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Rainy Day Soup

December 9, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 8 Comments

I call this Rainy Day soup for a couple of reasons. First, because it is a warm, nourishing soup to have on a cold, rainy day. (And we seem to be having a few of those lately). Also, this soup is not an expensive soup. It makes me think of the saying, “save it for a rainy day.” During this time of year, many of us spend more money than we maybe should (or maybe I’m just speaking of myself!) on holiday preparations. To make an inexpensive meal during this time helps balance the spending. Cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables around–and it keeps for quite awhile in the refrigerator. Potatoes are also inexpensive and keep well (though less inexpensive if you buy organic, which I do, since we ate all our garden potatoes; still, they are economical). And kielbasa, even the higher quality kind, is reasonable. So I like to save this soup for a rainy day when I want to cut back on my food spending, but still create a good meal. Variations of cabbage and potato soups abound, and I have played around with lots of different versions, depending on what ingredients I have on hand. This is just one of many experiments that I like, but this recipe is so simple, tasty and filling, that I have written it down, and want to share it on my blog. For me, cabbage was an under-appreciated vegetable until the last few months. Now I like to use it in soups as often as I can. It helps that my son, who loves soup, likes cabbage too. I know he is getting vitamins A and C, minerals, and fiber when he eats cabbage. If you are looking for a way to warm up on a rainy day, get good nutrition, and be frugal without giving up taste, give this soup a try.

Rainy Day Soup

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, about 30 minutes simmering time
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups potatoes, washed and cubed
2 cups green cabbage, washed and finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth (I like to use the Better than Bouillon chicken base mixed with water–it is delicious)
8 ounces kielbasa, fully cooked and thinly sliced

Directions:

Wash and chop the onion, potatoes, and cabbage. Thinly slice the kielbasa. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. When the broth is boiling, gently add the chopped potatoes. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes for about 12 minutes, until fork-tender. Add the cabbage. Gently simmer for about 20 more minutes. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with rustic bread. Enjoy!

Cozy Apple Spice Cake

December 5, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 14 Comments

Sometimes you just need a simple, satisfying dessert to make an evening more enjoyable. Sometimes you crave something sweet, but somewhat healthy. Sometimes you want something to offer your kids for a snack besides a plate of pretzels or chips. Or sometimes you want your kitchen to have that iconic scent of apples and cinnamon baking away in your oven. That’s when I like to make this apple spice cake. It is still making something from scratch, which is a satisfying and healthy thing to do, but it doesn’t take much thinking, and the margin for error is pretty small (unlike making a pie with a homemade pie crust, which I also really like to do, but mostly only when I have the time and energy). The most time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apples, but even that isn’t too bad, since the recipe calls for just about 4-5 apples (3 cups chopped). This apple cake recipe is something you can pull out in a pinch when you need a comforting dessert or snack, and don’t want to go to too much trouble. It is made up of mostly basic things I usually have on hand. The wheat germ is the only ingredient that may not be a staple for everyone, though I like to keep it on hand to add to smoothies and muffins. Wheat germ gives this apple cake a little extra heartiness and lots of health benefits, since it is full of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Of course, if you have a wheat allergy, this cake is probably not for you, but otherwise, I highly recommend it as a delicious, cozy, simple dessert.

Apple Spice Cake

Servings: 6-8
Time: about 15 minutes for preparation, about 45 minutes for baking
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Ingredients:

3 cups apples, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup wheat germ

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with butter. In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture. Stir in the apples and wheat germ. Stir until just combined. Pour and spoon the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream or on its own. Enjoy!

Ruby-Red Goodness: Tart Cherry Pie

December 1, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 16 Comments

For my husband’s birthday, instead of a cake I made him a cherry pie, one of his favorite things to eat. Cherry pies are layered with all kinds of memories for me. More tart cherries are grown and harvested in Michigan than in any other state in the U.S., and my family has always enjoyed Michigan cherries. As a child, one of the highlights of my summer vacations was getting a cherry pie at the Cherry Hut in Beulah, Michigan, and eating it outside. Then we started going to Charlevoix (also in northern Michigan) every vacation we got, and we discovered Friske Orchards, just south of Charlevoix. My mom and I began making cherry pies regularly from Friske Orchards Montmorency red tart cherries, and a family tradition has continued and evolved. I cannot think about cherry pies without thinking of my father, since it was his favorite dessert for as long as I can remember. He called it a “bright and lively” pie. And it is bright and lively. A cherry pie is a great way to add some cheerfulness to a dark, cold evening. When we look outside and see so much brown and gray, it is nice to feast our eyes (and palates) on the deep, bright hue of the cherries. And that ruby-red goodness is full of health benefits too–tart cherries contain antioxidants and help reduce inflammation. I have continued to make cherry pies for special occasions, and my husband and children have come to love them too. In fact, we planted a couple of cherry trees in our yard a few years ago, in hopes that we can someday make cherry pies with our very own cherries. But we will have to be patient until our trees get bigger. Right now we have to share what little cherries our trees produce with the birds and insects, not to mention the deer who chew on the branches!

Anyway, the frozen cherries from northern Michigan are deliciously tart, and are a source of pleasure. Because of their delicate nature, most tart cherries are frozen right after they are picked and washed, so they are available to be enjoyed year-round. I am sharing the recipe for the cherry pie filling found on the package of frozen Montmorency tart cherries from Friske Orchards. I am sure you can use any type of frozen tart cherries and this filling recipe will work. If you need a simple and delicious recipe for a double pie crust for fruit pies, I have a good one at this link. What a treat to enjoy some brightness when the darkness is coming earlier and earlier.

Friske Homemade Cherry Piefill

Servings: 6-8
Time: about 20 minutes, plus about an hour for baking
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Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (680g/5 cups) frozen tart cherries
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Filling thickens as it cooks. Pour into a pie crust and cover with the other pie crust. Follow the baking directions for the pie crust recipe. Serve with vanilla ice cream or just on its own. Enjoy!