Sunday Supper - Sloppy Joes

I had a bizarre red meat craving last weekend so I decided to pull out this childhood favorite. Oldie but a goodie!

1. Dice one small onion, green pepper, stalk of celery, and two cloves garlic. Saute in a pan and season with salt and pepper.

2. Add one pound of lean ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat until it is no longer pink.

3. Stir in one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, and 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce into the skillet. Simmer until thickened.

4. Season with salt and pepper and spoon onto buns.

Adventures in Baking - Snickerdoodles

I love Snickerdoodles! They aren't too sweet and always taste homey. The secret is to use really good quality cinnamon. I like Penzeys blend. Also use coarse, flaky salt - try Maldon.

1. Sift 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together in a large bowl.

2. Cream 2 sticks unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 eggs. (I used my new Vitamix and it was a DREAM. Is there nothing it can do?)

3. Combine wet and dry ingredients and shape into balls. Roll each top in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

4. Back at 325 for 12 minutes.

Sunday Supper - Creamy, Light Potato Soup

Even though the weather's been sunny and warm, I've been craving soup all week. I thought this lightened version of potato soup would be great to try. Using roasted cauliflower instead of starchy potatoes saves you two-thirds the calories, plus roasting it deepens the flavor and softens the texture - making a great base.

1. Add 1/2 diced onion, 4 sprigs chopped fresh thyme, and 5 minced cloves of garlic to a large soup pan with oil. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes.

2. Add 2 peeled and cubed baking potatoes, 4 cubed Yukon gold potatoes, 1 bay leaf, and 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth.  Bring to boil than simmer covered for 35 minutes.

3. Roast 1 half head of chopped cauliflower  seasoned with salt and pepper on a greased baking sheet for 30 minutes at 450.

4. Place roasted cauliflower in a blender with 2 1/2 cups 2% milk and blend until smooth. Puree half the potato mixture until smooth leaving the other half chunky. Combine all together and stir in 1/2 cup fat free fromage blanc and chopped scallions. Add cheese, scallions, and shredded cheddar.