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Cold nights are upon us now. Nothing says cozy warm like hot soup. Soup is pretty much one of our favorite foods, so you might see more soup recipes in the future. We took a little break from this blog, because I was experiencing allergic reactions. I was not sure what was causing them, but they were happening once a month, and caused my throat to swell. I had to cut a lot of foods out of my diet hence, the pause on the blog. We still do not know exactly what is causing the reactions. They have been diagnosed as idiopathic, and maybe just a combo of many things is causing them. The good news is that I have been having them less frequently. I have the confidence to cook more again, and have been adding some foods back into my diet. So here we are with French Onion Soup! I hope you enjoy. :)


4 - 5 sweet onions
Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Dark Brown Sugar
64 Ounces of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
2 Tbs of Brown Rice Flour
1/2 Cup of a Dry White Wine we used a Pinot Grigio
Salt and Pepper
Swiss Gruyere


Set crock pot to low or medium heat and add in the chicken or veggie stock, and rice flour. Slice and sauté onions in olive oil on low to medium heat. When onions start to become translucent add in the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the of white wine, and turn up heat to medium - high. When onions start caramelize (you don't want them to get too brown, because they will cook more in the crock pot) remove from heat and add to the broth mixture in the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper, and add the other 1/4 cup of white wine to the crock pot. I also added a touch more brown sugar. Let the soup slow cook in the crock pot for 5 or six hours. Serve with toasty bread and melted Gruyere...unless you are gluten-intolerant like me. I just sprinkled some cheese on top instead. This soup actually tasted good enough to me that it could stand alone without the cheese or bread.
]]> Main Dishes http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry121106-004621 The Taste Station Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:46:21 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=12&m=11&entry=entry121106-004621 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry111018-133519

We were recently invited to an Oktoberfest potluck. I was really excited to make Kartoffelsuppe or German Potato Soup. I have made milk or cream based potato soups a lot in the past. This time I made a broth based soup instead. The soup was much lighter, and that made it all the more enjoyable for 80 degree weather! I ate the leftovers the next day. Let me tell you, this soup is even better the second day!

1 Quart of Chicken or Veggie Stock.
15 Small gold potatoes (Yukon Gold)
1 Large yellow onion
4 Carrots
10 green onions (we just used one small bundle)


First start heating the chicken stock in a large pot. Then boil 4 of the potatoes in a pot till they get very soft for mashing. While the potatoes are boiling, go ahead and saute the yellow onion in butter or your choice of oil. Once the potatoes are soft, mash them by hand or with a mixer, and add them to the stock pot along with the sauteed yellow onions. This will give the soup a nice texture. Dice the remaining potatoes, carrots, and green onions, and add them to that pot. Season the soup with sea salt, and black pepper. Let it cook slow and low until the carrots and potatoes are soft. Serve hot, and enjoy!
]]> Main Dishes http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry111018-133519 The Taste Station Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:35:19 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=10&entry=entry111018-133519 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110911-000544

Two 15 ounce cans of organic black beans.
1 Cup of gluten free Corn Flake Crumbs (1/2 cup for beans, and 1/2 cup for breading)
1/2 of one large red onion
1/2 of one large red bell pepper
1/2 Cup of Brown Rice
2 Eggs
Cumin (Season to taste)
Chili Powder (Season to taste)
Cracked Black Pepper (Season to taste)
Sea Salt (Season to taste)



Drain and rinse beans well, and place in a bowl. Using a hand masher, mash beans coarsely. In a skillet, sauté the onions and red bell pepper in the oil of your choice until they are softened. Then add them to the bean mixture, along with 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs and the brown rice. Season mixture with Cumin, Chili Powder, Pepper and Sea Salt. Mixture should be firm. Form the mixture into small patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Place the remaining corn flake crumbs in a bowl, and put the two eggs in another bowl. Dip the cakes in the egg, and then coat them with the corn flake crumbs. In a large skillet using a small amount of oil, cook the black bean cakes until they are warm start to brown on the outside.

We served the black bean cakes over a spinach salad that was made with avocado, corn, and grape tomatoes. Enjoy!]]> Main Dishes http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110911-000544 The Taste Station Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:05:44 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=09&entry=entry110911-000544 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110630-010645

Summer is finally here! Last year I made fruit salad a lot with blueberries and peaches. It was always fresh compliment to our summer meals. I wanted to bring those summer flavors to a potluck in a new way. I love crisps, so I put them together in a crisp!

Filling:

6 or 7 peaches
1 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
a bit of cinnamon to your taste

Topping:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt.
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and slice the peaches and put them into a large bowl with the blueberries. Mix the peaches and blueberries with the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and set aside while you make the topping.

In another large bowl mix the oats, flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut the butter into small pieces and gradually add it to the dry mixture. Cover the peach and blueberries evenly with the mixture.

Bake for about 15 minutes covered, and then remove cover and bake for about 30 more minutes or until the crisp is bubbling and brown on top.]]> Desserts http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110630-010645 The Taste Station Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:06:45 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=06&entry=entry110630-010645 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110609-230655

We recently took a trip to St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada. While we were there we ate a lot of comfort food, and that is what inspired this dish. It is a simple dish that can be eaten with dinner, or as a breakfast. It is easy to toss together and you can add in your favorite veggies for a nice comfort dish.



Cubed red potatoes
1 Chopped Red Pepper
1 Chopped Green Pepper
Fresh ground salt/pepper
1/2 yellow Onion chopped
Chopped mushrooms
Pepper Jack cheese



Chop up the potatoes leaving the skin on.
Put into a baking dish along with the chopped peppers, salt and pepper, onion and a little cheese
Add in a little crushed red pepper to give it some heat
Sprinkle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and mix it all up.

Bake at 350 degrees for a 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft

Once the potatoes are soft to the touch, cover in cheese and cook another 10 minutes
]]> http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110609-230655 The Taste Station Fri, 10 Jun 2011 03:06:55 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=06&entry=entry110609-230655 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110503-160746

We just received our first Spring CSA basket. It came with a little bunch of asparagus! I am so excited for all of the fresh veg we will be getting in our baskets! This is something quick and easy you can cook up for a snack, lunch, or dinner. It is one of our favorites.

1 bunch of asparagus
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper


This is a very simple recipe. Use a baking dish, or cookie sheet. Spray the bottom with a little olive oil. Lay all of the asparagus flat on the bottom. Then spray a little olive oil over top of the asparagus. Then sprinkle with little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Lastly top with the parmesan cheese. We do not add too much cheese, but you can add as much, or as little as you would like. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min until the cheese is browning and the asparagus are soft, but have a little crisp.
]]> Side Dishes http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110503-160746 The Taste Station Tue, 03 May 2011 20:07:46 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=05&entry=entry110503-160746 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110419-160150

This vegan cornbread is very tasty. You will not miss the eggs and the milk at all. It had a great texture and really complimented our baked beans! I have seen variations using maple syrup to sweeten it up a little. I also think adding some corn to it would make it even better!


1-1/2 cups light soymilk
1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons raw sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons oil (we used vegetable oil)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In one bowl combine the soymilk and apple cider vinegar and let stand. In another bowl mix all of your dry ingredients. Then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture until blended. Spread the mixture into your pan. We sprayed our pan lightly with olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes. This is best served hot.

Recipe adapted from Food for Life, by Neal Barnard, M.D.]]> Side Dishes, Vegan http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110419-160150 The Taste Station Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:01:50 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=04&entry=entry110419-160150 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110402-010420


We had been craving stuffed mushrooms for some time. We kind of threw this together with what we had left over from previous meals. They turned out to be very tasty. We ate them for dinner with a spinach salad, but they would also make great party hors d'oeuvres.

6 Large white mushrooms
1 Clove of garlic
1/2 Red onion
1 Red bell pepper
2/3 Cup of Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper


Remove the bottom part of the mushroom. Dice the bottoms along with the garlic, red onion, and red bell pepper and saute in pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then add the mixture to a bowl and mix with the Panko bread crumbs. The bread crumbs will soak up the moisture from the garlic, onion, and pepper mixture. With a spoon scoop the mixture into the mushroom caps. Place the filled caps on a cookie sheet and spray the tops of them with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top. ]]> Vegan http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110402-010420 The Taste Station Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:04:20 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=04&entry=entry110402-010420 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110315-011833
These beans are to die for! We really could not stop eating
them. We made ours a little more spicy than the recipe called.
It was the perfect combo of spicy and sweet. These beans can be
the perfect comfort food or a great cookout food when the warmer
weather comes around.


Recipe adapted from: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/07/01/maple-baked-beans/

1 can of white beans
1 can of mild chili beans
1 can of dark red kidney beans
1/2 large sweet onion
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons regular mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup of diced tomato (1 medium sized tomato)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Several liberal dashes of Tapatio Hot Sauce and
Fresh cracked black pepper

We actually used our slow cooker to make these instead of baking in the oven. First rinse the white and kidney beans and add them to your cooker. Then add the mild chili beans. Dice the onion and tomato and add them to the beans. Then add the remaining ingredients to the mixture. We slow cooked on low heat for about 6 hours. You do not have to cook them for that long if you do not like.. As soon as the onions soften up you can go ahead and eat. ]]> http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110315-011833 The Taste Station Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:18:33 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=03&entry=entry110315-011833 http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110223-215500


This recipe is from Tony. He whipped this up one day after work and it was delicious. Tony doesn't measure when he cooks so below you will see the ingredients and you can add as much of each one as you would like! Sometimes things are just better that way anyway!

Ingredients:

Zucchini
Grape Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Whole Wheat Linguine Pasta
Garlic
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese

In a pan add a little olive oil and two chopped garlic cloves. Then add in the sliced zucchini and mushrooms. After a few minutes add in the grape tomatoes.

Boil the whole wheat linguine and then add the it to the olive oil, garlic, zucchini, tomato, and mushroom mixture in the other pan. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!]]> http://www.thetastestation.com/index.php?entry=entry110223-215500 The Taste Station Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:55:00 GMT http://www.thetastestation.com/comments.php?y=11&m=02&entry=entry110223-215500