What's for Dinner? (recipes) (3)

[Catie]

Great! I'd like to try this..... but it may be a bit till I do some more shopping. Thanks!

[Catie]

I made and ate one of my favorite soups this week, cream of potato. I never use a recipe but just eyeball quantities. It's very forgiving, since I've never made a batch I didn't like. So I can't give exact specs. I make as big a pot as I can, because it's something I enjoy eating for days. It freezes fine, too.

Potatoes (I rarely peel, but you can. Peels kind of disappear in the blending process.)
Carrots (You don't have to use them, but I always do. Far fewer in volume than potatoes, but they add some color.)
Onion (I use one or two, depending on size of batch.)
Chicken broth (I usually use two cans or 1 carton)
Bacon (I used 5-6 slices this week)
Celery seed (this soup could accommodate celery, but I never have it on hand.)
Salt
Garlic powder or garlic
Water
Evaporated milk (1 can)

Cook bacon in microwave or wherever you prefer.
Scrub & coarsely chop potatoes. Peel first, if you want 'em skinless.
Scrub & coarsely chop carrots.
Peel & chop onions. I precook them for three min. in the microwave with a little of water in the bottom of dish.
Dump vegetables and crumble bacon into pot and add chicken broth. Then fill with enough water so veggies are covered.
Season to taste.
Bring to boil. I let it bubble for about an hour and add water, if needed.
Put batches through the blender and whirl thoroughly, adding the can of evaporated milk. I prefer no chunks. Add more water, if you wish. Stir it all up in large bowl.
This can be very thick and hearty or you can add more water or broth if you prefer it thinner.

[Emily]

Catie, that sounds really nice. I'd totally chop the bacon and cook it in the pot i was cooking the soup in though, and leave the fat, cuz that's how I roll. lol

Oh Nane, I don't think I'd ever have thought of using that cheese in a soup. It's a good idea.

[Catie]

Emily, that would be much easier and tastier! Having to watch cholesterol here...

[Emily]

Yeah, it wouldn't help the cholesterol, that's for sure. But even so, looks nice.

[Emily]

I'm making beef stew for dinner. My store was out of the plain frozen carrots I usually buy, so I ended up with colored ones. Now my beef stew is purple. This amuses me.

[Catie]

A bit of variety on nearly any level is a help! I love that you're having a colorful stew!

[Emily]

lol yeah. The purple cooked out a little, but there was still a tint at the end, I think mostly from the carrots, but also partly from the red wine. It was good, so that's all that matters. lol

[Overcome]

They say it is good to eat the rainbow!

[Catie]

Mmmmm! Emily, I hope your stew was lovely. You're making me want to try some things I haven't cooked in decades. Carbonnades a Flamande (Flemish beef and beer stew) or beef bourguignon. I used to love international recipes but have been lazy, kitchen-wise. I need to experiment more.

[Emily]

Lol...true, Overcome!

Always good to change it up, Catie.

I've been going back to things I haven't cooked for a while, as well.

I made a sourdough starter, and have only made an unsuccessful focaccia with it thus far. lol. But it's a learning curve, and a lot more involved than I usually like to go. When cooking, I like finding shortcuts, and ways to make it easier. When I bake, usually, I've chosen recipes that aren't terribly complicated, even though I do like baking. Sourdough isn't so much hard, as just really involved. There is no rushing, from making teh starter, to baking with it. It's like a lesson in patience. lol.

[Catie]

Sourdough starter and then keeping it going and trying recipes using it sounds ambitious, Emily. Great that you're going after it!

It really is a learning curve. I've realized I'm very out of practice with both baking and cooking. Have been contemplating a try at soda bread with currants. I think using yeast is above my current pay grade, lol--I need to start smaller. :0) Will watch this space for more of your adventures!

I succeeded at salmon patties in the skillet earlier this week. They were lovely.

[Emily]

hehe. Sourdough starter is pretty easy to make and maintain. But that said, my first sourdough starter didn't go well. For some reason it seemed to grow mold or something on top. But I made one with only whole wheat flour, which matured very quickly (apparently the wild yeast and bacteria love that!). However, whole wheat flour apparently creates a more tangy starter as it creates more acetic acid (yep, that focaccia was soooooo tangy...lol). I like sourdough, but not "too sour". So I started feeding my starter with only unbleached all purpose flour to convert it, and then I'll try baking with it again. And I may add just a little baking soda, since it's alkaline and will counter the acid.

I actually like baking with yeast, and don't find it too cumbersome. But the wild yeast...aka sourdough, I think is mostly a learning curve. As I get used to it, I expect it'll get easier.

However, today, I'm baking bread the lazy way. lol. I took a loaf of dough from the freezer, and put it in a pan. It's almost risen, and then I'll stick it in the oven. lol.

[Catie]

I have no experience with sourdough, except for eating it just a few times. It's not a personal fav, but I think it's great you're tweaking/converting it to a version you'll enjoy more than the too tangy focaccia.

Sometimes "easy" is just the ticket! Hope your fresh baked loaf will be awesome!

[Emily]

Easiest ever two ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge.

--Container of vanilla frosting (16 oz. )(I use Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy vanilla..any should do. The Betty Crocker makes fudge that's super creamy, and it needs to set up a little longer cuz it can be soft. Maybe if you used a firmer frosting, that wouldn't be the case. But I like the creaminess.)
--1 jar (16 oz) peanut butter. (I use Jif..you can use what you like. You can use crunchy if you like. I like creamy.)

Put frosting in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it's pourable. Do same with peanut butter. Pour peanut butter into frosting (careful, they get very hot!) Stir until well mixed. Pour into 8 inch square pan lined with foil or parchment or waxed paper, whatever you like. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

It's not overly sweet, but you can add a quarter cup or so powdered sugar if you'd like, just make sure it melts into the mixture so you don't get lumps. If you did much more than that, you might find that the fudge will get dry and crumbly. I don't add the sugar because I appreciate that it's not overly sweet.

I think cream cheese frosting in place of the plain vanilla would be amazing as well. Haven't tried it yet though.



You can make "Peanut Butter Cup Fudge" using the same recipe. Just sub chocolate frosting in place of the vanilla.

If you wanted to be really fun, or wanted a bunch for a crowd, you could make both kinds, and swirl them in a larger baking dish or pan, like a 10x13