*tap* *tap* Is This Thing On?

What the hell is wrong with me?? Where the hell have I been?? Is the love affair with my blog waning? Am I getting that 7 year itch 5 years early? Have I stopped cooking and/or baking? I mean, seriously, WTF? I don't have a good answer. I've got at least 4 recipes I'd like to share, but the thought of sitting down and writing about them hasn't been a priority for me lately.. and really, I don't know why so much. Lots of little things, I guess? Anyhoo, I'm hoping that my leave of absense (of sorts) is over and that I'll fall right back into my normal groove.. at least an update once a week for cryin' out loud. Hopefully more though. ;) Have you missed me???? Ya'll had better of missed me. Yeah.. I'm looking at YOU. Okay well the first recipe I want to share has probably gone around the foodie blog circuit many a-times. It's an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe. Her Beef Bourguignon. Holy cow. I'm pretty sure she is known for her take on this classic French dish, and she should be.. it was.. delectable. This is a very easy stew to put together and there aren't any fancy tricks or techniques to making melt in your mouth beef & veggies in a delicious gravy - but for me it was an awe inspiring occasion as this Beef Bourguignon was the recipe I chose to christen my brand spankin' new 4 quart cast iron dutch oven. WOOT! If you people had any idea how badly I've wanted one (all) of these things, you'd be shocked. Or maybe you'd be shocked because no matter how badly I've wanted one, and even if I could afford one.. I refused to spend $200.00 on a Le Creuset dutch oven. I know! I know.. the money is well worth it.. they last forever and a day.. I know all of this, but still just the thought of laying down close to a car payment for a pot.. *shudder* Well on our last day together, Helene and I (after dropping Mary off at the airport) decided to go see what Crate and Barrel had to offer.. you know, I always poo-poo this store - over priced crap! But what I never remember is that every time I've went in, I've managed to find the deal of the year. And their stuff really isn't crap - I'm just jealous that I don't have a $500 a month budget for kitchen gadgets & equipment, dinnerware, glasses and oh anything else that sends me in delicious shivers as I imagine how good it'd look in my wee kitchen. And imagine my complete shock and utter delight when I found a Mario Batali cast iron, enamel coated, 4 quart dutch oven in a shade of red that matched my kitchen walls perfectly? 'kay now imagine how I peed my pants when I saw it was over 50% off - and I got the thing for $59.99!! Yes, Kmart shoppers - I found the blue light special!!! Le Creuset Le Schmeuset :P Here.. drool with me! Oh how I love you little Mario Batali Dutch Oven *smooches* Oh yeah, I totally believe that my Beef Bourguignon tasted that much better all because of my new Dutch oven! squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Beef Bourguignon Courtesy of Ina Garten and FoodTV Serves 6 1 tablespoon good olive oil 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks 2 yellow onions, sliced (I used 1 lg. Spanish onion) 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves) 1/2 cup Cognac (I omitted) 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir (I went with Pinot Noir) 1 can (2 cups) beef broth (I went with beef stock) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 pound frozen whole onions 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced For serving: Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley. My Notes: Okay the only thing that didn't work for me was the gravy thickening after I threw in the butter/flour mixture. So what I did was take a ladle full of the thin gravy and mixed it with a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl until it was smooth. Then I poured it back into the pot and continued to cook until the gravy thickened - about 3 minutes. And my only suggestion for next time would be - unless you are a HUGE pearl onion fan? I'd cut that down to 1/2 pound or even a 1/4 pound - because 1 pound was way, way too many onions. =) Not only did I choose this recipe to make to christen my sexy hot new Dutch oven, but this recipe also fell right into place when figuring out a weekly meal plan for $40.00 - which just happens to be this month's theme for that sexy thang, Sara's Weekend Cookbook Challenge! How good am I? AND it's an EARLY submission! Let's all wait for Sara to regain her composure and pick her cute lil butt up off of the floor... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Okay! I decided to take this challenge to see if I really could figure out a weekly plan for $40.00 - and if so, then why the hell are my grocery bills so freakin' high?? Well.. I don't think I could do this every week. To come in at $40, we had to eat the Beef Bourguignon two nights in a row. That's something that doesn't happen in my household often. Hubbs is a strict non-believer in left overs. Yeah, he makes not wasting food a bit of an art for me. Thank God for my mommie and my co-workers. *sigh* But this stew was so amazingly good, that he did not complain. Okay here's my menu: Monday: Chicken wings with peppers, corn and salad. $4.00 (for 2 people - peppers & salad free from garden) Tuesday: Beef Bourguignon with toasted sour dough. $15.00 (for 2 people 2 nights in a row) Wednesday: Beef Bourguignon Thursday: BLT sammiches with sliced cucumbers and chips. $2.00 (for 2 people) Friday: Baked Walleye with onions & spinach, mac & cheese and salad. $4.00 (for 2 people - Walleye free from Lake Erie, onions & salad free from garden) Saturday: Grilled pork shoulder steaks, smashed potatoes and green beans. $7.00 (for 2 people) Sunday: Marinated chicken breast chef salad, bread sticks. $7.00 (for 2 people) Grand Total: $39.00! Not too shabby, eh? :D Start looking on WCC and this month's hostess, Cady of $40 a Week's blogs around the 19th for the round up - should be quite interesting to see what everyone's meal plans look like. Also - if you are interested in participating (and you should be!) get your submissions to Cady at "gambini at gmail dot com" on or before Nov. 18th =) xoxo

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Two reasons for this post.. The first is, I made this soup again this past week and Oh. My. Dear. Jebus. is it good - if you haven't tried this yet and like soup.. please make yourselves a batch ASAP. =) Secondly, I noticed that Alanna of A Veggie Venture is hosting an all month blow out celebrating Soup! Glorious Soup! and I thought what better a submission than this tasty and filling soup that I simply am in love with. For those of you who are wondering when I made this soup the last time, it was almost a year ago - right after I started this lil blog. I thought I was going to be making a whole different soup, but realized after I read the recipe again that it wasn't what I thought it would be. But I ventured on and am I happy I did! If, by chance, you did see this recipe here way back then, take note that I have since changed the recipe to reflect the way I make it, instead of giving you the original with my additions or substitutions noted. What are you waiting for??? Go make this soup! :D Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I just used bulk sausage) 2 TBS. Extra virgin olive oil 1 c. chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 6+ c. beef stock 1/2 c. water 1/2 c. red wine 2 regular size cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes with the juice 1 c. thinly sliced carrots 1 c. diced yellow bell pepper 1 (1 lb.) bag of baby spinach 1 TBS. packed fresh basil leaves, chiffonade 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini or 1 1/2 c. celery - leaves and all Salt & Pepper to taste 1 lb. fresh tortellini pasta 3 TBS. chopped, fresh parsley *I bought it but didn't use it.. went with more basil* 1/8 c. soy sauce (Optional - *See Note) Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved In a 5 qt. Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage & drain, reserving 1 TBS. of drippings. Saute onions & garlic in drippings and 2 TBS. of EVOO. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, all the veggies, basil, oregano, tomato sauce & sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini, tortellini and parsley. If the tortellini are fresh, add them in the last 10 min. of simmering. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. *This would be the hour mark and I still felt it needed more saltiness and flavor - so I added 1/8 c. soy sauce* Sprinkle with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top of each serving.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge No. 12 - Stew!

Hi kids! My stars it feels like forever since I posted last. After the holidays, I took a few days rest from cooking anything new - and that few days lasted well.. much longer ;) I'm happy that my first post back from my lil blogging vay-kay is my submission to this month's WCC No. 12. This month the challenge is being hosted by Shaun of Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow - a very nice blog that's written quite well and is chock full of delicious recipes, pictures and stories. Shaun chose stew as this month's theme.. and what's better in winter than a warm, hearty stew? When I was trying to figure out which stew I was going to make, I pulled out my old tried and true beef stew recipe. Although I think it is one of the most delicious stews I've ever had, I really wanted to make something different - hopefully another type of stew that I could add to my repertoire. Well, I definitely found that new stew! Perusing the usual online haunts, I came across a recipe for Kielbasa Stew on Allrecipes.com, I read the ingredients and thought it might be okay. Then I read the reviews - a few did not like this recipe, but most did. It was a general consensus that the original tomato soup listed in the ingredients gave the stew a sweet flavor. As some of you know, I'm all about the sweet/savory thing - but yeah, not so much in my stew, yanno? I took the advice of some reviewers and subbed tomato sauce for the soup. I also added a diced potato to the mix because I guess I can't do stew without a lil tater. =) Also, this "stew" comes out a little more on the soupy side, which was fine with us. A little slurry of cornstarch and water would thicken it up nicely if you'd prefer it that way. Okay, seriously, this is one fabulous stew. It's quick to make, extremely flavorful and hearty. I was amazed. Tasting it as it cooked, I was thoroughly happy with my decision to try it - and then I added the sour cream at the end and it took an already yummy stew and put it right over the edge. That tang the sour cream has was just the right touch to make the cabbage taste sweeter and the kielbasa's smokey flavor shine through. You really have to try this recipe to believe that such simple ingredients can make such a delicious dinner - in under 60 minutes! =) Ohh.. one more thing - I wouldn't make this if I didn't have warm crusty bread or rolls to sop up the sauce! ;) Kielbasa Stew Courtesy of Jo and Allrecipes.com The above link for All Recipes will take you to the original recipe. Below is my take on it: 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 TBS. butter 2 (10.75 ounce) cans beef consommé 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup water 3 cups shredded cabbage (a small head of cabbage works) 1 vidalia onion, chopped 1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 cup sour cream In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage in butter until brown. Pour consommé, tomato sauce and water into pan with sausage. Stir in cabbage, onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until flavors are well blended. Stir in sour cream and heat through before serving. A big Thank You! to Shaun for picking a great theme and for hosting this month! And as always a big Thank You! to the lovely Sara of i like to cook for creating the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. :)

WCC #10 - Neglected Gadgets

Once Sara announced the theme that this month's guest host, Mary of The Sour Dough chose for WCC #10, I knew exactly which gadget I'd be using. My foodmill! I watch shows on HGTV and FoodTV where chefs use their foodmills quite often, but I only use mine when I am making my beef vegetable soup. Specifically, for the tomatoes I add to the soup. I usually make vegetable soup once a year - at the beginning of Autumn when I start my many months of craving homemade soup. Hubbs is the main soup chef of the house, his chicken soup is to die for.. but I'm in charge of the beef vegetable variety. Although this recipe was passed to me by my loverly Mommie and not found in a neglected cookbook, I could not pass up the opportunity to contribute this recipe for WCC #10 just because of the foodmill, which usually sits on a shelf in my pantry collecting dust, poor thing. I make my soup at this time of year because it's the perfect time to use up the last of the garden tomatoes. I boil them for just a few seconds, and then throw them into the food mill and give them a quick grind. I like them to stay a little chunky so I only turn the handle maybe 2-3 times. Just enough to pass them through, shedding their skin. The milled fresh tomatoes adds a richness to this soup that brings it over the top IMHO. Although I have nothing against throwing in canned and frozen veggies in soup, I prefer to make my beef veggie soup with all fresh ingredients, right down to the fresh bay leaves (and yeah, I will spend the $2.95 for a package of fresh bay leaves, just to use two in this recipe. I'm ca-racy when it comes to this favorite soup of mine.) Not only does this soup have a wonderful deep beefy flavor, but it makes quite a bit and freezes well, so that you can enjoy it all through the winter months - or whenever you feel like a bowl of homemade soup! Warm from the oven breadsticks or just a handful of crackers along with a nice salad of baby greens, shaved fennel and parmigiano is all that's needed to make this soup the highlight of a cozy, comforting dinner. I hope you try it.. it's fantastic! :D Beef Vegetable Soup 1 1/2 - 2 lb. sirloin steak, cut into chunks 2 TBS. olive oil 1 medium vidalia onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 5 carrots, peeled and sliced 4 celery stalks, wiped clean and sliced 4 garden tomatoes, boiled then ran through food mill 2-3 ears of corn, kernels sliced off cob 1 (8 oz.) carton of button mushrooms, these can be left whole or sliced thick 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 lb. fresh green beans, snipped and cut into 1" pieces 1 med. zucchini, sliced in coins and then quartered 5 c. beef stock (I use the stock you buy in the cartons when I don't have fresh stock on hand. I do not use beef broth, it's just not flavorful enough) 2 c. water 1/3 c. soy sauce 2 TBS. Worcestershire sauce 2 fresh bay leaves salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 1/2 c. barley (optional) In a large stock pot, brown the steak in the olive oil, then transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery and saute until just softened. Add the next 11 ingredients and the reserved steak and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for at least 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, add the salt and pepper and the barley if using it, then simmer for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the barley has softened and swelled. If the barley soaks up too much of the stock, add a little more water. You can cut the cooking time by quite a bit if you use quick cooking barley.

Seafood Chowder and Honey Cornbread

I wasn't even going to post the Seafood Chowder recipe as I did not like it at all. But, I do not like seafood in soups/chowders unless it's my father's clam chowder - AND I'm not a fan of bacon in my soups either.. I figure this recipe must be decent though, as Hubbs ate not one.. not two.. but three fakkin bowls of the stuff! Therefore, I'm sharin' =) The Honey Cornbread, on the other hand, was delicious. Not too sweet and not too crumbly. Unfortunately, I didn't cook it long enough (as you'll see in the picture) and the very middle was smooshy - but the rest of it was pretty tasty! Seafood Chowder Courtesy of Recipezaar 3 slices of bacon, chopped 1 TBS. olive oil 1 c. celery, sliced 1 c. onions, chopped 2 c. chicken stock 1 bottle of clam juice 2 c. potatoes, peeled & chopped (I used baby reds, so I didn't bother peeling) 1 c. carrots, sliced 1 can (15 oz.) tomato juice 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. sea salt 1 TBS. corn starch (See Note) 1 TBS. water 1 lb. of seafood (I used a bag of assrt. seafood that I purchased at Trader Joe's - shrimp, bay scallops and calamari rings) Saute bacon in medium to large stock pot until crisp, add 1 TBS. olive oil, onions and celery sauteing until soft. Add stock, clam juice, tomato juice, potatoes and carrots. Season with salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Add seafood and a slurry made of the cornstarch and water. (1 TBS. cornstarch and 1 TBS. of water didn't come close to thickening this chowder - so I added 2 TBS. of both and it still didn't thicken.. I gave up, basically because it wasn't a big deal to us that the chowder was more like a soup. So if you want this thick, I suggest starting with 2 TBS. of cornstarch and water and then adding more to get the thickness you desire). Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Honey Cornbread Courtesy of Recipezaar 1 c. all purpose flour 1 c. yellow cornmeal 1/4 c. sugar 1 TBS. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 c. heavy cream 3 TBS. honey 1/4 c. vegetable oil Preheat oven to 400º F. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and then slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Transfer to either a 9" springform pan or a 8" x 8" baking dish that's well greased. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until toothpick comes out clean. (guess who was rushing and forgot to check with a toothpick? *sigh*) Slather slices in butter (ya'll) and enjoy! ;)

The end of winter

First off.. YAY!!! It's 70º F here in northeast Ohio - the sun is shining and I have all my windows and doors open letting in the warm air! I'm so happy =) Course I know better than to think winter is FOR SURE over.. after all I am an Ohioan. It would not shock me a bit for another snow storm to hit us and I probably won't really believe winter is over until, say.. July. But for now, am happy! Just as I will most likely put away my winter clothes this weekend (most of them anyway) and bring out my summer stuff.. it's also time to put away my wintery, warm you up and keep you cozy recipes. But not before I tried one more new recipe! I found this on Alysha's The Savory Notebook, (Thank you!) one of the first blogs I ever found myself addicted to. =) A couple notes and thoughts before I share the recipe. Firstly, I took Alysha's advice and added a third tablespoon of Dijon mustard instead of the recommended two tablespoons because she said in hers the Dijon didn't come through enough. She thought it was bland, but she was holding her true opinion until she tried it again after a day or so. I never did see if she remarked on it after that. But for me, this was one of the tastiest stews I've ever had and a complete keeper for next winter. But.. I will make a few changes. My stew was extremely thick and it cooked down way before the cooking time suggested. I don't own a dutch oven (dammit all to hell!) so I made this in a rather large stainless sauce pan and I don't know if that was the problem or not. I kept my heat at medium to med.-low so I don't think that was a problem? And my kale stayed tough. After 10 min. of cooking time, as suggested, it was still tough so I slowly simmered it for another 10 min. with the same results. So next winter.. I will double the sauce ingredients and steam my kale before adding it to the stew or substitute spinach. Other than that, I was very pleased. =) Oh wait.. one more thing.. the next time I make it I will not be dead tired after a long day at the dungeon and actually serve it with something other than a fork. =) Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale 4 tsp. olive oil, divided 2 c. sliced leek 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 c. all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces) 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (I didn't have these so I omitted them) 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1 1/2 lbs. to make up for the missing thighs) 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 c. dry white wine 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided (I used 1 c. chicken stock because I wanted to get rid of it and the rest was the broth) 1 TBS. all-purpose flour 1 1/2 c. water 2 TBS. Dijon mustard (I used 3 TBS.) 2 c. (1/2-inch) cubed, peeled white potato (about 1 pound) (I used new reds) 8 c. loosely packed, torn kale (I found this to be too much, and probably used about 4 cups) Crushed red pepper (optional) Heat 1 tsp. oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leak; saute 6 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Spoon leak mixture into a large bowl. Place 1/3 c. flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. I added my salt and pepper to the flour before dredging the chicken in it) Heat remaining 1 TBS. oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces; sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned chicken to leek mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken pieces, 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine 1 cup broth and 1 TBS. flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture, remaining 2 cups of broth, water and mustard to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken/leek mixture, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and remaining 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in potato. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. After 15 minutes my stew had cooked down too much and the potatoes were fork tender - so maybe check yours. Stir in kale; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with crushed red pepper, if desired

Mom's birthday - delish dinner for three...

For weeks I have been thinking about what to make for her birthday dinner. I wanted it to be something special but different from the norm. I came across a couple things that gave me some ideas but nothing that excited me.. until I saw Marianne's recipes for Mushroom Soup and Tenderloin "in Crosta". I immediately invisioned dunking a crispy, herbed bread paired with a tender and juicy slice of savory pork into a hearty broth then barely making it to my mouth before a single drop could hit my plate. My gawd.. it sounded just way too good. Tenderloin "in Crosta" Copied verbatim from Marianne's The Unemployed Chef serves 3-4 For the herb garlic rub: small handfull fresh rosemary leaves slightly larger hadfull fresh sage leaves zest of one lemon (this is my addition, I recommend it) 4-5 cloves garlic small handfull sea salt Chop all ingredients together until very, very fine--I actually grated the zest and garlic on a microplane and combined it with everything else. Spread out on a large dinner plate and leave out until dry--1 or 2 days. Once dry, you can store this for a week or two in a tightly sealed jar. Lebovitz recommends this for any number of purposes, including mixing it with olive oil and using it as a dipping sauce for bread. For the tenderloin: one smallish pork tenderloin 1 french batard (like a fatter baguette) herb garlic rub olive oil Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over high heat and sear the pork quickly on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Slice the batard lengthwise and drizzle each half generously with some olive oil. Sprinkle with the herb garlic rub--be careful to not use too much or the bread will be too salty. Sandwich the browned tenderloin between the two slices and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Cook directly on the oven rack for about an hour and fifteen minutes (the meat should reach 160 degrees and still be pink in the center. Yes, it is done enough). Remove from oven and let sit, wrapped in foil, for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. Mushroom Soup serves 2 2 Tbsp butter olive oil 1 medium shallot, finely chopped 1 8-oz. package button mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced 1 6-oz. package cremini (baby Bella) mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced 1 c. homemade chicken stock* 1 c. vegetable stock .5 c. dry white wine 1 beef bouillion cube fresh parsley, coarsely chopped fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped sea salt fresh ground pepper *The chicken stock I made was pretty thick and viscous, so I chose to mix it with some boxed vegetable stock I had on hand. Feel free to use 2 cups of whatever stock you have instead. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until foamy. Add mushrooms and saute until the excess moisture evaporates and they are golden brown. Mushrooms love to soak up oil, but they do release it, so fight the temptation to add more. Spoon into a bowl and set aside. I followed Marianne's recipes almost to the T. The only changes I made were cooking the pork until well done, because I know my mother.. she will not put a piece of pink pork near her lips! hehe Then, I couldn't find a french batard, so I chose an artisan roasted garlic bread, which was fabulous and I really think added to the herb/lemon/garlic rub. And finally, just doubling the recipe for the soup because there were 3 of us and I knew I'd want leftovers =) The tenderloin came out as tender as Marianne promised. The rub for the bread was well worth starting this recipe two nights before the "main event", as my mom and sister can attest to. I had to push them away from my counter where it was resting so that there would actually be some bread to go with the tenderloin. They wouldn't stop tearing off pieces and shoving it into their mouths! And the soup.. it was just so flavorful and EASY and QUICK! I know there are a lot of soups out there that you can whip up in a jiff.. but this soup tasted as if it had been simmering all day long. And wow.. it really did pair well with that tenderloin - dunking the bread along with the meat into the soup was every bit as good as the way I'd imagined it! I added a simple side dish of roasted new red potatoes and zucchini. Slice the veggies then throw 'em onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over them along with a good sprinkle of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and snipped chives then toss them with the tips of your fingers before situating them in a single layer. Place the baking sheet on the rack below your tenderloin "in crosta" for the last 40 minutes of baking time, flipping them over once mid-way. Kids.. run. Do not walk to your kitchen to create these fabulous recipes for yourselves.. your lips will thank you!

Soup's On!

I haven't posted much as of yet.. hubbs has been out of town and I thought I'd still be cooking quite a bit, but eh.. hasn't happened so much. I found cooking for 1 is kind of a buttpain after putting in my 8 every day with no one else home to appreciate it, ugh. I did bake again this weekend.. a recipe I found somewhere on the internet called "Chewy Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies" - well they need to keep that recipe secret a while longer. I didn't even bother taking pictures, I could tell the minute they came out of the oven they were going to be drier than the Mojave. The description was something about someone's Grandmother made these and they were the most moist, chewy, wonderful chocolate chip cookies of all time.. blech. I am on a quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie.. I want the chewiness! I want the moistness! I want to stick my hand in the jar 2 days later and still have chewy, moist goodness! Is that too much to ask? I think not. Anyhoo.. I WILL be cooking up a storm this weekend for Wayne! Other than taking my mommie out to dinner on Friday night, I've promised him good home cooked meals. I started my promise last night and made him some soup. It's a recipe I've had in my recipe box for many, many years - but never made it! When I had originally found it, I thought it was like the sausage soup that Olive Garden serves, which my mom loves. It's not.. not even close. This is a beef/tomato base, where their soup is more of a cream and no tomato base. Regardless, this soup turned out to be the BEST soup I've ever had. Seriously. And I like soup, so I've tried quite a few of them. This was easy to prepare and quick to make. I did make a few changes in the recipe and I'll note them below. Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I just used bulk sausage) 1 c. chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 6+ c. beef stock 1/2 c. water 1/2 c. red wine 2 regular size cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes with the juice 1 c. thinly sliced carrots 1 c. diced yellow bell pepper 1 (1 lb.) bag of baby spinach 1 TBS. packed fresh basil leaves, chiffonade 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini or 1 1/2 c. celery - leaves and all Salt & Pepper to taste 1 lb. fresh tortellini pasta 3 TBS. chopped, fresh parsley *I bought it but didn't use it.. went with more basil* 1/8 c. soy sauce (Optional - *See Note) Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved In a 5 qt. Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage & drain, reserving 1 TBS. of drippings. Saute onions & garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, all the veggies, basil, oregano, tomato sauce & sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini, tortellini and parsley. If the tortellini are fresh, add them in the last 10 min. of simmering. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. *This would be the hour mark and I still felt it needed more saltiness and flavor - so I added 1/8 c. soy sauce* Sprinkle with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top of each serving. I also served (har! to myself) this with crunchy garlic bread - which is simply sliced italian bread with a compound garlic butter spread on top and then grated romano cheese sprinkled over that and broiled until golden brown and delicious. =) The cheese won't melt, but instead creates a crunchy topping.