Creamy Mushroom Soup

Creamy Mushroom Soup 
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh mushrooms - cleaned and chopped finely (I used a mix of cremini and white button)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp flour dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Salt to taste
1/2 cup half and half cream
1/2 cup milk
Dash of nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add butter and lightly sauté garlic on medium heat.
2. Add in mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.
3. Add in chicken broth. Stir occasionally until broth boils, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4 Add diluted flour in, and stir constantly (while simmering) until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Finally, add milk and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat off.
6. Serve hot in your soup bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper. 

SHrimp and Veggie Rice Bowl

This is a lot like fried rice, without the guilt. Makes enough for 4 servings. We saved some for lunches!

ingredients:

1/2 lb raw cleaned shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 zuchini, shredded on a box grater
1 carrot, shredded
1 tsp lemon pepper (I iuse the grinder type, about 6 or 7 grinds)
2 packets Success Brown Rice, cook according to directions (large pot filled with water, bring to boil and simmer for 5 min)
1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Dry shrimp with paper towel after cleaning. Heat olive oil in skillet until super hot and saute shrimp until pink and no longer opaque over medium heat, turning once. (about 3-4 min) Season with a little lemon pepper and remove from pan. Add a tsp more oil if needed and when pan is hot again saute onions carrots nad zuchini for 5 min until onion is cooked. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 4-5 min. Add shrimp back to pan to warm through.  Drain rice and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine the shrimp, veggies and rice, mix gently. Add almonds to the skillet and toast for 3-4 min, stirring, do not burn. Add rice, shrimp and veggies to a large bowl and mix, topping with the almonds and green onions.  I have also made this with an egg scrambled into the veggies, and added dried apricots (not with the egg, tho!) served with roasted brussel sprouts.

Warm Artichoke and Jalapeno Dip

 1 ( 14 oz.) jar artichoke hearts, drained & diced
 1  c. mayonnaise
 4 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped. (I used my mini-chopper) less if you don't like it hot
 1 cup Moneterey Jack Cheese, grated
 1/2c. Parmesan cheese or any grated cheese
1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt

1/2 cup grated cheese

Mix ingredients and spoon into small casserole dish coated with Pam non-stick spray. Top with the additional grated cheese. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 25-30 min. until browned and bubbly. Serve with torilla chips or bread slices.

Crafty Corner

Just for fun, every one in awhile I will be posting some of my crafting projects. Here's the first-  Updated antique table for the seasons. Here's how...

                                The Autumn Table (below)

I had a really ugly OLD table (it's important that it has a "lip", so you can set a piece of plywood inside it. I "aged" the table by painting it black first, let dry, sanded in spots , not too heavily. Then painted it a dark red, let dry. Final coat was burnt orange and I let it dry mostly and wiped some of it off, I wanted the effect to be one of a well-worn and painted table. Next I (my husband, actually!) cut a piece of plywood to fit inside the lip, I believe it was 1/8" plywood, not too heavy. THEN, the fun part! I used some old pictures, sayings and pictures from magazines that appealed to me. I did one for each of 3 seasons (I got 2 seasons from each piece of plywood, you can flip them for each season. I mod podged the pictures and sayings, it was so easy and fun!  As a bonus my table had a shelf, which is handy right inside the door, but even if your table doesnt have a shelf, give it a try. I made this several yrs ago and am bored with the color, I may paint it soon, but having trouble deciding on another color. Im leaning toward red, sage green or grey. Oh, and dont ever place a drink without a coaster on it! I didnt shellac mine but you can easily spray it with sealer or a clear coat. Mine has lasted without it so far.                                                      ~~~~~~~Summer Table~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~Autumn Table~~~~~~~

 

Tailgating BBQ Chinese Chicken Pizza

Servings: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes,15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes50 minutes

Total Time: 65 minutes

1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1½ lb	Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Tbsp	Canola Oil
¾ cup	Hoisin Sauce
¼ cup	Baby Food Plums or Prunes
¼ cup	Rice Wine Vinegar ¼ cup Honey ¾ cup Ketchup 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 Prepared Pizza Crust 1 cup Shredded Gouda Cheese ½ cup Shredded Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese 3 Scallions, cut thinly on the diagonal 2 tsp Sriracha Sauce 1 Tbsp Canola Oil, for crust 3 Tbsp Cornmeal Directions: Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a Dutch oven until hot, then sear chicken thighs, turning once until brown on both sides. Combine hoisin, vinegar, honey, ketchup, plums or prunes, Sriracha and soy sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken thighs and cover. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until chicken is done. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Roll out pizza dough to fit pizza pan or baking sheet. Scatter cornmeal on pan to prevent the crust from sticking. Brush edges of crust with olive oil. Spread shredded chicken, sauce and scallions over pizza and top with the shredded cheeses and sesame seeds. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-14 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Grilled Pork with Raspberry/Jalapeno Glaze

This recipe was perfect for today, because I had some jalapenos to use up from the garden and I had just made raspberry preserves.

The brine recipe is from Guy (Fieri)'s Big Bites show. The glaze is my own. Good combo.

1/4 cup kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon

3 cups water, warm

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup ice cubes

2 pounds pork tenderloin or pork sirloin roast

 Raspberry  Jalapeno Glaze, recipe follows

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in the warm water. Add the vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, ice cubes and the pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes. The pork becomes mealy if its brined longer.

Meanwhile, prepare the Raspberry Jalapeno Glaze.

Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Rub the pork with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Add the pork tenderloin and cook for 6 minutes on each side, browning evenly and the internal temperature registers 135 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Spread 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pork. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork from heat to a cutting board and keep warm, cover with foil.

Slice the pork, arrange the slices on a serving platter and serve with remaining warm glaze.

Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 roasted jalapenos, seeded, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
• 1 cup plus 1/4 cup red wine, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the jalapenos and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the raspberry preserves and 1 cup wine and combine well. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/4 cup red wine in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. Keep the glaze warm until serving