Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I love creating soup from what's in my cabinets and fridge and during this unsettling time in history,  soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Throwing some veggies and chicken into a pot and transforming them into a filling and tasty meal is good for the soul.

The first thing I did, was to look into the refrigerator vegetable drawer and see what was available. There were carrots, a jalapeno, 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 of a red bell pepper and a bunch of some sorry looking scallions.  Those items were cleaned, chopped and joined by 3 cloves of garlic.

I grabbed a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them thaw for about an hour. Using a sharp knife, I cut them into bite sized pieces, drizzled a little olive oil over them and added 1 tablespoon of  Penzey's Chili 9000. I tossed that together, placed it on a foil lined baking sheet, placed it into a 375 degree oven and roasted for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I sauteed the vegetables in olive oil with some of the Penzey's Chili 9000. The spice added a Middle Eastern touch to the soup. I also added some Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Powder for a little more heat. I had some Masa in my baking cabinet, so I added it as a thickener. If you don't have Masa, you can leave it out.

This recipe, like most of mine, is meant as a path to create a meal with what is available in your home. Here are links for the spices I used:
penzeys.com
savoryspiceshop.com

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 large carrots, sliced

6 scallions, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp Penzey's Chili 9000

1 Tbsp. Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Poweder

4 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp. Masa (optional)

1 can chopped green beans, drained

1 cup frozen vegetable mix, thawed (my blend had corn and black beans)

Saute the vegetables and spices in olive oil until softened. Add chicken stock, cooked chicken and Masa, bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour.

Add green beans and thawed frozen vegetables, heat through and serve.

Instant Pot Pork Chops w/ Green Beans and Potatoes

The inspiration for this recipe came from a conversation with a woman I work with and I needed to get it into my Instant Pot . When she talked about the green beans that she cooked in her pot , my mouth started watering and lightbulbs started blinking in my head. Growing up with the world's best cook, Janis Tosatto, this was a staple at our dinner table. I decided that I would try my rendition this week and it turned out perfectly .
This recipe will feed 2 people, with a few beans and potatoes leftover for lunch tomorrow. The seasoning I used on the pork and the vegetables is Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning from Savory Spice and is my go to for most everything. The beans and potatoes brought back such great childhood memories and the pork was tender and cooked through.

Instant Pot Pork Chops w/ Green Beans and Potatoes

2 10 oz Bone-in Pork Chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
14 oz green beans, broken in half
12 oz baking potato, peeled and cubed
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt and pepper (or seasoning of preference)

Hit the saute button and when it says hot, add olive oil. Brown chops on each side, 3 to 4 minutes and remove to plate.
Add onion, saute until soft.
Add stock, stirring to deglaze pot.
Turn off. Add beans, potatoes and garlic and more seasoning. Stir together.
Place chops on top of vegetables.
Making sure that the silicone ring is in
place, lock lid into place and close pressure valve.
Set on manual for 5 minutes at high pressure. My pot came to pressure within 12 minutes.
NPR for 10 minutes and release (with caution) remaining pressure.

Herby Chicken and Butter Bean Soup

I came across this recipe in the February 2014 edition of BBC Good Food. I made a few changes to the recipe, but I'm sure it's pretty close to the original. I know I complained some about how hard it was finding ingredients for my recipes while in England, but the same thing happens here. When I went to my local Price Chopper, there were no butter beans! If you need black beans, pinto beans, baked beans or pork and beans, then Price Chopper is the place to shop. I ended up at Hy-Vee where they actually carry butter beans and I was able to make the soup. This is a good soup, especially when the weather is so cold. Serve it up with a nice green salad and some warm bread.

Herby Chicken & Butter Bean Soup

4 chicken thighs
1.5 liters chicken stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
3-4 sprigs each rosemary, sage and thyme, leaves picked and chopped
2 tsp. each ground cumin and coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. anise seeds
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove meat from bones and shred.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauce pan. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes until starting to carmelize. Add carrots, herbs and spices and stir for 2 minutes to toast the spices. Add the stock, shredded chicken and butter beans, cook, covered for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender and blitz the soup, leaving partly chunky. Add thawed peas, heat through and serve.

Perfect Roast Beef w/ Tomato Gravy

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's website, www.jamieoliver.com. I changed it up just a bit, but pretty much followed the recipe to a tee. Jamie's my favorite, so I don't mess around too much with his recipes. Anyway, I made this meal last night from ingredients that I bought at Kirkgate Market Leeds.


Perfect Roast Beef

• 1 kg quality topside of beef
• 1 medium onion        
• 2 carrots     
• 1 red chilli
• 3 bay leaves       
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme        
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pint cream sherry

To prepare your beef:
Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. There's no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.

Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and fresh thyme leaves, rubbing it all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and add the sherry to pan.

To cook your beef:
Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.

When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and put aside while you make your gravy. Slice the beef thinly for best results.

Tomato Gravy

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 Tbsp. English mustard (I used Colemans)
Juices from beef dish

Add all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer 10 minutes. Pour over sliced beef.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup

 

 

 

From our balcony, we can see a shopping center that has a TK Maxx, yes TK here not TJ. Anyway , I needed a large saucepan/stockpot because the apartment did not have one, so I decided to walk on over there to find one. The walk turned out to be a bit longer than I thought and later I realized there was a TK Maxx a little closer and easier to get to, but I'm still learning. I did find my saucepan, plus a bunch of off price shops, so well worth the trek.
After dropping off my purchase, I walked up to Marks & Spencer, an English department store, to do a little grocery shopping. The grocery store located on their bottom floor is much larger than the local grocer and a little overwhelming. They had so many precooked meals, pre-chopped veg and packaged veg mixes that you could pretty much come up with any recipe. I decided to go with a beef and veggie soup. After spending about 15 minutes trying to choose vegetables, I came upon a package with carrots, an onion a leek and something I was unfamiliar with. I asked a couple of ladies if they knew what it was, they knew the flavor, but not the name. I bought it and thought it was worth a try. It ended up being a rutabaga and you prepare it pretty much like a potato. The flavor was like a sweet, mild radish, potato mash up. We both liked it! I also found this cute little Scottish Sweetheart cabbage that had a wonderful mild cabbage flavor. Here's the recipe I prepared. It's mostly in grams and such, because that how the food is packaged.

Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup


2 Tbsp Olive Oil
450 grams beef casserole steak (stew meat)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Italian Seasonings
Salt & Pepper
1 onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
4 carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 rutabaga, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
140 grams baby new potatoes
1 cup barley
500 grams beef stock
1 (400 gram) can of chopped Italian tomatoes and juice
1/4 cup water

Heat oil in stock pot or large sauce pan. Sprinkle meat with flour and seasonings and mix. Add to pan, in batches, brown and remove. Add onion and leek and sauté 5 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pot. Add the veggies, stock, canned tomatoes, barley and water, bring to boil cook 15 minutes. Reduce, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon more of Italian seasonings. Serve.

 

Sweet Chili Glazed Carrots

We don't go out to dinner every night in Leeds, nor do I rely on prepackaged meals every time I'm in the kitchen. Sometimes I just cook what comes into my head, like these carrots. I was serving pork chops and needed a side and had bought some sweet chili sauce for another recipe. So this is how I came about this recipe. It's good and it's quick.

Sweet Chili Glazed Carrots

Clean 4 carrots and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Add to 1 1/2 pints of boiling water, cook 5 to 8 minutes, drain. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper. Heat through.

I like my carrots with a little bite. If you prefer them softer cook longer.

Cauliflower,Pancetta and Pasta Soup

For Christmas, I received a new cookbook, The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. The book is full of what look to be wonderful recipes and I have already tried a few of them. I usually get the food together the night before and throw it in the refrigerator, so all I have to do in the morning is put the crock in the heating unit, turn it on and go. Eating a healthy, home cooked meal is so much more satisfying than going out, or heaven forbid, eating fast food. This recipe uses chicken broth, but I think it may have been better with veggie broth instead, that's how I would prepare it next time. i upped some of the ingredients in my version to give the flavor a boost. Lots of black pepper seemed to finish it off well. Also top it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This soup serves 8, so invite the neighbors for dinner.

Cauliflower, Pancetta and Pasta Soup

4 oz finely chopped pancetta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium cauliflower, 1 1/2 lbs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 1/2 cups ditalini or tubetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a medium skillet, cook pancetta in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Scrape the mixture into large slow cooker. Add cauliflower and stir well.
Add broth, salt and pepper and red chili flakes. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until cauliflower is tender.
Stir in pasta and cook 30 minutes more, or until tender. Add parsley and Parmesan just before serving.

Edamame w/ Mustard Vinaigrette

Sometimes it takes me awhile to get around to trying out a recipe that I have saved. This one comes from the October 2002 Cooking Light, but was worth saving. It's a simple dish that is light, fresh and fast to prepare.

Edamame with Musard Vinaigrette

1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. frozen, shelled edamame, thawed

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil, stir with whisk until combined.

Cook edamame in boiling water 4 minutes. Add onion and celery, cook 1 minute. Drain well. Add edamame mixture to vinaigrette; toss well to coat. Stir in parsley. Chill 1 hour.

Creamy Cornbread

This is one of those recipes that we always ask mom to prepare at holiday time. Very simple to make and so good to eat.

Creamy Cornbread

1 can cream corn
1 can whole corn
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased baking dish and bake 55-65 minutes at 350 degrees.

Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad

I came across this recipe in my July 2009 bon appetit and thought it would be the perfect side for my smoked ribs and I was right. I'm usually not a fan of potato salad made with vinegar, but this is a keeper. The recipe called for Yukon gold potatoes, but my store did not have them, so I used red. I also added some stone ground mustard to the olive oil for a little extra flavor. The salad is also good cold, but better served the same day.

Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, unpeeled

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 Tbsp. stone ground mustard

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cool to just warm, 10 to 15 minutes; peel potatoes. Cut each potato in half, then into 1/3-inch slices.

Place warm potatoes in large bowl. Stir vinegar and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves, then drizzle over potatoes. Toss to coat. Mix in onion slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.

Mix oil and mustard. Add with parsley to potatoes. Toss well and let marinate about 20 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Potato-Corn Chowder

I came across this recipe in my July 2008 Gourmet magazine. It was fairly simple to prepare, I just wish there was a way to de-cob the corn without the juice flying every where. It was on the counter, the back splash, my shirt and glasses and probably a few places that I missed. Oh well, it was worth the effort and very good.

Potato-Corn Chowder

3 ears corn, shucked
2 qt. water
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 thyme sprigs
2 Turkish or 1 California Bay leaves
3 cups heavy cream
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Garnish: chopped cilantro

Cut corn from each cob, then hold cob upright in a bowl and scrape with knife to extract "milk". Bring cobs, water, potatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil in a large pot, covered, then boil, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard cobs.
Meanwhile, cook onion, carrot and 1/2 tsp. salt in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden, about 10 minutes.
Add bell pepper, corn and it's milk, thyme and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and cook , covered, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
Stir in potatoes with water and cream and gently boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes. Stir in scallions, white pepper, cayenne and salt to taste. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Piselli Con Asparagi E Basilico

This simple and delicious recipe comes from an issue of La Cucina Italiana. I have had a subscription to this magazine for some years now and always love the recipes, articles and pictures. This recipe for Asparagus, Peas and Basil is really the perfect side.

Asparagus, Peas and Basil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 lb. shelled fresh peas (2 1/2 cups; 1 3/4 lb in pods) or 1(10 oz) package thawed frozen peas

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

Handful of torn basil leaves (about 3/4 cup)

Cook shallots in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, peas, sea salt and 1/4 tsp. of black pepper, then cover skillet. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender but slightly al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in basil and salt to taste.

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

This soup is based on a recipe from the Kansas City Star. I changed it up because Dan does not like cauliflower. He actually thought that it was a potato soup at first and liked it even when he found out that it wasn't.

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

1 cauliflower ( 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
26 oz. box chicken stock
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of white pepper
2 cups whole milk
1/4 lb. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Cut out and discard cauliflower core. Remove and discard outer leaves, separating cauliflower into small florets. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt, saute until lightly brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add cauliflower, parsley and stock. Bring to boil and cover, reducing heat and simmering until cauliflower is tender (10 to 12 minutes). Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper and cook, whisking, until it bubbles. Remove from heat and gradually add milk. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Add milk mixture to cauliflower mixture. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Peas and Prosciutto

This easy and delicious recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentiis's book Everyday Italian. I prepared it for some friends this past weekend and it was a big hit. Since I keep all these ingredients on hand all the time, this will become a standard in my house. The next time I prepare it, I might add a little chopped fresh mint to the dish. One of the notes in Giada's book about the recipe was adding leftovers to scrambled eggs in the morning. We tried that the following morning and it was a great suggestion!

Peas and Prosciutto

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1-lb) bag frozen peas
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-low flame. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add peas and saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. remove from heat and add prosciutto, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve.

Pasta With Pancetta and Broccoli

This was a very simple recipe that I prepared last night. The recipe may have come from Gourmet magazine, but I'm not 100% sure on that one. The recipe should have been prepared with orecchiette, but I didn't have any so I used cellentani. The orecchiette would have held the topping much better, but sometimes you gotta go with what you've got. The magazine recipe also called for a 10 oz box of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained and patted dry. I used fresh broccoli that I steamed in the microwave first. This dish would be great with broccoli rabe if you can find it at your grocery. I used to grow it in my veggie garden, but gave that garden up, because I was tired of fighting the rabbits, deer and squirrels for the produce. This recipe serves four.

Pasta with Pancetta and Broccoli

3/4 lb. pasta

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

3 Tbsp. pine nuts

3 oz. pancetta, coarsely chopped

5 scallions, thinly sliced

10 oz. fresh, steamed broccoli

Fresh grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until al dente. While pasta cooks, heat butter and oil with garlic in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until pale golden. Discard garlic and stir in pancetta and scallions, cook 1 minute. Add broccoli and a 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook over medium high heat, stirring, four minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta and stir into broccoli mixture. Add some reserved water to moisten if needed. Serve with grated cheese.

Mashed Cauliflower

This recipe is a great alternative to mashed potatoes. You can serve it to people who don't like cauliflower and they won't even realize what they have just eaten. This recipe comes from George Stella, who used to have a show on the Food Network during the whole lo-carb craze. The recipe makes 4 servings.

Mashed Cauliflower

1 medium head cauliflower
1 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. minced roasted garlic
1/8 tsp. straight chicken base or bouillon
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh chopped chives
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat. Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for 6 minutes or until well done. Drain well, do not cool, pat very dry with layers of paper towels. In a bowl with an immersion blender, puree hot cauliflower with cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base and pepper until smooth. Garnish with chives and serve with pats of butter.

Haricots Verts with Lemon and Garlic

I was trying to come up with something other than green bean casserole to prepare this Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love green bean casserole, but I was ready for a change and did not want to take up precious oven room for another baked dish. This dish was inspired by the wonderful green beans that you order in Italy, but they never taste quite the same here. This one turned out great and everyone really liked it, they did, they really, really liked it.



Haricots Verts with Lemon and Garlic

2 bags (12oz) frozen Haricorts Verts, thawed
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon

In a large skillet, melt butter; add olive oil. Stir in beans, garlic, juice and zest. Cook until beans are heated through. Serve.

Brussels Sprouts w/ Sherry-Asiago Cream Sauce

I served this with the pork chops last night and while I liked it, Dan hated it. He loved the sauce, he just had an issue with the sprouts, they freaked him out somewhat. I have never made them before and have only eaten them one other time. I don't have a problem with them, but apparently there are lots of people who don't like them. I'll make them for Ryan the next time he is in town because he does like them. The sauce could be used for broccoli or cauliflower too. This recipe came from www.eatingwell.com.

Brussels Sprouts w/ Sherry-Asiago Cream Sauce

4 servings

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced shallot

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2/3 cup low-fat milk (I used skim)

2 Tbsp. sherry

1/2 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese

1/8 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place Brussels sprouts in a steamer basket and steam in a large saucepan over 1 inch of boiling water until tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring once or twice until just starting to brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; stir until combined. Whisk in milk and sherry; bring to simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the sprouts.

Nutrition Info:

146 cal, 8 g fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 212 mg sodium, 417 mg potassium

Lemon Scented Haricorts Verts

As I walked through Super Target trying to come up with a side dish for Thursday's dinner I came across this 8 ounce bag of Earth Exotics French Haricort Vert. I wasn't sure of what I was going to do with them, but I had an idea. I started by adding the beans to a pot of boiling, salted water and I cooked them for 3 minutes, then immersed them into a bowl of ice water. Meanwhile I sauteed some thinly sliced onions, about 1/3 cup, in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 9 minutes until they were lightly golden. I added the beans and cooked for 5 minutes, then added a clove of chopped garlic and a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, stirring to combine. They turned out perfectly and were a great accompaniment to my chicken dish.

Glazed Carrots w/ Cointreau

I adapted this recipe from Joy of Cooking and it turned out very nice. Their recipe suggested using brandy, but I thought the orange flavor of the Cointreau would work a little better and it did impart a nice subtle flavor to the carrots.

Glazed Carrots w/ Cointreau

1 lb. carrots, cut into thick slices

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Cointreau, or other orange flavored liqueur

1 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

fresh ground pepper

Place all ingredients into a pan that is large enough so that carrots form single layer on bottom of pan. Heat until simmering and cover with a lid. Simmer until a syrupy glaze forms on bottom of pan and carrots are cooked, about 20 minutes. Uncover and roll carrots to coat. Top with parsley and pepper to taste.