I Did It Again!

I created a great dish, on the fly, not really paying attention, and now I can't quite remember how I did it! LOL! I mean, I know what I put in it but proportions - forget it. Oh well I'll do my best to explain it to you! The recipe in question - Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs". Yes, Yes, I realize this is not an "authentic" recipe but so what - It's delicious and was perfect for warming up my poor husband who got soaked at work and was chilled to the bone. Did I mention it has been raining non-stop for a freaking week here with no end in sight! I love New England! Anyway, I was all out of ground beef but I knew I had ground turkey in the freezer. I figured this would be a good way to clear out some freezer space in anticipation of summers bounty! What I didn't realize was that it was a 3 pound package of ground turkey. Needless to say, I made a LOT of meatballs! LOL! But I don't think it's really possible to have too many meatballs! So ahead I went. Here is my recipe (I think) or at least as close to it as I can recall, LOL!

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs



For the Meatballs:
3 Lbs ground turkey
1/2T ground mustard
1/2T ground sage
1T Bell's poultry seasoning
1T salt
5oz garlic flavor Philadelphia Cooking Creme
3 eggs
1-1 2/2 Cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C romano cheese
2-3T parsley
1T onion powder

For the soup
1 medium onion chopped fine
3 carrots chopped fine
2 stalks celery chopped fine
1/2C chopped frozen spinach
4-6C chicken stock
2-3T chicken boullion paste (I use this in place of salt)
1T parsley
1T dill
small pasta of your choice

Mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until fully combined and roll into balls. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 30 minutes or so. If meatballs aren't completely cooked don't sweat it, they will finish cooking in the soup. While the meatballs are baking, saute carrots onion and celery in 2-3T olive oil in a large sauce pot until vegetables are soft. Add stock, meatballs and remaining ingedients EXCEPT the pasta. Let simmer, covered for 30 minutes or so. Add appropriate amount of pasta - don't overdo it or it will suck up all of your broth. Allow to simmer, covered until pasta is cooked. Enjoy!

A Fiery Pasta Salad

Well, much to my chagrin, I never did get my asparagus fix. :( Instead I was running around shopping for clothes for my husband to wear to his sisters wedding this weekend. The bright side was that I bought myself an awesome new hat for the beach! Now if only the sun would come out! LOL! Seven days of rain in the forecast - WHAT THE HELL!! I should have bought a new umbrella, then we would have sun! LOL! What I did manage to whip up, however, was a tasty pasta salad. Originally, this salad was going to be a hot and creamy side dish for the RWOP recipe contest but, quite frankly, I am really sick of cream cheese at this point and, with summer coming, my tastes are steering towards the lighter side of things. Therefore, I ditched the cream cheese and came up with this recipe instead, which we ate warm but was also just as good right out of the refrigerator the next day. As ususal, I didn't measure anything so the measurements provided below are relative estimates. If you would like to recreate this just keep tasting as you go and you'll be fine. I ended up getting a little heavy handed with the red pepper flakes so this turned out quite spicy but I though it went really well with the grilled steak we had with it. Husband, who it a little more sensitive to spicey flavors,thought it was a little hot but good nonetheless.

Fiery Italian Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked pasta (I used farfalle)
1/2 C shopped frozen spinach
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
2Tbs olive oil
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
6-8 sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped
2-3T red pesto with sundried tomatoes (I buy this jarred at ocen state job lot)
1T good seasonings italian dressing seasoning
1-2T red wine vinegar
1/4C romano cheese
few shakes crushed red pepper flakes

I sauted the spinach in the oil and garlic in a sauce pan until everything was cooked and heated through, then I added the rest of the ingredients except the romano cheese and red pepper flakes. Once it was all stirred to gether I poured it over the hot pasta and tossed it all together. Then, in went the cheese and red pepper and it was tossed again one more time before serving.

YUM!

Ode to Spring!

I do believe the threat of frost has finally passed and I finally went out and bought my vegetable starts for the garden. Of course, I bought WAY to many since our local five and dime only sells 6-packs. That's OK though as Mom just informed me she is now in an all out war with the moles that devastated her first round of vegetable plantings. All my extras will be heading to her house later this month. My brother also went and planted a HUGE garden too so it looks like we will be flush with fresh veggies this summer. THIS IS A GOOD THING! I can't wait for those plants to start producing! I am already chomping at the bit for those fresh summer flavors and have compiled an arsenal of recipes for all the tomatoes, zucchini and peppers I am anticipating! I forsee lots of grilling and dining al fresco in the months to come! And salads! Oh, how I long for fresh veggies for my salads! Right now it's vidalia onion and asparagus time but husband SWEARS he doesn't like asparagus. We will just see about that! I'll bet if I shave it into some orzo and dress it with a nice vinagrette and some pecorino he will gobble it up like there is no tomorrow! He will be out friday night so, if all else fails, that might be my asparagus night. Just me, my asparagus and some cheesy kung fu movies on DVD. AHHH! Life is good!

Cinco De Mayo Celebration!

This weekend is the annual B.A.A.C. Cinco De Mayo party! Yahoo! Seriously, what could be better than bikes, beer, and really good tex-mex food! This is my favorite event and the event that started the organization so it holds a special place in my heart. Therefore, you get 2 recipes with this post! Both are party favorites! Hopefully, I'll have some photos to show you soon too since I am planning on making both this week for the party along with a few other things if time permits!

Spinach Enchiladas in Cilantro Cream Sauce

2 cup(s) of Chopped spinach, cooked or thawed and drained
•1 tbsp. of chopped garlic, or to your tastes
•1/4 cup(s) of chopped onion
•1/2 cup(s) of chopped mushrooms
•1 can chopped green chilies, 2Tbs reserved
•1 chopped serrano pepper
•1/2 cup(s) of breadcrumbs
•1 tbsp. of chili powder
•1 egg
•3 ounce(s) of Philadelphia cream cheese
•1 cup(s) of cheddar cheese, divided
•1 cup(s) of pepper jack cheese, divided
•10 corn tortillas
•1 cup(s) of cream or evaporated milk
•1/2 cup(s) of chopped fresh cilantro
•1/2 cup(s) of green salsa
•1 tsp. of salt

Steps
1.Saute spinach, garlic, green chilies, serrano pepper onions, mushrooms and garlic until onions begin to turn tranluscent
2.While vegetables are cooking, lightly fry tortillas in a hot, oiled pan to soften.
3.In a seperate bowl, mix bread crumbs, cream cheese, chili powder, egg and 1/2 cup cheddar and pepper jack cheeses
4.Add vegetables to bowl and stir until combined
5.In a blender or food processor blend the remaining green chilies, cream, salt, green salsa and cilantro to make the sauce
6.place a small amount of sauce in a 9x9 pan and lightly coat the bottom
7.Place a spoon full of filling in each tortilla and roll.
8.placed rolled tortillas in pan and pour remaining sauce over them
9.sprinkle with remaining cheddar and pepper jack cheese
10.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
11.Enjoy!


Tamale Pie

First
Slow roast one whole pork shoulder. Double wrap shoulder in foil and roast at 225-250 for 12 to 15 hours. Be sure it is in a fairly deep pan as it will release a lot of juices. I generally throw it in the oven in the late morning and let it roast all day and all night. Let cool and separate meat.


For the crust:
2 C Maseca corn flour
2/3 C vegetable shortning (or lard)
2 C warm water (some times I will add some of the juices from the pork to add flavor)

Combine ingredients in an electric mixer and blend until smooth and "fluffy". Use half of the dough to line bottom and side of a casserole dish. It took me three batches of this to have enough for a big banquet pan.

For the sauce:
1 can diced green chilies
4 serrano chilies, chopped fine
about 6 (depending on size) cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 generous Tbs chopped garlic
1 medium to large onion chopped
1 jar chili sauce
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
1 large can petit cut diced tomatoes

Saute peppers, onion and garlic in a large pan until softened and onions begin to turn translucent. Add tomatoes, chili sauce and chili powder and stir until sauce is thick and hot.

If you have room in your pan you can stir the meat into the sauce and put it all in the masa lined casserole dish otherwise put a layer of meat on the bottom of the dish and pour the sauce over the top. Top with the remaining masa and bake (350-400) for 1-2 hours until heated through and crust begins to brown. Top with cheddar cheese and bake 15 minutes more or until melted and bubbly! Serve hot with sour cream and guac!


OLE!

Dessert Time!

This recipe is so versatile! Once you make the base of sweetened cream cheese the sky is the limit as far as flavor combinations. Just about any candy bar, cheesecake or ice cream flavor combination could be adapted to this recipe. Have fun trying different mix-ins, extracts and liquors to come up with your own favorite combinations. If you can't find spring roll wrappers, egg roll wrappers or wonton skins are perfectly acceptable substitutes. This was my first time working with spring roll wrappers and they were great to work with so don't be intimidated by them!

Dessert Spring Rolls



4 ounce(s) of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup(s) of powdered sugar
1/2 cup(s) of Peanut Butter
1/2 cup(s) of chocolate chips
4 cup(s) of vegetable oil for frying
2 cup(s) of warm water
1 package spring roll wrappers (can sub eggroll wrappers or wonton skins)

Steps
1.In electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter until combined.
2.Stir in chocolate chips
3.Dip spring roll wrapper in warm water to soften
4.Place 1-2Tbs of filling mixture into spring roll wrapper and roll egg roll style on a damp towel. Be sure to pull wrapper tight around filling to remove any air pockets.
5.Deep fry spring rolls in hot oil (about 350 degrees) until crisp
6.Allow to drain and serve with ice cream, flavored syrup, whipped cream, etc.

2 Submissions in 1 week! Will Miracles Ever Cease?

Call it an Easter miracle but I actually was able to get two recipes in to RWOP this week. I do have to admit though, the second submission was SUPER easy and took all of 5 minutes. A five minute video still takes about an hour to edit and convert though so you can understand why I try to keep them short - 10 minute time rule not withstanding! LOL!

For this recipe I took my inspiration from a mid-western regional specialty burger - The Jucy (or Juicy) Lucy. I was actually watching a Food Network show with my husband one night and this particular item was being showcased, which gave me the idea to give it a Philly twist for the contest. Then when I was in the store and saw a gadget for making stuffed cheeseburgers - well let's just say it was like a sign from the heavens that this was the time to do this. So here you have it - my southwestern adaptation of the Jucy Lucy using Philly Santa Fe blend cooking creme that I affectionately call the "Juicy Lupe"!



1 pound(s) of lean ground beef
4 tbsp. of Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Santa Fe Blend
1/2 cup(s) of Masa Harina
4 slices pepper jack cheese
2 slices red onion
2 slices tomato
2 large lettuce leaves
2 tbsp. of salsa or taco sauce
2 burger buns

Steps
1.If you do not have the luxury of using a stuffed burger press gadget, divide beef into four equal portions
2.Place each portioned beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a thin patty
3.Place 2 Tbs of cooking creme in the center of one patty and place second patty on top. Pinch edges to seal.
4.Repeat with remaining patties
5.dredge burgers in masa harina
6.Place burgers in a non stick skillet and cook over LOW HEAT, turning once, until done. Use a lid to ensure thorough cooking
7.Place pepper jack cheese on burgers and cook with lid until melted
8.remove burgers from skillet and place on buns. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and salsa/taco sauce
9.Let sit before biting into burgers as filling will be hot. Enjoy!

Soup is Good Food!

Well, I lucked out with the shitty weather that we have been having lately. These damp cold days were perfect for making this soup that I wanted to submit to RWOP and this week I finally got it done. I was exhausted and you can see that I am wearing PJs in my video but at that point in the day I really didn't care and just wanted to get this thing done. The soup came out great so that's the most important thing, right!

This is another "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" recipe of mine. When I first came up with it I had intended to make the soup with bacon. As it turned out, I was all out of bacon so I substituted salami instead. I am happy to say the results were fantastic and I hope that you agree.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Salami Soup



•1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
•3 tbsp. of butter
•2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
•2-3 Cups cream
•1 medium onion, diced
•6 slices hard salami
•2 cup(s) of chicken broth - use more or less depending on the desired consistency

Steps

1.Butter each half of the squash and layer salami slices on top and in cavity of squash
2.Place on baking sheet and roast at 350-400 degrees until squash is easily pierced with a fork
3. While squash is roasting, sauté onions and garlic in butter until softened
4. Add chicken stock to onions and simmer gently
5.When squash is cooked set aside roasted salami slices, pour excess butter into a sauce pan
6. Rough chop roast salami slices and set aside
7.Scrape squash out of skin and add to sauce pan
8.Add cream and chopped salami to pan and puree with an immersion blender. Add more or less stock and creme until soup is desired consistency.
9.salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!