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1 Like
[size=16]Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup[/size]
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 red bell peppers
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon white sugar
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
Roast peppers: rub oil on peppers and put them under the broiler until blackened, turn to get all sides. Put into paper bag and seal. Let rest for 15 minutes, then peel will come right off and core and seeds will fall out. Chop peppers. Reserve one chopped pepper; set aside.
Heat olive oil over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, bell peppers (except reserved), thyme, paprika, and sugar. Cook over medium-low heat until all the tomato juices have evaporated, about 25 minutes.
Stir in chicken stock, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce (if using). Bring to boiling, lower heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Strain soup, reserving broth. Place solids in food processor or blender, and process until fairly smooth. Add puree back into broth.
Melt butter and stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute. Stirring slowly, add the broth/vegetable mixture. Add reserved chopped pepper and bring to boiling. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and add 1 tablespoon of sour cream to each bowl. For a lighter soup, this is also delicious without the sour cream.
[size=16]Tomato Barley Soup[/size]
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups water
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked barley
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and oil and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are almost tender.
Then add the water, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, barley and ground black pepper.
Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until barley is tender.
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1 Like
[size=16]“Midnight Kiss” Amaretto Parfaits[/size]
Ingredients:
Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream (recipe below)
1/2 loaf vanilla pound cake (about 8 ounces), cut into small cubes
4 tablespoons amaretto (almond liqueur)
Chocolate Ganache Sauce (recipe below)
Dark chocolate, for “curl” garnish
Silver or gold edible sprinkles, for garnish (optional)
4-6 brandy snifters
Preparation:
Place the glass snifters in a row in front of you.
To the bottom of each glass, pipe in about 2 tablespoons worth of the Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream as a base; next, add in about a heaping 1/4 cup of the cubed pound cake, and drizzle over the cake about 1&1/2 teaspoons worth of the amaretto.
Next, drizzle in about 2-3 tablespoons worth of the Chocolate Ganache Sauce over the cake cubes, and then pipe in about 3 tablespoons worth of the Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream.
Repeat the process with another layer of cubed cake, amaretto and Chocolate Ganache Sauce, and finish with a generous amount of the Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream; shave some chocolate over top for garnish, and lightly dust with silver or gold edible sprinkles; chill until ready to serve.
Chocolate Ganache Sauce Ingredients:
6 ounces low-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Place all ingredients through the semi-sweet chocolate into a saucepan or small pot, and stir to combine; set the saucepan/pot over medium heat, and stirring with a rubber spatula all the while to keep the chocolate from scorching to the bottom, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer until all the ingredients are melted and well-blended.
Off the heat, add in the small pinch of salt and the butter, and stir to combine until the butter is completely melted and blended in.
Strain the chocolate sauce into a measuring cup with a spout for more convenient pouring during assembly, and allow it to cool at room temperature until slightly thickened.*
(*If you are making this sauce ahead of time and plan on using it within a couple of days, you can store it, covered, at room temperature; but to keep any leftovers for an extended period of time, store in the fridge and gently re-heat the sauce just until it becomes pourable, as needed.)
Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream Ingredients:
16 fluid oz whipping cream, cold
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons amaretto liquor
Preparation:
Add the whipping cream into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and begin to whip the cream on medium-high.
Once the cream begins to thicken, sprinkle in the powdered sugar, and continue to whip for another 15-30 seconds or so, until further thickened; next, add in the almond extract and the amaretto liquor, and finish whipping until stiff peaks form.
Place the Amaretto-Spiked Whipped Cream into a piping bag fitted with a tip, or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off, and keep in fridge until ready to use.
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[size=16]Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup[/size]
Ingredients
1 (19 ounce) package Italian Sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces dried cheese tortellini
3 (14 ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green beans
Directions
In large saucepan over medium heat, brown sausage. Add tortellini, chicken broth and green beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender and sausage is cooked through.
[size=16]Delicious Ham and Potato Soup[/size]
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.
