Quick and easy – Minisliceoffarm

October 21, 2020September 17, 2021

Creamy Carrot Soup

This carrot soup is perfect on a cool autumn evening! It’s a great way to add a new dish to your repertoire with familiar ingredients in a simple recipe that comes together in about 30-40 minutes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

March 10, 2020September 17, 2021

Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup

The recipe for this amazing black bean soup is super simple and takes only a few minutes of active cooking time before we let the crock-pot do its magic!

December 16, 2016March 1, 2020

Homemade hummus in less than 30 seconds!!

**To Pin this recipe for later use the “Pin it” button at the end of the instruction section**

Over the years we’ve perfected our hummus recipe. It is so simple but incredibly delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas (if buying dry, 1cup dry will become 3 cups cooked)
1 cup Tahini (for buying options click here)
Juice of 1 large lemon (about 4 Tbls)
3Tbls Roasted garlic olive oil
Salt to taste

For top:

EVOO and
Smoked paprika

You will also need
Blender or food processor.

Instructions:

This will be the easiest recipe I’ve shared. Put all the ingredients in the food processor
Puree until smooth.
Taste for salt and season to taste
Plate hummus and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and smoked paprika

^^To pin this hunnus recipe for later click here^^

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November 10, 2016March 1, 2020

Honey roasted butternut squash

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*For instructions on how to roast butternut squash for puree click here*

Ingredients:

One large butternut squash diced (about 4 cups)
4 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs honey
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450°.
Toss diced butternut squash in olive oil and spread on a lined cookie sheet.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a separate dish.
Carefully pull squash out of the oven (use caution as it is very HOT) and coat it with honey and maple syrup. Then sprinkle sugar and spice mix over the squash evenly.
Place squash back in the oven for 15 minutes to bake.
Switch your oven to broil. Broil until golden brown (about 5 min).

Enjoy!

^^Click here to pin the honey roasted butternut squash recipe for later^^

November 7, 2016

Spaghetti squash noodle bowl with Italian meat sauce

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Italian meat sauce ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 lb ground meat
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tbs fresh chopped basil
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
4-5 cups fresh tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients to complete bowl:

How to prep Spaghetti Squash

1 Prepared Spaghetti squash bowl (instructions on how to do that here)
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbs grated parmigiana reggiano

Italian meat sauce instructions:

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil over med-high heat until translucent (5-7 minutes)
Add garlic and ground meat and brown until meat is mostly cooked
Stir in seasoning and herbs and add about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Add tomato sauce and allow to come to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until desired thickness then adjust for salt to taste.

Bowl assembly instructions:

Place your prepared squash bowl on a plate.
Ladle in a few cups of sauce
Top off with Parmigiana reggiano and mozzarella

Enjoy!!!

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November 7, 2016

Preparing spaghetti squash

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What you will need:

One large spaghetti squash
Sharp knife
Kitchen towel
Fork

Instructions:

Wash and dry your spaghetti squash
Place a Kitchen towel on your cutting board and put the squash on it (this is to prevent slipping)
Hold the squash tight and carefully cut off the stem end
Cut the squash length wise to make two oval “bowls”
Scoop out the seeds
Cook 1/2 squash in microwave for 7 min on high then carefully remove (use oven mitts or towel as it will be HOT). *Note* You can also do both halves at the same time in the oven. Put them face down in a glass baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and bake at 400 for 30min.
Using a fork, start combing the “spaghetti” off the inner sides of the bowl until you reach the outside edge and have a full bowl of “noodles” as pictured below.
Top with your favorite sauce (you can find my recipe here) and some yummy cheese to enjoy your spaghetti squash bowl 🙂

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March 25, 2016

The secret to CRISPY Oven Baked Fries

One afternoon I had an hour to prep dinner early. We were having salad, burgers and fries. I started by prepping the salad and since the cutting board was already out I decided to cut up the potatoes into fries. I put them in cold water so they don’t turn brown. When it was time for dinner I pulled out the fries, gave them a good rinse, tossed them in olive oil and seasonings then put them in the oven. The result was a crispy french fry that was packed full of flavor! I have modified this technique and recipe a bit over the years since then to get the PERFECT flavorful crispy french fry. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 Large russet potatoes
4-6 Tbs of avocado oil
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, this gives them heat – if you don’t like spicy foods don’t add the cayenne)

You will also need:

Large cast iron pan
Stainless steel locking tongs (12 inches or bigger)

Instructions:

Wash russet potatoes really well (use a veggie brush if you have one)
Slice potatoes into 3/8 inch thick french fry pieces.
Wash cut potatoes really well in cold water until water runs clear. Then soak in fresh cold water for 15min. **This step is what makes them crispy**
While waiting, get your cast iron pan on the stove heating at medium heat and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Drain potatoes
Put oil in pan (enough to have a thin layer of oil coating the entire pan) and turn heat up to medium high.
Using large tongs toss potatoes in oil and arange in an even layer.
Evenly sprinkle the herbs and spices over the potatoes.
Carefully move the hot pan into the preheated oven and bake for 25min.
Turn the oven to broil and let them crisp up on the top for another 15min.
Let them cool slightly before diving in 🙂

March 8, 2016

Meatloaf chili leftover upgrade

We loooove leftover upgrade nights. They are packed full of flavor and usually a delicious treat that technically took days to make but takes little to no effort.

From our “Bring dinner home again” post you know we do themed nights once a week. A few nights ago we did an “Alice in Wonderland” themed dinner. We had Queen of Hearts meatloaf, White Rabbit’s roasted carrots, and Card Soldiers salad. Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook page if you would like a more detailed post about our Alice in Wonderland dinner menu!

It was delicious, and we had enough meatloaf leftover to make chili!!
Here is how.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried black beans
4 cups water
3-4 cups meatloaf diced (or 1lb ground beef, browned)
1 green bell pepper diced
1 medium onion diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
Salt/pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Celery seed
1/2 tsp Chili powder (add more if you like it spicy, reduce if you don’t 🙂 )
1/2 tsp ground mustard seed
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbls Cilantro (dried or 3 Tbls fresh)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional. You can also add more to kick up the heat if you like it spicy)

Instructions:

Put dried beans in pot with one 4 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cover for one hour. (you can do this the night before)
Toss the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot on low.
when the beans are tender (after about on hour) drain and add them add them to the crock-pot.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, chives and/or cheddar cheese.

March 2, 2016

Creamy mushroom soup

So many of our favorite recipes call for cream of mushroom soup. This is my version of this soup with an optional adult twist at the end …

Scroll down to the bottom for the instructional video.

*Note* you can make a double batch of this soup and freeze, or dehydrate it for use in other recipes. Make sure to only use one cup of broth for the “condensed” version. Freeze it in large ice cube trays for an easy grab option, every cube is 1oz.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion sliced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 cups broth or stock (for “condensed” soup only use 1 cup of broth, learn how to make your own here)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian herbs
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, I add this for the health benefits)
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, I add this for the health benefits)
salt and pepper to taste
Your favorite dry red wine (Optional, I add this for the yum benefits)

Instructions:

In a warm pot on med-high heat, saute the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper in olive oil until translucent.
Add mushrooms with another pinch of salt and pepper (we are layering in the flavors, adding a small amount of salt and pepper with every ingredient builds depth of flavor)
When the mushrooms release their juices sprinkle in the herbs and spices. The mushrooms will absorb the juices with the herbs and spices.
When the mushrooms have reabsorbed the juices make a well in the middle of the pot and add the butter and flour.
Whisk the butter and flour together until its well incorporated then whisk in one cup of the broth.
When its well incorporated stir in the last cup of broth. Bring up to a boil while stirring continuously.
Add milk and bring back up to a slow simmer. Reduce heat to medium and stir until the desired consistency is reached (it will thicken the longer it simmers).
Taste for seasoning (Careful it’s HOT). Add if needed.
Ladle the soup into your favorite bowl and drizzle with a little red wine.

February 23, 2016

How to cook rice in a blanket!!

Growing up we always LOVED to see a pot wrapped up in a blanket in the dining room … it meant we were going to a party with yummy food!! This method is great if you need to cook your food on your way to a potluck or if you need to run out for a few hours but need food ready when you get home. It will keep your food HOT for up to 3hrs. As an added bonus you are using very little energy.

You can do this with plain rice (adding 1 Tbls of water per cup of rice) or follow my recipe below.
*The full steps are also in the video at the bottom of this post!!* Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients:

4 Tbls Olive oil (light)
1 small onion diced
2 Tbls Orzo
2 Cups white rice (rinsed until water is clear)
3 & 1/4 Cups water
Salt & pepper to taste

You will also need:

Large paper bag
One thin tightly woven blanket (a doubled over sheet will also work)
One thick blanket

Instructions:

Bring pot up to medium low heat and add oil.
Add Onion, salt and pepper and saute on medium heat until translucent.
Turn heat to high and add orzo stirring until it turns golden brown (don’t walk away, this happens quickly)
Have water ready to pour in as soon as orzo gets light brown (it burns quickly so 30 seconds could burn it!)
Bring water to boil (use a small spoon to test water for salt and adjust if needed – be careful it’s hot!)
Add rice and bring back to boil
Cover and put into paper bag, then wrap the bag closed (see video)
Wrap with thin blanket, then the thick blanket
Set aside for at least one hour
Unwrap and fluff rice with fork (Again, being careful it’s HOT!)