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Green Infusion Soup with Potatoes and Miso

February 6, 2015 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 9 Comments

I was at the grocery store several times this week, and I noticed something: I kept gravitating toward green things–deep, dark green spinach, Swiss chard and kale, crunchy celery, bright, leafy parsley, even pistachios. I took this as a sign that my body is craving the many nutrients found in green foods. Though I love green smoothies, I was also craving something warm and cozy. In the last week, we have gotten at least 18 inches of snow and endured very cold temperatures, so soup sounded comforting. I have always loved putting leafy greens in soups, but yesterday, I decided to focus most of the soup on green foods. I also had some miso paste in the refrigerator that has been calling out to be used, so I decided to create a soup with the green vegetables and the miso paste, and add some potatoes to make the soup more filling, therefore hopefully satisfying my eaters who have hearty appetites. Miso is made from fermented soybeans (and in the paste I have, it also contains brown rice), and is often used in Japanese cooking. I love the tangy, rich flavor of miso, in addition to all the health benefits. Miso is full of minerals, protein, and antioxidants, and because it is a fermented food, it also has probiotics, which are good for our digestion. I probably don’t need to go into the health benefits of green foods–we all know they are loaded with nutrients. If you are not a big potato fan, you could also substitute soba or some other kind of thin noodle for the potatoes and sill reap the benefits of this tasty and nutrient-infusing soup. I am going to bring a bowl of this healthy and delicious stuff to Angie’s Fiesta Friday potluck at the Novice Gardener, hosted by Sonal from Simply Vegetarian 777 and Josette from The Brook Cook. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Green Infusion Soup with Potatoes and Miso

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, about 25 minutes cooking time
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Ingredients:

4 medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into small cubes
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
6 cups of vegetable broth
2 teaspoons of chives, finely chopped
3 cups of dark, leafy greens (spinach, Swiss chard, and/or kale)
4-5 tablespoons dark miso paste
about 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (more if desired)
about 1/3 cup shelled pistachios (optional)

Directions:

Wash and chop the potatoes, celery, chives, and parsley. In a large pot, bring the 6 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Gently tip in the potatoes and celery. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer the potatoes and celery for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Add the chives. Gradually add the miso paste, one tablespoon at a time, stirring to dissolve the paste in the broth after each addition. Go by your own tastes–you may want more or less miso, but 4-5 tablespoons is a good estimate. Then add the greens, cooking until they just begin to wilt. After you add the miso and greens, do not bring the soup back to a boil; just gently heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, and add the parsley and optional pistachios to garnish. Enjoy!

Rich, Chocolate Brownies with Powdered Sugar and Cinnamon

January 30, 2015 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 20 Comments

Chocolate in the heart of wintertime. There is something special, yet completely crucial about having chocolate in the bleak mid-winter. It is an inexpensive luxury that we should not live without. My mouth is watering as I go over the photos for this post. I think I will have to make another batch of these brownies very soon. This may be old news to some of you, but to me it was a pleasant surprise–making brownies from scratch is not that difficult or time-consuming! I am not someone to shy away from cooking and baking from scratch–I love to do it when I have the time, and I often make the time–but for some reason, I always made brownies from a box mix. I guess I imagined making brownies from scratch took forever, or that I needed a double boiler to melt the chocolate, or that it made a huge mess. But really, this recipe is not that much more time-consuming than using a mix, it doesn’t make a huge mess, and this way, you know exactly what is in your brownies–just the basic ingredients many of us have on hand, plus that magic ingredient–chocolate. No food cheers me up like chocolate does, and this time of year, many of us can use a bit of extra cheer! Though I have made some changes, the recipe I am using is adapted from Susan Branch’s “From the Heart of the Home: Autumn,” an inspiring cookbook my cousin gave me years ago. I feel that making a special batch of brownies is a treat we can offer to those we love, and a way we can treat ourselves too. I am taking this pan of brownies over to Angie’s blog, The Novice Gardener, where part 2 of a very special celebration is taking place. She has been coordinating Fiesta Friday for one whole year, and the connections she has fostered through this link party are incredible. The bloggers who take part in this are kind, supportive, and not least of all, talented. I love to look at their photos and read their posts. This week’s celebration is co-hosted by Nancy from Feasting with Friends, and Selma, from Selma’s Table. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Rich, Chocolate Brownies with Powdered Sugar and Cinnamon

Servings: 12 brownies
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, plus about 30 minutes for baking
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Ingredients:

2 ounces (2 squares) of unsweetened chocolate (baker’s chocolate)
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla
powdered sugar and ground cinnamon to sprinkle on the top

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with butter. In a large saucepan, gently melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring often. Stir the rest of the ingredients into the pan, in the order they appear above, until everything is well combined. With a wooden spoon or a spatula, scrape the batter into the baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Allow the brownies to cool, and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Baked Parmesan Crisps with Chives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

January 23, 2015 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 33 Comments

We all need easy, quick, recipes we can turn to when time is tight, but we still want something fun and festive. For me, this Parmesan crisp recipe is one of those I look to when I need a quick, yet delicious appetizer or snack. These crisps are so easy to make, and they taste so good! The savory Parmesan cheese, the rich flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes, and the lively chives and black pepper all come together to form an appetizer bursting with flavor. And if you are staying away from carbohydrates or gluten, this is a snack you can munch on without worries. My daughter originally found the basic recipe for these crisps on the back of a Parmesan cheese package, and being major cheese-lovers, we tried it. We have since created our own variations, with the sun-dried tomatoes and chives version being my favorite. However, my son is not crazy about the sun-dried tomatoes or the chives, so I like to make a few of the crisps with just the Parmesan cheese and a hint of black pepper for those who prefer a more basic approach. I am taking this appetizer over to Angie’s blog The Novice Gardener, where there is a big celebration going on. Though I am relatively new to the Fiesta Friday link parties, she has been successfully coordinating these events for a full year. I have come across some wonderful food blogs, and have met really interesting and kind bloggers from all over this country and world through this process. The one-year celebration is graciously hosted by Hilda from Along the Grapevine and Julianna from Foodie on Board. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend filled with fresh air, good food and good company!

Baked Parmesan Crisps with Chives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Servings: 32 crisps
Time: about 20 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
6 teaspoons of chives, finely chopped
4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash, pat dry, and finely chop the chives. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Shred the Parmesan cheese to make 2 cups, or if using pre-shredded cheese, measure 2 cups into a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, spoon the Parmesan cheese onto the baking sheet a tablespoon at a time, creating about 8 mounds of Parmesan cheese per baking sheet (place the mounds evenly on the baking sheet, allowing the cheese room to spread as it bakes). Place small pieces of sun-dried tomatoes on each cheese mound, and then sprinkle with chives and a bit of black pepper. Bake in your preheated oven for 6 to eight minutes. Allow the crisps to cool for a couple of minutes, then gently move them to a serving plate. Continue until all the cheese is used. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!