After living in Asia for many years I have grown to love the flavors and am always looking for a way to bring them into my kitchen today. This is how the soup came about. It is a wonderful soup to have any time of the year. It might look time-consuming, but usually when I make the broth I double or even triple the recipe so that I can freeze it and use it another day. The broth is good to use in other recipes that call for chicken broth just for a little something different.

BROTH
5 cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
1 Stalk Lemongrass (Minced)
1″ piece Gingerroot (Slice thin)
½ Large Onion (Chopped)
4 cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 tablespoon Gluten Free Soy Sauce
½ tablespoonSesame Oil
¼ – ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 tablespoonBrown Sugar

Bring chicken broth to a boil add lemongrass, gingerroot, onion, and garlic. Reduce heat to a simmer for 5min, and then add remaining ingredients. Depending on how hot you like your soup you may choose to add more or less red pepper. Let broth simmer for 30 to infuse flavors. Strain broth to remove solid ingredients and make the broth clear. Use right away to make soup or store for later use.

TURKEY MEATBALLS
1 pound Ground Turkey
2 cloves Garlic (Minced)
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 ½ tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Honey
1 Lime Rind
1 Juice of Lime
½ Onion (Diced Fine)
1 tablespoon Soy Oil
8 ounces  Baby Bella Mushrooms
3 stalks Baby Bok Choy

Mix all ingredients except Soy Oil, Bok Choy, & mushrooms together and make meatballs. Pour Soy Oil into pan and heat to a medium heat. Fry meatball in oil. Be careful as they will burn if not watched due to the honey and sugar. Once meatballs are finished place on a plate to rest before assembling soup. Add mushrooms and bok choy chopped to the size you like. I sometime dice quarter or leave whole these items. Fry sauté in meatball pan.

Lastly, heat broth to boiling, reduce heat to medium heat and add noodles (I use these: http://www.nooodle.com) and cook for 5 min before adding meatballs cook for additional 5 min, then add bok choy and mushrooms before serving.

Enjoy!

Mac and cheese is good, fried mac and cheese is delicious, but add bacon and you have some seriously awesome food! Mmmmm…..so good. Bacon makes everything better. Ok, now that you’ve drooled a bit, let’s get down to the recipe.

I’ve included a mac and cheese recipe below that Natalie from Ann Arbor Cooks shared with me, but I’ve added extra crispy bacon to it. You’ll want to make it in advance and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours. You want it to be pretty cool so it will hold its shape.

INGREDIENTS

Chilled mac and cheese
1 cup of flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of panko crumbs
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Shape heaping spoonfuls of mac and cheese into balls. Place flour, egg, and panko in three different bowls. Roll a ball of mac and cheese in the flour, then dip in the egg, and then roll in panko.

In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. You don’t want the oil too hot or else you’ll burn the outside and the inside will be cold. Just bring the oil to a nice simmer and carefully add the mac & cheese balls one at a time. You want to make sure you have room to roll the mac and cheese balls around in the pan so don’t add too many at one time.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Four Cheese Mac-n-Cheese with Bacon Recipe
1/2 pound of extra crispy bacon, crumbled
1 c. Italian Fontina, grated (about 1 cup) 1⁄2 c. Stilton, crumbled
1⁄2 c. smoked cheddar, grated
1⁄4 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 lb. elbow pasta
1 T. plus 1⁄4 t. salt
2 t. unsalted butter
2 t. flour
1 1⁄2 c. heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season generously with salt; when water reaches a boil, add pasta.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat; whisk in the flour until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds; slowly whisk in the cream; increase heat, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1 minute (to cook out the taste of the flour).
4. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper; remove from the heat, cover and set aside.
5. When the pasta is al dente, drain, leaving pasta slight wet.
6. Add pasta and bacon to bowl with cheeses; immediately pour cream mixture over, then cover the bowl with foil and let sit for a few minutes.
7. Uncover the bowl and stir well to completely combine.

I finally had the opportunity to make some scones with her. I wont share her exact recipe, but this is the one I made and its pretty darn close to hers. The only difference is I used greek yogurt in mine, but any dairy liquid you have available should work (milk, buttermilk, regular yogurt, sour cream, etc). Be sure you don’t over mix your batter. You want to combine it until it’s just mixed and then stop. Don’t go thinking you need to mix it just a little more. Over mixing will result in tough scones and you won’t enjoy them at all.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick frozen butter, grated
7 slices extra crispy bacon, crumbled
1/2 heaping cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
Melted butter
Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients.
2. Add frozen shredded butter and toss to coat.
3. Add bacon, cheese, and jalapeno and mix.
4. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and add yogurt. Mix until just combined.
5. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been rolled.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. The bottoms should be golden brown when done.

One of my guilty pleasures is shopping at Whole Foods. I know, I know…it’s crazy expensive, but they just have so many great food items I can’t help myself. The good thing is that store I shop at is near my son, which is about 3 hours from me. Needless to say shopping at Whole Foods doesn’t  happen very often.

The cheese selection at Whole Foods is so incredibly fantastic. I love browsing the selection and thinking of new ways to use the cheeses. On my last visit I bought three different varieties: Raspberry Tart Bellavitano, New Zealand Cheddar, Goat Milk Brie.  and decided to use two of them in this recipe. The third I’m saving for a cheese plate.

I also bought a hearty loaf of tuscan bread and some orange fig spread during my Whole Foods spree.  There was only one thing to do….make a delicious grilled cheese sandwich!

INGREDIENTS

2 slices of hearty tuscan bread
New zealand cheddar
Goat Milk Brie
Shredded Cheddar
Dollop or two of Orange Fig Spread
Butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter the bread slices on one side and place, butter side down, in medium-hot skillet.
2. Cover one slice of bread with the goat milk brie and the other slice of bread with the new zealand cheddar. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar on one slice. Spread the other slice with the orange fig spread. You can use as much or as little cheese as you like.
3. Let the cheese start to melt and then quickly put the two slices together to create the sandwich. Yes, this part is tricky, but I know you can do it.
4. Cook until golden brown on each side.
Serve with a nice glass of wine and enjoy immediately.

Yeah, yeah, mine got a little more than toasty brown on the center, but it was still delicious!

What is your favorite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich?

I was lucky enough to attend a United Dairy Industry of Michigan Event at Ann Arbor Cooks with other Michigan bloggers recently. We watched a cooking demonstration and then got to work creating a wonderful meal that Ann Arbor Cooks planned. All the bloggers were divided into teams and worked on different parts of the menu.

I was on the pork loin and mashed potato team. Another team made these Pots de Creme, but they were so good I have to share them first. I’ll be sharing a few other recipes soon. Don’t let the lengthy list of instructions scare you away. These are worth the extra effort.

Thanks to Natalie from Ann Arbor Cooks for this recipe.

Hope you enjoy!

Serves 10

Pots de Crème
1 1⁄2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
5 c. heavy cream
1 T. sea salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 6 large egg yolks

Caramel Sauce
1 c. sugar
2 T. water
2/3 c. water
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 c. whipped cream
2 T. confectioners’ sugar sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees;
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter;
3. Add the brown sugar and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly,until smooth and bubbling – about 5 minutes;
4. Gradually whisk in the cream – BE CAREFUL, mixture may spit and steam a bit!
5. Return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly;
6. Add the salt and vanilla seeds;
7. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks;
8. Very slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture – being careful to add it slowly, so you don’t scramble the eggs;
9. Strain the mixture and pour into ramekins;
10. Place the ramekins into a pan with deep sides and fill it half way up the sides of the ramekins with very hot water;
11. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the custards are set, but still slightlywobbly in the center;
12. Transfer ramekins to a sheet pan and chill;
13. In the meantime, make the caramel sauce; in a saucepan, mix the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and cook, undisturbed, over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms – about 6 minutes;
14. Remove from the heat and add 2/3 cup of water and stir until smooth;
15. Let the caramel sauce cool and then stir in the vanilla;
16. In the bowl of a mixer, whisk the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until it becomes light and fluffy and holds soft peaks;
17. To serve, place a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle with sea salt;serve caramel sauce on the side;

Mixing up the berries and cream cheese my mind instantly wonders to warm summer days and picking strawberries at a local Amish farm. In case you’ve missed the whining so far I’m completely over winter and can’t wait for spring to arrive (we still have ice on our lake…wondering when/if it will thaw). Once spring arrives I know that strawberry season isn’t too far behind.

The Amish farm is about 20 miles from my house. It’s down a dirt road and, unless I’m driving there I wouldn’t be able to tell you how to find it. It’s almost intuitive for me. Driving up to the house I usually see the Dad in the field working the land. Walking back to the strawberry field I usually spot a few children running around and playing outside. I pass by greenhouses full of vegetables already exploding with color and heavy with vegetables. I’m always amazed at how large their tomatoes are when its only June and my plants have just been planted. I guess that’s a nice benefit of having a greenhouse. I love how calm the farm feels. It is quiet, it is peaceful and my soul is happy.

Arriving at the incredibly large strawberry patch I take a minute to breathe deep and just be in the moment. Oh how I yearn for summer and picking berries. I need to make sure to pick extra berries this year. We go through them really, really quickly.

INGREDIENTS

4 slices French Bread
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces cream cheese
4-6 strawberries
Syrup

DIRECTIONS

Mix egg, cinnamon, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Coat each side of the bread by dipping it in the egg mixture. Place bread in a hot pan and cook on both sides until almost golden brown. Spread cream cheese mixture on two slice of bread, then top with the remaining pieces to create a sandwich. Continue cooking until cream cheese mixture warms through. Remove from heat and serve with syrup. It’s a little messy, but it’s so tasty it doesn’t matter.

I was reading Jen’s blog the other day and she had Maple Glazed Banana Pecan Waffles on her site and I wanted to lick the screen. I don’t have a waffle maker, but I figured they would be just as tasty as pancakes.

When I mentioned banana pecan pancakes to Alan he was all “heck, yeah!” and even pitched in to help in the kitchen. I made up the first batch of pancakes, plated them and, as much as it pained Alan, took them away to photograph them.  He’s a good sport though and he patiently waited while I took a bunch of photos before letting him give these pancakes a try.

These turned out light, fluffy and so freaking delicious. I really liked adding the syrup to the batter when it was on the griddle. It added great flavor. I used maple syrup that a friend of ours makes from trees tapped right on his property. Last year wasn’t a good year for maple season so I’m hoping that this year he is able to get enough sap to make lots of syrup. I highly recommend using local maple syrup if it’s available in your area.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups bisquick complete
1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 pecan pieces
1/2 banana, chopped
maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Combine bisquick, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Stir in pecans and bananas. Spoon batter on to a hot griddle and drizzle maple syrup over batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden, and then flip and cook until done.

Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Continuing on my lemon kick I came across a lemon cookie recipe that used cake mix as the base.   I find so many great recipes on pinterest, but when they look too easy I worry they might be a big fat failure. It has happened a few times recently where I mixed up a recipe and it was a disaster. I  really need to start blogging my pinterest fails, if I only had more time.  Luckily this lemon cake mix recipe was a success. Of course, I altered the recipe to have more lemon flavor and I thought coconut would be a perfect complement.

These cookies only require a couple of ingredients (I ended up not using the powdered sugar that is pictured here). After mixing up the cookie batter I took a heaping teaspoon of the batter and formed it into a ball. Then I rolled the dough balls in coconut.

I placed the cookies on a foil lined sheet and baked at 375 for about 10 minutes. 

Unfortunately, I placed the cookies too close together on the cookie sheet before baking and they kinda merged together.

I let the cookies cool for a while and I was able to separate most of them. For fun I used a cookie cutter on the rest to create star cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons of lemon extract
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a bowl combine lemon cake mix, eggs, oil, and lemon extract. Mix until combined.
• Take a heaping teaspoon of dough and form into a ball. Roll the ball in the coconut and place on foil lined cookie sheet.
• Bake for 7-10 minutes or until done.

Alan and the kids loved these cookies. Hope you enjoy them as well.

Do you ever have those days when it feels like there is NOTHING in the house for lunch?  You dig and dig through the cabinets and fridge and just don’t see anything. This happens one to many times at our house.

My sister was visiting and I was whining that I couldn’t find anything for lunch. I yelled out “hey, what can we make with black beans??”

She thought about it for a minute, asked if I had any corn, tomatoes and chicken broth, which, surprisingly I did and said she would whip up some soup.  Even better, she was willing to make lunch. Sweet!!! It’s not very often someone else makes lunch for me.

Oh, look at all that yummy goodness! This soup was quick and easy to make. She had it cooking on the stove within 5 minutes and then we just had to wait for it to simmer for a bit to meld all they tasty flavors together. After 30 minutes I couldn’t wait any longer and dug into the soup.

It was so good! Em even liked it. Lets just say there wasn’t much left over after we had lunch. I would definitely make this soup again. You can top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, and/or chips. I tried it with both chips and sour cream. They were both excellent!! Next time I’ll add some avocado…swoon.

Enjoy!

I have been on a lemon kick lately. Maybe it’s my desperation for spring to be here and pretty yellow lemons make me think spring. I found this recipe in one of those sampler magazines that sometimes come with a regular magazine. This is the only recipe I found that I was interested in.

It taste pretty darn good. However, I would make some changes which I’ll note at the bottom so you know what I would do different next time.

When I make this again I will skip making the crust. It was my least favorite part of this dessert. I’ll just grab a Pillsbury pie crust and press into the bottom of the pan. So much easier and I know it taste good.

Also, if you don’t want to bother with mixing up your own whipped topping just buy a container of cool whip and spread over the top.

Hope you enjoy!