Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup

Soup makes a meal.  Especially this hearty Minestone soup that is loaded with veggies in a rich tomato broth.  Some of the vegetables I used were carrots, celery, a potato, kidney beans, and frozen green beans.   All vegetables the family will eat and I don't have picked out vegetables in napkins.  My family isn't very fond of tomatoes chunks, no matter how small, so I used a can of crushed tomatoes.    Instead of using pasta, I used some cooked rice in this soup.

I begin by cooking the carrots and celery in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they begin to soften.  I then add the minced garlic,  green beans along with some onion powder, crushed pepper flakes, a bay leaf,  some dried basil, salt, and pepper.  I cook about 3 minutes and then add the crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth along with the diced potato.  I bring the soup to a boil and cook about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Next add the  kidney beans and rice and heat about 10 minutes.  Taste and re season, if necessary.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some shredded Parmesan cheese.  Serve with a crusty bread to mop up the broth.  


Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 stalk celery diced
1 cup frozen green beans
4 cloves minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 (15 ounce) can red Kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked long grain white rice
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese shredded

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch Oven.  Add the carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften - 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the green beans, minced garlic, bay leaf, onion powder, salt, dried basil, black pepper, and crushed pepper flakes.  Cook about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add the kidney beans and the rice.  Stir and heat another 10 minutes.
5. Taste the soup and re season if necessary.  Ladle into bowls and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Pretzel Bun Breakfast Sandwich

Pretzel Bun Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast foods are some of my favorites.   They are easy, quick, and appetizing.  Today's recipe is easy, quick and very tasty.  It is similar to a biscuit breakfast sandwich but jazzed up a bit.

The original recipe stated to use biscuits but I had some Pretzel slider buns on hand so I used them.  I started by butter toasting the buns.  Butter toasted buns make everything better. On the bottom half of the buns you spread some Pimiento Cheese.  You can find a recipe for some delicious Pimiento Cheese Spread here.  The other half of the bun is spread with some pepper jelly.  I love Pepper jelly.    Spoon some scrambled eggs on the bottom, cover with the top and you have a wonderful breakfast.

Eat at home or on the run.  To me that is a big plus with a family always in a rush to get going in the morning.


Pretzel Bun Breakfast Sandwich
Adapted From Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:

4 Pretzel Slider Buns, split and toasted (toasting is optional) or 4 warm split biscuits
4 eggs
2 tablespoons half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 tablespoons Pimiento Cheese Spread
4 teaspoons Pepper Jelly

Instructions:

1. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the eggs and cook until just scrambled.
3. Spread  the bottom halves of the buns or biscuits with 2 tablespoons of the Pimiento Cheese spread.

4. Spread the tops of the buns or biscuits with 1 teaspoon Pepper Jelly.
5. Spoon the eggs on the bottom halves and cover with the top halves.

Makes 4 servings.

Pâté of the South: Pimiento Cheese Spread

Pimiento Cheese Spread

Pâté of the South is what this delicious Pimiento Cheese Spread is often called.   You can find it in grocery stores or you can make it yourself.  I like making my own.  It is very simple to make and requires little time.  Two different types of cheese are used, extra-sharp Cheddar, and sharp cheddar.  I used Cracker Barrel brand cheese when I make my spread.  I love the flavor this brand of  cheese has.


Another important ingredient used is mayonnaise.  It is advised that you use a high quality mayonnaise.  To begin making this spread you combine the mayonnaise, diced pimiento, Worcestershire sauce, the onion, and the red pepper in a bowl.  Next you stir in the cheese.  That's it.  Your spread is ready to eat.

Do not be fooled, this spread is not just for sandwiches.  You can use it to stuff celery, on burgers, eggs biscuits,  scones, dip, cookies, rolls, and deviled eggs.  The possibilities are endless -  just use your imagination.


Basic Pimiento Cheese Spread
From Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. finely grated onion
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (8-oz.) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in cheese. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

This casserole is a chicken and rice dish with a southwestern flavor to it.   It is not spicy hot but it does have a  little kick to it.  You can make it spicier by adding more chili powder.  This is a great dish to make on busy days.

This casserole is made with diced chicken, rice, tomatoes with green chilies,  beans, spices and a sauce made from flour, butter, milk, chicken broth, and seasonings.  The sauce is mixed in with the other ingredients and poured into a casserole dish.  Bake for about 25 minutes, sprinkle with some shredded Mexican cheese, and bake another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  Let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes.  Serve and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.


Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.25 ounce can) corn, drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies*
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon  chipotle chili powder
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1cup shredded Mexican cheese
Sour Cream
Diced fresh tomatoes
* Diced tomatoes can be substituted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Place the rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, Mexican oregano, and  chili powders in a large bowl.  Stir to mix well.
3. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan.  Stir in flour until blended and cook for about 1 minute.  Stir in milk slowly followed by the chicken broth.  Add salt and pepper and stir.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly until thickened.  Stir the sauce into the chicken and rice mixture.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.  Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
5. Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 10 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.

Makes 6 servings

Magic Cake

Magic Cake

Magic Cake?  I needed to test further to see if what they stated in the recipe was true.  With one very simple batter consisting of eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, sugar, butter, and some powdered sugar you get a delicious three layer cake.  How can this be?  Can anything this simple be as delicious as they say?  In a word YES.

This was  by far the simplest cake I have ever made and the taste was delicious.   The hardest thing is making the batter and that isn't that hard.  Once you have the batter made you pour it into a greased baking dish and bake the cake for about 40 minutes.  When the cake is a golden brown

remove it from the oven and let it cool.   My cake got a little too brown, but it was still good:)  Cut and serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar.  Top with a blackberry, strawberry slice, blueberry, raspberry, or leave it plain.  Cut and voila - there are your three delicious layers.  The first is like a light pie crust, the second the delicious custard, and the third the cake layer.     My favorite was the creamy custard middle layer.  Wow - it was good.

Try this cake.  It is great when you need something quick, easy, and inexpensive  to make for your family,  pot luck, etc.


MAGIC CAKE
From Jo Cooks

Ingredients:

See the Layers

4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick or ½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup of all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
Powdered sugar for dusting cake

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
2. Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
4. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
5. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
6. Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.

Serves: 9

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs

The other night, the kids and I were watching an old movie and meatballs were served for dinner.  I thought what a great idea.  I haven't served meatballs in ages.  They will be great.

Instead of making the standard meatballs, I found a recipe for Turkey Meatballs from the "Simply Recipes" blog.  They sounded wonderful and looked divine.  These are the meatballs I decided to make.

I changed the recipe slightly.  Instead of using a shallot, I substituted onion powder.  For the clove of garlic, I used granulated garlic. For the mushrooms, I used white instead of the shiitake and cremini.    Finally, I didn't have any fresh parsley, so I used dried parsley flakes.  This recipe has delicious ingredients that translate into delicious moist and flavorful meatballs.  You have mushrooms, Herbes de Provence, ground turkey meat, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, mayonnaise, salt, and ground pepper.   All of the ingredients are mixed together  until combined.  You then form the mixture into meatballs and cook in a large skillet.  I didn't turn some of my meatballs as  gently as I should have and they got a somewhat squarish appearance.  But they were good:)

You can serve the meatballs by themselves or with your favorite Marinara Sauce. Being that I cooked up some pasta, I served mine with some Marinara Sauce.

The flavor of these meatballs was not disappointing.  They have a wonderful flavor and were very moist.  These are the best turkey meatballs I have ever had.  The family was in complete agreement and asked me to make them again.

The original recipe for these meatballs from the "Simply Recipes" blog can be found here.

Turkey Meatballs
Adapted From Simply Recipes "Turkey Mushroom Meatballs" Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces of white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
Marinara Sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a small skillet.  Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are cooked through.  Stir in the Herbes de Provence.  Remove from heat and transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and cool in fridge for about 5 minutes or until cool to the touch.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the ground turkey, parsley, onion powder, salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, and mushroom mixture.  With your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until well combined.
3. Form meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium low to medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, place the meatballs in the skillet.  Do not crowd the pan.  Gently cook the meatballs, turning so that you get them lightly browned on all sides.  Serve with or without marinara sauce.

Makes about 16 meatballs depending on size

.

Butter and Rum Crepes, Fancy and Plain

Butter and Rum Crepes

This week's assignment for French Fridays With Dorie was crepes.  Not just any crepes, but Butter and Rum Crepes.  Oh, they were sooo good.  I wanted to lick my plate clean.  I resisted.  A wonderful crepe batter is made in a blender that has the traditional crepe ingredients of milk, flour, eggs, salt and butter.   To this batter, Dorie added rum or vanilla extract, sugar, lemon and orange zest.  She suggested a neat trick with the citrus zests and sugar -  rub the sugar and the zests together with your fingertips.  I am going to do this in other recipes - the sugar tasted fantastic - yes I took a very small taste.  Any way, back to the crepe batter.  The ingredients are blended together in a blender and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Dorie states 12 or more hours is ideal.

The crepes are then cooked in a crepe pan or  a skillet that has been rubbed lightly with canola oil.  Once the crepes are browned place on a plate that has been  sprinkled with sugar.  Next, you make the delicious sauce that is drizzled over the crepes.

The sauce is made with honey, lemon juice, orange juice and lots of delicious butter.  If you wish, you can fill the crepes with some lemon curd but I didn't.  I folded my crepes into quarters, arranged them on a plate and drizzled the sauce over them.  I also did a dusting of powdered sugar.

As I said earlier in this post - these crepes were fantastic.  Everyone in the family loved theses crepes.  This dish will definitely be making more appearances on my table.  Not only are they delicious they are so easy to make.

This recipe can be found on pages 411-413 in "Around My French Table."   Enjoy:)