Carrot Ginger Soup

1998 was the first Christmas that Heston and I were not traveling to be with family.  I was pregnant with Talbot who was due February 2, and it wasn’t safe to fly.  This was the year we stayed in Boston, MA and had Christmas dinner at the Jamaica Plain house with the triplets family, we were introduced to cranberry/lime slushed ice as a dessert as well as carrot ginger soup.  The carrot ginger soup has been a Christmas dinner tradition ever since!  20 years later and we still smile as we start the dinner of with this part of the meal. (  This and French Onion soup of course.)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• green onions or chopped herbs, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Saute the carrots, onion, and salt in melted butter over medium heat until softened (let them sweat, but don’t brown), about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ginger, orange zest, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes (or until carrots are tender).
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to desired consistency (alternatively, you may do this in batches in a traditional blender).
4. Check seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with green onions or herbs, if desired. If you want the soup chilled, refrigerate for about two hours before serving.

NOTES

• This recipe makes enough to serve 4
• Make a double batch and freeze it for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
• For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter.
• Blend this with and immersion blender.  In order to get a very smooth result, I recommend holding the blender at a slight angle from the bottom of the pot. If this causes it to sputter, just tilt the pot so the soup is deeper where the blender is. This will speed up the blending process and make sure every morsel gets pureed for the smoothest, creamiest consistency.
• I like to add a dash of heavy cream in at the end for good measure
• This soup can be eaten both hot or cold

French Onion Soup

This soup is a favorite at 3 Blanchard Road. It is a tradition to have for our big christmas dinner.  This soup is my favorite, when pregnant this a Cesar sals were my 2 top wanted foods. It can be made and then just take a baggie and put into a mug.  Open baggie over the edge of mug and ladle in the soup.   Zip bag shut and freeze.  Then take mugs away and you will have “mugs” of soup that you can pop out of bag whenever you are hungry.

Recipe comes from barefoot contessa.
*If I don’t have the Brandy on congas I just add a tiny bit more sherry and make up the rest with white wine.
* I never use veal stock I use 5cups of beef stock and 3 cups of chicken stock

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds yellow onions, halved, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (8 cups)

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup medium-dry sherry

1/2 cup brandy or Cognac

1 1/2 cups good dry white wine

4 cups beef stock

4 cups veal stock

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, saute the onions with the butter and bay leaf for 20 minutes, until the onions turn a rich golden brown color. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and brandy and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes.
2. Add the beef and veal stocks plus salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, taste for salt and pepper, and serve hot with grated Parmesan.

Cinnamon Buns

these Cinnamon Buns are what we have become famous for.  We have sold them by the 96 dozenfuls one Thanksgiving, they have brought neighbors we never met into our house,  have earned my girls extra money.  
*The frosting makes them fantastic.
* The trick of wrapping the tail underneath is so simple, yet it is a total game changer
* Let these cool just a bit before frosting
* Here’s the amazing part - they can be frozen and will still taste delicious !!
*Once baked, cooled and frosted, slide each individual roll into a quart size ziplock bag and seal
* When ready to eat take out of bag, place on plate for a little over a minute

INGREDIENTS

ROLLS:

•  4 cups milk (see note) 
•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter 
•  1 cup sugar 
•  2 1/2 teaspoons salt 
•  1 3/4 tablespoons instant yeast (see note) 
•  4 large eggs 
•  11-13 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

FILLING:

•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter 
•  2 cups lightly packed brown sugar 
•  2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 

FROSTING:

•  8 ounces cream cheese, softened 
•  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 
•  1 teaspoon vanilla 
•  2 teaspoons maple extract/flavoring 
•  Pinch of salt 
•  2 pounds powdered sugar 
•  Cream or milk for consistency 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the dough, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until the milk is scalded (which is basically heating it until right before it simmers - it will start steaming and little bubbles will form around the edge of the pan). Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or you can do this by hand with a large bowl, wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease).
2. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted and let the mixture cool until warm but not hot.
3. Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The exact amount will depend on the temperature, humidity and how you measure flour. I usually end up adding just under 13 cups of flour. The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Let it knead for 2-3 minutes.
5. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.
6. Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion of dough (it's soft enough to be patted and stretched with your hands) into an 18-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread one stick of softened butter over each rectangle.
7. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half of it over each rectangle. Pat it in slightly with the palms of your hands. Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
8. Working with one long log of cinnamon roll at a time, using a serrated knife, cut it in half. Then cut each half in half again (forming four equal portions). Cut each of the four portions into three rolls - twelve cinnamon rolls total. Repeat this with the other roll - you'll have 24 cinnamon rolls total.
9. Place the rolls evenly spaced on a parchment-lined large, rimmed baking sheet about 11X17-inches (or 12X18-inches). I space the rolls 3 across, 4 down. If the ends have come free, carefully tuck them under the cinnamon roll.
10. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until double. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until only very slightly golden on top. Let the rolls cool almost completely in the pan before frosting.
12. For the frosting, in a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla, maple and salt and mix until combined.
13. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you add it all at once, be prepared for a huge snowstorm in your kitchen) and mix until thick and creamy. Add cream or milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable to your liking.
14. Spread the cinnamon rolls with frosting.
15. To freeze, once the cinnamon rolls are completely cooled, use a spatula to carefully transfer a single cinnamon roll to a quart-sized ziploc bag. Seal the bag with as little air inside as possible and freeze for up to a month. To reheat, remove the roll from the bag (it's easier than it seems - it will pop right out!) and warm on a plate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

NOTES

These rolls turn out far superior when I use whole milk but I've also made them with 2% and they're delicious (just not quite as tender). 

Also, if you don't have instant yeast and want to use active dry, up the amount to 2 1/2 tablespoons and dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water with a pinch of sugar. If doing this, you'll need to add a bit more flour than if following the recipe using instant yeast

Lasagne - To Feed A Crowd You’ll Never Make Another

Classic Lasagne without the clumpy ricotta or cottage cheese.   This has just a white cream sauce.  Can be made with ground beef, ground turkey or roast chicken.   So deliscious!  So tasty!  New tradition as of this year is to make this to feed a crowd on Christmas Adam ( Christmas Eve’s Eve)

The original recipe is from Mel’s Kitchen cafe with a few adaptations. 

To be honest I have made it without the mushrooms and it worked out just fine.  The mushrooms  make it so good and kids won’t even tell there is mushrooms in it.

INGREDIENTS

RED SAUCE:

•  2 tablespoons olive oil 
•  1 tablespoon butter 
•  4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced (see garlic tutorial here) 
•  1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup) 
•  8 ounces mushrooms, chopped 
•  2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce 
•  1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 
•  1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 
•  2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil) 
•  1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  1/2 teaspoon pepper 

WHITE SAUCE:

•  3 cups milk (not skim, I used 1%) 
•  5 tablespoons flour 
•  4 tablespoons butter 
•  1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  1/2 teaspoon pepper 

LASAGNA:

•  9 lasagna noodles, boiled for half the time on the box (or use 12 of the no-boil noodles, of which I far prefer the Barilla brand) 
•  1 pound ground turkey 
•  1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded 
•  8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or with a napkin dipped lightly in olive oil and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey over medium-high heat, breaking the meat apart into pieces with a wooden spoon. When turkey is cooked through, drain the grease and set aside.
3. In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. When oil/butter is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly. When the garlic is lightly browned, but NOT burned, add the onion and mushrooms. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and browned and the fluid has mostly cooked out. Remove from heat and either using a handheld immersion blender or transferring the vegetables to a blender, blend the vegetables to a paste-like mixture. Return the pot to the heat (pour the pureed vegetables back in, if using a stand-alone blender) and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and let the sauce sauce simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey.
4. While the red sauce simmers, if using lasagna noodles that need to be boiled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the noodles for half the time suggested on the box. Once the noodles are cooked, drain, but do not rinse. Add a dab of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. If you are using no-boil noodles, you can skip this step.
5. Also while the red sauce is cooking, melt the four tablespoons butter and when melted, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine and letting the mixture cook, while stirring, for a minute or two. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk the white sauce, ensuring it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan, while cooking it over medium heat. Continue slowly stirring or whisking while the white sauce cooks and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of mozzarella for good luck, if you wish!
6. To begin layering the lasagna, keep in mind that you’ll have three layers of noodles as well as three layers of the sauces and cheese – so plan on splitting all the sauce and cheese piles into thirds so you don’t run out at the end! On the bottom of your lightly greased baking pan, layer three pre-boiled noodles or four no-boil noodles, slightly overlapping the no-boil noodles. Layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges and top with another layer of noodles. Again, layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and top with the final layer of noodles. Layer the sauces and cheeses again.
7. Cover the lasagna with a greased layer of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

NOTES

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the red and white sauce cool to room temperature before assembling. Assemble the lasagna as indicated in the recipe. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake according to the recipe, adding an additional 5-10 minutes if needed. Alternately, the lasagna can be covered with a double layer of aluminum foil and sealed inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the casserole dish are sealed tightly with foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen for 1 1/2 hours covered. Uncover and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Homemade Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup

Once you make homemade noodles you will never go back.   There is nothing complicated or hard about this and it makes an amazing difference.

• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Mix eggs, milk and salt together until smooth.  Stir in one cup of flour until smooth. Add additional flour, just a small spoonful at a time, until the dough comes together in a ball, but is still slightly sticky.
2. Dump dough out onto a floured surface. Use well floured hands to knead the dough with your hands, until it's no longer sticky, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Roll out onto a lightly floured counter until it's very thin -- less than 1/4'' thick or paper thin.
4. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutting wheel to cut the noodles into long strips, however narrow or wide you like. I like to roughly gather them with my fingers into a pile to make them more shapely, and not so flat. You could even twist some with your fingers to make them prettier.
5. To cook them immediately, add them to a pot of boiling water and cook until tender to the bite, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve with butter and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   WHAT ARE EGG NOODLES MADE OF?

   All you need is FOUR super simple ingredients to make homemade egg noodles:

   Eggs, flour, milk and salt.

   So easy! You can do this.   Roll out super thin.  Cut into strips with a pizza cutter and lay out on cookie cooling racks to dry out a bit. 

   
   

   TIPS FOR PERFECT EGG NOODLES:

   EGG NOODLES ARE FOOL-PROOF.

   This recipe is very forgiving. Egg noodles are not like pie crust or pastry dough where you have to be cautious with how much you handle the dough. You can’t over-mix them. If you feel like the dough is too “dry” you could add a little splash of water or milk. If you feel like it’s too sticky, add another sprinkle of flour. You really can’t mess them up.

   TRY “RESTING” THE DOUGH.

   I’ve found that allowing the dough to rest for 5 minutes before rolling it out, and again after rolling it, makes it easier to work with and keeps the noodles from “shrinking” as you cut it. Resting is optional, but I’d recommend it. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a light towel while it rests.

Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

This Recoice is from Smitren Kitchen.  It is practically perfect, it needs no alterations in my opinion.  It takes rice crispies in my opinion to the next level and actually makes them sophisticated if that could be possible?!

Ingredients:

4 ounces (113 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan

1 10-ounce (285-gram) bag marshmallows

Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

6 cups (160 grams) crispy rice cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

-In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

-As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

-Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almostas well.

-Let cool, cut into squares and get ready to make new friends. 

Peanut Butter Noodles

This is the lunch food that makes everyone happy lately around these parts.   It’s easy to whip up, super quick.  It’s easy to make a bit in the gluten free version and the rest regular.  It’s easy to use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.   Today we made it it with only carrots and peanuts . . . Pretty flexible.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box spaghetti noodles/fettuccini noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
• 1 1/2  - 2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, honey, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil and Sriracha, if using; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook Noodles; drain well.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in cabbage, carrots and green onions until heated through, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in Noodles and peanut butter mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and peanuts, if desired.