Tortellini Sausage Soup

Tortellini Sausage Soup (From Our Best Bites Blog)

3 links Italian sausage * (I used 12 oz. of Jimmy Dean's Hot Sausage)
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 15-oz. cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider (don’t leave this out! I did once and it wasn’t the same…)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
2 tablespoons dried parsley

8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that’s two tablespoons)

If you’re using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.

Chop onion and add to pot with garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

Cheese Ball
1 C dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 C frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/4 C confectioners' sugar

Caramelized Pecans
3/4 C pecans, coarsely chopped
1 T butter
2 T sugar

Crackers, for serving

Chop cranberries in a food processor or blender.

Add cream cheese, OJ and sugar.  Blend in processor until all is creamed together.

Place onto sheet of wax paper and shape into a ball the best you can.  Let it chill overnight to stiffen up a bit.  You can shape it better the next day when it is a little harder.

For pecans, melt butter in a pan on medium heat.  Add pecans and sugar and mix well stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes.  Do not let pecans burn!

Place pecans on a sheet of waxed paper spreading them out to let cool.

Right before serving, take cheese ball from fridge and press pecans all over until covered.  Place cheese ball on a plate or platter and serve with crackers such as Ritz.

I am bringing this for Thanksgiving dinner 2012!

Yummy Creamy Breakfast Cake

1 C sugar
1 C margarine
2 unbeaten eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 T vinegar in 1 C milk
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt


Cream sugar, margarine, eggs; add vanilla.  Mix 1 T vinegar in 1 C milk and add alternately with flour, soda, and salt.  Spread half of dough in 9X13 inch greased pan.  Sprinkle half topping and cover with rest of dough.  Sprinkle rest of topping and optional chopped nuts over top.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Topping:
1/4 C white sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/3 C brown sugar
chopped nuts, optional

Corn Bread Pudding

Corn Bread Pudding

1 egg

1 c. sour cream

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can cream style corn

½  cup better, melted

1 package corn bread/ muffin mix

Mix all ingredients together and pour in a greased 9x12 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until it is golden brown. 

 

Cornbread

from melskitchencafe.com

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center.  Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!).  Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Tony's Wheat Bread

2-Pound Loaf
1 1/4 Cup of Water
2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 Cup of Honey or Combination of Honey and Molasses
1/4 Cup favorite jam (I have used strawberry, apricot-pineapple)
2 Cups Bread Flour
2 Cups Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup of Oats
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Dry Milk
2 teaspoons dry yeast

I used a bread machine to make this recipe so you put the ingredients in the order listed.

Not sure time or temperature in a regular oven. 

Canned Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup (Glenn Recipe)

14 quarts tomatoes

1 stalk celery plus enough onions to make 6 cups

14 sprigs parsley (or just sprinkle dry parsley over the tomatoes)

3 bay leaves

3 T canning salt

8 T sugar

1-2 tsp pepper

Wash, cut up tomatoes. (We cut off the stem end and then quarter
them.) Chop onions and celery. Add to tomatoes. Add parsley and bay
leaves. Cook until celery is tender.

Put through sieve. Put strained soup back in large pan.

Add salt, sugar, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Fill clean canning jars to within one inch of top. Wipe off rim of jars and put on cap and
screw band firmly tight.

Process at 12 1/2 pounds pressure (pints) for 15 minutes and (quarts) for 20 minutes. Makes about 7 quarts.

To serve:

For one quart of soup: make a roux of 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Slowly whisk soup into roux. Heat
to desired temperature.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 12 ounces green beans
• 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• PREPARATION

  1. Cook bacon until crisp in skillet, drain bacon, and set aside, reserving bacon grease.
  2. In skillet with bacon grease, sauté onions with sugar, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar until tender. Set aside.
  3. Steam or blanch green beans until tender, and toss with onion mixture and reserved bacon pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Zucchini Explosion

Here are a few zucchini recipes I have pinned on Pinterest.  Our garden is exploding with yellow summer squash, so I am trying new recipes.  I tried this first recipes Zucchini Bites last night and really loved it.  In all the recipes I am substituting yellow summer squash for zucchini because that is what we have right now.

Zucchini Bites

1 c. zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 c. cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best)
1/4 c. Italian sytle bread crumbs
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

Note:  I quadrupled this recipe using yellow summer squash and used regular muffin tins and it still turned out yummy.

Easy Zucchini Parmesan

1 c. zucchini sliced
1 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
10 sprays "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter", Original Buttery Spray,
Non-stick cooking spray

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some non-stick cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for a few minutes - until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy it while it's warm!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

1 tbsp sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tomato
1 tsp thyme
2 zucchinis
1 onion
cheese
pepper
Optional: bacon

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Slice them in half length-ways. Spoon out the guts. Leave about 1/2 an inch in until you end up with boat like shells. Now give the zucchini pulp a good chop, also chop a small onion and 1/2 a tomato. Saute the onions in one tbsp oil or butter. When the onions are almost done, add 1/4 tsp curry powder and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds. No longer or the curry powder will turn bitter. When they’re done, transfer them to a big bowl.

Now add 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, 1 heaping tbsp sour cream, a good pinch of pepper, the zucchini pulp, the tomato and crumble the bacon if desired. Lightly butter a baking dish and put the zucchini boats in. Grab a spoon and fill the shells with the mix. Sprinkle some aged cheese on top.

Put them in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes and then broil until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle some coarsely chopped curly leaf parsley and serve.

Pepper Jelly

1 1/2 cups cranberry juice (not low-calorie)
1 cup vinegar
2 to 4 fresh jalapeño chile peppers, halved
5 cups sugar
1/2 of a 6 oz package (1 foil pouch) liquid fruit pectin

1.  In a medium stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick saucepan combine cranberry juice, vinegar, and jalapeño peppers.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.  Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing with the back of a soon to remove all the liquid; measure 2 cups and set aside. Discard pulp.

2.  In a 6 quart heavy kettle combine the 2 cups liquid and the sugar.  Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Quickly stir in pectin.  Return to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off foam.

3.  Ladle at once into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.  Process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes.  Remove jars and cool on a wire rack until set (2 to 3 days).

Add 1 minute to processing time for each additional 1,000 feet.

This recipe was given to me by Cheryl Smith, a woman in my ward.  A couple of years ago she did a mini class on canning for Relief Society.  This is one of the things she shared with us.  She served it with cream cheese and crackers--very good!

Lana's Texas Sheet Cake

from Gaylene (made on the 4th of July)


Here's that recipe.  I'm amazed that it stays fresh for quite some time.  

Put in bowl:

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Melt in pan:

1 c. margarine

4Tbsp. cocoa

1 c. water

Add to flour mixture.  Then add:

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

Pour batter into greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Frosting

Melt in pan:

1 c. margarine

3Tbsp cocoa

6 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 (32-oz.) bag powdered sugar  (I used about half of this and the frosting was still plenty sweet.)

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Makes 24 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)

2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces), divided

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch stainless steel (not nonstick) skillet or small uncoated saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Browned butter can burn easily and quickly so keep a close eye on it! Remove the skillet or pot from the heat and transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly coat them with cooking spray. In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between your fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to the bowl with the cooled butter and mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide the dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, forming balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss the balls in the reserved sugar mixture to coat and set them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but the centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone - don't overbake), 11-13 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad with Dried Cherries

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Salad Greens (spring Mix)
• 2 whole Apples, Cored And Sliced Very Thin
• 1/2 cup Pecan Halves
• 1/4 cup Dried Cherries
• 6 ounces, weight Blue Cheese, Cut Into Chunks
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (more To Taste)
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Add greens, apple slices, pecan halves, dried cherries, and blue cheese chunks into a large salad bowl.

In a small jar, mix Dijon, maple syrup, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well to mix.

Pour a little salad dressing over the top of the salad and toss to combine. Taste salad and add more salad dressing to taste.

Note:  I made this for the get-together at Mom and Dad's on June 3, 2012.  I used cashews and and craisins instead of pecans and cherries because that's what I had.  I really liked it but you do need to like blue cheese!  This came from Pioneer Woman.