Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque

With Snowmageddon 2010 approaching DC/NoVA, I stocked up on lots of tasty ingredients to get myself and my friends through the weekend.  This is a simple soup to throw together, and it goes deliciously with grilled cheese.  You’ll be happier for it!  I add white wine and cream at the end, but both are optional.  Just add what you’d like…

You will need:

• 4 T margarine
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped (I used a bunch of baby carrots)
• 3 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 4 c stock (chicken or vegetable)
• Two 14.5-oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes (or 1 big can)
• One 6-oz can tomato paste
• 1/4 c white wine (opt)
• 1/4 c heavy cream (opt)
• Salt and pepper

Then you…

1. In a large saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the flour over low heat and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken stick, tomato paste and tomatoes.  Mix well.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
6. In a blender, puree the soup.  If you prefer chunky soup, skip this step.  If you fall somewhere between smooth and chunky, puree about 1/2 of the soup.
7. Return to sauce pan.  Add white wine and heat through.  Add cream, salt and pepper to taste and heat through.
8. Serve with crusty bread and good friends!

Chipotle Shrimp Cups

HAPPY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

This is a quick, fun appetizer from a recent poll that is based on a Cooking Light recipe.   It’s great because you can prep it in advance and then whip them together with minimal effort, which keeps you and your friends hanging out longer.  I like that they are crispy and warm, which makes them particularly well suited to cold season parties…such as the Super Bowl or Mardi Gras.  Also, they come as little cups, so you don’t need any fancy utensils to eat them either!

You will need…

• 36  wonton wrappers
• 1 1/2  c (6 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1  c  chopped cooked shrimp
• 1  c  chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
• 1  c  bottled chipotle salsa
• 1/2  c  chopped scallions

Then you…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fit 1 wonton wrapper into each of 36 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray, pressing the wrappers into sides of cups.
3. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep wontons in muffin cups.
4. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients, and spoon about 1 T cheese mixture into each wonton cup.
5. Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from muffin cups. Serve immediately.

Bread Pudding Poll!

There was a recent request for a bread pudding appearance.  I’ve narrowed it down to three possibilities, but what sounds the tastiest to you??

Syrian Bread

This is a variation on a recipe from my “student chef” class in high school.  Gotta love the Family and Consumer Sciences Department for hosting delicious breaks from the standard curriculum.  We actually had a little student-run grill in our HS; the business kids did the books and students also did the cooking.  Only seniors and faculty could order.  It was kind of awesome

Anywho, I added whole wheat flour and some spices to this one.  The longer you let your yeast/water “bloom,” the puffier your pita will be.  Either way these are a great quick flatbread.

You will need:

• 2 1/4 t yeast (1 packet)
• 2/3 c warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t sugar
• 2 t garlic powder
• 1 1/2 t dried minced onion
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Then you…

1. Preheat oven to 475 and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Pour warm water in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with the yeast.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
3. Add salt, sugar and spices. Mix in the whole wheat flour.
4. Slowly add in remaining flour until stiff dough forms.
5. Knead on lightly floured surface 8-10 minutes or until the dough is well mixed and elastic.
6. Cut into 6 pieces. Shape into balls.
7. Flatten slightly with hand and then roll into 6-inch wide disks. (You can also roll out the entire dough and use a round glass or cookie cutter to shape the disks).
8. Place on the cookie sheet and brush lightly with melted butter or olive oil.  Sprinkle very lightly with salt, if desired.
9. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Watch carefully, because these can burn quickly!

Baked Apples

When I was little, my mom used to make us  baked apples on cold winter days as a special treat after school.  They come out warm and delicious, reminiscent of hot apple sauce.  The best part is that you can fill them with whatever you’ve got from dried fruit to old cereal.  I like them for breakfast too, which is what I did the other morning.  It was snowy outside and so a fresh baked apple seemed perfect.  The recipe below is what I used for one, and it makes extra “granola” to add to the side.

You will need:

• one crisp apple (I used Honeycrisp)
• 1 T margarine
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/3 c old-fashioned oats
• scant 1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped

Then you…

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Core an apple and place in a small baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, cream together the margarine and brown sugar.
4. Add the oats and almonds.
5. Stuff the apple with the granola mixture and bake 15 minutes.
6. Add any extra granola mixture to the dish around the apple (if you have any!), and bake another 15 minutes.

You want to bake the apple at least until the outsides give when you squeeze gently from the sides.  Bake for longer if you want a softer apple; 30 minutes with an average apple will be soft but still slightly firm in the middle.

Scallion Pancakes

Scallion pancakes.  These used to be one of my FAVORITE things to order when my family went for Chinese food growing up.  I still love them, and tonight I learned that they are pretty easy to make too!  There are a whole bunch of steps, but these come out crispy and with lots of scallion flavor.  I also threw in a little sauce recipe in case you want to dip them in something!

You will need:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c hot water (plus up to 2 T more, if needed)
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 T sesame oil
• 2 bunches scallions, finely chopped

Then you…

1. Combine the flour, garlic powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup hot water until blended. If the dough is dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons water. Knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic yet firm, about 5 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and keep covered. One at a time, roll each piece into a thin disk. Brush lightly with sesame oil and sprinkle with  scallions.
3. Roll the dough along one side (the longer one, if you didn’t get a perfect circle).
4. Coil the log into a circle, like a snail. Cover and set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Flatten the coils with your hand on a floured surface, then roll with a floured rolling pin into a thin circle.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
7. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding more oil as needed. Cut into wedges to serve.
8. For a dipping sauce, mix 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar,  4 tablespoons soy sauce and any leftover scallions.

Golfer’s Chicken

This recipe originated in my hometown’s “favorites” cookbook.  It makes super moist, fall-apart chicken and can be whipped together in a flash.  The best part is that you can let it slow cook in the oven (or a cooker!) or have it ready in an hour.  If you want a new twist, try it with chicken wings, drumettes or thighs.  There will be lots of sauce, so be sure to have some pasta or potatoes to help soak it all up!

You will need:

• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix (I use Lipton’s)
• 1 bottle Russian dressing
• 1 jar (8 oz) apricot preserves (I use Polaner)
• 1 lb chicken breast or tenderloins
• 1 onion, chopped

Then you will…

1. Combine the dry soup mix, dressing and preserves.  Mix well until no lumps are readily noticeable.
2. Place chicken in a 13×9 glass baking dish.  Top with the chopped onion.  Spread sauce over the top and toss to coat.
3. Bake at 225 for 4-5 hours (or as long as your golf game lasts!).  If you want dinner in a hurry, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for an hour.
4. Let cool slightly as sauce will be very bubbly and hot. Enjoy!

Butterscotch Oat Bars

If you want something sweet and fruity, these’ll do it!  These cookie bars combine oats with butterscotch chips and apricot preserves to make a delicious treat.  Careful because they go quick!

You will need:

• 1 c margarine, room temperature (2 sticks)
• 3/4 c sugar
• 3/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 3 c old-fashioned oats
• 1 2/3 c (11-oz pkg) butterscotch chips
• 1/3 c coconut flakes
• 1/4 c apricot preserves

Then…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 13×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease to help remove bars after baking.
3. Cream together margarine and both sugars.
4. Add the vanilla and eggs; mix well.
5. Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Combine.
6. Mix in the flour and the oats.
7. Add in the butterscotch and coconut flakes.
8. Spread in baking dish.
9. Soften preserves in the microwave about 20 seconds or until easily spreadable.  Drizzle across the top of the dough.
10. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until just turning golden (bars will continue to set as they cool).
11. Cool and cut into bars.
12. Optional:  drizzle chocolate across the top for extra sweetness!

Super Bowl Munchies (#2) – Opinion Time!

Ready for Colts v. Saints??  In just about two weeks, they’ll face off for this year’s Super Bowl. Need some more finger food ideas?  Let me know what your favorites are!

Based on last week’s poll, look for scallion pancakes and zucchini sticks as new posts coming soon!

Chicken Sausage Meatballs

I’ve finally got TV and internet back at my apartment, and I must confess to leaving the TV on Food Network almost all the time when I’ve been home.  This is a meal I made for an old roommate the other night after seeing it on Rachael Ray.  I served it with roasted broccoli (popped in the oven at 400 for about 20 min with olive oil, salt and pepper) and romano-pepper mashed potatoes (yumm!).

You will need:

• 1 tub bocconcini (bite-sized mozzarella balls)
• 2 lbs fresh Italian chicken sausage (you can find it in the butcher’s at Whole Foods…you want some that are not pre-cooked)
• 1 can (28 oz) whole San Marzano tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
• 1 tub fresh basil pesto

Then you…

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a baking sheet lined with tinfoil.
2. Remove the sausages from their casings into a mixing bowl.  Make sure they are blended, especially if using a mix of hot and mild Italian sausages.  Score the meat into 4 sections.  Score each section into three.
3. Remove 12 bocconcini and place on cutting board.  Take one of the 12 sections of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Place on the baking sheet.  Repeat.
4. Baking 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.
5. In a medium saucepan, add tomatoes with their juice.  Use a potato masher to break down the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Allow to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat and mix in the pesto.
7. Serve the sausage meatballs with the tomato-basil sauce on top!