Red Beans

Pinto Beans

Green Split Peas

Garbanzo Beans

Black Beans

Broad Beans

Black-Eyed Peas

The post Wordless Wednesday: Just a Hill of Beans appeared first on BitterSweet.

There’s nothing I love more than a cozy soup. …Except maybe a cozy soup that is also inexpensive. ;) For this Creamy Sweet Potato Soup I amped up the natural flavor and sweetness of sweet potatoes through roasting, added a few warm spices, then finished it off with a dose of luxurious heavy cream. The combo is just perfection. And don’t worry, if you can’t do heavy cream there are definitely options!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes for Extra Flavor

There are a lot of ways you can cook sweet potatoes before turning them into soup (steaming, boiling, sautéing, etc.) but I chose to roast the sweet potatoes for this soup because roasting significantly enhances their flavor. The natural sugars in the sweet potatoes begin to caramelize and the flavors in the potatoes intensify as they roast in the dry oven. It might take a little longer than simply boiling them, but the flavor payoff is worth it!

Heavy Cream Alternatives

I finished off my soup with a dose of heavy cream because I had it on hand, but have two no-cream options. You can either substitute with full-fat coconut milk (the kind in the can, not the kind meant as a dairy milk substitute) or just leave out the cream altogether. Truth be told, this soup was extremely delicious even before I added the cream!

Garnish Options

I garnished my soup with a little extra heavy cream and freshly cracked pepper, but those are totally optional. You could also add something green like chopped cilantro or chives. Or you could even drizzle a little flavored olive oil on there! I wouldn’t say no to adding a few croutons on top, either.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Soup

This sweet potato soup makes the perfect “soup and salad” or “soup and sandwich” lunch. You could serve it with a salad like Autumn Kale and Apple Salad, or my Roasted Vegetable Salad. As for sandwiches, this would go great with a classic Veggie Sandwich or a Curry Chicken Salad sandwich.

How to Make Sweet Potato Soup – Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then prick the skins a few times with a fork. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the sweet potatoes and then rub them to coat all surfaces. Place the sweet potatoes cut sides down on the baking sheet.

Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes. Check to make sure the potatoes are tender all the way through (pierce with a fork). If not cooked through, return the potatoes to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. Total roasting time will depend on the size of the potatoes. (I flipped the potatoes in the photo above so you can see how caramelized they get on the bottom.) Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly.

While the sweet potatoes are cooling, dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a skillet along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.

Add ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, ⅛ tsp cayenne, ⅛ tsp cinnamon to the onions and garlic. Continue to sauté for one minute more, then remove the skillet from the heat.

Scoop the roasted sweet potatoes out of their skins and into a blender (6-cup capacity).

Add the sautéed onion, garlic, and spices to the blender, along with 2 cups chicken broth. Swirl a little of the broth in the skillet first to pick up all those spices.

Blend the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, and broth until smooth.

Transfer the puréed sweet potato mixture to a soup pot and add an additional 2 cups chicken broth (if you want your soup extra thick, just add one cup of broth).

Heat the soup through over medium heat, then stir in ½ cup heavy cream. Give the soup a taste and add salt or extra pepper as needed (I added ¼ tsp salt). Enjoy hot!

The post Creamy Sweet Potato Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Here’s a deliciously easy breakfast and brunch idea: the Yogurt Parfait! This layered cup looks fancy but takes minutes to make.

Looking for an easy breakfast or brunch idea? Try this Berry & Yogurt Parfait! Layer Greek yogurt, berries and peanut butter granola in a glass, and looks loads fancier than it actually is. We’ve been making these for years, but here’s our latest favorite spin. It’s like an elevated spin on the MacDonald’s version that tastes more pure and real (and less sugary). Try this Greek yogurt parfait for a fancy brunch, or a quick make-ahead breakfast!

Ingredients in this yogurt parfait

This yogurt parfait is quick and easy to layer up: ideal for simple breakfasts. But it looks so stunning, it’s great for brunches too! Here’s what you’ll need for the ingredients:

• Peanut Butter Granola, Crispy Homemade Granola, or other purchased granola (as high quality as you can find)
• Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Frozen strawberries
• Fresh berries: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc

Why use frozen berries?

Why use frozen strawberries here? Can you use all fresh berries, or all frozen berries? Here’s what to know:

• Frozen berries help to make a sauce. Defrosting the frozen berries makes a nice fruity sauce to mix with maple syrup to flavor the berries. Again, it’s got a vibe of that McDonald’s fruit and yogurt parfait.
• Frozen are also cheaper. It’s a little cheaper than buying 2 cups of fresh berries.
• But you can use all fresh berries or all frozen! Whatever works for you! You can also make a fruit compote with frozen berries: see below.

Greek yogurt vs plain yogurt

Our favorite yogurt to use in general is Greek yogurt, but you can use plain yogurt too! Here are a few notes on making a Greek yogurt parfait:

• Greek yogurt is thick and creamy, with a delicious tang. The flavor really is superior to plain yogurt.
• Greek yogurt has lots of health benefits: it’s high in protein and can aid in gut health.
• Substitute plain yogurt if you like. Then follow the recipe below to add maple syrup and cinnamon to flavor it.

Variations on a yogurt parfait

You can use many different options for the fruit in this yogurt parfait! We love it with berries, but the sky’s the limit here. Here a few ideas for mixing it up:

• Use just one berry: all blueberry, blackberry, raspberry or strawberry
• Make a compote or sauce: like Raspberry Compote, Blueberry Compote, Strawberry Sauce, Raspberry Sauce or Blueberry Sauce
• Go tropical with banana, mango or pineapple, and consider adding toasted coconut flakes
• Add fresh apples and a dusting of cinnamon

Granola to use

The granola in these yogurt parfaits is important. Because it’s such a simple recipe, it’s important to use the best quality granola you can find. If you purchase the granola, find a high quality, artisan-style granola. Or make it homemade! Here’s what to know:

• This Peanut Butter Granola is simple, with minimal ingredients and comes out lightly clumpy (yay!)
• This Homemade Granola is ultra crispy with amazing, irresistibly crunchy flavor.
• This Healthy Maple Pecan Granola is light and delicious, with a low calorie count.

Make ahead instructions for a yogurt parfait

Want to make yogurt parfaits as a make-ahead breakfast? It’s a great option for making ahead, but there’s one important thing to know:

• You can make yogurt parfaits ahead up to 4 days in advance.
• The granola becomes soggy after a few hours. If you’re making for make ahead breakfasts, layer the parfait without the granola. Then add it right before serving!

More easy breakfast recipes

Want to start the day on the right foot? Here are our top easy breakfast recipes:

• Try a tasty Healthy Breakfast Sandwich or Quick Breakfast Sandwich
• Opt for Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls
• Go for easy Egg Muffins
• Bake up a pan of Healthy Banana Muffins or Magic Breakfast Cookies

01

Egg Muffins

02

Magic Breakfast Cookies

03

Healthy Breakfast Sandwich

04

Healthy Banana Muffins

This Greek yogurt parfait recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Print

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Almond Biscotti is the perfect, classic flavor of Italian-style biscotti.

This recipe for almond biscotti is flavored with slivered almonds and almond extract. There is a bit of orange zest included too, which gives them a delicious citrus twist. I make these often to give out as gifts.

Some people complain that biscotti is too crunchy of a cookie to eat. Well, I might argue with that. Biscotti are hard, crunchy cookies as they are usually baked twice. The word biscotti is derived from Italian – “bis” meaning “twice” and “cotti” meaning “cooked.” They’re supposed to be crisp. They are lovely dunked in coffee or tea. And that’s usually when they’re eaten.

Ingredients needed:

• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• slivered almonds
• eggs
• white sugar
• salted butter
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• orange zest
• egg white

How to make Almond Biscotti:

The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post. You will need a baking sheet, parchment paper and a pastry brush to make this recipe. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. And combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Then combine the dry with the wet, and stir until a sticky dough forms. Transfer the sticky dough to a floured board. Sprinkle in more flour, and knead until a nice smooth dough forms. 

Divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a 12×2-inch log. Brush each log with a beaten egg white and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove your almond biscotti from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board, and cut each log diagonally into 3/4-inch slices.

Return the cut biscotti to baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Flip them over and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until crisp. Let them cool on a rack.

How to store biscotti:

Store almond biscotti in an airtight container, which helps keep them crisp. Stored properly, biscotti will last up to 2 weeks kept at room temperature.

As mentioned before, biscotti are the perfect pairing with coffee or tea (or hot chocolate). Enjoy!

Here are a few more biscotti recipes you might like to try:

• Coconut Biscotti
• Gingerbread Biscotti
• Chocolate Biscotti
• Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
• Orange Pistachio Biscotti

 

The post Almond Biscotti appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

This ultra dark chocolate cake is made with sour cream for extra moisture, plus a combination of Dutch process and black cocoa powder for a deep chocolate color and hauntingly rich flavor.

The glossy chocolate frosting is a revelation: deep and rich without being overly sweet. It’s the perfect finish for this stunningly simple, single layer chocolate cake that’s as impressive as it is easy (no mixer required!)

Around here, it’s a standing rule that your birthday lasts as long as the cake does.

This year Taylor had a longer birthday than most, thrice as long in fact, since that’s how many tries it took me to get this cake right.

Let’s just say he’s been enjoying every single bite of it.

There’s no shortage of chocolate cake recipes on this site, but this one just might be the darkest and the moistest one yet, thanks to the addition of sour cream and a portion of black cocoa powder for an extra-dark color and flavor.

Not to mention it’s ridiculously simple: a single layer sensation that requires only one bowl (and a glass measuring cup) for the cake, and one small saucepan for the frosting. Seriously, no electric mixer necessary!

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