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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sweet Potato Soup

partysugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:45:05 -0800

Sick of classic potato soup? Consider this scrumptious recipe for an innovative sweet potato variation. The creamy texture comes from evaporated milk and sautéed leeks provide a mild onion flavor.

This vegetarian recipe is garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, but if you have cheddar cheese and chives on hand use those instead. To learn how to make this mouth-watering and filling puree, read more.

Sweet Potato Soup
From The Nest

Ingredients

1 1⁄4 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tsp. olive oil
2 leeks (white part only), rinsed well and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. sugar
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 cup minced fresh basil

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat, bring to a boil, and let boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks soften, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and broth, bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth (or use a regular blender, work in batches, and return soup to pan).
Add evaporated milk and simmer for 1 minute to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with a sprinkling of Parmesan and basil.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Menu

partysugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:45:32 -0800

Instead of hosting a crazy party on New Year's Eve, invite friends and family over for a decadent lunch on Jan. 1. Begin the soirée in the early afternoon (around 2:30) to allow late-night partygoers plenty of time to recover. Serve a menu that is rich, satisfying, and luxurious.

Start with caviar on brioche toasts with creme fraiche. Slice smoked salmon and cream cheese frittata into bite-size pieces and serve as appetizers. Have guests sit down to a creamy leek and potato soup paired with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.

This menu would also make a delightful first day of the year dinner. To check out the recipes, read more.

Toasted Brioche Rounds With Creme Fraiche and Caviar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces black caviar, or more

Directions

Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds of brioche from slices.
Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar.

Makes 36 appetizers.

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Smoked-Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
From Gourmet

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
thinly sliced red or sweet onion, optional for serving

Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, chives, basil, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
Preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook, lifting up cooked egg around edges using a spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle salmon all over frittata, then press on salmon lightly and shake skillet to allow salmon to settle into top.
Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 baking potato (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil or parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the potato and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, then return it to the pan. Season the soup with salt and pepper, garnish with chervil and serve.

Serves 6.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

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Soup's On: Baked Potato Soup

partysugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:57:31 -0800

Cooking Light magazine recently highlighted a baked potato soup recipe and called it their "best soup ever." I had a bunch of potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving, so I decided to test out the recipe. The potatoes are baked before being added to the soup, creating a wonderful texture. The end result is a soup that tastes exactly like a baked potato in a bowl. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon provide the delicious flavor. Is it really the best potato soup ever? Make it and find out! To see how it's done, read more

Baked Potato Soup
Modified From Cooking Light magazine

2 tbsp. butter
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 baking potatoes (about 2-1/2 lbs.)*
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 oz.)
6 cups milk (use 2 percent reduced fat if you prefer)**
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided (use reduced fat if you prefer)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour into the vegetables; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes).

Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tsp. cheese, 1-1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tbsp. bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Serves 8.

*I used Yukon Gold because that is what I had in my kitchen.
**I didn't have enough milk so I used 4 cups of milk, 1 cup of half and half, and 1 cup of chicken broth.

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Reader Recipe: Potato Soup

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:47 -0800

Soup is one of my favorite meals to enjoy year-round, so when I caught this shot of homemade bacon and potato soup, I started salivating. All Mansionmogul did was free-form this recipe, and I dreamt of a steaming hot bowl of this velvety, chunky soup sitting in front of me, the grated cheese topping already in a blissful state of melted gooeyness.

Make this soup - perfect for a cold Winter night - when you read more.
Submitted by TeamSugar member Mansionmogul

Potato Soup
Original Recipe

So I made Potato Soup this week, and it turned out really awesome. I totally improvised and used basically just what we had around. The base is mostly mashed potatoes + water + dairy (of some sort). Add your accoutrements as desired.

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, baked or fried and crumbled
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (if desired)
2 stalks celery, chopped (if desired)
1 cup corn (if desired)
3 pound (about 5 large) potatoes
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream + 2 cup whole milk
(I didn't have sour cream on-had so ended up using 2 cups heavy cream and some extra milk to thin it out)
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
4 scallions, thinly sliced (if you have them)
3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (for garnish)

Directions
I started with a basic recipe for potato soup and then improvised and changed it to what I wanted - you can change it up however you want.

Start by browning your onions, in the bottom of a large pot. Then add the celery and carrots and heat through. I peeled and cut half of the potatoes into thirds, and chopped up the second half into smaller pieces, leaving the skins on. Place all the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the smaller potatoes are cooked but not too soft. I then separated the smaller potato chunks out to go into the pot (if you can think of a better way of doing this, let me know!). I cooked the remaining potatoes until they were very soft -- about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes, discarding all but a tablespoon or two of the water, and return them to the pot. Mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Add the sour cream and butter and stir until melted. Add the mashed potatoes to the large pot with the milk, pepper, bacon, corn, and remaining salt and smoked paprika and bring the soup back to a simmer. Divide among 8 bowls and serve the soup hot, garnished with scallions, cheese, and bacon.

Makes 4 Servings

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Healthy Recipe: Creamy Potato Leek Soup Without the Cream

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Cold Winter weather always makes me crave warm and creamy soups. Potato Leek is one of my favorites, but whenever I order it out, I can tell it's made with so much cream that my arteries cringe. There's really no need to use cream or any dairy products whatsoever when making this kind of soup since the potatoes are creamy enough. The trick to getting that satisfyingly smooth texture is to use enough liquid and a food processor. Want to see my recipe for a healthier option that's cholesterol-free? Then read more

What you need:

10 potatoes, washed and peeled
1 large leek
1 onion
3 carrots
1 clove minced garlic
1 32 oz container of veggie broth (or 2 bouillon cubes and 4 cups of water)
1 - 2 cups water (or as much as needed)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Food processor
Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Pour the broth into a pot and heat on high.

Now wash and chop the leek and onion and place them in the broth. Add in the minced garlic too.

Cut the potatoes in eighths and carefully place them in the broth. You don't need to waste time cutting them smaller since you'll be mashing them with the food processor after they're cooked. Once everything is boiling, lower the heat to medium. Cover the pot.

Slice the carrots and steam them until tender. Remove them from the steamer and set aside.

After the potatoes are cooked, turn off the heat. In small batches, place the potato-broth mixture into a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency.

Place the creamy mixture into a new pot. Stir in the steamed carrots and corn. If it's too thick, stir in some water to thin it out. Add salt and pepper and serve hot.

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Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:50:06 -0800

If you've got both vegetarians and meat lovers joining you for Thanksgiving, consider serving an almost meatless meal. The only meat dish on the menu is the turkey, but the appetizers and supporting dishes are all veg-friendly. Start with baked brie and toasted walnuts. It's a luxurious way to begin any party and the salty cheese-nut combo will whet guests' palettes.

When you move to the table, serve a sherried kabocha soup with spiced pepitas as the first course. A bay and lemon brined turkey is the main event, while scalloped yukon gold and sweet potato gratin, Brussels sprouts with vinegar-glazed red onions, shiitake mushroom and herb stuffing, and roasted cranberry sauce are the scrumptious sides. To get a look at these savory and seasonal recipes, please keep reading

Fast & Easy Dinner: Potato and White Bean Chowder

partysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:50:45 -0800

With a little help from the grocery store, you can have a piping hot bowl of healthy and delicious soup on your table in under a half an hour.

This recipe combines potatoes with carrots and white kidney beans. Although it calls for milk, it doesn't require full-fat milk, fat-free is fine.

It's hearty and vegetarian, plus any leftovers will make an excellent lunch tomorrow. To learn how to make it, read more.

Potato and White Bean Chowder
From Diabetic Living

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon snipped fresh herb (such as oregano, basil, and/or parsley) or 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 of a 15-ounce can (3/4 cup) white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
Ground nutmeg

Directions

Coat an unheated nonstick medium saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat.
Add green onions, dried Italian seasoning (if using), and garlic to hot saucepan. Cook until green onions are tender.
Add the water, potato, carrot, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 12 minutes or until potato and carrot are tender. Do not drain. Slightly mash potato and carrot with a fork or potato masher.
In a screw-top jar combine milk and flour; cover and shake well. Stir milk mixture into potato mixture.
Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in fresh herb (if using) and beans. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Sprinkle individual servings with nutmeg.

Serves 2.

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Reader's Recipes: Golden Potato Soup with Cheddar Toasts

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:19:21 -0800

Yumsugar reader, mrs_smith, recently posted one of my favorite Cooking Light recipes in the Kitchen Goddess group. I've made this recipe a ton of times and was actually thinking about posting the recipe here, but mrs_smith beat me to it! We both highly recommend you make this yummy yet simple soup. For the recipe, read more

Golden Potato Soup with Cheddar Toasts
From Cooking Light

Soup:
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 medium)
6 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 1/4 pounds)
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (14-ounce) cans organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
2 thyme sprigs
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar Toasts:
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut sourdough French bread baguette
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare soup, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally (do not brown).

Add potatoes, water, salt, broth, and 2 thyme sprigs.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

To prepare cheddar toasts, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 7 minutes or until toasted.

Turn slices over; coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese over each slice.

Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper.

Remove soup pan from heat; discard thyme sprigs.

Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher; stir in cream. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Serve with cheddar toasts. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Serves 8.

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Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:00:05 -0700

When hosting a viewing party of any sort, there are two options for planning a menu. You can serve foods inspired by the show or popular dishes classic to the TV dinner. For my Heroes season premiere party, I've decided to do the latter and offer friends a tasty re-interpretation of the 1950s TV dinner. Guests will be greeted with shot glasses of spicy tomato soup. Mini grilled cheese sandwiches are an excellent companion. Beef, mashed potatoes, peas, and caramelized onions make up the main course that looks scrumptious served on a TV dinner tray. To get these comforting, delicious, timeless recipes, read more.

Spicy Tomato Soup
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

2 (28- to 32-oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably organic)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile including seeds
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (18 fl oz)
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Directions

Drain 1 can tomatoes, discarding juice, then purée with remaining can tomatoes (including juice) in a blender.
Cook onion, garlic, chile, and ginger in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy nonreactive pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in puréed tomatoes, broth, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Working in 3 or 4 batches, blend soup in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer soup as blended to a sieve set over a large bowl and force through sieve, discarding seeds.
Stir in sugar and salt to taste. Reheat in cleaned saucepan if necessary.

Serves 4.

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Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3-inches by 4-inches
8 1/2-inch thick firm white sandwich bread
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
A grating of nutmeg
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.
In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides.
Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes.
Flip over and brown on the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sandwiches or 16 triangles.

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Beef, Potatoes, and Peas
From Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

2 large baking potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total)-peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A.1.
One 10-ounce box frozen petite peas

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and mash with 6 tablespoons cream, 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ground sirloin with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Shape into 4 oval patties about 1/2 inch thick. Coat with the flour.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground sirloin patties and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the beef broth, steak sauce and remaining 6 tablespoons cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the peas according to package directions.
Return the meat patties to the skillet and let simmer in the sauce for about 4 minutes.
Arrange the patties on plates and spoon the sauce on top. Serve the mashed potatoes and peas alongside.

Serves 4.

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Reader Recipe: Powderhorn Potatoes

Yum Community — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:50:11 -0800

This story was written by member b1uebunn and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.Check out her family's Thanksgiving recipe when you read more