Minestrone Soup

One of Les' favorite soups.  

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1/4 cup celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 3 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15.5 oz. can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced or diced
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• 3 cups collard greens (stems removed) (spinach or kale can be used)
• 2 cups cooked small pasta (orzo, small shells, macaroni etc)
• 1/2 shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, 8-10 minutes.
2. Stir in the broth, 2 cups water, the cannelloni beans, tomatoes, zucchini and vinegar.  Bring to a boil over the medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes. 
3. Stir in the collard greens and simmer until the greens are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta. Season with salt.  Top with the shredded parmesan.

Servings: 4  Calories per serving: 680

Grapefruit Gelatin

I love grapefruit and buy them by the bag.  I usually supreme them and sprinkle with a little sugar if needed.  One day I saw this recipe for grapefruit gelatin.  It sounded so interesting.  It's like grapefruit jello, but so much better!

Grapefruit Gelatin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2-3 large grapefruits
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 drops red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the sugar and gelatin in a large nonreactive saucepan.  Gradually stir in the water.
2. With a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from 2 or 3 grapefruit and add to the saucepan.
3. Squeeze the grapefruit to yield 2 cups of juice.  Add the grapefruit juice and lemon juice to the saucepan.
4. Over medium low heat and stirring constantly, cook the mixture in the saucepan until it simmers and clarifies.  This will take at least  5 minutes.  When the liquid is clear, strain it into a serving bowl, pressing down on the solids in the strainer to get the last drops of citrus elixir.  Stir in red food coloring to get a pinkish glow.
5. Chill the gelatin for several hours or overnight.

Makes 4 cups, serves 8.  81 calories per 1/2 cup serving.

Chocolate Angel Pie

In my pie journey for 2020, I am always looking for different recipes to try.  This one was in a book I bought a few years ago.  It is light and airy, yet with the filling it is rich.  A fun pie to make!

Chocolate Angel Pie

Ingredients:

Meringue Crust:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Chocolate Mousse Filling:

• 3 T. milk
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Direction:
For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Lightly butter a 9 inch pie plate and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy.  With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time until it is fully incorporated.
4. Continue to whip the egg whites until glossy and stiff peaks form.  It is ready when it's silky but still holds its shape. 
5. Pile the meringue into the center of the pie plate.  Push the meringue out to the edges, building up the sides to form a crust.  
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the meringue is evenly toasted and set.
7. Allow the crust to cool while you make the filling. 

For the Filling:

1. Place chocolate in medium bowl and set aside.
2. Heat milk in a small bowl in the microwave until hot and steamy but not boiling. Pour the milk over the chocolate and let it sit for a couple minutes.  Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth.  Let mixture cool. (I had to microwave chocolate/milk a few seconds to melt chocolate.)
3. In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla to the soft peak stage.  If you over whip the cream, your mousse will be grainy.  Soft, cream, and pillowy is the texture you're looking for.
4. Once the cream has been whipped, fold the cream into the cooled chocolate, a little at a time until fully incorporated and no white streaks remain.
5. Immediately scrape the filling into the cooled meringue shell, smoothing the top. 
6. Cover loosely and refrigerate  at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Servings 8. Calories per serving 237.

Cheese Soufflé'

I saw this recipe on TV.  Jacques Pepin said his mother came up with this recipe quite by accident.  It is fairly simple to make.  You don't have to beat the egg whites separately like most soufflé recipes.  It could be served for breakfast or used as a side dish.

Cheese Soufflé 

Ingredients:

6 T. unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
6 T. all purpose flour
2 cups cold whole milk
1/2 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 extra large eggs
2 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese, preferably Gruyere (about 6 oz)
3 T. minced fresh chives
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven.
2. Butter a 6 cup gratin dish, then set it aside.  
3. Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the flour, and mix it in well with a whisk.  Cook for 10 seconds, add the milk in one stroke, and mix it in with a whisk.  Keep stirring with the whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil, which will take about 2 minutes.  It should be thick and smooth.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt and pepper.  Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.
4. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl, and beat well with a fork.  Add the eggs, Swiss cheese, and the chives to the cooled sauce, and mix well to combine.  
5. Pour into the buttered gratin dish, add a sprinkle of parmigiana-reggiano on top, and cook immediately on the middle rack or set aside until ready to cook.
6. Bake fro 30-40 minutes, or until the soufflé is puffy and well browned on top.  Although it will stay inflated for quite a while, it is best served immediately.

Servings: 8. Calories per serving 330.

Watermelon Pickles

This is a favorite at our house in the summer.  We use a watermelon that isn't very good. Or we eat the good stuff in the middle of the watermelon, cut off the rind and use about inch pieces close to the rind.  

Watermelon Pickles

Ingredients:

• Watermelon, cut in small chunks
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 4 T. pickling salt
• 1 T. sugar
• Fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red dried hot pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan mix water, vinegar, salt and sugar.  Bring to a boil.
2. In each quart jar put some fresh dill.  Add watermelon to fill jar.  Add 1 toe garlic, 1 dried red pepper and more dill to each jar.  
3. Fill jar with the water/vinegar solution, leaving about 1/2 to 1 inch space from top of jar.
4. Seal with lid and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.  They will keep in your pantry, but will get hotter the longer they sit.

Chamber Vacuum Method

I have a chamber vac and have made these pickles using that.  It works out great,

Depending on how much watermelon you have, use the above ingredients or make a half batch. Do directions through number 2.

1. Fill the chamber bag with watermelon, dill, garlic and 1/2 hot pepper.  Add the liquid to cover watermelon in bag, so it is about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
2. Put in chamber and marinate 3 times.
3. Vacuum seal!
4. Refrigerate. Ready to eat in a couple days.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and butter pickles are great to eat on burgers.  They probably are good on any sandwich!

Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon cucumbers, sliced thin
• 8 small onions
• 1/2 cup pickling salt

Directions:
Pack in cold water and let set 3 hours.  Drain.  Place in a large kettle.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups sugar
• 5 cups vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 2 T. mustard seed

Directions:
Mix togethers and pour over cucumbers in the large kettle.  Bring to boiling point and seal in hot jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Skillet Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

I am always on the lookout for a quick and easy supper to make.  I think this qualifies.  I usually serve it with rice.

Skillet Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 T. butter, divided into pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup oil-packed, thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1. Put chicken breasts in a zip-top plastic bag, then pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Melt 2 T. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add half of the chicken, and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until done.  Remove from skillet.  Repeat with the remaining chicken and adding 2 T. butter.
3. Melt  1 T. butter in skillet over medium heat; add garlic, Italian seasoning  and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4. Add wine; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.  
5. Add broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  
6. Stir in cream and tomatoes; simmer 5 minutes.
7. Return chicken to skillet; stir in basil.  Cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated and sauce is thickened.

Makes 4-6 servings.  Calories 471

Sour Cream Apple Pie

This is an apple pie my mom would make.  She got a quart of cream every week from a farmer.  My dad would eat cream on his cereal every day (and he lived to be 98!) and often some cream would be left and become sour.  That is the sour cream she used, a little different than the sour cream I buy. It was a favorite pie at our house when I was growing up.  Be sure to cut the apples small (and even then they are sometimes a little firm after baking).  If you want to be sure they are softer, you could cook them a couple minutes first. I never chop them finely, maybe I will try that sometime.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pie filling

• 2 cups finely chopped tart apples
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1- 9 inch unbaked pie crust

Crumb topping

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold butter

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Make the pie filling first. Combine sugar and flour.  Add cream, egg, vanilla and salt.  Beat until smooth.  Add apples, then mix again.
3. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes.  
5. While the pie is baking, mix crumb topping together with a pastry blender or fork.  After 30 minutes of baking, remove pie from oven.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over pie.  Return to oven and bake at 325 degrees for another 20 minutes.
6. Cool before cutting pie.

Servings: 8. Calories: 289

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup)

Les loves the Avgolemono soup at Nupa, our local Greek restaurant.  I found this recipe in the Costco magazine and knew he would love it.  For the chicken, you can use a rotisserie chicken, making it even simpler to put together.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Rice Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (32-oz) carton chicken stock, or equivalent chicken stock
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup arborio or white rice, uncooked
• 2 eggs
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, and meat cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• juice of 2 lemons
• Dash of ground white pepper (black pepper is fine too)

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until the onion is soft but not brown.  
2. Add chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil.  
3. Add rice and cook about 20 minutes, until rice is fully cooked and grains are expanded.
4. Crack eggs into a large heatproof mixing cup, then whisk until blended.  Ladle 1 cup of the hot broth into the eggs, then quickly whisk or use an immersion blender to combine.  
5. Add the hot broth and egg mixture back to the soup. 
6. Add the chicken, lemon juice and pepper.  Stir to incorporate.  Heat through, then ladle into bowls.

Makes 8 servings.  Calories 148