Cream Of Tomato & Basil Soup
It’s so satisfying to make a meal that is quick, easy and delicious. This soup is all three. Make sure that you use fresh basil because it makes this tomato soup extra special.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Milk
14 Ounces Tomato Puree or Diced Tomatoes – Undrained
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
3/4 Cup Chopped Basil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is super smooth. Pour the mixture into a sock pot and heat over a low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and transfer to bowls. Garnish with small basil leaves. Serves 4
Beef & Broccoli
This stir fry will be a big hit and your crew will go back for seconds or thrids. The sauce is flavorful and is a good balance between sweet and salty. Feel free to change up the vegetables if you want. Green beans, snow peas or spinach would work well in this dish.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
12 Ounce boneless Steak Cut Into Thin Strips
5 Tablespoons Dark Sesame Oil
2 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Sliced Red Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Sliced Green Onions
Rice or Noodles (Optional)
In a medium size bowl combine the soy sauce, cornstarch and hoisin sauce. Add the sliced steak to the soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat the steak. Heat a large skillet or wok over a high heat. Add the oil to the pan and make sure the oil hits all parts of the pan. Remove the steak from the marinade and place the steak into the pan. Don’t throw away the marinade. Just set it aside for a moment. Cook the steak for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the steak from the pan and place into a bowl. Set aside. Add the broccoli, onions, carrots and water. Cook for 4 minutes. You will want the broccoli to be crisp, but tender. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the steak back to the pan and cook for 1 more minute. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve over either rice or noodles. Serves 4
Cacio e Pepe
Roman food certainly is comfort food and this pasta dish, made with pasta, cheese & black pepper, is the mac & cheese of Rome. Cacio e Pepe is Italian for cheese and pepper. The ingredients are very simple and are either made with spaghetti, tonnarelli or vermicelli. I like to make mine with good old reliable spaghetti.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Pound Dried Spaghetti
3/4 Cup Pasta Water
1 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano
Fill a large size pot with 8 quarts of water and 4 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. While the spaghetti is cooking you will need to toast the sesame seeds. Take an extra large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium high. You will not need to add oil. Just pour the dry sesame seeds into the heated sauté pan and toast for 1 minute. Stir constantly and make sure not to burn the sesame seeds. Remove the sesame seeds from the heat and place in a bowl. Set aside. Add the pepper to the same pan and toast for 1 minute and continue to stir. The pepper should be nice and fragrant. Add the olive oil and butter to the toasted pepper and cook until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Add 3/4 cup of the pasta water (this is the water that the spaghetti cooked in) to the pepper mixture. Add the toasted sesame seeds and then add the pasta. Stir and toss over a medium heat. You will want the past to be well coated. Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If you need more pasta water to loosen the sauce then add a bit more of the pasta water. Toss once again and then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Broiled Tomatoes
I never underestimate the magic that breadcrumbs and grated cheese can bring to my favorite fruit.
INGREDIENTS
6 Halved Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
4 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Minced Thyme Leaves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your broiler. Cover a broiler pan with foil and place the oven rack to the top position. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and set each tomato half on the broiler pan. Make sure the stem is removed. In a small size bowl combine the breadcrumbs, butter, Parmesan cheese, thyme leaves, kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes until you’ve used the mixture all up. Place the broiler pan under the broiler and broil for 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Serves 6
Baked Scallops
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
3 Tablespoons White Wine
1/4 Cup Cracker Crumbs
1 1/2 Pounds Scallops
Preheat your oven to 450° F. In a small size saucepan melt the butter and add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute. In a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish place the scallops. Make sure you pat them dry with a paper towel. Pour the melted butter and garlic mixture over the top of the scallops. Sprinkle with the white wine and then top with the cracker crumbs. Place in the oven for 8 minutes until the scallops are firm and opaque in color. You don’t want to overcook them however. Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute before serving. Serves 4
Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is the PERFECT fall soup. Enough said!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Onions
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
2 Pounds Peeled, Seeded & Cubed Butternut Squash
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Half & Half
In a large size stockpot over a medium high heat, sauté the chopped onions in the olive oil for 2 minutes or just until they are soft. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth (or vegetable broth), butternut squash and the kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle in the squash and the liquid into either a food processor or a blender. Pulse until the mixture is a nice puree. Return the pureed squash mixture to the stockpot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the half and half and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 8
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Don’t buy the condensed cream of mushroom soups because it’s not difficult to make your own and it tastes so much better. After making it homemade you’ll never want to go back to the canned stuff. Sorry Campbells!
INGREDIENTS
7 Tablespoons Butter – Divided
1 Pound Sliced Fresh Button Mushrooms
1 Chopped Onion
1 1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
2 Cups Half & Half or Whole Milk
1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley For Garnish
Take the sour cream out of the fridge and let sit until it gets to room temperature. In a heavy large stockpot melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over a medium high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir often. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Slowly pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth and continue to stir. Slowly pour in the half & half (or whole milk) and continue to stir. Stir constantly and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the mushroom mixture. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve hot and garnished with parsley. Serves 4
Date & Apple Salad
Sometimes it's nice to have a "meaty" salad for lunch or dinner.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Diced Red Onion
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Pitted & Sliced Dates
1 Head Frisee Lettuce
4 Cups Spinach
1 Sliced Apple
1/2 Cup Chopped Pistachios
1 Sliced Pear
2 Sliced Radishes
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a small size bowl mix the olive oil, vinegar, onion and Dijon mustard. Set aside. Cut the frisee lettuce into bite size pieces. In a large size mixing bowl add the dates, lettuce, spinach, apples, pistachios, pears, radishes, salt and pepper. Mix the salad and then toss with the dressing. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Chicken Orzo Soup
Soup is one of the great things about fall especially chicken soup.
INGREDIENTS
4 Slices Chopped Bacon
1 Pound Boneless Chicken Thighs
1 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Cups Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Uncooked Orzo
2 Cups Cooked Cannellini Beans
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
1 Tablespoon White Wine
Grated Parmesan
Chop the chicken thighs into small pieces. In a large size stockpot, sauté the chopped bacon just until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Add the chopped chicken thigh pieces and cook them for 5 minutes until they are slightly browned. Add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the minced garlic, kosher salt, pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the uncooked orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Add the cannellini beans, chopped parsley, white wine and bacon. Cook for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan. Serves 8
Simple Green Pea Salad
So easy and so delicious!
INGREDIENTS
10 Ounces Cooked Peas (Fresh or Frozen)
8 Ounces Sliced Water Chestnuts
1/2 Cup Chopped Green Onions
2 Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs
2 Ounces Diced Pimientos
1/2 Cup Sliced Celery
Dressing:
1/3 Cup Light Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a small size bowl mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Chill the dressing while you are making the salad. In a large size bowl mix together the peas, water chestnuts, green onions, boiled eggs, pimientos and celery. Pour the dressing over the pea salad and combine all of the ingredients. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours. Serves 6
