Cream of Broccoli Soup

Recipe from A Treasury of Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur

The name of this soup may not sound appealing, but for some reason it was appealing enough for me to try it. Even looking at the ingredient list, I wasn't too optimistic, but I must say I LOVED this soup. My picky husband and 3-year old devoured it too! We will definitely be making it again.

4 c. chicken broth
3 c. broccoli, chopped (1 large bunch)
1/2 c. diced onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash ground pepper
1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. diced ham
1/2 c. heavy cream

Combine broth, broccoli, onion, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, transfer half of mixture to a blender and blend until nearly a puree. Pour back into saucepan over medium low heat. Add flour and whisk until lumps are dissolved. Add diced ham and cream. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until soup reaches desired thickness.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an entree.

Hummus

I love to dip pita bread in this hummus for a healthy and delicious lunch (no tahini paste required)!

1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 Tbs. peanut butter
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. warm water
4 Tbs. lemon juice
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. tumeric (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Blend in food processor until smooth. Serve with pita bread.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

Adapted from Our Best Bites.

This sweet and citrusy combination is a huge crowd-pleaser!

1 mango
2 plums
2 kiwi
1 passion fruit
1/4 to 1/2 fresh pineapple
1 banana
1 Tbs. sugar

Chop fruit, combine. Serve with cinnamon chips.

South of the Border Dip

This is my favorite dip recipe! Once we tried this, we made it over, and over, and over again. If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it's similar to an artichoke dip.
Be sure to serve with a thick, soft bread instead of the traditional chips.

1pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese
1 1/4 c. shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. ground chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Bread for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 3 cup baking dish. Beat cream cheese until smooth.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese and rest of the ingredients until just combined.
Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake 20-25 min. or until hot and bubbly.

Shrimp Dip

My in-laws always, ALWAYS, make shrimp dip for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all gorge ourselves on it while waiting for the Turkey feast to be ready. Then we eat even more with the meal... and after the meal... and you get the idea. It is so good and so addicting. A must in the Rowland household. A tradition I will very gladly be carrying on.

8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated onion

Cream together.

6 oz. canned shrimp
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 carton cottage cheese

Add, stir to combine. Serve with potato chips or crackers.

Spiced candied walnuts

I originally made these as a garnish for a fall soup I had made once, but they were so good I decided that they deserved to be more than just a garnish, and now I make them every Thanksgiving as an appetizer. I make them the night before and set them out Thanksgiving morning. Everyone grazes on them all day long while they wait for the feast, which I love because it gives them something to curb their appetites, but it's not so heavy that they don't have room for the dinner that I slaved over for two days. Win win.

Peanut or canola oil
4c walnut halves
1c sifted powdered sugar
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet or fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the walnuts for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer to a bowl. While the nuts are still hot and slightly damp, add powdered sugar and toss until coated, and all the sugar has melted into the nuts. The sugar must all be melted.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts in small batches into the hot oil. Fry until med. brown, about 45 seconds. Do not overcook. Scatter on a large baking sheet to let cool. Continue in small batches until all the nuts are fried.

While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and toss with about half the spice mix (sprinkle it evenly over the top, it will clump if you just dump it). Add more spice mix to taste and toss well after each addition.

This will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Wait until cool to store.

Butternut squash soup

There are a lot of fall soups out there, and a lot of butternut squash variations. I know that many of them are a sweet and sour type, with apples or other fruit. If that's what you like, you may not like this one. I enjoy the more savory soups, so this has leeks and bacon. Just so you know what you're getting before you try to make it.

1 butternut squash
1 onion or leek (whichever you prefer) chopped
1T fresh grated ginger
3T butter
3c broth
1-2 c apple cider
salt and pepper
heavy cream
sour cream
cooked bacon, crumbled

Quarter and bake your squash for 40-45 minutes. Once cool, scoop out the pulp.
Cook onion and ginger in butter in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Remove form heat and add the squash pulp and puree till smooth. Add cider to desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return to the stove and cook till hot. When ready to serve, add a splash (or 5) of cream. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and crumbled bacon.

Pumpkin Dip

This recipe is so good and so easy. A must for any autumn occasion!

Photo from The Little Nest

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
12 oz. cool whip

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in pumpkin and spice. Fold in cool whip. Serve with ginger snaps, graham crackers, apple slices, etc.


I like the dip best served with ginger snaps or on top of whole wheat Halloween pancakes! :)

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls

My in-laws request this at every superbowl / fantasy football draft / New Year's Eve / in any way sports oriented party. And they are right to do it. Because they are delicious. And super easy. I usually triple the batch to take it to parties. And there are never any leftovers. If you've ever eaten them, you know why.

1 chicken breast
1 T oil
2 T minced red bell pepper
2 T minced green onion
1/3 c frozen corn
1/4 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 T diced canned jalapenos
1/2 T minced fresh parsley
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
dash cayenne
3/4 c shredded monterrey jack cheese
5 - 7" tortillas

Grill your chicken; let cool. Over medium high heat, saute red pepper and onion till tender; add diced cooked chicken; add corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring well to separate and incorporate spinach. Remove pan from heat and add cheese; stir to melt.

Wrap tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave 1 minute or until hot and pliable. Spoon 1/5 of the mixture into the center of each tortilla. Fold in the ends and roll the tortilla tightly - hold with a toothpick. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 4 hours.

Heat oil to 375 degrees and fry for 12-15 minutes each. Drain and cut on the bias.
Serve with avocado dill dip.

Avocado Dill Dip:

1/4 c smashed fresh avocado (about 1/2 an avocado)
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c sour cream
1 T buttermilk
1 1/2 t white vinegar
1/8 t salt
1/8 t dried parsley
1/8 t onion powder
1/8 t dried dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash pepper

Mix and chill for an hour or more to blend flavors.

Winger's Sauce

I could drink this stuff. When I was pregnant with baby #2, this is all I wanted morning, noon, and night. If you've never eaten at wingers, get to one QUICK! Or make this yourself.

2 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
3 T light corn syrup
1/3 c Frank's red hot
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 c hot water

Place brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat until boiling. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly - it will burn, and quickly! Add hot water, pepper sauce, and vinegar. Stir all ingredients well and continue cooking at a low boil, stirring often until reduced to a syrupy consistency (about 15 minutes).

The sauce will thicken considerably as it cools.

Okay, I hestitate in posting this part, but if you don't have all this stuff in your pantry or you just don't have the time to do the full recipe above, you can get by with the following. But I warn you, it is not the same! Nor does it have anywhere near the right consistency. But, it is a good quick susbtitute if you're in a pinch:

1 c brown sugar
1 c frank's red hot

Mix, bring it to a boil, and let it cool.

Easy peasy, but not as good as the first.

Wingers uses this on all their wings (fry wings and toss them in the sauce directly out of the fryer). But it's also great on top of burgers, or as a dipping sauce for, well, really anything. Especially cheese quesadillas. And especially especially if you mix it with ranch dip. Yum.

Samosas

This recipe is from an Indian lady in our community who taught a few girls how to make Samosas. Can't get more authentic than that! The recipe is soooo good too!

Samosa Filling
Boil 2.2 pounds potatoes (6 or 7 potatoes), until cooked, cube and set aside
Next, Fry the following ingredients together.
In a wok add 2T any oil
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
2T chopped green chilies
½ tsp salt
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp tandoori chicken masala or meat masala
2.2 lbs. boiled, chopped potatoes

Fry until cooked—about 5 minutes. Let cool, then you can put into the wrap. Place a spoonful of filling into samosa wrapper. Wrap samosas as follows (we used round, but this gives you an idea of how to do it).
Pictures compliments of thumbsupfoods.com.

Cooking instructions
Fry: Heat oil in a wok on Medium heat. Place samosas in pan. Constantly stir so they brown evenly until light golden brown. Take out, cool, eat.
Bake: Heat oven to 350. Put samosas on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake until light golden brown. 20-25 min.

Serve Samosas with Mint sauce (chutney).

Fresh Basil Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Compliments of Simply Recipes

I love pesto, and this is a great recipe! I use it for chicken pesto pasta or on bread. Delicious!

Hot 'n Spicy Corn Dip

Serve warm with tortilla chips. So delicious!!

Hot 'n Spicy Corn Dip

2 cups frozen corn, drained well
8 oz. light cream cheese
1 large tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
½ - 1 cup Colby Jack cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread into a 9” pie plate. Bake 20 min. or until golden brown and bubbly.

Cheese Rolls

(Pao de Queijo)
From Café Brazil by Michael Bateman

Makes 12


1 2/3 cups tapioca flour
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
generous pinch of sea salt
1 free-range egg, beaten
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
½ cup freshly grated hard cheese, preferably Parmesan


1. Preheat oven to 450ºF

2. Sift the tapioca flour into a bowl. In a saucepan, combine the oil and salt with 6 tablespoons water and bring to a boil. Slowly pour onto the tapioca, stirring it to a stiff dough with a wooden spoon.

3. When the dough has cooled slightly, stir in the egg, then the yogurt and, finally, the cheese.

4. Grease your hands with an oily piece of paper towel, then form the dough into 12 balls. Arrange them on a nonstick baking sheet. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You should be able to tell that the rolls are done by the appetizing smell, but you can test for doneness by inserting a skewer –if it comes out clean they are ready. Cool on a wire rack.

Best when served right out of the oven. Not as good when reheated later.

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls

from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2

The directions are for frying but this time we baked it to make healthier and it was still great! I also didn't add the red pepper b/c I didn't want to buy it. To bake, you don't need to freeze, and I defrost the frozen veggies before starting.

Eggrolls

2 skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 Tbsp minced red bell pepper
4 Tbsp minced green onion
2/3 c frozen corn
1/2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp thawed and drained frozen spinach
4 Tbsp diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 ½ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (7 in) flour tortillas
6-10 c vegetable or canola oil for frying

Avocado- Ranch Dipping Sauce
1 avocado, smashed
½ c mayonnaise
½ c sour cream
2 Tbsp buttermilk
3 tsp white vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp onion powder
2 dashes dried dill weed
2 dashes garlic powder
2 dashes pepper

Garnish
4 Tbsp chopped tomato
2 Tbsp chopped onion

Heat oil in skillet and grill chicken (or brush oil on chicken and cook over a grill on bbq for 4-5 minutes per side until done). Lightly salt and pepper each side of chicken while it cooks. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Preheat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet. Add red pepper and onion and sauté for a couple minutes until tender.
Dice cooked chicken into small cubes and add to pan. Add remaining egg roll ingredients except the cheese. Cook another 4 minutes. Stir well so the spinach separates. Remove pan from heat and add cheese, stir until cheese is melted.
Wrap tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes or until hot. Spoon mixture into tortillas. Fold in ends and roll up.
To bake, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until golden, about 15 minutes.
Frying Directions:
Pierce each tortilla with a toothpick to hold together. Arrange on plate and cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
Preheat oil to 375. Deep fry 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or rack to drain for about 2 minutes.

Slice each egg roll diagonally and arrange on a plate around a bowl of dipping sauce. Garnish the dipping sauce with tomato and onion.

Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

submitted by dalyce

Fresh Salsa

This is my favorite salsa ever. It makes a huge recipe, but in the summers after my mom would make a huge tupperware full, it was always gone in a couple hours--I think I could eat the whole thing if I had had the chance.
It is not traditional salsa--it isn't that hot, it isn't cooked, and it's really chunky. My brother who served his mission in Mexico always said that we actually shouldn't call it 'salsa'--but whatever it's called, it's good. I don't know if it's what you're looking for, Dalyce, but I thought I'd share it.

Fresh Salsa
30 Roma tomatoes (12 cups)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
Juice of 4 1/2 limes
Juice of 3 lemons
1 1/2 bulbs fresh garlic, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
3 serrano peppers, chopped (These are thin green hot peppers--I think jalapenos would work too)
3 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cumin

Bean Dip

This is the BEST bean dip you will ever eat :) It's great served with tortilla chips, potato chips (I know, weird, but I like that the best), taquitos, burritos, tacos, chimichangas, etc.

2 - 16-oz. cans Chili w/Beans
1 - 16-oz. can Refried Beans
1 - 4oz. can Diced Green Chilies
8 oz. or 16 oz. pkg. Velvetta Cheese, cut up (I usually use about 12 oz.)
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Combine in a crockpot and cook for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. Or you can combine in a deep casserole dish and microwave in small increments, stirring in between.

Fruit Dip

1 - 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP. grated orange rind
Dash of ginger

Add marshmallow creme to cream cheese gradually, mixing until well blended. Add orange rind and ginger, whip until fluffy. Makes 2 cups. Serve with strawberries, apple wedges, bananas, pineapples or grapes.

Hot Artichoke Dip

2 small, or 1 large can of NON-Marinated Artichoke Hearts
1 cup mayonnaise
¾ cup parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. garlic powder

Heat oven to 350*. Drain artichoke hearts; break or cut into small pieces. Mix well, all ingredients together. Press into 1 ½ qt casserole dish (about the size of a glass pie dish). Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with crackers, raw veggies, or (my favorite) toasted sourdough bread cubes.