Sweet Potato Soup

Anyone who was a reular viewer of "The Jerry Seinfeld Show" knows there was a character modled after someone called "The Soup Nazi". I can't be too certain of who the guy is/was or anything (I didn't find the show funny and some of the characters were just plain annoying) but apparently he is real and has a large following. The recipe below is a rendition of his and according to my wife is delicious. I couldn't say as I'm not partial to sweet potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each)


• 8 Cups water


• 1/3 Cup butter


• 1/2 Cup tomato sauce


• 2 Tbsp. half & half


• 2 Tsp. salt


• 1/8 Tsp. pepper


• 1/2 Tsp. dried thyme


• 1 Cup cashew halfs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake the sweet potatoes for
45 minutes or until they are soft. Cool the potatoes until
they can be handled safely.

Peel off the skin, and put the potatoes into a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes for 15-20 seconds.

Spoon the mashed sweet potato into a large saucepan over
medium/high heat, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

When the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for
50-60 minutes. Cashews should be soft. Serve hot.

Peanut Butter Cups

With halloween here already, I thought the perfect treat for all those little ghoulies would be some homemade peanut butter cups made famous by a certain candy company. I don't eat much candy and sometimes I have a problem eating chocolate but I'll gladly run the risk for these little morsels.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Package milk chocolate chips (12 Oz.)


• 1 Cup smooth style peanut butter


• 1/2 Cup powdered sugar


• 1/4 Tsp. salt


• 12 Paper muffin cups

Cut the top half off of each of the muffin cups to make them shallower.

Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl and microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate gently then let it sit for about a minute before resuming.

Using a teaspoon, coat the inside of the muffin cups with the chocolate, drawing the chocolate all the way up to the edge of the cups. Place each coated cup in a muffin tin and when all cups are coated, place muffin tin in refridgerator to harden chocolate.

Combine peanut butter, powdered sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl.

When chocolate in cups has completely hardened, place peanut butter mixture in microwave and nuke for 1 minute. Stir mixture then pour mixture into each chocolate cup leaving room for another layer of chocolate. Place in refridgerator for about an hour to harden peanut butter mixture.

After cups with peanut butter mixture has completely hardened, microwave remining chocolate chips for 30 to 60 seconds. Use a teaspoon to add chocolate to top of each cup. Make sure "all" areas are completely covered. Refridgerate once more to set chocolate.

After 30 minutes, you have your own homemade peanut butter cups. Remove paper cup and enjoy.

Arby's Horsey Sauce

One of the best places for a quick burger style sandwich is without a doubt Arby's. Their Beef N' Cheddars, Arby Q, and my favourite, the Reuben on marbled bread are simply incredible. Sadly, their aren't too many outlets here and since I don't drive, it's to far to go for my Arby's fix.

One product Arby's came out with that I love on my sandwhiches is none other than the Horsey Sauce. Here is a very good facsimile of that sauce. I defy anyone to tell me the difference between this recipe and one that Arby's uses.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup mayonnaise


• 3 Tbsp. horseradish sauce (creamy style, not regular horseradish)


• 1 Tbsp. sugar


• 2 Packets of Equal sweetener (this may confuse some but trust me, it's important)

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Keep refrigerated in a tightly covered container.

Must use up within about 2 weeks. Do not freeze.

Red Lobster Style Cheese Biscuits

One of my favourite restaraunts has always been Red Lobster. I love seafood, especially lobster, and Red Lobster is "the" place to go for it. The recipe below is for my version of their cheese biscuits and the best part is, while the biscuits may taste like it would take a long time to make them, they are very simple to make.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 1 1/4 Lbs.  Bisquik


• 3 Oz. freshly shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 & 1/3 Cups. cold water

Garlic Spread

• 1/2 Cup melted butter


• 1 Tsp. garlic powder


• 1/4 Tsp. salt


• 1/8 Tsp. onion powder


• 1/8 Tsp. dried parsley

To cold water, add Bisquik and cheese, blending in a mixing bowl. Mix until dough is firm.

Using a small scoop, place the dough on a baking pan lined with
baking paper. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until
golden brown.

While biscuits bake, combine garlic spread ingredients.

Brush baked biscuits with the garlic topping.

Homemade Twinkies

I thought since I am always trying different recipes, especially for something made famous by somebody (for example, my  homemade Tootsie-Rolls ), I thought for this week I would post recipes for well known foods you can make at home.

For this recipe, along with the ingredient list, you will also need...a spice bottle about the same size as a Twinkie, 10 pieces of aluminum foil measuring 12" X 14", a pastry bag or cake decorator and a chopstick.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 4 Egg whites


• Non-stick spray


• 1 Golden pound cake mix (16 Oz)


• 2/3 Cup water

Filling

• 2 Tsp. hot water (should almost be boiling)


• 2 Cups marshmallow cream (Fluff works great)


• 1/4 Tsp. salt


• 1/2 Cup shortening


• 1/3 Cup powdered sugar


• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Fold each piece of tinfoil twice then wrap around spice bottle to create a mold about the same size as a Twinkie - leave top open for pouring in batter. Make 10 of these from the foil and arrange on a cookie sheet and spray inside of each with the cooking spray.

In one bowl, beat the egg whites with a beater until stiff. In a second bowl, mix the cake mix with the water for about 2 minutes (disregard the instructions on the box). Pour egg whites into batter and gently fold together until well blended.

Pour batter into foil molds (about 3/4 inch in thickness) and bake for 30 minutes until done. After baking, set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine salt with the hot water and mix until salt has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla and mix well with mixer until fluffy. Add salt solution and mix another 2 minutes.

Using the chopstick, make 3 small holes in the bottom of each cake (after they've been removed from foil of course). Move the chopstick around inside the cake a little at each hole to create room for the filling.

Use the pastry bag or cake decorator to fill each cake with the cream filling.

Voila....10 homemade Twinkies.

Baked Potato Soup

One thing I'm a sucker for is a nice baked potato with butter, sour cream and snipped chives. Nothing beats it when I'm having a nice rare steak. Russets make the best baking potato because of not only their taste but because of their firmness.

Finding this recipe is perfect for those days when I want the flavour of the potato but not the full-meal feel.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Large Russet baking potatoes


• 2/3 Cup butter or margarine


• 2/3 Cup flour


• 6 Cups milk


• 3/4 Tsp. salt


• 1/2 Tsp. pepper


• 4 Green onions (chopped)


• 12 Slices bacon (fried & crumbled)


• 1 & 1/4 Cups cheddar cheese (shredded)


• 1/2 Cup sour cream

Wash potatoes and prick several times with fork. Bake at 400 F. for 1 hour or until done. Let cool.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out pulp and set aside, discarding skins.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp. of the green onions, 1/2 the bacon, and 1 cup of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated; stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if too thick.

Serve topped with remaining green onion, bacon, and cheese.

**********************************

Tomorrow is my Mother-In-Law's birthday and I just want to wish her all the best.

Hope she likes the gift I put together for her.

Hush Puppies

Years ago, one of my favourite t.v. cooks was Justin Wilson. He was an older gent from the bayou of Louisianna who not only was a great cook but had an amazing penchant for telling funny stories. This recipe is for one of his easiest treats to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups cornmeal


• 1 Tsp. ground cayenne pepper


• 1 Cup flour


• 2 Eggs (beaten)


• 1 Tsp. baking powder


• 1 Cup buttermilk


• 1 Tsp. salt


• 1 Cup finely chopped green onion


• 1/2 Tsp. baking soda


• 2 Tbs. hot bacon drippings


• 1/2 Cup parsley (finely chopped)


• 1/2 Tsp. garlic powder


• Oil for deep frying

Combine all dry ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, onions, and bacon drippings. Mix well.

Drop in hot oil by spoonfuls and brown on all sides.

Makes about 48.

Pasta Primavera

I've stated a number of times how I like pasta and this pasta recipe is not all that hard to follow and the end product is incredible. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pkg.spaghetti or fettuccine (500 g.)
• 
  
• 1 Small bag fresh spinach leaves (284 g.)


• 2 Each: red and yellow peppers


• 1 can whole mushrooms (284 mL)


• 1 Container cream cheese (250 g)


• 1/2 Cup milk


• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil (finely chopped)


• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large saucepan according to pkg. directions, adding the spinach, peppers and mushrooms to the water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time. Place pasta mixture in colander; drain.

Meanwhile, add cream cheese and milk to same saucepan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

Place pasta in large bowl. Add cream cheese mixture; toss to coat. Top with basil and grated cheese just before serving.

Tasty Meatloaf

One dish that almost everyone likes is meatloaf. While there are different ways of preparing it, this one works well for me.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 & 1/2 Lbs. ground beef


• 1 Egg (beaten)


• 1/2 Cup oatmeal


• 1 Onion (chopped)


• 1 Tsp. salt


• 1/2 Tsp. black pepper


• 1/2 Cup barbecue sauce (I prefer Jack Daniels original recipe BBQ sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9"x5" loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, oatmeal, chopped onion, and seasonings. Form mixture into a loaf and place in the prepared pan. Cover top of uncooked meat loaf with barbecue sauce.

Bake 1 & 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, slice, and serve.

Pouch Potatoes

One of the easiest vegetables to do on a barbecue are potatoes done in a foil pouch. Since barbecue season is pretty well over, these can be adapted so they can be done in the oven simply by substituting parchment paper for foil.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large Vidalia or Spanish onion (peeled and thickly sliced)


• 2 Medium white potatoes (peeled and thickly sliced)


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 2 Tbsp melted butter or margarine

Place overlapping slices of onion and potato on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; drizzle with melted butter. Fold foil edges together to form tight seal.

Preheat grill on medium. Place foil package on grill rack; close lid and cook (use Direct Grilling) for about 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and starting to turn golden brown; turn often.

If using parchment paper, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear of a piece of parchment paper approx. 8 to 10 inches wide by 16 to 20 inches long. Fold paper in half creating a crease. Layer potatoes and onion as above.

Starting at one end, make little folds in the parchment paper to make a seal. At end of the folds, tuck under, lay packet on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

After being out in the cool weather yesterday, I thought it only appropriate that the last recipe for this week would be an ideal meal to make over the weekend. Nothing beats a nice hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup for flavour, nutrition and just making you feel good all over.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast


• 1 Tbsp. olive oil


• 1/2 Tsp. salt


• 1/2 Tsp. black pepper


• 2 Qts. chicken stock


• 1 Cup diced celery


• 1 Cup sliced carrots


• 4 Green onions (thinly sliced)


• 2 Cups egg noodles (the wide no-yolk egg noodles are best)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Next, lay out chicken breast on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in oven for 30 to 40 minutes making sure chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Heat chicken stock in an uncovered stock pot on stovetop and bring to a steady simmer before adding other ingredients.

While stock is brought to a simmer, cut up chicken breast, cutting meat into medium size cubes.

Add celery, carrots, green onions, and noodles to stock. When noodles are fully cooked (8 to 10 minutes), add chicken meat. Allow to cook for an additional 4 minutes or until meat is heated and serve hot.

Turkey Tetrazzini

As everyone knows, after Thanksgiving or Christmas there is usually an abundance of turkey to deal with and using the same recipes can get boring fast. Here's one that is not that difficult to make and tastes pretty good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup butter


• 1 Cup chicken broth


• 1/4 Cup flour


• 1 Cup whipping cream


• 1/2 Tsp. salt


• 2 Tbsp. sherry


• 1/4 Tsp. pepper


• 1 Package (7 Oz.) spaghetti


• 2 Cups turkey or chicken(cubed)


• 1 Cup sliced mushrooms


• 1/2 Cup parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sherry, spaghetti, turkey, and mushrooms.

Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly. Brown lightly under broiler.

Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

These pork chops are simple to make and only take about a 1/2 hour (give or take) from package to plate. Taste pretty good too.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Pork loin chops (3/4- to 1-inch thick with the bone)


• Salt and pepper


• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar


• 2 Tbsp. honey


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In a large large non-stick frying pan, add olive oil and heat skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops. Cook until brown, turning once.

Remove chops and place them in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine brown sugar and honey in small bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir to combine then spoon half of the honey mixture over tops of chops, spreading evenly.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Turn chops; spoon remaining honey mixture over chops, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more. To serve, spoon pan drippings over chops.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving Day and the wife forgot to pick those crescent dinner rolls in a can like she usually does (thank God for that because I think they taste somewhere between a piece of soggy cardboard and an old sponge), I decided to make some from scratch. I can in all honestly say, they turned out darn good for my first attempt.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (.25 Oz.) package active dry yeast (About 2 and 1/2 Tsp.)


• 1 Cup warm water


• 1 Cup butter or margarine (melted)


• 1/2 Cup sugar


• 3 Eggs


• 1/2 Tsp. salt


• 4 Cups all-purpose flour

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, salt and yeast mixture. Stir in enough flour until dough leaves the sides of bowl and is soft (do not knead). Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end and place with pointed end down on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Brush a little milk across the top to promote browning and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Now that summer is over and cooler temperatures are ahead, that means most people will be getting ready for winter. Jobs such as raking leaves, storing summer items (BBQ, bikes, etc.), and getting the car ready for winter can use up a lot of time. An easy meat dish to make is sometimes hard to come up with. This dish takes a few hours to cook but since it's done in a slow cooker, once you start it, you'll have the rest of the day to finish up those chores.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 10 Oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup


• Envelope of dry onion soup mix


• 1 1/4 Cups water


• 5 1/2 Lb. pot roast

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.

Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Sloppy Joe Spaghetti

I posted a recipe some time ago for my  Sloppy Joe Pizza , so imagine my surprise when I found another recipe that combined two of my favourite foods. Pasta and sloppy joes. This is really good especially if you sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese on your plateful.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Lb. spaghetti (uncooked)


• 1 Lb. lean ground beef


• 1 - 15 Oz. can sloppy joe mix


• 1/2 Green bell pepper (diced)


• 1/2 Onion (chopped)


• 1/2 Cup dried bread crumbs


• 1/4 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking then drain.

In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Cook until no longer pink and drain. Add sloppy joe mix and simmer on low.

Add green bell pepper and onion and mix well. Remove from heat and immediately mix in bread crumbs and cheese.

Add sauce to pasta; serve immediately.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Almost everyone loves shortbread cookies but when you add chocolate to them, they become a whole new sensation. These little cookies taste incredible.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup butter (at room temperature)


• 1/2 Cup icing sugar


• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract


• 1 Tsp. water


• 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour


• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder


• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter


• Pinch of salt


• 1/3 Cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar in two parts, mixing on low speed until ingredients are combined. Increase the speed of the mixer and continue beating until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and water and mix until combined.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Add to the creamed mixture on low speed until combined.

When the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl add the chocolate chips. Mix on low speed for half a minute.

Roll the dough on a floured surface 1/4" thick and use your favourite small cookie cutter to cut out shapes (between 1-1 1/2" in diameter).

Place cookies 1" apart on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight box.

Makes about 50 small cookies.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta

A recipe I posted earlier was for mac and cheese that was simple to make and pretty tasty. This is what I call the king of the mac and cheese meals and it is really good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 Cups penne pasta, uncooked


• 1 Pkg. (10 Oz.) fresh baby spinach


• 1 Lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)


• 1 Tsp. dried basil leaves


• 1-1/2 Cups pasta sauce


• 1-2/3 Cups diced tomatoes (drained)


• 1/4 Cup Light Cream Cheese Spread


• 1 Cup mozzarella shredded cheese (divided)


• 2 Tbsp. parmesan grated cheese

Heat oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water for the last 1 min.

Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken and basil; cook 3 min. or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently. Add pasta sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cream cheese spread until melted.

Drain pasta and spinach; return to same saucepan. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Bake 3 min. or until cheese is melted.

Spaghetti With Spicy Parmesan Meatballs

I love a good pasta dinner every once in awhile and of course, when you have spaghetti, you just have to have meatballs. These can be a bit spicy but they are so good.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 Cup corn flakes (finely crushed)


• 1 Lb ground beef


• 1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese


• 3/4 Tsp. Italian seasoning


• 1/4 Tsp. garlic powder


• 1 (7 Oz.) can tomato sauce


• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green pepper


• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion


• 1 (14 fl oz)Can diced tomatoes


• 1/8 Tsp. cayenne pepper


• 6 oz Uncooked spaghetti


• Additional grated Parmesan cheese


• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

In large bowl, mix crushed cereal, ground beef, 1/4 cup (50 mL) cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce until well blended. Shape into sixteen 1 1/2-inch meatballs.

Spray large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook meatballs in skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Drain if necessary. Add green pepper and onions and cook on medium heat 2 minutes.

Add remaining tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and cayenne pepper to meatballs; turn meatballs to coat. Cover; cook over medium-low heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring sauce and turning meatballs occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in centre.

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Serve meatballs over pasta. Top each serving with additional Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Molasses Cookies

The wife loves molasses cookies but the ones you buy in the grocery stores just don't measure up to these homemade treats.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups granulated sugar


• 1 1/2 Cups shortening


• 2 Eggs


• 1/2 Cup molasses


• 2 Tsp. cloves


• 1 Tsp. ginger


• 4 Tsp. baking soda


• 4 Cups all purpose flour


• 1 Tsp. salt


• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

In a large bowl, blend together sugar and shortening until creamy and light yellow in color. Add eggs, blend well. Stir in molasses. Add all dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip into granulated sugar. Place dough balls (sugar side up) on prepared cookie sheet, 2" apart.

Bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute. Remove cookies and place on wire rack.

Cookies should be stored in a tightly covered container.

Meringue Cookies

One of the things I make is a lime pie with a meringue crust. The taste is incredible but it's the crust that really adds to its uniqueness. After finding this recipe for meringue cookies, I just had to try them. It was a good decision. Light, crunchy and very tasty. It's best to make them about an hour or two before going to bed as they are to sit in the oven overnight. This keeps the meringue from cracking and falling apart.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Egg whites


• 3/4 Cup sugar


• 1 Cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips


• 1 Cup chopped pecans


• 1 Tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Beat the egg whites until they form a soft peak. Gradually add the sugar and beat mixture until stiff peaks form.

Stir in chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

Line cookie sheets with foil and drop cookie mixture on the foil by spoonfuls to create 1 to 1 1/2 inch mounds.

Place cookies in the preheated oven and then turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight (6 to 8 hours).