Sweet Potato-Potato Soup

This was an inspired idea I had this week. On Tuesday night we had filet mignon, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, and Onions (I also added a red bell pepper), and steamed broccoli. I made extra of the roasted potatoes and tonight I pureed the potatoes, onions, and bell pepper, and stirred in some chicken stock and milk to make a rich, creamy soup. Andy and I both gave it two thumbs-up! This will be a staple for us this winter. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato-Potato Soup
3 cups Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Onions, and Red Bell Pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cooked bacon

1. Combine roasted potato mixture and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until heated. Use an immersion blender to puree mixture until desired consistency. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, and top with bacon.

Caramelized Onion-Blue Cheese Burgers

Tonight we had burgers and Onion Rings. However it's not in my cooking nature to just make plain burgers. I decided to caramelize onions to mix in with the ground sirloin and then added a little crumbled blue cheese for good measure. The onions were cooked in a little butter, which added to the richness of the burger. The best part is that I have two more burgers in the freezer for later. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion-Blue Cheese Burgers
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 small or half large onion, chopped
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1. Melt butter in a skillet. Stir in onions, salt, and pepper; sauté for 10 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Place ground sirloin in a bowl; stir in steak seasoning, caramelized onions (including melted butter), and blue cheese. Shape into patties.
3. Cook in a grill pan or on grill until done. Serve with buns and desired toppings.

Blueberry Pancakes

Today is the first cold day we've had this year, so I thought blueberry pancakes would be a good comfort-food breakfast. (There are still a couple of bags of blueberries in the freezer that I froze this summer.) I used my favorite basic buttermilk pancake recipe and then sprinkled a few frozen berries on top of the batter once I had scooped it out on the griddle. We enjoyed them with warm maple syrup, bacon (of course), and my favorite Jamaica-Me-Crazy coffee from O'Henry's. Yummy!

Mini Caramel Macchiato Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that seems intimidating, but it is very easy and everyone loves it. For a coworker's birthday, I made two kinds of cheesecakes. Because I love small desserts, I made them in a mini cheesecake pan instead of in a 9-inch springform pan. We had the ever-popular Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake and a new-to-me recipe, Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake, which originally ran in the October 2006 issue of SL. My mini cheesecake pan only yields 12, so I halved the both cheesecake recipes and ended up with 24, which is much more manageable than 48. The one thing about cheesecake is that it usually cracks on top (that's my experience anyway), so I serve it with some kind of topping, like the chocolate ganache and caramel sauce for these recipes. If you've never tried cheesecake, now's the time—think how impressed your family will be!

P.S. Thanks to Katie and her fancy flat phone for the photograph and to Jen for the lovely styling.

Baked Ziti With Ricotta

This dish is super-easy, super-quick, and makes a lot of leftovers—in other words, the perfect weeknight meal. I added some balsamic vinegar to the tomato sauce for a little tangy sweetness and depth of flavor. Definitely a good addition!



Baked Ziti With Ricotta
1 onion, chopped
1 (8-oz.) sliced portobello mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
8 to 10 oz. cooked ziti
1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
4 provolone cheese slices

1. Sauté onion and next 2 ingredients in hot oil, stirring regularly. Stir in salt, pepper, and oregano. Add in ground sirloin and sausage, and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned and crumbled. Stir in tomatoes, breaking them into chunks with spoon. Stir in vinegar and basil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and dried crushed red pepper.
2. Combine ziti, ricotta, and salt to taste. Spread into bottom of a lightly greased baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and layer top with provolone.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese-Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins

Tonight I did a trial run of the muffins that we're planning to serve Thursday morning through Grace's Kitchen. I wanted to see how long it would take and how many it would make so that I allow the right amount of time on Thursday. This recipe, Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread, is from the January 2005 issue of SL. I'm not a fan of bananas or banana bread and didn't expect to like this. However, I made myself try one and really liked it—the banana flavor is very subtle. It and the cream cheese make a rich, moist muffin. The original recipe calls for toasted chopped pecans; I was out, so for this batch I substituted chopped macadamia nuts. For the topping, I used the recipe for Peanut Butter Streusel. The combo was tasty, but when I make them on Thursday, the streusel will go in the middle of the muffins instead of on top. This will give better distribution of the banana-peanut butter flavor. Yummy!

Mexican Chicken Soup, take 2

It's been getting cooler during the last couple of weeks, so I decided it was time to break out a soup recipe. Last September, I posted this recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup. Andy and I really liked it, but I'm always up for trying new things. Earlier this week, my friend Cindy, who lives in San Antonio, sent me a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup that she got from the wife of a coworker. I decided to combine that recipe with the one from Barefoot Contessa to create my own version. The main thing that changed is the proportion of broth to the other ingredients; what I ended up with was more of a stew. I served the soup with Queso and Homemade Tortilla Chips. Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes in puree
6 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. cumin
2 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped*
Juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Toppings: diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Sauté onions and next 4 ingredients in hot oil 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve with desired toppings.
*I baked mine (it was still frozen) at 350° with 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup butter, cumin, salt, and pepper for 1 hour and 15 minutes.