Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Baked Potato Soup

I made this tonight by adapting several recipes. It can be made over the course of the day, which is what worked for me. You could also just make it and eat it!

Baked Potato Soup
2 medium russet potatoes, baked
half a yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1-2TBS butter (or more to taste)
1-2TBS olive oil (or more to taste)
2TBS chicken broth powder
3TBS flour
half a cup spicy jack cheese, grated
1 cup milk (more or less)
Salt & pepper
garlic croutons (optional)

Bake the potatoes early in the day. Chop onion and garlic, saute with butter and olive oil in 3qt saucepan until onions are translucent. Chop baked potatoes (skin & all) into small cubes; add to onions and stir well. Smash potatoes a bit in pan. Measure broth powder and flour into quart jar and fill with cold water. Shake to mix thoroughly. Add to saucepan and whisk well. Bring to a boil, and simmer until thickened, whisking frequently. Add cheese and whisk until melted. Salt & pepper to taste.

At this point, I took the soup off the stove, cooled it down, covered it, and put the whole skillet in the fridge. You could just keep going if you are ready to eat.

(If necessary, reheat soup on low until warm throughout)

Wisk in enough milk to bring soup to desired consistency. Continue heating but do not boil. Check seasonings, and serve with croutons sprinkled on top.

Serves 2-4

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Nothin' says luvin' like...

I have been a baking maniac the last few days. Thursday I made banana muffins using a recipe I got at my bridal shower. "Absolutely never fail and easy" was the tagline. If anyone wants it, I will post.

Yesterday, I made homemade tortillas for our lunch-time quesedillas. Then after the kids went to bed, I made cinnamon rolls and a loaf of bread from this recipe. I modified it by making the full-yeast version, but doing the second rise overnight in the fridge. A bit dense (the dough, not me) but still very good. I used almost all whole wheat pastry flour.

Then tonight, I made these cookies. Absolutely the easiest cookies ever. The recipe made 16 good sized cookies, with a bit of spare dough for tasting. (Yes, Steve, I am mostly over my fear of salmonella from cookie dough). I used shortening, and white flour. But hey, all the ingredients were organic! Which means the batch cost a bit more than two bits like the recipe says, but still pretty darned cheap.

In the midst of all this baking (or maybe because of it) I have re-ordered my kitchen somewhat so that I always have a clean work space. It makes everything sooooo much easier.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bar Cookies

As promised. These are the best, easiest cookies to make, and people rave about them. Look at the ingredients. What's not to love? This is also a good one for children to help with. And the raw dough is amazing (if you are into that kind of thing). I adapted this from a couple of other recipes.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bar Cookies
(I make mine w/organic ingredients)

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat pastry, half regular white)
1 cup oats
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 cake pan. Blend butter and sugar together, add egg yolk and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add in flour one cup at a time; mix in oats and chocolate chips. Pat batter into cake pan, covering entire bottom of pan with even layer of dough. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 min before cutting into small squares. Makes a lot of very rich cookies.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Coffee Cake

The only other coffee cake I have made is my grandmother's Rivel Kuchen, which I make every Christmas. This coffee cake was chosen because I had all the (organic) ingredients in my kitchen. Very quick, easy and tasty.

Yogurt Coconut Coffee Cake (from Breakfast in Bed)
.5 cup butter
.5 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour (I used part whole wheat pastry, part all purpose white)
1 tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt
1 cup yogurt (I used vanilla nonfat)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:
.33 cup sugar
.33 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
.5 cup coconut (I used unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Stir in yogurt and vanilla; mix well. For topping, in a small bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, and coconut.
Pour half the mixture into a greased and floured 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with half the topping. Pour remaining batter on top and sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until cake tests done.

Serves 12

Note: I just put all the topping on top, none in the middle. You could get by with using a little less this way, and it is easier.