The Peach Tree's Asparagus Soup

If you are ever in Fredricksburg, Texas, I highly suggest that you visit The Peach Tree Gift Gallery and Tea Room for lunch and some shopping. One of my friends gave me a copy of their cookbook way back in 1996 and it has been a reliable source for good recipes. This recipe makes 6 large servings. I blended the soup for a smooth, creamy consistency because that was what I was in the mood for the day I made it. Next time, I think I will add more garlic and perhaps some potato to thicken the soup. This is a light and tasty soup. It made a lot so I may have to see how it freezes!

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 TBS butter

1 pound of asparagus, cut into 1" lengths

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp pepper

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk or light cream (I used 2% milk)

1 TBS lemon juice

Salt to taste

Directions:

Saute the garlic and onions in the butter until very soft. Stir in asparagus and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the asparagus turns bright green.

Add flour and stir until asparagus is well coated. Add pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil quickly. Boil for 1 minute, then add milk or cream. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice. Test for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Clean Eating's Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

This is a nice recipe for a more healthy chocolate cupcake. The batter is fluffy, almost like a mousse. These have a nice, deep cocoa flavor. Be sure not to over cook it, I baked them for the recommended 45 minutes and that was a little too long in my oven. So, check them earlier and often! If you see Clean Eating magazine, check it out, I love it!


Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup Sucanat, divided (I did not have Sucanat, so I used raw turbinado sugar)
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup organic low-fat sour cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp skim milk, divided
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus more for garnish, if desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder, 1 cup Sucanat, flour, salt, and baking soda.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, 1/3 cup milk, oil, vanilla and whole egg.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine with a rubber spatula.

Add egg whites to a large clean, dry, mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip whites with hand beater or whisk attachment of stand mixer until they begin to get foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup Sucanat very gradually to whites. Continue whipping whites into medium-stiff peaks.

Fold whites, in thirds, into the cake batter, gently with a rubber spatula.

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full with batter (I ended up with 15 cupcakes). Tap bottom of filled muffin pan on counter and transfer to oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool completely.

When they are cool, combine the chocolate and remaining 2 tsp milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir until melted chocolate is completely smooth. Spread a thin layer on top of each cupcake and sprinkle with chocolate shavings on top, if desired.

Approx: 230 calories each, 11 grams of fat