Clean OUT the refrigerator. Find 19 Ingredients and make a pot of soup.

My grandmother said this all the time, "Waste Not Want Not".

I believe it to be very good advice.

I was inspired to develop this recipe while staying at home, thinking about all we are going through with COVid-19.

It seems our world has been turned upside down. People rushing to load up on food and toilet paper. I bet most of us have enough food in our refrigerator to get us through a few good meals.

So make a deal with yourself right now to only buy what you plan to use and use everthing thing you buy.

I am sure your list of ingredients from your refrigerator will be different from mine but see what you can do with what you have.

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Ingredients:

• 3 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil
• Celery, it’s a little wilted but will be perfect for this soup, use up to 1 cup diced
• Carrots- they’re slightly dried out but the soup broth will revive them, use up to 4
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh spinach, use it all
• Left over vegetable rice medley, I have about 1 ½ cups
• Left over meatloaf, break apart and use it all
• ¼ cup Ketchup
• ¼ cup Steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon Thousand Island salad dressing
• 4 mushrooms, finely chopped, use even if they are dried up, but maybe not if they are slimy
• ½ cup roasted Brussel sprouts
• Up to 1/3 cup olives, finely diced

Toppings:

• Greek yogurt
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Tortilla shells, slice into strips and bake

? ?Other ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 cups beef or vegetable broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes

Instructions:

In a soup pot cook bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble. Add butter to bacon drippings and heat to simmer. Add celery, carrots, onions and saute until onions are slightly golden. Add garlic and continue to cook 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients through olives. Add beef broth and crushed tomatoes. Cover and simmer on low for up to 30-40 minutes.  

Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, tortilla strips, yogurt, cheese and parsley.

Terri's Tips:

If there is any soup left, eat it for lunch the next day. Add a grilled cheese sandwich.

Use what works from your refrigertor clean out

Snow peas and sugar snap peas are both members of the legume family but they are two separate varieties. Snow peas have a flatter pod than sugar snap peas and contain very small peas. Before eating, you generally remove a tough string along the edge of the pod.

Sugar Snap Peas were created as a cross between the snow pea and the garden pea in the 1970s.

The garden pea is slightly sweeter than the snow pea but has a much tougher outer pod that needs to be shelled and discarded before eating.

Sugar snap peas have a more rounded pod compared to the flat and thick pod of the snow pea.

Like snow peas, they have a tough string on the edge of the shell that is removed before eating. Both peas are an early spring vegetable that will add bright green color to any dish if properly prepared.

Nutrition

A 1 cup serving of either snow or sugar snap peas provides:

• Calories: 42
• Carbs: 7.5 grams
• Fiber: 2.6 grams
• Protein: 2.8 grams

Unlike your typical shelled pea, both snow peas and sugar snap peas are much less starchy so they are lower in carbs.

Source: Healthline.com.

Springtime Snow Pea Salad

Serves 4

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 cup fresh snow peas or sugar snap peas
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, about ¼ cup
• 1/3 cup radishes, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ tablespoon local honey
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 orange for zest and juice
• Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Prepare a bowl with ice water. In a medium pot bring water to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and blanch for 1-2 minutes, until they turn bright green. Drain and add peas to the ice water. After the peas have cooled drain water. Add the spinach, red onion, and radishes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the dressing:

Combine all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Can be made days in advance.

To serve:

Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine.

Terri’s Tips:

Use a combination of snow and snap peas for creating a little different texture to the salad

Make it your own:

If you have romaine on hand don’t go out just for spinach.  Use any salad greens of your choice.   Substitute.

Other suggestions: fennel bulb, sweet red bell pepper, or carrots, all thinly sliced.

Use lemon or lime to replace the orange.

Quinoa is a super food

It is an ancient South American grain that has been around for centuries. Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wah is the seed of the Chenopodium quinoa plant. It really isn’t a grain but it is eaten the same way as cereal grains.

Quinoa has experienced a huge surge in popularity because of its health and nutritional benefits and because people are choosing to eat healthier. Quinoa is gluten free and packed with protein and other valuable nutrients.

Proteins are referred to as the building blocks of life. They are made of amino acids and are necessary in our diet to help our body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women. They are made of amino acids and found in certain foods. Many amino acids can be made in our body but nine of the amino acids are essential which means that your body can’t produce them. You must get them from you diet.

Quinoa is a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids. This is one of its most amazing qualities, making it a valuable source of protein especially for vegetarians, vegans and anyone whose diet is mostly plant based. Quinoa is especially high in lysine, methionine and cysteine, which are some of the amino acids that plant foods are frequently low in.

Just one cup of cooked quinoa is a great source of other valuable nutrients:

• Manganese: 58% of the RDI.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDI.
• Phosphorous: 28% of the RDI.
• Folate: 19% of the RDI.
• Copper: 18% of the RDI.
• Iron: 15% of the RDI.
• Zinc: 13% of the RDI.
• Thiamin: 13% of the RDI.
• Riboflavin: 12% of the RDI.
• Vitamin B6: 11% of the RDI.

The same cup has only 220 calories, in addition to 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat and at least 5 grams of fiber. Adding quinoa to your diet is a great way to increase your daily intake of important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Breakfast Quinoa

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup of your favorite yogurt (see my tips for more ideas)
• ½ cup of your favorite fresh or dried fruit
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water or broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork. Allow to cool.

Stir into the quinoa the remaining ingredients and serve.

Refrigerates well- I tested it up to 3 days and it was still as good.

Terri’s Tips and Suggestions:

Set the quinoa on the counter with the “add in ingredients” and let the family pick their own. Like a quinoa bar.

Add a little chopped herbs for additional color and flavor. For example you could use cilantro, parsley or chives.

Make this recipe your own:

Use chicken or vegetable broth to add more flavor

I used plain Greek Yogurt or try vanilla, blueberry or peach.

I used only 1 tablespoon dried cranberries to keep sugar down or try dried apricots or raisins

I also used ½ cup diced fresh apples or try bananas, blueberries or peaches.

Try walnuts, peanuts or any nut of your choice.

You can also opt out of any of the ingredients except for the quinoa.

You can add more or less yogurt depending on how creamy you want your dish to be.

Happy Cooking and enjoy!

Start your day off with good food

Cook at Home

Steve and Stacy, cooking at home

There are so many benefits of cooking at home.

Here are a few reasons that might inspire the chef in you: 

• It's fun to cook with a family member or a friend. It's a great way to bring people together, try something new, laugh and create fun memories. Wheather you are a family of two or ten, get everyone involved. I always try to get someone to help me with cutting the onions. It doesn't look very good if the chef is crying over the food. An extra bonus is that those who help may try new foods and learn new skills. Or you may like to prepare the meal all by yourself because you love to cook. Whatever works for you is the key to having a good time.
• You can save money and many people are thinking more about ways to save money. So why do we opt to eat out so often? It might be because we are so busy or tired at the end of the day. It might be that many people just enjoy eating out. Reports show that you can save about $16.00 per meal by cooking at home. Think about all the money you can save.
• You are in control of the meals you prepare at home. You decide the amount of salt, fat, or sugar to add to your dish and that my friend can lead to healthier meals. .

This recipe is an easy and healthy breakfast idea,

Breakfast Quinoa. Check it out and happy cooking. 

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes; Total time: 16 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, diced fine 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup White wine or vegetable broth 

3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, divided 

Mushrooms, sliced | 2 cups

Asparagus, trimmed and cut in small pieces | 1 cup.

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen 

1 lemon for 1 tablespoon juice and  1 tablespoon zest

1 tablespoon butter (optional) 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (can sub Vegan) 

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra parmesan cheese for garnish 

Instructions:

Press the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and allow to heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté over medium heat until shallots become softened (approx. 1-2 minutes).

Add Arborio rice, stir, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until rice begins to become translucent, stirring frequently. Add white wine (or broth) and continue to stir until wine is absorbed (approx. 1 minute). Add 3 cups broth and stir, making sure to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Turn off sauté mode (by hitting CANCEL). Lock lid and turn vent to sealing. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.

While rice is cooking, heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. When hot add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are beginning to soften and brown. Add asparagus and continue to cook until asparagus is crisp tender (approx. 2-4 minutes). Remove vegetables from hot pan and set aside. (Asparagus will continue to cook for a few minutes after removing from heat , removing from hot pan will help keep it crisp tender).

Once rice cooking cycle is complete QUICK RELEASE pressure and hit cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. Stir in peas, lemon zest, butter (optional) and Parmesan cheese. Add mushroom/asparagus mixture and stir to incorporate. Add salt & pepper , to taste. Risotto should be hot and ready to serve. If you prefer risotto to be warmer you can set Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat to desired temperature (you may want to add a bit more broth ).

To serve: place risotto in bowls and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Terri's Tips: 

Make any recipe your own. Change up the ingredients for something you like better. Suggestions include carrots, broccoli or sweet bell peppers.

This recipe is from Geoff Kenny's Enhancing Your French Cooking skills at UT Culinary Institute, Community Cooking Classes. It was served as a salad over Trout Meuniere. We added carrots to the recipe for color and because we had extra carrots in stock. That is the magic of cooking at home. You can make any recipe your own with a little creativity. It was delicious.

The next day I enjoyed the remaining salad over mixed lettuce greens with pecans and dried cranberries.  What a great idea that was!

Prep Time: about 5 minutes; Total time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Fennel bulb – charred on the grill

1 granny smith apple

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons orange juice

Pinch kosher salt

Instructions:

Cut the top of the fennel off and reserve for garnish.  Then split the fennel bulb in half from the root to stem.

 Place fennel bulb flat side down on a heated grill and char.  Once charred, flip over and char the other side.  Allow to cool once charred. 

While the fennel is cooling, julienne the apple and place in a bowl with parsley, salt and orange juice. 

Then julienne the fennel bulb and add to the apple mixture.  Mix well and serve immediately.

Terri's Tips:

I added a squeeze of lemon to this salad because I love the fresh citrus flavor. I thought it would be good and it was. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 36 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 shallot – minced

8 tablespoons butter

2 trout fillet (roughly 6 ounces each)

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix well.  Set aside for dredging the fish later. 

In a medium sauce pot, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and gently sweat the shallots over medium heat until translucent.  Then add the remaining butter and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes until the butter has turned golden brown and has a nutty aroma.  Remove from the heat and reserve for plating. Be careful not to burn the butter.

In a sauté pan add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat pan over medium heat.  While the pan is getting hot, dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture then shake any excess flour off the fish.  Place the fish skin side down in the hot pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin turns brown and crispy.  Flip the fish carefully using a fish spatula and repeat the process for the flesh side of the fish until the fish is cooked through (another two to three minutes). 

Place the fish on the plate, add the lemon juice and the parsley to the browned butter then spoon over the fish fillets. 

Packed with flavor this Gluten free soup is sure to warm you on a cold winter night. Julie Morrison shared this recipe with our guests in last week's Gluten free Soups and Dinner Rolls class.

Find more of Julie's recipes on her food blog https://www.gluten-free-way.com

Always read the labels when selecting gluten free products. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Makes 4 Cups

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 Pound Italian Sausage (no casing)

1/4 Pound Bacon

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Clove Garlic, chopped

4 cups Chicken Broth, I use Swanson brand

1 Medium Potato, cubed

1/4 teaspoon Paprika

1 Cup Kale, chopped

1/3 Cup Canned Coconut Milk 

Instructions:

In a medium pot, saute the sausage and bacon in the olive oil. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon, then add the onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Put the sausage and bacon back in the pot, then add the next 3 ingredients through the Paprika.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the milk.

Tips: 

No need to refrigerate the coconut milk for this recipe — just shake the can before measuring.

If dairy is OK, you can substitute whole milk or half + half in place of coconut milk.

Vegetarian? Omit the bacon and substitute Meatless Italian Sausage  for the sausage. Use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.

Potatoes can be peeled, if desired.

Presenting this soup will put a spark in your eyes.

Carrots afterall are good for your eyesight since they are loaded in vitamin A which is essential for vision and helps the body with cell growth and immune function. You can get your entire day's needs from a quarter cup of grated carrots or an ounce of carrots. They are also a good souce of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese. In addition, carrots are a very good source of dietary fiber (great for digestive health), vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. One medium carrot contains only 25 calories but has about 6 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar. Since they are high in fiber you will only get 4.5 net carbs per carrot.

Note: Glycemic index (GI) is an indicator of how much and fast a food raises blood sugar. Sugar has a GI of 100. The Mayo Clinic notes that raw carrots have a GI of 35. Cooked carrots will be slightly higher.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and small dice

• 2 ribs celery, small dice

• 2  yellow onion, small dice

• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup cooking oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 4 cups veggie stock

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For garnish:

½ tablespoon sliced candied ginger
4-6 ounces crème fraiche

Instructions: 

In large skillet, saute ginger and garlic on medium low heat until very slightly caramelized. Be careful not to burn.

Turn heat to high and add mirepoix – cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.

Blend mirepoix in batches using the vitamix blender until very smooth.

Move to stove top – add seasonings, heavy cream – cook on low for 10 additional minutes

Taste, adjust seasoning as needed.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish.

Terri's Tip:

You are in charge of the food you eat when you cook at home.

Cut fat and calories by decreasing the amount of cream or leave it out altogether.

Save time by chopping large quantities of veggies for the mirepoix and freezing for another day.

 Wine Pairing: the Mumm Napa Brut Rose was a hit at the UT Community Cooking Class Sparkling Wine Dinner

This recipe looked so good that I decided to teach it in one of our UT Community Cooking Classes. It not only looked good but it tasted even better than it looked.

Pork belly is an uncured cut of meat from the underside of a pig that is often used to make bacon. It is mostly used because it has such rich, succulent flavor.  The Asian cuisine is where you will see pork belly being used most often. Though it is becoming more popular in the U.S. and European cuisines as well. Due to the high fat content it doesn't have many health benefits.So select this recipe when you are going for flavor and something a little unique.  And remember, a small bit of pork goes a long way.

Serves 4

Prep Time 

Ingredients:

1 pound pork belly

1 cup orange juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 dried poblano pepper, remove seeds and finely chop

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoon salt

Flour or corn tortillas (small taco or street taco size)

For serving:

Cotija cheese

Diced tomatoes

Cilantro

Chimichurri

Sliced red onions

Fresh lime wedges

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Combine the pork belly, orange juice, garlic, pepper, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt and lime juice in a roasting pan. Cook covered until tender. Remove cover and increase temperature to 400 degrees and roast until crisp and caramelized.

Remove from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, cut it in small pieces.

You're in charge of assembling your taco with 1-2 tablespoons pork (depending on tortilla size), diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese and /or a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.

Terri's Tips:

• Flour or corn tortillas can be used. I personally prefer corn.
• The pork belly can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until sizzling.
• If you don't want to spend the money for pork belly or it is difficult to find use left over shredded pork roast. Prepare the roast with the same ingredients. Adjust cooking time according to size of roast. The meat should be fork tender.

Make it your own:

You can always change ingredients, add to or leave out according to your taste. A few suggestions include:

• Use Cheddar or Monteray Jack cheese
• If you don't have chimichurri sauce, any salsa can be used in it's place
• Use ground beef, grilled fish or shredded beef roast. A great way to use leftovers.
• For you genetic anti-cilantro folks, try parsley, basil or shredded lettuce