Baked Feta & Veggie Soup

Ingredients

 1 (1-pound) bunch asparagus, trimmed

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into 1-inch thick coins (about 1½ cups)

1½ cups shelled fresh peas

 5 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

 ¼ tsp salt

 ¼ tsp ground pepper, plus more for garnish

1 (6-ounce) block feta cheese in brine, drained

4 cups unsalted vegetable broth

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach (about 5 cups)

¼ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

½ cup reduced-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss trimmed asparagus, sliced leeks, 1½ cups peas, smashed garlic, 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper together in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place feta in the center.

Roast until the vegetables are just tender and the feta is heated through, about 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables halfway through.

Working in batches, if needed, transfer the feta and the vegetable mixture to a blender; add 4 cups broth and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Secure the lid on the blender and remove the center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over the opening. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. With the blender running, gradually add 5 ounces spinach and ¼ cup dill, processing until fully combined after each addition; continue processing until smooth, about 2 minutes more.

Divide soup among 6 bowls; dollop with ½ cup yogurt. Garnish with pepper and dill, if desired.

 

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Leek and Parmesan Stuffed Artichoke

A lot of people don't know how wonderful it can be to cook with artichokes. Once you trim the parts that you can't eat, the earthy taste of the artichoke perfectly complements the sharp taste of the leek, along with breadcrumbs making it lightly crispy. You can add herbs or pine nuts to this dish, anything you'd like, really. 

Ingredients: 

 

Artichoke - 4 

 

Lemon - 1/2 a lemon 

 

Salt and Pepper - to taste 

 

Olive oil - 2 tbsp.

 

Chicken/ veg.  stock - 1 cup 

 

Leeks - 3 (washed, ends trimmed, chopped.) 

 

Garlic - 2 cloves (crushed) 

 

Parsley - 1/2 cup (thinly chopped) 

 

Breadcrumbs - 2 cups 

 

Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup (grated) 

Preparation: 

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 

Cut off the artichoke leaves. Cut the ends of the artichoke stalks and remove the outer skin until only the soft part is exposed. 

 

Remove the top third of the artichokes, cut the rest in half and coat with oil. 

 

Remove the inner part (the thorny, “hairy” part) while making sure not to remove the heart. 

 

Place each half on a baking sheet and sprinkle with some salt & pepper. 

 

Pour the stock into the baking pan, in between the artichokes, cover them with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. 

 

In a medium frying pan, heat up 2 tbsp. olive oil, then add the chopped leeks. 

 

Fry until soft. Add the garlic, fry for 2 more minutes and season with salt & pepper.

 

Remove the pan from the stove, add the bread crumbs and Parmesan to the pan, mix well and transfer to a bowl. 

 

When the 40 minutes are up, take the artichokes out of the oven, remove the foil and add the stuffing to each half. 

 

Cover it again with foil and return to the oven for 20 more minutes. 

 

To get a lovely, golden color, remove the foil and bake as is for another 15 minutes. 

 

If at any point you see that the stock has evaporated – add some water - and enjoy! 

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Garlic and Onion Soup

 The following recipe would kick off the cold season by cooking this amazing garlic and onion soup to protect from the winter chills. Therefore, if you feel like spoiling your loved ones and caring for their health, prepare this tasty garlic and onion soup that will become the most asked for dish on cold winter days.

Ingredients

 

Head of garlic - 1 

Olive oil - 1 1/2 tsp (divided) 

Leeks - 2 1/2 cups (sliced) 

Large onions - 4 (thinly sliced) 

Salt - 1 tsp (divided) 

Thyme - 2 tsp 

All-Purpose flour - 2 tbsp 

Dry white wine - 1/3 cup 

Vegetable broth - 4 cups 

Whole milk - 2 cups 

Thyme - 6 stalks (garnish) 

Ground black pepper - to taste 

Preparations

 

First, heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking pan. 

 

Now peel the outer shell of the garlic head, but don’t separate the garlic cloves from each other. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil, place it on the pan, and bake for 1 hour. 

 

After baking the garlic, let it cool for about 10 minutes, then peel and place in a small dish until use. 

 

While the garlic is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat, add onion and leek, and cook for about 30 minutes while stirring occasionally. 

 

Add a little water if the onion starts to cook too quickly. Add half a teaspoon of salt to the onion and the teaspoon of thyme and mix well. 

 

Cook for another 30 minutes or until the onion begins to turn golden brown. (Here too you can add a little water if the onion starts to brown too quickly). 

 

Now add the flour to the pot with the onion and stir for about a minute, pour the wine and the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. 

 

Then lower the flame and cook for about 30 minutes. 

 

After cooking for 30 minutes, place the peeled garlic into a food processor, pour in the contents of the pot and the rest of the salt in the recipe, and blend until smooth (you may need to blend the contents in two rounds if your food processor is too small). 

 

Once blended, pour the mixture into a large pot, add the milk and cook for about 8 minutes or until the soup is well heated through. 

 

Transfer to serving bowls, place thyme leaves for decoration with a bit of coarsely ground black pepper, and serve.

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Lentil Soup

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

 

4 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons

 

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained

 

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

 

1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

 

½ cup brown lentils OR can use any lentils of your choice

 

1 tbsp fresh thyme

 

Kosher salt and black pepper

 

¼ cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce; optional)

 

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes.

Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, kale, lentils, thyme, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Spoon into bowls and top with the Parmesan, if using. 

 

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Vegetable Soup with Pistou Sauce

 

This classic French soup is finished with a dollop of pistou, a French nut-free version of the Italian pesto. It's a simple soup typically made with whatever vegetables are in season. Generous spoonfuls of green pistou add a wonderful garlicky flavor to it. Have it as a filling meal any time you want.

Ingredients for Soup: 

Navy beans - 1/2 cup (dried) 

Water - as needed 

Leeks - 1 3/4 cups (chopped) 

Onions - 1 cup (chopped) 

Carrots - 1 cup (about 2 medium) (finely chopped) 

Tomatoes - 1 cup (chopped, seeded, and peeled) 

Potato - 3/4 cup (peeled and diced) 

Salt - 1 1/2 tsp. 

Black pepper - 1/4 tsp. 

Parsley - a handful 

Bay leaf - 1 

Thyme - a dash (ground) 

Zucchini - 1 1/2 cups (about 2) (diced) 

Elbow macaroni - 3/4 cup (uncooked) 

Green beans - 1/4 lb (trimmed and cut crosswise in half) 

 

Ingredients for Pistou: 

Basil leaves - 1 cup (fresh) 

Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup (grated) 

Garlic - 4 cloves (peeled) 

Olive oil - 2 tbsp. 

Thyme - 2 sprigs (optional)

Method of preparing the Soup:  

Sort and wash beans, and place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, then cover and let stand for 8 hours. 

Drain, and return beans to pan. Add 6 cups water, then bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. 

Drain, and then return beans to pan. Add leek and next 9 ingredients (through dash of thyme) to the pan, stirring to combine. 

Add 10 cups water, and then bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. 

Stir in zucchini, macaroni, and green beans. 

Cook 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender. 

Discard bay leaf.

Method of preparing the Pistou: 

Combine basil, cheese, and garlic in a food processor, and then process until a stiff paste forms. 

With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute, and process until well blended. Serve with soup. Garnish with thyme sprigs (optional). 

 

Tip: You can use vegetable stock or light chicken stock instead of water if you have some available.

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Pesto-Ricotta Pie

 

A delicious chunky chopped pesto and creamy ricotta in a flaky phyllo dough crust. In this recipe, you'll be making your very own pesto. Once you'll discover just how easy it is, we have a feeling you won't be having store-bought pesto any time soon...

Ingredients for home made pesto:  

Basil - 7 1/2 cups (just the leaves) 

Olive oil - 1 1/2 cup 

Garlic - 3 cloves 

Kosher salt - 1 tsp. 

Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp. 

Pine nut - 3/4 cup (toasted) 

Parmesan cheese - 3/4 cup (grated) 

 

Ingredients for pie:  

Unsalted butter - 6 tbsp

Leeks - 1 large -For most dishes, the best substitutes for leeks are green onions (scallions), white onions, or shallots

Eggs - 2 large

Egg white - 2 

Cream - 1/4 cup 

Ricotta cheese - 1 cup 

Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup (grated) 

Parsley - 2 tbsp. (chopped) 

Salt and Pepper - as needed 

Phyllo dough - 8 sheets (thawed)

Method of preparing the home made pesto: 

Toast the nuts lightly on a minimally oiled skillet. 

 

Purée the basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. 

 

Add the nuts and Parmesan and pulse until the nuts are roughly chopped. 

 

Chill until needed. 

 

Method of preparing the pie: 

Make sure to thaw the phyllo just enough so it's manageable, but not too soft. Heat the oven to 375°F. 

 

Meanwhile, lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the leeks and cook, stirring often until soft - this should take about 5 to 7 minutes. 

 

Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Whisk the eggs, egg whites and cream together in a medium bowl and add it to the leeks with the ricotta, Parmesan, pesto, parsley, salt and pepper.

 

Mix the ingredients well together and set aside. 

 

Melt the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the pie plate. Brush with melted butter and leave the outer 1/2 inch rim unbrushed. 

 

Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo. Using kitchen shears, trim the edges of the pastry to fit with the shape of the pie plate, and pour in the filling. 

 

Brush the edge of the pastry with butter, and bake until the edges are golden brown and the filling has set - about 40 minutes. 

 

Allow the pie to cool before serving. 

 

Chef's Tip: Cover the dough sheets with a damp towel to prevent them from drying.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Garlic and Onion Soup

Kick off the cold season by cooking this amazing garlic and onion soup to protect yourself from the winter chills. Therefore, if you feel like spoiling your loved ones and caring for their health, prepare this tasty garlic and onion soup that will become the most asked for dish on cold winter days.

Ingredients for Garlic and Onion Soup:  

 

Head of garlic - 1 

 

Olive oil - 1 1/2 tsp (divided) 

 

Leeks - 2 1/2 cups (sliced) 

 

Large onions - 4 (thinly sliced) 

 

Salt - 1 tsp (divided) 

 

Thyme - 2 tsp

\

All-Purpose flour - 2 tbsp

 

Dry white wine - 1/3 cup *

 

Vegetable broth - 4 cups 

 

Whole milk - 2 cups 

 

Thyme - 6 stalks (garnish) 

 

Ground black pepper - to taste 

 

* A good substitute for a cup of white wine is a cup of broth or vegetable stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice for acidity. The general rule is to add one tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of broth used. For recipes requiring ¼ cup of white wine or less, it's generally safe to omit the wine altogether

 

Method of preparing the Soup: 

 

First, heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking pan. 

 

Now peel the outer shell of the garlic head, but don’t separate the garlic cloves from each other. 

 

Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil, place it on the pan, and bake for 1 hour. 

 

After baking the garlic, let it cool for about 10 minutes, then peel and place in a small dish until use. 

 

While the garlic is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat, add onion and leek, and cook for about 30 minutes while stirring occasionally. 

 

Add a little water if the onion starts to cook too quickly. 

 

Add half a teaspoon of salt to the onion and the teaspoon of thyme and mix well. 

 

Cook for another 30 minutes or until the onion begins to turn golden brown. (Here too you can add a little water if the onion starts to brown too quickly). 

 

Now add the flour to the pot with the onion and stir for about a minute, pour the wine and the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. 

 

Then lower the flame and cook for about 30 minutes. 

 

After cooking for 30 minutes, place the peeled garlic into a food processor, pour in the contents of the pot and the rest of the salt in the recipe, and blend until smooth (you may need to blend the contents in two rounds if your food processor is too small). 

 

Once blended, pour the mixture into a large pot, add the milk and cook for about 8 minutes or until the soup is well heated through. 

 

Transfer to serving bowls, place thyme leaves for decoration with a bit of coarsely ground black pepper, and serve.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

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Savory Clafoutis With Corn and Swiss Chard

 Clafoutis are baked French pancakes, usually filled with sweet cherries. This savory version calls for corn, Swiss chard and leeks instead of fruit, and includes plenty of Gruyère for a salty depth. It will emerge from the oven puffed and golden, then quickly deflate. Fear not, it still tastes wonderful after it flattens out, though for the best presentation, try to time it so your guests are at the table when it is ready. Serve it for brunch or a light dinner with a tomato salad on the side, if you’re making this in tomato season. In winter, sliced oranges drizzled with olive oil and salt are nice, too.

 Ingredients

• ¾cup whole milk
• ¾cup crème fraîche- a thick cultured cream-Combine buttermilk and heavy cream in a non-reactive container. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened to desired texture, about 12 hours.
• 4large eggs
• 2½tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2tbsp chopped fresh dill leaves
• ¾tsp kosher salt, salt to taste
  
• ½tsp ground black pepper, more as needed
• 1cup coarsely grated Gruyère or Cheddar (about 4 ounces)
• 2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2large or 3 small leeks (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2cups corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears, or frozen and thawed)
• 1large garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or minced
• 1large bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (8 cups)
• ¼cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Fresh lemon juice, for serving
• Red pepper flakes, for serving
•  
• Preparations
  

  Heat oven to 375 F/ 180 C. In large bowl, whisk together milk, crème fraîche, eggs, flour, parsley, dill, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Whisk in ¾ cup Gruyère.

• 
  

  Heat olive oil in a 9-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until they are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn, garlic and a pinch of salt; cook until garlic is fragrant and corn is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard leaves a handful at a time, and cook until they are wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Season the mixture with ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

• 
  

  Pour crème fraîche mixture over the corn and chard mixture, and then sprinkle the remaining Gruyère and the Parmigiano on top. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until custard is lightly set, about 40 minutes. Serve topped with a sprinkling of lemon juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

 for substitutes for cheese and other dairy see my previous post

 

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