Improv Veggie Soup

Soup season is here! YES! I adore soup. Chicken noodle, vegetable, beef, anything! I love it. I've been wanting to make my OWN soup for a while, too. Well today is the day! This is REALLY the first time i ever made soup! :D

I figure i can eat some for lunch, then save some for meals to take to work throughout the week :) I searched around for a creamy vegetable soup recipe after tasting some of my boyfriend's parent's delicious vegetable soup. It was basically a vegetable puree, and it was freaking tasty! So that was my starting point.

After searching for a recipe that would accommodate my needs (and supplies) I was unable to find one specific one that would work for me. Instead I went off of a couple recipes and improvised all of them to make it my own! Here's what I came up with:

Improv Veggie Soup
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
1 GIANT carrot and a few babies, or about 2 large carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups kale, chopped
1 L vegetable stock, + about a half cup
salt & pepper

serves: 6



Place the butter (or margarine, I actually used margarine but the recipes i found all called for butter SO..) in a large pot over medium heat. Let the butter melt and then add the chopped potatoes and onion. Fry the potatoes and onion for 2 - 3 minutes. Then place the lid on top and allow the vegetables to sweat for 8 minutes. I stirred once or twice because i found that the vegetables were sticking to the bottom of the pot and i did not want them to burn.

Chop the rest of your veggies in the mean time. For this recipe i used carrots, green pepper, peas, kale, and celery, but feel free to substitute any vegetables! The reason
i chose these ones is that was what i had in my house! After the potatoes and onions have been cooking for eight minutes, add in the veggies and the vegetable stock.
I found that the amount i used was good for the creamy coup I wanted. If you plan on eating it pre-blending, i suggest a bit more stock.



Cook this for twenty five minutes on medium low heat. For the last five minutes remove the lid on the pot. Season with salt & pepper to taste.



After this is done, just pop it in the blender and you're good to go! If you want it can also be left as-is for a chunky vegetable soup, but i would skip the kale if you choose this. Plus it's better blended :P Now you have a healthy, delicious soup, and it was easy too!

Overall Rating (x/*****): *****
Difficulty: EASY!
Make again? Definitely, it is delicious and simple. Warm and hearty <3

Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies

So, I work at a grocery store. Thus I am constantly bombarded by food and by food magazines!! I always try to sneak peaks at the yummy recipes inside, and sometimes I just can't resist buying them. Yesterday I bought BH&G Christmas Cookies magazine. It had too many delicious recipes I wanted to try not to! My boyfriend and I are also thinking of baking cookies as gifts for some people this year, as we are BROKE!

Of course I had to make SOMETHING right away so i decided to flip through the magazine. I chose this recipe based on the fact that i had all the ingredients and it looked yummy. Also it gave me an excuse to FINALLY try a pie crust I was interested in. Score!


Make Perfect Pie Crust. This is mine looking all crumbly.
Whip the egg water and vinegar to get this!


voila! pie crust! go me! ^.^


dough ball for the fridge!


Roll out and use a cup to cut out twelve circles in the pie crust.


Ease the pastry circle into a lightly greased muffin pan


stir together pumpkin, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add egg; stir until combined. Gradually add half-and-half. Stir just until combined.


stir together pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter.


ready for the oven :)








The whipped cream is melting because i couldn't wait for the tassies to actually COOL!






----
Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies

Ingredients
½ recipe of Perfect Pie Crust
¾ cup canned pumpkin
¼ granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ half-and-half, light cream, or milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Whipped cream (optional)

1. Make Perfect Pie Crust. Allow to chill for one hour before removing from fridge. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out and use a cup to cut out twelve circles in the pie crust. Ease the pastry circles into a lightly greased muffin pan. I made mine in 12. The original recipe did 24 smaller ones.
2. For filling, in a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add egg; stir until combined. Gradually add half-and-half. Stir just until combined.
3. For topping, stir together pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter.
4. Distribute the pumpkin filling evenly between the cups. Mine got about 2 -3 teaspoons each. Top with 1 tsp of the pecan topping. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Remove tassies from muffin cups and cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, top with whipped cream! Makes 12 tassies.
5.
To store: Place tassies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Before serving, thaw about an hour at room temperature.

This recipe was originally from BH&G christmas cookies magaine.

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake (****)

I had a bunch of apples in my fridge last week and was determined to bake something with them. I didn't feel like doing the same old apple crisp as usual so i headed over to foodgawker to search for apple recipes. This is was i turned up!
The original recipe can be found here. I altered it to suit my needs / tastes of course, so my version will be below!



Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift flour together with other dry ingredients.
Beat the egg, then add the milk and melted shortening.



Pour the wet ingredients into the dry then add the raw apples and mix well.





Pour the batter into a well-greased 8-inch square pan.

(I actually used a 9 x 9 pan because i don't have an 8" pan, hence why my batter doesn't go to the edges! I still recommend 8 x 8! :P)

Mix together the brown sugar and chopped apples, and sprinkle this on top of the batter.


The addition of the apples on top is to give the cake more of an apple flavour, and to use more apples! I think it adds to the cake for sure.

To make the streusel, stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in butter using a pastry blender**** until it forms pea-sized pieces with the dry ingredients.

Finish combining with your fingertips until you have small clumps.

Sprinkle topping over the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.



ok... YUM! This cake was goood. Perfect for breakfast.

RATING:
Overall Rating (x/*****): ****
Difficulty: Very Easy and Quick
Make again? Definitely!

Ingredients
For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, melted*** (shortening melts fast!! watch out! I just melted mine in the microwave and it was fine)
  
• 1 1/2 cup chopped apples any semi-tart to tart variety (I used Macintosh)
  

For the streusel topping :

• 1/2 cup sugar (
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
  
• 1/2 cup chopped apples
• 1/4 sup brown sugar
  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift flour together with other dry ingredients.

Beat the egg, then add the milk and melted shortening.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry then add the raw apples and mix well.

Pour the batter into a well-greased 8-inch square pan.
(I actually used a 9 x 9 pan because i don't have an 8" pan, hence why my batter doesn't go to the edges! I still recommend 8 x 8! :P)

Mix together the brown sugar and chopped apples, and sprinkle this on top of the batter.

To make the streusel, stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in butter until it forms pea-sized pieces with the dry ingredients.

Finish combining with your fingertips until you have small clumps.

Sprinkle topping over the apple and sugar layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Welcome- First Post!

I'll introduce myself first and get to the recipe's later! I'm sam, this is my blog. I'm an (almost) 19 year old female living with my parents and in school still. I love to stare at delicious recipes on foodgawker.com, (easily my favorite website!) alll day. Sometimes i actually back something too :P
I usually alter something about the recipes i make every time. I also happen to get my recipes VERY dirty when i cook with them in the kitchen ^.^ I'm usuing this blog to track the recipes i make and keep my altered recipes all in one spot :)