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Scampi alla Griglia

Posted in About me, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Flavorful Scampi alla Griglia was one of my “go to” recipes to serve company in the early years of my marriage. Not only did it have an exotic name, but it was a gourmet triple treat – garlic, butter, and shrimp! I recently rediscovered this recipe when trying to figure out the “surf” part of a surf and turf birthday celebration for a friend. It was as good as I remembered!

Scampi alla Griglia
Adapted from a recipe in The Cooking of Italy cookbook by Time-Life

Ingredients:
2 lbs. large fresh shrimp in their shells or defrosted frozen shrimp
8 T. butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or scallions
1 T. finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 T. finely chopped fresh parsley, preferably the flat-leaf Italian type
Lemon quarters

Directions:
1. Shell the shrimp, being careful not to remove the last segment of shell or the tail.  Devein the shrimp by slitting down the back of each shrimp with a small sharp knife and lifting out the black or white intestinal vein. Wash the shrimp quickly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat broiler to its highest temperature.

3. In a shallow flameproof baking dish or pan just large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer, melt the butter over low heat on the stove top, being careful not to let it brown. Remove from burner.

4. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, salt, and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Add the shrimp and turn in the butter and oil mixture until they glisten on all sides.

5. Broil them 3-4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, then turn the shrimp over and broil them for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until they are lightly browned and firm to the touch done.*

6. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter, pour the sauce from the pan over them, and sprinkle them with parsley.

7. Garnish with lemons and serve.

Serves 6.

Linnell’s notes:
1. I buy the U20’s (under 20 shrimp per pound) size shrimp at Costco. They still have shells on, but the shells are slit and the shrimp are deveined.

2. *Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the shrimp you are using and the amount of heat generated by your broiler. Keep an eye on the shrimp while they are broiling, because they can quickly become overcooked! I did not need to broil mine for the total time suggested in the recipe.

3. This recipe would make a fabulous hot or “cold” appetizer. If serving it cold, my only word of advice would be to not serve it right out of the refrigerator because the butter will be congealed.

4. In the photo above the Scampi is served with an herbed quinoa “pilaf” on the side. I’ll post the quinoa recipe at a later date, but if you can’t wait, email me and I’ll send you the recipe.

Enjoy!!

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Chewy White Chocolate Brownies

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on May 24, 2011| 2 Comments »

What makes one brownie chewy, another one cakey and yet another one fudgy? Scanning the list of ingredients for Chewy White Chocolate Brownies and noting that it only required 1/2 cup of flour, I contemplated the different textures of brownies. Since most brownie recipes list similar basic ingredients, I figured the difference must lie in their proportions.

After some online research, I found this matter discussed in a post on Diana’s Desserts:

FUDGY BROWNIES (which purists often claim are the only real brownies) have a minimum of flour–about half a cup–and no leavening such as baking powder at all. Melting the butter rather than creaming it with sugar yields a denser, fudgier outcome.

CAKELIKE BROWNIES are really … well, little cakes! They contain less butter and more flour than fudgy brownies, as well as a bit of baking powder to make them softer and lighter. Often the softened butter is creamed with the sugar rather than melted with the chocolate. (Creaming incorporates air into the mixture, which causes the brownies to rise higher.) Many cakelike recipes also call for a bit of milk to add tenderness.

CHEWY BROWNIES usually get their texture from two factors: an extra egg (or even two) and a combination of different types of chocolate. Of all the chocolate types, unsweetened chocolate has the highest proportion of starches, which create a stiffer-textured brownie. Semisweet chocolate produces a creamier texture. Put the two together, often with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to round out the flavor and thicken the texture, and you get a rich, satisfyingly chewy result.

BLONDIES are really butterscotch bars, made with brown sugar, butter, and eggs (and usually nuts as well), but no chocolate. Typically, blondies have a cakelike texture.

There you have it! By definition this Chewy White Chocolate recipe, with it’s 1/2 cup of flour and melted butter, should fall into the fudgy and not chewy category. But wait, because it has no chocolate (dark, semi, or milk), it’s essentially a blondie. Shouldn’t this sweet little recipe, clipped out of my local newspaper years ago, really be called Fudgy White Chocolate Blondies? Doesn’t sound right, does it?

Chewy White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups white chocolate baking chips, divided use
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter brickle baking bits (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Melt 1 cup of the white chocolate chips and the butter over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Beat together the eggs and sugar until frothy. Add the vanilla extract.

4. Slowly mix in the chocolate mixture.

5. Gradually add the flour and beat until smooth.

6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup white chocolate chips and brickle bits, if desired.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

8. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 servings.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Don’t leave out the brickle bits – it’s the combination of white chocolate and butter brickle that make this recipe delicious!
2. Don’t over bake the brownies or else they will lose their fudgy/chewy texture.
3. Don’t leave them on the kitchen counter unguarded or else you may return to discover that “someone” has eaten one whole row of edges!

Enjoy!

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Boston Iced Tea

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on May 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A refreshing beverage for warm and sunny days, this iced tea is easy to make. I know I mention the word “easy” in the majority of my recipe posts, but I am one of those cooks who likes to get great results with a minimum amount of effort! Although this recipe is not as easy as opening a packet of iced tea mix, it’s worth the few extra steps to get the tart and fresh-brewed taste. Why is it called Boston Iced Tea? I’m guessing that moniker has something to do with the addition of cranberry juice!

Boston Iced Tea
Adapted from a recipe posted by Sean Paajanen on About.com

Ingredients:
4 quarts of water
1 cup of sugar
15 tea bags
12 oz. frozen cranberry juice concentrate

Directions:
1. Pour water into a large pot and bring it to a boil.
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Add tea bags and let them steep until desired strength is reached – about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Remove tea bags.
5. Stir in frozen cranberry juice concentrate until it has completely dissolved.
6. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
7. Serve over ice.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I used 6-7 of Lipton’s Iced Tea family-size tea bags instead of 15 small tea bags.

2. So that the tea bags don’t fall into the pot, I wrap the tag-ends of the bags around the handle of a long wooden spoon (a long pair of chopsticks would also work) and rest the spoon across the pot opening. This enables the bags to dangle in the hot water, but they can also be easily retrieved when the brew strength is just right.

3. I’ve also made this iced tea using frozen cran-raspberry juice concentrate with good results.

4. For an event I recently hosted, I poured some of the ice tea mixture into plastic molds and froze them. When placed in the beverage dispenser, these molds kept the beverage cold without diluting the tea.

5. Whole fresh cranberries can also be frozen and placed into individual glasses or a beverage dispenser for a decorative look.

Enjoy!!

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Homemade Cheese Crackers

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2011| 1 Comment »

Whether it’s the combination of two cheeses – sharp white cheddar and parmigiano-reggiano – or the rich buttery taste that has a bite of cayenne pepper, these little cheese crackers are addicting. Start nibbling on one and you’ll soon find the whole bowl is empty! They are simple to make, unless you decide to cut them into tiny hearts and flowers like I did for a recent bridal shower. Whatever shape or size you choose, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with these crunchy, homemade, cheese crackers!

Cheese Crackers
A recipe from Saveur

Ingredients:
12 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
6 oz. sharp white cheddar; grated on small holes of a box grater (to yield 1-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1-1/2 cups flour, preferably White Lily flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cayenne

Directions:
1. Put butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

2. Add cheeses and beat well.

3. Sift flour, salt, and cayenne together into another bowl.

4. Using your hands, quickly work flour mixture into butter mixture without overworking the dough. If dough remains crumbly, stir in 2 tbsp. ice water.

5. Gather dough into a ball.

6. Quarter dough, shape each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

8. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface to 1/16″ thickness.

9. Using a 1-1/2″ round cookie cutter, cut out about 30 rounds and transfer to a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet about 1/2″ apart. Repeat process with remaining dough.

10. Bake crackers until puffed and golden, 6-8 minutes. Transfer crackers to a nontoxic paper bag or paper towels to let cool completely. Crackers will keep in an upright container for up to one month.

Makes about 10 dozen.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I made different batches – one with sharp white cheddar and one with regular sharp cheddar. Tasters preferred the regular sharp cheddar. Obviously, the better the cheese, the better the flavor!

2. As mentioned before, these crackers can be cut into any shape or size. Just adjust the baking time. My small crackers were baked just under six minutes.

3. Although, these crackers can be stored for a while, I made them two days before the shower and stuck them in the oven the morning of the shower to re-crisp them.

4. Irish white cheddar cheese can normally be purchased at Costco or Sam’s Club.

5. If wrapped in a nice container, these crackers would make a wonderful hostess gift.

Enjoy!!

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Cilantro and Lime Rice

Posted in About me, Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2011| 1 Comment »

“What can I bring?” I asked my friend as we planned a surprise birthday party for another one of our friends. “Can you bring rice?” she said. “Sure, no problem!” I replied. After all, rice was an easy dish for this Asian gal to prepare. But then my friend added, “Can you bring cilantro and lime rice like they serve at Chipotle?” While trying to remember if I’d ever tasted Chipotle’s rice before, I uttered, “Ohhh, okay . . . !” My friend cheerfully said, “Great!” and I mumbled back, “Yeah, great . . . .” and headed off to find the nearest Chipotle restaurant.

That conversation began my quest for a cilantro and lime rice recipe. Luckily, I found several online and I diligently read through them all. After experimenting with a few recipes, I ultimately found one that needed only a few minor tweaks and that tasted really good. Wanting to simplify the recipe, I cooked the rice in my rice cooker instead of a saucepan and was delighted with the results!

The light and refreshing flavor combination of cilantro and lime just can’t be beat and makes this rice dish a perfect accompaniment for grilled meats and seafood. Particularly, it’s a great complement to any of your favorite Mexican entrees. Serve this easy rice dish at your upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration and be prepared to share the recipe with your guests – you’ll be asked for it!

Cilantro and Lime Rice:
Adapted from a recipe by Rockin Robin

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup basmati rice
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 + tbsp fresh lime juice
zest from one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Add the oil and butter in a saucepan and heat on low until butter has melted. Add the garlic and rice (uncooked) to the oil mixture and saute for two minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently and being careful that the garlic does not burn.

2. In a mixing bowl stir to combine the chicken broth, salt, and lime juice.

3. Transfer the rice mixture to a rice cooker (or leave in the saucepan if not using a rice cooker). Add broth mixture to the rice. Cover and cook. (If not cooking a rice cooker, bring rice and broth to a boil, then cover saucepan and cook over low heat until done.)

3. When rice is cooked, add the lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir gently to mix. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. It is easiest to use a rice cooker – both to cook and keep the rice warm. No worries, though, if you don’t have a rice cooker, this delicious rice can be made in a saucepan. See above instructions.

2. I rarely add the full teaspoon of salt that is called for in the recipe. Depending on the sodium level of your chicken broth, you may need to adjust the amount of salt you add. I use low-sodium chicken broth and find that 1/2 teaspoon is enough for my taste buds even when I make a double batch.

2. After adding the lime zest and the chopped cilantro to the rice, taste and then adjust the seasonings. I often add more lime juice at this point and most of the time will not add the full amount of cilantro.

3. It’s better to add the zest and the cilantro as close to serving time as possible, so that their colors remain vivid and fresh – inevitably their colors will darken as they heat up.

Enjoy!!

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Quick Scones and Mock Devonshire Cream

Posted in About me, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 5, 2011| 2 Comments »

Scones are harbingers of happiness to me – they always remind me of Carmel and of my mom. As a child I spent many a lazy-crazy family vacation in the Monterey Bay area. Those carefree days of summer were all a kid could ever ask for. Dad would pack up the family Buick and drive leisurely down the coast while we all sang “On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed . . . . !” As we pulled into the parking lot of our ultimate vacation resort – a Travel Lodge motel – my sister and I would debate on what to do first. Invariably, within five minutes of our arrival, we would don our chic bathing suits, our “stylish” Playtex swim caps, and a pair of rubber zories and run outside to the pool. Esther Williams we weren’t, but we didn’t care! The following day always brought the promise of a visit to Carmel. Window shopping in Carmel was a favorite pastime and after passing pastry shop window after pastry shop window, my mom would finally select one to go into and would treat us to anything in the shop. My sister would pick her usual favorite and my mom would always get a giant scone studded with currants for herself. She’d pick off pieces and study the crusty exterior and the tender interior before she put them in her mouth. Then she’d say, “These are almost as good as the ones Eppler’s sells in the City.” And what did I always choose for my treat from the bakery? A scone, just like my mom, of course!

Scones are not difficult to make and require ingredients most of us have at home. But sometimes when we’re in a hurry, convenience wins out and that’s okay. Here’s a recipe for quick scones that utilizes a baking mix. This recipe calls for dried cranberries and currants, but there are a myriad of other flavorful ingredients that could be substituted. Other dried fruit, such as cherries, raisins, blueberries, and apricots, work nicely, as well as, white and dark chocolate chips, lavender flowers, and lemon or orange zest.

Devonshire cream is a nice accompaniment to hot scones, but it’s not easily found. Below is a recipe for a mock Devonshire cream that’s rich and simple to make.

With Easter and Mother’s Day just ahead, you’ll want to try these simply delicious recipes!

Quick Cream Scones and Mock Devonshire Cream:
Adapted from a recipe by Ana Robello

Ingredients
Scones:
3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, melted for brushing on

Mock Devonshire Cream:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream or half-and-half

Directions for Scones
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Mix the first six scone ingredients together in a medium bowl. Drop 2-1/2-inch mounds onto 2 nonstick, greased, or parchment-covered cookie sheets.
3. Brush tops of scones with melted butter.
4. Bake until lightly golden, 8-11 minutes.

Makes 16 scones.

Directions for Mock Devonshire Cream
1. Beat all ingredients together in a medium bowl with hand-mixer.
2. Transfer to a serving dish.
3. Refrigerate any unused portions.

Makes 2 cups

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Separate the sticky dried fruit by tossing them in the baking mix before adding the other ingredients.

2. Because I wanted my scones to be heart-shaped, I put some Bisquick/flour on a pastry board and kneaded the dough a little bit. Then I rolled the dough out and used a cookie cutter to cut out the hearts.

3. Because the oven temperature is high and because the tops of the scones are brushed with butter, keep an on on the scones as they bake. If you find them turning brown before they are fully baked, turn down the temperature by about 25 degrees.

4. These scones are on the sweeter side. You can always decrease the amount of sugar.

4. The Mock Devonshire Cream can be spooned into a pastry bag and be piped into little serving dishes. If you don’t have a pastry bag, just snip off the corner of a Ziploc-type bag and attach your decorating tip to that instead.

Enjoy!

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Chinese-Style Beef Jerky

Posted in About me, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on March 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

One piece! One tiny little piece of homemade Chinese-style beef jerky remained in the bowl. In the quick ten minutes it took me to wash the dishes, the entire contents (minus one piece, of course) had been devoured by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named! Noting the digestive-inhalation that just occurred, I considered my first foray into making beef jerky a success!

Beef Jerky
Adapted from a recipe by Rhoda Yee

Ingredients:
1 lb flank steak
2 tsp salt
4 tsp sherry
8 tsp honey
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp each of: ketchup, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce

Directions:
1. Rinse meat and blot dry. Place completely flat in zip-type plastic bag and freeze for about 45 minutes.

2. Make the marinade with the remaining ingredients. Set aside.

3. Remove meat from the freezer and take out of bag. On a cutting board slice the meat into wide strips across the grain and put into a large bowl. The pieces should be no thicker than 1/8th-inch thick.

4. Pour the marinade into the meat bowl. With your hands, carefully mix the two, making sure that all sides of the meat slices are evenly coated with the marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one day.

5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

6. Cover baking pans with foil. Place either broiling racks or cooling racks into the baking pans. This allows air to flow around the meat. Spray racks with a vegetable spray and place slices of meat in a single layer on the racks. The slices can touch, but should not overlap.

7. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

8. Store in an airtight container.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Chinese-style beef jerky is a little sweeter and stickier than conventional western beef jerky.

2. The best prices for flank steak were at Sam’s Club, Winco, and Costco – in that order.

3. These are optional procedures – Halfway through the baking time I removed the baking sheets from the oven and poured off the meat juices that had collected in the bottom. I wanted the meat to bake and not steam. At this point I also turned the slices of meat over.

3. Because I like my beef jerky peppery, I sprinkled some freshly ground black pepper over the raw meat slices prior to baking and again at the halfway point after flipping them over.

4. How to tell when meat is done: The slices will shrink by about 50%. The color should be dark brown and should be evenly colored, but not burnt! You’ll know when you see them.

5. After reviewing many other beef jerky recipes, I found this one to be relatively easy. So easy, in fact, that I made three batches in over two days!

Enjoy!

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Eclair Cake

Posted in Entertainment, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2011| 3 Comments »

What’s not to like about a cake that has all the delicious components of a bakery-fresh eclair, but is easier to make? The rich chocolate sauce, the fresh whipped cream, the creamy vanilla custard, and the light, cream puff pastry each, in their own right, are special, but combined they are divine! I made this scrumptious Eclair Cake for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it from top to bottom – as evidenced by some serious, post-devouring, fork licking!

Adapted from a recipe in the 50th Anniversary Best of our Favorite Recipes – Maui Association for Family and Community Education cookbook:

Ingredients:
Crust-
1 cup water
1 cube of butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Filling-
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding
2-1/2 cups fresh milk

Toppings-
1 (8 oz) container of whipped topping or freshly whipped cream
Chocolate sauce or syrup
Toasted sliced almonds, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and stir in flour all at once. Keep stirring until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
4. Remove from heat and stir in one egg at a time, beating well after each one is added.
5. Spread evenly into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until puffed up and golden. Cool.
7. While crust is cooling, prepare filling by mixing the cream cheese and the dry pudding mix together. Slowly add the milk. Batter will be thick and smooth.
8. Spread filling on cooled crust.
9. Spread whipped topping or whipped cream over filling.
10. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top.
11. Refrigerate to set and until ready to serve.

Serves about 15.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. The base layer or crust is made exactly like cream puff shells are made. The only difference is that the batter is spread out in a pan instead of being dropped by teaspoons onto a baking sheet.

2. For the whipped cream layer, I used 50 percent whipped topping and 50 percent fresh whipped cream. First I whipped the cream and then gently folded in the thawed whipped topping.

3. Instead of using a chocolate syrup, I used a hot fudge sundae sauce that was not overly thick or too heavy.

4. I lightly toasted almond slices in the oven and let them cool before sprinkling them over the cake top.

5. Another way to decorate the cake top would be to drizzle the chocolate sauce in rows over the whipped cream and then drag a knife or toothpick through the rows of sauce to create a marbleized appearance.

Enjoy!

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Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Everything tastes better with butter. Who can deny this fact? Imagine popcorn, potatoes, bread, corn on the cob, lobster and even Paula Deen without butter. Without their better parts, oops, I mean butter pats, they would definitely be less popular. If you love all things butter, like I do, and if you want to treat your taste buds to something indescribable, try this super easy pasta dish that was mentioned in my Cracked Crab with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette post. What could be better than butter? How about truffle butter! It’s the special ingredient in this rich and creamy pasta dish that is easy enough to throw together on a busy night, yet is incredibly delicious to serve to company.

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter
Recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces white truffle butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler

Directions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you’re not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.

4. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Serves 2.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Because I could not find Cipriani tagliarelle and could only find black pepper and garlic tagliarelle, I substituted fettucine. The recipe calls for an 8.82-ounce package of dried pasta, but I purchased a 12-ounce package of fresh fettucine and cooked all of it.

2. I purchased a 3-ounce container of white truffle butter for $9.99 at Whole Foods.

3. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt to be added to the pot of water, which seemed excessive to me, but I followed the recipe. However, in step 2, I only added 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the 1 teaspoon called for and in step 4, I did not add any additional salt at the end, only a little bit of freshly ground black pepper.

4. Because I had it on hand, I added a few small slices of prosciutto for garnish on top.

5. This dish is best served immediately after cooking – it isn’t at its best after sitting around for a while or after reheating.

Enjoy!

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A Hearty Red Pepper-Tomato Soup

Posted in Health, Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Sometimes it pays to save old magazines. From an old Sunset Magazine, dated February 1997, comes this quick to make Red Pepper-Tomato Soup that’s perfect for a cold and wet Valentine’s Day. Many aspects of this recipe make it appealing. First, it is low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates. The amount of cholesterol is negligible, especially if you use vegetable stock and do not add any cream garnish. It’s a smooth and thick soup, much like a cream-based soup, but happily without the cream. Second, this recipe requires few ingredients and most of the ingredients are pantry staples. Third, both the red peppers and tomatoes are good sources of lycopene. According to Livestrong.com, Lycopene is an antioxidant molecule found in red-colored fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes. A number of studies have shown that diets rich in tomato products can lower the incidence of several cancers as well as heart disease, possibly due to their high lycopene content. The chemical structure of lycopene gives it a number of antioxidant properties that may in theory help prevent cellular damage and fight off some of the effects of aging and chronic disease.

Show your special someone how much you care by serving them this attractive, heart-healthy, red soup. It’s up to you whether or not you want to add the cream garnish, but you’ll really want the heart-shaped croutons to soak up all that hearty goodness!

Red Pepper-Tomato Soup
Recipe from Laura Sabo for Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
2 or 3 slices French Bread, each about 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup (about 1-1/2 oz.) chopped shallots
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup canned peeled roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream or whipping cream (optional)

Directions:
1. With a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife, cut heart shapes (3 inches wide or smaller) out of bread. Lay croutons on a baking sheet and brush tops with about 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon basil. Bake in 350 degree oven
until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes for a 3-inch-wide heart.

2. Meanwhile, in a 2 or 3-quart pan, cook shallots, stirring often, in remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add broth, red peppers, tomatoes and their juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon basil. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer over low heat 5 to 10 minutes.

3. With slotted spoon, ladle peppers, tomatoes, and shallots into a blender or food processor; whirl until smooth. Return puree to pan; stir into liquid. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollops of sour cream decoratively over soup; swirl with the tip of a knife through sour cream. Immediately before serving, set heart-shaped croutons on top.

Makes 4 cups (2-3 servings)

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I used a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers. After rinsing and draining, the amount of red peppers came to just a tad over one cup.

2. Although the recipe called for a 16-ounce can of tomatoes, I only had a 28-ounce can available. I threw the whole amount into the pot figuring it couldn’t hurt – plus what was I going to do with the few remaining canned tomatoes?

3. I started with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and found that was enough for my low-sodium taste buds. I added about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of sugar – this amount will depend on the sweetness of the tomatoes you are using.

4. The dollops of sour cream sank to the bottom of the bowl, so I used heavy cream instead and dragged a toothpick through them to create the “almost” heart-shaped swirls.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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