Tomato Soup

This is perfect for a cold day or anytime.

Once you make your own tomato soup, you'll never go back to eating canned soup.

I've used onions in this recipe. You can omit onions and use shallots instead. 

4 roma tomatoes, chopped

2 - 3 each: carrots, celery, chopped 

1 onion, chopped

1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed, chopped

Non stick cooking spray

1/4 tsp. each: salt, balsamic vinegar, pepper

1 - 2 tsp. flour

2 T. olive oil, butter

4 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 - 3/4 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Rinse cut ends from, chop celery, carrots.

Rinse, chop tomatoes.

Peel, rinse, chop onions.

Peel, crush, chop garlic.

Arrange vegetables on cooking sheet, place cooking sheet in oven, bake for 20 min.

When vegetables are cooked remove baking sheet from oven with an oven mitt, let set for a few minutes. 

Preheat soup pot to medium high heat,  lower heat to medium low, add oil and butter, stir flour to make a roux. 

Add vegetables, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, sauté for a few minutes.

Add chicken broth reduce heat to low, let simmerfor about 10 to 20 minutes.

Remove soup pot from stove, using an immersion blender blend soup for a few seconds.

Add sour cream and blend for a few seconds more until blended.

Serves 4. 

Mini Blackberry Pie

Happy National Pie Day all!

I used a large muffin tin (6 muffins), but if you're going to use a regular muffin tin (12 muffins) don't put a top crust on the pies.

1 - 2 c. frozen or fresh blackberries 

1/8 c. butter, cut up
1 /8 - 1/3 c. sugar
Non stick cooking spray
1 pkg. pie crusts

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. each: lemon juice, cornstarch

1/8 - 1/3 c. flour (enough to dust work board and rolling pin)

Preheat oven to 350 F'.

Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. 

If you're using fresh blackberries, rinse berries under running cold water through a strainer.

In a clean bowl add berries, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, mix. 

With clean hands sprinkle some flour on work board and rolling pin.

Roll dough out to desired thickness. 

Put the rim of a large clean glass on pie crusts to cut out 12 circles.

Place 1 of the crusts in each of the muffin tins.

Remove butter from refrigerator and cut into pieces.

Spoon blackberries in muffin tins and add butter into each of the muffin tins.

Top each pie with remaining crusts.

Use a clean fork to prick the crust. 

Place in oven and bake for 20 min. or until done.

Serves 6 mini pies.

Grilled Peach Melba

Happy Peach Melba Day all!

This is perfect for dessert or anytime.

 4 peaches halved

1 - 2  T. canola oil

1/2 - 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar

1  - 2 c. ice cream

1/3 - 1/2 c.  frozen cherries

1/8 c. sugar 

1/2 - 3/4 c. water

Cut peaches in half and remove pits, discard pit.

Brush cut side of peaches with oil.

Use a spoon to sprinkle cinnamon sugar over cut side, set aside. 

Heat saucepan to medium high heat.

Lower heat to medium, add cherries, sugar and water. 

Cook cherries for a few minutes or until sauce is reduced. Remove cherry sauce from stove.

Heat grill pan to medium high heat, lower heat to medium.

Place cut side of peaches on grill pan. 

Grill peaches for 2 - 4 min.

Remove peaches from grill and arrange in a dessert dish. 

Arrange ice cream, peaches,  spoon sauce over peaches and ice cream. 

Serves 4.

Leek Soup

Happy New Year & happy soup month all!

This is perfect for a winter day or anytime.

I’ve used low sodium chicken broth, but you can used vegetable broth, if needed.

1 leek chopped

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper, dried parsley

4 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 - 3 T. each: oil, butter
1 each: shallot, clove garlic, crushed, chopped

1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream

Rinse, cut ends of, chop light green part of leek into small pieces.

Peel, rinse, chop shallots into small pieces.

Peel, crush and chop garlic.

Preheat a clean soup pot over medium high heat, lower heat to medium, add oil, butter.

Add leeks, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley to pot.

Cook vegetables 8 -10 min. or until softened

Add chicken broth, stirring constantly.  

Cook over medium low for 15 min or until done.

Turn off stove, remove soup from heat.

Add sour cream with a clean spoon and use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth.

Serves 4. 

Recipe To Help California

 Prayers, thoughts for California.

Once again floods are devastating California. 

The flood forced thousands to evacuate. 

There are links on this site to some organizations that are helping with relief efforts.

Whatever you can do to help, donate will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Holiday Manicotti

 This is perfect for the holidays or anytime. 

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper, granulated garlic
1 package Manicotti noodles
2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 - 1 c. each: Parmesan cheese, Asiago cheese, shredded mozzarella, provolone cheese
1/2 tsp each:  oregano, basil
1 - 2 T. olive oil
3 c. pasta sauce (homemade or jar)
Non stick cooking spray

2 eggs beaten 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Cook noodles according to package. 

Drain in colander, set aside.

Spray non-stick cooking spray in baking dish, set aside. 

Crack eggs into a bowl and beat slightly with a clean fork. 

In a large mixing bowl combine; ricotta cheese, eggs, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic. 

Add some of the cheeses and mix well to incorporate. 

Pour some of the sauce in bottom of baking dish. 

You can use a spoon to fill the noodles with the mixture. 

You can also fill the noodles by filling a baggie with the filling and snipping the end of the baggie to pipe the filling into the noodles.

Arrange filled noodles in baking dish. 

Pour remainder of sauce over noodles. 

Top noodles with remaining cheese. 

Bake for 30 min.

Serves 6. 

Superfine Sugar

Have holiday baking to do?

Running out of superfine sugar. 

It's so super simple to make.

It's great for holiday cocktails & mocktails too!

2/3 - 1 c. sugar

In a small food chopper, add sugar. 

Process sugar in a few short quick bursts for 10 - 15 sec. or until sugar's fine. 

Serves 48 (1 tsp.).