TUSCAN TOMATO SOUP

I do not have a picture of this soup when it is finished, but it is wonderful!

You will need a big bag of tomatoes. I usually use all kinds at the same time. Cut them into quarters and halves depending on their size. Quarter about three larger onions and cut the top of a head of garlic off. Place everything onto a rimmed baking sheet, heavily drizzle with olive oil and toss around a little. Season with salt and pepper. (I like to add baby carrots also.)

Roast in 400' oven for three to four hours. You will not be prepared for the way your house is going to smell!!

After you take it out of the oven, let it cool for a little bit. Pour everything into a deep soup pot, squeeze the garlic cloves out and use a potato masher to mash it all up.  Add two boxes of chicken broth, chopped fresh basil and a big pinch of crushed red pepper and let it simmer.  Salt and pepper to taste. If it cooks down too much and a little water at a time. 

Tear up a loaf of bread and toast the chunks in a low oven. The purpose is to get the bread hard and crusty.  

Serve the soup by placing several pieces of bread in a bowl and ladling soup over it.  Grate Parmesan  cheese on the top.    

SHORT RIBS

Everyone here at our house gets very excited when we have short ribs. It is definitely a great cold weather meal. 

So here is how we do it: 

Put some flour, salt and pepper into a plastic gallon size bag. Heat some canola oil in a deep skillet.

Shake the short ribs inside the bag to coat with flour and place into skillet.

Brown the short ribs... get them nice and brown.

 Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Do this in small batches.

In a food processor add a small bag of baby carrots, a couple of cloves of garlic, a couple of stalks of celery and a large onion. It may not all fit at the same time.

Put the veggie mixture into a hot pot that has olive oil in it and continuously stir to slightly brown and cook some of the water out of it.  Add a can of tomato paste and cook it a little more.  Add some water, beef broth and red wine. Season with salt and pepper. I like chunks of onions and mushrooms, so I add some of those here and let it simmer for a little bit longer.

Place the short ribs into a large deep roasting pan.

Pour the sauce over the short ribs.

Cover with foil.

Place in a 425' oven and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

You want the ribs to pull apart with a fork.

Keep an eye of them.

They will look something like this ...

and they will be delicious! 

SAUTEED SPINACH

"Mom - how do you make that spinach?"

Well #1, you.......

• Buy 100 times more spinach than you think you will need because it pretty much cooks down to nothing. I buy mine at Costco in one of those BIG containers.
• Put pine nuts in a dry skillet and toast them. Keep moving them around so that they do not scorch and smell up the entire house up. I cannot tell you how many times I have done this!

• Remove the pine nuts and add olive oil to the pan and let it get good and hot.
• Add spinach, minced garlic, sea salt (for some reason it isn't the same if it is not sea salt).

• When the spinach starts to wilt, add sun dried tomatoes. I use the jarred kind.
• At the end, I add the pine nuts and I usually drizzle a little balsamic vinegar and give it a good toss.

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MEXICAN BEANS AND SALAD

Great minds think alike!

I was in the middle of cooking this last week and had to laugh when #1 called me and asked me how to make it. She was craving it too! There really isn't any recipe I just add the things I have and saute it all together.

I marinade boneless skinless chicken breast in a Mexican flavored marinade.

I like

Chipotle & Lime Marinade by Masterpiece

and

Tequila Lime Marinade by Lawry's

I usually grill them but have used my George Foreman before.

Saute.....

black beans (canned - rinse first)

kidney beans (canned - rinse first)

onion

garlic

celery

frozen corn (it needs to be frozen - not canned)......

....in olive oil.

Add salt, pepper and cumin while it is cooking. I like for the corn and beans to get a little toasted so I don't stir it constantly. Sometimes I have to drizzle a little more olive oil in there. After it is done I squeeze lime juice over it and cook for another couple of minutes.

Dressing:

salsa, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, spoonful of sugar, lime juice

(you could add fresh cilantro like I have done in the past, BUT the deer ate all of mine!)

mix in blender

You could definitely add cheese and sour cream on top, but we have broken ourselves of that habit. It is good enough without it.

SALMON AND PASTA

This is what we had for dinner the other day.

#1 came home from school during the week and this is what she asked for.

The salmon was seasoned with salt and lemon juice and then after I drizzled it with olive oil I baked it in the oven. While that was going on, I sauteed garlic, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms in olive oil. After the mushrooms were done, I added white wine and the juice from one lemon and let it simmer a few minutes. I spooned this over the salmon when I served it.

This pasta is so simple and it is crazy good!

linguine

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups very finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup coarsely chopped arugula

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine and cook until it is al dente, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Immediately toss the hot pasta in a large bowl with the butter to coat. While tossing the linguine, gradually sprinkle the cheese, pepper, and enough of the reserved cooking liquid evenly over the linguine to moisten. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt

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SAUTEED OKRA

My family loves okra.

I put it in soups and gumbo, but I think this is the best way to cook it!

When okra is in season, we  sometimes  it  several times a week. 

wash and cut okra up

heat olive oil in a deep skillet,

when it is really hot, add okra

salt and pepper

saute until the okra begins to brown and soften

add Italian breadcrumbs

(I use about one half of the container.)

sometimes I need to drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the okra

continue to saute, turn temp. down a little if you need to

remove from heat and add sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese

toss a little

Dinner:

grilled cajun marinated chicken breast over a salad

homemade balsamic dressing

sautéed okra