Broccoli Chowder

1 10oz. pkg. frozen broccoli
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/3 c. milk
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
Bring ½ c. water to boil. Add broccoli and onion. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Do not drain. Stir in soup, flour, milk, cheese and pepper. Cook on low until flour is cooked and soup is thoroughly heated.

Wisconsin Chowder

3 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
4 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
1 c. cheddar cheese
1 c. pepperjack cheese
1 c. lite cream
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 c. pureed cauliflower

Melt butter and flour to make a rou. Add chicken broth, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and cauliflower. Heat through. Add cheese. Heat until cheeses are melted.

Tortilla Soup

1 can chicken broth
2 cans French onion soup
1 -12 oz. can Tomato juice
2 c. water
1 06 oz. can green chili salsa or regular salsa
1 small can of corn
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3-4 chicken breasts

Boil chicken in water 15 minutes and shred. Dice all vegetables. Add all ingredients to large soup kettle. Simmer 1 ½ -2 hours. Top with cheese and tortilla chips/strips.

Minestrone Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. Canadian bacon
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. celery
1 c. carrots
1 c. zucchini
2 ½ c. water
2 c. tomato juice
12 oz. drained kidney beans
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (1 ½ tsp. dried)
2 pkgs. Instant beef broth
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. pepper
1 c. cooked small macaroni noodles
¼ c. fresh parsley

In a 2-quart saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add bacon and garlic, sauté briefly. Add celery, carrots and zucchini. Cook, stirring until veggies are tender-about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except macaroni noodles and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally; for about 15 minutes. Add pasta and parsley. Let simmer until heated.

Insalata Grande

Serves 12
1 pound mixed greens, costco size
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced and roasted
1 bag pine nuts, toasted
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, quartered, not marinated
6 medium tomato, cut in half, sliced in half-moons
olives
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
parmesan-reggiano, shaved curls

Directions:
Roast mushrooms per linked recipe. Mix extra-virgin olive oil,
balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper together. Dress the mixed greens
with some of the dressing. Should be lightly coated. Use some of the
dressing to coat the tomatoes once cut, also use some on the
artichokes. Then combine the mushrooms, pine nuts, tomatoes, and
artichokes in the salad and toss. Using a vegetable shave parmesan
onto the top of the salad.

Toasting any type of nuts
Turn your oven on to anything under 299 degrees, don't do 300, 299 is the magic number, your nuts will never burn.
Using whatever type of nut you want spread them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. They can be touching. Then if it is at 299, you can roast for a shorter period of time like 20-40 minutes depending on your nut, fatter nuts like almonds take longer to cook than lets say pine nuts. Set your timer for 15 minutes and check every 15 minutes to see if they are as dark as you want. If you want to do it low and slow, set your oven at 200 and then leave them for 2 hours, checking them every 30 minutes.


Roasted Mushrooms
1 pound sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground black pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Toss mushrooms with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Arrange in a single layer on a large low-sided roasting pan or jelly-roll pan. Roast until released juices have nearly evaporated and mushroom surfaces facing pan are browned, 12 to 15 minutes. If you pick one up the bottom will be caramelized. Remove pan from oven and turn mushrooms with a metal spatula. Continue to roast until mushroom liquid has completely evaporated and mushrooms are brown all over, about 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve.

Crisp-Fried Tofu and Greens

> * 2 cakes of tofu, frozen overnight and thawed
> * 1/2 c. water or vegetable stock
> * 1 tsp. cornstarch
> * 1/2 c. cornmeal or cornstarch
>
> Marinade:

> * 1/3 c. soy sauce
> * 1/4 c. rice vinegar
> * 1 T. finely grated gingerroot
> * 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
> * dash cayenne
>
> Sauce:

> * 3 T. soy sauce
> * 1/4 c. dry sherry
> * 2 tsp. rice vinegar
> * 2 tsp. brown sugar
> * Vegetables: 3 T. oil
> * 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
> * 1 c. thinly sliced onion
> * 6 c. mix of coarsely chopped pak choi, chard, kale, nappa cabbage or 9 c. chopped spinach
>
> Gently squeeze as much liquid out of thawed tofu as possible.
> Cut tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices, then diagonally, to make 4 triangles.*
> Combine marinade ingredients and mix well.
> Arrange tofu triangles in one layer in a dish and cover with marinade.
> Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
> Prepare sauce mix by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
> In a separate bowl mix the water or stock and the 1 tsp. cornstarch.
> Dredge marinated tofu pieces in cornmeal or cornstarch and fry over medium heat in 1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil, for 3-4 minutes on each side.
> Drain and keep warm in 200F oven.
> Add leftover marinade to sauce mix.
> Heat 3 T. oil in a wok. Stir-fry garlic and onion until onion is tender.
> Add greens and continue stir-frying until just wilted but not mushy.
> Add sauce mix and cornstarch mix and stir-fry just until sauce is thickened.
> Add reserved fried tofu.
> Serve with rice.

Kelly's Eggrolls

ground pork, chicken, or whatever meat you like (or not)
1/2 head cabbage (or cheat and use bag of coleslaw mix) chopped
a few carrots, shredded
a few green onions, sliced thinly
a can of water chesnuts, chopped small
1 Tbls. minced ginger (or not)
a few handfuls bean sprouts
some sort of stir-fry sauce
large square wonton wrappers
canola oil for frying

Sear meat in small amount of oil and garlic salt, if desired. Add veggies and cook for a few minutes. Add some sauce, probably about 1/4 or 1/3 cup (I used spicy Korean sauce, but you could even just use soy). Don't let your mixture get too saucy or eggrolls will be soggy. Let mixture cool slightly. Use a few Tablespoons of mix for each wrapper, and follow diagram on package for rolling instructions (they will be folded like envelopes). Heat canola oil in heavy skillet (a few inches of oil) until hot, about 350 degrees. Fry eggrolls a few at a time until light brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve with your choice of sauce. We like to mix rice vinegar, soy, sesame oil and spicy chili paste like they do at P.F. Chang's.

Roasted Pork Loin

3 Tb chopped garlic
1 TB chopped fresh Rosemary
1 TB chopped fresh sage
1 TB chopped fresh thyme
1 TB chopped fresh Italian Parsley
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 (3 lb) pork loin roast, tied
1 TB olive oil
¼ C Italian Bread Crumbs
½ c white wine (can substitute chicken broth)
1 ¾ C chicken stock
2 TB cornstarch mixed with 2 TB chicken stock

Preheat Oven to 500 degrees

Place the garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper on a chopping board and chop to a paste-like consistency. Make shallow 1 to 2 in long slits randomly around the pork roast. Rub the roast with the olive oil, then fill the slits with the herb past. Rub the remaining herbs on the outer surface. Roll the roast in the breadcrumbs to coat it completely.

Place the roast in a lightly greased roasting pan (don’t use a rack in the pan) and cook for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. At this point the toast will have formed a crust on the outside. Turn the roast over and reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a plate. Cover it with aluminum foil and let rest for 15-20 minutes.

While the roast is resting, put the roasting pan on medium high heat on the stovetop and stir in the win and chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain the juices into a saucepan and reduce on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Return to the heat and cook until the sauce clears and thickens, about 1 minute. Make sure the roast is done! Check with a meat thermometer.


To serve, cut the strings from the roast, slice into thin slices and ladle some of the sauce over the meat.

Marcheschi Sauce with Polenta

This is a great sauce to go over pasta or polenta; we use penne or mostaccioli pasta. I double the recipe and divide it into small containers and freeze it.

¼ C. olive oil
1 lb mild sausage (or Italian)
2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can of tomato juice
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese

In big saucepan heat oil, add chicken and sausage and brown together. Remove meat, keeping the juice, and gently brown onions, carrots, celery, parsley and garlic. Add meat back in with the vegetables, then add tomatoes chicken broth, tomato juice, and salt to taste. Simmer for at least an hour on low heat covered. Serve sauce over pasta or polenta and sprinkle with cheese.


Polenta

7 C water
1 Tb salt
1 2/3 C coarse-grained yellow cornmeal
7 chicken bouillon cubes

1. Bring the water and bouillon cubes to a boil in a large, heavy pot
2. Add the salt, keep the water boiling at medium-high heat, and add the cornmeal in a very thin stream, letting a fistful of it run through nearly closed fingers. You should be able to see the individual grains spilling into the pot. The entire time you are adding the cornmeal, stir it with a whisk, and make sure the water is always boiling.
3. When you have put in all the mal, begin to stir with a long-handled wooden spoon, stirring continuously and with thoroughness, bringing the mixture up from the bottom, and loosening it from the sides of the pot. Continue to stir for 40 to 45 minutes. The cornmeal becomes polenta when it forms a mass that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot.

Country Style Roasted Potatoes

These potatoes take a bit of time, but they are so good. They remind me of the potatoes that you get at Michelangelo’s in SLC. They go well with the roasted pork loin. This is Nick Stellino’s recipe. Serves 4.

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
1 ½ large heads of garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 TB chopped fresh rosemary
1 TB chopped fresh thyme
1 TB chopped fresh sage
6 ½ TB olive oil
1 small white onion, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot, cover with water and boil 10-15 minutes. Drain. Transfer the garlic cloves to a glass of cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them by squeezing them out of their skins.

Place the potatoes and garlic puree in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the herbs, salt and pepper and 4 ½ TB of olive oil and mix until well coated.

Grease the bottom of a large baking tray with remaining 2 TB of oil. Place the potatoes on the greased baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once. Spread the sliced onions on top of the potatoes and roast until the potatoes are well browned, about 20 minutes or more.

Risotto con Pomodoro e Basilico (Tomato and Basil)

3- 31/2 C Chicken broth
4 TB unsalted butter
2 large garlic cloves, bruised
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ C fresh or canned drained tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 ½ C Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano rice
4 TB freshly grated Parmesan
10 large fresh basil leaves, torn into very small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh mozzarella, diced (optional)


1. Gently heat the broth and keep it warm over a low heat.
2. Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a saucepan; add the garlic and onion, and sauté gently until softened, 4-5 minutes. Discard the garlic.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce is thickened and aromatic about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining butter and add the rice. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to coat the grains.
5. Heat the tomato sauce through and stir it into the rice. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is absorbed, stirring constantly.
6. Add a ladleful of the hot broth and stir frequently. When it has been almost completely absorbed, add another ladleful of hot broth and stir well. Continue adding the broth, a ladleful at a time, until the rice s tender but still slightly chewy, 20-25 minutes. It should be creamy but not mushy.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan and the basil. Taste for salt and add pepper. Mix in the mozzarella. Serve the finished risotto piping hot, passing additional Parmesan at the table.



Tips: Use San Marzano tomatoes
Buy Arborio rice, basil, san marzanno tomatoes and fresh Mozzarella at Pirate o’s in Draper

Pistachio Gelato

Pistachio gelato is the benchmark by which many gelaterie are judged. You can tell at a glance f an artificial base has been used, just by the color. If the gelato maker is using real pistachio nuts, the color will be an almost drab green. If the bin flashes a neon green, keep walking! Monica Marcheschi
1 C (6 oz) shelled pistachios (12 0z in the shell)
3 C whole milk
¾ C sugar
In a food processor or coffee grinder, grind the pistachio to a fine powder, reserving a few whole ones for garnish.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat, add the pistachios, cool, cover, and refrigerated overnight.
Strain the milk mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing on the nuts with the back of a large spoon to get as much liquid from the nuts as possible. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes 1 quart; serves 4

Pasta e fagioli Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped or julienned
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can great Northern beans, with liquid
1 (12 ounce) can V8 juice
1 Tbls vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 package) ditalini pasta (or other small pasta)

Brown ground beef and drain off most fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sauté for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving, cook pasta in boiling water just until al dente (in separate pot, of course). Drain pasta and add to soup and simmer for 5 minutes.

Makes a lot of soup, and is great the next day. Sometimes I will leave the pasta separate for storage, as it soaks up a lot of liquid overnight

This takes a lot like the Olive Garden soup.

Asiago Cheese Bread

1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c asiago cheese, shredded
1 T parsley flakes
1 T basil
1 T minced garlic
salt & pepper

Mix together and spread on baguette slices. Broil until bubbly and cheese is starting to brown.

Tortilla soup

2 (14 ½) oz cans of chicken broth or 1 quart homemade chicken broth
1-2 cups diced, cooked, chicken. (I usually boil 3 breasts of chicken for 20 minutes)
1 small onion, diced, finely
½ to 1(4-oz) can diced green chilies
½ to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
A pinch of ground red pepper (cayenne)
Tortilla chips
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 tomatoes chopped
Avocadoes diced (optional)
1 lime (optional)


Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, stir together the chicken broth, chicken, onion, green chilies, chili powder, and ground red pepper.
2. Bring the soup to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer the soup, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until the onion is tender.
3. Ladle the soup into individual bowls or a soup tureen. Add broken up chips, sprinkle with cheese, tomatoes, avocado and finish with a squeeze of lime. Note: The chilies and chili powder can be altered depending of how hot you want the flavor to be.

Serves 2-4 people

Kale, Kielbasa and Cheese Tortellini Soup with Cannellini Beans

Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
16 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage, fully cooked, thinly sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 cup fennel bulb, fresh, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, fresh, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 cups chicken broth
4 cup kale, 1/2 bunch, chopped
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1 9 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 ounces asiago cheese, 1 cup, grated or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place kielbasa in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat and brown.
Then add oil and the next 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are
soft, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in kale and
cannellini. Reduce heat to low and simmer until kale is wilted, about
4 minutes. Add tortellini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just tender
but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Add
cheese separately into each bowl.

Making this soup 1 day ahead, makes it almost creamier. Cool
slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring back to a simmer the next day.

Cream of Asparagus

Serves 4, please note that the soup we made doesn't have the cream.
Ingredients:
1 lb. asparagus, diced into 1" pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
1 stalk celery, diced
1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream, or whole milk
kosher salt
freshly ground white pepper
lemon

Directions:
Rinse asparagus. Remove top 1 inch of each spear, discard tough lower part, reserving middle portion of stalks. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Add chicken broth, asparagus tips and stems, potato, celery, thyme, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let cool.

Remove the asparagus tips. Place the soup at a time in a blender container. Cover and blend at high speed for 20 to 30 seconds or until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and return blended soup to saucepan. Add reserved asparagus tips and cream (or half and half, or milk) and heat thoroughly, or refrigerate to be served cold.

Squeeze a few drops of lemon at the end to brighten the flavor in each bowl when serving.

Notes:
Half & half or milk may be substituted for the cream if fat content is a concern, although it won't taste quite as good. Be sure to adjust the seasoning after you add the cream (or half & half, or milk), especially if you plan to serve it cold.

Papa al Pomodoro

Serves 8
Ingredients:
4 ounces chewy bread, about 2 cups, 1/2 loaf dense tuscan like a
ciabatta or any other rustic bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 small onion, finely grated
1 cup chicken broth
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, Hunt's Brand
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, Hunt's Brand
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish

Directions:
I use leftover bread. Remove the crust of the bread and save them for
making breadcrumbs. Break the bread into small chunks no bigger then
1 1/2 inches and set aside.

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, and then
add the rosemary and the garlic. Peel and halve the onion and grate
directly into the soup pot. Saute for a couple of minutes, then remove
the rosemary stem. When you smell the fragrance you will know it is
done.

Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the bread
chunks and stir until the bread “melts” into the soup, giving it a
thick consistency. Tear or shred the basil, and stir into the soup.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, about 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher
salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with an extra tablespoon of very
good extra-virgin olive oil and however much parmesan or romano cheese
you want.