Roasted Carrot Soup

{Meatless Monday}

Roasted Carrot Soup... 

    this is currently my FAVORITE soup.  This last time I made it, I cooked up at least 

3 pounds of carrots and still did not have enough leftovers for my liking!!

It is also super easy!  And oh so healthy! 

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  I found it one night (it was probably the 12th or 13th of the month...our payday is the 15th! ; )  when we had almost nothing in the fridge.  And I mean NOTHING!

But what I did have was a big bag of carrots in my vegetable drawer.  I just went to Google and typed in Roasted Carrots (because that is of course my favorite way to eat carrots!) and this was one of the first links.  We made it that night, and I have been hooked ever since!

Here's what you'll need...

• 1 small onion
• 1 pound carrots,  peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small Belgian endive, quartered lengthwise (I have always left this out)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, plus more for thinning
• 1/3 cup half and half or milk (I usually use Fat-Free Half and Half)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger, or to taste
• Creme fraiche or sour cream, for garnish (optional)

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Preheat oven to 450.

Cut your onion into wedges and your carrots into nice medium thick sticks.  Put on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Stir around and spread in single layer.  Don't overcrowd the cookie sheet.

Roast until edges of vegetables are deep brown, about 30 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a pot and add bay leaf. (I like to pour a little broth onto the cookie sheet to get off all the yumminess from the roasting and then pour that into your pot!)   Pour in enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until vegetables are very soft.  

Remove bay leaf and then puree the mixture (I have to do this in 2 or 3 batches in my blender).  We like ours to be completely smooth...no chunks at all.  Return to pot and warm up again.  At this point, the recipe tells you to stir in the ginger. 

But when I make it, I actually leave it completely unadulterated when I serve it.  Then I put out all of the following spices:

CINNAMON and NUTMEG and GINGER and CURRY.  

They are ALL delicious in their own way!  I let each person decide what spices they would like.  And my favorite part is that I can choose to have 3 small bowls and give them all a slightly different flavor.  

This soup has such a smooth and rich flavor!  You really need to try it.  Trust me! It is an all-time favorite now and the best thing is....carrots are cheap!!

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta

{Meatless Monday}

I am FINALLY back with a new recipe.  It has been many months now where my focus had been on other projects and not on cooking. I have been quilting, painting, and paneling my fireplace wall. Meanwhile, we have enjoyed our old standby recipes for many weeks... but I finally went looking in my basket of Everyday Food magazines and found this one that looked like it was worth a try.

The recipe is for GRILLED vegetables, but since we don't own a grill, I just roasted/broiled them in my oven.  My husband and I both agreed that the only thing missing was mushrooms--we both love mushrooms.  The eggplant was the only vegetable that didn't stand out to me.  Next time I make this, I may just replace the eggplant with mushrooms and see how we like it.

This was one of those meals that nearly caused mutiny at the dinner table with the little ones!  They are allowed to pick out one thing that they don't want to eat.  But when there are FIVE vegetables on their plate, they tend to get upset.  ; )

But we all survived and they got to try a few bites of things they did not especially want to eat.  It's good for them and someday (maybe?) they'll thank me.

Here's what you'll need...

10-12 oz. curly pasta, such as cavatappi   (I used Whole Wheat Rigatoni)
1 medium zucchini, cut into spears
1 bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 red onion, halved
1 small eggplant, cut into thick slices
4 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

In a medium pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions.

Reserve one cup pasta water.   Drain pasta and return to pot.

You can grill vegetables, brushing them with Olive Oil and seasoning with salt.

Here's what I did:  Heat oven to 375.  Place vegetables on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes.  Then turn oven to broil for 5-8 more minutes until vegetables have browned nicely.

Transfer to cutting board and let cool before roughly chopping all vegetables.

I LOVE this picture...it just looks healthy for you and so, so delicious!

Add to pasta, along with 2 T olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste.  Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta.

The pasta and veggies were still so warm they were steaming up the camera!

 Season with salt, peeper and fresh parsley.  Serve warm.  I topped each bowl with some grated parmesan cheese.

Potato-Salmon Croquettes

{Meatless Monday}

OK...I am a little surprised that I actually tore this recipe out of my Parents magazine...and then kept it for a year!  ; )  But I thought they seemed interesting and I also knew the kids would have a blast making them with me...which they did! (pictures below)

I have never tried to buy Salmon before...but this is pretty much all that I could find that was not outrageously expensive.  I should have taken some pictures of what came out of this can.  But I could barely make myself prepare it! ; )  My 8 year old daughter was eager to help, so she grabbed a can opener and opened this baby up.  I told her to drain it and dump it onto the cutting board.  I was at the stove making the mashed potatoes out of potato pearls when I hear her say, "Um, MOM...why does this have skin and bones in it?"

I really wish now that I had taken a picture.  The skin was the grossest part.  But it had ALL of the bones too...even all the little vertebrae.  We kind of had a cool little science lesson right there in the kitchen as I went to work trying to remove all the bones from this salmon meat.  Because the last thing that I needed was to pay the money for this dumb salmon, go to all the work to make these dumb things, have the kids make a total mess of the kitchen and their hands and most likely their clothes...and then have them NOT EAT IT because they crunched on a fish bone!!!

So after that disaster was all cleaned up and dumped in the outside garbage can ( hate those yucky fish smells!!) I went ahead with the recipe...and it actually turned out great!  My kids really did have a great time making them.  It wasn't as big of a mess as it could have been.  And ALL of my kids loved them.  I will be making them again...but next time I am going to try a nice little can of White Albacore in place of the Salmon.  I think it should still work and I won't have to deal with slimy, scaly fish skin!

Here's what  you need to make your very own FISH STICKS!!  You never knew that you wanted to make your very own, did you??  This is a food that kids always like and I bet your kids would love to get up to their elbows in flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs....so give it a try!!

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, chilled
10 oz. canned salmon, drained
2 large eggs
1 T. lemon zest
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and Pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup vegetable oil (or less, if you are like me and have a really hard time frying anything!!)


In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, salmon, 1 egg, zest and parsley.

Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.  In another shallow bowl, whisk the remaining egg with 1 T water.  Place the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl, like this...

Using wet hands, form the potato mixture into 3 inch fingers. Dip the fingers in the flour, and shake off any excess; dip them in the egg wash, and then roll them in the bread crumbs...pressing the crumbs on to form a crust and do a final shaping of the fish sticks.

Now...the magazine has this beautiful photo of nearly perfectly shaped "croquettes", as they call them, but I am sure you can appreciate that with helpers like these, mine were not going to be quite as cute. ; )
But they actually did a pretty good job for being 5 and 8!!

Coat the bottom of skillet with oil and working in batches, fry the croquettes until golden brown all around, 4-6 minutes total.  Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

My kids ate these with some mayonnaise mixed with ketchup.  I prefer a mix of a little light mayonnaise with some Cajun Seasoning.

Next time I make them, I am going to try to bake them after a very quick, light frying and see how they turn out!!  I will let you know.

Cheese & Green Chile Enchiladas

{Meatless Monday}

This is another recipe that I tore out of a magazine long ago.  So long ago that I don't even remember which magazine.  It might have been a Rachel Ray.  My husband brought a couple of those home for me from his school last year.  ; )  But anyhoo....  My family is not often fans of corn tortillas, but in some recipes they just work...and this one worked!  Everyone loved them.  I made Cilantro Lime Rice to go with it.   This recipe is just like the one I use out of my cookbook from church.

Here's what you'll need to make these DELICIOUS enchiladas...

3/4 lb. monterey jack, shredded (about 3 cups)
2 cans (4 oz. each) diced green chiles, drained
1 cup sour cream  (I used light sour cream)
1 small yellow onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped and a few whole leaves for garnish
1 tsp. ground cumin
12 corn tortillas
thinly sliced red onions, for topping...if desired

Preheat oven to 425*.   In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, canned chiles, sour cream, onion, garlic, chopped cilantro and cumin.

Heat tortillas briefly in warm skillet.  Drop a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla and roll up.  (You should use about 2/3 of the filling).  Arrange the enchiladas in a single layer in a casserole dish.  Cover with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.  Top with red onion, cilantro, and even jalapeños, if you wish!!

Tomato & Red Potato Gratin

{Meatless Monday}

I LOVE this recipe.  And I wouldn't even say that I LOVE slices of tomatoes normally.  I could not believe how delicious the flavor was!!  I made it twice in one week.  That's how good it was.  

With an abundance of tomatoes and red potatoes from our own garden, one day I just googled "Red potato Tomato Recipe" and this is what came up.  The recipe called for leeks and Gruyere cheese and  I only had yellow onions and mozzarella....but it was amazing anyway.

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 
3 cups sliced leeks, OR ONE LARGE WHITE ONION, chopped

1  1/4 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices 
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/4 lb. ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 3/4 cups grated Gruyère cheese OR MOZZARELLA 
1/2 tsp. salt 
Freshly ground black pepper to taste 
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 

2/3 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tsp.olive oil  

3 T Parmesan cheese, grated  For Topping, if desired

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks/onions and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. Spread the onions evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the potato slices with well-salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just barely tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Pat dry. Toss the potatoes with the salt, olive oil, and rosemary.

Heat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. (1/4 tsp. dried) of the chopped rosemary over the leeks/onions. Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish. Cover the row of tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of Gruyère or Mozzarella. Next, arrange a row of potato slices over the tomatoes. Sprinkle again with cheese. Repeat with alternating rows of tomatoes and potatoes, sprinkling each with cheese, until the gratin is full.

Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. salt and the remaining 1/2 tsp. rosemary over all and season with pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil. Mix any remaining cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and spread this over the whole gratin. Top with Parmesan, if desired. Cook until the gratin is well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 60 to 65 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Then ENJOY a scrumptious dish full of yummy flavors and creamy cheese and rosemary.  Just typing this up makes me want to make it again!!

You all know how much I love roasted vegetables...and this is made even better by the cheese and the breadcrumb topping.  So, next time you are looking for a new side dish...try this! You'll love it.

Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas

{Meatless Monday}

When I saw this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens, I just knew I had to try it out.  I am sure by now you know my undying love for roasted vegetables! ; )

I was curious how the chickpeas would be...and also curious how my husband would like them because he is not normally a fan.  But we both loved them in this recipe.

I planned on serving this with some rice, but since my husband still hates brown rice (someday I hope that will change) and since I am trying to avoid white rice as much as possible, I cooked up some Pearl Barley.  It has a very different texture than either brown or white rice, but for some reason he prefers the barley over brown rice.

It is a very simple dinner to make because most of the time, the veggies are just in the oven!

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2" pieces
1 lb. sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large red onion, peeled, halved and cut into wedges
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into cubes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
2-3 T vegetable or olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425*. Place all vegetables, garlic, and chickpeas in roasting pan (or cookie sheet). Combine the oil, rosemary, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle over vegetables; toss well to coat.

Roast uncovered about 45 minutes or until lightly brown and tender, stirring twice.


You could eat this alone as a side dish, or serve or rice or barley as a main dish.  I think next time I would makeup a little more sauce and save some to drizzle over the whole dish just before serving...just to give it a little more liquid.  I always love rice or barley covered in a yummy sauce.

If desired, top each serving with parmesan cheese and additional rosemary.

Spinach Salad Wraps

{Meatless Monday}

Hello!  I hope you have all had a great start to your week!
This is a recipe that I found in one of my magazines...probably Parents...but it has been so long since I tore it out that I don't remember! ; )

It is very simple and perfect for a quick but healthy meal...

Here's what you will need....

For the dressing:
5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. olive oil

Spinach leaves (about 5 cups)
6+ tortillas (8-10 inch)
6 slices of mozzarella ( or crumbled feta cheese)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 hard cooked eggs, sliced

Whisk dressing all together and set aside.

Set out your tortillas.

Layer tortillas with spinach, cheese, mushrooms, onion, and eggs.  Drizzle with dressing.  (I decided to drizzle a little dressing among the spinach layer and on top so it didn't get too dry.)

 this was taken before the final drizzle of dressing.... ; )

Roll up tortillas and secure with toothpicks.  Serve immediately, cut in half.  Or wrap in saran wrap if serving later.  Makes 6-8 wraps.

those mushrooms look like chunks of chicken... ; )  I promise, no chicken was harmed in the making of these wraps.  ; )

These were very fresh and light.  I love that the only cooking required is the boiling of eggs.  SO easy!  My kind of dinner, for sure.   I love the flavor of the eggs and the way they make the wrap so much more filling!  This dressing had a very different taste.  I didn't mind it, but I didn't love it.  It was very fruity with the red wine vinegar.  I think the wrap would also be delicious with just some plain ranch on it.  And it would be just that much easier and faster to throw the wraps together.

Happy cooking this week and we'll see ya next Monday!  I am getting excited about trying some new soup recipes this Fall.  Soup has to be one of my FAVORITE things to make and EAT!!  I promise to share them all with you!!  One thing I am going to try (I have the torn out recipe on the side of my fridge) is a Vegetarian Dinner in a Pumpkin.  Should be interesting, huh?  ; )