Zuppa Toscana Soup

 From Anita Isom

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. Jimmy Dean regular sausage

8 slices of bacon, chopped in small pieces

½ large onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

32 oz.  chicken broth

2 1/2 cups water

5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups fresh spinach

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Parmesan cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown sausage in a large pot or dutch oven.

Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Cut bacon into small pieces  and add bacon to pot and cook until crispy.

Stir in chopped onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Add chicken broth and water to the pot. Add crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper if desired.

Add thinly sliced potatoes (I cut in half and then sliced) and the cooked sausage to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Continue cooking until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  (I cooked on low longer - about 30 minutes)

Add the spinach to the soup, and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the heavy cream and let heat through.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Cheese Boats (Peinirli)

By Akis Kitchen

Ingredients

For dough

350 ml water, at room temperature

1 packet active dry yeast

pinch of granulated sugar

450 g hard flour (bread flour)

70 g whole wheat flour

10 g salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

For peinirli – pizza boat

50 g butter

200 g gruyere, grated

100 g cream cheese

pepper

5 slices of bacon, cut in to pieces

50 g butter, melted, for brushing

fresh oregano (optionally)

Instructions for the dough

In a mixer’s bowl, add the water, yeast and sugar.

Whisk by hand so the yeast can activate.

Add the flour and salt.

Beat for 5-8 minutes using the hook attachment, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove from mixer’s bowl and transfer to another bowl that has been brushed with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until it doubles in size.

When ready, dust a clean working surface with flour and place dough on it.

Divide the dough into 5 pieces and shape each piece into a ball.

Roll out each ball of dough into small oval shapes.

Preheat oven to 400  Convection oven. 

For the peinirli – pizza boat

Divide the pieces of butter over each oval shape, about 10 g of butter for each.

In a bowl, combine the gruyere, cream cheese and pepper, until the mixture comes together. At this point you can add any of your favorite herbs.

Spread the cheese mixture nicely over each oval shaped dough, dividing it evenly between them and add the bacon.

Create peinirli – pizza boat by raising the edges of the dough and folding it inwards to form a border.

Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and dust with some flour.

Transfer peinirli to baking pans. (2 on one and 3 in the other).

Bake for 15-20 minutes, making sure to switch the pans positions half way through baking time so that they all cook evenly.

When ready, remove from oven and brush the border with melted butter.

Sprinkle with some fresh oregano and serve.

Butterscotch Brownies

We make these every Christmas.  You should too!

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cup brown sugar

2 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 cup Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup walnuts (use whatever nuts you wish!)

Directions

Mix everything together.

Spread in a 9 X 13 pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 oven

Cut while still warm.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese for Two

I am always looking for something to make that is the right amount for two of us and this is a winner!

Don't be afraid to deviate from the choice of cheeses or pasta.  Use similar styles of cheese like instead of Gruyere, try some Jarlesberg.  What you like and what you have on hand is the key.

Ingredients

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

2 ounces blue cheese, such as Gorganzola crumbled!

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

about a quarter cup of bread crumbs

2 tablespoons of melted butter

2 teaspoons of your favorite dried Italian herbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

 Cook bacon in the microwave and set on paper towels to soak up the grease.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Mix the bread crumbs with the herbs and butter.

 Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

From Anne Armstrong who made this for our international Dinner Group's Christmas party. 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup minced onions (sauté in butter)

1 pound ground chuck (or stew beef cut in small pieces) add to sautéed onions and sauté

1 clove garlic (pressed) I used 2 cloves

2 Tbsp flour

2 tsp salt (I would use less probably)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

Add last 6 ingredients to meat mixture and sauté 5 minutes

Add: 1 can cream of chicken soup

Simmer uncovered 10 minutes

Stir in 1 cup sour cream when ready to serve.

Serve over noodles, potatoes or rice.

Serves 6-8

Gingerbread Cookie Bars

From Six Sisters

Ingredients

½ cup Butter, melted

¾ cup Granulated Sugar

¼ cup Brown Sugar

½ tsp Vanilla

1/3 cup Molasses

1 Egg

2 tsp Baking soda

2 cups Flour

1 TBSP Cinnamon

½ tsp Ground Ginger

¼  tsp Ground Cloves

¼  tsp Ground Nutmeg

½ tsp Salt

1 recipe of your favorite cream cheese frosting (optional but why not?!?!?)

Process

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat a 9 X 12 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses on medium speed until creamy.

Add the egg and beat till fully incorporated.

Add flour, spices and salt and mix till well combined.

Spread dough into prepared pan to the very edges.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes but don’t overcook.  Bryce will be mad.  The cookie should be moist.

Cool on a wire rack completely before adding frosting.

Cut into squares and enjoy!   

Lemon-buttermilk Icebox Pie (Lemon curd pie)

Lemon-buttermilk Icebox Pie (Lemon curd pie)

I got this recipe from Southern Living-a gift from my sisters who live in North Carolina.  It was very well received at our Thanksgiving celebration this year.

Ingredients

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp loosely packed lemon zest

½ Tbsp Fresh lemon juice

3 large egg yolks

¼ cup buttermilk

1 recipe graham cracker crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

Whisk together first three ingredients into a bowl.

Beat egg yolks with a hand blender at high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until yolks become pale and ribbons form on surface when the beaters are lifted.

Gradually whisk in condensed milk mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Whisk in buttermilk.

Pour into prepared crust.

Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes or until set around edges. 

Cool on a wire rack for one hour.

Cover pie with a sprayed plastic wrap and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.