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Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Cheesy Toast Dippers

March 10, 2009 By Steph 5 Comments

Wow, I was trying to see on my blog here the last time I posted a savory recipe instead of just desserts and sweets.  It’s been a while.  Welcome back savory.  I guess since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve just been making simple dinners, which means I’ve been using the recipes I’ve already posted about.  Sweets are just what I love and I think I get carried away sometimes. But I wanted to share this delicious soup recipe because it is to die for.  I had never tasted a Leek before I made this soup, but I’ve seen so many recipes lately I wanted to try it.  In fact I craved it.  So I just went for it.  I threw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  It is perfect! I’ll definitely be making this again and soon because it was good.  I was so surprised that my kids, ages 2 and 4, were licking their bowls clean.  (They never do that.)  You have to make the cheesy toast dippers to ‘dip’ into the soup, because it was the perfect touch (in my opinion).

Have a great week and I’m sure I’ll have something sweet to share very soon!  :)

Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Cheesy Toast Dippers

6 slices bacon, sliced
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
6 or 7 potatoes, cubed
44 ounces chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup fat free half and half (you can use heavy cream if you’re feeling daring)

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, but keep the bacon fat in the pan. Saute the leeks in the bacon fat for about 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add potatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and soft. Using a blender or food processor, puree half of the soup and add back into the remaining soup. Add the half and half (or cream) and mix until smooth. Use the bacon as a crispy topping.

For the cheesy toast dippers:
Slice a baguette into thin pieces and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with shredded cheese(I use cheddar) and sprinkle some dried parsley on top of the cheese. Place on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for just a few minutes or until the cheese is melted. Dip into the hot soup!

Enjoy!

Filed Under: bread, main dishes, soup

Banana Cupcakes With Cinnamon-Vanilla Icing

March 5, 2009 By Steph 18 Comments

Thanks to everyone who watched Studio 5 today.  I love the support I receive!  It gives me warm fuzzies!  I had a blast and I am so surprised with myself on how much I enjoy doing these cooking segments.  I’m usually not the type of person who does anything close to this, but I find it invigorating somehow. If you missed it, I will hopefully be able to get a video of it here on my blog soon.  Just keep checking back. Anyways, thanks for all the support!  Now onto the cupcakes.

Is it a cupcake or a muffin? It originally started out as a Banana Muffin.  I had some ripe bananas I needed to use up and thought it sounded especially satisfying at the moment.  But then I had the idea to add the Cinnamon-Vanilla Icing and I’m pretty sure that when you add the icing it magically turns into a Cupcake. You can sure correct me if I’m wrong, but either way these are delicious.  And you can justify eating more because they are filled with fruit, right?  I think that’s how it works. Anyways, give them a try because they are delicious!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.  I know I plan to!!

Banana Cupcakes With Cinnamon-Vanilla Icing
makes 18 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium bananas)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a mixer, beat the eggs, sour cream, butter and bananas; slowly add the dry ingredients and blend just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Top with Cinnamon-Vanilla Icing. Top that with chopped nuts if desired.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Icing

2 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well combined. Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until creamy. Add the milk, cinnamon and the remaining confectioners’ sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.

Filed Under: bread, cupcakes, fruit, muffins

Buttermilk Biscuits

November 13, 2008 By Steph 10 Comments

What a week!  I’m ready for it to be over, how about you? I am getting so excited for the holidays, though. It is my all time favorite time of year! The hubby is putting up the Christmas lights this weekend (don’t worry we don’t turn them on until after Thanksgiving).  But it is safer to put them up when there is no snow, and I’m sure we will be getting loads of snow the next couple of weeks.  Welcome to Utah.  It certainly is a beautiful time of year here.  The snow glistening on the high mountains…you can’t help but be filled with excitement.  So beautiful.  Anyways, something I love during the cold months are hot, fresh out of the oven buttermilk biscuits.  I love them anyway I can get them.  I love to slather them with butter and homemade strawberry jam.  I love biscuits and gravy.  I love biscuits, period.  This recipe is amazing.  They puff up so high and are so moist and delicious!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  There will be more delicious recipes coming next week!

Buttermilk Biscuits

makes 6-12 biscuits depending on how thick you cut them

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons chilled butter

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add buttermilk, tossing with a fork until a dough forms.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead lightly a few times just until smooth.  Pat the dough to desired thickness, 1/2 inch to 1 inch (I like thick biscuits).  Using a round cookie cutter, cut out biscuits.

3. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden.  Brush some melted butter over the tops to make them even more delicious!

Filed Under: bread

Apple Banana Muffins

November 10, 2008 By Steph 12 Comments

So, obviously I have been obsessed with muffins this year.  I am a muffin freak.  I will admit it, I’m not too proud.  There is just something about that warm, delicious smell that peaks from the oven and fills your home with sweetness.  It just makes you feel warm and cozy.  I love that feeling, so I make muffins a lot. There is nothing wrong with that, right? So this recipe is similar to my Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe.  Very similar in fact.  That is the great thing about this recipe.  I have tweaked it and messed with it and now it is perfect. You can add any seasonings you like, switch out the fruit and make it to your own liking.  Instead of the pumpkin puree, I used bananas and I added sauted cinnamon apples.  These muffins cook up high and are very moist.  You can add streusels to the top, but this particular recipe I just sprinkled some sugar on top. Delicious!!! I hope you like them!

In other news, check out my magazine debut.  I had a recipe featured and it was so exciting!  Check out Deborah from Taste and Tell’s recipe here too!  Utah Valley Magazine is a local magazine here in Utah Valley, but you can check it out here online.  Have a great week everyone!

Apple Banana Muffins

makes 12

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

3 cups apples, chopped and sauteed in 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until soft

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.  Add vanilla.

3. Mix the milk and cream together.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk and cream to the mixer. Do not over mix.  Add the bananas and apples and combine using a wooden spoon.

4. Divide batter evenly between the muffin tins, filling to the very top and a little over. Sprinkle tops of muffins with sugar.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Filed Under: apples, bread, muffins

Zucchini Bread

August 20, 2008 By Steph 18 Comments

I was never a fan of bread with any kind of vegetables or fruits in it.  Now that I’m older, wiser and my ‘pallet’ is matured…I absolutely can’t get enough of it.  Banana Bread, Carrot Bread, and now Zucchini Bread.  Yum.  And my kids gobble it up.  I can’t feel guilty when they are getting some good stuff and don’t even know it.  The winner for my daughter with this bread was the yummy cinnamon sugar sprinkled on the top.  I could probably sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on practically anything and she’d slurp it down no questions asked. She is a girl after my own heart for sure.  I got this yummy recipe from my dear friend and next door neighbor Becky, who just started up her very own food blog Satisfying My Sweet Tooth.  It’s been fun swapping recipes and getting to try each other’s creations.  You can’t beat that, aren’t you all jealous? I bet you are!  I would love to be neighbor’s with every last one of you.  You all make me drool all over my keyboard each and every day.  If you are in the mood for some sweet Zucchini bread, definitely give this recipe a try, and check out Becky’s blog too, she has some yummy recipes, and I know because I’ve tasted a lot of them myself! Have a good week everyone!!!

Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 large or 2 medium eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Grease bottom and sides of a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, zucchini and lemon peel.  Mix until well combined.
4. Add zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in walnuts or pecans.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake another 10 minutes or until center is cooked through.
7. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan to cool completely on the wire rack.
8. For added yummy-ness, brush melted butter over the top of the bread and sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Filed Under: bread
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