So, how’s it taste?

Where to begin with this soup?! I wish I could send everyone reading this an instant bowlful. It’s spectacular. I was surprised at the intense flavor from a few simple ingredients. It’s a chicken broth base jazzed up with soy sauce, garlic, and fresh ginger. You could certainly use vegetable broth and leave out the pork to make it vegetarian. What I like best is the tiny chunks of ginger. Ginger adds such a wonderful, clean flavor and a little bit of spicy heat. Oh and the aroma! If you could make it into a kitchen candle, I’d burn it every day. The soy sauce adds a little something extra so it doesn’t just taste like chicken broth. I used low sodium soy sauce and it worked great. The carrots and pork are tender, and the noodles and spinach round this soup out to make it heartier than you’d think. I added more than two cups of spinach, quite a bit more, and that works out well, too. I figure it’s not adding to my calorie count and it’s certainly healthy! It’s surprising how full you’ll be after a serving of this soup…and you’ve only made a 235-calorie dent in your day!

Asian Pork & Noodle Soup

Betty Crocker, Simple Winter Meals, January 2002
makes 4 servings
per serving: 235 calories, 9g fat, 15g carbs, 2g fiber, 26g protein

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork boneless sirloin or loin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped gingerroot
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tbsp. soy sauce (low sodium works well)
2 cups lo mein noodles (4 oz.)
1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Spray 3-quart saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add pork, garlic and gingerroot; stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes or until pork is brown.

2. Stir in broth, water, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Stir in noodles and carrots. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

3. Stir in spinach; cook until heated through.

So, how’s it taste?

They turned out so well. The only downside is they are so small, you’ll want to eat three of them, and that is perfectly acceptable. I’m usually apprehensive with cheesecake because it’s hard to tell when they’re ready to come out of the oven. I was nervous that these were undercooked, since you take them out while the middles are still jiggly. After cooling completely and letting the refrigerator work it’s magic, they were perfect! The texture of the cheesecake is so creamy and I liked the bursts of Oreo chunks throughout. The sour cream adds just a bit of tang that I think is needed to balance the sweet. You can really smell the tangy sour cream, but the flavor isn’t as strong, so don’t get worried! Using a whole Oreo as the crust is genius and makes it so easy. In the picture above, you’ll see I used the new Birthday Cake Oreos as the crust. They really do taste like cake and frosting, but they are really rich. I also made some with original Oreos as the crust, and I liked those better. The single-serving size makes these great for any special occasion, even if that occasion is just “I want some cheesecake!”

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

by Martha Stewart's Cupcakes via Handle the Heat
makes 30 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

42 Oreos, 30 whole & 12 coarsely chopped
2 lbs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275F. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Add eggs gradually until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in sour cream and salt. Fold in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from tins for serving. Store in refrigerator.

So, how’s it taste?

These turned out really well. You can see the bits of Oreo throughout the biscotti, but flavor-wise it’s not very heavy on Oreo at all. Actually the biscotti isn’t that sweet, which is where the drizzle comes in. I ate a few of these without the drizzle and they were great. Dipped in coffee, it’s the perfect amount of sweet. I do wish there was a more prominent Oreo flavor and perhaps the chunks could be a bit bigger, but I liked them regardless. I actually made these a few months ago and froze them without the drizzle on top. I finally added the white chocolate and milk chocolate drizzle and they went from good to down right sinful. What I found out, is yes, you can freeze biscotti, but they lose their hard-as-rock texture. Once they came to room temperature and the drizzle hardened, I found I could eat them like cookies. No need to dunk them in coffee or hot chocolate because they’d break a tooth otherwise. I don’t know if I’d want to dunk them in a drink with that much drizzle anyway. I pretty much OD’d on them. The two kinds of chocolate on top made them crazy good. I had to pace myself so I’d have enough left to take a picture!

If you drizzle these right after they’ve cooled from baking, they’ll be hard enough to withstand dunking. Otherwise try the freezing route if you want a softer, yet still crisp texture.

Oreo Biscotti

Oreo with a Twist
makes 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
16 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
2 oz. milk chocolate morsels
2 oz. white chip morsels

Directions:

1. Beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in chopped Oreos.

2. Divide mixture in half. Shape each half into a 9x3-inch loaf on a lightly greased large baking sheet.

3. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Cut each loaf into 15 (1/2-inch thick) slices. Place slices cut side up on same baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes more on each side or until lightly toasted. Cool completely on wire racks.

4. Place each kind of morsel in a small freezer bag. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds until smooth. Snip the corner of the bag and drizzle tops with each kind of melted chocolate.

So, how’s it taste?

It takes like spinach cheese dip. Did you read that folks? Tastes. Like. Spinach. Cheese. Dip. I was so wrong about the simple ingredients not adding up to much flavor. It’s thick and gooey with cheese and full of good-for-you spinach. Now if you’re a texture person and you don’t like cooked spinach, this is not the soup for you. I don’t want to say the spinach is slimy, but it’s close. It didn’t bother me in the least. I couldn’t shovel this soup into my mouth fast enough. I even dipped my sandwich in it! (Yes, that’s also pickled okra you see on the plate, my new obsession!) It makes four big bowlfuls and is less than 300 calories per serving. The fat grams are a little high, so it’s not exactly a perfect choice if you count how many calories are from fat, but I don’t look at that all the time. All that matters to me is that it’s low in calories and it’s full of cheese. It also freezes well, but I doubt it will stick around long enough for you to freeze it.

Cheesy Spinach Soup

Soup & Crock-pot Recipes, Pillsbury, February 2000
serves 4
per serving: 260 calories, 14g fat, 14g carbs, 18g protein, 1g fiber

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp. onion powder
1 (12 oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 (8 oz.) cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine broth, spinach, and onion powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until spinach is thoroughly cooked.

2. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour; blend until smooth. Add to soup; cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly and thickened.

3. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 minutes. Add cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted and soup is thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

So, how’s it taste?

It’s good! It’s kind of like a cross between spaghetti and lasagna. The meat sauce is on top and has chunks of stewed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. I used stewed tomatoes already seasoned, but still added the Italian seasoning for extra flavor. I think instead of using stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes would work better. I ended up cutting the stewed tomatoes and buying them diced would have saved me some time. Underneath the meat sauce was a layer of cottage cheese and broccoli. Sounds weird to have broccoli in the mix of all this, but it works. The cottage cheese is creamy and light, but the broccoli adds a nice crunch to the dish…plus a touch of green veggies never hurts. Now on to the crust! I loved it. It was easier to assemble than I thought. Cook the fettuccine and add mozzarella and an egg to bind. The mozzarella doesn’t blend perfectly, but you end up with chunks of mozzarella throughout the crust that I really liked. I left an “edge” on my crust so you could see the noodles on top, but I don’t recommend doing that. It makes for a pretty presentation, but some of the exposed noodles got crunchy and not in a good way. Next time I’ll spread the meat mixture entirely over the top.

This is one of those dishes that gets better the next day. When you slice it the first time after baking, it’s a bit runny from the tomato beef mixture. The next day, after a night in the fridge, it really sets up and comes together nicely. I’m excited about the leftovers from this one!

Italian Fettuccine Pie

Casseroles & Slow Cooker Meals, Betty Crocker, February 2002
makes 6 servings
per serving: 350 calories, 16g fat, 28g carbs, 2g fiber, 25g protein

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 can (8 oz.) stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
6 oz. uncooked fettuccine
2 eggs
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed, or chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

3. In medium bowl, beat one of the eggs and the butter. Stir in fettuccine and mozzarella cheese. In ungreased 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate, spoon and press mixture evenly in bottom and up side of dish. The trick to this is get another pie plate or a large bowl and press it into the crust. It shapes it for you and presses it up the sides. Leave it on for a few minutes to set.

4. In small bowl, mix cottage cheese and remaining egg; spread over fettuccine mixture in dish. Sprinkle with broccoli. Spoon beef mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

So, how’s it taste?

It’s horrible. So, so bad. The cake turned out thick, not light and moist like I wanted. I halved the recipe and followed it to a T and it just didn’t taste good. Part of the problem is my fault. I needed very ripe bananas and it’s hard to find them when they aren’t green. So my bananas weren’t ripe enough. The cake has that slight gross taste from unripe bananas. Some folks eat green bananas, I like mine with tons of black spots, that’s when you know they’re going to be sweet and delicious. So strike one there. There’s Butterfinger chunks throughout but not enough. I almost added some mini chocolate chips and after, I wish I had.

You can probably guess strike two. The “surprise” part was the filling inside. I picked a filling from a Butterfinger pie recipe that I’ve made before (pre-blog so it’s not on here…yet). The pie was fantastic, but as you can see, it didn’t set up enough to hold its own once the cake was cut. Oozing Butterfinger filling everywhere. But on the plus side, it tasted fantastic! It’s peanut buttery and also has chunks of crunchy Butterfinger. I’m not sure what I did wrong here. I needed about 1/8 of the regular recipe and recipe math is a big ol’ pain in the butt, so I’m sure I’m to blame for this one. I remember the pie filling being thicker, but it’s really difficult to fourth an egg yolk and even a bigger pain to figure out 1/16 of a teaspoon.

I frosted the cake with chocolate tub frosting. Don’t judge…it’s my birthday and I freakin’ love that stuff. So at least the frosting and bits of Butterfinger tasted good. I decided not to give you the recipe because I think the cake part is just gross and not a good recipe. I’d like to revisit this flavor combination some day and see if I can make it taste good. I like the idea, but it needs some work.

So, how’s it taste?

I enjoyed the flavors in this soup, but as you can see from the picture, it was more like fish and rice. My soup didn’t have much liquid left to it after all was said and done. It had a mouth-watering aroma from the coconut, but the coconut wasn’t as strong in taste. I would have liked a bit more. I used regular coconut milk because I couldn’t find the lighter version. I expected this soup to have very strong flavors, but it really doesn’t. It’s good, but it’s light on flavor, which actually works because it’s so hearty and filling, but not heavy or rich.

The best thing about this soup is how fast it comes together. A little chopping, heat the ingredients, and in no time you’ve got dinner on the table. I used haddock in my version, but any firm white fish will work. The contrast in textures from the bit of broth, chunks of tender fish, and rice was nice. The fresh lime juice brings it all together. I left out the bell peppers, but if you like them, give them a try in this soup! Soups can often be a bit boring and leave you wanting more, but not this one. The leftovers will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but since it’s fish, I wouldn’t eat the leftovers past day two.

Coconut Fish Chowder

Soups & Stews, Pillsbury, February 2001
makes 4 servings
per serving: 260 calories, 7g fat, 26g carbs, 22g protein, 1g fiber

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can lite coconut milk
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1 lb. orange roughy or haddock fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients through turmeric. Bring to a boil.

2. Add fish. Reduce heat; simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro.

So, how’s it taste?

So good!  They were a nice change from regular rolls. I love the orange color with specks of sun-dried tomatoes throughout. The rolls are light and fluffy, just like the regular ones I make, but they have an added tang and slight sweetness from the tomatoes. I ate these with soup to make a hearty meal. A few times I split the rolls in half, toasted them, smeared on some butter, and had a nice little snack. I do love my carbs as much as I love chocolate!

The great thing about these rolls is you can freeze them in a freezer bag and pull out what you need. So make a few batches and have them in your freezer as a quick bread to go with any meal! If you like your rolls to have soft sides, place them closer together on the cookie sheet and bake them until the tops are golden brown.

Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls

Soup Stew & Chili, Betty Crocker, February 2004
make 12 rolls

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm milk
2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and 1 tbsp. oil reserved
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

2. Select the Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use the delay cycle.

3. Remove dough from pan; place on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

4. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until almost double.

5. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cooled.

So, how’s it taste?

Yes, I know it’s a mix and from scratch would probably be just as easy, but go with it. I thought these cornbread wedges turned out pretty well. I like cornbread both ways, sweet and savory. Since I used a mix as the base, this cornbread was more on the sweet side, so if you aren’t a fan of sweet cornbread, don’t make these. I think they were a tad bit too sweet, but the addition of green onions and cheese helped tone it down. They were moist and I liked the hint of onion in each bite. It worked really well with the chili. I used Kerry Gold’s Kilaree cheese instead of cheddar, so the cheese wasn’t very prominent. I think a sharp cheddar would be excellent and help on the sweetness even more.

I loved using the scone & cornbread pan! It made perfect, individual wedges. If you don’t have this pan, you could make the recipe in a cast iron skillet or try a muffin pan.

Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges

Betty Crocker
serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pouches (6.5 oz. each) cornbread & muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker)
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease a divided scone pan with shortening. Make muffin mixes as directed on pouch, using milk, butter, and eggs. Stir in onions and cheese. Spoon evenly into each wedge of pan.

2. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.

So, how’s it taste?

I could seriously eat an entire bowl of these pearl onions by themselves with a spoon. They are so tender and full of so much flavor. Pearl onions aren’t overly oniony to begin with, so when they simmer in a port-sugar-vinegar concoction, they turn into almost a dessert. I think the vinegar keeps it from being over-the-top syrupy sweet, and the bit of butter at the very end makes it insanely decadent.

If you can find red pearl onions, they work even better in this dish to show off the port color. I could only find white and they work just as well, but you don’t get as much of the pretty red color.

Port-Glazed Pearl Onions

Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home
serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 cups tawny port
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup low-sodium beef stock
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring onions and port to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to a thin syrup, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. Add sugar and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add stock and vinegar and simmer (do not boil) until reduced and thickened, and the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add butter, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper.