Menu Monday: POTATO-LEEK SOUP

I have decided to try a new vegetable every week in an effort to get healthier (and hopefully break my dependence on Cheez-It's). Veggies, you say? Aren't you, a person recovering from Crohn's Disease and colon surgery (initially, I typed "sugary," which is true, too *lol*), supposed to stay away from veggies? Well, to hell with that. Vegetables are good for us; they are not bad for us. Disease is bad for us, and you know why? Because Satan is the author of disease. God promised me the food of every seed-bearing plant and every tree that has fruit with seed in it (Genesis 1:29), so, by golly, I'm going to have them as food because He keeps his promises. I am, however, starting off with cooked veggies...though I did try a bite of raw carrot with this recipe. I'm a rebel. (It didn't cause me any issues. I also had pineapple on my pizza. And, yes, I had pizza. ;)

I tried doing this little project last fall...or summer, maybe? But obviously it did not last. I remember I tried beets...and some other things. I honestly only remember the beets...and now lima beans because I went to my blog to see. I included fruits, too. Maybe I should include fruits again because I know there are some I haven't tried. I think in the summer I had blueberries as a "new" fruit, not because I had never had them but because I never liked them previously unless they were in muffins. (I made Ben and Jerry's blueberry ice cream recipe, so I guess that doesn't count as trying to be healthy. *haha* BUT the fresh blueberries were so tasty in it. I can't wait for the Farmer's Market this year!)

Anyway, I've technically had this veggie before, but I LOVED it and haven't had it in almost a year.

What is this you ask?

Since I'm still "sick" and it's winter, I thought, POTATO-LEEK SOUP would be perfect to make! After all, the leeks are cooked and potatoes (and carrots) are easy on the stomach. The picture above was taken at ICASI in Cleveland last March when we visited Holly (and the culinary school at which she works). Every Saturday the students prepare several courses and serve them; it was AMAZING, and this soup was one of my favorites. Now it was a creamier POTATO-LEEK SOUP than the one I'm sharing, but the flavors were still amazing (and you didn't have to worry about blending it together). This recipe also calls for quite a bit of onion, but I haven't noticed it giving me any issues either (as long as it is cooked...and I love onion! I can't give it up.).

POTATO-LEEK SOUP

-Wash and dice two leeks (the white part only...though I cut it below the green leaves and diced away so some light green snuck in. I wish I had taken a picture of the leeks. Zach couldn't find them at the store, but, when we went back, I found them right away--and I've never seen one! ;).

-Peel and dice a medium onion. (Do you wash your onions? I just realized I never do. I think I read somewhere that water is bad for them?)

-Melt four tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add leeks and onion, and sauté until tender for 5 to 7 minutes.

-Add three and 1/4 cups of chicken stock or broth to the pot. Because we're poor (or cheap), we use a chicken base from Sam's and mix up some water with it. I would, however, like to start making my own stocks because they offer some great health benefits. (That's why we eat chicken soup when we are sick!)

-Peel, wash, and dice four carrots and add them to the pot..

-Peel, wash, and dice three large potatoes (or, in my case, five small to medium potatoes) and add them to the pot.

-Add 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of thyme, and 1 bay leaf to the pot.

-You may need to add a bit more stock or add some water to cover all the veggies. Heat to boiling, then cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving!

Voila! You have easily made POTATO-LEEK SOUP! I prefer to eat my soup with hot bread most of the time, but, as I was trying to get dinner to my semicolon, I just had a few saltines, my go-to soup cracker. This was just delicious, and the seasonings were just perfect in it. Thyme has become one of my favorites to use, and I am so happy we finally got some bay leaves because I have been using them a lot lately. I think adding some kind of protein (probably chicken since chicken stock is used) would take this soup over the top.

I can't wait to share my veggie for next week. I hope I like it because I never have before...!

Menu Monday (I really meant to post this yesterday!): BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM

I really love ice cream. After (or tied with) pie, it's my favorite. Zach got me a Cuisinart ice cream maker for this past Christmas, and I think it has been one of the best presents ever. :)

We've made mint chocolate chip, chocolate, chocolate chocolate chip, strawberry, Terry's chocolate orange, strawberry-chocolate, fresh mint chip, and who knows what else because we've made some of these multiple times. And this week we made HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

I had never had BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM until last summer when we stayed with Zach's aunt and uncle in Springdale; we lived with them for a month after Zach got his job. Anyway, at that time, Zach had a couple of interviews in MO and OH, so we stopped by to visit them for a few days en route. Their neighbor Nancy, who is constantly making delicious things to eat and sending them over, had her daughter and son-in-law in town that week, and they went berry-picking. With their hard-earned treasure, they made HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

I am not a blueberry lover. I like them in muffins and will tolerate them elsewhere. In ice cream, however, they are divine. The sweetness of the ice cream balances out the tartness of the berries and enhances their flavor. Sooooo good! If you are not a fan of these dark berries, you will be after you try some of ice cream with them. :)

Thankfully to Bridget at Bake at 350, I heard about Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book.

Once I came across her (mostly) cookie blog and saw how much she referenced this cookbook when she wasn't baking cookies, I immediately used my Swagbucks Amazon gift cards and grabbed it up. I can't wait to try cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberry-coconut ice cream this summer.

But for now, I will share my adaption:

BEN & JERRY'S WILD BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

We got these beauties at the Farmers Market. :)

-Combine 1 pint of blueberries with 1/2 c. sugar and a generous dash of lemon juice. Marinate for at least two hours, stirring occassionally.

I bought an 18-pack for memorial day when I knew I would need six for my potato salad and five for my fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream. I don't think I've ever purchased an 18-pack.

-Whisk two eggs for one to two minutes.

I was holding the phone in my right hand to take a picture while pouring in my left. And it was right after this point I dropped my phone on the floor, causing it possibly permanent damage. : / Husby was not too happy. He said he would always be happy to take photos for me, but I told him I have a vision in my head that he may not capture. Plus, he usually looks grumpy when I ask him to take just one more for the fifteenth time. *lol* Sweet Lord, I do need a new camera (and phone)!

-Whisk in 3/4 c. sugar gradually. Continue whisking until sugar is dissolved.

-Pour in 2 c. heavy whipping cream and 1 c. milk and whisk to blend.

I find it interesting that blueberries are dark blue, become pinkish when mashed, and turn ice cream purplish! A chameleon berry!

-Mash the blueberries until pureed.

-Stir into cream base. Make sure you clean off the the bits from the whisk. They are tasty!

-Assemble ice cream maker with freezing bowl with arm inside. Place cover over freezing bowl and start ice cream maker. Pour in batter and process for 25 minutes.

[1-1/2 quarts--the recipe said 1 quart, but it is very generous.]

It comes out like soft serve, so I then scoop it into a freezer-safe bowl and place it in the freezer for at least two hours until hardened. This evening it was hard as a rock!

This is what I simultaneously love and hate about my ice cream maker: I get to clean it up...with the help of my mouth. :) But it's tricky to get every drop up!

Here she is in all her glory! If you plan to store it in the freezer (because you can't eat it in one sitting), be sure to cover with a piece of wax paper and press down so that it sticks to the top of the ice cream. This prevents freezer burn.

We have another winner!!