Beer Cheese Soup

I made this soup for dinner tonight. It could probably be pretty simple: potatoes, stock, beer, cheese, but you know me. Thats too boring. Here is what I used:

3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 large white onion, diced
I head cauliflower, chopped finely (I call this a "fake potato")
1 quart stock (I just made vegetable stock the other day so I used that, but chicken stock would be good too)
3 russet potatoes, diced (but not peeled... who has time for that? Just wash them.)

I sauteed all the veggies in a little Jalapeno Grapeseed Oil from Wildtree (but you could use any oil or fat). When they were tender I added the stock. I let everything boil for about 15 minutes then simmered it for another 20 minutes or so.

I pureed it with my immersion blender. I pureed it until it was completely smooth (you could leave it more chunky if you choose) but I was trying to make it look like plain potato soup.

I added half a bottle of beer- any kind will do. I used Blue Moon something or other. It was pretty good.

I added about 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar and about 1/2 cup heavy cream. I mixed it together with salt and pepper and added a few spices (a little parsley and paprika).

As it cooled it thickened. I served it with chives for the top, but next time i might make some real bacon bits to top it with. We had it with some jalapeno artisan bread that I popped in the oven at the same time.

Artisan Garlic Bread

I stumbled upon a recipe that looked easy enough for bread (I HATE baking).  It was so simple sounding that I was almost embarrassed to try it, haha.  So, I had to spice it up a little, literally.  This is the recipe I came up with over a year ago, and we have it at least once a week at my house.  It is now a favorite at our family dinners and get-togethers, and I get requests for it often.

Ingredients:
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of very warm water
2 tbs of Kosher salt
3 cups + 4 tbs all purpose flour flour
3 cloves of pressed garlic.
1 tbs Wildtree Lemon Rosemary Blend (You can also use 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, and 1 tsp dried Greek oregano instead).

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid with a dough hook attachment), add the yeast, warm water and salt and mix together.  The mixture should be murky brown and slightly foamy.  Add the garlic and spices of your choosing and mix well.  Add the flour and mix.  A few times you will need to pull the dough off of the hook and re-mix.  Be careful not to over-knead.

Split the dough in half and knead each piece with your hands.  On a greased surface (a large baking sheet will do), roll each piece into a ball and cover with saran wrap.  I always pierce the wrap in one spot so the gasses can escape, then I cover it with a hand towel.  Make sure to set the dough in a warm place so it can rise.  Let it rise for 1 hour, then punch the dough down, re shape, and sprinkle flour on it.  This will create a "gluten crust".  Using a sharp razor blade or knife, cut two slices across the top of each loaf (you can also do an "x" or cross hatch). Let the dough rise for another hour.  By this time it should have almost doubled in size.

If you think you don't have a warm enough place in your house, it's okay to turn your oven onto warm (170 degrees) and put the dough in the oven to rise.  Follow the directions above, but don't cover the bread, and cut the rise time in half.  When it's done rising you will have to remove the dough from the oven while it is preheating to bake.  I have to do this in the winter time because my house is too cold.

***Preheat oven to 400***

In a small container, add one cup of water and put it in the oven  This will create steam which will make the outside of the bread very crunchy while the inside stays soft.  Bake the bread for 30 minutes.

Let your bread cool before serving.  Warm bread is amazing, but the texture gets fluffier as it cools.  We ate one entire loaf in one night.  We had it with salad and herbed garlic butter.  Holy crap it was good.

Variations I have tried and loved:

Jalapeno Cheddar Bread: Omit the spices and add 2 tbs chopped jalapeno.  When the bread is baking, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Bread: Omit the spices.  Add 2 tbs of Kalamata olive tapenade and 1 tbs chopped sun dried tomatoes.

Greek Bread:  Omit the spices.  Add 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried oregano, 3 tbs grated cucumber (seeded and most of the moisture squeezed out), 1 tbs Greek yogurt, 3 tbs crumbled feta cheese.

Pesto Ranch

This dressing is so good I could drink it.  But I won't.  But I want to:

In a food processor, combine: 
1 bunch sweet basil, leaves only
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
3 green onions
3 cloves garlic
1 large egg or two small eggs
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbs honey
salt and pepper

Blend until smooth then slowly add 1/4 cup oil (grapeseed or a mild oil works best).  I love Wildtree Basil Pesto Oil in this one! Yummy. 

This recipe is really good in a vinaigrette too.  Just omit the egg and up the vinegar to 1/2 cup. 

Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing

Busy Mama Recipes



I just made this for salad.  Goes great on wraps too!  SO yummy:-)

In a blender or food processor, combine:
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (It's good with parsley too- makes a "Green Goddess" dressing)
4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large egg (or two smaller eggs)
1 tbs honey
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper

Blend everything until smooth, then slowly pour in 1/4 cup oil.  Grapeseed or a mild oil works best- olive oil is a little strong for this one.