Tuscan Soup

We love hot and spicy soups on cold nights.  So, yesterday evening, as the snow was falling outside, we were all sitting around the dining table enjoying a wonderful, Tuscan soup with spicy pork sausage, cannellini and garbanzo beans, potatoes, spinach, garlic..... it was all just so very good.

Here's the recipe:

6 c. chicken broth

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 links spicy Italian sausage

3 large potatoes, cubed

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch fresh spinach, rough chopped

1/4 c. evaporated milk

salt, to taste

ground black pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, shredded

1.  Remove skin from sausage and crumble into large pot. 

Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat. 

Add garlic when meat is almost done.

2.  Add broth, potatoes.  Boil until potato is cooked.  Stir in beans.

3.  Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly wilted.

4.  Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste. 

5.  Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. 

 Served with baguette slices and Italian Garlic Butter.

 

Chicken and Waffles

My kids had never heard of chicken and waffles together before so, when I told them this was what we were having for dinner, they looked a little concerned.  My husband had a different reaction.  He will try anything I make and seemed intrigued, as was I, by the flavor combination.

I wasn't sure if I should serve something on the side or if the chicken and waffles were sufficient.  So I did some searching online and this is what I found out:

Chicken and waffles can be served breakfast style with bacon or grits but you can also serve it more like a dinner with greens.  I decided to serve it for dinner with maple syrup poured over the top and bacon on the side and that turned out to be a good choice for us because everyone cleaned their plates!

I used Emeril's recipe for the chicken, using boneless breasts and adding extra spices. Then, I cheated a little by using a waffle mix (we like Krusteaz). Poured the maple syrup over the top just before serving and the combination of sweet and spicy was amazing!

Really Fresh Seafood

I love it when I find a new place to buy fresh, organic ingredients! 

This place is not exactly local but it sounds pretty amazing!

Did you know you can get fresh seafood online?  Apparently, there is a business in the San Francisco Bay Area called I Love Blue Sea that serves local sushi restaurants but also offers a way for home cooks to order seafood online.   :)

What I'm liking is the fact that they only ship fresh caught, sustainable seafood that is certified by the Monterey Bay's Seafood Watch Program.  This makes me happy because I refuse to buy chemically enhanced seafood.   

It may be time to make my Fabulous Crab Cakes again!

P.S.  Also found out wine.com has a large organic selection.

Collard Greens

Last night's dinner was amazing!  We had Emeril's honey brined pork chops with a Creole mustard reduction sauce, spicy black-eyed peas leftover from New Year's Day, Southern-style collard greens, and buttermilk cornbread.  The flavor combination was crazy good!

I've used the same recipe for collard greens for a few years now and the result is always fantastic.  Even my boys who used to turn their noses up at greens now like these so much they actually go back for seconds!   It must be the bacon in there.  Everything's better with bacon, right?  :)

Here's the recipe:

1 TBSP olive oil

3 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

3 c. chicken broth

red pepper flakes, to taste

1 lb. fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan.

2.  Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant.

3.  Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.

4.  Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

5.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.



Gingerbread Pear Cake

We love gingerbread and since I didn't feel up to going through with
 the whole business of cutting and decorating gingerbread people,
I decided to get the holiday baking started with a
*semi-homemade* gingerbread cake.

This couldn't be any easier and the flavor combination of gingerbread,
pears, and pecans is just fabulous!

2 tablespoons real butter, melted
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 (16 ounce) cans pear slices, well drained
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 (14.5 ounce) package gingerbread cake mix

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Mix the melted butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a 9-inch round cake pan.

3. Arrange pear slices over sugar mixture.

4. Sprinkle pecans around the pears.

5. .Prepare the cake mix according to package directions,
and pour over the pears and pecans in the cake pan.
6. Bake approximately 50 minutes.

7. Cool slightly before turning out onto a serving dish.

Easy, no-fuss holiday dessert!

Barbeque Pork Sandwiches

My husband frequently says, "We have the best leftovers!"

It's a good thing too because leftovers is exactly what we're having for dinner tonight.

Specifically, we are having pulled pork barbeque sandwiches

and pasta salad.  We have had these sandwiches several times over

the  years and they are always amazing. 

Also, the preparation is ridiculously easy. 

2.5 lb. pork butt roast

salt and pepper

1 1/2c. beef broth

1/4c. brewed coffee, black

1 bottle bbq sauce

kaiser buns

1.  Cut roast in half and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2.  Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on Low for about

6 hours, or until done.

3.  Remove pork to a cutting board and dump the liquid

(you don't need it anymore).

4.  Shred the pork (I just use two regular forks for this)

and return to the slow cooker.

5.  Add a bottle of bbq sauce (we like Stubb's Original) and mix together.

6.  Pile onto toasted kaiser buns and serve immediately.



I Forgot.....

We're having my fabulous Red Beans and Rice for dinner tonight.

The total cooking time for this meal is 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  It's 4:00pm

right now and, about thirty minutes ago, I realized I had completely

forgotten to soak the kidney beans.  This led to a semi-frantic,

"forgot to soak beans" Google search.  A surprising number of

people have encountered this problem and it turns out it's

no big deal. 

If you ever forget to soak your beans, this is what you do:

1.  Don't panic.

2.  Place beans in a large pot and cover with water.

3.  Bring to a boil for 2-3 min.

4.  Cover and remove from heat.

5.  Allow to sit, covered, for 1 hour.

6.  Drain beans and get on with your recipe as planned.

I may just do it this way from now on.

Roasted Romas

My son came in the kitchen today and asked his usual,

"What's for dinner?"  to which I responded by telling him I would be
serving steaks with a red wine and mushroom sauce,
creamed spinach, and roasted roma tomatoes. 
Then he said something that absolutely stunned me. 
He said, "I love tomatoes!"

This is the same kid for whom I used to hide vegetables in his

food just so he would eat them.  Amazing how things change.  :)

The steak recipe can be found on my other blog, here

About the tomatoes, this is a super easy and pretty side dish

that adds a nice splash of color to the dinner plate.

Here's the recipe:

4 Roma tomatoes, cut in half, lengthwise

olive oil, to taste

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/8c. fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400*

2.  Place tomato halves in prepared baking dish.

Drizzle with olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle with garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.

4.  Bake 35-45 minutes, until tomatoes have softened.

5.  Serve immediately.

Every time I make these, my husband comments on

how much he loves them! 

It's Time for Pumpkin Pie!

My son loves pumpkin pie more than anyone I have ever seen.  So

much so that he has been known to eat an entire pie all my himself. 

His big complaint though is that I don't make it all the time. 

For me, there are certain foods that are best suited for specific

times of year.  For example, pumpkin pie.  I refuse to make it until I

can feel it in the air that fall has arrived.  Also, since I've started

using fresh pumpkins instead of the canned stuff for pies,

the ingredients aren't always available.

But they are now and today I decided to make the first pumpkin pie

of this year.  I opened the windows and let the cool breeze blow

through the house as the scent of the pumpkin baking filled the kitchen.

For a traditional pumpkin pie, I like to use the old recipe from the

 back of the Libby's pumpkin can as a base.  Over the years I have

adapted it to suit our preferences:  I use fresh pumpkin, add a little

allspice, and extra cinnamon and cloves, to taste. 

The cooking method is the same though. 

By the time my son came home, the pie had been a

assembled and was almost finished baking.  He was pleasantly

surprised and the house smelled amazing!

Traditional Mexican Tacos

There was a time in my life when Taco Night meant frying some ground beef with the pre-packaged seasoning and spooning it into shells or tortillas with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. 

Nothing wrong with that but there is a better way.

It involves the grill, steak, jalapenos.....who's with me?

These are some seriously good tacos:

2 pounds top sirloin steak

salt and pepper, to taste

2 TBSP vegetable oil

18 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1 medium onion, diced

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

4 limes

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

2c. crumbled cojito cheese

1.  Season steaks with salt, pepper, and lime juice. 

Allow to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

2.  Place steaks on pre-heated grill and cook until desired doneness.

3.  Remove from heat and allow to rest approximately 10 minutes

before slicing into thin strips.

4.  Meanwhile, heal oil in skillet and saute onions and jalapenos. 

5.  Heat tortillas.  (I just wrapped them in a wet paper towel and
popped them in the microwave.)

6.  Place tortillas on a plate, and top with steak strips, onion,
jalapeno, cilantro, and tomato guacamole to taste.

7. Top with cojito cheese for authentic Mexican flavor!

So good!

Our Favorite Oven Fries

I'm not sure why people buy frozen fries when real, fresh potatoes are so much better than anything that comes in a bag.  I guess the bagged versions are supposed to be some kind of time saver, but really?  How long does it take to chop up some potatoes, season them the way you like it, and pop them in the oven?

I can tell you that the prep takes me approximately 10 minutes.

Here is the recipe I use: 

4 russett potatoes with skins, sliced

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2c. grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp.salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1.  Preheat oven to 425* and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat.

3.  Spread the potatoes over the baking sheet.

4.  Bake until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork,

about 25 minutes.

We had these last night with grilled burgers topped with bacon,

bleu cheese, and guacamole.

My son took one bite and said, "These fries are awesome!" 

How to Cook a Pumpkin

I originally posted this last fall but, since I am planning to bake the first pumpkin of this fall season today, I decided to repost this entry:

In all the years I have been baking with pumpkin (pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, etc.) I have never, ever used a real pumpkin. I know the stuff in the can is labeled Real Pumpkin but I'm talking about the non-canned variety that only shows up in the grocery stores in the fall and winter. Not the big, jack-o-lantern ones, the other ones. The ones that sit with all the other gourds that I don't know what to do with, besides decorate. I actually set out today to buy a can of pumpkin for a cake recipe but, upon discovering that the store did not have canned pumpkin in stock, I decided to try baking a whole one. What I found is that it's ridiculously easy, fills my house with an amazing aroma, and a medium size pumpkin yields about 3 cups.

This is how I did it:

1. Cut the top of the pumpkin off, close to the stem.

2. Cut the pumpkin in half, lengthwise,

and remove the seeds and stringy stuff.

3. Spray a baking pan and place pumpkin halves in pan, face down.

4. Cover with foil and bake at 375* for about 1 hour.

5. When cool enough to handle, scrape pumpkin out of its shell.

At this point you can mash or puree, if you like,

but mine was so soft that it wasn't necessary.

So easy! I may never buy canned pumpkin again!

Pesto Pasta

I'm loving fresh pesto lately so, when I came across

this Taste of Home recipe, I just had to try it.

This is one of those recipes that seems too easy

to be so amazingly good.  Fresh herbs are the key here

as there is just no way it would be the same with dried.

Here's the recipe:

 1 lb. bowtie pasta

2/3 c. fresh basil, chopped

1/2c. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

2 cloves garlic, minced.

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2/3c. olive oil

 

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

 

2.  Meanwhile, in a blender, add the basil, parsley, Parmesan

cheese, salt, garlic and nutmeg.

 

3.  Cover and process on low for 1 minute or until very finely chopped.

 

4.  While processing, gradually add the oil in a steady stream.

5.  Drain pasta and toss with pesto.

 

I served this warm but it's probably good cold too.
I wouldn't know for sure though because there
were no leftovers here.  ;)

Hint of Coconut Cookies

I want to share this recipe because even my non-coconut eaters raved about these cookies!  It may seem like a lot of coconut but for some reason, the flavor is pleasantly mild and not at all.  And the texture

is just the right amount of chewy goodness!

Here's the recipe:

1 1/4c.  all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

1/2c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 c. flaked coconut

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

 

2.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.  In a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on medium speed until smooth.

4.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.

5.  Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut.

6.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet a few inches apart.  

7.  Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator and allow it to chill for about 30 min.

8.  Remove from the refrigerator straight to the oven.  Bake for approximately 12 min. or until lightly toasted.

9.  Cool on wire racks.

My most adamant coconut hater kept trying to sneak cookies while I was making dinner.  :)

Egg Drop Soup

The star of the show at dinner last night was

definitely the egg drop soup. 

The beef and broccoli was good but it was the

soup that everyone raved about!  This was so

much better than anything I've had in a restaurant.

You really must try it:

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced

2 TBSP fresh chives, chopped

1/4c. green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

white pepper, to taste

1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

  

1.  Reserve 3/4c. vegetable broth and pour the rest into

a medium saucepan.

2.  Stir the salt, white pepper, ginger, chives,

and green onions into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil.

3.  In a small bowl, stir together the remaining broth

and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

4.  In small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork.

5.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

6.  Remove pan from heat.

7.  Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the

boiling broth mixture.

Egg should cook immediately, forming the "ribbons".

8.  Garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot.

Hubby requested I make a double batch next time!