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
Banana Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
If you want a cupcake that will please a crowd then look no further. These cupcakes are great as a snack or for dessert.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Medium Mashed Ripe Bananas
1/4 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Cups Cake Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Frosting:
2 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Milk
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added. Add the mashed bananas, buttermilk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat well. In a medium size bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Mix well. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin cups two thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from the muffin cups and let cool completely on wire racks. For the frosting: In a large size bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the milk. Pipe the frosting over the cupcakes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen
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
Pumpkin Bread
Fall is pumpkin time and baking it into bread is a great way to cook with it. My pumpkin bread is moist and delicious. Feel free to leave out the raisins or walnuts if you want.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Cup Raisins (Optional)
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. In a large size mixing bowl combine the sugars, oil and eggs. Beat until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin, milk, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Pour into the greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When done remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Remove from the pans by turn the pans over. Slice when completely cool. Makes 2 loaves.
French Dip Sandwiches With Cheese
Sandwiches are more about choosing good ingredients than about mastering complicated techniques.
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Sliced Onion
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Butter
14 Ounces Beef Broth
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
12 Ounces Cooked & Thinly Sliced Roast Beef
8 Pieces Provolone Cheese
4 French Rolls Split
Preheat your broiler. In a large saucepan cook the onion and garlic in the hot butter until tender. Stir in the broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the beef and return to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the beef and the onion from the broth mixture. Arrange the beef and onion on the French rolls. Place two pieces of provolone cheese on top of each sandwich and place on a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 1 minute or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and place the tops on the sandwiches. Pour the beef broth into 4 small bowls for dipping. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Fettucini Carbonara
Fettucini Carbonara is the perfect fall dish and a great way to end the work week.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Pound Bacon or Prosciutto
1/4 Cup Half & Half
4 Beaten Eggs
1 Pound Cooked Fettucini
1/2 Cup Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Parsley
Cook the fettucini according to package instructions. In a large sauté pan cook the bacon or prosciutto, over a medium heat, until almost crisp. Remove from the skillet and crumble into a small bowl. Drain the fat and return the sauté pan back to the burner. Heat the half and half until it is warm, remove from the burner and beat in the eggs. Beat well. Return the sauté pan back to the burner and cook, over a low heat, for 5 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the bacon or prosciutto and cook for another minute. Place the cooked fettucini into a large bowl and add the butter. Toss the fettucini with the butter. Pour the half & half mixture over the fettucini and toss. Finally add the Parmesan cheese and parsley and toss again. Transfer to serving platter and serve warm. Serves 6
Italian Sausage Soup
This soup is a meal in itself and perfect for this fall weather.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Mild Italian Sausage
2 Cups Chopped Carrots
1 Large Chopped Red Onion
1 Cup Chopped Celery
3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/2 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
3 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Cooked Garbanzo Beans
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Sage
1/2 Cup Water
2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
Slice and remove the casings from the sausage. In a large size skillet sauté the sausage for 5 minutes. Drain off any grease. Add the carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, butter and sauté over a low heat until the vegetables are soft. Add the parsley, chicken broth, garbanzo beans, sage, salt, pepper and water. If you don’t have time to cook your own garbanzo beans then using canned is ok. Cook on low for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Parmesan cheese is for topping the individual soup bowls. Serves 4
Toasted Walnut Salad
My Toasted Walnut Salad is the perfect fall salad and can be eaten as a main course or pears well with just about any main dish that you decide to cook up.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Toasted & Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
3 Medium Peeled Oranges
1 Thinly Sliced Medium Red Onion
1 Large Peeled & Sliced Avocado
26 Pitted Greek Black Olives
2 Heads Butter Lettuce
1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Lemon Juice Dressing
In a large size serving bowl tear the butter lettuce into pieces. Coarsely chop the oranges and add to the salad. Add the red onion, avocado, olives and feta cheese. Mix the salad and then toss with Lemon Juice Dressing. Serves 6
Lemon Juice Dressing
1/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3/4 Cup Walnut Oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds. Makes about 1 cup.
Victoria’s Scones
It’s Sunday Morning! Treat yourself to a great cup of coffee and a couple of scones. You’ll love my scone recipe and your loved ones will too.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Butter
2 Beaten Eggs
1/2 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1/2 Cup Raisins (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 425° F. In a large size bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Cut in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is rather lumpy. Next add the eggs and buttermilk (or sour milk). Combine but don’t overdo it. Turn your mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about one minute. Now pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thickness. Cut into triangle shapes and put on either a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve these scones warm with blackberry, raspberry or apricot jam. Makes 12 scones.
