Cooking With Steve And Kim

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Rich and Creamy Tomato Cream Soup

I have to admit that I make a really great grilled cheese sandwich. And what better to compliment my sandwich than a great cup of steaming hot tomato soup? So here's the secret recipe for a wonderful rich and creamy tomato cream soup. I think you'll enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of milk
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper

PREPARATION:
Place all of your ingredients into a blender, cover and process until creamy smooth.

Transfer to a large saucepan; heat until lightly boiling.

Serve this delicious dish with your favorite sandwich, such as grilled cheese, sit back and enjoy.

Steve and kim

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Taco Chip Dip

Image by hober via Flickr

If you're into tacos you'll love this quick and simple dip taco chip dip recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces of fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup of salsa
Place all of this in a pie plate.

AND THEN...
Add: Shredded lettuce or spinach
Chopped green onions
sliced black olives
chopped tomatoes
finely shredded low-fat cheese
Layer this on top of the ingredients that you've put into your pie plate.

Serve with baked tortilla chips or pita chips.

Put on your sombrero, add a little Mexican music in the background, pop open a Corona and enjoy!

Steve and Kim

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Quick, Simple and Crispy Potato Pancakes

Image by churl via Flickr

Try these extra-crispy skillet-sized potato pancakes for breakfast, brunch or supper. They're delicious and everyone will be asking for more.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium sized Russet potatoes
2 tablespoons of salad oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoons of seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 cup of sour cream, optional Parsley sprigs or sliced green onion

PREPARATION:
Put 1 tablespoon of each of the oil and butter in a 6 to 8 inch frying pan with non-stick finish. Set over medium heat to melt the butter.
Add shredded potato. With a fork, press the potato into a compact, even layer that covers the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Uncover and continue cooking over medium heat until the bottom is well browned, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Slide the pancake out onto the lid of the pan or a large plate. Put the remaining oil and butter into the pan. Once the butter melts, invert the pancake back down into the pan.
While it is cooking press down with a fork to compact until bottom is well browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Slide the pancake out onto a warm plate. Cut into wedges to serve.
If you'd like you can top each wedge with sour cream. Garnish with parsley springs or green onion.

Now, yell up the stairs that breakfast is ready and back up cause they'll all come running for this tasty treat.

Steve and Kim

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

THE WORLD'S BEST POTATO WEDGES

Image by rockYOface via Flickr

These tasty golden wedges of potatoes, seasoned with herbs and cheese, are an old family favorite. Easy to make and economical as well. Give this one a try. You'll keep coming back for more, we guarantee it.

INGREDIENTS:
6 medium sized potatoes
Water enough to cover the potatoes while boiling
A dash of salt
3 tablespoons of oil
1/2 teaspoons of salt
A dash of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
A dash of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of Cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:
Scrub unpeeled potatoes well and cut each potato in half lengthwise. Then, cut into even wedges.
Boil potato wedges for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain and pat dry.
Spread the wedges in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Sprinkle with oil, spices and herbs.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Once the cheese is melted bake for another 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
Serve as a snack or with pork chops, chicken, meat loaf or hamburgers.

**If the potato skins are too hard and old, peel the potatoes before cooking. Otherwise, whenevr possible, try to eat the skins. They provide valuable nutrients.

Steve and Kim

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD WITH MANDARIN ORANGE SLICES

Image by startcooking kathy & amandine via Flickr

Here is a salad that is quick and light and has lots of great taste for summer picnics etc. It serves 6-8 huge servings so if that is too much simply reduce the amount to make smaller portions.

INGREDIENTS:

1 2 pound bag of lettuce

1 bag of mixed greens

6 green onions, sliced

2 packages of Ramen noodles broken into pieces (without the seasoning packets)

3/4 cups of slivered almonds

1/2 cup of sesame seeds

Several cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 small can of mandarin oranges

PREPARATION:

Mix together the lettuce, salad mix and onions. Turn the over on to 300 degrees and toast the sesame seeds and almonds for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Toss into the salad and add ramen noodles.

DRESSING:

1 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce

A dash of pepper

1 flavor package from the Ramen Noodles.

Mix together and toss into salad mixture. Top with grilled chicken breasts and mandarin orange slices.

It's a refreshing summer treat that you'll love. Enjoy!

Steve and Kim

Monday, April 19, 2010

DOG CHIPS

Image via Wikipedia

The baseball season is now in full swing and there's nothing better when watching a game than to sit back with a hot dog and a cool drink. Hot dogs and baseball are perfect together. So, here's a recipe that fits the bill for the seventh inning stretch, Dog Chips.
If you can't get to the game or there simply isn't one on that you'd like to watch you can also slip in a movie like Angels in the Outfield, The Bad News Bears, Field of Dreams, A League Of Their Own or even The Rookie and still enjoy this delicious treat.

INDREGIENTS:
4 Hot dogs, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 Tablespoons of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise or a combination of all of them
1 1/2 ounce bag of your favorite potato chips, crushed

PREPARATION:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
In a bowl, toss the hot dog slices with the condiments of your choice until they are completely coated. Pour the potato chip crumbs onto a plate and roll the condiment-coated hot dog slices in the crumbs until well coated. Put the crumb-coated hot dogs on an ungreased baking sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes or until they are golden in color.
Serve with toothpicks and extra condiments for dipping.

Now go find a game. We've got you covered on third base and it's bottom of the ninth and the bases are loaded.

Steve and Kim

Friday, April 16, 2010

Old Fashion Fig Newton Bars

Image via Wikipedia

I love figs. They're full of nutrients that are difficult to get anywhere else and most of all they are delicious. Try this easy recipe for making your own fig-newton bars. I think you love them.

Ingredients
FOR DOUGH:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
4 eggs, divided
FOR FILLING:
2 cups figs, chopped (can use dried)
1 cup orange juice
1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. orange peel, or zest of 1 orange

Directions
FOR DOUGH:
Combine the dry ingredients in a lg. bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter pieces until the dough is sandy loooking.
Whisk 3 eggs together and add to the dough. Mix to combine. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
FOR FILLING:
Combine all the filling ingredients in a saucepan or skillet and cook over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed by the figs and the mixture is thick. Stir during cooking.
Let the filling cool slightly, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
Note* : for an easier version, sub the filling with 2 cups of fig preserves.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375F. Make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg with 2 tsp. of water.
Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface roll out each portion of dough into a rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Work with 1 portion of dough at a time. Cut the dough lengthwise into strips, at least 2 1/2 inches wide.
Paint around the edges of each strip with egg wash. Spoon the fig filling down the center of the strip and then fold the dough over to enclose the filling.
Place the tubes, seam side down, on the greased (or lined with parchment paper) cookie sheet. Press down lightly to flatten. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Brush the newtons with the egg wash and bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Let cool, then cut with a sharp knife into 1-inch pieces.