Repost:Tortellini Soup

Oh my, this soup makes me happy. It's so fast and the flavor from the Italian sausage is just perfect.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken or veg broth
• 2 to 3 links of Italian sausage (I use mild)
• 1 lb frozen or fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 bag washed baby spinach leaves or 1 box frozen spinach
• dash of nutmeg and black
• grated Parmesan to top

Coarsely chop spinach and set aside. Using a large pot, squeeze sausage to remove it from its skin, then brown, breaking it into small pieces (like browning hamburger). Add broth and heat to boiling. Add your pasta and continue to boil until tortellini is cooked. Add your nutmeg and pepper, then throw in spinach. Cook just 2 to 3 minutes more and serve with Parmesan. You can turn this into a vegan dish by using vegetable broth, vegan ravioli or tortellini and non-dairy Parmesan.

Repost: Orange Tortilla Soup

I have decided to re-post some soups! It's getting cold and I'm hungry! Hope you will try some of them out. This one is my daughter's favorite.

Ingredients:
1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
4 Celery stalks sliced
3 Tbs vegetable oil
2-1/2 Cups vegetable or chicken broth
1-1/2 Cups orange juice
1-1/2 Cups tomato sauce (14 oz can is fine)
1 Cup water
1 (4 oz) Can green chilies chopped
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
3 - 4 Carrots sliced
3 or 4 Chicken breasts
Pepper Jack cheese grated
Tortilla chips

Chop your celery and onions. Mince garlic and slice carrots. Do yourself a favor and buy pre chopped chiles. I bought the whole so I had to chop.

Saute onion, garlic and celery in 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.

Stir in broth, OJ, tomato sauce, chilies, cilantro and carrots. Simmer until carrots are tender.

In the meantime, cook your chicken. I prefer to cook chicken breast in a non-stick pan. I heat 2 TB of oil on med-high heat, salt and pepper the breast, cook on each side about 5 min on that higher heat, then turn the heat to med-low. Do not cover!!! Big mistake. You end up with boiled chicken. I leave the lid off until almost done - you can tell you've overcooked chicken breast when it doesn't give anymore when you press with the back of your fork. I prefer to a point where it might still be a bit underdone and then take off heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so. Its usually perfect. Clear as mud? Sorry.

Cut or shred your chicken into bite size chunks and add to your soup. Cook another 5 minutes or so and its ready. Just make sure your carrots are tender.

Serve by placing tortilla chips (crunched or not) at the bottom of your soup bowl, ladle soup over and top with shredded jack cheese.

Corn Chowder

I created this recipe after tasting a great corn chowder at a restaurant. Enjoy!

Ingredients
8 baking potatoes semi peeled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
8 sliced bacon cooked til crisp and chopped, reserve grease
3/4 cup onion or one medium, chopped
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 (14 oz) cans creamed corn
2 cups whole milk
butter
salt and pepper

Cook potatoes in salted water. Drain off most of the water but reserve to thin soup later.

In separate pan, sautee onions in 2 Tbsp butter. Add to potatoes in pot after you have drained off most of water. Add two cans cream corn, plus chopped bacon and 3 Tblsp of reserved bacon grease. Add broth and about 2 cups potatoe water, more if you want yours soup thinner. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to slow boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Angel Biscuits

I thought I would share a great biscuit recipe. They aren't really dinner rolls or biscuits but a cross between the two. I thought they were much better after they had cooled and set out for a few hours. when they first came out of the oven they were a bit too soft and tore when I tried to butter. I think next time I would bake just 5 minutes longer and a bit browner.

Angel Biscuits

1 Cup Buttermilk

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Cup warm water (100-100F)

3 to 3-1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup shortening (I use Crisco)

1. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together. Let sit.

2. Mix yeast, sugar, salt and water together. Let stand until foamy.

3. Combine flour and shortening, cutting it in untill well blended. I use one of these thingy's or you can use a fork or food processor.

Mix in buttermilk mixture and yeast mixture (dough will be wet) rather quickly, then cover loosely with towel and let rise in warm place (not too warm or you will kill the yeast) until about double, took mine about 45 min.

4. Pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness on heavily floured surface. Cut biscuits with a 2" cutter and place on lightly greased pan or use a parchment. Put them very close together so they will rise higher. Let sit about 20 to 30  minutes. Preheat oven to 400 while you wait.

5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them. Again, bake until brownish or they will fall apart. They are very moist.

I served mine with eggs and ham but these would be great for Thanksgiving dinner too.

Gazpacho and Corn Salad

This was dinner last night. Very good and no heat was used! That means a lot because I would be very crabby if I had to turn on the stove. Gazpacho is a cold tomato based soup with a variety of fresh chopped ingredients, which sounds awful, but its sour and refreshing at the same time. I was very surprised how good it was. And the corn, wow, cut the kernels off the cob, leave them raw and add lemon juice, canola oil, sunflower seeds and sugar and a little ground red pepper. Google either and you'll find some great recipes! Or email me and I'll send it to you.

Salad of the Day

Spinach, arugula, strawberries, blue cheese, candied walnuts, with strawberry vinaigrette.

Fruity Vinaigrettes

I am on a mission to eat more greens! There is a book called Eat to Live by Joel Furhman (no relation to Mark Furhman of OJ fame, but there is OJ in one of these recipes :)) and Joel talks about how we as humans really need to eat more greens. That we were intended to eat much, much more than we now eat, even having greens for breakfast. He suggests Bibb or Boston lettuce, that softer, sweet lettuce, with vinaigrette and some light cheese to start your morning. I've tried it actually, and its not bad. Refreshing. He also claims that if you will increase your greens, you will lose weight. So this week, I am all about salads.

To get us started, we need to make some dressings. You can use any type of fruity sauce, jam, or even juice concentrate. I made a Jalapeno-Razz, Apricot Pomegranite, Pine-Orange-Strawberry, and Limeaid vinaigrettes this weekend.

Basic Recipe:

-2 Tblsp of your favorite fruit jam, concentrate or syrup (slightly warmed in microwave if its thick)

-1/4 Cup vinegar (I used Pomegranite for red fruits and white wine vinegar for orange, peach, lime)

-1/3 to 1/2 Cup Oil (I used Canola oil as Olive oil has too green of a taste for me)

Start with 1/3 cp oil and taste. If its a little too vinegary, add a bit more.

That's it! I'll share some salads with you tomorrow.

Raz-pepper jelly, slightly warmed in microwave and I used pomegranite vinegar.

A variety of jams, syrups, homemade jellys or frozen concentrates will work.

 

Fun Finds at the 'Markets'

I LOVE SUMMER! I can finally wear flip flops, eat snowies, and hit the markets! If you have never been to the Downtown Farmer's Market or the Park Silly Market, you are missing out. Great booths, food, gourmet goodies to take home. And its very accessible, easy to park, just get there early!

So here are a couple cool items you can find at the markets.

an antique watch turned into a necklace, only at Park Silly Market

this soap smells so good, I buy a couple bars each summer, she is only at the Park Silly Market

found these at SLC, $10

love this, at a booth at SLC, crimped in lasts 6 weeks, shampooable $20

switch plates, all different styles, SLC market $5

glass blown necklace, $10, henna tattoo, $10 SLC

beaded bracelet, crazy color combos, all real stones, $35+ both SLC and PSM

fresh flower bunches, $10 SLC