Becky’s Baked Potato Soup

I am looking out the window at the beautiful Pine trees laden with snow—our first for this year in Delaware. This is, of course, the perfect weather for soup.

Last year when my daughter Becky came to visit in the winter she made a scrumptious soup called Baked Potato Soup. I have made potato soup many times, but never as good as hers.

Trying to think of something different for dinner I remembered that soup. I looked online and found a similar soup but it wasn’t quite the same. Then I found it in one of my favorite recipe files on a card under ‘soups’—just where it should be. Now copy this down and don’t loose it!

    Ingredients:

    6 medium potatoes baked or boiled

    8-10 slices fried crumbled bacon

    5 cups milk

    1 stick butter

    3 sticks chopped celery with leaves

     1 medium onion peeled and chopped

     1 cup chicken broth

     ½ cup flour

     1 cup sour cream

     1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

      salt and pepper to taste

    Directions:

1.      Bake potatoes or boil in water, drain, peel, and cool. Then cut into cubes and set aside.

2.      Fry bacon, drain on paper towel and crumble. Set aside.

3.      Saute' chopped onion and celery in melted butter until tender.

4.      Add flour to butter and veggies. Stir until light brown.

5.      Add broth and milk and stir until thickened.

6.      Add chopped potatoes and combine with sauce.

7.      Add sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

8.      Add cheese and stir until the perfect thickness. Check seasoning.

9.      Serve topped with more shredded cheddar, chopped green onions, bacon bits, and chopped parsley if desired.

Check this out! Hope you will like this as much as we do. Thanks Becky. You are a fabulous cook.  

Dutch Baby Pancake

Have you ever heard of a baked pancake called a Dutch Baby? I first found this recipe in a ladies magazine during the 1990’s. Our family liked it so much that we kept the magazine on the shelf with our favorite cookbooks.

Last weekend, I thought of a Dutch Baby, recalling its puffy crust topped with blueberries and powdered sugar then drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. On Sunday morning I prepared the light pastry, placed it on my favorite platter, and then topped it with whipped cream.

As soon as I took it out of the oven, everyone came to the table eager to try the Dutch Baby. There are several different toppings you can enjoy with this pancake other than berries. Try cooked apples with brown sugar and butter topped with cinnamon—especially good in the fall when apples are ripe or sliced peaches during the summer.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter (melted in large ovenproof skillet)

3 eggs

¾ cup flour

¾ cup milk (warmed for 20 seconds in microwave)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 pint blueberries (or other berries washed and drained. Combine with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in large oven proof skillet and put in oven to melt.
2. Place all ingredients, eggs through salt in blender and combine.
3. Pour blender contents into hot buttered skillet and return to middle of oven.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and brown around edges. Remove to rack and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Carefully remove pancake to large round platter.

Spread with sweetened fruit, sift with powdered sugar, and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk—last decorate with whipped cream. However you choose to adorn your Dutch Baby, I promise one thing—you’ll love it.

Kale Casserole

In Connecticut, I belonged to a farm co-op. We picked up fresh vegetables harvested daily from the farm. Our share was plentiful and sometimes more than we could use.

The farm produced a weekly paper with information about local farms, activities for children, and seasonal vegetables and fruits. Usually there was at least a recipe or two many shared by the other co-op members.

I remember once we had a big crop of kale and I was trying to find more recipes using this healthy green. I hid a few leaves in our smoothies and then went on to make a meatless casserole with eggs, cheese and kale. Everybody in the family liked the dish and I prepared it for my writers’ group as well. The recipe was printed in the co-op paper and also in Baking with Barb in CAPA’s Monthly magazine. Recently I found a good buy on kale and again made Kale Casserole. Try this recipe, feed it to the kids, and feel good about hiding healthy vegetables in your casserole.

 Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

4 cups cubed stale bread

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

¼ cup olive oil or butter

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

¾ cup of milk

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.    Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and spread bread cubes into the dish.

3.    Wash the kale and drain in a strainer. Cut stems from leaves and chop to bite sized pieces.

4.    Place 2-3 tablespoons from the olive oil or butter portion in a large skillet.

5.    Wilt half of greens in skillet and remove to large mixing bowl, wilt remaining greens in butter and add to mixing bowl.

6.     Saute mushrooms and onions in butter until light brown. Mix in bowl with greens.

7.     Add milk, eggs, and mushroom soup to vegetables and toss in two cups of cheese.

8.     Pour kale mixture over bread pieces in casserole dish. Sprinkle casserole with remaining cup of cheese. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and light brown.

This casserole will serve about 8 to 10 people or make two smaller dishes and freeze one for another time. Refrigerate leftovers. Enjoy!

German Sweet Bread (Stollen)

What a perfect day to bake Stollen! The snow was floating down in thick clumps and it was Christmas Eve. It brought back happy memories of holiday seasons past--the decorated tree, wrapped Christmas gifts, stockings hanging by the fire, and joyful children racing through the house.

I miss those festive days, but will pass the joy on to you. This recipe was given to me by a friend who got it from her mother who came to the United States from Germany. We liked it so much that we ate it not just at Christmas, but also for brunches on special occasions, winter or summer. I entered the stollen in a baking contest in the summer, decorated with Black-eyed Susan s made of candied pineapple petals and sliced date centers. It won first place  and was published in The Elwood Call Leader in Elwood, Indiana, in the mid 1970's.

The decorations in Winter are usually candied cherries--red or green and pecans. This recipe makes four medium sized loaves that you can share with your friends as gifts or at your next party. Don't forget to get the children involved in the preparation. Watch out for the Santas in your house. In my home they nearly polished off an entire loaf before we got up on Christmas morning.

 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
2 packs of yeast or 2 scant tablespoons
pinch of sugar

1 1/4 cups milk (Scalded)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 beaten eggs
5 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup plumped raisins (Measure raisins and soak in 1/2 cup warm water for about 10 minutes)
1/2 cup candied fruit (Citron, cherries, pineapple-your choice)
lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Directions:
1. Put lukewarm water in small bowl; add pinch of sugar and yeast. Stir and allow to set until foamy...

2. Meanwhile scald milk, do not boil! add sugar, butter, salt and cool to lukewarm.

3. Add eggs, yeast mixture and 3 cups of flour. Mix until smooth.

4. Add spices, raisins (drained), citron, lemon zest, nuts, and remaining flour a cup at a time. Knead on floured surface to form a soft dough. Form into a ball, place in large buttered bowl and let rise until double in bulk.

5. After rising, Cut into four equal pieces and flatten each into oval shapes. Butter and fold in half,long ways. Place two breads each long ways on greased cookie sheets. Cover with warm towel and allow to rise until double. Bake 375 degrees for 25 minutes until light brown. Remove to rack and cool. Ice with butter frosting and decorate with candied fruit. Share!