I made this for the first time tonight and it was so good. It tastes like the corn chowder at Mimi's Cafe, but not as many calories. There was quite a bit of stirring, but actually really easy to put together. Loved it!
Creamy Corn Chowder
Recipe by Our Best Bites
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional)
1 small onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)
Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Modify to make gluten free by using corn starch instead of flour. Modify to make vegetarian by omitting bacon.
Serves 6-8.
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
I love this one from Our Best Bites.
Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites
12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.
While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. (Note: I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes. If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) . Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.
Serves 4-6
Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites
12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.
While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. (Note: I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes. If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) . Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.
Serves 4-6
Friday, August 16, 2013
Easy Way Lasagna
My all time favorite lasagna recipe to make. It tastes just how mom used to make.
Easy Way Lasagna
by MizzNezz from Food.com, slightly adapted
1¼ hours | 10 min prep
SERVES 8
- 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1. In 13x9 pan, spoon a little of the sauce.
2. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the sauce.
3. Mix cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese in a bowl.
4. Spread 1/3 of this over noodles.
5. Add 1/3 of the sauce.
6. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
7. Now, add 3 more noodles, 1/3 more cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 more sauce.
8. Add 1 cup more mozzarella cheese.
9. One more time, do the layers.
10. Bake in 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
11. Top should be light brown and bubbly.
Easy Way Lasagna
by MizzNezz from Food.com, slightly adapted
1¼ hours | 10 min prep
SERVES 8
- 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1. In 13x9 pan, spoon a little of the sauce.
2. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the sauce.
3. Mix cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese in a bowl.
4. Spread 1/3 of this over noodles.
5. Add 1/3 of the sauce.
6. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
7. Now, add 3 more noodles, 1/3 more cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 more sauce.
8. Add 1 cup more mozzarella cheese.
9. One more time, do the layers.
10. Bake in 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
11. Top should be light brown and bubbly.
Self Crust Cheese Tart
Self Crust Cheese Tart
from Make-A-Mix by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover
Technically not vegetarian because of the bacon but it can easily be vegetarian.
Ingredients:
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded cheese (I’ve used swiss and cheddar both are good)
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg, optional (but I recommend it)
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/3 cup Bisquick mix (or other baking mix of choice, similar to Bisquick).
Preheat oven to 350. (original recipe says 325 but this would yield uncooked eggs and/or take forever to cook). Generously spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pie plate with paprika. Layer cheese and bacon on bottom of pie plate. Combine eggs, salt, nutmeg, milk, onion, and baking mix in a blender. Blend at medium speed about 1 minute, until thoroughly mixed. Pour over cheese and bacon in pie plate. Bake at 30-40 minutes (40 is what I need, even at the higher temperature), until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve hot. Yield 6 servings.
Another option: substitute fresh sliced tomatoes for the bacon and add 2-3 tsps. Of dried basil or tarragon leaves
from Make-A-Mix by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover
Technically not vegetarian because of the bacon but it can easily be vegetarian.
Ingredients:
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded cheese (I’ve used swiss and cheddar both are good)
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg, optional (but I recommend it)
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/3 cup Bisquick mix (or other baking mix of choice, similar to Bisquick).
Preheat oven to 350. (original recipe says 325 but this would yield uncooked eggs and/or take forever to cook). Generously spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pie plate with paprika. Layer cheese and bacon on bottom of pie plate. Combine eggs, salt, nutmeg, milk, onion, and baking mix in a blender. Blend at medium speed about 1 minute, until thoroughly mixed. Pour over cheese and bacon in pie plate. Bake at 30-40 minutes (40 is what I need, even at the higher temperature), until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve hot. Yield 6 servings.
Another option: substitute fresh sliced tomatoes for the bacon and add 2-3 tsps. Of dried basil or tarragon leaves
One Dish Macaroni and Cheese (a.k.a. Creamy Cheesy Pasta)
Warning: when making this for kids do NOT call it mac and cheese, because they will be expecting something of the blue box Kraft variety and this ain't it. My kids think this is gross when I call it mac and cheese. But, if I say we are having Creamy Cheesy Pasta, they eat this with almost no problem. Almost. Because they are still my kids and they feel they need to always cause problems at dinner. But they eat it a lot better anyway. It is a lightened, healthified version of homemade macaroni and cheese and I love it!
One-Dish Macaroni and Cheese
from: Set for Life: Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Terrific by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland
Ingredients:
-1 TBSP butter or margarine
-1/4 onion, chopped
-2 c. uncooked vegetable macaroni ( I use Wacky Mac)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-dash pepper
-1/8 tsp. oregano
-1/2 tsp. dried mustard
-2 c. water
-2 TBSP flour
-1 12 oz. can evaporated lowfat milk (no substitutions)
-1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar ( the original recipe calls for sharp, I never have sharp and I think it still taste great, and truth be told, I probably use a little more than 1/2 c. :) )
In electric fry pan, melt butter (I'm sure you could use a stove top pan, this cookbook is from the 1980's). Add onion, uncooked macaroni, salt, pepper, oregano, and dry mustard. Cook on low, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until onion looks clear. Add water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle flour over macaroni. Stir to mix well. Stir in milk and cheese, adding additional milk if needed to thin to desired consistency. Heat through and serve. Yield 6-8 servings.
One-Dish Macaroni and Cheese
from: Set for Life: Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Terrific by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland
Ingredients:
-1 TBSP butter or margarine
-1/4 onion, chopped
-2 c. uncooked vegetable macaroni ( I use Wacky Mac)
-1/2 tsp. salt
-dash pepper
-1/8 tsp. oregano
-1/2 tsp. dried mustard
-2 c. water
-2 TBSP flour
-1 12 oz. can evaporated lowfat milk (no substitutions)
-1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar ( the original recipe calls for sharp, I never have sharp and I think it still taste great, and truth be told, I probably use a little more than 1/2 c. :) )
In electric fry pan, melt butter (I'm sure you could use a stove top pan, this cookbook is from the 1980's). Add onion, uncooked macaroni, salt, pepper, oregano, and dry mustard. Cook on low, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until onion looks clear. Add water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle flour over macaroni. Stir to mix well. Stir in milk and cheese, adding additional milk if needed to thin to desired consistency. Heat through and serve. Yield 6-8 servings.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Black Bean and Corn Salad
This is from Holly Clegg's cookbook, Trim and Terrific: Meals on the Move. It's one of my favorite cookbooks. And this is one of my favorite recipes from that cookbook, if not THE favorite. And it is very nutritious to boot.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 c. coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 TBSP seeded, and chopped jalapeno ( although I have omitted this and it still is good)
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or about 1 TBSP of dried)
1/4 c.lime juice
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, and cilantro (unless using the dried, add the dried to the dressing). In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and cumin. Toss dressing with bean mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Try with tortilla chips and/or sliced avocado, sooooooooooooo delicious!
Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 c. coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 TBSP seeded, and chopped jalapeno ( although I have omitted this and it still is good)
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or about 1 TBSP of dried)
1/4 c.lime juice
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, and cilantro (unless using the dried, add the dried to the dressing). In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and cumin. Toss dressing with bean mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Try with tortilla chips and/or sliced avocado, sooooooooooooo delicious!
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