Carrot Soup

I actually found this recipe on the back of a cracker box - It looked simple and yummy so I set it aside to try at a later date. Last night, I didn't feel like cooking at all so this was perfect. I have to admit that I was surprised at how well it turned out. My kids probably would have liked it more if it was smoother in texture, but since my blender died I had to puree it with an immersion blender which leaves it with more chunks.

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook and stir onion and salad dressing in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until onion is tender. Add carrots, broth, and cumin; mix well. Cook 10 minutes or until carrots are tender, stirring frequently

Pour into blender container; cover. Blend until pureed. Add sour cream; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into bowls and garnish with sour cream.

I should note that I used half chicken broth and half veggie broth when I made this. My veggie broth is the reserved liquid that I freeze after cooking beans. This particular batch of beans I made with jalepenos so the broth had a bit of a kick to it. The end result was a creamy, sweet soup with a bit of a zing! Delicious, but it might be hard to recreate!

Zucchini Corn Cakes

I needed to use up some fresh corn so I dug around online and found a recipe for corn fritters which I adapted to make these yummy corn cakes. My kids loved them dipped in ranch or ketchup, but Andrew and I preferred them with a little sour cream and peach chipotle salsa or Harry & David's Charred Pineapple Relish!

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter melted
2 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

In a large bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and butter. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir in zucchini and corn. Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter in 1 tablespoon portions onto griddle and cook as you would pancakes.