Onion Soup

This one is a favorite at our house all year long. Since we had extra chicken broth on hand, we decided to make this for dinner (along with my Ham & Spinach Quiche, recipe will be published next).

Onion Soup
Yield: 6 servings

4 tbsp of butter
4 Large Sweet Onions, sliced
5 c of chicken stock
One pinch of dried thyme
One pinch of dried parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 c of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Mozarella Cheese

Optional:
2 tbsp of cognac
Croutons

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a pot. Add the sliced onions and cook for 30-45 mins until soft and beginning to brown.
• Add the chicken stock, and turn the heat to medium to high. Bring just to a boil. Turn down to simmer.
• Add herbs, cognac, pepper and salt to taste. Cook for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
• Place croutons & one tbsp of parmesan cheese on the bottom of bowl (or skip this if you prefer them without croutons). Add soup, top with mozarella cheese.
• Bake for 10 mins until cheese melts.

Crab Rangoons

While I have not been able to put in any entries to the food blog, the cooking did not stop at our house! This weekend, we decided to try our hands on the delicious Crab Rangoons, yes, those yummy little delicacies you find at Chinese restaurants. Red and I purchased some frozen ones at Sam's Club several months ago and they were okay. Not very great.

This was our first attempt, and we were very pleased at how well they turned out! The filling is chunky and has a good flavor combination of just enough tanginess & sweetness. It looks like we found ourselves a winner!

Crab Rangoons
Yield: 24 pieces

1/3 lb imitation krab meat, chopped
1 package light cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp light soy-sauce
24 won-ton skins
Vegetable oil

In a small mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together except the won ton skins and oil.
Place one generous teaspoon of filling on the center of won ton skin.
Moisten all four edges with water.
Press the closest two edges together and seal. Repeat for all four edges. Seal tight to ensure no air is trapped inside the bag.
Deep fry won-tons, turn once, until all sides are golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve with sweet & sour sauce.

Breakfast Fruit Parfait

Breakfast is probably the hardest meal to prepare since I'm always in rush to get out the door in the morning. But I created this delicious parfait last year that is flexible, yet easy to prepare and full of nature goodness.

Breakfast Fruit Parfait

1 small organic banana, sliced
1/3 cup of berries (My fave is blueberries)
1 c. of organic french vanilla yogurt (My fave: Stonyfield)
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
Granola topping, optional

Layer bananas and berries on a small bowl.
Top with yogurt.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and granola.

Yield: 1 serving

Grilled Chicken Breast with Red Wine & Feta Cheese

Red and I always buy this big pack of chicken breast (10-12/pack). So we always try to find a creative way to cook them. This was the recipe that Red thought of today.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Red-Wine and Feta Cheese

3 chicken breast
6 strips of center-cut bacon
1/3 c. of feta cheese

Marinade:
2 c. of red wine (we used a dry German wine)
1/2 c. of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of pure honey
one clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of Herbs du Provence (can be obtained from grocery store)

• Mix in the marinade ingredients together.
• Flatten the chicken breast to about 1/2 inch. thickness and soak in the marinade for at least an hour.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and place on a flat surface (such as cutting board).
• Place two strips of bacon under each chicken breast, sprinkle cheese on top, and roll them. Secure them with two toothpicks. Repeat the process for all of them.
• Grill them for about 15 minutes, turning approximately every five minutes, until the juices run clear.
  
• Serve them with vegetables or salad.
  

Yield: 3 servings

Delightful Blueberries Squares

I decided to make this yummy fruity treats to use up our big pack of fresh blueberries.

Delightful Blueberries Squares

2. c of crushed vanilla wafers
2 tbs of butter melted
3/2 c. of sugar
1/4 c. of cornstarch
1/4 c. of water
3 c. of fresh blueberries, divided
3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of grated lemon peel
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 tbs. confectioners' sugar
2 c. miniature marshmallows

• Combine wafers and butter, press into a greased 8-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 deg until browned. Cool.
• Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Whisk water gradually with a whisker until smooth. Add 1.5 cups of blueberries, bring to boil, cook and stir for 1-1.5 minutes until thickened. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon peels and remaining blueberries. Cool completely.
• Using a small cooking bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken, and add confectioners' sugar. Beat until small peaks form and add in marshmallows.
• Spread over crust, top with blueberries topping.
• Cover and refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes.

Yield: 9 servings

Eat, Drink and Be Married!

As our wedding day gets closer (27 days and not counting!), I decided to add more things to do for myself - and create a food blog!

"Red", as I dearly call my future husband who's red-headed, and I have been cooking up a storm at our house since we moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, five months ago. Early on when we just started dating, we used to schedule our weekend solely around "where we'd eat". We really miss the variety of food that we could find when we were living in Michigan (Lansing for me, and Dearborn area for Red).

Since we both are just huge foodies, I thought having a Food Blog would be appropriate. Here you will find all types of recipes that we try at home and commentary on the restaurants that we try (which probably won't be too many, unless we travel).

Thank you for reading my blog.