Potato and Leek Soup (Emeril's recipe)

There is nothin' better than a warming bowl of nutritious soup on a cool, wet, fall day.

Potato and leeks, totally fallish. Right? I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe. It was pretty darn easy (my kind of cooking!)

Cut up leeks and double wash them to get all the grit and dirt out.

God bless you Emeril. Butter and bacon! Cook bacon until soft and fat is rendered off.

Add clean and drained leeks to the cooked bacon. *For goodness sakes, don't drain the bacon fat!

I over cooked my bacon to a crisp by accident (I had to step away from the pan and change a diaper. Don't worry, I remembered to wash my hands.) 

So I decided to use the bacon for a garnish instead of keeping it in the pan. The hardest part is to keep from eating it all before the soup is done! (It was hard, ya'll!)

All the ingredients that will be added to the bacon, butter, leeks and potatoes. The white pepper really makes the dish delish.

Take your time when cooking down the leeks. Once they are soft, add the 1/2 cup of white wine and make sure to scrape all the yummy goodness the bacon left behind.

Add your diced potato to the leeks. Then add 5 cups of chicken stock (or veggie stock for you vegans), thyme, white pepper, black pepper, and 2 bay leaves.

Bring to a boil for a minute. Then turn the heat down to a simmer and let the potatoes cook for about 30 minutes.

A side note, if you don't have one of these spoon holders, you must get. Love this gadget! (Great stocking stuffer, ya'll!)

After 30 minutes the potatoes should be super soft. Taste the soup for seasoning. If all good, pull out the 2 bay leaves.

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream (optional). Then blend with an immersion blender. Another great gadget that I love.

Garnish with bacon and chives if you have it and indulge. So dang good. The white pepper and black pepper really give it a kick and great layers of flavor.

Spaghetti Bolognese (Kid Friendly)

I tried the Spaghetti Bolognese recipe from the kid friendly cookbook and it was pretty bland. I ended up adding a cup of white wine, some garlic salt and a tablespoon of brown sugar. It still needed lots of salt & pepper at the table and a healthy sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Pretty easy to make though and very few ingredients.

And what did the kids think?

They ate it and that is good enough for me!

Kid friendly Chow Mein

So, I am trying new recipes from a kid friendly cookbook called First Meals. I was skeptical at first. I mean, "kid friendly" food doesn't sound very appetizing. But I was desperate. The kids are going through a phase where they won't eat anything I make, and there is nothing more frustrating!

I tried a Honey Chicken recipe from the book last week, so easy peasy and both boys loved it. I love Chow Mein so I thought I'd give it a go. When I saw how many vegetables went into the dish I was a little worried that no one would eat it. I was wrong, all three boys (Joe, Dylan & Matthew) loved it so much we didn't have any leftovers. 

I have made many a stir-fry and think what made this dish a winner was the simplicity. The marinade was 3 ingredients: sake, soy and brown sugar. Also, I used veggies that I knew the boys would like. I ended up adding a little Sambal to mine for a little kick.

I have had this cookbook for almost 5 years and can't believe I haven't utilized it more! I am trying the Spaghetti Bolognese tonight.

p.s. another great book is Super Baby Food. Great recipe ideas in there and very healthy.

"Kid friendly" food you say... scary!

Only a few fresh ingredients.  

1. Marinate the chicken in the soy, sake and brown sugar

2. Cook your egg noodles (I used No Yolks)

3. Chop up the veggies

4. Stir fry the chicken (reserving the marinade) and then remove from the wok

5. Fry up the veggies

6. Add the cooked chicken back in the pan, add the noodles, some bean sprouts, corn (optional) and the reserved marinade, cook until all heated thru and marinade is evenly combined

and...

Presto! You have delicious meal!

Matthew's verdict...

He likes it!!

3 Kids later..

OMG, I have totally neglected this site! We had a baby on September 1st and I have been walking around like a zombie - shirtless (nursing around the clock) and sleep deprived.

Once the dust settles around here I will definitely post some of the new recipes I am trying from a children's cookbook. It has been so hard feeding the kids lately, doesn't matter what I prepare they won't eat it. So I am experimenting with new child friendly recipes.

I hope to post something later this week!

Enjoy the Fall weather!

Quick supper

My dinner tonight. I made the pico de gallo last night and it tasted even better tonight. It was clean-out-the-fridge day so I made veggie quesadillas, using spinach, mushrooms, onions and cheese. This whole meal took less than 25 minute to make. 

Teriyaki Beef and Veggie Stir-Fry

We hardly eat beef at our house (like never, really) but I have noticed that the price of chicken has steadily gone up since the whole Swine Flu thing. And there is only so much pork I can eat, even if it is a thrifty buy. So this week when beef was on special at our store, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try a beef stir-fry.

Let me back up a little by saying that I haven't been inspired to cook too much lately. I don't know if it is because the weather is warming up or maybe it is the pregnancy fatigue and hormones but, well I just wasn't inspired by my old cookbooks and recipes. Joe must have picked up on the vibe because for Mother's Day he gave me a fabulous gift (one of many gifts, actually) - he got me a subscription to a cookbook club - so up my alley, right!! Yay! I can't wait to get some new cookbooks. Because aside from the gorgeous Morimoto cookbook I got for my 40th from my college friend, Nicole I actually haven't bought a new cookbooks since Chez Panisse came out - when was that, like the 80's, right? Still it a good one to stop at if you are stopping, I love the recipes by Alice Waters, but I am getting off track here...

Anyway, instead of plopping down money for a cookbook, I usually pull recipes and ideas from the internet. I have enjoyed reading wonderful food bloggers like Blazing Wok and Just Cook It, to name a few. And although browsing through the internet is a great (and free) way to get cooking ideas and recipes, there is something lovely and wonderful about flipping through a cookbook. Maybe it is the glossy color photos and detail step-by-step instructions. Maybe it is the collecting of them that is thrilling. Whatever it is, thank you Joe for the great idea (and the ok to spend money!) I can't wait to get the new Ina Garten book Back to Basics and of course books by my favorite Chefs; Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey.

Here are a few books Joe got me for Mother's Day.

The Better Homes and Garden book was so right on for Mother's Day. I have been using my mother's well used, beaten and tattered book from the 70's and it is nice to get an updated edition of my own. It was one of the few American food books that she used. When she met my dad she had never cooked an American recipe. This book taught her everything about American cuisine(scary, I know!) LOL.

Here is the beef teriyaki stir-fry we made for dinner Sunday night. The sauce is a compilation of several recipes that I mingled together: from Dr. Weil's (another fav recipe resource of mine) Salmon Teriyaki and the Beef Teriyaki recipe from by new 365 Last-Minutes Meals book.

Combine ingredients for teriyaki sauce and pour over meat and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or as long as you like, overnight even!)

Quickly stir fry your vegetables in a little vegetable oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Drain the meat from the marinade (and reserve the marinade for later). Cook the meat until well done.

Add the vegetables to the meat.

Using your reserved marinade, add a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix well. Then add the sauce to the meat and veggies and stir-fry until the cornstarch sauce mixture is bubbling and thicken.

Serve over rice and enjoy. At the last minute I threw in some pineapple I had in the fridge. You can omit this but I did it on a whim, it is the pregnancy hormones talking to me again! Joe enjoyed it!

What the Pregnant Lady is Eating: Greek Yogurt

Yogurt! Sometimes twice a day. The Greek yogurt is the best, especially plain with a drizzle of honey. So delish!

Warm beets, oranges and goat cheese salad.

Simple and so delish. Add a few shakes of red wine vinegar for some added acidity. The beets were so sweet, like candy.

Ice -cream!

Now that Lent is over we can eat ice cream again!

Mile High Ice Cream Pie, Champps - Indianapolis

Make a simple Easter Dinner in less than 1.5 hours.

My centerpiece.

Honey ham, candied carrots, French green beans, corn, potato casserole.

Strawberry crunch pie with vanilla bean ice-cream. 

All this made in under 1.5 hours! The dessert was store bought.

What the Pregnant Lady is Eating: Sardines

I like fresh sardines, but the canned boneless, skinless fillets in soya bean oil are great too. My mom used to make sandwiches using fresh toasted crusty French bread, filled with sardines, pickled onions, soy sauce and Sambal. So spicy, tangy and salty. Simple and nutritious. Yes, a little pungent but super yum. Just don't try kissing your honey after eating one of these.

What the Pregnant Lady is Eating: Papaya!

Papaya with a squeeze of fresh lime. Super diuretic and delish.

Sunday night dinner - Thai Chicken Satay with peanut dipping sauce, pickled cucumbers and fresh papaya.

What the pregnant lady is eating : Pickles.

Pickles!
So cliche, I know. But I have 4 jars of pickles in my fridge (and 40 jars of other condiments!) I am lovin' the Tony Packo's sweet hots now.
So pass the pickles please - and hold the ice-cream (at least until after Lent).

What the pregnant lady is eating: Eggs.

This is a new series that I am doing. Since I am almost 4 months pregnant I thought I'd document what I am eating, since that seems to be the thing I do most these days (eating that is, not making babies! Although, I can understand if you thought it was the latter.) Also, I participate in a few pregnancy blogs and chat rooms and the ladies are obsessed with what everyone else is eating. The question "What's for lunch" is the most popular post, sometimes with over 60 comments/answers daily. I suppose we all love food!

It was clean-out-the-fridge night, last Wednesday. I made a mish-m0sh fried rice using left over peas, broccoli, Spam and green onions, and 3 day old rice. Garnish with lots of Sambal, pickled onions (I'm preggers people!) and light soy. It was very tasty!

My breakfasts have been mainly eggs and more eggs. If I don't have an egg or two in the morning, I get really light headed by mid-morning. I think the protein helps even out my blood sugar.

I buy the eggs with the high Omega 3 content, since it is good for me and baby.

Pho on a cold snowy day.

My mom would be so proud. I made this pho myself!! What the pho? I had to really reach into my inner Vietnamese, but actually it wasn't hard at all! and super De*lish!