Chilly Winter Weather means Soups Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copy Cat)

I am sure this has been posted by me before.  It's cold here in Utah and add the wind to the cold well it just makes soup for dinner the go to thing.  So I just wanted to share this one again.  One of my fav's.  Just add some of my breadsticks to it and yum. 

 

 

Zuppa Toscana- (Olive Garden copy cat)

1½ Mild or Medium Italian sausage
2 medium potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 c. onions, diced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. kale leaves, chopped (or less depending on picky eaters)
2 cans chicken broth
1 qt. water
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Cook Italian sausage until brown, drain on a paper towel to remove fat.   Cook bacon and remove from pan, place on paper towel as well, crumble when cool. Place onions in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.  Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1-minute. Add chicken broth, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Wild Rice and Turkey Soup (great for the leftover Thanksgiving turkey)

Wild Rice Turkey Soup

 
1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
½ c. green onions
1 ½ c. turkey
8 strips fried crumbled bacon
3 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
2 c. water
2 c. half and half
½ c. butter
¾ c. flour
1/4 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. pepper
salt to taste
2-3 caps of cooking  (optional but gives a good flavor)
 
Boil your rice in the broth until rice is tender.  Make your rue.  Combine all ingredients and simmer until ready to serve.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle (the constantly missing recipe)

This is a favorite recipe of one of my daughters.  For some reason I have just kept the original copy in my own recipe binder but not in my computer file or on here.  I am reckoning that today after looking for several hours to find it.  Since I am still not completely moved into my new home I was beginning to think it was a lost cause for tonight.  She walked in and found it immediately.  So here it is for future reference.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle or Penne

16 oz. Farfalle pasta (bowtie) or Penne
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumbled
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, plus small amount for garnish
1 12oz.Lawry's chicken marinade with lime juice

Precook bacon, drain and crumble. Cut the chicken into cubes and cook in a small amount of butter.  Start the pasta.  When chicken is done move to the side and add the butter and garlic, stir.  And the cream, pepper, bacon, and parmesan, whisk together over low heat for a few minutes.  Drain pasta and add to a large bowl and pour the chicken cream mixture over the top.  Garnish with parmesan cheese

Zuppa Toscano (Copy Cat) repeat

Zuppa Toscana- (Olive Garden copy cat)

1½ Mild or Medium Italian sausage
2 medium potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 c. onions, diced
6 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. kale leaves, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 qt. water
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Cook Italian sausage until brown, drain on a paper towel to remove fat.   Cook bacon and remove from pan, place on paper towel as well, crumble when cool. Place onions in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.  Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1-minute. Add chicken broth, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

2 med potatoes, baked
¼ c. butter
1/2- 1 c. onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. chicken stock
4-5 slices bacon cooked and roughly cut
1 c. milk
1/3 c. flour
½ c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 T. green onions, sliced

In medium sized pot sauté onion, and garlic in butter until translucent. Dice potatoes into cubes. In a bowl whisk together milk and flour, add to the onion and butter mixture and thicken. Slowly, add the chicken stock and thicken. Stir in cheese and sour cream, top with green onions. (I like to out the soup in a bowl and add the toppings to garnish and serve.)

Crepe's-Savory

Finely shredded Swiss Cheese and Parmesan Cheese
Diced green onion

Fresh basil chopped

in a 8 inch skillet pour 1/2 - 3/4 c. batter and coat the bottom of the pan and lightly brown. Carefully pull the crepe from the side and bottom of the pan and turn to brown the other side.

Place the onion, basil, and cheese on the crepe to melt.

Fold or roll and serve. Use your imagination for savory fillings. Bacon and or sausage are excellent as well.

Crepes

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. milk
2 T. shortening

Combine ingredients. Pour enough batter to fill the bottom of a frying pan, in a thin even coat. Over medium heat cook until slightly brown, flip the crepe over and brown on the other side.

Morning "Glory"

When I bake potatoes I often bake one or two extra to do things with at a later date. One of the things we like to do is "Morning Ray." It is actually from a show that we watched on the food Network Rachel Ray's Travels. Rachel purchased Morning Ray at a place in Park City called Morning Ray and it is one of their specialties. She highlighted it and we decided to try a version of it on our own. Forgetting the name I called it "Morning Glory" and it has been nicknamed that in our family since then.

First we take a potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes.

We also cut up mushrooms, minced garlic onion, and peppers. I like to use the smaller peppers to get a variation in the color. My Home Ec. teacher would be proud!

While cutting up the veggies we brown 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon cut into small pieces.
(I love the bacon from our local grocery store that you get at the butcher's counter. It is thicker and a little more expensive but it doesn't shrink down as much so I feel it more than compensates for the cost.)

After frying the bacon drain it on a paper towel to get rid of the extra grease.

With the remaining bacon grease we brown the potatoes until they are golden on the edges.

The mushrooms take a little extra time so we start them before the rest of the vegetables. They do better if they are easily spread out in the skillet and not touching another.

When the mushrooms are soft and turning brown add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook until they are translucent. In another pan make scrambled eggs. Grate the cheese.

First layer

Add the veggies

Next the bacon top with avocado or guacamole and salsa.

Finish up with the scrambled eggs and cheese. Enjoy. We don't make "Morning Glory' very often but it is sure a treat when we do.

Morning Glory

6 baked potatoes, cooled, peeled, coarse chopped
1-2 bell pepper, coarse chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarse chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salsa of your choice
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook potatoes (hash brown style) in bacon fat until browned and crunchy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In another skillet, heat olive oil and butter and saute the mushrooms until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a third skillet, scramble the eggs.

Place small pile of hash browns on center of plate. Cover with vegetable mixture. Place eggs on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Garnish with guacamole and salsa.

Clam Chowder

When I was much younger I had this strange idea that I didn't like any form of seafood. After my husband and I had been married awhile my father-in-law treated us to a weekend in Newport Oregon. There in Newport I tried really good clam chowder for the first time. While working on a project there in Newport my father-in-law found Mo's on the wharf on Newport Bay. After a few family vacations there it has become a favorite family destination and Mo's has become a favorite place to eat. Since we don't get to Newport Oregon as much as we would like to I began a search to find a clam chowder recipe that came close to Mo's, while not the same it is a very good version from a land locked cook. And since it is officially soup season I've been craving it. I also realized that seafood was something that I really did like.

Place the onion, celery, potatoes, salt, and clam juice in a pan and cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile fry bacon until crisp. (I have become some what of bacon snob, I only like the ranch style bacon sold at most butcher blocks. It costs a little more but doesn't fry down as much as typical packages of bacon. I usually buy it when it's on sale and freeze it.)

Chop the bacon into small pieces and add at the very end.

Make the soup base and add to the vegetables to thicken, add the clams.

Before serving add the bacon and ladle into bowls.

Garnish with butter and two-three drops of Tabasco sauce.

Clam Chowder

1 c. onion finely chopped
1 c. celery finely diced
2 c. potatoes, finely diced
¾ c. flour
¾ c. butter or margarine
1 qt half and half
1½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
3-4 6½ oz. clams, undrained

Combine vegetables in small saucepan. Drain clams: pour juice over vegetables; add enough water to cook. Cook covered, until tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in large heavy saucepan. Stir in flour until blended and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in cream until smooth, blended and bubbly. Return to heat; cook and stir with wire whip until thick and smooth. Add vegetables and clams heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

For even better flavor add chopped bacon slices and a few drops of Tabasco.

Honolulu on a budget!?

Staying in Honolulu can be an expensive proposition! When you eat out for each meal or even if you are lucky enough to have a small kitchenette it is a challenge to keep within a budget. Purchasing a half gallon of milk on Waikiki is a shocking experience this time it was only $6.00 but a year ago now it was $9.00 a gallon. After a year my husband finally found a hotel that has a small kitchen in it and it has been nice to be able to make meals there as well as eat out occasionally. The kitchen is pretty small and not very well equipped but it is fun to use local items to create new meals. Who can pass up fresh pineapple and mango I always try to get more than one meal out of one and so before I left to come I used ingredients from two other meals to make breakfast.

First I blanched the remaining asparagus for three minutes then placed it in ice cold water to keep the bright green color and then cut into bite sized pieces. Second fried the remaining bacon until crisp, cut it up and cut up the remaining ham.

Saute 1/2 of a medium onion in olive oil until transparent and then add the ham, bacon, and asparagus and heat until warmed through.
Add four beaten eggs and gently stir until the egg is cooked through.

Top with Parmesan Cheese and fresh parsley, chopped. (At home I would bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes but we didn't have a skillet that could go into the oven.)
We served it with fresh pineapple, mango, and multi grain bread with Passion Fruit jelly.

It was so yummy but I just couldn't finish it all.

This is the kitchen where we stay.

Aloha for this trip!

Liguine with Clam Sauce and Asparagus with Bacon

Aloha once again. While searching the Web while Kerry was a work I came across a recipe for Linguine with clam sauce and decided to surprise him and fix it. I wanted to make a nice meal but felt some what limited by the size of the kitchen and not wanting to purchase a lot of groceries that will have to be stored when we go home. Typically I don't like Clam Sauce but this one turned out very well. Since I don't cook with alcohol I had to change it up a little and he would probably have liked a little more clam flavor but I just used the juice from the can of clams rather than buying a larger bottle of juice. I decided to make a nice fresh vegetable with it and a simple tossed salad.

I took the asparagus and tossed it with olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper and wrapped it up with a nice piece of bacon. (I am kind of a bacon snob, I like the butcher cut rather than the thin stuff that you often find in stores. It doesn't cook down to quite as much) I browned them in a 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes, turning once. Then reduced the oven temperature to 350 for 15-20 minutes.

We enjoyed a nice meal at the Hotel while tropical storm "Felicia" prepared to come on the island. Fortunately the storm was much weaker than predicted.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

8 oz. dry linguine noodles
8 c. water
1 T. salt
1 c. clam juice (drained from the can this is not 1 full cup if you want more flavor add additional juice)
8 oz. clams, drained (save the juice for the sauce)
1 T. garlic, minced
2 T. onion, chopped finely
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. butter
½ c. grated Parmesan Cheese
½ c. white wine (optional: you can use vegetable broth, chicken broth, juice from canned mushrooms as well as the mushrooms and or water)
¼- ½ c. pasta water (to thicken the sauce)

Bring water to a boil, add pasta and salt and cook until al’ dente. While the pasta cooks in a separate skillet heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until they become translucent add the garlic being careful not to burn. Add the wine or other liquid and bring to a boil. Before draining the pasta take the water required and add to the sauce, reduce by half. Add the clams, butter and the Parmesan Cheese and stir until the butter and cheese are melted gradually add the pasta and toss to cover adding the parsley on top.

It occurred to me that this could be one of my pantry meals because most of these ingredients could be stored. I love finding and or cresting new meals that can be a quick fix idea.

Part of our family barbecue traditions include Kerry's baked beans. Almost all of the girls will request him to make these for our gatherings during the summer. They remind me of the beans that my Aunt Cella would make when I was a little girl. Funny how scents can take you and drop you back in a particular time and place almost a fast a music can. These pictures doesn't do the beans justice.

Kerry's Baked Beans

1 large onion, diced 3 cans pork and beans
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch chunks
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook onions in bacon fat until lightly browned. Add all ingredients to a covered casserole dish and mix well. Bake for 2 hours.

Asparagas Frittata

2/3 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed to 1 inch pieces
1 med. onion, chopped
2 T . fresh parsley, minced
8 eggs, blended
5 T. Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 c. water
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil, add the asparagus and blanch for three minutes. Drain and shock with cold water drain and pat dry. In an oven proof skillet fry the bacon until crisp, pull from the pan and place on a paper towel. Meanwhile saute' the onion until tender. Add the parsley and asparagus, toss to coat. In a small bow combine the eggs, 3 T. Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over the asparagus, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Place uncovered skillet under the broiler, about six inches from the heat until the eggs are set. Remove, sprinkle with the Cheddar Cheese, the remaining Parmesan Cheese and cut into quarters.

"Strawberry Fields Forever" we hope!

The colors and flavors of spring are wonderful. I love seeing the fresh strawberries in the grocery stores now.

We love to slice them, add a little sugar to make a juice, and serve with half and half, or milk.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Strawberry Vinaigrette

Spinach, washed and cleaned
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Mushrooms, washed and sliced
Strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
Red onion, sliced into thin rounds


Strawberry Vinaigrette

1 c. fresh sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar, or to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ c. olive oil

In food processor puree strawberries until smooth. Add vinegar and pepper until combined. Gradually add olive oil and mix until well blended. Chill until ready to serve. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Serve over spinach salad or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Pie

9 inch baked pie shell
6 c. strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. water

Bake pie shell. Mash enough strawberries to measure 1 cup. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in water and mashed berries gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute; cool.

Fill shell with remaining strawberries;whole (I aways slice the strawberries rather than leave them whole like many restaurants do because the sauce or filling surrounds the strawberries more evenly and it isn't such a mouthful) pour cooked strawberry mixture over top. Refrigerate until set, at least three hours.
Serve with whipped cream on top.

Peach Glace Pie (my favorite fresh pie)
Substitute 5 cups sliced peaches for the strawberries (about 9 medium and 3 for filling)

Raspberry Glace Pie
Substitute raspberries for the strawberries


Pie Crust

1/3 c. plus 1 T. shortening
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2-3 T .cold water
(Double for two crust)



Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris

18 ice cubes
12 strawberries, sliced
6 tsp sugar
3 tsp lime juice

Blend and serve


Strawberry Agua Fresca

4 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
6 c. hulled strawberries
¼ c. fresh lime juice ( about 2 limes)

Combine water and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth. Combine the sugar mixture, strawberry puree, and juice; stir well. Yield 8 cups

Strawberry Panna Cotta with Strawberry Compote

For Panna Cotta
3 c. sliced strawberries
1 ¾ cup buttermilk
6 Tbsp sugar
2 ½ tsp unflavored gelatin (less than two envelopes)
¼ c. whole milk
½ heavy cream

· Blend strawberries, buttermilk, and sugar in blender until smooth. (very smooth) Then pour through a very fine sieve into a medium bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Discard solids.
· Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl, let stand to thicken.
· Bring cream to a boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved.
· Whisk cream mixture into strawberry puree and pour into molds.
Chill molds, covered, until firm, at east 8 hours.

To unmold , dip molds into bowl of hot water 2-3 seconds, then invert panna cotta’s onto dessert plates and remove molds.

For compote
2 ½ c. strawberries-trimmed
¼ c. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp superfine granulated sugar

Halve strawberries lengthwise if small or quarter if larger. Whisk together orange juice and superfine sugar in a bowl until sugar is dissolved and add strawberries tossing to coat. Serve panna cotta’s with compote. (Panna cotta’s can he chilled in molds covered up to 2 days.)

Waffles with flair

Waffles (Family Batch)

2 3/4 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 T. sugar
10 T. vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk

Small Batch:
1 ¾ c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
1 T. sugar
7 T. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 c. milk

Mix ingredients, do not over stir.

We like to make waffles with extra flair by putting extra thin slices of bacon on top of the batter and place the lid down. The thin sliced bacon cooks just like frying or microwaving.

Only the really thin sliced bacon will cook enough doing it this way.

I only buy the really thin bacon to use in waffles.

With the remaining bacon I divide it up and freeze in smaller packages for another time.

Serve warm! The leftover waffles can be frozen and reheated in a toaster.

This is the type of bacon that I usually buy because the shrinkage is far less and you get more for your money. If you buy it on sale and freeze it can by used at a later time. I also like to cook extra and crumble it up and freeze for salads or soups then I only have to clean the mess up once.