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PUMPKIN SOUP
1 32 oz. box of chicken
broth
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin,
pure not pie filling.
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 TBS honey
2 TBS pure maple syrup
2 tsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce,
pureed (I puree the whole can and
put it in a little container. It lasts
forever)
1/4 cup creme fraiche, or sour cream
Heat the chicken broth.
Add everything except the creme fraiche or sour cream.
Simmer on very low for about 10-15 minutes.
Add crème fraiche or sour cream.
Stir and serve
Choco Mint Martini
PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe,
1 martini): 145 calories,
0g fat, 90mg sodium, 7g carbs, 0.5g
fiber, 4.5g sugars, 1g protein --
Ingredients:
1 packet hot cocoa mix with 20 - 25
calories (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestlé Fat Free)
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 tbsp. light chocolate syrup
3 oz. vodka
2 drops peppermint extract
Optional garnish: chocolate graham crackers.
Directions:
In a tall glass, combine cocoa mix and sweetener with 2 ounces (1/4 cup) hot water, and stir to dissolve.
Add Cool Whip and chocolate syrup, and stir until smooth.
Add vodka, peppermint extract, and 2 ounces (1/4 cup) cold water to the glass.
Transfer mixture to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake, shake, shake, and then strain into two martini glasses.
Serve with chocolate graham crackers, if you like, and enjoy!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Pasta e Fagioli
2 Tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
1/8 lb of pancetta chopped
(about 3 slices)
2 sprigs rosemary, left intact
1 sprig thyme, left intact
1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dry bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ pepper
2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans (not
drained)
1 cup of tomato sauce
2 cups of water
1 quart of chicken stock
1 ½ cups ditalini
Grated Parmigianino for the table
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables and garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Add the beans, tomato sauce, water and chicken stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid bowl and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest for a few minutes. Top with grated cheese.
FIVE MINUTE PASTA MEAL (my favorite)
Serves 4, but you can multiply it as needed.
Light broiler on high. Boil water for pasta.
Take heavy duty foil and fold it in half, crimping up the sides so juice can't run off.
Cut about ten tomatoes in quarters (I use the Campari tomatoes from Costco).
Sliver about six garlic cloves.
Put tomatoes and garlic on foil, drizzle over olive oil, sprinkle with hot .pepper flakes, S&P
1. Start cooking 1/2 box of angel hair pasta
2. Broil the tomatoes until they have a little char on them, about 3-4 minutes depending on your oven. WATCH CAREFULLY!
3. Pour the tomato mixture over the drained pasta, add chopped herbs of choice (lots) and serve with good quality grated parmesan.
Five minutes and you aredone. Throw away the foil, wash the pasta pan, throw the bowls in the dishwasher and dinner is done. It's simple and fabulous.
Spanish Tortilla
INGREDIENTS
Serves: 6
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup precooked diced red potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
6 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup shredded Manchego or Jack cheese
3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add potatoes, thyme and paprika and cook for 2 minutes more.
2. Lightly whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Gently stir the potato mixture into the eggs along with cheese, spinach, salt and pepper until combined. Wipe the pan clean; add the remain-ing 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, cover and cook until the edges are set and the bottom is browned, 4 to 5 minutes (it will still be moist in the center).
3. To flip the tortilla, run a spatula gently around the edges to loosen them. Invert a large plate over the pan and turn out the tortilla onto it. Slide the tortilla back into the pan and con-tinue cooking until completely set in the middle, 3 to 6 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Pineapple Mango Margarita
Fresh Pineapple chunks (FROZEN)
1-2 fresh mangos, depending on size
1/2 cup margarita mix
1/4 cup Cointreau
Juice from 1-2 limes, to taste
Tequila, also to taste (the more the better?)
Cut pineapple into chunks and freeze.
Put margarita mix, Cointreau, lime
juice into a blender.
Put in fresh mango and frozen pine-apple chunks until blender is almost full. Blend.
Add tequila to taste (I just filled up the blender space that was left).
Enjoy!
Note: If you don't like margarita mix you can just leave it out.
Grill Roasted Bananas
4 whole un-peeled bananas
3 TBS heavy cream
Ground cinnamon
Chocolate sauce
Grill the un-peeled bananas on the grill until black all over.
Place on plate and slit length-wise, leaving the skin on.
Equally spoon on the heavy cream.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Drizzle with chocolate sauce.
AVOCADO, TOMATO AND WHITE CORN SALSA
This goes with
everything...especially seafood.
Makes about 3 cups.
6-8 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, white and part of green, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup cooked white fresh corn kernels
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
salt, if wanted cayenne pepper, chopped cilantro, to taste, optional use parsley
Combine tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn and lime juice. Mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add avocado, salt and cayenne to taste. Garnish with optional cilantro or parsley and serve.
CAPRESE SALAD IN A BOWL
1 pound tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 pound diced mozzarella cheese,
about the size of a marble
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1TBS red wine vinegar
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
10 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces, do not cut with a knife
Combine tomatoes, onion and mozza-rella in large bowl. Set aside.
Put vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, mustard and the basil leaves in a jar or container with a lid, and shake until well mixed. Pour over tomato mixture and toss.
(note: this salad should be made at the last minute and dressing added right before serving.)
Serves 6
CHOCOFLAN
Prep Time:20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
1 hr 0 min
Cook Time:1 hr 0 min
Serves:10 servings
FOR THE CAKE
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
FOR THE FLAN
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For garnish:
1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce
1/4 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Coat a Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)
FOR THE CAKE
Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Re-peat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.
FOR THE FLAN: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.
Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flipover. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake, garnish with chopped pecans and serve!
COOK'S NOTES: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's invert-ed. I like eating it warm, but traditionally, it is chilled 24 hours before serving.
Flan is a rich, creamy, cooked egg custard. It is often flavored with vanilla and baked in a water bath to retain its delicacy.
Cajeta is a thick and creamy spread or paste made with caramelized sugar and milk. It is used as a desert on its own or as a topping. Also known as "dolce de leche," it is sold in many supermarkets, It can be substituted with a thick caramel sauce
Healthy Breakfast Parfait - one serving
Small no-fat plain yogurt, or other thick Greek style yogurt.
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries
of your choice.
Organic whole grain granola with nuts
Organic honey
Mash up some of the berries and mix them with the yogurt, add honey to taste.
Layer in a glass or dish: whole berries, yogurt mashed with berries and honey, granola in any order you like, making several layers. Enjoy!
You can also serve as a dessert.
Potato-Fennel Gratin
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min
Level: Easy
Serves:10 servings
Ingredients
• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs cross-wise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Sauté the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandolin. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sautéed fennel and onion and mix well.
Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve
DUTCH BABY PANCAKE....
Remember this recipe? It's still great. And, wonderful for Holiday breakfasts especially with a thinly sliced apple spread on top before baking. Enjoy, and thank Martha Stewart because it's her version of this old-time recipe.
Ingredients
This puffy baked treat is a breeze to make because you whirl the batter together in the blender. Once out of the oven, the pancake collapses quickly, so have your forks ready.
Prep: 5 minutes Total: 25 minutes
Serves 4
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room tempera-ture
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and lev-eled)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; set aside.
In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. Pour batter into skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Working quickly, dot pancake with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately.