Recipes

Cream Cheese Strawberry Banana Bread

March 27, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Who doesn’t love a big slice of banana bread and coffee for breakfast? I’m not even that into breakfast myself but this is probably my favorite. Simple, flavorful and easy to make ahead of time! The best part about the concept of banana bread is that it can be made as simple as you want or as fancy as you want. Occasionally I like to mix things up and add some different flavors. This time I had a few extra things lying around, namely some frozen strawberries and cream cheese. And of course some over-ripe bananas. As soon as my bananas start to turn I start thinking about the possibilities. Really what other food allows for that other than glorious bananas? It’s the only fruit whose possibilities open when they start to “go bad”… more like “go better” am I right? Frozen strawberries mash better than fresh so these worked out nicely, just thaw them out in a little warm water before using. You can definitely use fresh strawberries but they will show more in the batter. Mashed frozen strawberries will blend into the batter more than the former but the flavor will remain. If you want nice big red berries leftover after it’s cooked, you might want to mash less and use fresh instead.

The texture reminded me of pound cake but with a lot of moisture and richness. I’m guessing this was probably due to the cream cheese which added a little extra something to the flavor as well. The bread’s crust browned perfectly in the oven and didn’t get too dark. I cut back on the sugar on this one. You can always add about 1/2 cup more but I honestly liked it a little less sweet. As spring is getting underway this was a nice recipe to enjoy for this time of year.
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Southwest Pasta Bean Soup

March 13, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Don’t you hate when you have almost all of the ingredients for something you want to make but are missing like 2 or 3 of the most important ones? I had this happen recently when I wanted to make Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta Bean Soup) but I was missing the Pancetta and the Cannellini beans. I was in a bit of a pickle until I realized I had regular bacon and pinto beans. Then I had the idea–why not make a Southwest version of the classic Italian Pasta e Fagioli (that’s Fajh-oh-lee) soup? Well, this is not exactly your grandmother’s pasta bean soup but it has a lot of the same elements of the traditional recipe. It’s made with almost exactly the same format as my recipe found here. There are a few choice differences though as the flavor of the bacon provides a smokier flavor than the pancetta. Instead of rosemary I used fresh sage and dried basil for the herbs. Instead of Ditalini pasta I opted for Gemelli since I had some of that laying around. It worked out nicely!

It’s funny how just a few ingredient changes transformed the recipe into something totally different. I still went with parmesan cheese as the garnish but you could probably use a white cheddar instead. I added about the same amount of red pepper to the recipe but adding another 1/2 teaspoon would really give this an extra oomph of heat. I loved the way these small changes did so much to change the recipe and it’s become one of my regular favorites!
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Creamy Broccoli Cheese & Potato Soup

February 21, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

We have had so much rain the last couple days it has pretty much been non stop cozy soup weather. The hills have gotten neon green and wild flowers are just starting to sprout up. Not to mention the flooding and all the dry rivers are now raging like crazy. Needless to say, it has been a great winter for California! This soup is perfect for these rainy days and it’s great when you’re short on time. Cook time is on the shorter side and it’s easy to throw together. And did I also mention this soup is delicious? It turned out to be one of my favorite creamy soup recipes. If you’re a fan of broccoli cheese soup this ones for you. I used a crumbly aged white cheddar which added a nice bite. As a side tip it’s important to not have the heat on too high because the broccoli can get over cooked and the milk can separate. So after those ingredients are added it’s good to keep an eye on the temperature and stir occasionally. If the soup gets too thick you can easily cut the consistency with a little extra chicken stock. Switch out chicken stock for vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. This soup is great served with a crusty sourdough baguette and plenty of extra cheese!
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Slow Cooker Bison & Vegetable Soup

January 30, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

I first tried ground bison with burgers a few years ago and I was blown away by how good they were. For those who haven’t tried bison meat, it is pretty much just like beef but better. Bison is leaner than beef and has a small amount of omega 3 fatty acids and complex nutrients. I think it tastes mostly like beef but with more flavor without being gamey at all. Even though it is considered a “game” meat the flavor is totally mind in my opinion.

Now onto the recipe: it turns out bison meat works great in both soups and burgers! While you can definitely substitute in beef I would recommend trying out bison for this one. This recipe also has some lovely veggie accompaniments: potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms give it some rustic hardiness perfect for winter. I used red wine to add more depth of flavor to the broth along with Worcestershire and herbs. Slow cooking does wonders for combining all of these flavors together. I garnished each bowl with shaved Parmesan but Romano or an aged cheddar would be delicious too!
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Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Noodle Soup

January 7, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

It has been such a wet winter it seems like my slow cooker is constantly being called upon to make soups. I love Italian style soups but I don’t see too many of them ideal for a slow cooker. This one is perfect for the crock. The Italian sausage gets crumbled and tenderized after hours of cooking and all the flavor melts into the broth. You could probably translate this to a quicker over the stove method but honestly I love the way the meat melts into the broth with the slow cooker. I use a 6 qt. slow cooker so this recipe will make a lot of soup. I used a medley of summer squashes which was very nice in this recipe. Yellow squash and zucchini were great accompaniments but I’m sure you could experiment with whatever squash you have on hand. The “secret ingredient” for the broth is….*drum roll*… balsamic vinegar. Alright, so probably not that secret but it does offer a certain je ne sais quoi to the broth. Tomatoes and balsamic is, after all, a match made in heaven. I chose a mild Italian sausage but you could make this a bit spicier using the hot variety. Any type of small pasta noodle will do–I personally chose a small elbow macaroni for this recipe. Parmesan is great for the garnish but a sharp Romano or even slices of fresh mozzarella would be a beautiful addition as well.

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Dark Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

December 24, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

If you are a chocolate lover and want a deep, dark chocolate flavor these are the cookies for you! I call these babies “chocolate chip cookies on steroids.” I’m normally not super into sweets but at this time of the year you gotta indulge a little bit. These cookies get the name “crinkle” from the confectioner’s sugar the dough is rolled in. It creates a pretty crinkle pattern once the cookies are baked. They are very easy to make and simple to throw together. These cookies have a brownie-like texture on the inside so they will come out of the oven very soft looking. They are seriously amazing with coffee. I added a touch of cinnamon to give it some extra flavor depth but this is optional. If you don’t want to bake the whole batch you can conveniently freeze the dough for up to three months in the freezer.
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Slow Cooker Beef & Winter Vegetable Soup

December 14, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

Slow Cooker Beef & Winter Vegetable Soup

I love root vegetables and squash this time of year. What could be better then throwing a bunch of different winter veggies into a pot to simmer for hours? This recipe is simple and doesn’t have a ton of moving parts–except for your knife. It will be doing a lot of moving and chopping. I recommend a good sharp knife for the vegetables, especially when it comes to butternut squash. Squash is a notorious one for cuts especially if you’re using a dull knife. I like the simplicity of the flavors in this one–just a few herbs, garlic and Worcestershire to season the broth. The medley of vegetables all go so well together. I added a little flour to thicken up the broth but you can adjust that amount to your liking. I garnished each bowl with some fresh parsley and aged white cheddar. Some crusty french bread would be perfect for soaking up the broth too!

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Green Chile Chicken Soup with Avocado Cream

November 20, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s raining right now and snuggling up to a bowl of something warm and comforting is the perfect way to spend these kinds of days. This recipe was inspired by traditional Mexican posole soup which tend to be served right around the holidays. While this isn’t classic Thanksgiving fare, this soup is a lighter option for your post holiday recovery plan. I haven’t tried this but I have a hunch that leftover turkey would sub in well for the chicken if you need leftover ideas. This recipe calls for a medley of green chiles that offer their own unique flavors. I used dark meat for the chicken which has more flavor but you can use whatever option you have available. I recommend being very generous with the fixins–the more lime juice, cilantro and avocado cream the better!
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‘Flu Fighting’ Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup with Chickpeas

November 8, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup with Chickpeas

Cold and flu season has officially hit and I thought I would post one of my favorite sickness fighting powerhouses. Whether you’re making soup to prevent future illness or currently in the throws of a nasty bug, this recipe is for you! While most kids would disagree, the most nutritious stuff for you really can be delicious as well. This soup is full of anti-inflammatory fighting ingredients that may also help with sinus congestion, nausea and sore throats. Turmeric, garlic, lemon and ginger are a few of these heroic ingredients and they just happen to be delicious. I like to use my own chicken stock for this since it offers its own set of health boosting ingredients. While you can make the rice and add it into the soup after it’s done cooking you can also make single servings for each bowl as you go. The benefit to making smaller servings is that it won’t soak up all the broth as it sits in the fridge. This recipe has become a favorite of mine especially when I start to feel like I’m coming down with something for a quick immune system boost.
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Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Stew with Sourdough Croutons

October 16, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s already mid-October and the first rains of the wet season in California have started. The weather just makes me wants to snuggle up with a comforting bowl of something out of the slow cooker. This recipe hits the spot for all of the above! Flavored with savory herbs like fennel and thyme, this stew is packed with flavor. I especially like the bite of acid that comes from the Worcestershire and red vine vinegar. While this is optional, I like serving this stew with toasted sourdough croutons. The croutons soak up the flavorful broth and are just really delicious. If you’d rather go lower carb however, you can skip the croutons. You can also turn this recipe into more of a soup by adding a few more cups of stock to get a thinner consistency. The fact that this is a slow cooker recipe makes this stew simple and easy to throw together on week nights. I like to garnish each bowl with Parmesan, Romano or an aged white cheddar.
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