Food Blog Fun

Lately, I've been really interested in reading other food blogs. I think I'm getting addicted, because I spend way too much time on the computer lately, and I have to pull myself away! I was introduced to the blog "Simply Recipes" by a friend, and I tried a great recipe from that blog last week. It was a Tuna Salad Sandwich recipe. I like tuna, but I don't eat it because of mercury concerns. I find that canned salmon makes a great substitute. So that's what I used when I made this recipe last week. It was my first experience using capers, and I liked the little guys! The cottage cheese was an interesting addition and I loved the Dijon mustard in it. I toasted a piece of whole-wheat bread, topped that with a romaine leaf, and piled the salmon salad on top for a delicious open-faced sandwich. The night before, I had made some yummy potato soup so I had a delicious lunch with the salmon sandwich and soup.

Here is the potato soup recipe. I got this recipe from my friend LadyJayPee's blog. I used regular cream cheese though, since I had that on hand. But I am a fan of Neufchatel, and use it all the time. And if you don't have one already, get an immersion blender! They are just great for soups, and can be used for other things as well.

Potato Cheddar Soup

2T olive oil

2c onions, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4-5 medium unpeeled red potatoes, coarsely chopped

1 large unpeeled carrot, chopped

3c chicken broth

1T fresh dill

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 scant tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

4oz Neufchatel cheese

1-1/2 c milk

1c grated sharp cheddar cheese

fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1) In a large soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.

2) Add garlic and sauté for one minute.

3) Add potatoes & carrot and sauté for 10 minutes.

4) Add chicken broth, dill, salt, black pepper, & cayenne pepper, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

5) Add the Neufchatel & milk.

6) Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, leaving some potato chunks.

7) Stir in the cheddar cheese and reheat gently.

8) Serve with garnish of chopped parsley.

This Tuesday, I made another delicious recipe recommended by one of my Cooking Friends. (I get so many good ideas from those ladies!). This recipe was for Oreo Truffles, and they were decadent! The recipe can be found here. That blog, Picky Palate, is full of wonderful-looking recipes and is great to look through. I've found a lot of recipes I'd like to make there. The Oreo Truffles were easy to make, although time-consuming. They were so delicious! And I usually don't like/don't use almond bark. I prefer real white chocolate, but was nervous that it wouldn't stay at a good consistency during the whole dipping process. So I went with the almond bark, which was still good. I might try the white chocolate another time and see how it holds up. I have dipped using real white chocolate before, but only on a small scale. :) I did use milk chocolate chips for the drizzle on top. I loved these little guys, and so did everyone who tasted them!!