Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

Have you ever made your own vinaigrette?  You probably have most of the ingredients already in your kitchen, it’s fresher than the store bought options (some have 20+ ingredients!) and something about it feels fancy!   Oh, and did I mention how fast & easy it is?

Here’s a video of an awesome basic kitchen skill to add to your repertoire~

What you need:

1/4 cup White or Golden Balsamic Vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon shaved shallot (or onion)

2 tsp brown sugar

salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ready, Set Whisk!

Whisk together everything but the Olive Oil until well combined.  Then gradually whisk in the Olive Oil.

Use right away or store in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Let come to room temperature a bit before tossing with your fave greens & veggies!

Would love your feedback in the comments below & please let us know if you have ideas for future cooking videos? Thanks!

XO,

Your Sus Chef

Another fabulous recipe from Your Sus Chef! Thanks Susanne…

This is SERIOUSLY one of the easiest recipes and it ALWAYS gets rave reviews.

Love that it’s a one dish meal but don’t forget the toppings because they MAKE the soup!

This recipe freezes well so be sure to make extra & save it for later~

What you need:

1 lb chicken breast, cooked (I sear the chicken breasts & then shred or pulled rotisserie chicken works too)

28 oz green enchilada sauce (I love Frontera’s it comes in a bag but any will do)

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

10 oz white corn, frozen

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken stock

S + P

Garnish:

sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

cilantro

grated jack cheese

green onion, diced

Ready, Set, Cook!

Saute the onion &  garlic in the olive oil until the onion is clear, take care not to burn the garlic. Add the enchilada sauce, chicken stock, chicken, beans & corn & bring to a simmer.   Season with salt & pepper to taste!

Top with a dollup of sour cream, green onions, cheese & cilantro.

Enjoy!

[Fab image found here.]

Creamed Tomato Bisque in a Bread Bowl
by Susanne (Your Sus Chef)

This is one of those recipes I would beg my mom to make and when I went off to college she made me a big batch in small containers and I froze it in my little mini dorm fridge and would heat it up for a little taste of home.

Warning- it calls for a LOT of cream, if making it for a party or special occasion, cut loose and use it ALL.  

If for a weeknight or trying to be good I would just use 1/2-3/4 cup cream to cut some of the calories.

It’s fun to make a big batch & serve it in bread bowls for a party (or if you don’t make it to the store for fresh bread bowls you could always use oversized mugs).

This soups that warms you up from the inside out- perfect for a cold winter’s day.  Don’t skip the seasonings at the end, they make for a magical-can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it-but-it-tastes-SOOO-good finish...

Serves 8

1/4 lb butter

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 (1 lb 12oz) cans whole tomatoes, drained & chopped

2 tsp sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 bay leaf (fresh is best but can be hard to find)

4 cups chicken broth

1 pint whipping cream (2 cups)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

salt to taste

8 Bread Bowls (buy fresh from your grocery store or fave bakery the day of & ask them to cut out the center for you)

Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Saute celery, onion & carrots until tender.  Stir in flour.  Cook 2 mins, stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, marjoram, bay leaf & chicken broth.  Simmer 30 mins, stirring occasionally.  Discard bay leaf.

Puree 1/3 of the mixture at a time in a blender.  Add cream, paprika, curry powder & white pepper.  Stir to blend.  Add salt to taste.  Serve hot or cold.

May be refrigerated several days or frozen.

P.S. My mom gave this recipe to me years ago- I think it’s adapted from an old Martha Stewart Mag

P.P.S.- Technically a “bisque” uses shellfish & cream but doesn’t it sound SO much more special than a “soup”?

Do you know how to properly cut an onion??

In this video, my Tiny Oranges partner, Susanne (aka Your Sus Chef), shows us how she was taught in culinary school.

I have never seen this before! The technique is brilliant! Even my mother-in-law who is a fab cook learned something. I hope you do too!

Think you know how? Watch to find out!

And would LOVE your feedback on these vlogs! Please comment! Do you want to see more?

I can’t tell you how many times I have Googled “make ahead breakfast casserole” searching for a great recipe I could make the day ahead for the time when we have had house guests.

Susanne (my Tiny Oranges partner who also happened to go to culinary school which is why I refer to her as Your Sus Chef!) sent me this amazing recipe for a goat cheese, sausage & artichoke breakfast strata that I made for the day after Thanksgiving and it was A-MAZING!

Tuck this one away for the holidays mamas! I am also making it this week for a Moms’ Group brunch potluck. Here is the recipe from Susanne…

This recipe is great because it’s make ahead, & perfect for feeding a crowd over the Holidays.  Feel free to play around with the different flavors as long as you keep the measurements about the same.  For example: pancetta instead of sausage, mushrooms instead of artichokes & sage instead of thyme, or whatever you dream up!

WARNING: This dish is rich & delicious!  Perfect for Holiday decadence.  Pair with some fresh sliced fruit to lighten up the meal~

Serves 8

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup olive oil

8 cups 1-inch cubes rosemary bread, crusts trimmed (or sourdough)

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

5 large eggs

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

12 ounces sausage, uncased & browned in a pan & drained on paper towels

3 – 6 1/2-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, halved lengthwise (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 cup (packed) grated Fontina cheese

1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°F.

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