Soups, Salads & Sides Archives - Page 2 of 6

Chicken Sausage & Basmati Rice Soup

Disclosure: I was given an assortment of free Pereg® Natural Gourmet Food samples to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Bone-chilling cold. Snow measured in feet, not inches. Polar vortexes and arctic blasts. Winter may be trying to beat us down with repeated, wickedly cold temperatures. But my secret weapon for warming up body and soul is a simple, hot bowl of soup. Except for the possibility of hot chocolate, nothing else satisfies and restores the way soup can.

And this weekend has been one of those times where a bowl of soup could surely work miracles and keep me hanging on to the hope that spring will….eventually…get here and melt away this misery.

I opened up my pantry and found two items from Pereg that I’ve been dying to try: a Basmati Rice with Vegetables and Texas Chili Heirloom Beans.

I also grabbed some chicken broth and some chicken sausage links and headed to the stove. In a medium sauce pan, I heated up the entire container of broth (32 ounces) over high heat until it boiled. Then I added the Pereg Basmati Rice with Vegetables mixture and lowered the temperature to medium-high to let the ingredients simmer.

While it was cooking, I sliced the chicken sausage links and added them to the pot. After about 15 minutes, I had this intoxicating Chicken Sausage & Basmati Rice Soup that was just about the best chicken soup I’ve ever made. I had two bowls, with enough left over to freeze two single-serving containers so I had soup on hand for my next winter emergency.

I love making turkey chili in my slow cooker during the winter. The smell of the chili is comforting and part of my winter routine. But I’ve never made chili – or anything – with dried beans. So I carefully followed the directions on the Pereg Texas Chili Heirloom Beans package and soaked the beans over night.

Just look at these beautiful beans!

After rinsing them, I substituted them for canned beans from one of my favorite Slow Cooker Chili recipes.

The results were delish! I did learn that when you cook dried beans in a slow cooker, you have to cook them for at least 6 to 8 hours. Anything short of that, the beans will still be a little crunchy.

Soups, Salads & Sides

Cheesy Rice and Corn Casserole

I love brown rice and corn. So when I found this recipe for a cheesy rice and corn casserole online at Minute® Rice’s website, I couldn’t resist.

When I first tried the recipe, I doubled the amount of cheese. I mean, you can never have too much cheese – right? Well, you can have too much cheese! It totally dominated the dish and made it hard to taste the corn and rice. Lesson: proportion of an ingredient is as important as the ingredient!

I ended up pairing this casserole as a side dish with some football-shaped mini turkey meat loaves as my pre-Super Bowl dinner. Touch down!

Cheesy Rice and Corn Casserole

Rating: 51

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups Minute Brown Rice, uncooked

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

8 ounces chive and onion cream cheese

15 ounces corn with red, green bell peppers, drained

1 cup shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend, divided

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Spray a 1.5-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Prepare rice according to package directions using chicken broth for water. Mix rice, cream cheese, corn, 3/4 cup shredded cheese and parsley.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.

Notes

lightly adapted from recipe by Minute Rice

http://bakedchicago.com/cheesy-rice-corn-casserole/

Entrees/ Snacks & Candies/ Soups, Salads & Sides

Elevating A Classic Comfort Food: Mac & Mimolette Bake

Disclosure: I was given an assortment of free samples by The Cheeses of Europe to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Comfort foods should bring both a physical and emotional comfort. But sometimes the comfort you remember as a child from your favorite foods doesn’t translate for your adult palate. Like the classic Mac & Cheese.

We all grew up with the ubiquitous Mac & Cheese blue box in our pantries filled with elbow macaroni and a “cheese-like” powdery substance. While that may have satisfied you as a kid, it is totally lacking of comfort for the adult you are today. The solution is to update the core ingredients in a classic Mac & Cheese recipe with quality ingredients that will satisfy the adult you are today that can also bring back some of the emotional comforts you associated with the dish as a child.

While it gets second billing in the title, CHEESE is the critical ingredient for a Mac & Cheese that you want to devour on a cold winter’s day. So for a modern twist, I’m using Mimolette Cheese instead of Cheddar cheese.

Mimolette Cheese?

Mimolette (pronounced mee moh LET) is made from cow’s milk and comes from the Pas-de-Calais region of France. It’s a hard cheese that typically comes in the shape of a cannonball. Its rind is brownish with tinges of orange.

Mimolette has a sharp, nutty and fruity taste that includes sweet hints of butterscotch. Its brilliant orange color makes it a colorful addition to any cheese platter – and it adds a sophistication without being pretentious to this adult Mac & Cheese dish.

Mac and Mimolette from CheesesOfEurope on Vimeo.

Does that have you salivating? There’s something so indulgent and satisfying about gooey cheese hot from the oven that is almost indescribable; it makes every dish that more delicious!

Try this Mac and Mimolette Bake recipe and decide for yourself if the Mimolette should get top billing over the Mac. Bon appétit!

Mac & Mimolette

Ingredients

1/2 pound shell pasta

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup grated Mimolette cheese, plus more for garnish

1 large tomato, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water (salted), cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, place the cream, brown sugar, sea salt and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow simmer, then cook gently for 5 minutes. Don't let it boil or it will become grainy. Stir in Mimolette cheese and cook, stirring until melted.

Stir the sauce and chopped tomato through the cooked and drained shell pasta. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with more grated Mimolette cheese and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes

Recipe lightly adapted from The Cheeses of Europe

http://bakedchicago.com/elevating-classic-comfort-food-mac-mimolette-bake/

Restaurants/ Soups, Salads & Sides

In the [Skype] Kitchen With LongHorn Steakhouse Chef Josh Evans

LongHorn Steakhouse Blue Crab & Meyer Lemon Filet

Have you ever been reading a restaurant menu, jonesing over the delicious-sounding ingredients of a dish that you’ve never tried and wondered “how did they think of that flavor combination?” Well, I got the chance to ask that question recently during a special “in the kitchen” segment over Skype with Chef Josh Evans of LongHorn Steakhouse.

Chef Josh, along with Chef Michael Senich, have what I think of as a dream job. He leads development of the Peak Season menu which showcases classic seasonal flavors and adds a LongHorn twist. The Peak Season menu is rotated four times a year, along with the Chef’s Showcase menus, in all of LongHorn Steakhouse’s 445 restaurants across 38 states.

LongHorn Steakhouse Blackened Salmon with Cheddar Grits

Blackened Salmon & Cheddar Grits: Hand-cut Atlantic salmon, blackened with a 12-spice blend, served on top of creamy Cheddar grits.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto: Creamy Parmesan risotto with roasted butternut squash and fresh sage butter.

Chef Josh explained how they select fresh ingredients that can be sourced locally for all the LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants. I enjoyed learning how they pair seasonal vegetables with fresh proteins to create familiar comfort foods that have an innovative twist in their execution. And I was supremely impressed when he showed me how easy it is to prep a butternut squash for their rich, Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto. Here’s a video with Chef Josh in action:

The Winter Peak Season Menu, available through March 24, also includes:

Garlic Mussels – Steamed in Sam Adams Beer with garlic, onion and butter
Winter Brie Salad – Winter field greens tossed in a blackberry vinaigrette with warm brie bites, dried cherries, red onion and mandarin oranges
Praline Pecan Butterscotch Pudding – Creamy butterscotch pudding, Maker’s Mark bourbon-caramel sauce, candied pecans with a dab of whipped cream

The Chef’s Showcase Menu gives chefs Josh and Michael a chance to share their inspirations and creativity. The current Chef’s Showcase Menu features Blue Crab & Meyer Lemon Filet and Blackened Salmon & Cheddar Grits.

I am not from the South (though I have distant relatives from Alabama), so I have never totally understood grits. I’ve had grits while traveling throughout the South and when I lived in Houston – but I wasn’t sure what made for great Southern-style grits. Well the light bulb went on after Chef Josh gave me a crash course in Grits 101. I felt so inspired with my new-found knowledge that I decided to use the stone-ground grits used in LongHorn’s Cheddar Grits to create my own Cheesy Grits (using mascarpone cheese) in the slow cooker. Topped with bacon, of course!

Have you ever made grits? What’s your secret technique or ingredient?

And don’t forget to enter the LongHorn Steakhouse giveaway below for a chance to win a $50 or $25 restaurant gift card. Enjoy!

Cheesy Slow Cooker Grits with bacon

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: 8 servings

Cheesy Slow Cooker Grits with bacon

Ingredients

2 cups stone-ground grits

32 ounces vegetable stock

pinch of sea salt

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

Instructions

In a 4-quart slow cooker, stir together grits and a pinch of salt. Add vegetable stock and let stand 2 minutes, allowing grits to settle to the bottom.

Tilt the slow cooker carefully and skim off the solids using a fine mesh strainer. Add milk and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until grits are creamy and tender. Stir about every 45 minutes. The consistency will be similar to oatmeal.

About 5 minutes before you're ready to serve, stir in butter and mascarpone cheese. Serve garnished with crispy, crumbled bacon.

Notes

Cooked grits won't absorb salt, so be sure to salt your dry grits or water before you start cooking.

Whisking frequently makes for the creamiest grits, because whisking releases starch. Traditional stone-ground grits take about 45 minutes to cook, which can make whisking tiresome. That's why a slow cooker option is a better choice, when time is on your side. The slow cooker's steady moist heat will release the starch in stone-ground grits with minimal stirring. That creates a naturally rich, creamy texture.

Sometimes mascarpone cheese can be difficult to find in a local grocery store. You may substitute ricotta cheese for the mascarpone.

http://bakedchicago.com/longhorn-steakhouse/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was given samples of select ingredients featured in LongHorn Steakhouse’s winter Peak Season menu to review and to use for creating an original recipe. LongHorn Steakhouse also provided the prizes in this contest. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Soups, Salads & Sides

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes. Hands down. No need for discussion. Potatoes are so versatile and so comforting. The neatniks of the world say “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” I say a mouthful of scrumptious potatoes is as close to heaven on earth as you can get (with food).

What I like about rustic cooking is that it’s simple. There’s no fuss. And this recipe uses a slow cooker, which makes it almost effortless. The only work you have to do is quarter the potatoes and turn on your slow cooker. And as slow cooker recipes go, it’s relatively fast to cook. This is a great side dish for a pot roast or chicken. You could even cut up some oven-roasted turkey breast or chicken and add it to the mixture for a one-pot meal.

Baked potatoes with sour cream, crunchy tater tots, hash browns with scrambled eggs, au gratin potatoes with anything – I luv ’em all! So now you know just how much I love potatoes. Which kind of potatoes is your favorite?

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Rustic New Potatoes with Bacon & Edamame

Ingredients

12 ounces shelled edamame

1.5 pounds new potatoes, quartered

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon, crispy and crumbled for garnish

Instructions

In a 4-quart slow cooker, add the edamame and potatoes. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the oil mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat.

Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Garnish with crispy, crumbled bacon and serve warm.

http://bakedchicago.com/rustic-new-potatoes-with-bacon-edamame/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Authentic Parisian Parsley Potatoes

One of the basic philosophies I subscribe to when it comes to the kitchen is that there’s no such thing as a bad potato recipe. All things aside, if I could only eat one food item for the rest of my life it would probably be potatoes. They are so versatile, so delicious and often very easy to prepare. What’s not to like about that?

This recipe is an adaptation of a traditional Parisian Herbed Potatoes dish. I like this Parisian Parsley Potatoes dish because it’s got only 5 ingredients, it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and its flavor is simply decadent.

You could use any small (or new) potato but I recommend the traditional red new potatoes. They have such a great color and the skins are quite tasty.

You melt the butter in a heavy pan. Then add the potatoes, salt, and pepper – and stir to coat. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium-low for about 30 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes so that the potatoes on the bottom of the pot don’t burn. When the potatoes are done, toss with parsley and serve.

Don’t these potatoes look delicious. Did you notice which of the 5 ingredients is missing? The parsley! Even when you only have 5 ingredients, you must pay attention to the recipe. I had plated the potatoes and after shooting a photo realized I had totally forgotten the parsley. What’s Parisian Parsley Potatoes without the parsley? Potatoes that are buttered, salted and peppered. Still good ,but missing a star ingredient.

Even if you make an error with this recipe, it’s easy to fix. I simply put the potatoes back in the sauce pan and tossed with the parsley. Situation under control!

Authentic Parisian Parsley Potatoes

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut in half

2 teaspoons sea salts

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons parsley

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large heavy sauce pan. Add the potatoes, then salt and pepper. Toss well until potatoes are coated.

Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when tested with a small knife or fork. Occasionally shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning.

Turn off heat and let potatoes continue to cook (with lid on the pan) for another 5 minutes. Toss with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Herbed New Potatoes in "Barefoot in Paris" cookbook.

http://bakedchicago.com/authentic-parisian-parsley-potatoes/

Soups, Salads & Sides

Give Old Man Winter a smack down with Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame!

Given how bitterly cold it has been, my slow cooker is getting a solid workout this winter. And that’s okay. I find it to be therapeutic to have comfort food (especially soups) simmering in the slow cooker, filling up the house with a delicious, familiar smell.

You’ve probably noticed that I use edamame (green, baby soybeans) in a lot of recipes. I love edamame, and dare I say it’s probably my favorite vegetable. And it’s good for you.

Until a few years ago, I would have said potatoes or corn are my favorite vegetables. I still love them, but they rank a bit lower on the “good for you” chart.

I’ve been wanting to create a soup recipe that would be improved with the addition of the edamame. So I took inspiration from one of my favorite canned soups (chicken corn chowder) and decided to go vegetarian and amp it up with the edamame. I was really pleased with the results.

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder

What makes this cheesy bacon-corn chowder so satisfying isn’t the edamame alone. It’s also the bacon and cheese!

Using a large slow cooker, add and stir together the corn, potatoes and edamame. Add the chicken broth, chopped onion, salt and pepper. At this point, you’re going to cover the pot and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. Watch for when the chowder begins to boil. At this point, you’ll add the milk and cheese. Stir to incorporate and cover again, letting it cook for about 30 minutes or until the cheese melts completely. Stir the ingredients until blended.

I like a thick chowder, so I added a beurre manie (pronounced BURR-mahn-YAY), which is essentially a paste made by kneading together equal portions of flour and softened butter. A beurre manie is similar to a roux, except it’s not cooked. In a small bowl, knead together the butter and flour. Add about half of it to the chowder mixture and stir gently. Watch the consistency and add the remaining beurre manie, if needed, to thicken the chowder. Let it cook for about 20 minutes before serving.

Thick-cut bacon is one of my all-time favorites and my current favorite thick-cut bacon is from Patrick Cudahy. You can actually taste the smoked applewood when you bite into it. It’s totally bacon heaven! You can incorporate the crumbled bacon into the chowder. I recommend no more than 15 minutes before you are going to serve it, so it stays on the crunchy side. I like to garnish a bowl with a bit of crumbled bacon for extra texture, along with the fresh shredded Parmesan.

Cheesy bacon-corn chowder freezes well, so be sure to put a few servings in your freezer to enjoy the next time we have another polar plunge – which at this rate will probably be in early February!

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Cheesy Bacon-Corn Chowder with Edamame

Ingredients

24 ounces whole kernel sweet corn

20 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

12 ounces shelled edamame (green soybeans)

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 cup milk

8 ounces queso blanco (white American cheese), cubed

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

6 slices Patrick Cudahy Thick-Cut Sweet Applewood-Smoked Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

Using a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, stir together corn, potatoes and edamame. Add chicken broth, chopped onion, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. As soon as chowder begins to boil, add the milk and cubed cheese. Stir and cover for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese melts completely. Stir ingredients until blended.

In a small bowl, knead together flour and butter. Add to the chowder mixture and stir gently. The combination of flour and butter, known as beurre manie, will thicken the chowder. Fold in the crumbled bacon about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve. [I prefer the bacon to remain crispy so I use it as a garnish on top of each bowl as it's served.]

Serve warm by the bowlful. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

http://bakedchicago.com/cheesy-bacon-corn-chowder/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

I reckon we’ve had between 6 inches and 8 inches of snow so far today. I’ve shoveled the front steps and sidewalks 3 times – as well as the back deck and walkway to the garage. And with 4 pugs who can’t walk in deep snow, I even shoveled some paths for them in the back yard so they could maneuver the snow drifts. No more shoveling, at least for today!

Tomorrow and the coming days will be another story, as we’re expecting another 6 inches and the projected high temperature for early next week will be -4 degrees F. Yes, a negative four degrees!

It is definitely soup weather — and a hearty sweet potato and lentil soup is on the menu. It’s both really satisfying on a cold winter’s day (or night) and SO EASY to make in a crock pot. Or do you say slow cooker? I find I go back-and-forth, so forgive me that. I guess it could be worse if I called it a ‘crock cooker’ or a ‘slow pot.’ The latter might be understandable if I lived in Colorado!

Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 stalks of celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup dried red lentils

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups of water and stir.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or on low for 8 hours). Stir the soup with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if needed. Great to serve with fresh-baked bread.

Notes

Lightly adapted from a recipe in Food Network magazine.

http://bakedchicago.com/sweet-potato-lentil-soup/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Lavender-Cinnamon Applesauce

What ya gonna do when you have a bushel of Honeycrisp apples? Make some rustic applesauce, of course!

With the recent cold and damp weather we’ve been having here in Chicago, my allergies have been in a total uproar. The kind of weather where you just want to cocoon inside all weekend. So I thought it was the perfect opportunity to dust off the slow cooker and do some experimenting with adding lavender to a chunky applesauce recipe. Selfishly, I also wanted to be able to smell the apples and lavender and cinnamon throughout the house all day. Sort of like aromatherapy for my allergies.

I had these elephant-sized Honeycrisp apples from Mariano’s that were crisp, juicy and perfect for a homemade applesauce. This is such a simple recipe, but – truth be told – the hardest part is peeling the apples. I’ve found the fastest way for me is to use a butcher knife to first core the apples. I cut one side, then the opposite side and finally the remaining sides. That results in two really large slices and two medium slices, both of which are pretty easy to peel with a paring knife. To keep the apples from oxidizing (I’m impressed I know what that means) I immediately put them in the water/lemon juice mixture inside the slow cooker as I cut them.

Some homemade applesauce recipes call for brown sugar, but I wanted to keep the processed sugars to a minimum so I used instead a high-grade honey. Then you break the cinnamon sticks and toss them into the mixture. Note: the cinnamon is going to turn the applesauce a medium brown. If you prefer your applesauce “unscathed” simply omit the cinnamon for a natural, golden color.

Every now and then, I become obsessed with certain ingredients (like Honeycrisp apples!) and use them over and over in recipes. One ingredient I’ve been dying to try is edible lavender, so I took two tablespoons of lavender flower buds (sourced from The Spice House in Chicago). To release the fragrant oils, I used the back of a tablespoon and crushed the lavender inside a small bowl (see picture below). The aroma is phenomenal. Note: While I used two tablespoons of lavender, I’m recommending in the recipe for you to use only 1 tablespoon. That will make for a better balance between the cinnamon and lavender.

Now your slow cooker gets to do all the work. Simply cover and let it cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. If desired, you can stir every hour or so to ensure the cinnamon is steeping properly. When done, discard the stick cinnamon. If you prefer a rustic, course consistency, use a potato masher to mash the apples to the desired consistency. If you like a smoother consistency, then use an immersion stick blender to quickly blend. Stir in the vanilla and let cool for a bit before storing.

Put in an airtight container. It will store in the fridge for about 10 days or in the freezer for up to 8 months. The lavender-cinnamon applesauce is a special dish for a family gathering, and it can also be used (like you would with regular applesauce) for other baking projects like breads or muffins.

Lavender-Cinnamon Applesauce

Cook Time: 4 hours

Yield: 6 cups (about 12 servings)

Lavender-Cinnamon Applesauce

Ingredients

5 pounds Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and diced (approximately 8 large apples)

3/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon edible lavender flower buds, crushed (I used lavender from The Spice House, Chicago)

5 sticks cinnamon (broken into 1-inch pieces)

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, combine the diced apples, honey, water, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice. Crush the lavender before adding; I used the back of a tablespoon to crush the flower buds - which releases the fragrant oil. Fold the lavender into the mix; then cover and cook on high-heat for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove and discard stick cinnamon. Using a potato masher, mash apples until you've achieved a coarse consistency. Or for a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender. Stir in vanilla and turn off heat. Let set for 10 to 20 minutes.

Ladle applesauce into airtight containers and seal. Applesauce will last in refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 8 months.

http://bakedchicago.com/lavender-cinnamon-applesauce/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Creamy Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups coarsely chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Bring broth to boil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and let simmer.

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and garlic. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally.

Add hot broth and potatoes. Return to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in pepper and salt. Serve chunky or puree with immersion blender.

http://bakedchicago.com/creamy-sweet-potato-carrot-soup/

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DIY/ Soups, Salads & Sides

Homemade Raspberry Jam

Raspberry Jam

Ingredients

3 quarts fresh raspberries, rinsed

1 3/4 oz powdered fruit pectin (packaged)

1/2 teaspoon butter

7 cups raw sugar

Instructions

Place 1 cup of berries in 8-quart heavy pot. Crush berries with potato masher. Continue adding berries and crushing until you have 5 cups done. Stir in pectin and butter. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil.

Add sugar all at once and return to boiling. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Meanwhile prepare canning jars. Ladle into hot, clean half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at the top. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool on wire racks.

http://bakedchicago.com/raspberry-jam/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Bacon-Corn Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon

1/2 cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 cups whole milk, warmed

4 cups water

22 ounces whole kernel corn

16 ounces cream of chicken soup

15 ounces cream-style corn

4 ounces cheddar cheese dip

1/8 cup hot sauce

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Crumble bacon after cooled and set aside.

In large pot, combine reserved bacon drippings and butter over medium heat until butter has melted. Stir in flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in onion and bell pepper, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir constantly.

Using a blender and working in batches, combine vegetables and milk. Blend until smooth and return to large pot.

Add the bacon, water, corn, chicken soup, corn, cheese dip, hot sauce, bouillon, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

http://bakedchicago.com/bacon-corn-chowder/

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