BIZZY BAKES

When, I first started blogging, I used a lot fewer ingredients than I use today, particularly in the area of produce.  I was a lettuce, tomato and cuke kind of person, of course using potatoes and onions.  I didn't use too much more.  I did buy lots of frozen vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower and i still do. If you asked me about leeks, kabacha, bok choy, even garlic.  (I knew what garlic was but not what it looked like.)  We ate well despite these limitations. If you have followed the blog, you probably have seen my, praising a new vegetable that I just "discovered" and now use frequently.  This happens regularly.  Thanks to the groups I have cooked with and recipes with some of the exciting additions, I now call them friends.  Leeks is one of these - newish to our household and other than the dirt, it comes with, I love it.  Tonight's soup was great and I think the flavor was from the leek. All I know is, I made enough for...

Not too long ago, I made a soup that featured parsnips and we loved it so much that I decided to make another one using a different recipe.  This time, I called upon Martha Stewart for my resource and we liked this one also but I don't think quite as much as my first one which used coconut milk. Smooth Parsnip and Apple Soup   adapted from Martha Stewar t 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 prepared sliced leeks 4 parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 3 carrots, sliced 1/2 onion that was left over, sliced 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups vegetable broth Salt and pepper Method: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add leeks. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add parsnips, apples, potato, carrots, broth, and 4 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to...

We were at my daughter-in-law's a few months ago and she had made asparagus soup.  There are two foods, I have not been able to get my husband to taste, since we were first married and they are tuna fish and asparagus. My daughter-in-law, who is more like a daughter, offered another choice for hubby.  I decided to be deceitful, something I am not at all good at, and told her just not to tell him what kind of soup it was. Of course, through the soup course, I kept looking at my husband with a grin on my face, watching him eat the soup.  I must have asked him a half a dozen times, if he liked the soup.  I told you, I was not good at being deceitful. Finally, I could not keep it in and after he responded he liked it and went and got himself seconds, I told him the truth.  He is a good sport and he finished his second bowl, as we all watched, in awe. When, I saw this recipe, I almost passed it by.  My mind sees asparagus and keeps going.  Still...

We love that rich golden chicken soup with chunks of vegetables and chicken swimming around.  We also love rich and creamy soups.  I decided with the use of an immersion blender to transform one to the other. Almost anything can go into chicken soup.  I have used almost any vegetable around over the years.  I have different combinations dependent on what I have in the house.  You can have chicken pieces or just keep the broth.  It has always come out to be loved by all. I can't give you a straight recipe since I rarely make it the same way but I can give you the basics. A large pot, at least 8 quart (you might as well make some for the freezer while you are at it) filled 3/4 of the way with cold water.  Turn on the heat and add 4 chicken bottom s.  You can use whole chickens or just bones.  Cook the chicken for a few hours.  Often, I make it before I go to bed and leave it on simmer for the night.  Add water if you have lo...

This is pure indulgence.  Mashed potatoes with the works.  This is not for a diet and I don't suggest having something this "naughty" often.  For the holidays, indulgence is a little bit of the whole.  It is my time to bake and cook what I don't usually make.  All I can say is that these potatoes are yummy. Onion and Leek Mashed Potatoes  (no dairy) Ingredients: 5 pound(s)  potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 3 large leeks, chopped 1/2 stick margarine (1/4 cup) 1 3/4 cup(s) Rice Milk, warmed 1 container(s) (8 ounces) Tofutti sour cream Method: In 6-quart saucepan, place potatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and enough water to cover potatoes. Set aside. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, melt margarine over medium heat.  Add leeks and onions and cook 20 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, heat saucepot of potatoes to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low; cover and ...

I have a number of containers of cooked chicken soup in my freezer and I use this as a base for many dishes, especially soups.  Since the holidays are coming up, I defrosted a few and turned them into different soups such as this Potage Parmentier.  This was easy to make and we loved every spoonful. I spent the day cooking soups and rice dishes and I hope to share them all with you. Potage Parmentier  ( adapted from Julia Child) Ingredients: 4 peeled potatoes, sliced or diced 1 bunch thinly sliced leeks including the tender green 1 quart of chicken broth 4 tablespoons Rice Milk salt and pepper to taste 2 to 3 tablespoons minced chives Method: Simmer the vegetables in the soup until cooked, about 30 minutes. Add the Rice Milk.  Add salt and pepper. Using a hand blender, mix to smoothness, you want.  If you like some lumps of vegetables, remove them before using the blender. Add the ...

I made this because the name of the soup sounded so "weird".  I have made creamy broccoli soup for many years but never thought of adding apple to the soup.  Apple has such a clean flavor to it, I decided that if it didn't improve it, it certainly wouldn't harm it.  I made it for the upcoming Jewish holidays and I have not tasted it yet.  I will have to get back to you with a report on what the apple does, if anything.   Broccoli, Leek and Apple Soup (Adapted from Cookstr) Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 leeks (white and green parts) diced 2 Granny Smith apples 1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into small dice (about 3  cups) 3  cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 potatoes, peeled and diced Pinch of cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh chives, for garnish Method: Heat the oil in a large soup pot over low heat.  Add the onion and leeks, cover, and cook ...

I have stopped buying cookbooks.  I certainly have enough and as much as I enjoy reading them, there is a limit to how many I can cook from.  Temptation always rears its head when I see a new cookbook but I proudly say, I have been behaving and have not purchased a new cookbook recently and I plan to keep it this way except for.......................................... A new cookbook recently came out and I wanted it.  Each time, I came across it online, I almost bought it but thankfully, I caught myself and stopped myself.  The book is called Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra and I worked it out, in my mind, that it was not meant to be mine. At my school, we get Chanukah presents from the parents.  Usually the class chips in and gives us money.  This year, besides those nice green bills, a few parents gave me individual gifts, one nicer than the next.  The best one turned out to be.......you guessed it......... Cooking Inspired.  That is an ...

The color is off in this photo and all the others I took.  The soup is not yellow but a cream color. There is nothing like hot soup on a cold night and today was under freezing and it was cold, very cold.  Fortunately for us, this week our Donna Hay group is making a creamy warm potato and leek soup.  It also calls for bacon which we do not eat. As in most of our recipes, Donna calls for ingredients that are accessible or easily subbed for.  This week, besides leeks and potatoes, the recipe called for vegetable broth (actually beef stock), sage, cream and salt and pepper.  I have no idea what she is referring to when she says cream and I used sour cream. I also changed the recipe by using my immersion blender and mixing the soup into a nice creamy consistency.  We love the richness of this soup and we both enjoyed it. Check out Gaye , M argaret , Sarah and Kayte  and see how their soups turned out.