Creamy Tomato Soup

The creamless creamy tomato soup recipe from Cook's Illustrated (obtained from their recipe app) is wonderful.  This soup is on a totally different level than canned tomato soup.  It has a creamy texture and a light, fresh taste.  The short ingredient list and ease with which it is made are added bonuses. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 Tab brown sugar
3 large slices good quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1" pieces
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Heat 2 Tab oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat until simmering.  Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and their juice.  Mash with a potato masher until no pieces bigger than 2" remain.  Stir in sugar and bread.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaf. 
Transfer half of soup to a blender and add 1 Tab oil.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil.  (Or, use an immersion blender in the Dutch oven and blend it all up at once.)  Return soup to Dutch oven.  Stir in chicken broth.  Return soup to a boil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Homemade Oreo Cookies

The kids and I are spending the week at my parents' house while we have some work done on our house. Today, my sister-in-law, Jenny, came over and made some amazing cookies. These were soft yet crisp chocolate wafers with creamy filling. As with most things homemade, these were much better than Oreos from the store. And, they were easy to make.

makes 25-30 sandwich cookies

Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla extract)
Optional- Gel dye

Method
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)

6. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Pho Tofu Soup

We love going out for Vietnamese pho noodle soup.  Even Jacob gobbles up the long noodles and slurps the flavorful broth.  The soup is uncomplicated but full of complex flavors. 

I decided to try making some at home.  Mine was just as delicious as the restaurant's.  I could never recreate the full flavored broth on my own, so I based mine on a recipe I found online at www.elliemay.com.  Start with the broth and add whatever meat, vegetables, sauce, and toppings you like. 

Ingredients
1 yellow onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic, halved
1" piece of ginger, quartered
2 pods star anise
4 cloves
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
dash of cinnamon
3 Tab soy sauce
1lb noodles (use whatever you prefer)
3 cups cubed, fried tofu
3 cups diced mushrooms
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges
sauces (satay, sriracha, chili garlic, etc)

In a large pot, heat onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, and cloves over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is charred and tender, about 7 minutes.
Stir in broth, water, cinnamon, and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.  Drain broth and discard solids.  (For more flavor, let broth cool to room temp with solids and refigerate overnight.  Drain and continue with recipe.)
Return broth to boil in large pot.  Stir in noodles and cook according to package directions.  Stir in mushrooms and tofu and heat through.  Serve soup with green onions, cilantro, lemon, and sauces.  

Fudge Pops in the Zoku

I received a Zoku ice pop maker for Christmas.  So far, I have only used it one time, but I already love it!  It freezes pops in about 7 minutes and they are very easy to remove from the molds.  I know cold winter weather does not inspire many to eat ice pops, but my family loves frozen treats year round!

I made a Gourmet magazine recipe I found for frozen fudge pops.  They tasted just like fudge pops should taste- creamy and chocolatey.  These can be made in any pop mold, but the total time increases from about 20 minutes to 24 hours. 

Here is how I made them:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tab dark corn syrup
6 Tab unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, corn syrup, and cocoa powder over medium heat.  Stir until sugar and cocoa powder have dissolved.  Cool to room temperature and pour into pop molds and freeze until firm. 
If using traditional molds:  Freeze 30 minutes.  Insert sticks and freeze until firm, about 24 hours.

Honey Mustard Chicken Kabobs

Jacob loves eating things on a stick, so kabobs are a great way to get him to eat his meat and vegetables.  Last night, I made kabobs in the broiler.  The chicken, onion, mushroom, and bell pepper went great with rice and honey mustard.  We decided this would go well with just about any sauce.  I plan to make it again and experiment.

Here is how I made it last night:

Ingredients
1/4 cup honey mustard, plus more for serving (not dressing, just "honey mustard")
3 Tab lemon juice
3 Tab olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 lb button mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, cut into eight large chunks and broken apart
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
cooked brown rice

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water 20-30 minutes to prevent burning. 
Preheat broiler.  Prepare two large baking sheets by covering them with foil and spraying with non-stick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Thread chicken, mushrooms, onion, and peppers onto skewers.  Brush with honey mustard mixture.  Place under broiler and broil until chicken is cooked and veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. 
Serve with rice and honey mustard on the side.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Tonight, we all enjoyed some surprisingly good stuffed peppers.  Roasting the peppers made them tender and sweet.   They were stuffed with a cheesy veggie and rice mixture. 

The recipe calls for cooking the peppers in a slow cooker for about 4 hours, but, according to a review on the Taste of Home website,  they may also be cooked in a 425 degree oven for about half an hour.  (When trying a recipe, always read the reviews- they are usually very helpful and informative.)

Here is how I made the recipe:

Ingredients
6 large sweet peppers (red, yellow, and orange)
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 tsp basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup tomato sauce, seasoned with pepper, basil, and oregano
1/2 cup water
2 Tab grated Parmesan cheese

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine rice, tomatoes, corn, onion, beans, Monterey Jack cheese, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Spoon into peppers. 
Combine tomato sauce and water.  Pour half into slow cooker.  Add the stuffed pepper.  Top with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with 2 Tab Parmesan. 
Cover and cook on high about 3 hours, or until peppers are tender. 

Curried Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole

I refused to go to the grocery store for a third time in three days, so I turned to the ingredients search on allrecipes.com.  I entered in "chicken", "brown rice", and "tomatoes" and found a recipe for curried chicken and brown rice casserole.   It tasted really good.  I liked the spicy curry flavor on the chicken and brown rice, and I loved that it cooks all together in the oven.  Easy!  I was a bit skeptical of the raisins, but they blended beautifully with the spice.

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients
1/2 of the tomatoes from a 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes and all the juice
3/4 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tab lemon juice
3 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients.  Transfer to a casserole dish.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked.

Chicken and Sausage Creole

We had some friends over for supper and we had this recipe from Southern Living's new cookbook, 1,001 Ways to Cook Southern.  It was an easy and unique one-pot main dish that I plan to make again.  We served this with hot sauce.

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 yellow onion
a handful of celery
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water (at least 6 cups) with onion, celery, and a dash of salt to a boil.  Add chicken and boil until cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Remove from chicken and let rest until cool enough to handle; cut into small pieces.  Drain and reserve cooking liquid.

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice
1/2 lb smoked turkey sausage, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped and seeded
2 garlic cloves
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
dash of red pepper flakes

Combine rice and 3 1/2 cups cooking liquid from chicken in a rice cooker and cook.
Meanwhile, saute sausage, onion, celery, pepper, and garlic in a large dutch oven over medium high heat about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Add chicken, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from chicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaves and serve over rice.

Thick and Soft Pizza Crust

A few nights ago, I made the pizza crust that my mom loves to make.  It is thick and cooks up soft.  Grease your pan with a bit of olive oil for a crispy outer layer.  We topped ours with roasted bell pepper, spinach, olives, and Parmesan.

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tab yeast
1 1/2 Tab sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tab salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 Tab olive oil
1 cup warm water

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and sugar.  Let rise about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, Parmesan, and olive oil.  Add yeast mixture and enough warm water to make a stiff dough.  Stir well to combine and stir some more to "knead." 
Cover with a clean dish cloth and let rise about 45 minutes. 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread dough on a greased sheet and add toppings.  Bake about 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. 

Sweet Potato Chili

This chili was even better than I remembered- the spicy/smoky flavors pair perfectly with the sweet taste of sweet potato, red bell pepper, and orange.  The ingredients are very healthy and make a very filling meal. 

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tab chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Place sweet potato chunks in crock pot and dump remaining ingredients on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
If you are like Art and want the sweet potato to mash in with everything else when stirred, cook it longer.
We put Chipotle Tabasco sauce on ours and it was perfect. 

Roast Chicken Breast with Potatoes, Green Beans and Mustard Pan Sauce

I wanted to try Bon Appetit's "holiday feast that comes together in just two hours."  The pictures looked awesome.  And, I loved the idea of cooking an entire meal with one recipe. 

But, I couldn't find boneless turkey breast.  So, I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breasts and adjusted the cooking time a bit.  

The chicken came out moist and flavorful.  The potatoes and green beans were perfect sides.  The leeks didn't seem to add any flavor to the dish, so next time I'll save a few minutes (and a few bucks!) and leave them out.  I spent a little extra and bought the baby potatoes, but next time I'll just get new potatoes and quarter them.  The mustard pan sauce was a great way to up the flavor- I really enjoyed the combination of tarragon and honey mustard. 

Here is how I made the dish:

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 Tab honey mustard, divided
5 Tab chopped fresh tarragon, divided
2 1/2 Tab olive oil, divided
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2lb baby potatoes
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large)
2 8oz packages trimmed French green beans
1 cup low salt chicken broth

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
Coat 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.  Whisk 2 Tab mustard, 2 Tab tarragon, and 1 Tab olive oil in a small bowl.  Spread on chicken breasts in a pie plate to coat and refrigerate 30 minutes. 
Toss potatoes, leeks, 1 Tab tarragon, and 1 Tab oil in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread on baking sheet and place potatoes in top third of oven.  Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. 
Put chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in bottom third of oven and roast for 10 minutes. 
Toss beans with 1 Tab tarragon and 1/2 Tab oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread beans around chicken; pour broth over beans.  Return chicken and beans to oven and continue roasting until chicken is cooked through, about 15 more minutes. 
Remove chicken and beans to a platter.  Whisk 2 Tab mustard into chicken juices in baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon some sauce over chicken and sprinkle with 1 Tab tarragon.  Serve with remaining sauce on side.

Slow Cooker Squash Casserole and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chile Cream

I have experimented with a few Thanksgiving-ish recipes this week.  Last night's squash casserole and roasted sweet potatoes were both very good.  I would happily serve (and eat) these on Thanksgiving or anytime.  And, both recipes were quick and easy to prepare.

This month's issue of Southern Living included a recipe for squash casserole that is cooked in a slow cooker.  It is full of tasty squash, zucchini, and cheese.  I spent about 30 minutes putting everything together. 

I was briefly disappointed when I saw that the final 30 minutes of cooking with the lid removed had produced a dark brown crust on the bottom of my casserole.   But, this turned out to be really tasty- it was like a cheese crust to the light, souffle-like casserole.

  Ingredients
  2 lb yellow squash, sliced
  2 lb zucchini, sliced
  1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
  2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs
  1 (8oz) container sour cream (I used reduced fat)
  2 large eggs, beaten
  1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  1/2 tsp pepper
  3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

  Cook first three ingredients in boiling water to cover in a large pot for 10-12 minutes or just until tender.  Drain well in a colander, pressing squash with a spoon. 
Stir together squash mixture, Cheddar, and next 5 ingredients.  Spoon into a lightly greased slow cooker.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Cover and cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until center is set and edges are golden brown.  Uncover and cook 30 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes.

I am always excited to try sweet potato recipes.  This month's issue of Bon Appetit included a recipe for sweet potato wedges with smoked chile cream.  This recipe is a unique and healthy way to serve sweet potatoes without masking their flavor with sugar and marshmallows (not that this is always a bad way to serve them).  And, you get to eat the nutrient-rich skin.  I'm addicted.

  Ingredients
  1/3 cup sour cream
  3 Tab finely chopped green onion tops
  2 tsp chipotle hot pepper sauce
  2 tsp fresh lime juice
  3 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthwise into 3/4" wide wedges with skin
  3 Tab olive oil
  1 1/2 tsp cumin

  Whisk sour cream, 1 Tab green onion tops, chipotle hot sauce, and the lime juice in a small bowl.  Cover and chill.  (This can be made 1 day ahead.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine sweet potatoes with oil and cumin in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place potato wedges on a large platter and drizzle with chile cream.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tab green onion tops.  (My chile cream was too thick to drizzle, so I just served it on the side.)

Tabouli

I tried a new recipe for tabouli.  The tons of fresh herbs made it very appealing, but also very expensive since I don't grow my own.  This recipe has more herbs and less olive oil than the recipe I had previously made.   Both were good. 

I found the tabouli recipe on the Epicurious app.  I served it with flat bread and hummus.  Here is the version I made:

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 Tab olive oil
2 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup diced red onion
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 Tab finely chopped fresh dill
3 Tab finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Bring water to a boil.  Stir together bulgur and 1 Tab olive oil in a heatproof bowl.  Add boiling water to cover.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.  Drain, pressing out water and let cool to room temperature.
Transfer bulgur to a large bowl and toss with remaining 1 Tab olive oil and the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Serve cold.

Double Chip Peanut Butter Blondies

I first made these as Valentine gifts for friends in 2004.  I had so much faith in the delicious looking recipe that I gave them out without first trying them.  So, the feedback I received was unexpected: people were blown away by these peanut butter chocolate treats.  I have been making them ever since.

And, now, you can, too!  These are like very soft bar cookies.  They are very easy to make in about 15 minutes. 

I found the recipe in a small cookbook published by the Southern Living cooking school in 2001. 

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 12oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugars, beating until smooth.  Add peanut butter and vanilla, beating until blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients.  Gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed until blended.  Fold in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. 
Press dough into a greased and floured 13x9" pan. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars and serve.  Makes 2 dozen.

Pumpkin Waffles

We had pumpkin waffles for supper. 

I followed a recipe on www.epicurious.com that produced waffles with a custard-like taste.  The ratio of eggs, milk, pumpkin, and butter to flour is unusually high.  The thing I did not like was the way the waffles turned immediately limp and soggy when removed from the waffle iron.  Still, these were a unique and mostly enjoyable take on waffles.

A couple of weeks ago, I made a different pumpkin waffle recipe from Spark Recipes.  I was drawn to the convenience of making the batter the night before, and to the use of soy milk and wheat flour.  The texture and density of these reminded me of muffins in the shape of waffles. 

Fish Cakes

I turned our tilapia left-overs into fish cakes.  This was a good way to make the previous night's dinner into something new and exciting. 

Ingredients
cooked tilapia, flaked
garlic parsley couscous
pickled onions, diced
egg, beaten
1 Tab oil
salt
lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Form fish mixture into small patties (1" diameter) and drop into hot oil.  Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute and flip.  Repeat with remaining fish mixture.  Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice.

Lemon Tilapia with Garlic Couscous

My mom came up to visit us for a few days.  We had a great time with her.  For our supper last night, we had tilapia, couscous, and steamed broccoli.  I found the tilapia recipe in Everyday with Rachel Ray.  This was a flavorful and easy way to prepare frozen tilapia fillets.  The pan fried tilapia is served on a bed of yummy couscous and topped with pickled red onions.  The onions were Jacob's favorite part of the meal.

Here is how I made it:

      Ingredients
      1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced
      Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus 1/2 lemon cut lengthwise into 4 wedges
      1/4 cup flour
      salt and pepper
      3 Tab extra virgin olive oil
      3 garlic cloves, minced
      2 cups chicken broth
     10oz plain couscous
     1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
     2 eggs
     4 5oz tilapia fillets

     In a small bowl, combine onion and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
     In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 Tab olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.    
     Add chicken broth and season with salt.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in
     couscous and parsley.  Cover and let stand at least 5 minutes while you cook the fish.   
     In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 1 Tab water. In another shallow bowl, stir together flour and a
     generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
     In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tab olive oil over medium high.  Working in two batches, dip the
     fish in the egg and let excess drip off.  Dip in flour and turn to coat.  Cook in pan, turning once,
     until golden, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a platter and repeat with remaining fish. 
     Divide the couscous among four plates.  Arrange fish on top and sprinkle with pickled onions. 
     Serve with the lemon wedges.

Rotini with Cheese and Broccoli

I tried Rachel Ray's recipe for cheesy mac and trees.  I liked the idea of using whole wheat rotini pasta and broccoli in macaroni and cheese.  Jacob loved this dish!  Art and I found it kind of bland- I just seasoned mine with salt and pepper and Art used hot sauce.  

Beef, Shiitake, and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

The stir-fry I made for supper last night was a success: easy prep (<30minutes), powerful flavors, and enough leftovers for lunch today.  I found the recipe in Bon Appetit and served it with brown rice.

Out of necessity, I made a few minor changes to the recipe:

Ingredients:
1lb top sirloin steak, cut into 2" long, 1/4" thick slices
1 Tab olive oil
1 Tab minced peeled fresh ginger
1oz dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted according to package directions
8oz snow peas
1 cup cilantro leaves, divided
1 bunch green onions, sliced, divided
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Season beef with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high.  Add ginger and mushrooms and stir 3 minutes.  Add beef and stir until it browns but is still pink in the center, about 1 minute.  Add snow peas, half of cilantro and half of green onions; stir-fry 1 minute.  Stir in hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder.  Saute until peas are crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions.

Butternut Squash Soup

I tried a recipe Mark Bittman published in Parents magazine for butternut squash soup.  Thanks to the short ingredient list and my sharp knife, it was easy to make.  The curry flavor was really strong- next time I'll start with 1 teaspoon curry powder instead of the 1 Tablespoon recommended in the recipe.  Otherwise, the soup had a sweet flavor and a thick, creamy texture.  I served it with a loaf of oatmeal bread.

Here is the version of Bittman's soup that I made:

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
salt
pepper
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tab curry powder (try 1 tsp and taste to see if you want to add more)

In a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion and squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until veggies begin to soften- about 8 minutes.
Add water and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender- about 15 minutes. 
Puree the soup in a blender until smooth.  Return to pot and add milk and curry powder.  Season to taste.