Easy Cream Of Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is a total game-changer. Loved by children and adults alike, just a few simple ingredients is all it takes to make a cozy, creamy, customizable soup. This is the best tomato soup I have ever made. The magic is in the slow-simmering. But don't let that deter you. This soup is worth the wait. It comes together quite easily and it's great the next day for lunch. Butter helps thicken the soup and make it dreamy. As they say, butter makes everything better. The soup is rich so a that less than a cup is enough for me. I usually pair it with a garden salad and keto bread for a lower-carb meal.

Heidi's One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe

My husband loves banana bread. He's always happy to see it on the counter. Heidi Swanson's one bowl recipe is simple enough to bake on a weekday afternoon. This easy banana bread recipe is the only one you'll ever need. The banana bread is nostalgic and homey. Bananas are the star. With a cup of tea or coffee, this treat is a cozy escape.

Heidi's One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe 

Some Notes

The original recipe for Heidi Swanson's One Bowl Banana Bread is found here. Heidi uses a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour. I didn't have any whole wheat flour in my pantry but I bet it gives the bread a rustic taste. 

I use coconut milk straight out of the can for this recipe. I haven't tried it with nuts or chocolate chips yet. A sprinkling of sesame seeds on top seems like a good idea too.    

I baked my bread for forty minutes in a square pan because I like to cut it into squares instead of slices.    

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 3/4 cup of my vanilla sugar or dark brown sugar 

• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk, yogurt, or sour cream

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place a rack in the center. 

Butter a 9-by 5-inch loaf pan, or equivalent. Place the mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir in the butter, and then the sugar and coconut milk. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the batter combines, avoid over-mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! xx ~ Jilly 

Rustic Tabbouleh Salad

I grew up eating my Lebanese grandmother's delicate and lemony tabbouleh. She would finely chop the tomatoes, parsley and cucumbers then douse the salad with lots of fresh lemon juice. Tabbouleh was a staple on her dinner table, along with delicious Middle Eastern roasted chicken and rice pilaf.  I loved her home cooking. Middle Eastern food is my soul food. We enjoy this healthy cuisine at least three times a week. My husband is Polish but he loves Eastern Mediterranean food.

Lemony Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is what's for lunch today. I make this soup often. It's rustic and easy to prepare. The nutritional profile is wonderful. Best of all, the lentils remain whole and keep their firm texture. This is a brothy lentil soup. A smoked-paprika scented stock is infused with the earthy flavor of the lentils. The soup is finished with lemon and dill. Fresh dill is one of my favorite herbs. The bright and citrusy flavor of dill counters the richness of the lentils. Spinach is stirred in at the end of cooking to remain vibrant and green. Lots of freshly cracked black pepper is welcome here too.  

Fifteen Minute French Pea Soup

I've made different versions of this simple pea soup for many years. I like this recipe because it's quick and creamy. The cheerful soup is a keeper during the cold months. The bright green color lifts my mood. This foolproof French pea soup is ready in under fifteen minutes. A fast, fresh soup with delicate taste and velvety texture never disappoints.

Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque

French women have their own version of butternut squash soup. Some recipes are complex. Some are quite simple. After testing several recipes of this popular soup, I found my favorite. My recipe is cozy and easy to prepare. This beautiful bisque is chic and special enough to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner. There's a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon in it.  If you've followed me for a while, you know I love soup. This one is a keeper.

My Grandmother's Lebanese-Spiced Chicken

This is my easy version of the warmly-spiced chicken my Lebanese grandmother served every Christmas and Easter. She lived with my grandfather in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York. The bright and flavorful Eastern Mediterranean feasts she created from her tiny yellow kitchen impressed everyone. She loved to cook for her family and friends. On Christmas day, she always served a whole roasted chicken with delicious rice pilaf. The pan juices from the chicken were served over the rice. Along with the chicken and rice, my grandmother made stuffed grape leaves, lemony salads, hummus, baklava and date cookies. There was plenty of fresh pita bread too. Her modest-home was full of good food and lots of love.

Spicy Honey Baked Wings

These sweet and spicy baked wings need no long explanation. The honey caramelizes on the wings as they bake. That's a very good thing. They're also easy to prepare. Fresh oregano and a squeeze of lemon is a delicious finish.  Best of all, they're baked not fried. Bees Knees Spicy Honey makes them extra special. The chili-infused honey is the secret ingredient, giving this dish a punch of heat and flavor. I reviewed the spicy honey a few weeks ago. It became an instant favorite in my kitchen. You can find the spicy honey on Uncommongoods. Regular honey and a sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper will work too. 

Chickpea & Herb Salad

This refreshing and filling salad has lots of parsley, which acts like lettuce does in regular garden salads. There's a bit of creamy tahini and some finely diced red onion for texture and flavor. A squeeze of lemon juice is a fresh finish. Dill shows up here too. I enjoy the salad with warm whole wheat pita. This dish packs well for picnic lunches. This lunch sustained me on my summer staycation bike rides near the marshes and beaches.

Healthy Mexican Cocoa

I've partnered with Uncommongoods to review some of their delicious and unique products. I've been a customer for years. 

Today I'm sharing honey with you. Bees Knees Spicy Honey is infused with a bit of chili. The heat sneaks up on you in a very good way. There's just the right amount of spice to balance the sweet. I love this honey. I've been eating it straight with a spoon (don't judge). It's that good. 

This honey is wonderful in my morning Mexican Cocoa (recipe below). The cocoa has a a dash of cinnamon and a spicy hit from the honey. Keep this cocoa recipe in your repertoire for brisk fall mornings and chilly winter afternoons. After a day spent skating, skiing or sledding, it's a cozy pick-me-up. I enjoy the cocoa year round. It's loaded with antioxidants and omega-3s. 

Easy Zucchini And Corn Pasta

End of summer cooking means visiting local farms selling sweet corn and backyard gardens bursting with zucchini. It's such a joy to be in the kitchen with the abundance of seasonal produce. Fresh, fast and flavorful food is made in minutes. Healthy meals come together without much fuss. I'm sharing another one of my favorite summery dinners with you again. Chewy-pasta with tender-crisp zucchini, pops of sweet corn and a good amount of herbs.

Roasted Broccoli With Lemon-Tahini Drizzle

Roasting broccoli is an easy way to bring out its flavor. This recipe has a delicious Eastern Mediterranean vibe. The lemony tahini sauce is bright and sunny. It plays against the warmth and sweetness of the golden-brown broccoli in a very good way.

You can riff on this recipe by tossing some chickpeas on the tray with the broccoli before roasting it. Serve the roasted broccoli/chickpeas and the sauce over rice or stuffed into a pita for a protein-packed vegan meal. It's also great with fried or scrambled eggs for a light vegetarian dinner.

Macro-Zen Bowl

New Year's morning our elderly/bored/early bird neighbor woke us up by banging on our door at the crack of dawn. By this I mean, constant knocking while the beagle was howling (screeching) like a mad woman. An unknown creature interrupting Eleanor's dog-dreams and beagle-beauty-sleep is never a good thing. Tom (aka morning-monster) loudly asked/wondered if I had maybe lost my mind because I accidentally parked in the neighbor's perpetually empty parking spot. I came home late from working a busy New Year's Eve shift at the psychiatric hospital. The neighbor has no car. He never goes anywhere. There are plenty of parking spaces. I hollered about how unromantic my life was at that very moment. How Tom should realize that romance is important and that maybe he should remember a time when we first met. These were strange suggestions from a sleep-deprived woman. Needless to say, Tom was annoyed by them. He stormed out of house to move our car. He came in and said he was sorry he wasn't romantic but he was pissed off (insert curse words here). Crazytown! We both simmered in our anger for a while. Then we had coffee-talk. We apologized. We decided to take a walk on the beach. We laughed and ate long-life noodles for lunch. That's the real-life way we celebrated the New Year. 

Moroccan Sweet Potato Bisque

Vibrant, soul-satisfying sweet potato soups are a favorite of mine. This one has the luscious texture of a bisque, but none of the cream. You're free to add some heavy cream or coconut cream if you'd like. But you won't miss it. I promise. I adore this soup! I hope you'll give it a go.

Two common spices, cinnamon and cumin, infuse this recipe with Moroccan flavors. Fresh ginger brings a bit of heat. It's relatively easy to prepare too. Everything is chopped and dropped into a pot to simmer. The soup can even be made ahead of time.

French Apple Cake

In general, no one needs much advice. Even when requested, all anyone is searching for is sincere compassion and understanding. Phrases like "You need to" or "Why are you doing that?" can be interpreted (by stressed but fully functional humans) as arrogant and annoying. Gentle suggestions are usually okay. Attempting to boss or bend people to your will never works. Take a leap of faith, believing that people have great potential to figure it all out. In their own time and in their own way, they invariably do. Quiet support and heartfelt prayers are a good idea. Coffee and cake are always welcome too.

Roasted Carrots And Potatoes With Sea Salt And Sage

Nothing says fall like roasted root vegetables. I love this light and simple recipe. Hints of fresh sage make it very flavorful. The potatoes are golden brown on the outside with creamy centers. The sweetness of the carrots is a nice compliment to the sage.

Thai Chickpea, Vegetable And Potato Curry

Lately I've been hearing a lot about Blue Zones. Regions of the world where vegetable and bean dishes are consumed regularly. These areas are populated by healthy humans who live very long lives. Since I love chickpeas, I thought I'd create my own variety of a Blue Zone dinner tonight.

This Thai inspired vegetable and bean curry is mild and mellow. Creamy coconut milk and hearty potatoes make it very satisfying. Everything is simmered in one pot for ease of preparation. 

Easy Indian Chicken Curry

A simple chicken curry with creamy coconut milk and perky ginger is what's for dinner tonight. Coconut milk is a rich source of antioxidants and certain minerals, including iron and potassium. Vitamins C, E and many B vitamins are abundant in coconut milk too. This a light curry in that it doesn't contain lots of butter or cream. You'll feel energized after you've enjoyed a bowl of it.   

Chicken curry can be on your table in no time. A potato gives it substance. It's mild and mellow with great flavor. Even if you've never made Indian food, you can prepare this delicious dish without much effort.  If you've got fresh mint growing in your garden, sprinkle some on top. A squeeze of fresh lime juice is a must!  If you're serving guests who like a little more heat, you can offer them some thinly sliced chilis or sriracha sauce. Get your curry on!  

Easy Indian Chickpea And Spinach Curry

I used to work every evening as a counselor/administrative assistant in a crisis center. Stress eating was the norm there. On busy nights, the staff (myself included) subsisted on vending-machine snacks, greasy pizza and take-out Chinese. We all wondered why our waistlines were ever expanding? Why we felt tired? Why we were never satisfied by what we ate?

Vanilla Bean Coconut Cream

Simple, natural, elegant and delicious...this creamy coconut milk dessert tastes like French vanilla mousse. It's easy to prepare if you follow my foolproof method. A real vanilla bean is what makes it so special.