Italian Wedding Soup - Having it once a week, just isn't enough!

I made this soup for one of my co-worker's going away lunch.  Damp, gray, early winter day and a bit sad to see him leaving for the West Coast - so a warm soup send off was just what the event required. Paired with local pumpkin seed rolls and a crisp salad topped with pomegranate seeds and a lemon vinaigrette the meal was complete.

Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground meatloaf mix (veal, turkey, beef)
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 32 oz container Chicken Stock
1 32 oz container Vegetable Stock
2 cups water
3 cups chopped soup greens - recommendations: Kale, Escarole, Spinach, Collards (stems removed)
1 cup Orzo pasta
1 cup fine chop carrots

How to:

In a large soup pot add:  stocks and bring to boil; add greens, carrots, pasta and 1 cup water - stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking.

In a mixing bowl add:  ground meat blend, bread crumbs, egg (beaten), Parmesan, Italian seasoning, onion powder and mix till fully incorporated.  Using a small scoop make meatballs and drop immediately into the boiling mixture.

Add additional cup of water then cook soup at a simmer, once all meatballs are in, for approximately 30 min stir gently and occasionally.

Serve topped with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Buttermilk Pie - Crustless with Drunken Strawberries

Need a quick dessert that isn't too sweet?  Hate messing with pie crusts?  I have the treat for you....Buttermilk Pie (crustless) topped with Drunken Strawberries.

1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup Bisquick

Mix sugar/butter well, add eggs, buttermilk, extracts and blend well...add Bisquick and mix just till blended together.

You can bake this in a greased 9" pie plate OR you can use a Texas muffin pan greased, line with cupcake cups, spray with Pam and fill 3/4 full with batter.   Either way bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 min.

Topping:
2 pints of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Cake Vodka
2 Tablespoons sugar

Put the sliced strawberries in a mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup Cake flavored Vodka and sugar.  By hand, crush strawberries and vodka together just to release juice, cover and put in fridge till dessert time.

Either put a slice of pie if you use the pie plate option or a single pie from the muffin tin, remove cupcake paper and invert on serving plate.  Top with strawberries.  You can add whipped cream if you like.

ENJOY!!!

Most of you that know me realize I have a couple passions, outside my family that is, one is food and the other is music.  My husband and I produce live shows here in VA, intimate groups in very cool venues and we strive to have the experience as great for our artists as we know it will be for our attendees.  In an effort to care for our musical talent we prepare meals/snacks that suit their dietary choices.  Some prefer vegetarian selections and we created this one just for them....served in lettuce wraps and topped with a fresh vinaigrette you can't go wrong for a side or a main dish choice!  Enjoy.

Quinoa - Sweet n Savory

Ingredients:

1 medium onion (yellow or vidallia)

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup dried cranraisins

1/4 cup chopped almonds (you can use sliced if you like)

1/4 cup chopped carrots

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed well

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and pepper to taste

dash or two of caynne

dash of ground corriander

Vegetable oil

Prep all your ingredients (measure, chop, rinse, etc)

In a skillet over medium heat add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil, add your onion and carrots and sautee for about 5 min till they start to soften - then add your fruit. Continue cooking, adding some more oil if needed to keep them moist, for about another 5 min till all ingredients are softened but not mushy.

In a saucepan - add vegetable broth, spices (start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper for the cooking process - you can more after the dish is done if needed). Add the sauteed vegetables and rinsed quinoa - bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir just to ensure ingredients are not sticking to pan or each other. Once this is at a boil, reduce heat till the mixture is at a simmer and cover. Cook for about 15-20 min. Test for tenderness and that the broth has been absorbed.

When done, turn out onto a cookie sheet and fluff evenly across the pan and allow to cool. When cooled put in a bowl, add parsley and nuts, and taste to see whether you feel it needs any more salt/pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

SPICED RYE LEMONADE

Want a sipper to enjoy the front porch, or the backyard swing....or maybe a hammock a the beach, then this is the beverage for you!! (we know, we tried it, loved it and wanted to share!)


Step One:  Simple Syrup

In a saucepan combine the following:
2 Cups Water
3 Cups Sugar
3 Cinnamon Sticks
20 Whole Cloves
1 Vanilla Bean (whole)
1/2 a lemon (squeezed and thrown in the pot)
1 whole nutmeg (I put mine in a sandwich bag and gave it a whack with a heavy pan, then dumped the pieces into the pot)

Bring up to a simmer, stir every couple min to make sure the sugar gets dissolved in the liquid.......keep on low heat for an hour!
COOL and transfer to a Mason Jar or similar container and store in fridge.

Step Two:  Make the Lemonade

Juice 6 lemons over a mesh strainer to catch the pulp and seeds.
Pour juice into a measuring cup....see how much it equals to THEN
Add equal amount of water and equal amount of simple syrup.
That is your lemonade - put in a pitcher or similar container and store in fridge.

Step Three:  MAKE THE DRINK!!

For each serving - 1.5 oz rye (Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye if possible)
3 oz lemonade
Serve over crushed ice
Stir
Garnish with a slice of lemon and a mint leaf

ENJOY!!!
CB

Easiest Monkey-Bread EVER!!!

Good Morning - here's a simple recipe for a quick breakfast treat.  Since Father's Day is tomorrow - well any one of your kids, with minimal supervision, could put this together as a surprise for Dad - along with a cup of coffee and lots of laughter - certainly a great way to start the day!!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1 pkg of Cook n Serve Butterscotch Pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter (melted)
3 10-oz containers of your favorite refrigerated biscuits

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prep a bundt or fluted cake pan with non-stick spray

In a bowl (or a ziplock bag) mix the sugar, cinnamon and pudding mix well.
set aside

In a separate bowl, melt the butter

Pop open the tubes of biscuits and, one at a time, roll in the butter then roll in the dry mix till well coated.  Lay coated biscuits in the pan and overlap layer by layer till all of them are used.

Bake for 30-35 minutes and serve!

Corn Pudding - life after corn on the cob!

Typically I use this recipe at Thanksgiving, but with summer upon us there's no reason you can't use fresh - just make your own creamed corn and use the same volume as the canned variety!   (now don't get all "organic" on me...yes, sometimes we have to use canned veggies instead of fresh due to season or time constraints!)

For my friends on gluten free diets - I've played with using cornstarch to replace the flour and increasing eggs to 5 - seems to do ok!

1 stick melted butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 17 oz cans of creamed corn
1 17 oz can of sweet corn kernels
2 5 oz cans evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 Tablespoons Matzo meal
1 1/2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
"Pam" a 2 quart casserole dish

Melt butter (I usually just use the microwave)
In a mixing bowl combine milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cayenne and beat well, add butter.  Stir in creamed corn and sweet corn kernels and Matzo meal, mix well.

Pour into casserole and set in a pan filled with hot tap water about 1/2 way up the side of the dish.

Bake 1 1/2 hours or until set.

Serve hot, room temp or even cold!

Beer Punch - hot summer/cool beverage

Simple ... and tasty!

The scoop on dealing with summer heat, especially while just hanging on the porch swing in the back yard, or with 50 people in your house after hearing amazing live music....good friends, good food and an easy cold beverage!

2 Cans frozen pink lemonade mix
6 Bottles Michelob Ultra Cactus/Lime beer
2 Cups of your favorite vodka

Mix, put into a gallon pitcher and keep in the fridge.

Pour over a glass of ice and enjoy!!