Posts about Recipes

7 Best Soups for Fall in Vancouver, WA

When you hear the word “fall” what comes to mind first? Leaves changing colors, pumpkin spice lattes, and the return of cozy sweaters are high on the list, but there’s no denying that autumn is soup time. The smell of spices and roasting vegetables perfumes the air and warms your home as flavors simmer together and turn into something delicious. Read on for seven of our favorite soup recipes and prepare for the tastiest season yet! Roasted Vegetable Harvest Soup While most soups will have you cook the vegetables in the same pot as the broth to reach desired tenderness, this Roasted Vegetable Harvest Soup brings out a special touch your veggies can only get with a good bake. Try this recipe without blending to keep the chunks whole for a different take and cherish the goodness you can see in each spoonful. Pumpkin Soup Pumpkin patches, pumpkin cookies, Pumpkin Soup. Now that it’s fall, it just makes sense to make the most of this versatile squash and that means adding it to your soup regimen. Though this recipe doesn’t mention it, I recommend saving your seeds to roast and add as garnish like the previous recipe mentions. French Onion Soup Ooh la la! French Onion Soup is a favorite in our home. I mean, at what other time can you get away with eating a whole onion without feeling like a certain famous green ogre? The trick here is to really take your time on caramelizing the onions to bring out the best flavor. Once the bowls have broiled and the gruyere is nice and melty, serve this dish up with a glass of red wine and enjoy! Lobster Bisque Despite lobster being more associated with the east coast, that doesn’t stop a good recipe like Lobster Bisque from finding its way into tummies all over — Vancouver included! I love how rich this soup is and that it makes the most of all ingredients by using the tail shells to simmer a fresh lobster stock to perfection. Chicken Noodle Soup The very mention of Chicken Noodle Soup reminds me of being a kid and having grandma fix up a batch to help break a cold. Even if it didn’t remedy being sick, it solidified itself as a go-to comfort food and the nostalgia factor makes it taste even better. Once you get the soup part down, try your hand at making homemade egg noodles to take this dish to the next level. Vegetarian Tortilla Soup South of the border flavor abounds in this simple Vegetarian Tortilla Soup reminiscent of taco night. Kick it up a notch by adding a couple of jalapenos cut into thin rounds for extra spice. This soup is sure to warm you from the inside out and keep you coming back for more. Creamy Corn Chowder Corn on the cob in a bowl and no strings to get caught in your teeth? Sign us up! This Creamy Corn Chowder is chunky in all the right places and smooth where it matters to satisfy lovers of all textures. You can even crunch it up with the addition of crispy fried onions or croutons. Now that you have a soup for each day of the week, it’s time to get cooking! Once you get through the whole list you’ll basically be a SOUPer hero and can start getting creative by substituting different ingredients and making up completely new soups to impress friends and family. Let us know if you enjoyed this blog or suggest a topic we should cover in the future by dropping us a line over on Facebook or Instagram . See you next time!

Best Recipes to Celebrate the Return of Football

We have good news-- football season is back! Whether your fall plans include watching your kids play on their high school team, hanging out with your friends as you watch NFL (go Seahawks!) or college games on the biggest screen you can find, or just creating your fantasy football lineup with your buddies, one thing’s for sure: you’re going to need some snacks! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite game day recipes to help make your upcoming football season a winning one. Grilled Corn and Bean Salsa This super easy salsa recipe is a MUST for any game day get-together! With a prep-to-eat time of just over thirty minutes, this snack can be thrown together at a moment’s notice and ready to go for whatever fun you have ahead. If you’re wanting something extra, there’s also an addition to this recipe for making your own corn chips to go along with the salsa. Super Nachos What’s a good game day meal without nachos? Every football game needs a great nacho recipe to elevate the event, and we’ve got the perfect one for you right here. With pico de gallo salsa, beef, beans, cheese and a variety of topping options, these super nachos are the perfect companion for cheering on your favorite teams. Guacamole Every football fan also need a tasty guacamole in your game day line-up of snacks! With a quick 15 minute prep time, this dish can be ready in a snap and has all the right seasonings to be a hit at your upcoming get-together. Roasted Garlic Bean Dip With a bit longer of a prep time, this Roasted Garlic Bean Dip is well worth the wait. A perfect addition to your game day plate, this creamy dip combines all the best flavors for a touchdown-worthy celebration. Buffalo Turkey Wings Just like you can’t have a winning football game without the star quarterback, you can’t have a game day meal without the wings! With a buffalo twist, these wings will be a hit with all your friends at your next party. Buffalo Chicken Dip Another flavor-packed dip, this buffalo chicken dip recipe has been known to be addictive. Chances are, after tasting it just once, it’ll become a staple for all your future parties! Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake Dip And of course, you have to have a yummy dessert in the mix. This chocolate cookie cheesecake dip will be a great addition to your hearty game day foods and will end the night on a sweet note, no matter if your team wins or loses! If you make any of these recipes, be sure to send us a photo so we can cheer you (and your football teams) on! Come back next week for more fall fun ideas in Vancouver, WA.

Relax at Home with these Spring Cocktail Recipes

The weekend is finally here and we are ready to kick our feet up and relax in our elegant apartment homes at Acero Haagen Park. Whether you’re trying to get some rest and relaxation, or you’re looking to kickstart your weekend, we’ve got a spring cocktail for you! Read on for a few spring cocktail recipes that you can try at home this weekend. Gone with the Gin Sit back and binge-watch Netflix shows while sipping on this soothing Kombucha G&T. Recipe: 2 oz. of gin 3 oz of tonic 2 oz of watermelon kombucha (or whatever your favorite fruity flavor is) Garnish with a lime wheel Stir ingredients together in a glass over ice, and you’re good to go! Spicy Pineapple Margarita Margs aren’t just for #MargaritaMondays and Cinco de Mayo! Spice up your weekend with this spicy spring cocktail. Recipe: 3 slices of jalapeno (or more depending on your tolerance to spice) 2 oz of tequila ¾ oz of fresh lime juice 1 oz of pineapple juice ½ oz of simple syrup Salt Add jalapeno slices, lime juice, and simple syrup to a mixing tin and muddle. Add tequila, pineapple juice, and ice and shake well. Salt the rim of a glass, then pour mixture into the glass over ice. Add extra jalapeno slice for garnish. Grapefruit Mocktail For the family friendly, pregnant friendly, under 21 crowd, this mocktail really hits the spot! Recipe: 2 oz grapefruit juice 2 oz kombucha 1 oz sparkling water Garnish optional - pink peppercorn, mint sprig, and grapefruit slice Combine juices in a glass over ice and stir, pour in the sparkling water, and garnish! For more seasonal cocktail recipes, visit The Social Sipper blog ! Take a photo of your favorite way to relax at home and share it with us on Facebook or Instagram ! Check back next week for more food and fun in Vancouver, WA.

Holiday Food Recipes

The winter holidays are here! Hanukkah started yesterday, and Christmas is right around the corner. Celebrate the holidays with good food and good company. We’ve got a few quick recipes here for tasty drinks and snacks that the whole family can enjoy. Read on for a diverse holiday recipe roundup. Mulled Wine Don’t let the wine part fool you, this can be made without alcohol so that the whole family can partake. This warm, spicy holiday drink carries delicious flavors of wine, oranges, and star anise. The best part is that it doesn’t take much time at all to brew. Simply mix your mulling spices, wine, oranges, and sweetener in a pot to boil and you’re all set! This recipe from Gimme Some Oven has a delicious combo of flavors. Check it out! Latkes You don’t need to celebrate Hanukkah to appreciate the classic latkes! These crispy potato pancakes are a Hanukkah staple, and they’re so easy and tasty that we could honestly eat them year-round - and probably will now. This recipe is from Jake Cohen, a famous Jewish chef who has gone viral on social media with his easy to follow recipes. Check out the ingredients below, you’ll probably have most of it at home already! Fruitcake Cookies This recipe combines the flavors of a classic fruitcake in cookie form. Fruitcakes can be heavy with all of that tasty filling, so we love that these cookies are a lighter take that still packs in all the winter spices and fruit flavors. Here’s a quick list of ingredients you can pick up from Winco, just across the street from Acero Haagen Park! We hope everyone is having a wonderful December so far. Take a photo of your favorite holiday recipe and share it with us on Facebook or Instagram! Come back next week for food, fun, and more in Vancouver, Washington.

Thanksgiving Recipes and Where to Buy Local Ingredients

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we are so excited to gather around and share a meal together! We are thankful to be happy and healthy during these uncertain times, and are looking forward to celebrating at home with a tasty feast next week. Read on for a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes and where to buy local ingredients in Vancouver, WA. Apple Cider Mimosa Start the festivities off with a festive take on a classic mimosa! It’s the perfect Thanksgiving drink with warm fall spices, and it won’t feel out of place whether your family starts their feast at 11am or 3pm. You can’t go wrong with this brunch cocktail. Here’s a great recipe from What The Fork ! Ingredients: 2 oz. apple cider 2 oz. champagne cinnamon sugar, optional apple slices, optional Instructions: Dip the rim of a champagne glass in water. Dip in cinnamon sugar to rim the glass. Pour 2 oz. of apple cider in the glass and top with 2 oz. (or more) of champagne. Garnish with apple slices, if desired. Serve immediately. Cast Iron Hasselback Potatoes We could eat an entire meal of just potatoes, and this dish would definitely be on the table! These potatoes are simple to make and packed full of flavor. They take about an hour to cook so you can get these going and then multi-task and cook other things at the same time! The ingredients are super simple, and you can easily multiply this recipe from Country Living without breaking the bank for a large family meal. Ingredients: 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and divided, plus more for pan 6 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds) 2 tsp. M5 Spice Rub, divided 2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Sour cream, for serving Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron pan with butter. Cut each potato crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices without cutting all the way through to bottom and leaving about 1/4 inch of potato intact (this will help them hold together). Arrange potatoes in pan 1 inch apart. Brush with 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon spice rub. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle potatoes (which should have opened up slightly) with remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon spice rub. Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are crispy on edges and soft in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve with sour cream alongside. Fresh Herb Stuffing The traditional stuffing side dish is given new life with this delicious blend of herbs! Whether you cook this in the bird or not is entirely up to you, but this recipe was designed to be cooked outside the bird. The instructions are quite lengthy so we’ve linked them here . Ingredients are listed below so you can see what this recipe entails and all the wonderful flavors! Ingredients: 3 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for pan 1 loaf country bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 12 cups) 2 medium onions, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 stalks celery, chopped 3 c. chicken stock 1 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves 2 large eggs, beaten You can find all these ingredients at local grocery stores such as Chuck’s Produce, Fred Meyer, New Seasons, Trader Joes, and Winco just across the street from our brand new apartments. Come back next week for more food and fun in Vancouver, Washington!