Happy Food Finds

I made some mystery dinners this week that were really good. I thought I would share, cuz it's the nice thing to do. The first is cornbread. I haven't always been friends with cornbread, but have come to really like it as I've gone along in life. It is a tricky thing to make though, because it can be dry and then it is no fun. This was moist and delicious...I think the buttermilk makes the difference.

Cornbread (from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cornmeal, Fine Grind
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 10 T. Melted Butter (5 oz. by weight)
  
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 cup Buttermilk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare an 8×8″ glass baking dish with baking spray.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in a pan. Pour the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup, add the egg and whisk to combine. Finally, add the melted butter to the wet ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Top with butter and honey and serve hot!

Next comes the soup. I took a picture...the soup is way better than the picture. My additions are in red.
Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup from My Kitchen Cafe

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
1 cup milk (more if needed to thin the soup later)
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I used rotisserie chicken)
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash of cayenne

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt, pepper garlic powder and cayenne. Serve.

Finally, a pasta dish.

Citrus and Pepper Fettucine Alfredo (adapted from a Tasty Kitchen recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fettucine Pasta
  
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1½ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Grated Lemon Zest
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Salt To Taste
• 2/3 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add 1 Tablespoon of salt along with the pasta to the pot. Stir well. Cook according to package directions until al dente.

Put the butter and cream in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the cream has reduced almost by half. Add the nutmeg, lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and cheese. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Combine pasta and sauce. Serve with additional cheese or topped with chicken. Whatever floats your boat. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

They're all yummy...enjoy!