Weekend Cooking: Saturday Soup

Winter weekends are made for soup. This week's offering comes from Wegmans, my favorite grocery store. I've been making this spinach lentil soup for years.

Spinach Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian Classics Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 jar (16 oz.) Food You Feel Good About Salsa
• 1 1/4 cup dry lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups water
• 1 pkg (10 oz.) fresh spinach, stemmed

Directions:
1. Heat oil in soup pot on LOW.  Add onion and carrots; cook, covered, on low for 5 minutes.

2. Add salsa, lentils, spinach, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to LOW and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes until lentils are tender.

My notes:

• I used organic green lentils.
• Instead of 6 cups water, I used 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water. (Margaret would have preferred vegetable broth or just water)  
• I also waited until the last 10 - 15 minutes to add the spinach.

Visiting Wegmans website this morning, I noticed the recipe has been updated to include matchstick carrots and Goya red lentils. The new recipe can be found here.  Matchstick carrots would make the soup seem even heartier, and I'm willing to give red lentils a chance, too. I wonder if they have a different taste...

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

Almond-Ginger-Peach Treacle Tart

The tart before it was put into the oven.

I am, and will always be, a huge Harry Potter fan. I store the hardcover books in a safe glass-windowed chest, I know the lines to all of the movies by heart, and an entire shelf in the playroom is dedicated to Harry Potter games, action figures, cards, bookmarks, stickers, stationary, etc.

Obsessed? C'est possible.

Now, imagine a kid like me attending a Harry Potter class every other day. Discussions, debates, movie-watching, and other various Potter-related activities (ie. Divinations). End your daydream, because I am actually enrolled in such a class. Magical, isn't it?

Technically, I am a muggle (a person without magical abilities), but I am in a stage of denial . . . which has lasted since 1997 when the first book came out.

But nevertheless!

I made a wonderful Almond-Ginger-Peach Treacle Tart from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook for my class on Monday. The filling was easy to prepare, but the crust was, well, a nightmare. I finally got the hang of it after a while, and it was worth it. The crust was pure almond-y flaky goodness, and balanced out the perfect sweetness of the filling.

Witches, wizards, and muggles alike will enjoy this tasty treat.

Ron: Do you think we'll ever just have a quiet year at Hogwarts?

Hermione, Harry: No.

Ron: Yeah, didn't think so. Oh well, what's life without a few dragons?

Weekend Cooking: Frosted Ginger Cookies

My volleyball team was looking forward to those cupcakes, so I ended up making these cookies for the team sleepover last night. Yup, definitely made up for it! People loved these--I couldn't believe how fast they disappeared! The ginger in these cookies was perfect, not over-powering at all. And the frosting was a perfect compliment. I had to save a few for my family!

This recipe is from the Taste of Home: Cookies cookbook.

For the Cookies:

1-1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons each baking soda and ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground cloves

For the Frosting:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched lightly (do not over-bake). Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, in a medium saucepan, bring brown sugar, milk and butter to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat (mixture will look curdled at first). Cool for 3 minutes before adding the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt; mix well. Frost the cooled cookies.

Notes: The frosting recipe did not make a lot, so I would double the batch of frosting next time.

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Sunday!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

The texture of these peanut butter cupcakes is delightful and the frosting compliments it perfectly. If you're a peanut butter fan, you absolutely have to give these a shot. Of course, you could use creamy peanut butter if you're not too sure about peanuts in your cupcakes.

These were originally for my volleyball team, but our game was cancelled. I ended up giving them out to my friends in the hallways. No complaints there!

From the 500 Cupcakes cookbook.

For the Cupcakes:

1 cup sweet butter, softened

1 cup superfine sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

4 eggs

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup sweet butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tbsp. milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 18 baking cups in muffins pans. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, and eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until well combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minuted. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined. Swirl the frosting to the cooled cupcakes.

Notes:

- This makes a lot of frosting, so depending on how much frosting you like on your cupcakes, you could probably cut it down a bit.

- I sprinkled chocolate shavings on top.

Weekend Cooking: Minestrone Soup

Soup and my slow-cooker are winter essentials.  There is always homemade soup in the refrigerator, and my crockpot is busy at least three times a week.  On Friday, I tried a slow cooker recipe for minestrone soup.

It comes from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea.  If you have a crockpot, you need this cookbook. I borrowed it from the library, renewed it twice, and finally purchased a copy of my own. We have tried at least a dozen recipes and all except one has been a hit.

CLEAN-OUT-THE-PANTRY MINESTRONE

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans canned beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes, and their juice
1 (15-ounce) can corn and its juice
2 cups chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen)
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
kosher salt
black pepper

Directions: 
Use a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Open the cans and dump the contents into the stoneware. I drained the bean goop only, and kept the tomato and corn juices. Add the chopped vegetables.  This is a good recipe to use when you've got a mishmash of past-prime vegetables in your crisper drawer. Slightly wilted celery or browned cauliflower is fine to toss in. Pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 4 to 5 hours.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes:
I used one can each of dark red kidney beans and canellini beans. I also threw in diced carrots, slightly wilted celery, a small onion, and some broccoli.  Margaret would have preferred a vegetarian version, but I used the chicken broth we had in the pantry. We also sprinkled parmesan cheese on top before serving.

It just doesn't get any easier than this, folks! The soup is delicious and I'll definitely make it again.

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

Butternut Squash Soup

There is nothing like homemade soup on a cold winter day. At this time of year, I always have soup on hand that's ready to be warmed on a moment's notice. Thanks to my new favorite cookbook, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, most of the recipes I've tried lately are simple to prepare in a slow cooker.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow
by Stephanie O'Dea

The Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 small onions, diced
2 small apples, peeled and cubed
1  1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Directions:
Use a 6-quart slow cooker.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise.  This is terribly hard to do, but if you microwave the entire squash for 2 to 5 minutes on high, the skin will soften a bit.  Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.  Brush the olive oil on the inside of the squash and roast in the oven cut side up at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the skin peels away from the flesh.

Plug in the slow cooker and turn to high.  Add the broth, onions, and apples. Stir in the salt, pepper, and spices.  Cover to let heat.

When the squash is finished roasting, add it to the pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours.  Mash slightly, then carefully blend with handheld immersion blender.

Our Verdict:
This soup is deliciously creamy... it's hard to believe there is no butter or milk in the recipe!  My husband and daughters thought it was perfect, but the spices seemed a little overwhelming to me. I would cut back slightly next time.

Cooking notes:
I followed the recipe exactly, but thought the microwaving and roasting of the squash made it more difficult to handle. Another time I would peel, seed, and cut up the raw squash, then add it to the slow cooker in the beginning with the apples and onions.

The Foodie Challenge: Whip Up Something New!

Do you love to try new dishes? Are you constantly collecting recipes from magazines, newspapers, and the internet that get stuffed into some already overflowing folder or box in your kitchen? Then have I got a challenge for you.

Trish and Joanna have combined forces to come up with The Foodie Challenge: Whip Up Something New!  The idea is to try at least one new recipe per month and then, whether it's a hit or a miss, blog about it.  Monthly hosting duties will rotate.

All the details may be found here.

January posts are being collected by Joanna here.

Will you join us?