Sunday, September 21, 2008

Bean & Tomato Stoup


Nothing is better on a crisp fall day than a warm bowl of soup. My mother-in-law is a wonderful soup maker. When Mike & I first got married, we usually dropped by for dinner once a week & during the fall & winter months, she often had a delicious soup or stew simmering away.

I saw this recipe on an episode of Rachael Ray I was watching a few weeks ago & knew I wanted to try it. It comes together really quickly & is so satisfying, even without meat. I served it today with cornbread left over from yesterday's dinner of corned beef & cabbage, but it would be equally good with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm so glad there's enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

Bean & Tomato Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans or cannellini beans
1 (10 ounces) box, cut frozen green beans
Salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, to pass at table

Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir then stir in the onions, carrots, celery and zucchini. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. Ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.

Notes: I used vegetable stock & skipped the cheese.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Wordless Wednesday


Check out other Wordless Wednesday participants too.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Pumpkin Bread Pudding


Oh. My. Goodness. Seriously, you have to try this recipe...right now. Pumpkin Bread Pudding - what could be more perfect for fall? And just like my cranberry bread pudding, this is a perfect dish for dessert or a brunch buffet. We ate it warm tonight with whipped cream but it would be amazing with caramel or cinnamon ice cream.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Gourmet Magazine (October 2007)

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons bourbon*
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted**

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, spices and bourbon, if using, in a bowl.

Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes - I used cognac instead of bourbon. I also left out the butter & just tossed the bread cubes in the custard mixture.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Lipton Onion Soup Mix Dip


Welcome to another edition of Retro Saturdays. We're watching the WVU game this afternoon - GO MOUNTAINEERS! Chicken wings with ranch dip are on the menu, along with celery & other veggies. And of course, potato chips. Mike likes onion dip with his potato chips. I didn't really have time to make my caramelized onion dip, so I went with the classic. And it is so easy. Seriously - all you do is mix one packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix with 16 ounces of sour cream & you're finished.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Fall Contest


Celebrate fall with a basket full of goodies from West Virginia. The winner of my fall contest will receive a great prize including treats from Happiness Spreads, Blue Smoke Salsa, Holl's Chocolates, Evan Scent Candles & more.

To enter, leave a comment on this entry, along with a valid email address. Want a 2nd chance to win? Post about this contest on your blog, including a link back to this entry, then send me an email at Toniacooks@verizon.net. You'll then be entered twice!

The contest ends Sunday, October 12th.

Friday, August 15, 2008

To The Beach...

We're leaving for Myrtle Beach tonight. I cannot wait to relax on the beach & enjoy some wonderful seafood meals. I'll be posting some pictures when we return.

By the time we get back, we'll be headed into September & the autumn season, which is my favorite time of year. I have an exciting contest coming up mid-September, which will feature some original West Virginia items, so be sure to check back here for your chance to win.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Chicken Nuggets


Welcome to the first of Retro Saturdays. Check back the first Saturday of every month for retro-inspired dishes.



Remember Shake 'n Bake? It's definitely a retro food, first introduced in 1965. I don't recall mom fixing it while we were growing up, but I do remember Amy & I having Shake 'n Bake chicken at our babysitter's house one night. I decided to go with the Shake 'n Bake chicken for tonight's dinner, doing chicken nuggets instead of breast fillets. They are so easy to fix & there's no mess to clean up. I'm already thinking of trying a buffalo-seasoned version - it would be the perfect party appetizer served with a side of ranch dip.


Chicken Nuggets
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces
1 Packet Shake -N- Bake Original Chicken Mix

Dump seasoning packet into a large Ziploc bag. Moisten chicken pieces with water. Put all chicken into seasoning bag, tossing until well-coated. Place chicken pieces on 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
 
BLOG DESIGN BY: SHERBET BLOSSOM DESIGNS