/4 c. snipped fresh cilantro

3/4 c. mayo

3 T. sriracha sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  

Watermelon Salad

 I bought a whole watermelon lately and had lots leftover.  I have always wanted to try a watermelon salad and this turned out soooo good!  I ate it almost all week.

Salad

Diced watermelon

Diced english cucumber

Thinly sliced red onion

crumbled feta cheese

Sea salt

Fresh mint (grocery store was out of it so I used dried spearmint I found in the greek aisle--it was a decent substitute!)

Dressing ideas

2 parts olive oil, 3 parts lime juice, bit of minced garlic, sea salt

Or

3 parts olive oil, 2 parts strawberry flavored balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper

White Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe doesn't use any red enchilada sauce, thus 'white' :)  I got the recipe from my mom years ago and have tweaked it a bit along the way.

             

2 T. butter

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. sliced ripe olives, divided

1 4 oz. can diced green chilis, drained (or a jalapeno if you like)

1 c. shredded cheese, divided

1/2 c. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. cooked diced or shredded chicken

1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8-12 flour tortillas, fajita sized

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, saute onions until tender and add the garlic.

Stir in 1/4 c. of the olives, chilis, sour cream, and soup.  Mix well.

Reserve 3/4 c. of the sauce and set aside.

Fold the chicken. beans, and 1/2 c. of the cheese into the remaining sauce.

Put a couple of spoonfuls of mix on each tortilla.  Roll them up.  Place them seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish.  

In a small bowl, combined the reserved 3/4 c. sauce and milk.  Spoon over the tortillas so they are all covered.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.  

Sprinkle with remaining olives and cheese and a bit of cilantro if you have it after it comes out of the oven.

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c = cup

oz = ounce