Soul Food Saturday #24

Good Morning! Can you believe it's the last weekend of September? I can't believe October will be here in a few short days!! In my mind, as soon as the calendar reads Oct. 1st, it's simply a downhill race to the holidays. Ha Ha. But let's not get ahead of ourselves because Bekki is here with a great recipe for any autumn evening you need to warm up! She has actually taken my Crock Pot Corn and Cheese Chowder, and come up with a quick stove top version, when you need supper on the table and fast!

With Fall just started to show her face, it brings thoughts of warm comfort food to my mind. Being a California grown girl I love corn. Fresh corn is always best in summer, and how can it be a bad idea to mix the words comfort and corn together? That is exactly what this soup is comfort in a bowl. With the evenings beginning to get cooler and the crop of fresh corn almost gone, this is my last hurrah for summer.  Some time ago, I stumbled over a recipe of Mrs. E’s that I have held close since the first time making it. It’s Crock Pot Corn Chowder, taken to the stove. Yes! I wanted it right now! So my impatience took the recipe straight to a pot on the stove top. After making it several times, I put my own spin on it. Changing this here and there to suit what I had on hand. I hope you fall in love with this soup just like we did. Enjoy!

Corn Chowder, In a Hurry! 
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 c. potatoes, sliced

1 Anaheim chile pepper, diced

3 sweet mini peppers

4 c. fresh corn, off the cob (4-5 ears)

2 ½ c. diced ham
1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 ¼ c. half and half
2 tsp dried parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium pot add unsalted butter to melt. Add onion, and peppers. Cook until onion is clear and peppers are softened slightly.  Add sliced potatoes, corn, ham, soup and half and half. Stir to combine. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Serve hot with your favorite bread or alone. Which ever way you choose, this one will be around for a long time.

Good Morning! Can you believe it's the last weekend of September? I can't believe October will be here in a few short days!! In my mind, as soon as the calendar reads Oct. 1st, it's simply a downhill race to the holidays. Ha Ha. But let's not get ahead of ourselves because Bekki is here with a great recipe for any autumn evening you need to warm up! She has actually taken my Crock Pot Corn and Cheese Chowder, and come up with a quick stove top version, when you need supper on the table and fast!

With Fall just started to show her face, it brings thoughts of warm comfort food to my mind. Being a California grown girl I love corn. Fresh corn is always best in summer, and how can it be a bad idea to mix the words comfort and corn together? That is exactly what this soup is comfort in a bowl. With the evenings beginning to get cooler and the crop of fresh corn almost gone, this is my last hurrah for summer.  Some time ago, I stumbled over a recipe of Mrs. E’s that I have held close since the first time making it. It’s Crock Pot Corn Chowder, taken to the stove. Yes! I wanted it right now! So my impatience took the recipe straight to a pot on the stove top. After making it several times, I put my own spin on it. Changing this here and there to suit what I had on hand. I hope you fall in love with this soup just like we did. Enjoy!

Corn Chowder, In a Hurry! 
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 c. potatoes, sliced

1 Anaheim chile pepper, diced

3 sweet mini peppers

4 c. fresh corn, off the cob (4-5 ears)

2 ½ c. diced ham
1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 ¼ c. half and half
2 tsp dried parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium pot add unsalted butter to melt. Add onion, and peppers. Cook until onion is clear and peppers are softened slightly.  Add sliced potatoes, corn, ham, soup and half and half. Stir to combine. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Serve hot with your favorite bread or alone. Which ever way you choose, this one will be around for a long time.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Side Dish or Lunch

When the thermometer starts to creep up on 90, I don't know about you, but we start eating lighter and lighter. We still want to be full and satisfied, but huge plates of hot food don't even sound appetizing. So I love finding dishes that can fill us up but still be refreshing enough they aren't heavy and "brick like" in our stomachs.

Pasta salads are one of those things I don't think you can ever have too many versions of. There are a thousand different ways to make them, and everyone has their preferences. Some like them creamy, some say hold the mayo. Some like lots of veggies. Some want meat added in. However you create your favorite one, I think there is always room to adapt and change to make it just a little bit different every time.

Now, most of the time I am 100% a creamy pasta salad lover. I want my pasta salad dressed with mayo, sour cream, or both! But I am smart enough to know these don't always work well on hot, sunny days, and that's when a oil based dressing needs to become the star. I also love the fact that when I make a huge bowl of a pasta salad as a side dish for supper, most of the time I have enough left for lunch the next day. They only taste better after they sit! In fact, this one is so good, you might want to make a batch of it specifically for lunches all week, leaving it to "soak" in the flavor in the fridge.

When I created this, I knew 2 things. I wanted to include artichoke hearts because we love them and I hadn't cooked with them in a while, and I wanted a non mayo dressing. The veggies I used were simply what sounded good at the time, but this would work fantastic with the bounty I know some of you are getting fresh from the garden. In fact, the next time I make it I want to include some of our cherry tomatoes, and add in hearts of palm...another favorite of ours!

Side dish or lunch, a good pasta salad is a favorite summer time treat of many. Add in lots of veggies and a flavorful dressing, it truly is a party in a bowl!

Artichoke Pasta Salad
1 lb. raditore pasta, or other short pasta
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts in water, chopped
3 mini sweet peppers, 1 each orange, red and yellow, finely chopped
3/4 c. broccoli florets, chopped
3/4 c. cauliflower, chopped
1 TBS Italian seasoning, plus extra for garnish
1 small bottle Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain well. Set aside. In a large bowl combine artichoke hearts, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower. Mix well. Add pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Pour dressing over. Stir gently, but very well to combine. Chill until serving, at least 2 hours. Garnish with extra seasoning.
*NOTE* If you can't find the mini sweet peppers, 1 large bell pepper in any of the colors would work great too.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain July 10, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook July 12, 2013

Artichokes at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

When the thermometer starts to creep up on 90, I don't know about you, but we start eating lighter and lighter. We still want to be full and satisfied, but huge plates of hot food don't even sound appetizing. So I love finding dishes that can fill us up but still be refreshing enough they aren't heavy and "brick like" in our stomachs.

Pasta salads are one of those things I don't think you can ever have too many versions of. There are a thousand different ways to make them, and everyone has their preferences. Some like them creamy, some say hold the mayo. Some like lots of veggies. Some want meat added in. However you create your favorite one, I think there is always room to adapt and change to make it just a little bit different every time.

Now, most of the time I am 100% a creamy pasta salad lover. I want my pasta salad dressed with mayo, sour cream, or both! But I am smart enough to know these don't always work well on hot, sunny days, and that's when a oil based dressing needs to become the star. I also love the fact that when I make a huge bowl of a pasta salad as a side dish for supper, most of the time I have enough left for lunch the next day. They only taste better after they sit! In fact, this one is so good, you might want to make a batch of it specifically for lunches all week, leaving it to "soak" in the flavor in the fridge.

When I created this, I knew 2 things. I wanted to include artichoke hearts because we love them and I hadn't cooked with them in a while, and I wanted a non mayo dressing. The veggies I used were simply what sounded good at the time, but this would work fantastic with the bounty I know some of you are getting fresh from the garden. In fact, the next time I make it I want to include some of our cherry tomatoes, and add in hearts of palm...another favorite of ours!

Side dish or lunch, a good pasta salad is a favorite summer time treat of many. Add in lots of veggies and a flavorful dressing, it truly is a party in a bowl!

Artichoke Pasta Salad
1 lb. raditore pasta, or other short pasta
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts in water, chopped
3 mini sweet peppers, 1 each orange, red and yellow, finely chopped
3/4 c. broccoli florets, chopped
3/4 c. cauliflower, chopped
1 TBS Italian seasoning, plus extra for garnish
1 small bottle Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain well. Set aside. In a large bowl combine artichoke hearts, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower. Mix well. Add pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Pour dressing over. Stir gently, but very well to combine. Chill until serving, at least 2 hours. Garnish with extra seasoning.
*NOTE* If you can't find the mini sweet peppers, 1 large bell pepper in any of the colors would work great too.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain July 10, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook July 12, 2013

Artichokes at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Yes, that's right, I said Daddy. I don't care how old or "grown up" I get, I will always be a Daddy's girl. He isn't my father, not even my dad. He has always been and will always be my Daddy. And today is his birthday! In his 63 years here on earth, he has done so so much. He was the youngest of 3 children, the only son to a mother who loves him very much; and a father, that until his last breath was incredibly proud of him. He was a soldier during one of the most tumultuous wars in America's history. Deep in the jungles of Vietnam he earned many distinctions, including a bronze star and purple heart. In the late early 70's he became a husband, and while the relationship might not have worked out, it provided him with his only son and my big brother, who many years later would follow in his footsteps and find a home in the United States Army, making our dad so proud. Then in the late 70's he became a husband once again, and 3 years later they were blessed with a baby girl, whom he named Krista Renae. Now, that marriage has lasted for over 30 years and that baby girl is a mother to her own son. He is the hardest working man I know, and will give you the shirt off his back to help if he can. He is loyal to no end, and for 31 years has been my hero.

These are something I first made for him years ago. They were meant to be made in jalapeno peppers, but those are a little too spicy for him, so I found poblanos were a little more to his tongue's liking. This size make a great main dish, but the smaller version is a killer appetizer. Every time I make them, I know they will bring such a huge smile to his face, so what better time to treat him than on his birthday?

I love you Daddy. You were the first man I loved, and the one I compare all others too. Your support and guidance have helped mold me into the person I am today; and someday if my little boy is half the man you are, I will consider myself a success as a mother.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers
5 medium poblano peppers, halved and seeded
1 lb. bulk sausage, mild or hot
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. In a large skillet brown sausage, seasoned with salt and pepper, until crisp and no longer pink. Drain very well. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, Parmesan, and warm sausage. Mix very well to combine. Spoon sausage mixture into each pepper half. Place on aluminum lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until browned on top and bubbling.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Oct. 2, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Oct. 3, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Oct. 4, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 5, 2012

Peppers at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

Yes, that's right, I said Daddy. I don't care how old or "grown up" I get, I will always be a Daddy's girl. He isn't my father, not even my dad. He has always been and will always be my Daddy. And today is his birthday! In his 63 years here on earth, he has done so so much. He was the youngest of 3 children, the only son to a mother who loves him very much; and a father, that until his last breath was incredibly proud of him. He was a soldier during one of the most tumultuous wars in America's history. Deep in the jungles of Vietnam he earned many distinctions, including a bronze star and purple heart. In the late early 70's he became a husband, and while the relationship might not have worked out, it provided him with his only son and my big brother, who many years later would follow in his footsteps and find a home in the United States Army, making our dad so proud. Then in the late 70's he became a husband once again, and 3 years later they were blessed with a baby girl, whom he named Krista Renae. Now, that marriage has lasted for over 30 years and that baby girl is a mother to her own son. He is the hardest working man I know, and will give you the shirt off his back to help if he can. He is loyal to no end, and for 31 years has been my hero.

These are something I first made for him years ago. They were meant to be made in jalapeno peppers, but those are a little too spicy for him, so I found poblanos were a little more to his tongue's liking. This size make a great main dish, but the smaller version is a killer appetizer. Every time I make them, I know they will bring such a huge smile to his face, so what better time to treat him than on his birthday?

I love you Daddy. You were the first man I loved, and the one I compare all others too. Your support and guidance have helped mold me into the person I am today; and someday if my little boy is half the man you are, I will consider myself a success as a mother.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers
5 medium poblano peppers, halved and seeded
1 lb. bulk sausage, mild or hot
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. In a large skillet brown sausage, seasoned with salt and pepper, until crisp and no longer pink. Drain very well. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, Parmesan, and warm sausage. Mix very well to combine. Spoon sausage mixture into each pepper half. Place on aluminum lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until browned on top and bubbling.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Oct. 2, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Oct. 3, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Oct. 4, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 5, 2012

Peppers at Very Good Recipes
Pin It

reade more... Résuméabuiyad