cream of celery soup

 

I got a big bunch of celery from my produce co-op and it was accumulating because I got a big bunch the time before so I made this easy, healthy celery soup (I lightened it up) and we all really liked it!  I'll make it again because how many ants on a log can one family eat?

cream of celery soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 pounds celery, coarsely chopped

1/4 pound carrots, julienned

1/4 pound onions, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used a little less)

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper

6 cups hot milk (I used about 4 cups)

1/2 cup butter (I used 2 tablespoons butter)

dill for serving

Pour chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add celery, carrots and onion to the pot.

Whisk flour, salt, pepper and milk together in a bowl; add to the pot along with butter.

Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into the soup.

Serve and sprinkle a little dill on top.

stuffed mini peppers

 

A friend shared this recipe and it is SO good!  It's quite possibly my very favorite way to eat mini sweet peppers.

stuffed mini peppers (adapted from fifteenspatulas, suggested to me by my friend Tiffany)

1 pound mini sweet peppers

8 ounces light cream cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (1/3 cup measured)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

De-stem peppers then cut each in half. 

In a large bowl, stir to combine the cream cheese, parmesan, garlic, jalapeno and black pepper.

Fill the cut peppers with small spoonfuls of filling.

Roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden on the edges.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta

 

I had a big zucchini to use that I got in a big box of produce from a co-op I just joined so looked for a recipe and this looked so good...and it was!!  Excellent recipe.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta (love & lemons)

1 pound zucchini, about 3 medium, cut into 1-inch half-moons (my zucchini was big so I quartered it)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, for squeezing

crumbled feta cheese or parmesan cheese, grated

fresh herbs for serving

Preheat oven to 435 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and several grinds of black pepper.  Spread it evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and squeeze with lemon.  Sprinkle with cheese and herbs, if desired.

grilled lemon herb mediterranean chicken

 

Delicious!  I marinaded the chicken in half the marinade/dressing then drizzled a little bit over the chicken and it was delicious!!  Wonderful chicken for a bowl or salad.

grilled lemon herb mediterranean chicken (cafedelites.com)

marinade/dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

cracked pepper to taste

1-2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

for a bowl:  rice, avocado, red onion, tzatziki sauce, hummus, pickled peppers, etc.

for a salad: romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, kalamata olives, feta

Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a bowl.  Pour our half of the marinade into a large shallow dish.  Refrigerate the remaining dressing to use later.

Add the chicken to the marinade in the shallow dish.  Marinade for 15-30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Once chicken is ready, grill on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.  Drizzle with remaining drizzle.

street cart grilled chicken

Excellent chicken!  It was a part of a recipe for street cart salad but honestly the chicken was the very best part.  I wasn't crazy about the dressing part of the recipe but definitely want to make the chicken again and again.  It would be great in a salad with your favorite dressing or in naan with hummus and tzatziki sauce and veggies.  I made pickled onions as part of our meal and those are great with this chicken in a salad or in naan.

street cart grilled chicken (adapted from skinnytaste)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Season the chicken with lemon juice, garlic, cumin, oil, salt and spices.  Set aside at least 15 minutes or as long as over night.

Grill to perfection and enjoy!

asian chicken meatballs

 

These are awesome!  My son could sit and eat the whole pan.

asian chicken meatballs (skinnytaste)

1 pound ground chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 scallions, finely chopped

1 large egg

1/3 cup panko

for the sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

sesame seeds and fresh green onions for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place all off the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl.  Use your hands to combine them well, but no need to over-mix.  Shape the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs.

Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake them until they are cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.  

When the meatballs are done, prepare the sauce.  Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.  Pour the sauce into a large skillet over low heat, whisking until it begins to boil then cook 30-60 seconds, until the sauce thickens.

Turn the heat off immediately and gently toss in the meatballs and coat well, or pour over the top.

Sprinkle with fresh green onions and sesame seeds.

marinated shrimp salad

 

This salad was really good!  This recipe came with a homemade dressing but it wasn't my favorite so I grabbed some dressing from the fridge.  Excellent shrimp marinade.

marinated shrimp salad (BH&G, June 2022)

12 ounces frozen shrimp, thawed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 heads butterhead lettuce

1 1/2 c ups thinly sliced English cucumber

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced radishes

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, halved, peeled and diced

In a medium bowl toss together shrimp, lemon juice, dill and olive oil.  Season with salt and ground black pepper.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a large platter arrange lettuce and veggies and avocado.  Add shrimp.  Serve with salad dressing.