Perfect Potato Soup (Pioneer Woman)

6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
6 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
1 cup grated cheese of your choice

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside.  Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and cajun spice.

Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together flour and milk, then pour into soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the soup and blend in a blender/food processor until completely smooth.  Pour it back in the soup pot and stir to combine.  Let it heat back up and taste for seasoning, adding more of what it needs.  Stir in cream, then parsley.

Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

I've failed to capture a photo of this dish, but it is dee-lish! This is a blend of 3 different au gratin recipes I found online, tweaked to my liking.

Okay, to be completely honest, I've conned someone else into making this TWICE, and haven't done it myself, yet. But, trust me, they are GOOD!

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

4 - 5 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, diced and sauteed
salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
3 cups milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 1 Qt casserole dish.

2. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into the bottom of casserole dish. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Saute diced onions; then add 1/2 of them over the layer of potatoes.

4. Im a medium size sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stiry constantly with a whish for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds.

5. Pour 1/2 the cheese over the potatoes and onions. Add remaining layer of potatoes and onion, adding the last of hte sauce.

6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 90 minutes in preheated (400) oven.

We've found that what really makes this sauce work is adding all of the cheese at ONCE.

Potato & Leek Soup

I was grocery shopping this weekend and trying to think up a few healthy meals with vegetables. While putting a head of romaine in a bag, I spotted some good looking leeks. I haven't make potato leek soup in a few years, so I put them in my basket with the intention to do it some time this week.

Don't you love watching what other people are putting on the conveyer belt at the grocery store? I like to give them a good once over, then their basket a good once over, and then I have a very visual image of their lives. Kinda scary to make a snap judgment of people, based only on what groceries they're buying, but hey - I'll never see these people again and it's a fun little game. What else am I going to do while I'm waiting in line, besides peruse the weekly trash mags??

So, I noticed the lady standing behind me was totally eyeing my cart candy as I unloaded. Wouldn't SHE like to know what I was going to do with all those beans and ham? And who was going to get the giant heart shaped peanut butter cup?

So the cashier starts moving through my collection, picking and choosing similar items, very consciencious to put all of the produce together, greeting cards in a separate bag, etc. Boy, she was a talker. I asked where the Red Box went and she said they'd removed it for the remodel (because there's a NEW Walmart coming in 25 days!). I think that means they put the new logo and paint color on the building, but I digress. She told me a story about how they had taken away the cushy little mats that they stand on while they check, and that she had complained about how much her back hurt working all day without the mats. The complaining had worked, because they'd gotten the mats back! Then, she picked up my leeks and asked me what they were. After I told her they were leeks, she said, 'Yeah, that's what I thought - leeks. What do you use them for?' I told her they were similar to green onions and that I used them in a soup with potatoes and carrots. She told me, 'Yeah, I've never known what people use them for, but I know they're in the bible, so they must be good.' People in the bible belt LOVE to tell you what they know about the bible. It makes me laugh when people bring it up in unexpected context.

Yes, indeed, they must be good.

So, in honor of the bible lady at Walmart, here's a simple soup recipe I love. Most leek soups contain heavy cream, so I like this one because it's super healthy. I got this recipe from Teresa when I worked at Twinlab. She's an awesome cook. My favorite part is the un-exactness (ish) of the quantities:

POTATO LEEK SOUP

A bit of butter
1 leek (this big)
2 ish carrots
4 ish red potatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 knorr vegetable boullion cubes
enough water to fill the pot

Cut leek and saute in butter. (Slice the leek down the middle and rinse between the layers to remove grit. Then slice.) Cut up carrots and potatoes. Throw veggies into boiling water with boullion. Cook for a while, then add the rinsed kidney beans. Salt and pepper to taste.

Since I'm in a soup mood, here's another soup recipe from another Twinlab friend, Barb:

CHEESY POTATO SOUP

6 potatoes (cubed)
2 cups broccoli (cut)
2 large carrots (sliced)
2 stalks celery (sliced)
4 cubes chicken boullion
1 onion (chopped)
4 cups water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbs parsley
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbs flour

Boil potatoes in boullion and spices. Then add all vegetables except broccoli. In a small sauce pan, melt together evaporated milk, flour and cheese. Add sauce to vegetables that have boiled. Reduce heat (do not boil after cheese is added). Steam broccoli in microwave. Add last. If too thick, add water.

Baked Sweet Fries

1 Sweet Potato
1 Russett Potato
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Julienne potatoes into 1/4 inch sticks.
Toss with oil and spices.
Bake at 425 for 30 -35 minutes until crispy, turning once at 20 minutes.

Yum.