Cream of Asparagus Soup

Our little grocery store has asparagus on sale, so I can't resist buying it. This recipe was on my wish list and seemed like a good pairing with grilled cheese. (I'm not a huge fan of tomato soup and won't touch the canned version at all.) The taste tests were excellent, but now I need to convince my husband to eat a green soup ...

Cream of Asparagus Soup
3 cups 1-inch sliced asparagus
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp. thyme, divided
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
Dash of nutmeg
2 tsp. butter
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind

Combine asparagus, broth 1/2 tsp. thyme, bay leaf and garlic in saucepan on medium-high. Bring to boil, and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Blend asparagus mixture until smooth. (Lesson learned: You really are supposed to pay attention to the liquid max line on a food processor.)

Place flour in saucepan. Add milk gradually, whisking until blended. Stir in asparagus and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining thyme, butter, salt and lemon rind.

Serves 4 (1 1/4 cup servings).

Strawberry Bread Pudding

Since the Chocolate Bread Pudding was so rich and delicious, I wondered what variations were possible. I had some strawberry bread, plus some extra strawberry juice in the refrigerator, so I decided to try a strawberry alternative.

My husband said this version was perhaps even better than Chocolate Bread Pudding. I think you can swap types of bread and still get similar results. (I actually used one slice of Braided Sesame Graham Wheat Bread.)

Strawberry Bread Pudding
1 3/4 cups cubed strawberry bread (or other bread)
2/3 cup strawberry juice (and/or milk)
1 Tbsp. amaretto
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg

Bake 1/2 inch bread cubes at 350ºF for 5 to 10 minutes, until toasted. Combine remaining ingredients and gently stir in bread chunks. Cover and refrigerates at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325ºF . Spread the bread mixture into 2 greased ramekins or 1 shallow baking dish. Place dish(es) into larger baking dish and fill with approximately 1 inch of water. Bake 35 minutes until set.

Serve warm with cool whip. Makes 2 delicious servings.

Chili Masa Cheddar Cheese Bread

This was a bread I wanted to try because I thought my husband would particularly enjoy it ... he enjoys things with a bit of heat. The red pepper flakes in this recipe add more visual appeal than heat, but the end result is a flavorful bread.

Note: I had a jalapeño cheddar cheese on hand that I used. I'm sure regular cheddar would be equally tasty, but I couldn't resist fitting the theme of the bread.

Chili Masa Cheddar Cheese Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. rapid-rising or active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. corn oil (vegetable oil can be substituted)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup masa harina
3 cups bread flour
3/4 cup toasted pepitas
1/2 cup diced Cheddar cheese

Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add lemon juice, oil, salt, sugar, pepper flakes and masa harina. Beat well. Cover, and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour, and beat until a smooth dough forms. Knead the dough until soft and springy but soft to the touch. Gently knead in pepitas and cheese. Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Turn dough onto lightly greased or floured surface, and punch dough down. Shape into 2 to 3 round loaves. Place the loaves, seam side down, on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Glaze loaves with egg white and water mixture. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until golden. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on wire rack.

Cinnamon Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes are a weekend favorite at our house, but cinnamon chips lurking in the pantry spurred this idea. They smelled delicious and were deemed a success.

Cinnamon Chip Pancakes
1 cup bisquick
1/2 cup milk + 2 Tbsp. milk
1 egg white
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Handful cinnamon chips

Preheat griddle to 325ºF. Grease lightly.

Combine all ingredients together. Cinnamon chips may be stirred into batter or dropped into individual pancakes. Pour batter into 6 to 7 pancakes, depending upon size preference. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tops are bubbly and edges are set. Flip, and cook until browned.

Serve warm, with maple syrup if desired. Makes enough pancakes for 2 to enjoy.

Asparagus Beef Stir Fry

This recipe was my Aunt Barb's contribution to a family cookbook I created last summer for my grandpa's 85th birthday. My husband and I found this to be another delicious way to enjoy asparagus. We usually halve the recipe, although we often leave the garlic in the full amount.


Asparagus Beef Stir Fry
1 lb. beef tenderloin, cubed
1 bundle green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (may substitute olive oil)
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed into 2-inch pieces
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup butter, cubed (can use only 2 Tbsp. )
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Hot cooked rice

Stir fry the beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, until beef is browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In same pan, stir fry asparagus and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is tender. Return beef mixture to pan. Stir in soy sauce and lemon juice and heat through.

Serve on top of rice. Serves 4.