Tonight's dinner is...

A repeat!!! We are having Laura's Chicken tonight. (The recipe can be found on my blog here - if the link doesn't work - February 2011, I think). The sauce is SO good and I will serve it over mashed Yukon Gold potatoes (I mash my potatoes with cream cheese, butter and salt - NO MILK!! I reserve some of the potato water when I drain the potatoes and just add that if it needs to be thinned a bit. A friend of my son's, whom I taught to cook, swears my mashed potatoes are how she landed her hubby lol. I just need to think of a veggie to go with this and we are good to go.

Pea Soup

My middle son, Kyle, had been craving split pea soup...but instead I made him this homemade pea soup. A good mom would have made the child just what he had been craving, but I have always told my children....I'm not a good mom - I'm just a mom. I graciously decided many years ago not to run for Mother of the Year. I can't tell you the pressure that takes off of one ;) ;)

Pea Soup
2 TBSP butter
2 cups chopped leeks, white & light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock
5 cups freshley shelled peas or 2 (10 oz) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
Garlic croutons, for serving

Heat butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Add the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes, until peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Remove from heat, add the mint, salt and pepper. Puree soup in batches: Place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place lid on top, and puree on low speed.

With blender still running, open the vent hole in the lid and slowly add more soup until blender is three-quarters full. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning.

Serve hot with garlic croutons. Makes 6 servings. NOTE: I bought a ham steak and chopped it up and added it at the end for the extra protein.