Author: nancy

Nani’s New Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup
Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup
Wild Rice Soup

Everyone in Minnesota loves Chicken Wild Rice Soup. It is a staple on many Minnesota restaurant menus and every family has their favorite recipe. I have a recipe on this blog called “World’s Best Chicken Wild Rice Soup” and it is! Unfortunately it is loaded with fat and calories. I have found a new recipe that I love almost as much and it is much kinder to the waist line. Try it and I am sure you will agree. It will become your family’s second favorite Chicken Wild Rice Soup Recipe.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 finely chopped carrots
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 3 to 4 cups cooked wild rice
  • 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 2 to 3 cups raw spinach leaves, optional

Directions
Combine the chicken broth with all ingredients except the chicken, wild rice, and spinach. Simmer for 1/2 to 1 hour. Add chicken and wild rice and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Then add the spinach leaves and serve.

Nani Tips
I like to use a leftover roasted or broasted chicken carcass to make the broth. I usually add some canned broth, too.

Nani’s Avocados on the Half Shell

Avocados on the Half Shell
Avocados on the Half Shell

Avocados on the Half Shell
Avocados on the Half Shell
When I was young, my Dad was the only person I knew who ate avocados. He would buy them and eat the whole thing while my Mom would lecture him about how much fat was in them. How the times have changed! Avocados are praised for their health benefits. There are so many ways to make them, but this simple recipe is one of my favorites. As always you must use good quality olive oil. I highly recommend the Tunisian olive oils from Mediterranean Drizzles. Not sure how to tell if avocado is ripe? Check out this Tip.

Ingredients

Directions
Cut avocado in half, lengthwise. Remove seed. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Serve at room temperature. That’s it!

Nani Tip
If you do not have citrus infused olive oil, you can drizzle any good quality EVOO such as Mediterranean Drizzles Organic Olive Oil and then drizzle a bit of lemon juice.

Categories
Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Coconut Oil

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently coconut oil has fallen back into favor after years of being the “bad” oil. I have been substituting it in some of my favorite recipes with great results. Try my Best Almond Biscotti and Best Ever Scones, using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and butter. After making both of these with coconut oil and loving the results, I decided to try chocolate chip cookies made with coconut oil. Oh my, to quote my husband, ” These are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten”. They truly are delectable. Not only are they rich and chewy but the hint of coconut gives them a unique and pleasing flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I was really not prepared for how wonderful they were going to taste.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup coconut oil, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips (the darker the better)

Directions
Beat together the oil and sugars until fluffy and then add the eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and gradually stir into the sugar mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. Mixture will be stiff.

Using 2 Tablespoons for each cookie, drop onto a lightly greased cooking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove to wire rack for cooling.

Not your Granny’s Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars
Lemon Bars
Lemon Bars
Family Favorite Lemon Bars

I am sure you have gone to a potluck and been served old fashioned lemon bars. You know the kind with 1/4″ soggy crust and the 3/4″ tasteless custard on top. You must erase that memory from your mind and try these scrumptious lemon bars. These are the real deal and what lemon bars should taste like. The crust is a yummy, rich shortbread. The lemon custard is creamy and tangy. Treat your family to a batch of these today.

Crust Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Crust Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan with butter. Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt. Add the butter and blend until the mixture is coarse, being careful not to overblend. Press into the pan, pushing the dough up the sides. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove crust from oven and lower oven temperature to 315 degrees.

Prepare Custard while crust is baking.

Custard Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest

Custard Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Gently stir in the lemon juice and zest, but avoid excessive whisking Fold in the ½ cup flour.
Pour the egg mixture over the hot crust and bake until the custard is set and no longer jiggles when you move the pan, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool thoroughly before cutting into bars. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Nani Tips

  • Do not use a smaller pan than 9-inch square, it won’t fit. If you use a different size, adjust cooking times.
  • Do not overcook
  • Do not forget to lower oven temperature

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Basil Salad Dressing
Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I was in my kitchen enjoying the aroma of the fresh basil plant that a friend had given me. I knew that I had to use it in tonight’s meal. I quickly imagined it with greens, and since I love simplicity, I decided on 2 standbys, olive oil and lemon juice. What a wonderful dressing it made. The basil flavor was distinctive, but not overpowering. I simply drizzled it on top of some fresh greens, red peppers and bleu cheese. Perfect!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions
In a blender or food processor, mix together the basil leaves, garlic, salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, then slowly add the olive oil while blending.

Easy Fall Off the Bone Ribs

Ribs
Ribs

I recently found this recipe on the Penzey Spice Website. I like to smoke ribs, but was looking for an easy oven method. These ribs literally fall off the bone when they are done. Since most of the cooking is done in the oven, they do not have much of a smokey flavor like smoked ribs, but they got rave reviews from my testing crew. I love main dishes that I can put in the oven and walk away and pull them out at serving time with no last minute fuss. Try these soon. They will surely become a family favorite.

<Ribs Ribs[/caption]strong>Ingredients

  • 3 racks of pork loin aka baby back ribs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon Kosher flake salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 36 ounces liquid, beer, apple juice, etc

Directions
Combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl or baggie. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Rub the ribs on both sides with the rib rub. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or several hours. Remove from frig and grill them on both sides on your charcoal grill. I did mine about 10 minutes on each side at about 350 degrees. You could also brown them under the broiler.
Lay each rack on a double layer of aluminum foil. The foil needs to be wide enough to cover the ribs and long enough to tightly roll up and seal the ends. If your foil doesn’t quite make it around, just add another piece and make sure the pieces are sealed tight. Before you seal the second end, pour in 12 ounces of liquid into each foil packet. Now seal that end, put your foil packets on cookie sheets and bake in a 250 degree oven for about 6 hours. No need to peek at them, they will get done, and the time isn’t too crucial.
Now unwrap, transfer to a serving plate and enjoy them with your favorite BBQ sauce

NANI TIPS

  • My family’s favorite BBQ is Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy!
  • Substitute your favorite rib rub

Best Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Wheat PancakesHere is a great recipe for some really good and easy whole wheat pancakes. They are light and delicious. Whip up a batch for your next Sunday morning breakfast. They whole family will love them.
Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 3 Tablespoons oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 Cup milk
  • 2 eggs

Directions
Pour the 1 Tablespoon vinegar into a small bowl. Add the cup of milk to it. Let set for 10 min.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add oil, eggs and milk and vinegar mixture. Mix just until blended.
Pour pancakes onto a hot greased griddle. When first side is brown, flip to other side and brown.
Serve with butter and syrup or your favorite pancake toppings.

Garlic Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Balsamic Reduction Sauce

I have been attempting to perfect balsamic reduction sauce. I finally made one yesterday that I am quite pleased
with. My first attempt at making a balsamic reduction sauce resulted in a caramelized lump of goo. My second attempt was better, but not quite right. I decided that I needed a double boiler. So I ordered this one from Amazon and when it arrived I tried again. The double boiler and the brand of vinegar seem to be key to the success of the sauce. After a few tries, I am quite happy with yesterday’s result. On my first couple of attempts I used balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe’s. It was much too tart and I needed to add some brown sugar to it. Next I tried it with Bertolli balsamic vinegar. It was perfect with no added sugar. This sauce is excellent on vegetables, stir fry or meat. I will be making it again and again, trying different combinations of herbs and spices. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Bertolli balsamic vinegar
  • 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced

Directions
Pour the vinegar and garlic in the top pan of a double boiler. Fill the lower pan of double boiler with water and bring to a boil. Gently simmer the vinegar and garlic for about 45 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Do not let the vinegar boil hard. Let cool and enjoy.

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Categories
Cookies

Best Almond Biscotti

Almond Biscotti

Nothing is better with a cup of coffee than biscotti. I have always been a bit afraid of making it. Not sure why, just thought it would be hard to make. I found a recipe on All Recipes and decided to try it. Not only is it delicious, but so easy to make. I revised the recipe and made mine almond flavored. Next I want to add cocoa and try chocolate and after that maybe orange flavoring and craisins. If you have been hesitant to make biscotti, try this recipe, you can’t fail.

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon almond flavoring
  • 1 cup slivered almond (roasting adds flavor)

Directions
In a medium bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar and almond flavoring. Combine the flour and baking powder. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until it forms a heavy dough. Do not overwork, it just needs to hold together. Divide the dough in half. Roll each piece into a log as long as the cookie sheet. Place it on a greased cookie sheet and then press down until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Square up the edges on much as possible. Repeat with the other half on another cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle use a pizza cutter and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch widths (as you can see from the picture I sliced mine a bit wider than the suggested 1/2″). Turn the slices on their side and return to oven for 8 minutes then remove from oven and turn on other side and bake another 8 minutes. Slices will be lightly toasted but still somewhat soft. Delicious!

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