Easy Hearty Potato Leek Soup

A win! We found a soup that Shawn likes! Potato Leek Soup with some modification for his liking. It will leave you with leftovers if there is only one (or two) people! 

Ingredients:

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled (we used golden potatoes this time and have used russets before with no problems)
2-3 leeks, greens removed, cut and chopped
Miso soup broth to taste, about 1-1/2 to 2 cups 
Fresh thyme
1/2 fresh bay leaf
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Butter to taste
Milk to taste (I used about 1/2 to 3/4 c.) 

Cook potatoes as though making mashed potatoes (boil until tender). When that is cooking, in a separate pan, add butter or olive oil until warm, add leeks.  Stir to cover leeks with butter/oil.  Cover.  Stir occasionally until leeks are cooked (soft, wilted looking - photo below is before cooking).  *Before leeks are cooked completely, add the bay leaf, fresh thyme leaves to taste, and fresh ground pepper.* 

When potatoes are done cooking, drain.  Add leeks, miso soup, milk, and a few tabs of butter if desired. Blend until desired thickness (add more soup broth & milk for a more broth-y soup, add less for a thicker soup.) We used a handheld blender for this step.  We left it fairly thick with some potato chunks leftover. 

Garnish with fresh thyme, serve hot! Shawn likes this soup with extra ingredients: corn and small bacon pieces (and this time, with french fried onions as a garnish). Enjoy! Do you like Potato Leek soup and have any tricks or tips to share? 

Chicken Florentine Goodness!

Before I get too carried away on spring break (being spent at home, catching up on reading and laundry), I wanted to share this YUMMY recipe!

Chicken Florentine in a Croissant 

Ingredients:

(1) package chicken tenders (easier to shred & faster to cook)

(1) package frozen spinach

(1) container of shredded parmesan cheese

(2) packages croissant rolls

Herbs & Spices to taste

(I used black pepper, thyme, basil.  You can also garnish with fresh parsley if you're putting it out on a platter)

Directions:

Boil chicken until cooked to 170 degrees, remove from heat, drain. Using two forks, shred chicken.  Add in some spice here (I added some black pepper).  Here, you can start cooking the frozen spinach, so you can shred while it cooks. All I added was 1/2 c. water, the last of the spices (more black pepper, thyme, basil) and the package of spinach. Once spinach is cooked & drained, add some of the parmesan to it.  (This helps melt some of the cheese). Stir together. Add to shredded chicken, and add the last of the cheese. TASTE! This will help you decide if you need more of something. Now, on your baking pan or stone, separate the croissant rolls so you can stuff it with this Florentine goodness. I found it's easier to use my hands.  Fill the center with the Florentine, and fold over the croissant. (Confused? See pics below). For added goodness, (Alex liked these ones especially) before baking, sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top of the croissant. Bake to croissant specifications.  If you have leftover filling, refrigerate & add to salad, make a sandwich, etc.  Enjoy!