Hungarian Mushroom Soup

January 9, 2014 Recipes No comments

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m on a soup kick! Even though I don’t even need a sweater most days here in the East Bay, I realize the rest of the country is in the deep freeze. This recipe is just what the doctor ordered. I was in the mood do something different… and also had the hankering for something with mushrooms. I thought maybe traditional cream of mushroom soup would be nice… but in my research, came across a recipe for Hungarian Mushroom Soup instead. I was game… and now, I am in love!

hungarian mushroom soupx

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

4 TBSP Butter

2 cups onion, chopped

1lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp. dill weed

1 TBSP paprika

1 TBSP soy sauce

2 cups chicken broth

 1 cup milk

3 TBSP flour

1 tsp salt

black pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat, saute onion for about 5 minutes, then add mushroom and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in dill, paprika, soy sauce, and broth. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk milk and flour. Slowly pour mixture into soup, stirring. Cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Stir in salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley, and sour cream. Cook for another 3-5 minutes to heat through, but do not bring to a boil. Serve.

Thoughts

This soup was even better than I could have imagined. It was so delicious that I can’t wait to make it again. If you are serving your entire family, I highly recommend making a double batch. If you eat soup the way I eat soup, you will not have enough to serve a family of four.

I would also highly recommend using a quality paprika, whole milk, and fresh parsley… do not skimp of the fresh parsley and try using dried… the fresh parsley truly makes this dish.

Yes, I am sure you can reduce the fat content on this recipe by cutting down the butter, using a healthier stock, using fat free milk, and sour cream… and if you must, you must… but I am telling you… it is delicious as can be, as is… and if you can hold back from eating the whole pot at once… what’s the bid deal? ;)

Let me know if you try it. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Easy and Delicious Italian Sausage Soup

January 6, 2014 Five Ingredient Recipes, Quick and Easy Meals, Recipes No comments

You want to talk about easy? Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this soup recipe! You think because it is easy to make that it isn’t absolutely delicious? I am telling you right now, I made this soup last week… and it was gone it two days! My only regret is not making a double batch!

Baby it’s cold out there… and there is nothing like a nice hot bowl of spicy soup to warm you heart and soul.

Easy and Delicious Italian Sausage Soup

Easy and Delicious Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients

1lb. Hot Italian sausage, ground

1 Cup white rice (I used Uncle Ben’s)

1 Can petite diced tomatoes

1/2lb. Fresh spinach

6 cups beef broth

Garnish with cracked black pepper and your choice of grated cheese.

Directions

Brown the sausage in a soup pot, add rice, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook about 15-20 minutes or until rice is done. Remove from heat and add your greens. Serve immediately and garnish with black pepper and grated cheese.

Thoughts

I totally went back and got another bowl of this stuff! I loved it! Even Christopher, who does not care for cooked greens enjoyed his bowl. He didn’t go back for seconds, but I was impressed that he gave it a shot. He said he thought it was delicious. It really does make a difference if you add the greens at the end once the pot is off the heat.

I used spicy Italian sausage because I like everything with a little kick… however, if you don’t, you can always use a more mild sausage. I am hoping my baby girl will grow up to like things spicy, but if she doesn’t, I may have to alter many of my recipes for a few years!

I use Uncle Ben’s rice in this recipe because it seems to stand up well. By that, I mean it doesn’t get all soft and mushy like some other rices… and tends to keep well and reheat well so that your next meal is as good as the first.

I have not tried it, but you could probably use fresh tomatoes, if you have them, or even frozen spinach if you can’t get your hands on fresh.

 

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

January 4, 2014 Quick and Easy Meals, Recipes No comments

I love soup, and even though I live in Northern California, winters can get down right chilly! Soup always seems to provide that little something extra to help keep us warm and well fed. Keeping in theme with the “new mom – no time” theme, I am forever in search of recipes that are quick and easy… this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is just that!

This recipe calls for 2 chicken breasts, but I purchased a package of chicken tenders because they were much cheaper… and they have to be cut anyway. Why not?

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts or pk of tenders

1 TBSP olive oil

3+ cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen corn

1 can white beans

1 med-large onion, chopped

1 tsp chili powder

1.5 TBSP lemon juice

10oz Salsa

Tortillas and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Directions:

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and cook through. Add cumin and garlic and cook another minute. Add broth, salsa, corn, onion, beans, chili powder, and lemon juice. Stir and simmer on med-low for about 20-30 minutes. Serve with tortillas and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.

I loved this soup and loved how quick and easy it was to make. I used hot salsa in my batch… so it was a bit spicy, but I enjoy some heat. I know it’s called chicken tortilla soup, but you could totally serve this soup with white or brown rice and eliminate the cheese for a healthier version. I look forward to making this again this winter.

 

Quick and Easy Cheeseburger Rice

January 1, 2014 Quick and Easy Meals, Recipes No comments

I love to cook, but being a new mom has left me spending much more time with baby… and a lot less time in the kitchen.  For the first few months after the baby was born, we ate a lot of take-out, and things that come in packages. That is OK for a while, but even a quick home cooked meal is better than fast food… especially if it can be done in a half hour of less.

Most quick and east recipes are not glamorous… and as you can see are not much to look at, but they are tasty, will feed your family, and allow you to spend more time on things that really matter… like being there for baby… or catching up on some much needed rest.

This recipe is quite simple. It’s not the healthiest, but can be made a bit healthier by using ground turkey instead of ground beef and possibly using a lower fat cheese, and brown rice.

Quicka nd Easy Cheesburger Rice

Cheeseburger Rice

1 lb. Ground Beef or Turkey

2 cups cooked rice  (I use Uncle Ben)

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium onion chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

Cook onion and ground meat together in a deep frying pan until meat is brown. Add in garlic and stir. Add tomatoes and heat through. Add cooked rice and cook until warm. Remove pan from the heat and stir in your desired amount of cheese – stir, and serve.

I didn’t get any complaints about this meal. Granted, it’s nothing special, but it’s a complete one pan meal that you can get cooked and served in less than a half hour. If you are pressed for time this is a great option for dinner!

Creamy Corn & Bacon Cheese Dip

December 15, 2013 Five Ingredient Recipes, Recipes No comments

Getting back into the kitchen has been a challenge, but what better way to kick of the holiday season than to start whipping up some hot dips! The moment I came across this recipe at WineAndGlue.com, I just knew it would be the first trial of my return to food blogging! I mean, come on… it has bacon… and who doesn’t love bacon? Please note: I did not follow their recipe exactly. I went ahead and made my own changes to suit our tastes. For the original recipe, see the linked website.

Creamy Corn and bacon cheese dip

Creamy Corn and Bacon Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

8oz. cream cheese

12oz. bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked

4.5oz. can of diced jalapenos

14oz. can cream corn

1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Using a hand mixer, blend cream corn and cream cheese
  3. Stir in the bacon and the jalapenos (drained)
  4. Top with cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes
  5. Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes
  6. Serve with tortilla chips

I loved this recipe. It was quick, easy, and involves only 5 ingredients! It was warm and delicious… and is bound to bring cheer to any holiday party!

The original recipe called for a 1/2 pound of bacon, but since I had a 12oz. package, I just cooked it all and used it all. I figured, how can using more bacon be wrong… cause if that is wrong, I definitely don’t want to be right! The original also called for the use of pepper jack cheese… but instead, I used Monterrey Jack… I do love spicy food, but I figured the jalapenos would add enough heat. I was right!

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. If you have a recipe you’d like me to try at my blog, visit my contact page and let me know about it.

I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season. Eat well!

Getting back into the swing…

December 14, 2013 Life, Photos, poetry & Art No comments

This is just a quick update to let my readers know that I have not forgotten about my blog. The truth is, it has taken me a little bit longer than expected to adjust to having a new baby. I knew it would be time consuming, but I could have never prepared for just how much. I am not complaining, mind you… I could not be happier, and enjoy spending every precious moment that I can will my little girl.

Slowly, but surly… I am finding more and more time in my day to get back to doing some of the things I did before becoming a mother. In the near future, I plan to start blogging more recipes and more life events as they happen.

As I write this, my darling daughter is waking up from her nap… it’s kind of poetic, isn’t it. With the holidays quickly approaching, I am hoping to cook up some delicious treats for my loved ones… and then pass them on to you.

Here’s to life, and finding balance.

4twit

 

Madeline Louise Bradford: Birth Announcement

August 5, 2013 Life No comments

Madeline Louise Bradford Birth Announcement

Christopher and I welcomed our newborn baby girl into the world on July 28th 2013. We are taking a short break to spend some quality bonding time with our Madeline Louise, but regular updates to JenniferChiera.com will return within a week or two. In the meantime, please feel free to explore, check out the beach cams, or ask questions. I will still respond to e-mails and inquiries. Thank you very much for visiting JenniferChiera.com – we’ll see you again soon. xoxo

To check out more photos of Madeline Louise Bradford, please feel free to check out my instagram page – http://instagram.com/manicgirl

Grape Tomatoes and Mushrooms

July 24, 2013 Recipes No comments

Grape Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Here’s a quick and easy recipe… especially if you currently have some grape tomatoes coming out of the garden. This is delicious as a side dish hot – or eat in or as a salad cold. Either way the flavor of the mushrooms gently seasoned and the flavor of the grape tomatoes is one of my new favorites.

Ingredients:

You can use as much or as little of the ingredients as you wish.

Ingredients I used:

  • 2 packages of white mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 container of grape tomatoes (store bought, unfortunately)
  • 1-2 TBSP butter
  • seasoned salt
  • parsely
  • black pepper
  • garlic olive oil

Directions:

Melt butter in pan and cook mushrooms for several minutes until they start to sweat and release their juices. Add some seasoned salt during the process to help with the release and add a touch of flavor. Put grape tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with garlic olive oil to coat. Add to pan with mushrooms and stir. Add some parsley and black pepper. Continue to cook on med until grape tomatoes are soft and starting to wilt. Serve hot, warm, or cool.

grape tomatoes and mushrooms being prepared

Reviews:

I love this recipe. It’s delicious, easy, and goes with just about any meal. Christopher liked it but thought the grape tomatoes should have been sliced for cooking. I disagree… simply because the end result would be completely different, as there would be a lot more fluid in the pan. I would consider doing it this way if I was intending on putting the finished product over pasta or rice.

Easy Meatloaf (4 Ingredients)

July 23, 2013 Four Ingredient Recipes, Recipes One comment

easy meatloaf made with four ingredients

I love meatloaf. I love trying other people’s meatloaf and meatloaf recipes. I think the best meatloaf I ever had was in an Italian restaurant in Sausalito,California. The flavor, and the way the meat held together so perfectly literally made me want to cry. It was delicious. The easy meatloaf only requires ground beef… but I think a really good meatloaf also needs some ground pork.  To prepare the Easy Meatloaf, you will need:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 box Stovetop stuffing
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup water

Directions:

Combine ingredients and press meat mixture into a loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. The meatloaf will turn out of the pan and onto a serving plate quite easily. Serve.

Reviews:

I liked it. It was totally edible/serve-able… but I was left feeling as though it needed something more. I’m going to experiment a bit more with the flavor and texture. I think if I do this recipe again in the future I would put the Stovetop in a food processor and grind it up fine. Then, I would add the water and egg to the Stovetop… blend, then incorporate that into the meat mixture.

Christopher said he liked it. He went back for seconds and the took the leftovers to work for lunch. That is how I know if he really, truly enjoys something. It goes to work with him :) My housemate also thought it was good, but agrees that something is missing.

As is, this meatloaf would go very well with mashed potatoes and a chicken or turkey gravy. I served it with my potato salad recipe.

Porto Flip

July 14, 2013 Cocktails No comments
Porto_Flip
For those that don’t know what a flip is… it is a class of mixed drinks. The term “flip” was first used in 1695 to describe a mixture of beer, rum, and sugar, heated with a red-hot iron. The iron caused the drink to froth, and this frothing (or “flipping”) engendered the name. Over time, the proportion of eggs and sugar increased, the beer was eliminated, and the drink ceased to be served hot.
Ingredients:
1/4 oz brandy
1 1/2 oz ruby port
3/4 oz cream
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 pinch nutmeg

Directions:

Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve.
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