Zucchini, Tomato and Potato Soup

One of my crazy jobs this summer is dog-sitting. I started in November and got a dog every couple months.  Now that it's summer and I have quite a few good reviews under my belt, I have requests every single week!  One of my favorite clients are an older couple here in town who just have me run over to let the dogs out and feed them dinner.  It's easy. And the best part is, besides the part that she always overpays me, is that the woman always leaves me goods from her garden.  Sometimes it's fresh raspberries and blueberries, sometimes lettuce, one time asparagus (that I turned into cream of asparagus on toast), and once it was a giant summer squash and an even more giant zucchini.  I actually was feeling fairly sick last week with a summer cold, and I decided that soup was the way to use up all these fresh veggies.

I tweaked the recipe a bit to include more fresh vegetables than the original: fresh corn instead of frozen, fresh tomatoes instead of canned - I only wish I had had some fresh thyme!  My tweaks made it fresher, a little bit thicker and heartier, and definitely delicious.  Soup might not be at the front of anyone's mind in the midst of a heat wave in late July, but when you have a cold and central air, it's totally doable.  Pair it with some bread from Birchwood Bread and you've got lunch. And dinner. And lunch again... repeat, etc..

Recipe:

zucchini, tomato and potato soup
from the Little Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
3 medium sized Russet potatoes, diced (about 2 1/2 - 3 cups)
1 medium zucchini, quartered and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium summer squash, quartered and chopped (about 2 cups)
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained (or 4 fresh tomatoes, diced)
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
30 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

Instructions:

1) In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add onions and zucchini, cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Then add potatoes and cook for about 2-3 minutes (lower heat if needed).

2) Add tomatoes, parsley and thyme.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Add corn and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to simmer for 15-25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.

Oatmeal Flax Blueberry Muffins

My mom has a new diet after her bout with diverticulitis.  She is supposed to eat lots of flax to avoid having another episode. She has been good about sprinkling some over her cereal in the morning, but when she requested blueberry muffins, I went looking for a recipe that has flax in it.  Voila: Pinch of Yum to the rescue.

These guys are pretty interesting because the first step is to soak oatmeal in buttermilk for 15-20 minutes.  That softens them and makes them nearly invisible in the muffins later on.  You can taste that they're there, but they kind of dissolve. Then of course there are fun things like brown sugar, vanilla, and blueberries, and don't forget a heaping tablespoon of ground flax.

These muffins called for a crumb topping and glaze, but knowing that my mom hates both, I left them off.  They were entirely wonderful without them, but I will keep the recipe intact in case you want to give them a try.  They are sweet enough without it, though.  Plus you can do the whole thing in 1 bowl!

One thing I really wish I had noticed before I started: this makes 6 muffins.  So double it if you're looking to make 12, which obviously I was, but oh well!

Recipe:

oatmeal flax blueberry muffins
from Pinch of Yum
makes 6 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
1 heaping tablespoon ground flaxmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup blueberries
for topping and glaze:
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees  If you're not using paper liners, grease a muffin tin with butter and dust with flour.

2) Combine oats and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl.  Let oats soak 15-20 minutes.  Add the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Stir by hand until just combined.

3) Add flour, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir again until just moistened.

4) Scoop a spoonful of batter into each muffin tin to prevent berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while baking.  Gently fold blueberries into remaining batter and divide evenly between muffin tins.  Place a few blueberries at the very top center of each muffin.

5)  For the crumb topping, press butter, flour and brown sugar together withy our fingers until fine crumbs form.  Sprinkle one spoonful of crumbs over each muffin before baking.

6) Bake muffins for 13 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  While the muffins are cooling, stir the powdered sugar and milk together to make a glaze.  Drizzle a little glaze over each muffin before serving.

One Pan Crack Bean Burritos

It's time for one pan crack bean burritos!  This is the recipe I hinted at in my last post (the Spanish rice that I served with these burritos) and it is the easiest, best, most amazing recipe ever.  Or at least in the past few months!

First of all, 5 ingredients. That's all you need to make these burritos, and most of them are probably in your refrigerator and pantry already.  You will need two types of beans (although one could work in a pinch), taco seasoning (I mixed up my own), cream cheese, and Rotel tomatoes (you can decide if you want to buy mild or spicy).

Second, the instructions are literally to combine all the ingredients, and heat it up.  Done.  You can see I doubled the recipe in this shot.

I made these burritos the night of my LuLaRoe unboxing party; I knew I would have a crowd and needed something quick and easy.  This could not have been more perfect, and my mom even admitted to not missing meat.  But, carnivores, feel free to add shredded chicken if you really have to.

I served them with tortillas (obviously), the rice I shared earlier, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, diced onion, and red pepper.  I would have liked some cilantro and tomato but didn't have any at the time.  It became a make-your-own burrito bar where people could add whatever toppings they wanted.  It worked great and everyone was well fed before it was time to open all my boxes!  I will definitely make these burritos again.  They are creamy, delicious, filling, and easily can feed a crowd!

Recipe:

one pan crack bean burritos
from Heather Likes Food
serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained
1 packet taco seasoning (or 1/4 cup if you make your own like I do)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes

Instructions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a large skillet.  Heat over medium heat, stirring until cream cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling.

2) Remove from heat and spoon into tortillas with desired toppings.

Spanish Rice with Salsa

Do you have rice? Do you have salsa?  Perfect: that's all you need to make the world's easiest Spanish/Mexican side dish!  It goes with tacos, burritos, enchiladas - anything Mexican that you're making for dinner.  I am pretty excited to share the main dish that I paired this rice with, but that will have to wait for the next post.  This post is all about Spanish rice!

My family loves Spanish/Mexican rice, and they usually buy boxes of it with flavor packets.  Not to be a food snob, but... flavor packets?  Not my cup of tea.  So I decided to try to make my own.  I had made a recipe before that was very similar, Spanish rice, but it was a bit more in depth with 8 ingredients.  This literally has 2: rice, and salsa.

What makes that so cool is that, besides being super easy and fast, you can change things up based on the type of salsa you use.  Like things mild? Stick with mild salsa.  If you're down for spicier, go with spicy salsa! Try salsa verde, try peach salsa (my secret love)!  Every time it will be a little bit different.

Literally all you do is cook rice with salsa.  Done. Spanish rice.  You're welcome :)

Recipe:

Spanish rice with salsa
from Fox Valley Foodie
serves 4


Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 16-ounce jar salsa
1 3/4 cup water
cilantro for garnish, optional
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1) Rinse rice in water to remove excess starch.  Add to saucepan with water and salsa, then cover with a  lid.

2) Heat the a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until the water is absorbed by rice (15-20 minutes).  Rice is done when the rice is soft and water has soaked fully into the rice.  Salt and pepper as needed and top with cilantro.