Copycat Zupas Tomato Basil Soup - Instant Pot

Zupas Tomato Basil Soup is one of my all time favorite things.  I've tried several different recipes for Tomato Basil soup and I've liked some of them, but this hands down is my fav!  It tastes exactly like it!  Wahoo!  It's thick and creamy and fills my whole soul with comfort!  Yum!  Thanks to my sister for sharing it!  The original recipe came from devourdinner.com.  I like to use the S&W Tomatoes (Stewed Italian Recipe) and Costco's Kirkland Basil Pesto, for the canned tomatoes and the pesto.

3 tablespoons butter

3 stalks celery, diced

1 cup onions, diced

4 14.5 oz cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes 

1 cup basil pesto 

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Fresh Parmesan to garnish

Place butter in the Instant Pot.  Add celery and onions.  Saute until soft, stirring often.  Add canned tomatoes, pesto, sugar, salt and chicken broth.  Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.  When finished, use quick release to release the pressure.  Pour hot soup in blender and blend until smooth.  (Or you can use an immersion blender.)  Pour blended soup back into the Instant Pot.  Stir in whipping cream.  If the cream cooled the soup down too much, just press the saute button, and heat it for a minute or two.  Turn off saute when it's the temperature you'd like, and press keep warm.  Serve with fresh parmesan if desired.

Grandma's Scottish Shortbread

My Grandma Carlson made Scottish Shortbread every Christmas.  This recipe came from her mom, my Great Grandma Davidson, who grew up in Scotland.  I have adapted it to make it gluten free and it tastes just like I remember!

5 cups gluten free flour

1 tablespoon xanthan gum

2 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix all together with your hands until it sticks together and is combined well. Spread evenly onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Using the back of a fork, make lines going horizontally and then again vertically.  Bake for 1 hour at 300º.  Cut into 1 inch squares as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Let cool completely.   

Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie

This sweet but tart lemon pie is delish!  It's a Thanksgiving favorite of mine!  One large lemon will be enough for the lemon peel and fresh lemon juice.  I would for sure use the full fat Dairy sour cream.  

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
3 beaten egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon shredded lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
8 oz Dairy sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries

Baked GF pie crust

In a saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch.  In a small bowl, stir together beaten eggs and milk.  Add to sauce pan.  Add butter and lemon peel.  Cook over medium heat until it boils.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes while boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Cover with plastic wrap until cool.

Wash blueberries and let them dry completely.  When pudding is cool, stir in sour cream.  Stir in blueberries and pour into a baked pie crust.  Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.  Top with whipped cream.  You can also whip some lemon peel into the cream.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

This hearty curry vegetable stew is delicious and warms the soul!  If you want it to be more of a soup and less of a stew then add 1 1/2 more cups of broth.  You can also increase the cayenne pepper if you want it spicy.  I use homemade canned whole tomatoes, but you can use 32 oz of any canned tomato you'd like.  

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves minced garlic

4 ribs celery diced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 quart whole tomatoes

1 lb frozen cauliflower florets

2 cups sliced carrots

4 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup red lentils

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat.  Prepare celery then add to the onions and saute for 3 more minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper to the pot.  Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, chickpeas, frozen cauliflower, carrots, broth, and a bay leaf.  Turn heat to high, place a lid on, and bring soup to a boil.  Add lentils and let it come back to a boil.  Turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on.

Remove bay leaf, and salt to taste.

Favorite Chili

This is by far my favorite chili recipe!  I took some things I liked from a few of my past recipes and combined it to make the best chili ever!  It's thick and chunky and soothes the soul on a cold day!  

It has just a little kick if you put in a whole jalapeno, but I wouldn't say it's spicy.  If you'd rather not have that extra heat, you could just put in 1 tablespoon jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped. 

1 lb ground beef

2 onions or 1 extra large onion

1 cup green pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped  

1 (10 ounce) can Mexican-style tomatoes (Rotel - Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis)

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce (or four 8 ounce cans tomato sauce)

1 quart homemade canned tomatoes, or store bought crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 (14 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Toppings - sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese

Cook ground beef with onions and peppers in a large cast iron pot or dutch oven.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drain excess grease and add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 - 60 minutes.

Honey Walnut Shrimp

This shrimp recipe is a favorite!  It's easily doubled for a larger group.

1 lb. medium or large shrimp, raw, deveined and shelled

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 cup canola oil for frying

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Candied walnuts

Rinse and dry shrimp.  Marinate in egg white and salt in a large ziploc bag for 20 minutes.  

While shrimp is marinating make the sauce in a medium bowl.  Whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh lemon juice.  Set aside.

Also, make candied walnuts while shrimp is marinating:

     In a medium skillet heat 1 cup walnut pieces, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter.  Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.  Transfer immediately to a sheet of parchment paper and separate the nuts quickly using a spatula.

    
After shrimp has marinated, add cornstarch and toss to coat.  Place shrimp in a medium skillet with hot oil to fry.  (It only takes a few minutes.)  Shrimp will be pink when cooked.  Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on cooling rack to let the excess oil drip off.  Make sure to not overcook the shrimp.

Put shrimp in the bowl with the sauce and toss with the sauce to combine.  Serve over hot rice and top with candied walnuts.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Ganache

This moist cake is a chocolate lovers dream!  The zucchini creates a perfect texture, without revealing any zucchini flavor.  I'm not sure I'll make a chocolate cake any other way.  I love it best served with chocolate ganache.  You could also call it a brownie, and serve it as is.  

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla 

2 cups gluten free flour (I like featherlight best!)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups finely shredded zucchini (do NOT drain!)

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk, chips or chunks)

3/4 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until fully incorporated.  Add GF flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Batter will be very dry.  Fold in zucchini.  Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.  Add in chocolate chips and stir again.  Batter should appear more wet.  If not, let it rest for 5 more minutes and stir again.  Spread cake mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking prepare the ganache.  Combine the Ghirrardelli milk chocolate chips and the heavy whipping cream in a small pan.  Stir over medium heat until chips melt and combine well with the cream.  Let it cool.

Cut individual pieces of cake, and spoon ganache over top.  Serve.  

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

These BBQ pork sandwiches will please any crowd!  We love to freshen it up with this quick and easy coleslaw with homemade dressing.  Make the coleslaw a few hours before serving.

6-7 lbs pork shoulder roast
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 - 2 cups Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce

Put pork roast in crockpot.  Sprinkle brown sugar, salt, cumin and garlic on top of the roast.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours then on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat falls apart.  

Take roast out of juices and shred.  Mix BBQ sauce into hot pork.  Pour juices out of crockpot, and put pork back in, to keep warm.  Add more BBQ sauce if needed.  Serve on gluten free buns or bread, with coleslaw.

Coleslaw

2 (16 ounce) bags coleslaw mix

2 tablespoons finely diced onion

2/3 cup mayo

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the colelaw mix and onion in a large bowl.  Whisk together the mayo, oil, sugar, vinegar and salt in a small bowl.  Pour over coleslaw and toss to coat.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Easy Alfredo

This might just be my favorite Alfredo recipe.  I got it from my friend Natasha.  We've had it at multiple youth activities and it's always a huge hit!  It's so delicious and simple to make!  It's easy to double to feed a crowd.  You can serve it in a warmed crockpot.

The noodles in this photo are my new favorite as well!  They are cauliflower noodles from Costco!  I'm not sure I'll use anything else!  You have to try them!

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
corn starch slurry to thicken if desired

Melt butter and cream cheese together.  Add pepper and garlic powder.  Add milk a little at a time stirring until creamy.  Add cheese last and stir until melted and creamy.  Thicken with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and water if desired. 

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad

I love this fresh crisp salad!  Salads are great because you can add what you'd like and how much you like.  I didn't measure ingredient amounts because I like to eye it.  I'll guess the amounts below, but add the amounts you like!  The dressing is light and perfect with the apple salad! 

6 - 7 cups Spring salad mix
1 - 2 cups Iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 Honey crisp apples, cubed
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Toast the pecans in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Stir and watch carefully so they don't burn, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Cool on paper towels.  Core and chop apples into small chunks.  Toss lettuce, apples, pecans, Parmesan cheese and cranberries together in a large bowl.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.  Toss with the salad immediately before serving.  You won't need all of the dressing, just use enough to lightly coat the salad.... or however much you like :)