Spring Asparagus Soup Corner Bakery Recreation

SPRING ASPARAGUS SOUP 

Printable Recipe

• 1.5 - 2 lbs asparagus 
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4-5 cups chicken or veggie broth 
• salt & pepper to taste  

For creamy texture add...

• 1 can chickpeas (optional, read modifications) 

1. Chop off bottom of asparagus, about 1 inch off the bottom & discard.

2. Chop off top of asparagus, about 1 inch & set aside for later.

3. Chop onion, garlic, & remaining asparagus, about 1 inch pieces.

4. In a large pot, heat olive oil & saute onions, Garlic, & 

asparagus for 3-4 min or until they soften.

5. Add chicken or veggie broth & bring to a boil, 

then simmer on low-med heat for 10-12 minutes.

6. Pour soup into a food processor or blender, LET COOL FOR 7-10 MIN BEFORE BLENDING. If you don't let it cool first, it will explode out the blender from the heat. Once it cools, puree slowly to desired texture.

7. Pour pureed soup back into the same pot, add the asparagus tops, bring to a boil & simmer for 2-3 minutes until asparagus tops are cooked. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Plate Finished Product 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I love the spring asparagus soup from Corner Bakery but since they always sell out by the time I get there, I decided to make it myself. This is a simple soup that is very delicious if you love asparagus as much as I do!

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

This recipe is very healthy, it contains no dairy, no gluten, if you use veggie broth it is vegan, & it also also Whole30 approved! If you like a thicker creamy soup constancy & you are not maintaining a paleo diet, you can add one can of drained chickpeas at step 5 with the broth & it will thicken the soup. If you do this I would use 5-6 cups of broth. It makes a great addition to this delicious soup!

Chipotle Burrito Bowl Recreation

Chipotle Style Chicken Burrito Bowl

Printable Recipe

• 1-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs 
• 2-3 Tbsp fajita or taco seasoning 
• 1-2 cups cooked white or brown rice
• 1 can black beans cooked & drained 
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cooked corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 small cucumber, finely diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced remove seeds
• 1 lemon or lime, juiced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped  
• Optional Toppings: Cheese, Sour Cream, & Hot Sauce

1. Finely dice all tomatoes, onions, cucumber, jalapeno, & cilantro. I cook a whole corn & BBQ it then cut off the core, but frozen corn works too, just cook it, strain it, & let it cool. I also use only 1/2 a jalapeno cause I don't like it too spicy, but add what you like. 

2. Combine tomatoes, onion, corn, cucumber, jalapeno, & cilantro in a bowl. Coat with fresh lemon or lime juice, salt, & pepper. Mix well & let sit to collect flavors.

3. Coat all chicken evenly front & back with seasoning. BBQ chicken thighs on a hot grill or in a nonstick pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. Make sure chicken is fully cooked & all juices are clear. 

4. When chicken is done let it sit covered for 1-2 minutes then chop all chicken into small pieces. Build your bowl with rice, black beans, chicken, cheese, some corn/cucumber salsa, & top with fresh avocado or sour cream. 

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

Over the summer I visited a good friend who moved from California to Brisbane, Australia. Those who know the two areas well know that Brisbane's selection of Mexican food products is slim to none! During our stay she made a Chipotle style chicken bowl that reminded me of the burrito bowl I get at Chipotle, easy, simple, & delicious. This dish is a crowd pleaser, it has beautiful colors, & it's fun to make!

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

For whole30 or Paleo remove the roasted corn from the salsa & remove the rice, beans, cheese & sour cream. Serve the chicken with salsa & fresh avocados or guacamole over some chopped romane. This is a very versatile dish. You can really add or takeaway what works best for you. If you really want to make it more Chipotle authentic you can add some lime juice & chopped cilantro to the rice when you cook it & it will infuse more flavors. If you want a more spicy dish as some more jalapeno or hot sauce.

Holiday Gingersnaps

HOLIDAY GINGERSNAPS
Printable Recipe

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening(not butter flavor)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup sparkle sugar 

1. With an electric mixer, beat shortening at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating well. Then add egg & molasses; beat well.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clover, & allspice, stir well. Then add the flour mixture slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time, to the shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. 

3. Cover & chill 1 hour.

3. When ready to bake, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon sized spoon to scoop dough. Then shape into 1-inch balls & roll in sparkling sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

4. Bake at 375° for 9 to 11 minutes. Tops will crack. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Plate Finished Product  

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

A few years ago my friend asked me to join her mom's holiday cookie party. Not realizing to attend you must bake 12 dozen, 144, cookies to share at the party I said sure! Being the crazy person that I am, I decided to take on the challenge to the full effect and bake 4 different types of cookies for fun. Well that was not as fun as I thought it would be so now I just bring one

MODIFICATIONS 

There is not much that can be modified when following a baking recipe. I used milk chocolate chips but semi-sweet & dark chocolate chips do bake better. I just like milk chocolate.

Sarma - Stuffed Cabbage Roll

SARMA - STUFFED CABBAGE ROLL

Celebrating Recipe #100!!! 

Printable Recipe

Filling & Cabbage 

• 1 1/2 onions, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 2 heads of cabbage
• 1 jar sauerkraut
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta
• 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cup white rice
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt & pepper

 Tomato Sauce 

• 3 cans tomatoes sauce 

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta 
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cups water, use sauce cans  

Make Meat Filling 
1. Sauté 1 1/2 onion & 7 garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes. 

Add ground pork & ground beef. Mix while browning for 7-10 minutes. Then add paprika, 

seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, & Vegeta (or salt) & combine with meat.  

2. In a small pot, partially cook rice with 1 cup water until it comes to a full boil. Add rice, with water to the meat mixture. Stir all ingredients & make sure meat is broken down into small pieces. You can used a masher or fork for this process. Add parsley & mix. Taste for seasoning, add more salt or pepper if needed.

Prep Cabbage
1. Cut the core out of the whole cabbage.
Place in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Once it come to a boil turn to make sure all sides are slightly cooked.
Peel off one piece at a time & let sit in the boiling water for a minute. 

Then lay flat on a plate to cool.

3. Make sure to gently trim the rib of the cooked cabbage before rolling.

Make Cabbage Rolls
1. Lay open one cabbage at a time. Add one scoop of filling to the stem end of the cabbage. Fold over the back side, fold in the sides, & roll. Place each piece side by side, tightly packed in a deep baking pan or ceramic dish.

 

2. Once you complete a layer, add a thin layer of sauerkraut. When finished rolling all the Sarma, top the final layer with sauerkraut & use the small pieces of cabbage to lay over the top so Sarma doesn't burn. 

3. Cover with foil & Bake at 375 for 1 hour minutes. 

Depending upon the size of your pan, for larger batch add 30 minutes.

Making Tomato Sauce
1. Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until lightly brown. 

Add garlic & sauté for a minute.

2. Add 1/4 cup flour & mix well, if too dry add a bit more oil, 

1 tablespoon at a time, until consistency is easy to stir, see picture.

3. Stir in paprika. Then add 3 cans tomatoes sauce. Fill each can with water & add 3 cans water to thin out the sauce. It should be a bit thinner than a marinara sauce consistency. Stir well & make sure to use a flat edge spoon to scrape off all bits at the bottom. 

4. Add Vegeta, pepper, chopped fresh parsley, & bay leaves. Bring sauce to a boil, then simmer on low uncovered, for 15 minutes. Keep warm until Sarma is ready.

Final Process

1. When Sarma is ready, take the pan out of the oven.  Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the top of the Sarma. Put back into the oven & broil on high, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

2. Take the loose pieces of cabbage off the top. 

You can throw out the loose cabbage pieces.

 

 3. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the top of the Sarma. Put back into the oven
& broil on high, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

It only took me over 20 years but I finally did it, not only did I actually make Sarma with my parents from start to finish, I actually got them to let me write down a recipe on paper! This traditional Slavic Sarma recipe my parents have been making since before I can remember is probably the most special recipe I have ever made. When my parents moved from former Yugoslavia to the US in their early 20s, they came with nothing but a suitcase in hand. Although they didn't bring much, they brought the most important thing of all, love for their culture & kept these traditions in our family for many years. Being youngest of six kids explains why it's such a large recipe, but it's also because the amount of time it takes to make this dish you want to make as much as possible! If you want to make a smaller batch I suggest you half the recipe of just freeze the leftovers & reheat as needed. 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

For Whole30 or Paleo replace use olive oil, for seasoning salt use smoked or garlic infused salt & remove Vegeta, replace rice with cauliflower rice, read tomato sauce can to make sure all ingredients are compliant, remove flour. You can replace pork or both meats with ground turkey. We also use the same meat & rice filling for our stuffed bell peppers or  Punjena Paprika, which is also a wonderful dish. I prefer the red peppers, but my brother likes the green either way it's delicious!