d's delights- cooking and crafts

My latest new recipe is a minestrone that originally came from my Taste of Home Cookbook.   I used to pour over ToH magazines looking for new and interesting recipes.   I still have them… though I don’t really know why because I’m sure all the things I’d like are on the internet now!  This turned out really good, and it is packed with vegetables and flavor.   Perfect for the kind of November weather we’ve been having here lately.   (It’s currently grey, spitting and ugly snow and is VERY cold!) The original recipe can be found here . Here is what I did to change it up. My changes are in red ·          2 cups coarsely chopped onions   (about 2-3 white onions) ·          1 cup sliced celery (about 2-3 stalks) ·          1/4 cup minced fresh parsley   (I didn’t use parsley… didn’t have any) ·    ...

Calico Coleslaw   This is a recipe that I made way back in 2005, on May 7.  This year, I made it for our Mother’s Day BBQ at my brother-in-law and new sister-in-law’s house.  I made note that it was really good, but that it took a lot of prep work.  Well, I was able to cut down the prep work by using my big food processor that I did not have way back then.   It’s very colorful, and tastes as beautiful as it is!   First, make the dressing: DRESSING 1 orange (zest and juice) ¼ C Rice vinegar (I used a mix of apple cider and white wine because my rice vinegar was expired) 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons honey (umm, I always add more honey…) 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro  (ok, just do like Rachael Ray and eyeball it!) ½ teaspoon salt.   Zest the orange (about a teaspoon worth), and juice to measure at least 2 tablespoons worth. (I just use what it gives me, even if it’s more!)  Mix the ingredients together and...

South Beach Vegetable Beef Soup As it is Fall, it is once again time for soups and chilis.   I have posted several of my favorites on here, but here is one I haven’t posted.   It is from a South Beach Diet cookbook.   Its for phase one, so it is quite low in the glycemic index area.   Also, the cabbage and spinach are super good for you.   I don’t always like spinach or cabbage by themselves, but I like this soup.   It’s quite hearty… really more like a stew, or as Rachael Ray calls it, “Stoup.” I typically double the recipe and it makes a HUGE pot full.   I double it because I hate having leftover cabbage and spinach!   I just buy a cabbage already cut in half, and a smaller bag of frozen spinach!   It freezes well, so I have some for several months. Ingredients: Olive Oil 1 lb Steak (top round) cut in cubes.   You can also use pre-cut beef for stews. 1 Rib of celery ½ Large Onion ¼ lb Frozen Cut Green Beans 5 Cups ...

A new twist on the old slaw… Here is another slaw recipe- with a spicy twist Moroccan Cabbage and Carrot Slaw Dressing: ½ C Mayo 2 tbs Fresh Lemon Juice (Basically the juice of one lemon) 2 scallions, thinly sliced 2 tsp granular sugar substitute 1 tsp ground cumin Salt and pepper 1 head of green cabbage, shredded (4-5 C) 3 medium carrots, shredded I got the bagged stuff at the store and also used red cabbage.   I also used all the greens of the scallions by slicing them julienne style and adding to the slaw. This would make a surprising new dish for a pitch in!

SB Slaw Here is the slaw recipe I made today.   I did not shred my own cabbage- bought the store bought shredded stuff.   I would prefer it fresh-   but sacrifices have to be made when you are trying to eat healthy while dealing with a toddler…I bought a small bag of regular green cabbage and a small bag of red cabbage.   The green cabbage had a few bits of carrots in there too.   The recipe calls for 4 cups each of shredded red and green cabbage. Dressing: 1 C mayonnaise 3 Tbs Dijon mustard (I always use a bit more) 3 Tbs cider vinegar 1 ½ tsp celery seeds 1 tsp sugar substitute.   (Ok I used the real thing here, but wound up using 2 tsp instead.   I like slaw to be a little sweet too.) Fresh Ground Salt and Pepper to taste Mix the dressing ingredients   together, then add it to the shredded cabbage.   Serve chilled. This was pretty good… I would have liked it a little sweeter, though.   But still quite good and...