Carrot Soup

This is perfect for the early day of spring or anytime.

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, peeled cut into quarters

20 - 30 baby carrots

1 - 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

1/3 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

2 tsp. flour

1 /2 - 1 tsp. maple syrup

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 F’

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut ends from, chop baby carrots and celery

Peel, rinse, cut onions into chunks.

Peel, crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle salt, pepper over vegetables, place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 - 30 min.

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, flour and stir to make a roux.

Remove vegetables from oven very carefully.

Add oil to pan.

Add vegetables, cook for 15 - 20 min, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid and cook for 10 - 15 min. more.

 Turn off stove, remove pot from heat, add maple syrup, sour cream to soup, blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.

Hot Honey Popcorn

 This is perfect for game night, movie night or anytime.

1 bag microwave popcorn

1/8 tsp. each: red pepper flakes, hot sauce, black pepper 

1 T. honey

1/4 - 1/3 c. butter

Microwave popcorn according to package instructions.

While popcorn’s cooking, preheat pot to medium heat. 

Lower heat to low, add butter until melted.

When butter’s melted, add honey, pepper, pepper flakes and hot sauce. 

Stir butter for 1 - 2 min. with a clean rubber scraper or a clean wooden spoon. 

When popcorn’s popped, carefully remove it from microwave and pour into a bowl.

Turn stove off,  let butter cool for a few seconds and very carefully pour butter over popcorn.

Serves 2 - 4.

Think Spring Bacon Bites

 This is my take on the viral bacon trend.

This is perfect for spring, a March Madness watching get together, or anytime.

1 c. softened cream cheese

6 - 8 strips bacon

12 green onions

Rinse & cut ends from green onions, set aside.

Remove cream cheese from refrigerator to soften a little bit, set aside. 

Preheat skillet to medium high heat, lover heat to medium & place bacon in skillet.

Cook bacon on both sides to desired donenes. 

When bacon’s finished cooking, turn off stove and transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

To assemble:

Crumple bacon into pieces.

With a clean knife, smear cream cheese onto the green onion ends. 

Roll green onions in crumbled bacon pieces to coat.

Serves 4.

Friday Night Flounder

This is perfect for Fridays during Lent or anytime.

 

1 lb. flounder fillets
1/4 tsp. each: salt, black pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
Non - stick cooking spray
2 T. olive oil 

1 T. balsamic vinegar 

Preheat oven to 375’ F. 

Spray cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Sprinkle: salt, pepper, granulated garlic over both sides of fish.

Drizzle olive oil, vinegar over both sides of fish.


Bake for 15 - 20 min or until done. 


Serves 4.

Winter’s Almost Over Soup

This is perfect for winter or anytime 

3 sweet potatoes, cut into pieces

1 onion, peeled, rinsed, cut into pieces

1 cloves garlic peeled, rinsed, crushed

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper

non stick cooking spray

1/2 - 1 tsp. maple syrup

2 - 3 T. each: unsalted butter, olive oil

4 - 6 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375’ F. 

Spray cooking sheet with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut ends from, cut sweet potatoes into pieces. 

Peel, rinse, cut onions into pieces.

Peel and crush garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, sprinkle some of the salt, pepper over vegetables.

Place vegetables in oven to cook for 20 - 30 min. 

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Add butter, oil to pan

Remove vegetables from oven carefully.

Add vegetables, rest of salt, pepper, cook for 10 - 15, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth to vegetables, cover pot with lid.

Reduce heat and cook for 15 - 20 min. more.

Turn off stove, remove soup from heat.

Add sour cream & maple syrup to soup,  use an immersion blender to blend until soup is blended.

Serves 4 - 6.