Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

I changed a recipe I found at Petit Foodie just a little bit, adding chicken and celery and ended up with a bowl full of goodness! I love how fresh it tastes because of the lemon. All these flavors in one spoonful make a delicious lunch or dinner. We had it for dinner with homemade rolls and I was sad that I didn't have any leftover soup for lunch the next day. This is in my yum-yum file now!!

There was more broth, but I wanted you to be able to see what's in the broth so I didn't add a lot to this bowl.

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, roughly grated

2 celery stalks, chopped

7 c. chicken broth

½ c. orzo

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 t. dried basil

1 t. crushed red pepper

In a large pot heat olive oil. Add in garlic and onion. Sauté until translucent.

Add in carrot and celery. Sauté for a few minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to boil. 

Add orzo and chicken. Cook about 10 minutes. 

Squeeze in juice of half lemon and add zest. Season with salt, pepper, basil and crushed red pepper. Let simmer until serving.

Sopa de Zanahoria (Carrot Soup from Paraguay)

It's been very warm in Utah lately, but today is cloudy and chilly and good weather for soup. This is a super simple soup (like that alliteration?) and I like the color. This was the first time I made this soup that I found at Food.com and we'll be having it again.

Sopa de Zanahoria (Carrot Soup from Paraguay)

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 lb. carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
2 c. hot water
2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and stir until covered with butter. Add salt, sugar and hot water, then bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Put carrots in blender and add a little of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan with the remaining liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese, simmering until cheese melts and soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

This recipe was on Hun...Whats for Dinner and I wanted to try it because the photos made it look so cheesy and it was loaded with veggies. It's easy and really good. I grated my carrots very finely and they look almost like cheddar cheese in the photos. 

 

 

 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
3 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 c. broccoli, cut into small florets
1 1/2 c. cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 c. frozen peas
4 c. chicken stock
1 t. salt
1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 c. 35% cream
1 T. corn starch
1 T. water
1 c. Gouda cheese

In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Once oil starts to ripple, add in the onion; cooking until onions become translucent. Add in garlic, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and cook for 2-3 minutes; until garlic becomes fragrant.

Pour in chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, add in the thyme springs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Remove the thyme sprigs (by this time the leaves should have fallen off into the soup) and add the cream and peas; cook 2 minutes to heat through.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water. Remove soup from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Return soup pot to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens; about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese and cook until melted. Serve with additional Gouda, if desired.

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

This recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything was dinner tonight . I used skim milk instead of half and half for less fat and followed the rest of the recipe. I made it with homemade rolls and really liked it! Packed full of veggies. 

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c. finely diced celery
1 c. finely diced carrots
1 c. finely diced onions
1 t. dried oregano or 1 T. fresh oregano
1/4 c. fresh basil
4 c. chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ c. flour
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ c. butter
2 c. half and half (or milk), warmed
1 t. salt
¼ t. black pepper

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. 

Blend the soup partially or completely, depending on how chunky you desire it. Return to slow cooker.

About 30 minutes before serving prepare the roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add the flour. Stir roux constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Usually December is cold and snowy in Utah, making it good weather for warm soup, but this year we've had it really warm, and totally, in my opinion great. But I still made some warm soup with homemade breadsticks today and enjoyed it.

This is an Olive Garden copycat recipe of a soup that I only tried one spoonful of one time so I can't really compare it very well. I like it a lot, but will put a little less thyme in it next time. I didn't actually measure it out today. I found the recipe at CopyKat Recipes.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

4 T. butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. finely diced onion

1/2 c. finely diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. flour

1 quart half-and-half

2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth

Salt

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. dried parsley flakes

1/4 t. ground nutmeg (optional)

1 c. finely shredded carrots

1 c. coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves

1 c. diced cooked chicken breast (you can use a rotisserie chicken)

1 (16-oz./500 g.) package ready-to-use gnocchi

 

Melt the butter into the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half. Simmer until thickened. Whisk in the chicken broth. Simmer until thickened again. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, the thyme, parsley, nutmeg (if using), carrots, spinach, chicken, and gnocchi. Simmer until the soup is heated through. Before serving, season with additional salt, if necessary.

Creamy Chicken Soup

I'm finally sitting down after a day at work and then coming home to make rolls and this soup. Totally worth it! This soup is full of yummy veggies and isn't difficult to make at all, especially if you use rotisserie chicken. The recipe was at The Cookie Rookie. I didn't use the white wine or turmeric.

Creamy Chicken Soup

Roux:

4 T. flour

2 T. olive oil

2 T, butter, unsalted

Soup:

2 T. butter, unsalted

2 T. olive oil

4 stalks carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

4 c. chicken stock or broth

3½ c. milk or cream or Half & Half

2 T. chicken base granules

1 t. fresh cracked pepper

1 T. dried parsley or 2 T fresh parsley

3 bay leaves

1½ t. Herbs of Provence

½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)

¼ t. garlic powder or 1 t. chopped garlic

3 c. rotisserie chicken - cubed or shredded and cooked

¼ c. white wine

Shredded gruyere cheese to sprinkle on top after spooning soup into bowls



Make the roux by heating the oil and butter in pot then sprinkling the flour on top. whisk together until fully absorbed and turns almost golden. take off the heat and set aside.

Chop the vegetables and set aside until ready to saute. In a Dutch oven, saute the vegetables in 2 T olive oil and 2 T butter until softened.

Add all other ingredients including the roux, stir well. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to low and let simmer 20-30 minutes until the soup thickens to the desired consistency. Stir every 3-4 minutes. Do not leave the soup unattended.

If you need to thicken the soup a little, mix together some cornstarch with milk or water (per box instructions) then stir into the soup. Stir frequently since the soup is milk-based and can burn easily.

Before ready to serve, take out the bay leaves. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese.

Cheesy Chicken Corn Soup

I saw this in a Taste of Home magazine while I was looking for some quick and easy recipes. This one makes an ugly photo, but it tastes pretty good. I added some garlic to ours.

Cheesy Chicken Corn Soup
2 cans (14 1/2-oz. each) chicken broth
1 can (10-oz.) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
2 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. water, divided
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
Dash pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 lb. processed American cheese (Velveeta), cubed
   In a large saucepan, combine the broth, tomatoes, chicken, corn, 1cup water, onion and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the corn is tender. Combine the flour and remaining water until smooth; stir into the soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low; stir in the cheese until melted.
Yield: 9 servings (about 2 quarts).

Sopa de Fideos

I copied this recipe that I found on Amanda's Cookin' and kept thinking about it and craving it, even though I had never tried it. So I made this simple soup as a side dish with the Easy Fiesta Chicken Appetizer Squares. Elisa and I really liked it a lot!
I used the fideos (noodles) that you can find in the Mexican food part of the grocery store. If you don't know what they look like, you can go to Amanda's Cookin' where she has a photo of it. I forgot to snap a picture of it.
Sopa de Fideos
1 (7 oz.) package of Fideo or angel hair pasta broken into small pieces
2 T. olive oil
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
3 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 T. fresh chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse salt

Combine canned tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Warm olive oil in a medium skillet and add fideo noodles. Cook over medium low heat, stirrly regularly, until all pasta noodles are golden brown. Remove from heat.

Combine tomato mixture, chicken broth and the noodles in a medium saucepan. Season with pepper and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium (gentle boil) until noodles are almost tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and cook 2 more minutes or until noodles are done.
This is what the soup looked like the next day. The fideos sucked up the broth and made it a wet pasta dish that was still really delish! Maybe I'll serve it the second day for dinner and not tell Alex it was soup. Hehe Moms gotta be sneaky sometimes, but I think he would like it.

Spicy-Tangy Beef Soup

I clipped this recipe out of a magazine more than a decade ago. I like the unique tangy flavor from the vegetable broth and vinegar. Do you see the steam coming off of the soup above? We had it HOT yesterday with some won tons. Yum!
Spicy-Tangy Beef Soup
3/4 lb. beef round tip steaks, 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, cooked
1 (13 3/4 to 14 1/2-oz.) can vegetable broth
1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. julienned carrots
3 T. soy sauce, divided
2 T. vinegar
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta, broken up (approximately 1/4 c.)
2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c. water
1/4 c. sliced green onions

Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-qt. saucepan, combine broth, 1 1/2 cups water, mushrooms, carrots, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5minutes.

Add pasta; continue simmering 5 additional minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute.

Stir beef into soup. Immediately remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and green onions. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings

Sabrina is our picky eater who refuses to eat broth so she just scoops up the other ingredients. She's been doing better this year with trying new foods and actually liking some of them. One of these days maybe it will be soup.

Tuscan White Bean & Spinach Soup

I know most people aren't eating soup much right now since it's summer. Robin is from Ecuador where it is hot and humid every day, all year long and they still eat soup almost daily. We don't eat soup that often, but we do eat it occasionally all year long. This recipe is quick and easy! Gotta love that.
Tuscan White Bean & Spinach Soup

2 t. olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 shallot, finely diced
3-4 c. fat free chicken broth or vegetable stock
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can white beans (cannellini or other)
1/2 c. whole wheat pasta shells or shell pasta
1 t. rosemary
3 c. baby spinach, cleaned and trimmed
1/8 t, black pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes

In a large sauce pan, sauté the shallots & garlic in the olive oil. Add broth, tomatoes, beans and rosemary to pot. Season with black and red pepper. Bring to boil. Add pasta and cook 12 minutes. If the soup seems too thick for your liking add a bit more broth. Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Zucchini & Romance

What does zucchini have to do with romance? Well, nothing in this two part post. First, the recipes---When I make my menu for the week, if I have one recipe that calls for something I won’t use up completely (like a can of evaporated milk) or has a great sale price, but is perishable, I include another recipe that will use that ingredient up. This week it was zucchini.

Italian Chicken with Noodle
This is just a breaded chicken recipe with Italian noodles, but this is how the recipe was in the cookbook so I’ll include both recipes here.
Chicken:
1/3 c. unseasoned dry bread crumbs
½ t. Italian seasoning1/4 t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. oil

Noodles:
8 oz. (4 cups) uncooked medium egg noodles
2 T. margarine
¼ c. green onions, sliced
1 c. zucchini, sliced
1 c. tomato, seeded & chopped
½ t. sugar
½ t. Italian seasoning
¼ t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Combine bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder in large plastic bag. Add chicken to bag, one piece at a time. Shake to coat. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken breasts; cook until no longer pink. Set aside.

Prepare noodles as directed on package. Rinse and drain. Set aside. In microwave-safe bowl, combine margarine and onions. Microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are tender, stirring once. Stir in remaining ingredients except for cheese. Add noodles; mix well. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Add cheese while still hot and stir. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with chicken.

Italian Sirloin Stew
I found this recipe many years ago and still love it.
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak
1 lg. clove garlic, crushed
2 T. olive oil, divided
2 med. onions, chopped
1 t. dried basil
½ t. ground red pepper
1 (14 ½ -oz.) can tomatoes, undrained
2 c. beef broth
2 med. zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 t. cornstarch
2 T. water
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Cut beef steaks into ¼-inch thick strips; cut each strip into 1-inch long pieces. Combine garlic with 1 tablespoon oil; stir into beef and set aside. Sauté onion in remaining oil in large saucepan 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and red pepper; cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beef broth and zucchini. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef 1-2 minutes; add to sauce. Stir cornstarch dissolved in water into stew and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired.

Low-fat Zucchini Cookies
Of course, I had to try a new zucchini dessert with all this zucchini I bought. I opted for this low-fat version, but didn’t have high hopes. I haven’t found many low-fat desserts that I really like. I just made them this morning and after “taste-testing” 3 cookies from different pans, I give them a thumbs up. They are a bit cakey, but I don’t mind that in these. I will definitely make them again and maybe add a little coconut next time. They made my sweet tooth happy.

I made it with 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup regular flour and only ¼ teaspoon cloves. The info at Tried and Tried Again where I found the recipe says that if you make them into 40 cookies, it’s about 1 ½ WW points for anyone who uses that. (If you have read many of my recipes you can tell that I don’t!)
1 c. sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

¼ c. applesauce

1 egg

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

½ t. ground cloves

1 t. cinnamon

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. finely grated zucchini

1 c. chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla

* Optional Items: Protein powder, wheat germ, craisins, etc.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Cream together sugar, butter, applesauce and egg with a mixer on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients, alternating with grated zucchini. Once all ingredients are well combined, fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon full onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until cookies are barely starting to turn brown around the edges. Let cookies stand for 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack for cooling. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Now for the romance… Robin came home from work yesterday with a present for me. It was one of my favorite perfumes—Romance. How sweet! I’m wearing my new perfume with melty chocolatey zucchini cookies next to me. Pretty good life.

Mix it Up! VIII

Chicken Sausage Florentine Rigatoni
I was disappointed because I was planning to make this, but only had time to go to one grocery store before dinner and I couldn’t find any chicken sausage. I don’t like pork, but really wanted to try this recipe so I bought pork sausage. I halved the recipe and didn’t cook the spinach much. We liked it even with the pork and I will make it again, but hopefully with chicken sausage. I found this recipe at Picky Palate .

2 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 lb. ground chicken sausage
½ t. salt
1 (26-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 lb. dry rigatoni noodles
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted down. Add chicken sausage and salt; cook until cooked through.

Place both cans of tomatoes into a food processor and process until nearly smooth. Add to skillet along with fresh basil. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

Cook rigatoni according to packaging directions. Drain and transfer to sauce. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Rosemary Focaccia
I only tried this one yeast recipe this week, but it turned out great. It is so flavorful. Thanks to Prudence Pennywise for the recipe. I used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour and I will do that again.
2 t. rapid rise yeast
1 t. sugar
1 c. plus 2 T. warm water
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. dried rosemary, chopped, or 1 T. fresh
3 cups flour Topping:
2-6 T. olive oil
1/4 c. to 3/4 c. parmesan cheese
Additional chopped dried or fresh rosemary
Black pepper

In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar, water, olive oil, pepper, salt, rosemary and half of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. (Alternately, if you have a free standing mixer, put in all of the flour and let the machine do the work.) Work in the remaining flour, using your hands and kneading when necessary. Knead dough for five minutes. Cover and let rise for one hour. (The dough can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge.)

Preheat oven to 425°. Press dough into a 12 inch circle. Don't worry about being perfect; you're going for rustic Italian here. Press the dough all over with your fingertips to make indentations. Cover dough with olive oil, cheese, rosemary and black pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve.

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos (Chicken Noodle Soup)
I made this recipe up this week when my husband was sick since he loves soup to help him feel better. He told me it was the best soup he’s ever had, probably because the mixture made in the blender (minus the enchilada sauce) is called aliño and is used in a variety of dishes in Ecuador, where he is from. The amounts in the ingredients list are estimates and you can use more or less, depending on your taste. You can use the veggies you prefer too. Next time I think I’ll sauté carrots along with the garlic and onion. I used “homemade style” egg noodles which took a bit longer to cook, but tasted great.
1 tomato, quartered
1 small green pepper, quartered
½ onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
½ c. fresh cilantro
1 t. cumin
1 (10-oz.) can green chile enchilada sauce
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ onion, chopped
3 Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, chopped
1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
1 potato, chopped in small pieces
Egg noodles
½ c. frozen corn
1/3 c. frozen peas
Salt & pepper to taste

Place first 7 ingredients in blender; blend until mostly liquid. Set aside.
In bottom of large saucepan or pot, add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and sauté the chicken and onion, adding garlic when the chicken is almost done. When chicken is cooked, add mixture from blender and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook until noodles and potatoes are done.

RASPBERRY CRUMB CAKE
This is a buttery cake with a great crumb topping. I just love raspberries! I don't have mace so I've never used it. (I don't know why I can't get the ingredients to do single line spacing. Sorry.)

FILLING:

2/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. cornstarch

3/4 c. water

2 c. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries

1 T. lemon juice

CRUST:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground mace

1 c. cold butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

TOPPING:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. cold butter or margarine

1/4 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water & raspberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine first six crust ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat eggs, milk & vanilla, add to crumb mixture & mix well. Spread 2/3 of mixture into greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon raspberry filling over crust to within 1 in. of edges. Top with remaining crust mixture. For topping, combine flour & sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle over top. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until lightly browned.

Symphony Cookies
The Sisters' Cafe had this great recipe. I made two batches of this, one with a regular Symphony bar and one that had toffee & almonds. They keep their shape beautifully and are so soft and chewy. I used vanilla pudding, but you can use chocolate if you like. Maybe I’ll try that next.

1 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 large Symphony bar, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter, sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until creamy. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chopped chocolate. Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on rack.

Mix it Up! VII

Chicken Taco Soup
I recently found this recipe at San Diego Cooks and wanted to make it right away because of the photo. I used a rotisserie chicken so it was very easy, but it was so delicious! Elisa tried to eat this on a tortilla like a taco, but it is very wet (it is soup) so it dripped everywhere. I used a small can of chopped green chilies instead of the jalapeño.
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T oil
1 (14-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1/2-1 whole jalapeño
1 T. cumin
1 lb. cooked chicken
2 c. chicken broth
Juice of one lime
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

Sauté garlic and onion in oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with chips or cut up tortillas, cheese, sour cream and avocado.


Sopa De Frijoles Negros (Black Bean Soup)
This is a really good soup (in the photo), but I also use it as a dip for tortilla chips. I just add less broth and then put cheese on top after it is warm. I use fresh salsa, either my own or from the produce section, but you can try the jarred salsa.
24 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or to taste)
16 oz. salsa
Juice 1 lime
1 T. ground cumin
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c. plain yogurt

Place half the beans and chicken broth in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 1-2 or until the onion is tender. Add beans, salsa, lime juice, cumin and red pepper.
Bring to boil and reduce heat to low, cover. Cook while stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of yogurt, and garnish with chopped red onion and fresh cilantro.


Chicken Fried Rice
I have been making this recipe for years either with chicken for a main dish or without any meat as a side dish, but this time I tried it with leftover grilled beef. We liked it just as much as the other ways. You can also use diced ham. Give it a try with any of the variations. I like to use Teriyaki Baste & Glaze instead of regular teriyaki sauce. I just keep adding it little by little while mixing until the rice is brown, but not saturated or wet.
1 ½ c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1/3 c. green onion, chopped
¼ c. red bell pepper, chopped
½ c. carrots, chopped
1 T. oil
3 c. cooked rice, cooled
½ c. thawed baby peas
2 t. teriyaki sauce

Put green onions, bell pepper, carrots and oil in a 2-quart casserole dish and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Onions should be tender, but not too soft. Put in skillet. Over medium heat combine remaining ingredients with vegetables. Stir often until heated thorough.

Cream Cheese Won Tons
This isn’t exactly a recipe since I don’t have exact amounts. I fried the ones on the right side of the photo and baked the ones on the left. I prefer them fried, but of course, it’s healthier baked. I also fry or bake strips of won tons, which are in the middle in the photo.

Won ton wrappers
Softened cream cheese
Soy sauce
Green onions, chopped

Mix the cream cheese with enough soy sauce to make it brown, but not too dark, depending on your taste. Add green onions and mix well. I usually just put filling in the middle of the square won tons and make triangles by dipping my finger in water and then wetting the edges of the won ton and folding in half. You can make different shapes though. For fried won tons, heat oil in deep fryer and fry won tons, flipping once, until just brown. For baked won tons, preheat oven to 400°. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place shaped won tons on sheet. Then spray won tons with cooking spray to help them brown. Bake for 7-9 minutes, turning them over halfway through time. Let them sit for a minute or two before eating.

Ultimate M&M’s Cookies
This is the recipe from the M&M's mini baking bits bag. I sometimes use this recipe for chocolate chip cookies too.
1 c. butter, softened
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. light brown sugar
1 lg. egg
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
½ t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
2 c. "M&M's" Mini Baking Bits
3/4 c. chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in "M&M's"® Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits and nuts, if desired. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container.

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies I split this dough in half and added chocolate chunks to half and Andes candies bits to the other half. They are fudgy and very chocolaty. It made about 48 cookies for me.

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cream together the margarine, sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the cocoa and add baking soda, salt and blend well. Add the flour into the creamed mixture and fold in the chocolate chips. Bake at for 8-9 minutes.

Easy Cream Cheese Danish
This is so incredibly rich & delicious that it is hard to believe it is so simple to make. The sugar and cinnamon make a lovely crust. I added the optional almond or orange extract to the ingredients, but I think it makes a big difference. I never make it without. I love to put fresh berries on top after baking. I didn't make the glaze this time for the photo.

Danish:
2 (8-oz.) pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
1 c. sugar
1 egg, separated
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond or orange extract, optional
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon

Glaze (optional):
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
¼ t. cinnamon
Milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan. Unroll & spread one package crescent rolls on bottom of pan. Mix sugar, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, extract and cream cheese together. Spread over bottom crust of crescent rolls. Unroll & spread 1 package crescent rolls over top of cream cheese mixture. Brush top crust with 1 slightly beaten egg white. Mix 1/3 cup sugar & cinnamon together. Sprinkle on top of egg white. Bake for 30 minutes. Drizzle with glaze, if desired.

GLAZE: Mix first three ingredients together. Stir in enough milk until mixture is drizzling consistency; pour over Danish.

VARIATION: Stir a few tablespoons jam into cream cheese mixture.

Making Friends with Yeast & Mix It Up!

For some reason, yeast and I have not gotten along. I have tried a few times through the years to make bread or rolls, but they never turn out right, which is a shame because my family and I devour fresh rolls. I have avoided yeast altogether for years. This week, I decided that there is no reason that I can’t be friends with yeast with a bit of practice. I knew that my first attempts would not result in perfect rolls like my sister Heather’s, but like any skill, I will get better with practice. So here are the first two recipes that I tried this week. Neither turned out great, but they weren’t as bad as I was expecting and the house smelled so good while they were baking. If you have any favorite roll recipes for beginners, send them my way! I am not giving up this time.
Tasty Rolls
These weren’t as heavy as they look. Most of them were pretty light, but I did have a few which weren't as airy. These turned out pretty good for my first attempt in years. We ate them all within 24 hours!

5 c. flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 c. milk
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. canola oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix 2 cups flour and yeast. In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar& salt to lukewarm in microwave. Add all at once to flour mixture and beat till smooth. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough (2-3 cups). Mix well, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a bowl for about 10 minutes.

Shape dough into 12 slightly flat balls and place on greased baking sheet to rise till doubled in size. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Cuban Bread
I have never had Cuban bread so I don’t know what it’s supposed to look like or taste like. This has a nice crispy crust, but is very soft inside. Apparently, it’s used to make Cuban sandwiches kind of like a Panini, but I served it with spaghetti and marinara dipping sauce. (Cuban bread with Italian spaghetti?? I know) It tasted good with the sauce, but pretty plain without it. I usually like fresh bread all by itself. Maybe it’s because it didn’t have any oil or butter. You can see that I need to work on bread skills by the lumpy, bumpy appearance of the crust. Some day I’ll get it nice and smooth!

3 pkgs. active dry yeast
4 t. brown sugar
2 c. water
5-6 c. bread flour, divided
1 T. salt
Cornmeal
1 egg (or 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash)
3/4 c. hot water

Combine yeast, brown sugar and warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir to mix. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; beat well. Let stand 10 minutes for yeast to develop.

Stir in salt. Add remaining 3 to 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until a stiff dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Dough should be smooth, elastic and not sticky. Oil the surface of the dough and put it in the rinsed mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead lightly. Form into two long loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet; place loaves on baking sheet. Let rise, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. Brush loaves with egg wash. Place on middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf; pour hot water into pan. Set oven temperature at 400° and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves are well browned and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire racks.

Vegetable Lasagna
I found this at San Diego Cooks. It has lots of vegetables, but isn’t vegetarian since it calls for ground turkey. I used ground beef since Robin doesn’t like ground turkey. (Even though I think I could have gotten away with using it in this recipe.) The kids weren’t too happy about finding “a salad inside the lasagna”, but they liked the taste. Robin and I really, really liked it.
Sauce:
1 bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/4 t. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz. extra lean ground turkey breast
2 T. balsamic vinegar

Filling:
2 c. fat-free cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1/4 t. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
12 pieces lasagna pasta, cooked
12-14 fresh basil leaves
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. fresh spinach leaves
2 T. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and cook onion until soft, then add garlic. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Add spaghetti sauce and vinegar, heat for about a minute and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together cottage cheese, egg whites, nutmeg and pepper: set aside. In another bowl mix together zucchini and mozzarella cheese and set aside.

In the bottom of a 9x13in pan, evenly spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce. Place 3 pieces of pasta on the sauce without overlapping. Now build your lasagna layers starting with ½ cup of your cottage cheese mixture. Next comes all of your basil leaves followed by your mushrooms and 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Now add 3 more noodles, 1 cup zucchini mixture, and spread your spinach over the top evenly. Add ½ cup cottage cheese mixture and three more noodles. Add remaining sauce, zucchini mixture and top with the Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes: uncover and cook another 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Seco de Pollo (or Seco de Gallina)
This is an Ecuadorian dish that Robin grew up with. These measurements are estimates since I learned how to cook it from my suegra (mother-in-law) and she told me just use “some of this” and “some of that”. She knows how to do it without measuring of course. This is kind of my version of it. We usually have it with yellow rice and fried plantains, but we had used up the plantains so I fried potatoes instead. (It’s a good way to get kids to eat veggies without them knowing.)

The Sazón that I use comes in a small box and has individual envelopes of seasoning inside. The kind I use is with coriander & annatto. Not all supermarkets carry it, but I find it at Wal-Mart in the Latin foods section.
1/2 onion
1 green pepper
2 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh cilantro
1 t. cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
1 envelope Sazón by Goya
2 t. canola oil
Juice from ½ lime or lemon
Water
1 lb. chicken (cut in parts or boneless, skinless breasts)

Place all ingredients except the chicken in a blender. Add enough water to blend well. Put in half of the mixture in a skillet and put chicken on top. Pour remaining mixture on top of chicken. Cover and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked, adding a little water and mixing into sauce occasionally as needed. (Cooking time will vary depending on size of chicken pieces.)

Light Broccoli and Cheese Soup
I made only half a batch since I wasn’t sure if we’d like it, but we did and next time I will make a full batch. I used skim milk and it turned out fine for us.

1 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 (16-oz.) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 c. low-fat milk
1/3 c. flour
1/4 t. black pepper
8 oz. light processed cheese, cubed (Velveeta Light)

Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Chocolate Caramel Bars
I forgot to buy milk chocolate chips so I used the semisweet that I had on hand. The way the butter is listed in the ingredients is a bit confusing. I thought that probably it was saying to put 1 cup of butter in cold and the 2 tablespoons melted since you are supposed to have a crumbly mixture, but I wasn’t sure. I just melted the whole thing and it wasn’t crumbly at all, so I think the 1 cup is supposed to be cold. That's okay. It still turned out an ooey-gooey yumminess. Make sure to make this ahead of time so the caramel can set before you need to cut.1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. old fashioned oats

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. soda

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. + 2 T. butter, melted

1 (14-oz.) bag of caramels (48)

1/2 c. whipping cream

1 pkg. (12-oz) milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, oats, salt, soda, brown sugar, and butter. Mix well to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 of crumbly mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Melt caramels in whipping cream over low heat. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture and top with melted caramel. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture on top. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake
This is my new favorite cake!!! It doesn’t taste low-fat at all. There isn’t a strong pumpkin flavor. To me it tastes like a moist chocolate spice cake. I didn’t have pastry flour so I substituted about ½ cup of cake flour and ¼ cup all-purpose flour for the pastry flour and then added the 1 cup all-purpose flour. I also threw in about ¾ cup chocolate chips to the batter before pouring into the pan. The recipe came from Eating Well , where they have lots of tempting, but healthy recipes.

1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. salt
1 c. nonfat buttermilk
1 (15-oz.) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 c. dark brown sugar packed
1 lg. egg at room temperature
1 lg. egg white at room temperature
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 T. vanilla extract
Glaze & Garnish:
1/2 c. packed powdered sugar
1 T. nonfat buttermilk
2 T. mini chocolate chips or toasted chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.

Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.

To glaze & garnish cake: Combine powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.

Mix it Up! V

Orange Chicken
I found this recipe at Cheap Dinner Date . I know the sauce has a long list of ingredients, but it is very easy. The next time I make it, I will add a little less orange, as requested by my children. I think it's very flavorful.

2 lbs. of chicken, cut up
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 eggs beaten
Sauce:
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 T. orange juice
1/3 c. rice vinegar
2 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 T. finely grated orange peel
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. ginger root
1/2 t. garlic
2 T. finely chopped green onion
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the eggs, then in the flour mixture and fry in oil until it's cooked through. In a saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, orange peel, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Pour into sauce and stir until it thickens a little. Pour over the chicken.

Chicken Broccoli Penne Bake
Quick and easy! I didn't grill my chicken this time, but I have before and it makes it extra special.
8 oz. penne pasta, cooked
4 oz. alfredo sauce
3 oz. steamed broccoli
1 oz. diced tomato
2.5 oz grilled chicken breast
3 oz. mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cooked penne in individual oven baking dish with the penne pasta hot. Pour alfredo sauce evenly over the hot pasta. Place broccoli evenly on top of the alfredo sauce, followed by chicken, diced tomatoes and then mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a pinch of shredded parmesan cheese over the entire entree. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is completely melted and light brown, about 20 minutes.

Italian-Sauced Pasta Cake
I first made this when I was a newlywed from a cookbook from my parents. Sabrina won't eat pasta except in this and she eats a lot of it. I don't go by these measurements since we have to multiply it for us. My family prefers me to make individual servings on their plate and microwave them separately. Whatever works for you. The photo is before I microwaved it. 1 (7-oz.) pkg. uncooked angel hair pasta
3 T. oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. parsley flakes
1 c. spaghetti sauce
1 oz. sliced fully cooked pepperoni
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Rinse and drain. Place pasta in large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat. Set aside. Heat remaining oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, parsley and pasta, pressing into an even layer. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Invert onto 12-inch round serving plate browned side-up. Spread sauce over top of pasta cake to within 1 inch of edge. Arrange pepperoni evenly over sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave at 70% (MEDIUM-HIGH) for 6 to 8 minutes, or until pasta cake is hot and cheese is melted, rotating the plate twice. Serve in wedges.

Potato Spinach Soup
I didn’t make it with the cheese, but it was good without. I think it would be good with some mushrooms thrown in too. Or you could crumble a little bit of bacon on top. I mashed some of the potatoes with a potato masher.
1/4 c. butter
1 lg. onion
2 stalks celery, cut fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. flour
3 c. chicken broth or water
2 c. potatoes, cubed
2 t. salt
1 c. spinach, chopped
1/2 c. cream
Swiss cheese or parmesan cheese, grated

Melt butter in a pan. Add onions and celery. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir. Blend in flour, and add potatoes, water and salt. Stir constantly until boiling. Simmer 30 minutes. Add spinach cook 2 minutes. Then add cream and mix well. Top with grated cheese.

Raspberry Almond Bars
These are rich.
½ c. butter
1 pkg. white chips, divided
2 eggs
½ c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 t. almond extract
½ c. seedless raspberry jam
¼ c. sliced or chopped toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan (or a 7 x 11-inch pan).Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup white morsels. Do not stir. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar, beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter (about 1 cup) into prepared pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack. Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Drop Brownies
These are super easy and fudgy. Just be careful not to overbake them. They don’t really look done at first, but they are. They often stick for me, so I use my silicone baking mat or I grease the cookie sheets very lightly even though the original recipe said to use ungreased cookie sheets.2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine first 3 ingredients in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping half-way through to stir. Then stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in flour.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I couldn’t find the extra serving size crust at the store so I made it with a regular one and had quite a bit of extra filling. I have since found the right crust so I’ll try it again the right way, but it was still very good and simple. I ran out of time to try it with the chocolate topping, but that can only make it better, right? I used fat-free cream cheese and no one seemed to notice or complain while they were inhaling their dessert. I found the recipe at Blogger Buffet , where it looks like you can contribute recipes if you’d like.
3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. mini semisweet chips
1 extra serving size (9 oz.) graham cracker crust
2 T. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 450º. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in 1 2/3 c. chocolate chips; pour into crust. Bake 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce temperature to 250; continue baking 30 minutes or just until set. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Place remaining 1/3 c. chocolate chips and whipping cream in small bowl. Microwave on high 20 to 30 seconds or just until melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly and spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set.

Fudgy Raspberry Brownies
Wow!!!! These are so good I couldn’t stop eating them so I had to give the rest away quickly.
1 c. butter
4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate squares or 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam
Glaze:
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
4 (1-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking squares

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9x13-inch baking pan. Place butter and chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave 30 seconds; stir until smooth; set aside.

Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, until well mixed. Add melted chocolate mixture; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and salt. Beat just until mixed. Spread batter into greased pan.

Stir jam until smooth. Drop tablespoonfuls of jam evenly over batter. Swirl jam through batter using knife. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set and brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely.

Place whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until cream begins to boil (1 to 2 minutes). Add semisweet chocolate; remove from heat. Stir with wire whisk until smooth. Spread over brownies.